Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 435 Hero (Part )

The pale blue light flickered on and off.

Rin was like an insurmountable barrier.

In front of him, Hei Meng's arms began to transform, becoming like Lin Yue's gorilla arms, spewing out hot air.

Close-combat hacker, expert in the use of blades—these characteristics were faithfully recorded and replicated by military-grade cybernetic technology experts. In a sense, Rin and Kurome's battle is more like a fight between themselves.

The fading of the dark blue light in Rin's eyes right now represents a signal.

Ott was completely tied down, dealing with a massive attack from Washington to ensure the operation's perfect success.

"With AI living in your head, your secret is something military technology can't even imagine."

Black Dream wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes fixed intently on the legendary lone wolf before him.

Judging solely from Night City's ranking of the most outstanding lone wolves in North America, this guy can no longer be called a legend; he's more like...

A born fighting machine, an unkillable monster, a prosthetic emperor blessed with good fortune.

He has clashed with numerous companies and remains undefeated.

Even events that could kill even the most powerful city lord countless times wouldn't break him.

Rin used a face with behavioral characteristics that were completely different from the original military technology version to completely outmaneuver the companies. She even managed to carve out a territory in Taipingzhou that was no less than that of local giants like the Night Clan, even in Night City, a structure that had been stable for many years.

"What's wrong? Are you going to die? Or did those scientists just build a crippled toy...?"

His eyes were filled with a chilling intent, and his smile was brimming with belligerence.

"But without her help, can you maintain this level of strength?"

Black Dream's pupils resembled an intricately sculpted kaleidoscope. As Lin Yue frowned slightly, a rapid decryption process appeared in his brain, and unlike the slow progress of normal ICE resistance, Black Dream's decryption was extremely swift—

It even gave Lin Yue a slight sense of panic, as if he hadn't installed ICE.

The moment Hei Meng was struck by the swift crack, all she heard was that guy say, "Interesting..."

The bizarre, rapid solution of Black Dream has a drawback. For example, completing the solution doesn't mean you can freely slaughter your opponent. This incredibly realistic fantasy requires the person involved to fight continuously until they are exhausted...

Black Dream, whose invasion was thwarted by Rebecca, was somewhat unsure of herself.

Johnny's Relic and Rebecca formed a mental defense alliance, which rendered the methods of manipulating memories ineffective, and she could be awakened at any time...

So, taking advantage of the moment when Lin Yue and Ultra lost contact, Black Dream struck first.

"The creator of the Soul Killer, the largest entity in cyberspace, has a near-parasitic connection with you; your computing power comes from the Black Wall, yet the distinction is clear—"

"Why does your body never decay?"

……

Lin Yue could hear it.

The guy's voice was smug, as if he wanted to treat me like a lamb to the slaughter.

However, the current situation is quite interesting.

In the past two years, the increasingly mature cyber hacking component (software) field has not had any particularly powerful and effective offensive programs. People are sticking to the old ways and using fixed, pre-arranged skills to carry out hacking battles in the real world.

A hacker's ingenuity can only be fully utilized when they delve into the deep web.

Someone like Lin Yue, who can access the cyber network at any time without having to worry about the excessive heat from deep-sea diving... is clearly not someone who would be dragged into a self-damaging trap by an attack of the type that is more like "rapidly cracking cyber psychosis" or "self-destruction".

To be precise, Black Dream's operation method is very sophisticated.

Although he verbally claimed that New America was a bunch of guys who hadn't fully understood them, Lin Yue actually had a high opinion of the technology.

How should I put it...? It's similar to Mewtwo technology?
If we have to trace its origins, it's somewhat similar to how the "Fatal Attractor" worked decades ago: as the anti-hacking entity, the offensive commands don't immediately produce offensive behavior, but rather disguise and create illusions.

Black Dream's own brain-computer interface does not handle computing power. Instead, it uses a large-scale hacking machine connected to the internet, which requires non-human computing power to operate, to disrupt the enemy's sensory system.

In other words, as long as the internet exists, everyone will inevitably be drawn into this sensory surreal experience.

In the authentic experience of "brain dancing," you may not be facing enemies, but even friends. The brain's memory retrieval module is disrupted... You become so immersed that you forget everything.

Until you succumb to illusion.

One good thing about quickly cracking the game's mental illness is that... Dark Dream doesn't cause much damage to the enemy, which means—

This guy actually wants to grab me?

That's really... too greedy.

In addition, Lin Yue also noticed something unusual: Black Dream seemed to be observing the operation mode of its prosthetic body, constantly sending relevant data into cyberspace.

"So your mission also includes reading data? Does that mean you're a puppet toy whose body functions can be replaced?"

Lin Yue finally understood the purpose of Black Dream's appearance here...

Miles was indeed more greedy than he had imagined.

Furthermore, Miles's ability to realize that he was still alive was slightly beyond Lin Yue's expectations.

It's a pity. If it weren't for this plan to kill three birds with one stone, Lin Yue would have really wanted to meet Miles.

"How exactly does your body manage to function properly?!"

Lin Yue heard Hei Meng's question through gritted teeth again...

As the protagonist dragged into this "dark dream," Lin Yue was eager to see just how destructive this software truly was...

Undoubtedly, if it were Heavy Hammer, he would have already entered a berserk fighting mode, while Lin Yue's side was calm, with only Rebecca by his side.

She blinked and looked at herself, and Lin Yue also looked at her…

If his brain-computer interface hadn't been hacked, Lin Yue would have actually been prepared to attack Black Dream on the spot first.

"Hey, you idiot, why aren't you moving?"

Rebecca gestured with her lips, indicating for Lin Yue to walk forward.

The logic gate of a femme fatale?
Lin Yue found it quite interesting.

The basic operating logic of the femme fatale is to disguise itself as an auxiliary program to help hackers, and even temporarily help hackers break into the barriers of certain data fortresses. However, in this process, the program that looks like a "female internet celebrity" will betray them at any time.

Hei Meng would be very "sad" if she knew that what she was so proud of was being viewed by Lin Yue from a third-person perspective.

Lin Yue has already figured out the effects of exceeding his intellectual limits...

An IQ of 21 means that his understanding of information, logic, and code transcends the human realm, reaching a level close to "conceptual existence."

He can freely explore certain areas of cyberspace centered around him, but only taking action will cause data fluctuations.

His hacking operations did not follow conventional protocols; they were more like "direct dialogue with reality."

In certain situations, it's possible to perfectly bypass some protocol restrictions (such as forcibly hacking into Ye's core database) and modify local system parameters (such as resetting Ye's ICE)...

All right.

Lin Yue has already understood the operating logic of these things, and he also plans to learn this part of it. After all, cracking cyber psychiatry can easily lead to the death of the enemy and cause some damage, making it impossible to carry out some subsequent things.

"So that's it."

Hei Meng was still immersed in the pleasure of reading Lin Yue's data.

He discovered that Lin Yue possessed a program in cyberspace that was essentially under maintenance but not yet deployed. His initial estimate suggested that this program had an extremely high memory footprint; if compared to his own brain-computer interface…

At least three Black Dreams are required.

"So there must be some server in this world running your data, right? No wonder..."

Black Dream's excitement was hard to conceal. Like all users who had come into contact with prosthetic bodies derived from the Black Wall, the problem of her body's self-destruction could not be effectively resolved. Black Dream knew Miles's plan—

But he didn't think Rin's techniques could be applied to him.

Black Dream is ultimately a disposable product.

"Without the help of those cyberspace dragons, you'd be nothing special, wouldn't you?"

"Although I also wield the dragon (the Black Wall), and everything I have comes from him, I have no right to judge you... Perhaps we are both slaves?"

Hei Meng sighed slightly as she watched Rin's brain-computer interface maintain peak power.

Rin might be trapped in some kind of extremely mentally taxing hallucination, which is completely inconsistent with Rebecca's irritable state.

rustling…

With a series of footsteps, Hei Meng walked up behind Lin. Just as the snake-like soft thread was about to wrap around Lin Yue's neck, Hei Meng's shoulder suddenly slumped, his body swayed, and he let out a muffled gasp.

"Ok?"

Lin Yue turned his head to look at Hei Meng's trembling face and uttered a questioning tone.

Black Dream's hand trembled as he touched the cold, hard surface of his stomach; the blade was now positioned across his chest cavity.

"I want to know..."

The guy, who looked like a demon from hell, released his katana. Kuromu retreated one after another. The chill in his stomach and his increasingly weak legs made him feel as if he was about to fall into an endless abyss.

"Is this all the intelligence agencies in the new America know?"

The power of Black Dream's final burst of energy surged forth, and the ear-piercing roar of Sianwistan, accompanied by his afterimage, swiftly attacked.

Rin simply turned his body to the side, and the overload protocol weakened by the dozen or so black walls stacked on Kurome's body caused his entire body to be pulled out with slowly flowing black and red data.

"You...you really are a hacker?"

Lin Yue calmly gripped the prosthetic body behind the guy's neck, and Black Dream's face seemed to swell up rapidly as he endured immense pain.

This was undoubtedly a very ruthless tactic. Lin Yue, a not-so-professional technical expert, chose to gouge out the prosthetic body while the company was still alive in order to obtain a sample that would allow the company's scientists in the state to study it.

Hei Meng felt a stinging pain in the back of her scalp and along her brain nerves.

He began to resent that his accessory heart was still keeping him from collapsing, and even allowing him to maintain a clear understanding of his surroundings…

"what!!!"

"Fuck your mother, you scum!"

"What kind of program is running in your head?!"

He cursed, blood and saliva flying everywhere, like a live shrimp having its vein pulled out.

“I always choose to give my enemies a quick death, even those who have caused me and my men to pay a heavy price—but I seem to know that you attacked Rebecca without any reason, right?”

"You're enjoying the kick, aren't you?"

"Besides, you've already seen my secret, Mr. Black Dream."

Black Dream was like an exaggerated figure painted in fluorescent paint on the streets of Night City. Sianwistan's short circuit caused many afterimages to appear in his mind, and Rin's words became clearer and clearer with the pain.

That cruelty sent chills down his spine.

He discovered that the data he was collecting was just looping within the subnet and couldn't get out at all...

Black Dream howled in a hoarse voice, like glass scraping against the ground, "Damn it! How did you manage to control the public network?"

"Bastard...you still have the nerve to take care of women?"

Black Dream's curses grew louder and louder.

Lin Yue shrugged noncommittally, “Everyone is the same, Miles is no exception. It’s just that I can let these coroned politicians in white clothes continue to live, provided that the people protecting me can survive.”

"On the condition that... you give me the result I want."

Black Dream gritted her teeth, still wanting to launch one last cyberattack that would sacrifice everything.

However, the enemy's voice completely extinguished his will to fight.

"Guess how the Ye family was destroyed?"

How can it be? !
This was Black Dream's last clear thought.

He finally knew what a real monster looked like...

This guy, meticulously crafted with military technology but still unable to make a name for himself, has encountered the final boss.

"Can you become a hero of the new America by giving up everything?"

"You're not enough."

Black Dream's arched body slumped down with a series of crackling electrical currents and the sound of wires snapping—his chest caved in as well.

He knelt on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth and nose.

As if his life force had been drained in an instant, he stared at the ground with drooping eyelids, the dust kicked up by his blood swirling around him, counting down the days until his death.

Lin Yue shook off the liquid sticking to his prosthetic hand and quietly reviewed the Dreamers' current progress.

According to the plan, it was very successful.

Ott and Brandon predict that the probability of the new US Congress and other institutions making a war decision is extremely low, and they are already arguing with the Free State, especially with the Night City officials—

As Arasaka, whose actions were "justified," received special attention from Night City, while Lai Xuan, under immense pressure, was now facing a barrage of criticism from the media.

The idea that Arasaka Ritsu is the worst kind of corporate dog has taken root in people's minds thanks to the sensationalism of News Channel 54, and some media outlets have even criticized Arasaka for attempting to start a war.

Lin Yue could only speed up his efforts to quickly bring the incident to a temporary halt, as the new United States would spare no effort in sending soldiers to rescue Miles.

It just takes time for Rebecca to become a hero.

What else is missing?
Lin Yue felt a sense of unease.

The plan should be flawless.

"Wow."

He reached out and pulled his white wolf from in front of Black Dream. Rin had no intention of wasting time here... No plan was entirely certain, and they still needed to be prepared if the new America really took action to wage war.

Rin has one last battle to fight.

Kill the lark.

The lark wants Miles dead, Rebecca wants Miles alive.

Conflict of interest…

Lin Yue's feelings of amazement at the lark, whose self-awareness was not even clear, for living for so long, and his slight sympathy for her, were limited to this. After all, he would only choose Rebecca.

In addition, he had to keep an eye on Miles with the two AIs online to prevent him from entering Dogtown and patiently wait for Rebecca to send him out.

After Rin drew her sword and left, Kurome lay on the ground, her eyes wide and lifeless, but her fingertips were drawing a crooked shape... that resembled the logo of the Soul Protection Project.

……

……

　【Fatal Attractor】: One of the hacking software in the cyberpunk board game, a top-tier skill that requires a high amount of skill points, and is used to quickly prevent human intrusion.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)