[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer":3,"chapter-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-138":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Cyberpunk: Cross-dimensional Science and Engineering",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1151529,1495,"Chapter 138 - 129: The Mystery of Adkaduo’s Decline","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-138",138,"\u003Cp>Adkaduo, one of the seven Wanderer Kingdoms, had a population that reached millions at its height.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This group wasn’t as poor or brutal as the city dwellers now see them; overall, they resembled a group of people who refused to abandon the barren lands and relished their freedom under the sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 2013, when Rogel, who is now the queen, was still a mercenary, she had stormed into the Arasaka Tower with Johnny Silverhand with the goal of rescuing a hacker named Otto.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the mission failed, Otto wasn’t rescued, though the good news is that they managed to withdraw successfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After withdrawing, Rogel chose to lie low in Mexico, where she came into contact with the Adkaduo people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Rogel’s partner during her mercenary days, named Santiago, with his understanding of the wilderness and Wanderers, helped the two successfully blend into the Wanderers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to Adkaduo’s aid, Rogel and Santiago avoided Arasaka’s pursuits and effectively disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, Santiago chose to stay with the tribe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having been through much, Santiago became the second leader of Adkaduo and firmly established the social system of division of labor within Adkaduo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Different tribes took primary responsibility for various areas; for instance, the \"Wolf Pack\" tribe focused on combat, while the Brian Family managed agriculture and logistics, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This city-like division of labor massively boosted the tribal work efficiency, making them essentially the strongest of the seven kingdoms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Rogel decided to return to Night City and in 2023 took part in Military Science’s decapitation strike on Arasaka, joining the attack as part of a squad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The true objective of the decapitation plan was to detonate a nuclear bomb inside Arasaka—this is also known as the infamous Arasaka Nuclear Explosion event.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this plan, Santiago had sent a Wolf Pack squad to support Rogel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, the Wanderers actually participated in the decapitation operation, it’s just that not many people know about this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn... so the Wanderers—or should I say this Wanderer named Adkaduo—is also legendary...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille glanced at V, \"You seem to be more seriously injured mentally than I thought? Adkaduo is the general term for the tribe! Not a person!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V glared back, \"...So what’s up with them now? They look like they are just a few people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That... we’ll find out later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is actually one of the inexplicable mysteries in the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once one of the Kingdoms with a population of millions, and the most versatilely powerful one at that, by 2077 it appeared to have dwindled to just a few hundred people outside the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille speculated in his mind, but preferred to see to believe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Anyway, Adkaduo also had its moments of glory, and it has potential—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for unprofitable businesses, we probably won’t be engaging in those anymore, just wait to get rich.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I love hearing that!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V grinned happily and lightly kicked Jack who hadn’t spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Jack?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...I was just thinking, with this, do we count as major players in expanding influence now? Like... um, like the Six Street Gang leader and Father we met the other day...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V disdainfully said, \"Forget about gangs—not to criticize you, Jack, but can’t you look a bit further ahead?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the future, let’s monopolize smuggling and wire-running, grabbing stuff from the Six Street Gang’s convoys occasionally, wouldn’t that rake it in? Think about last time...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille looked unimpressed at the two—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No elder brother to speak of and the younger one mixed up in gangs, and the other always thinking about these shady little businesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Well, gang involvement indeed is a money-making business, yet deep down, Lille genuinely did not want to engage in work involving gambling, drugs, and vice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anything, it would be something upscale, like celebrity entertainment, TV show raffles, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Unstable Energy Outbreak Countdown begins.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking this, Lille advised the two, \"Lay low for now, and if you can’t keep still, you might teach that hematite kid some mercenary skills.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But absolutely do not run around, got it? The company is fuming right now, and nobody wants to catch their bad side.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s going to be boring.\" V lay down again, \"Can’t even drive the car?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille nodded in agreement, \"Consider your current condition, no driving—rest assured, there will be time for driving later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V pursed his lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille thought for a bit, then turned on the old TV inside the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...let’s watch some TV.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s good on TV...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before V could finish, he saw that a very popular TV show was being broadcast—\"Info Talk.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did everyone see that fireworks display last night? Yes, that one, the one worth tens of millions—the Scorpion-tailed Lion crashed into a house in the civilian district like a meteor, oh, I need to blur this image.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I was on the roof stargazing when it happened—I love stargazing in Night City, just looking up to see the beautiful night sky, it’s so refreshing...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Okay, no kidding, there are no stars in Night City. When you look up, all you see are floating cars worth millions and all kinds of strangely aesthetic holographic billboards—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But what’s better about these things than stars is that you can actually pull them down with your hands!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This isn’t me talking nonsense; it’s what NCPD said. They claimed they saw Lizard Men!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cool, right? Lizard Men snatched Scorpion-tailed Lions from the sky just to give us a fireworks show!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s said that the creature escaped from a Biotechnology Company, looks like Biotechnology will have new business soon—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I think our TV station should invite Lizard Men to host... just kidding, I don’t want to get eaten by a Lizard Man on air, that’d be quite the scene.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speaking of making a scene on the show, the biggest one recently was Zig Q. This shiny big-time host got his head cracked open live—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person who did it was too good, shot him in the face, but didn’t even kill him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trauma team arrived on the scene and took down this amateur surgeon. Zig Q is still lying in the hospital now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But according to rumors, that Wanderer’s blood... it can transform people into Lizard Men!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a few days, we might just see a Lizard Man version of Zig Q on the TV stage—\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fans of his original look better watch out! You’d better pray the hospital can cure him, although I doubt it, considering so many people in the city center can’t even catch one Lizard Man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after saying all this, were there any winners in yesterday’s ordeal?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ha ha, you thought I would tell you? I don’t even know myself!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>V watched with great interest, bursting into laughter along with the show from time to time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It must be said, these TV shows really do know how to hook their main audience—even though Lille doesn’t understand what’s so appealing about this talk show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But watching V, who was just fussing about having nothing to do, suddenly focus on the TV...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it felt pretty amazing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just—don’t go running around outside, got it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Got it, got it, watching TV isn’t bad, let’s see how they spin our glorious deeds.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille gave a few more instructions then walked out of the camp, watching the busy Wanderers and thinking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The position of the Wanderers is much more important than they think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A lot of skilled people really died in the Red Ochre.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though their collaboration was based on mutual benefits, seeing the Tribe like this, Lille would help them, both emotionally and logically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[WARNING, molecular discrepancies detected in your body, please control the discrepancies]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Discrepancies in your body will cause changes in the relative flow of time.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he switched his consciousness, Lille began to feel weak—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was now the afternoon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm... a burning smell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Boss—there’s a fire!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Skye’s scream came from the next room, and Lille’s face paled—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Were they under attack?\u003C\u002Fp>",1318,"2026-06-03T12:33:12.909Z","2026-06-03T12:33:19.802Z",1,"novelbin.me","484ae2f29e5b31feaf766ce43853a7a98d4b6393ed75aeaaa59fdbfb2f2ab514","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-139","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-137",1068,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cover.jpg"]