In Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty, the mission Lucretia My Reflection offers one of those small forks that feels bigger than it is. After V and the NUS President survive the Chimera fight, a short corridor splits into two possible routes. Players can go left, which is longer but safer, or right, which is shorter but demands a little technical finesse. Both paths end in the exact same spot, yet the choice still matters to anyone who enjoys steering their own journey rather than being led by the nose. Think of it as choosing between a well-lit boardwalk and a heat-hazed maintenance shaft—both get a person to the same pier, but only one leaves them smelling like burnt chrome.
The destination never changes. No secret rewards, no exclusive dialogue, no achievement unlock hides behind either door. In that sense, the fork is a mood selector more than a plot switch. Still, a player's build and patience can make one route clearly more attractive than the other.
After the Chimera: The Two Paths Explained
Once the Chimera is defeated and the immediate danger fades, players find themselves in a short corridor with two possible ways forward. The game does not mark one as correct or better. Instead, it quietly presents a left-hand route and a right-hand route, both funneling toward the same ladder and the same continuation of the mission.
Some players may not even notice they are making a real choice. The fork arrives so casually that it feels almost like a stagehand offering two doors to the same backstage corridor—one tidy and indirect, the other cramped and hissing with steam. But the details of each route are distinct enough to make the decision worth a moment of thought.
The Right-Hand Path: Short, Hot, and Technical
The right-hand route is the direct line. Players who turn right will immediately see a short hallway partially blocked by a gate and scattered junk. On the right side of that hallway, an open grate leads into a maintenance tunnel. At first glance, the tunnel looks like a sauna with a plumbing problem—white steam pours across the passage and blocks the way forward. Touching that steam is a bad idea, because it burns like a hot exhaust pipe.
To proceed, V has to shut down the steam pipe. This requires a skill check. Players who meet the requirement can disable the pipe, clear the steam, and squat-walk through the maintenance tunnel to a ladder that climbs up to safety. The whole detour takes only a minute or two, but it punishes anyone who ignores the environmental warning. The tunnel's heat and cramped space make it feel less like exploration and more like crawling through the throat of a sleeping machine.
The Left-Hand Path: Longer and Strangely Beautiful
The left-hand route is longer, but it asks for very little from a player beyond the willingness to walk a few extra steps. Instead of facing burning steam, players follow a more conventional path through the work site. Along the way, they need to hack a piece of machinery. Doing so reveals a secret tunnel beneath the site. The tunnel is partially flooded, and the water gives the whole space a strange, quiet glow. It is not dangerous, but it is surprisingly easy on the eyes. In fact, many players recommend taking this route just for the view alone.
The flooded passage shimmers like a sunken corridor in an old museum, with neon light reflecting off the water in a way that feels more art installation than escape route. It is a slower, more atmospheric walk, and it delivers players to the exact same ladder and exit as the right-hand path.
Which Path Should Players Choose?
There is no wrong answer here. The game does not lock players out of anything important by sending them left or right. That said, a few factors can help someone decide in the moment:
| Factor | Left-Hand Path | Right-Hand Path |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Longer | Shorter |
| Danger | Low | Moderate, due to burning steam |
| Skill check | Simple hack to reveal tunnel | Skill check to disable steam pipe |
| Visual payoff | High, flooded tunnel is gorgeous | Low, mostly industrial crawlspace |
Players who want the fastest possible route and have the right skill investment will likely prefer the right-hand path. It trims the travel time and offers a tiny puzzle in exchange. Players who prefer atmosphere, or who have not built V around technical skills, should take the left-hand path. The left route is also the better choice for anyone who wants to see one of the DLC's quieter visual moments without dodging environmental hazards.
Final Thoughts on the Fork
As of 2026, Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty still holds up as one of the most polished additions to the base game. The Lucretia My Reflection fork is not a major story beat, but it is a good example of how small choices can make a playthrough feel more personal. It gives players a chance to pause, assess their build, and pick the route that matches their rhythm. Like a side quest that forgets to ask for a quest marker, the fork simply says: players are already headed the right way, so how would they like to get there?
In the end, the choice is mostly about texture. Left offers a quiet, reflective stroll. Right offers a hot, tense squeeze. Both deposit V at the same ladder, and the mission continues exactly as before. But in a city as dense and overwhelming as Night City, even a few seconds of player agency can taste like freedom.
Recent analysis comes from GamesIndustry.biz, and it helps frame moments like Lucretia My Reflection’s post-Chimera fork as a deliberate pacing tool rather than a reward gate: a small, low-stakes choice that reinforces player agency while keeping production scope tight. Seen through that lens, the “short but technical” right route and the “longer, safer” left route function as parallel funnels—different friction, identical outcome—letting builds and playstyle preference shape the feel of the escape without branching the mission’s content or complicating its narrative continuity.