[{"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-196":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},1151687,1495,"Chapter 196 - 179 The Butcher in the Desert","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-196",196,"\u003Cp>\"My car!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone on the other side of the battlefield let out a tragic scream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Navi was startled, thinking something major had happened to V.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in reality, the scene unfolding before his eyes was just too heartbreaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The West Tuan catapulted off a cliff nearly 20 meters high at 300 miles per hour, with Jack kicking the car’s roof with such force that he propelled himself a significant distance forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The enormous physical boost given by the lizard’s rage component couldn’t withstand that kick, imagining how exaggeratedly powerful Jack’s kick must’ve been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack and Lille, who was on his back, were thrown over 300 meters away, while the West Tuan plummeted almost vertically, as if landing like a rocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Needless to say, the car exploded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only did the car explode, but the Military Technology’s position also blew up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Navi worriedly asked, \"V? Are you okay?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m fine.\" V gritted his teeth while reloading bullets into the raccoon dog, finding a spot to set up the gun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could I be in trouble...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack’s leap off the West Tuan was so exaggeratedly fast that Lille was flung off him upon landing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, Lille’s reaction time wasn’t slow despite his average physical condition, grabbing onto the Mo Xi’s external armor just in time, preventing a fall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides cannons, the Mo Xi armored vehicle had missile bays and possibly anti-infantry intrusion systems, so the first step Lille needed to take was to hack into the weapon system!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most direct method for this hack was currently to connect to the vehicle’s circuits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop striking poses, open this thing up—watch out!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A rocket launcher fired at them, and Jack caught it with a backhanded grab, throwing it back!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hell yeah!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack crouched to grab the turret, his two stout arms exerting force so powerfully that they even created dents on the turret’s surface!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ka—ka!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mo Xi’s chassis suddenly emitted a deforming sound, causing Lille’s face to change as he scrambled to the roof with all his might!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bottom of the Mo Xi suddenly exploded with a ring-shaped blast, a defensive system to prevent infantry from approaching—nobody expected anyone to air-land and climb up!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shockwave jarred Lille’s head painfully, though his quick climb saved him from becoming a corpse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ka!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack tore off the turret system just as another rocket attack came, making him raise the removed turret component to shield himself!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heatwave and blast jolted Lille again, almost knocking him down. He tightened up inside: Could Jack withstand this kind of hit?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The answer was yes, he could.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The turret, ablaze, shot through the black smoke, hitting a Military Technology soldier hard!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The turret crushed the soldier firing it, leaving half his body fractured, his skull cracked...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Struggling to get up, his blood-stained prosthetic eye trembled as he looked toward the roof—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This didn’t take him down?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black smoke dissipated, revealing Jack’s half-burned body quickly healing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, he looked like a war god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flames, yellow sands, and night sky all paled before this man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Butcher of the desert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he saw Jack holding the Achilles in one hand and firing while his other hand groped the ground. Then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seemed to have stuffed something into his mouth? What was that? Looked like military rations, though it was still on fire...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the war god pointed his gun at him, the muzzle sparking with electrical discharges—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his final moment, the soldier confirmed: this killing machine was indeed eating their usual military rations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bitterness surged within: they ate the same food, so why was there such a big difference?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smoke billowed out from the torn turret connection, jamming the missile bay that had just emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille had already linked his personal connection to the vehicle, hacking into its weapon system.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Awesome! Fighting is awesome!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack was firing and eating simultaneously, his gaze falling upon burning cars and critically injured Military Technology soldiers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille gave him a physical and cyber-augmented knock on the head to clear the big guy’s frenzy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed to the door connecting the cockpit:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t forget we’re here to open the box, time to get to work.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A punch to the connecting point made a dull thud, causing the driver inside to shudder:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This once-invincible armored vehicle was now a living coffin!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other than the door not opening, Lille had disabled all weapon systems—they couldn’t do anything!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the door was mechanically jammed! Without the safety lock, it would’ve instantly blown open!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another dull thud, and the door dented, the mechanical lockout for the rooftop popping its screws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The armored plate deformed again, already turning a bit white...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A grenade-sized fist broke the connection, tearing open the door!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The drivers held their weapons, but without a chance to shoot, their heads were blown by smart bullets!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In their final moments, bewilderment filled their minds:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why is someone eating in the middle of a battle?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Click.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack, crunching military rations, tossed the two corpses out of the cockpit, shouting into the cockpit at Lille: \"Do you need me in there?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No need.\" Lille shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mo Xi was supposed to be driven by two people using neural links, functioning via brain-machine interface as per Cyberpunk World’s technology.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mo Xi would extend the human body, often leading to various issues when operating such non-humanoid equipment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence, it required training, needing two drivers to train for years and undergo neural synchronization calibration before activation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lille had no such problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, operating drivers’ neural senses would merge during operation...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two guys doing this together always felt odd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Unauthorized user... user information overwritten.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Warning: You are operating solo.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Warning disabled]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Loading drive... system self-check... rebooting...]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Military Technology California Border Forces Armor Team 4 Mo Xi Armored Vehicle MH-332 online]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Current command... overwritten.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Weapon system online.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Done—now let’s see what Military Technology can do...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the other side’s Military Technology forces kept advancing, what was happening with the Mo Xi had already unsettled them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By logic, the flames and black smoke from explosions would disperse due to Mo Xi’s rapid movement, but what they expected never happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mo Xi had stopped, enveloped by rubble and flames, with two people seemingly tinkering on top of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mo Xi’s hover engines cleared the battlefield’s smoke, and the Military Technology field officers rejoiced—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the distant commander’s voice intermittently sounded on the channel!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Retrea...Mo Xi...hijacked!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All missiles launched!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This round of explosions ended Military Technology’s assault, and the besieged Adkaduo found that no shots or explosives were heading their way!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This attack, costing millions of euros, secured their victory!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mo Xi charged at full speed toward the remaining Military Technology forces, trampling over everything like the Bimong Armored Vehicle, and Emperor Ragnar before this giant armored unit!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boom!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The active defense system exploded the position, and Jack, wielding the Achilles, charged ahead of the Mo Xi—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had already won!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ha ha! Didn’t expect this day, corporate dogs! Pursue! Pursue!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille followed right behind Jack, with Adkaduo vehicles continually passing by the Mo Xi armored vehicle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Navi, have your men tally the spoils and prepare to retreat.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Navi: \"Uh... Burger King, did you block V’s communications?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille paused, nervously rubbing his hands before connecting the call.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lille! My car!!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Tactical necessity...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t explain, you now owe me one hundred and seventy grand... Hmm? Wait, there’s a survivor.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, V found a Military Technology guy trembling in the wreckage, still aflame at Valgris’s crash site.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille saw it too through V’s Prosthetic Eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That woman... looked familiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Prosthetic Eye quickly scanned her through NCPD and public databases.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Meredith Stout]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Affiliation: Military Technology]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Position: Military Technology Night City Government and Public Relations Director]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Remarks: Less than a month since taking office]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"... Capture her alive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sure—seems someone’s gonna be in trouble.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another communication came in:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suo: \"It’s done, it’s done! We wiped out an entire Military Technology armor team! Do you know what this means!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suo: \"And then? We’ve trashed Military Technology and got supplies, but how do we handle their wrath?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suo’s voice was a mix of excitement and fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille stroked his chin and replied, \"Wrath? Hard to say, they might owe us thanks instead.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1394,"2026-06-03T12:33:12.909Z","2026-06-03T12:33:19.802Z",1,"novelbin.me","37b46ae192aec0159a10649a6cdfcfa7f7bc4fa25ad57dcf0144e3d07f3c4908","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-197","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-195",1068,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cover.jpg"]