In 2068, Neon City is a massive corporate city-state that has separated from the nation to exercise its own autonomy. Environmental pollution has destroyed the ecosystem, leading to frequent cloudy and rainy days, and citizens rely on processed foods such as synthetic meat and insect protein. The city is divided into the Northern district for the upper class, the Western district for the lower class, the Eastern district centered on commerce and industry, and the Southern district, which is an undeveloped wasteland.

Three major corporations, known as the 'Big Three,' dominate the city, maintaining a balance of power through mutual checks and cooperation. Haedong Heavy Industries, the successor to a prestigious Joseon clan, is the oldest corporation, controlling construction, energy, munitions, and the cybernetic prosthetic industry. They employ hereditary management and Joseon-style titles, controlling citizens through power supply, prosthetic maintenance costs, and body-collateral contracts.

Orbis Networks monopolizes telecommunications, artificial intelligence, finance, and identity authentication. Citizens cannot lead a normal life without an Orbis identity chip, and the corporation restricts employment, residence, and movement through undisclosed credit ratings. In particular, 'Blanking' is a punishment that deletes a person's identity, turning them into a socially non-existent refugee.

Lazarus Bio dominates medical care, genetic modification, artificial organs, and life-extension technology. They sell youth and longevity to the wealthy and body enhancements that suppress pain to workers, but citizens who cannot afford medical bills must surrender their 'Bio-Usage Rights.' In Neon City, human life, bodies, and information are merely assets owned and traded by corporations. Those who do not use cybernetic prosthetics receive body enhancement procedures from Lazarus Bio.