Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 196 The Nameless World Ruler

Inside the first-class cabin of a passenger plane bound for the Netherlands.

"With only these clues, how can we find the person? The elders of the Hermitage have really given me a big problem."

As he flipped through the thick stack of documents in front of him, Roberts complained that although the documents were thick, there wasn't much useful information. Some information was clearly known to the person who provided the information, but they deliberately concealed it, even going so far as to leave no stone unturned, as if they were trying their best to cover something up.

What exactly did this little guy do that the Hermitage is so cautious about?
Looking at the information in his hand, even though he knew he shouldn't be asking about this kind of news, Roberts couldn't help but feel a little confused.

"If you can't find it in the materials, you should go and see for yourself."

Beside him, a woman wearing sunglasses was comfortably reclining in her seat, drinking juice, and saying that as a friend of Roberts for over ten years, she and Roberts were obviously the most compatible partners.

"Let's see what we can find out... Hopefully, we won't come back empty-handed."

Roberts closed the document and said casually.

……

Early morning in the suburbs of New York, USA.

Good morning, Mrs. Melissa.

Good morning, Julie...

Walking down the street, carrying a shopping basket, Mrs. Melissa greeted acquaintances with a smile. The weather was also very sunny and peaceful. However, when her gaze turned to a certain place and she looked at the room with its curtains tightly closed, she couldn't help but feel uneasy.

In Mrs. Melissa's opinion, her new tenant was a very strange person.

This isn't a bustling area of ​​New York; it's far from the city, with poor traffic and signal. Yet, this haggard-looking young man came here and decided to rent the place.

Although occasionally some poor students who come to New York to study also stay here, Mrs. Melissa is certain that this new young man is definitely not one of them. Not to mention that Mrs. Melissa has never seen him leave the house, he has prepared a lot of compressed food, and she doesn't know what he does in his room all day. Most importantly, he is extremely generous and has rented a year's rent directly, which is definitely not something a poor student would do.

But Mrs. Melissa was not one to pry into other people's lives; she had great respect for other people's privacy, and so it ended there.

"A strange young man..."

Looking at her rented room, with the curtains tightly drawn and no way of seeing what was inside, Mrs. Melissa muttered to herself before turning to go to the nearby Walmart supermarket to buy groceries.

But as she turned around, she was completely unaware that a pair of eyes were staring intently at her from behind...

Behind the closed curtains, the room was pitch black. Through a tiny gap in the curtains, a pair of eyes watched Mrs. Melissa, carrying a shopping basket, walking along the sidewalk. Only after confirming that Mrs. Melissa was out of sight did the owner of those eyes silently read her lips.

"...Good morning, madam...strange young man..."

If Melissa were beside him, she would be astonished to find that the owner of the eyes was simply repeating what he had said to his neighbor.

Finally, as if confirming something, the owner of the eyes nodded.

"I'm not going to inform on anyone; I haven't been exposed yet."

He turned his head and looked at everything in front of him. It was an extremely messy room, with electronic parts and strange devices scattered everywhere, as well as that strange computer that was shining with light.

Yes, this is his current situation, a situation he never imagined before.

He pushed aside the clutter on the table, stared at the various codes on the computer, and then his hands flew across the mechanical keyboard.

Unlike the common Windows operating system, his interface looks extremely simple and primitive because it was written by Bruni himself. He didn't consider any interface beautification issues at all. As long as he could understand it, that was enough. As a hacker, he was already used to manipulating the entire process through code commands.

As for MicroPort's Windows operating system? He doesn't trust this operating system at all. This system, which is full of vulnerabilities, is just a way to fool the general public. It was created purely to make it easier for the ignorant masses to operate PCs, and it's something for novices who don't understand.

Without a webcam, headset, or any external devices typical of computers, besides a typewriter resembling those from the telegraph era serving as a keyboard, there were no other functions. It was precisely because of his exceptional technical skills that Bruni deeply understood how easy it was to leak information in this era. You never know what programs the software you download is secretly running, you never know what web pages you click on are silently recording your browsing habits and speculating on your behavior, and you never know how many people have hacked into your webcam and spied on your face through it. Even the act of simply browsing itself is constantly recording your every move…

Telephones, fax machines, mobile phones, game consoles... even some sex toys with remote control functions, anything connected to the internet or not is a tool and a means of surveillance in the eyes of hackers.

"How to escape surveillance? Your only option is to abandon all the tools of modern life, escape to a forest where no one knows you, and live a primitive life, self-sufficiently."

This is a lame joke among hackers.

In this internet-connected world, hackers know far more than most people can imagine. They can monitor everyone, hack into banks, government agencies, and even use social engineering to infiltrate physically isolated environments.

In this world where technology reigns supreme, they act with impunity, while Bruni, the world's most powerful hacker, remained unknown. He possessed astonishing talent and intelligence; from the age of three, when he wrote his first program, he understood his gift. Knowing the adage "the best swimmer dies in the drowning," he always maintained a high degree of discretion, until…

The occurrence of a certain event.

"...427647 monitored targets...49684 abnormal targets...187 dangerous targets...11 highly dangerous targets...No danger at present..."

Next to this interface, there is a special icon displaying a string of special letters that shows detailed information.

Tiramisu, an Italian dessert and Bruni's favorite food, is why he named his AI assistant "Tiramisu." While somewhat rudimentary, Tiramisu is undoubtedly the world's most advanced AI, possessing a highly complex logic system. Combined with specially modified machinery, it is Bruni's most powerful weapon.

In the past, relying on tiramisu, Bruni even became the ruler of the entire world...

He successfully manipulated the entire network.

Relying on the supercomputer in the basement, which was larger than several villas, Tiramisu, with its supercomputing power, invaded countless places and once controlled the entire world's network, all surveillance, all secret agencies. Even if Bruni wanted to, he could use social engineering to activate the nuclear launcher, which was theoretically physically disconnected from the network and could only be operated manually.

The wisdom accumulated by humankind over thousands of years, and the highest power of humankind, were once completely controlled by one person.

All the cell phones, computers, cameras... all became Bruni's eyes. Through those billions of surveillance devices, relying on tiramisu, he silently monitored the entire world and all the people in it. He knew everyone's actions and information, and he could even predict the future of humanity by anticipating the personality and behavior of all mankind.

He could become the de facto President of the United States, if he were willing to spend a few years, even if he is not yet of campaign age this year, he would surely achieve this goal, even if it means amending the Constitution; he could also build an unprecedentedly large company, because he knows all the unappreciated talents and emerging technologies; even the ancient legends and strange creatures hidden on the other side of the world cannot escape his eyes, and while those things are arguing, they are completely unaware that a cold and indifferent eye is watching them...

Yes, he is the god of the new world.

His power once approached omniscience and omnipotence in a sense; he could do everything that humans could do. However, precisely because he knew so much…

That's why he trembled with fear.

"Those fools will never understand what they are really facing."

Squatting strangely on the stool, habitually biting his nails, Bruni chuckled as he watched the "agents" and "mercenaries" searching for him in the surveillance cameras. It was his habit, but the chuckle seemed more like an attempt to dispel some unease and fear within him.

He knew that the organization called the "Secret Order" was trying its best to find him, and even the "Freemasons" were assisting in the search at the Secret Order's request.

Of course, they are no longer called Freemasonry. Over this long period of time, Freemasonry inevitably revealed its true nature and was extensively written about by many novelists. It had to abandon its original name and change its name to "Illuminati". As for the Freemasonry that is still recruiting, it is just a deceptive facade and an ordinary hobby association.

The only ones who truly know him are the Secret Order, the ancient organization deeply involved with the "World Key." Only a dozen or so people are aware of his existence; the others are merely trying to find a young hacker named "Uberto Bruni."

Yes, his only adversary was that hermit order.

The Hermitage...

Silently chanting in his heart, he squatted on the stool, holding his head. Even though he knew Tiramisu was constantly monitoring the surrounding environment, he felt an indescribable fear, a deep tremor purely out of instinct.

My pupils dilated unconsciously, as if those whispered dreams and those lingering nightmares were still echoing in my ears and before my eyes.

"Those guys are so stupid, they actually think monsters are humans..."

(End of this chapter)