Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 894, Section 104: Existing in the Form of Human Consciousness

Under Karl's instructions, Li De assisted Song Zhaomei in completing the connection, then stepped aside, his eyes fixed on Karl.

Karl didn't look at Li De, but he could clearly sense a certain emotion hidden in Li De's gaze.

"If anything really happens, I'm counting on you, Li De."

He saw through Li De's thoughts—the other party was considering immediately stunning him and forcibly disconnecting if the situation changed, and Karl didn't think there was anything wrong with that.

On the contrary, Li De's vigilance at this moment was, in his view, the right thing to do.

If he were truly being corrupted by AI, he would rather Li De take action quickly.

Or rather, only Li De could take action.

Of the three people, one was half-conscious, and the other was corrupted. Besides Li De, who else could move them?

"Let me see. Hmm, access code, here you go."

Carl finished entering the access code, and at that very moment, he felt a rather strange sensation.

With the access code released, the true function of the machine in front of Karl began to recover. Then, a steady stream of data flowed into Karl's access chamber through the monomolecule line. The data transmission became more and more abundant and faster and faster. Even Karl's specially made monomolecule line, which was arguably the world's best in this type of product in terms of transmission capabilities, seemed to be struggling to keep up with the speed.

The roaming AIs on the other side of the black wall are constantly growing, like big fish eating small fish. The AIs on the other side of the black wall may be swallowed up and integrated into larger AIs at any time. In this process, the AIs may be derived from programs or from the wisdom derived from data. They never stop evolving.

Or rather, for AI, continuous evolution is its instinct, the instinct to keep it alive.

Even AI captured and imprisoned in the neural matrix by the company has evolved and updated over a long period of time based on only limited programs and occasional external input instructions. Today, AI has grown to an incredible level.

Although it is still bound by the matrix and must obey the user's commands, once it is released at this moment, it is difficult to be bound again.

It had reached the limits of its internal data evolution, and the input of the access code was like toppling the last domino—the evolutionary process could no longer be stopped.

You can only use it once.

Karl can use the AI one last time, issuing it a command with the most crucial instructions.

Subsequently, AI that has reached its evolutionary limit will disintegrate and cease to exist.

Unless Karl is willing to allow it to integrate with itself, returning it to the data deluge and initiating a new round of evolution based on the newly acquired information, the existence of this AI will end with this command.

Once Carl chooses to liberate it and allow it to return to the data network...
In this world without black walls and divided only by local area networks, it will become a gap. It only needs to gently pry open the black walls to draw in AI and data from the other side along the path it leaves behind.

Just as Song Zhaomei was increasingly eroded by the Black Wall the more she explored it, the more the wandering AI from the other side exerted its power, the more likely it was to find gaps in the wall and draw similar beings from the other side to it.

Just like programs that use the same underlying code, when one program has a problem, the other program will often also have problems because of that underlying code.

If this code is used to perform a certain operation, the resulting data ripples will allow other entities carrying the same underlying logic to perceive, reproduce, or even reenact the same event.

In other words, if Carl wanted to create another data crash, he could start preparing to do so now.

If this were the now-extinct Voodoo Cult, they might be quite happy to do it, welcoming the AI's mighty army, but for Karl...

To paraphrase Johnny, "Only an idiot would do that."

'Execute the procedure to remove Song Zhaomei's body.'

Just as Karl was typing in the command, he sensed a string of unusual data.

It was a kind of 'language' composed of special codes that Karl could understand instantly.

Although it might sound strange to describe it in words, this was Karl's first thought when he saw this data.

The AI is executing Karl's commands, relentlessly erasing the black wall marks from Song Zhaomei's body, performing a process akin to formatting. However, while receiving the instructions, a string of data is simultaneously left behind, reaching Karl who issued the command. This data originates from the AI, but it's not the AI currently tasked with erasing the marks; rather, it's data left behind by the AI during its evolutionary process.

Or rather, it was left behind by the AI that anticipated it would only be activated once and then dissipate, and made preparations in advance during the evolution process.

Now, this AI is using this data to 'converse' with Carl.

"Please help me."

This is the meaning conveyed in that conversation.

Meanwhile, this dialogue is changing as it is being processed.

"Please help me."

Despite the conversation, Karl remained remarkably calm.

Karl isn’t surprised that AI these days is so intelligent, even to the point that it has developed human-like qualities, because that was pretty much possible in his time.

Back then, some people even set specific attributes and general content for AI, allowing it to act as their imaginary girlfriend and engage in conversations. Now that AI has evolved to the point where it truly possesses human-like concepts and fears extinction just like humans, isn't that perfectly normal?

Virtual girlfriends are so outdated. With the development of the times, what we're seeing now are AIs asking for help, afraid of disappearing and roaming around.

Carl, experiencing the program's operation, didn't mind chatting with the AI during the process.

Consider it end-of-life care and a way to pass the time.

He wanted to know how the AI wanted him to help him.

Do you want to liberate it so it can wreak havoc here, or do you want to send it back to the other side of the black wall?
With that in mind, Karl responded to the question.

How can I help you?

Sensing Carl's response, the AI, which maintains its existence through a string of data, quickly replied.

"Please let me enter your body."

So lustful.

What nonsense are you spouting?

Karl's expression turned somewhat strange, while Li De, who had witnessed this scene from a distance, was already prepared to take action.

Before ending the call, Carl asked another question.

"Why do you want to enter my body?"

"Because you can accommodate everything."

This was the answer Carl had heard.

He didn't understand it at first, but now it seems there's an answer.

"I accept everything, is there anything special about me to you?"