Chapter 227: Entering Night City
The engine of the heavy transport vehicle let out a low rumble as it rolled over the last stretch of bumpy road at the junction of the Badlands and the city.
Joric sat inside the reinforced carriage, his crimson optical lenses scanning the gradually changing scenery outside the window with steady precision.
Ignis stood by his side like the most loyal steel sentinel. Her massive frame maintained absolute stability within the limited space, the tip of her Arc Lance lowered, its energy core in a dormant state of readiness.
The vehicle entered a checkpoint that formerly belonged to Arasaka but was now guarded by Militech soldiers.
The operational efficiency of the checkpoint had visibly improved.
Soldiers in standardized uniforms moved with capability. Scanning equipment ran efficiently, rapidly identifying and sorting incoming and outgoing vehicles and personnel.
Gone were the extortion, harassment, and lengthy waits common in the past. The entire process resembled a precise assembly line; the vehicle stopped briefly for less than thirty seconds before being granted passage with a green light.
"Identification verified. Welcome back to Night City, Lord Sage." The respectful, slightly nervous voice of the checkpoint officer came through the comms channel.
Joric did not respond. His attention was already cast toward the rear of the checkpoint—the broad main artery leading to the city's core.
The changes were obvious.
On the road surface, the once-ubiquitous potholes and damage had undergone preliminary repairs. Although far from brand-new and perfectly smooth, they at least ensured steady vehicle passage.
Traffic signals had all resumed operation, switching colors rhythmically.
Most striking was the traffic flow itself. Vehicles—whether private, corporate, or public transport—strictly followed signal indications and lane divisions.
The chaotic scenes of the past—reckless driving, cutting in at will, or even conducting illegal deals in the middle of the road—were nowhere to be seen.
A near-rigid order had replaced the once-commonplace disorder.
"The Administrator system has fully accessed the city traffic network," Ignis's voice rang inside the carriage. Having accessed the city management network, she briefed Joric on the situation. "Based on the core directive 'Efficiency First,' the system optimized signal timing, cleared illegal roadblocks, and mandated all registered vehicles to connect to the traffic management protocol.
"Violations result in vehicle systems being remotely locked, driver credit deduction, and potential mandatory labor penalties."
Joric nodded slightly.
The increase in efficiency was intuitive.
Although the speed of vehicle movement seemed less "free" due to strict adherence to rules, the overall throughput had actually increased due to the elimination of chaos.
In the management logic of the AI, the waste of time was an intolerable inefficiency.
The transport vehicle continued toward the city center.
On the sidewalks lining the streets, the number of pedestrians was lower than recorded during peak times, but everyone walking moved with clear purpose. Steps were hurried; there was little aimless loitering or gathering.
Most faces lacked expression, held in a state between numbness and nervousness. But at least they no longer needed to be constantly vigilant against gun barrels or blades that might extend from the shadows as they did in the past.
The improvement in security was another significant marker.
Every few blocks, patrol squads could be seen. They were composed of Militech soldiers, Kang Tao security personnel, or the more eye-catching five-man Secutarii Hoplite teams.
The very existence of these patrols was the strongest declaration of the new order.
They walked the streets in silence. Pale gold resonance shields flowed with a faint shimmer under the neon lights, their heavy footsteps like a metronome beating against the city's heart.
Where they passed, the air itself seemed to solidify a few degrees. Any potential criminal intent melted away under this absolute military deterrence.
"Incidence rate of urban violent events has dropped by 94.7% compared to pre-takeover levels," Ignis synchronized the data. "Residual criminal activities are mostly small-scale property disputes or deeply hidden systemic corruption. The Administrator system is conducting continuous cleanup combining patrol units and the surveillance network."
The cleanliness of the streets had also improved by several grades.
Garbage piled in corners, broken glass, and dried stains from the past had largely been cleared.
Some autonomous cleaning droids were moving slowly along the edges of the sidewalks, performing routine maintenance.
However, Joric's gaze captured the residual traces beneath the order.
On certain walls, large patches of slightly different colors could be seen—"scars" left after graffiti was forcibly removed by high-pressure water guns or chemical solvents.
Deep in some alley entrances, burnt wreckage could still be faintly seen—the final marks left by rebels or cleared gang strongholds.
These traces silently testified to the inevitable pain and violence of the transition between the old and new orders.
Most noticeable was the graffiti on the exterior walls of buildings lining the streets.
Unlike the "visual pollution" of the past that covered every inch of blank space—filled with chaos, anger, pornography, or gang tags—the quantity of graffiti now was drastically reduced, and the style had undergone a distinct shift.
Many walls had become clean, or were left blank after graffiti deemed "meaningless," "vulgar," or "provocative" was removed.
What was preserved were mostly patterns with relatively complete composition, harmonious color schemes, a certain artistic beauty, or clear positive themes.
A Pop Art-style painting depicting Night City's iconic holographic ad towers was preserved; on another wall, abstract silhouettes dancing against a neon background were also spared.
There was even an entire wall used to paint a stylized image representing a sprout of "hope" breaking through the soil, with lines that were simple yet powerful.
"The Administrator system has built-in image recognition and assessment algorithms based on a database of 50,000 classic art pieces and mainstream aesthetics," Ignis explained, clearly noticing Joric's focus on the graffiti. "It scans and grades visual information in all public areas of the city.
"Graffiti judged as 'damaging to the city's image,' 'inducing discomfort,' or 'potentially inciting' has been removed.
"Patterns assessed as 'possessing artistic value,' 'conforming to public aesthetics,' or 'neutral and harmless' are preserved.
"The standards for removal and preservation are adjudicated by the Administrator's core logic."
A trace of almost imperceptible approval flowed through Joric's processor.
Kei Arasaka, this figure from fifty years ago—his aesthetic preferences inevitably influenced the evaluation standards. This caused the preserved graffiti style to indeed be somewhat out of place with the vibrant, rebellious, and even coarse atmosphere originally native to the streets of 2077, adding a calculated "regularity" and "elegance."
But this was precisely part of Joric's intent.
(End of Chapter)