Spellbound

Key takeaways

Keep the following points in mind before starting the job.

• The mission is driven by netrunning Spellbound is primarily a retrieval and decryption task. Dialogue and the shard interface matter more than weapon loadout, although the meeting location can still contain ordinary hostile activity.
• R3n0 is the first major contact The mission directs V to R3n0 in Kabuki. The transaction can be approached through negotiation, and the player should read the available dialogue before committing to a payment or confrontation.
• Inspect the shard before delivery The acquired software contains a security problem that can be identified through the hacking interface. Treat the shard as an active piece of code rather than an ordinary inventory item.
• The return to Nix is not purely ceremonial What V hands back to Nix affects the final exchange. If the shard is left compromised, the conclusion differs from a careful decryption and cleanup.

Spellbound overview

Spellbound is a compact netrunning-focused side mission that begins with Nix at the Afterlife and sends V to negotiate for a valuable shard from R3n0 in Kabuki.

Nix presents Spellbound as a retrieval job rather than a conventional firefight. He wants V to acquire a piece of software known as a spellbook, and the trail leads away from the Afterlife to R3n0, a netrunner operating in Kabuki. The mission is built around conversation, payment, and technical handling of the shard, so players who expect a large combat encounter may initially overlook the importance of the later decryption step.

The central risk is not simply getting the shard. The item has been tampered with, and V can inspect its contents before deciding what to pass on to Nix. This creates a small but meaningful distinction between completing the job and completing it carefully. The mission rewards attention to the hacking interface and makes the player consider whether a valuable piece of code should be delivered unchanged or cleaned up first.

Spellbound is useful for players interested in Cyberpunk 2077's netrunner systems because it gives those mechanics a narrative context without requiring a lengthy dungeon. R3n0's location in Kabuki, Nix's role at the Afterlife, and the shard's hidden danger all reinforce the mission's focus on information as a commodity. The precise outcome depends on how V approaches the transaction and what is done with the software before returning to Nix.

Where this sits

Requirements

Spellbound requires access to Nix's side-mission contact at the Afterlife and the ability to travel to Kabuki.

• RequiredMeet Nix at the AfterlifeNix must be available as a contact before the mission can be accepted.
• RequiredReach KabukiThe retrieval contact is located in Kabuki, so the district must be accessible to V.
• RecommendedBe prepared to inspect a shardThe mission includes a hacking and decryption step. A build focused on Intelligence is useful, but the job is not limited to one character build.
• RecommendedBring enough money for the transactionR3n0's cooperation can involve payment, so having funds available avoids making the negotiation more restrictive.

Objectives

1. Talk to Nix at the AfterlifeHear the request and accept the job to retrieve the Spellbook.
2. Find R3n0 in KabukiTravel to the marked contact and begin the negotiation for the shard.
3. Obtain the SpellbookComplete the transaction or otherwise secure the software from R3n0.
4. Decrypt and inspect the shardUse the available hacking interface to identify the software's security problem before handing it over.
5. Return to NixBring the handled shard back to the Afterlife and complete the client exchange.

Walkthrough

1. 01

   Talk to Nix

   Speak with Nix at the Afterlife

   Go to Nix's workstation in the Afterlife and listen to his request for the Spellbook. Accept the job before leaving so the Kabuki contact and retrieval objective are added to the mission tracker.

   Location: Afterlife

   TipUse this conversation to establish the job before travelling; the mission is easiest to follow when its objective marker is active.

   Checkpoint
2. 02

   Find R3n0

   Travel to Kabuki

   Follow the objective marker into Kabuki and approach the area where R3n0 is waiting. The route is a normal open-world journey, so arriving by fast travel or vehicle does not change the mission's important steps.

   Location: Kabuki

   TipSave before beginning the transaction if you want to compare the available approaches without replaying the entire trip.

3. 03

   Deal with R3n0

   Start the negotiation with R3n0

   Talk to R3n0 and ask about the Spellbook. Read the dialogue options carefully because the exchange is the mission's main social gate, and an aggressive approach can remove the cleanest way to complete the purchase.

   Location: Kabuki

   Watch outDo not rush through the conversation if you want the transaction option; the contact is not a neutral shop interface.

4. 04

   Obtain the Spellbook

   Secure the Spellbook

   Complete the agreed transaction and take possession of the shard. The mission does not end when the item enters the inventory, because the software still needs to be checked for tampering before it is returned to Nix.

   Location: Kabuki

   TipKeep the shard available for inspection rather than immediately treating the objective as a simple delivery job.

   Checkpoint
5. 05

   Decrypt the Spellbook

   Open the shard's hacking interface

   Select the Spellbook and use the relevant breach or decryption interaction. The interface reveals that the software is not entirely safe, which is the important discovery in this stage of the mission.

   Location: Inventory or shard interface

   Watch outHanding over compromised software without examining it produces a different conclusion from removing the unwanted code first.

6. 06

   Clean the Spellbook

   Handle the malware before delivery

   Work through the available decryption sequence and remove the malicious component if the option is presented. Take your time with the code interface; the mission's technical choice is easy to miss if the shard is treated as a normal quest item.

   Location: Shard decryption interface

   TipPlayers who invested in netrunning will find this step more familiar, but the mission remains completable without turning it into a combat build check.

7. 07

   Give the Spellbook to Nix

   Return to Nix

   Go back to the Afterlife and speak with Nix at his workstation. Give him the version of the Spellbook you decided to deliver, then finish the conversation to close the mission and receive the associated reward.

   Location: Afterlife

   Checkpoint
8. 08

   Complete Spellbound

   Review the outcome

   The final dialogue reflects whether the shard was returned with its dangerous code intact or handled more carefully. Once the hand-in conversation ends, verify the reward in the inventory and check that Spellbound has left the active-jobs list.

   Location: Afterlife

   TipIf the result is not what you intended, reload the save made before the transaction or decryption step rather than abandoning the mission.

Mission mechanics

Spellbound uses a small but distinctive interaction loop: obtain a digital object, inspect it through Cyberpunk 2077's hacking interface, and decide what condition it should be in when it reaches the client. This makes the mission feel different from a standard parcel delivery because the item itself has a hidden technical complication.

The meeting with R3n0 is the mission's social mechanic. V can approach the contact as a buyer, and the available conversation determines whether the exchange remains a negotiation or becomes more hostile. Keeping the conversation controlled preserves the opportunity to secure the Spellbook without turning the entire job into an unnecessary fight.

The decryption stage is separate from the purchase. After acquiring the shard, inspect it through the appropriate inventory or hacking prompt and look for the indication that it carries malware. Cleaning the software before the hand-in is the careful route, while returning it unchanged prioritizes speed over safety and leads to a different client reaction.

The mission is therefore forgiving about combat preparation but less forgiving about attention. A strong weapon setup is not the defining requirement, whereas noticing the shard prompt and understanding what the decryption screen is asking you to do are central to the best-informed completion.

What works and what does not

Choices and consequencesSpoilers

• Negotiate with R3n0 for the Spellbook

  A controlled transaction preserves the straightforward retrieval route and lets V continue to the inspection stage.

• Use a more aggressive approach during the meeting

  The social route can change or close, potentially turning the acquisition into a more dangerous encounter and altering how the job is completed.

  Spoiler
• Return the shard without removing its malicious code

  Nix's reaction and the final exchange differ because the client receives compromised software.

  Spoiler
• Decrypt and clean the shard before returning it

  The careful route produces a different conclusion and preserves the safer version of the Spellbook for the hand-in.

  Spoiler

Checklist

• Accept Spellbound from NixConfirm the mission is active before leaving the Afterlife.
• Reach R3n0 in KabukiFollow the objective marker to the retrieval contact.
• Secure the SpellbookComplete the transaction or alternate acquisition route.
• Inspect the shard before handing it overDo not assume the item is safe because the retrieval objective is complete.
• Remove the malicious code if possibleUse the decryption interface and choose the careful handling route.
• Return to NixFinish the hand-in conversation at the Afterlife.
• Confirm the rewardCheck the inventory and mission status after the final dialogue.

Failure conditions

• Lose the negotiation with R3n0An unnecessarily hostile approach can prevent the clean purchase route and force a more dangerous way of securing the software.
• Leave the shard unexaminedThis does not necessarily prevent completion, but it means V can miss the malware discovery and the safer handling choice.
• Fail the decryption interactionAn unsuccessful hacking attempt can leave the shard compromised or require the player to retry from the available checkpoint or save.
• Abandon the mission before the hand-inSpellbound remains incomplete until the handled Spellbook is returned to Nix at the Afterlife.

Rewards and dropsSpoilers

• Eurodollars
  Completing the job provides monetary compensation from the mission's client.
• Quickhack-related reward
  The mission is associated with a netrunning reward, with the final result depending on how the Spellbook is handled.
• Access to Nix's side content
  Completing Spellbound advances V's relationship with Nix as a source of netrunner-focused jobs and interactions.

Characters in this mission

• AfterlifeThe mission's starting point and return location.
• KabukiThe district where V locates R3n0 and secures the shard.

AftermathSpoilers

Trivia

• Spellbound is one of the missions that lets Cyberpunk 2077 turn a hacking action into a narrative decision rather than using netrunning only for combat or access.
• The mission's title uses the language of magic for software, matching the setting's recurring habit of describing powerful code as something arcane or dangerous.
• Nix is central to the mission even though the retrieval itself takes V away from the Afterlife.
• The most important optional detail is attached to the quest item, not hidden as a separate collectible in the environment.

Relationships