How to Survive in a Fusion Punk

Chapter 2 – Awakening

This post is for newcomers to Project Neo, those who are just getting started.

Introduction

Before diving into the guides for each life path, let’s first review the general background of Project Neo. If you’re not interested in the story, feel free to skip ahead to the guide section.

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Character Growth Guide

Now, let’s get to the main part of the guide.

Project Neo has three main life paths, and players can earn unique benefits corresponding to each path.

As mentioned earlier, the story for each life path will become clear as you progress through the game, so I’ll skip that part for now.

3-1. Corporation

25% increased Cyberware Compatibility

Recommended Starting Perk: Insight (Eye-shaped Constellation)

Recommended Trait: Blue Blood

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3-2. Family

Mana Circuit provided

Recommended Starting Perk: Steadfast (Heart-shaped Constellation)

Recommended Trait: Legendary

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3-3. Vagabond

30% increased Health

Recommended Starting Perk: Quick Recovery (Fist-shaped Constellation)

Recommended Trait: Irregular

“Bro! If you pick the Vagabond, you’ll basically be a tank at the start. What are potions? You’ll just be taking hits like a monster. Seriously tough. And it doesn’t just apply to the beginning! I’m not recommending it for nothing. The potential in the later stages is also solid. The Irregular trait… Ah, don’t interrupt! I’m still explaining!”

Jin opened his eyes.

His whole body was damp with sweat, feeling uncomfortable.

He pushed aside his bangs that were sticking to his forehead and, through the blackout curtains, the dim glow of fluorescent lights crept into the room.

Orange, yellow, red, teal, blue.

The lights from neon signs outside teased the streets.

Chaotic and disordered.

A vast kaleidoscope called a city.

Without needing to move the curtains, Jin could easily imagine the view, and he got up from the bed.

He groped along the wall until he reached the bathroom.

In the cheap, mold-ridden motel, Jin splashed water on his face under the flickering fluorescent light.

After a water-splashing routine that could make Poseidon cry, he looked into the mirror.

A somewhat handsome man in his early twenties with bloodshot eyes stared back.

Today marked the start of his second year living in Downtown.

“Ugh… I’m going to die.”

He had spent the night tossing and turning.

It wasn’t a nightmare, but his body’s recovery process was accompanied by high fever and aches.

Jin reached to touch his right shoulder blade, the spot where he had been shot the day before.

But, strangely, the area was smooth.

Hmm, it’s healed.

Jin nodded, unconcerned.

His reaction was incredibly nonchalant.

The bullet that had struck his shoulder had been a 9x19mm hollow-point (HP), designed to maximize the energy transfer to the point of impact by reducing its penetration.

It didn’t pierce, but shattered upon impact.

As a result, Jin had suffered severe muscle tears around his scapula.

In terms of human durability, this would’ve been enough to either cause shock death or incapacitate anyone else.

But Jin had kept fighting and, incredibly, had fully recovered by morning, showing that his physical limits were far beyond the norm.

Of course, Jin didn’t dwell on it.

What type of bullet had it been again?

Who cares?

The past year for Jin had been a brutal survival struggle, where experience learned through his body outweighed any textbook knowledge.

For example, he had discovered that normal blades wouldn’t cut his fingers if he grabbed them with his bare hands.

These self-learned rules were what Jin trusted most.

And those rules had built up, allowing him to become a fighter capable of taking down five armed thugs without much trouble.

But still, he was just another expendable person in the grand scheme of things.

“Ha.”

Jin sighed a little as he stared at his pale face in the mirror, about to look away.

He was about to, but the semi-transparent window that appeared inside the mirror stopped him.

[(Completed!)

“Adaptation” ───────────

Congratulations.

You’ve survived one year in the alleyway world.

Reward: Perk XP 1,000 ──────────────────]

Jin’s face suddenly darkened.

It was worse than when he’d been shot the day before or when he’d pulled the trigger on the fallen bodies.

It wasn’t because he had mistakenly confused the date by one day.

Bang!

Without thinking, his fist smashed through the mirror, shattering it into thousands of pieces.

Blood seeped through the shards as the reflection in the half-broken mirror twisted into a face contorted with rage.

“Goddamn bastard…”

Jin growled at the new quest window that appeared after a year.

Congratulations?

You locked me in a hellhole and you’re congratulating me?

If there’s anyone who should be congratulating, it’s me.

Not you, but me.

And that congratulations ended yesterday.

It was hard to keep his temper in check.

For a man whose entire life had been stolen from him, the congratulatory message from the status window—perhaps the source of everything—was more insulting than any other humiliation in the world.

Another emotion flared up like a wildfire.

One day, he would crush this talking square.

Burning with a thirst for vengeance.

So Jin made a vow.

I’ll take whatever you throw at me right now.

But the end…

The surge of XP that brought a rise in his strength.

The thrilling sensation spreading through his body, he clenched his bloodied fist tightly.

***

Area 47.

Known as Downtown, it was a hotbed of lawlessness and corruption.

Despite being a street rampant with crime and violence, there were a few safe zones, one of which was the 24-hour diner called ‘RumPumPumPum.’

Why?

Because the burgers sold here were unbelievably delicious, and out of concern that the owner might get shot by a stray bullet, the locals had agreed to avoid fighting near the diner.

Unfortunately, Jin had never even had the chance to try those famous burgers.

It wasn’t because he didn’t have the money, but because they stopped selling them.

The owner, who made those amazing burgers, died suddenly of a heart attack, despite the protection.

The cause was said to be a rejection of a newly implanted device in his body, but that wasn’t the important part.

As a result, RumPumPumPum fell from being one of the few good eateries in Downtown to just another run-of-the-mill place serving cheap food, retaining only the name.

Interestingly, the peace that had been agreed upon after the series of events managed to hold, and despite the terrible food, the bizarre diner continued to attract customers.

And here, Jin was, having his breakfast at RumPumPumPum.

A table in the right corner of the second floor, with a view of the street outside.

It was his favorite spot, next to an old speaker that looked like it had been there for over 20 years.

Through the worn fabric grill, the sound of some retro song he couldn’t name came faintly, and Jin hummed along, tapping his fork into the meatballs on his plate.

Today’s menu was meatball spaghetti.

The artificial meatballs were roughly shaped and thrown on top of some poorly cooked noodles.

The presentation was as bad as the taste.

But the important thing was that it was food.

It was a hundred times better than starving.

Jin remembered the pain of hunger.

The first week after being thrown into this strange world.

What had tormented him the most wasn’t the violence or the bone-chilling cold of the streets, but the primal scream of his empty stomach.

All day long.

Gradually eating away at his reason.

The scream that would turn a person into a beast.

Just thinking about it sent a chill down his spine.

The meatballs didn’t taste any worse than that.

Thus, Jin finished his plate in an instant.

Once his stomach was full, the irritation that had been building all day from the status window slowly faded.

Dahye, now I understand why you tried to relieve the stress from work by eating.

But still, eating another man’s… that was too much.

Really.

Now a different person in a different world, Jin thought about his unfaithful ex and gulped down the cola he had ordered with his spaghetti.

After washing the bad taste from his mouth, he burped, just as a voice spoke up.

“…Can you spare some time?”

A lifeless voice.

Jin turned his head.

Under the dim light, a man wearing a hood was looking at him.

The reason Jin wasn’t surprised was that he had already noticed the man lingering around for a while.

He had a slender build.

A limp.

His weight was leaning to the right.

If necessary, he would kick at his left ankle.

Jin internally estimated the situation and responded.

“Do you need something from me?”

“Yes.”

Jin narrowed his eyes slightly.

The man wasn’t acting like he had come to pick a fight, and besides, this was Rumpumpumpum.

“Sit down for now.”

At Jin’s gesture, the man took a seat across from him.

Then, with an awkward expression, he stuttered.

“Uh, hello. Nice to meet you. I’m…”

“Wait, before that.”

Jin cut him off.

“Aren’t you going to eat that?”

“…? Oh, this?”

The man lifted the package he was holding slightly.

Jin’s eyes immediately locked onto the waffle that peeked out from the wrapping.

Following the slow movement of the man’s hand, his gaze stayed fixed.

“Want to eat it?”

“Thanks.”

Jin swiftly grabbed the package.

Before the man could say anything else, Jin shoved the waffle into his mouth and mumbled with puffed cheeks, “So, what’s this about?”

“I want to give you a commission.”

“Huh?”

Jin tilted his head, wondering if he had misheard.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“…..”

“I saw you fighting at the pub yesterday. You’re a Solo, right?”

The man asked, confirming.

In Jin’s hometown, such a question would have seemed rude.

“You’re a Solo, right? With your personality and face, there’s no way you have a partner.”

But things were different in Lost City.

Solo

This was a sort of certification given to fighters whose names were known to some extent.

Those who earned recognition for their personal strength, handling numerous commissions and raising their value.

In other words, mercenaries or bounty hunters.

Of course, Jin wasn’t one of them.

Jin was just a street rat, living day to day by fighting for scraps in a shitty alley where trouble could find him just by standing still.

That street rat thought to himself.

What’s so special about being a Solo?

If you take a commission, you’ll be a Solo too.

So he nodded.

“Yeah. Seems like it.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. I’m a Solo.”

Jin said that and took a big bite of the soggy waffle.

Thinking back, today marked the second year of his life in downtown.

He had endured a year with nothing to his name, and now, finally, an opportunity for a commission had come his way.

If he worked as a Solo, at least he’d be able to afford three meals a day.

Taking commission fees was definitely better than digging through the pockets of some guy he’d just beaten.

Jin, having come to this conclusion, wore a hopeful expression as he chewed on his waffle and smiled at the man who might become his first client.

“Just so you know, I only accept cash.”