Chapter 72: VA-11 HALL-A

Valhalla, the Hall of the Slain from Norse mythology, is the spiritual refuge for countless Norse warriors.

They fought for it, taking glory in dying in battle, solely so their souls could return to the supreme Valhalla after death to behold the supreme god—Odin.

In Night City, Valhalla is merely the name of a small bar.

No, just a nickname, not even a formal designation.

V, wearing flat shoes from the car, carefully surveyed this small bar located at the end of a desolate street.

A red LED sign reading "VA-11 HALL-A" hung crookedly on the wall.

The messy cursive script, the scarlet glow of the tubes, combined with the cracked walls, created a sense of avant-garde art.

V looked down at her own attire, feeling somewhat out of place.

The standard female employee uniform of Arasaka Corporation—a red-and-black short blazer paired with matching black trousers.

But it didn't matter; she was just here to drink, no need to overthink it as she would at work.

V pondered for a second, took a step, gently stepped over the small puddle of water at the doorway, and pushed open the door to Valhalla.

"Mixing drinks, changing lives. Good evening."

A short-haired woman dressed as a Company employee pushed the door open; her mature and coldly beautiful appearance carried an indescribable aura.

Gil sized up the first customer of the night, preparing to perk up a bit.

(A Company employee. Although I've only been in Night City for a short while and can't tell which Company's uniform it is, still... better not be too negligent.)

(This small bar can't handle any major trouble, though people of true status probably wouldn't visit this rundown bar anyway.)

Gil turned her mind over, thinking about all sorts of random things.

"Hello, I'll have a..." The short-haired, coldly beautiful woman studied the menu by the bar for a moment, tapping her chin with her fingertip, looking as if she were thinking.

"Do you have any recommendations? Honestly, just looking at the drink names gives me no clue at all."

As she spoke, the short-haired woman slowly sat on the round stool in front of Gil, resting her elbows on the bar counter.

(Unlike her cold exterior, her tone was surprisingly polite, lacking the air of superiority typical of Company employees; perhaps it was just a stereotype.)

"Hello, just call me Gil. Miss..."

"V, just call me V; acquaintances all address me that way." V politely observed the bartender with purple-black long hair and gently tapped the seemingly wooden bar counter.

"Hello, Miss V. May I ask your preferences? For instance, do you prefer sweet or sour, more or less alcohol? That can serve as a basis for recommendations."

"Very professional." V nodded, then tapped her chin again with her index finger. "Sweet, with ice, and a bit more alcohol; I can hold my drink quite well."

"Are you waiting for someone?" Gil asked softly while selecting a drink suitable for the customer's taste on the mixing machine.

Although not very obvious, she still noticed V's occasional glances toward the window.

"Oh, I arranged to meet a few friends here for drinks."

"Moonblast! Enjoy." Gil recited in a rhythmic tone, gently placing the machine-mixed drink on the bar counter.

Every time she recited it like that, she felt as if she were in a tokusatsu show or some other series where they would chant those ultimate moves that sounded awesome.

V paid no attention to the bartender's slightly strange tone, her gaze falling on the gradient pink mixed alcoholic drink.

Under the dim lights of the bar, the liquid revealed a brilliant sheen, as if countless stars were swimming in a pink ocean, like the birth of the universe.

"Miss V, you just mentioned meeting with friends; have you been here before?"

The bartender's words, tinged with a slight French accent, fell upon V's ears, pulling her back from her reverie.

"Why do you ask?" V didn't answer immediately, merely asking back with mild interest.

"Actually, I've only been in Night City for about half a month, so I guessed you might be a previous customer of this bar." Gil spread her hands, a hint of sincerity showing on her cold face.

"Actually, this is my first time..." V shook her head and smiled, waving to tell the bartender not to be so reserved. "The friends I met with probably have been here before; I'll ask them later."

"Hmm..." Gil nodded, tidying up as usual the few traces left from last night on the bar counter that hadn't been cleaned thoroughly, not disturbing the first customer of the day as she tasted her first alcoholic drink at Valhalla.

"How does it taste?"

Feeling that the expression on the coldly beautiful short-haired woman's face was somewhat subtle, Gil's heart beat slightly faster.

"The sweetness and alcohol blend perfectly..." V slightly extended her tongue, slowly licking her lips. "It feels... very pleasant."

"Satisfied enough?" Gil sighed, asking softly.

"Very satisfied, or rather... beyond my expectations."

V smiled lightly and gently placed the empty glass back on the bar.

"Why do you say that?"

Gil felt she had already mastered the workflow; every time after a customer finished drinking, it was her favorite listening segment.

"Hmm... honestly..." V brushed aside the hair falling over her face, hesitating for a few seconds. "Seeing this bar from the outside, it looks quite dilapidated; I didn't expect the drink quality to be so unexpectedly high."

"I'm glad you like it." Gil nodded; although she wasn't being praised, she felt a sense of shared glory and shame.

"You just said you've only been in Night City for half a month?" V propped her chin with her hand; the cold aura vanished instantly, replaced by warmth.

"Yes, what about it?" Gil was washing cups.

"I just wanted to ask, are you getting used to life in Night City?" V lifted her head slightly; with her height, sitting on the chair, she could just see Gil's somewhat practiced movements under the bar counter.

"Actually, I don't really like night shifts."

"But?"

V promptly continued, crossing her left leg over her right, tapping her toes rhythmically on the ground.

This bar unexpectedly suited her taste, and she subconsciously relaxed.

"But..." Gil bit her lip. "I still have to pay rent, still have to live, take care of my little cat... in short, I need money."

"And?"

V's lips curved upward, a smile pressed between them.

"And, I quite enjoy listening to others talk about their stories... limited to that part."

"Isn't that good?" V nodded, then turned her gaze back to the menu, intending to casually pick a drink with an interesting name.

Just like this life, it is only interesting because it is full of uncertainty.