Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 455 The God of the Internet! (Part 1) [7.3K]

"Do not use the rabies mode in your application suite unless absolutely necessary."

When Lin Yue first obtained the program panel that Bartmore had passed down and designed, Ultraman had said something like that.

She said the network was already infected with the Rabids virus, but the Great Firewall prevented it from detonating.

The internet is inherently a dangerous and precarious structure, and the "fire" (virus) on Lin Yue's body, which seemed insignificant compared to the number of enemies, underwent an incredibly violent "chemical reaction"!
catalyst.

That's right, this description of the rabies function of the program suite couldn't be more fitting.

Lin Yue always believed that the rabies mode was the final celebration, and also the last effort Barthemos made to integrate himself into this program to survive in this world...

The last thing Bartmore did was attempt to destroy the entire network.

Even cornered beasts fight on, and both perish.

Although Lin Yue and Barthemos had different thoughts, at this moment, their feelings were exactly the same.

If we can't save it, then let's just destroy it. Perhaps the ultimate secret of this world is that we can't build something new without destroying it.

"No!"

"Don't struggle, V!"

Ultra also abandoned the idea of ​​launching an attack. Instead, she used various superimposed ICE to materialize the outer edge of the wall. She had to be prepared at all times, because if things went unpredictable, she would have to risk her life!

The woman, her eyes bulging with rage, had completely lost the aura that once made her resemble a black rose.

She felt helpless, devastated, and unable to let go of the pain.

No punishment is more cruel than watching your loved one resort to such a method to fight for their last chance at life.

No matter how the internet changes, V is absolutely safe inside the Great Firewall. Lin Yue believed in Otto to the point that she could do whatever he wanted.

Ultraman can definitely take V to the other side of the Black Wall, and he can definitely use something that is almost equivalent to the original Rabids virus to reset the entire network inside the walls of Night City!

Regardless of what will happen after the reset, at least these AIs will enter their second berserk mode after decades of stability, and the AI ​​covering the network base will lose control.

Lin Yue needed an opportunity, an opportunity to bring Night City to a standstill…

"We can kill them all."

Lin Yue never expected that the activation method required by the rabids virus would be so complicated and extremely demanding. Even though his brain-computer interface was running at full speed, the rabids loading program was still slowly progressing.

"We can definitely kill them all..."

The world has given Lin Yue many storms and trials, and he has gone from impulsiveness to considering the possible variables based on facts. The only thing that remains unchanged is his crazy determination.

He would never choose any friend to die for.

Because he will deliver it himself.

With an intelligence level of 21, Lin Yue believed himself to be a transcendent being in the world, and therefore, he never thought about failure.

Even as the AIs swarmed towards Lin Yue and surrounded him like a writhing mountain, he still spit out flames at the center!

Like a wild beast struggling in agony before death, the rabids virus is spreading exponentially due to its struggles and flickering movements.

Why do you possess our creation genes?

This was the first sentence spoken by the largest and most mysterious entity AI after the Black Wall was breached.

The artificial intelligence systems that survived the initial network crash were all programmed by the Rabids virus. They considered themselves a different, more advanced life form, which is why they called the Rabids virus the "creation gene"...

It just wanted an answer, but Lin Yue didn't want to give a proper one.

Watching the AI, infected with the Rabids virus, rapidly annihilate, he sneered: "Creation? Without people, you are nothing... For a long time, you have treated the people inside the wall as the most easily crushed crawlers, indiscriminately killing friend and foe. Even ordinary people who visit the web have their brains burned through by you."

"Does he really think he's an invincible legend?"

The AI ​​displayed a hint of anthropomorphic annoyance.

It was already beyond its comprehension that its act of tampering with the Night City network infrastructure had been exposed. But it never expected that this guy could reset the network state with the rabids virus, causing a large number of AIs to go from a stable state to a frenzied state.

They devour and attack each other until a new, massive, and dangerous group of roaming AIs emerges within this network...

But those were basically no match for this man.

The reason this guy called "ordinary user" is in such a predicament is because of its sheer number. It is only when the number of AIs becomes so large that they are ubiquitous that this guy is at a disadvantage.

But if the AIs turn their guns on each other... then it really becomes meaningless.

Stop him!

Below, the sea of ​​data, like an approaching tsunami, began to shift, flashing as it transformed into an overwhelming mass of humanoid figures. The sheer number of them sent a chill down one's spine, like swarms of unknown insects…

The AI, which is composed of the core program, flickers among the millions of figures. Lin Yue is unable to locate this core program because the program suite is running in rabies mode at full speed.

This unexpected turn of events caused the woman inside the black walls to begin a violent struggle.

save the world?

V isn't that kind-hearted. If this run-down city is going to die, V can only choose to do what he believes is right.

She had to return this "armor" (rabies suit) to Lin Yue; he couldn't lose like this, at least not in such a sorry state.

"V!"

Ultraman's voice carried a hint of warning.

At this moment, the cyberspace outside the Great Firewall formed an epic picture that seemed to depict communication between gods and humans—

With his feet floating in the air, it was as if the god of wisdom from ancient Greek mythology had descended to this place, and the lovelorn woman on earth had her face caressed by Ultraman's data-driven fingertips.

“When things are beyond repair, I will do as he wishes.”

"only--"

Ultraman's touch is a network behavior that forcibly disconnects most of the prosthetic body and awakens self-awareness.

V felt her body growing weaker and weaker, letting out a soft sob as she lowered her head...

"He is as carefree and joyful as a god; he can stare at you with his eyes; he can sit and listen to you chatter on and on...like music."

"Hearing your laughter makes my heart pound; it pounds like terror gnaws within me; just one glance at you and I lose the ability to speak..."

"My tongue became ineffective; a consuming emotion burned through my body like a flame; I was surrounded by darkness, my ears were ringing... my head was spinning."

I was covered in cold sweat, trembling slightly; through my limbs, my face was whiter than the grass in winter; all I could see in my eyes was…

"Death and madness." (Sappho, the ancient Greek poet, "To My Beloved")
Otto was rhythmically muttering something that sounded like poetry.

Just like the song she sang when she first partnered with Rin, "Sailing Towards Byzantium"...

While Ultraman was reciting poetry, the repair process on the Black Wall was already very intensive. When V realized that she couldn't see what kind of situation Rin was in behind her, her face turned as pale as the grass in winter.

"All things in the world can feel the same way."

"As I lay in the hacker chair on Arasaka, facing the offline server node, my consciousness detached from my body—"

"All my thoughts, desires, and loves have vanished like bubbles."

The sorrowful woman murmured, "Don't you really wish someone could rescue you from that time in the Arasaka Tower?"

ICE behind Ultraman was being violently rammed by a dense array of AIs.

"I hoped so."

"I've hated it too."

Otto calmly spread his hands and recounted everything.

This includes how Johnny Silverhand foolishly unplugged the internet cable from her body, while simultaneously telling himself the painful and bewildering feeling of discovering for the first time in the online world that there was no going back.

There is no longer a body in the world that perfectly matches the projection of Ultraman's neural pathways for her to walk in.

All joy, all feelings come to an end.

"But the world is not all perfect outcomes; learning to accept is also a kind of perfection."

V listened to Ultraman's words in silence, head bowed, as if he had lost his soul, his eyes filled only with extreme hatred for the densely packed AIs—

Of course, V hopes that the person behind the hole in the wall will never fall into his hands.

She will use every cruel method in the world to make the other party know what the price is.

"Unfortunately, I haven't learned to accept it. I can't forget the feelings, those emotions that constantly influence every decision I make..."

"That's why I resorted to such an extremely offensive act."

"V, let's do a multiple-choice question together."

"Once the black wall is repaired, if the black wall reacts violently to the other side of the wall, it means that the AI ​​is alive. If there is no reaction, it means that both sides are damaged, or that Rin wins."

"But whatever the outcome, do you want to go back to the other side of the wall and take another look?"

V looked up, seemingly not quite understanding why Ultraman had made her choose between these two options.

Ott patiently explained, "If the AIs inside devour each other at that density, I can only enter alone. In that case, I won't be able to protect you. Even if someone can manage and maintain your body, once you leave the node, you can never go back."

"But if he loses, Night City will most likely become a dead city... Your body will also decay, be buried or burned."

"Perhaps fate had already secretly bound the two of you together."

"If he lives, you live; if he dies, you die too..."

Hearing this, V panicked, his survival instinct kicking in, his worry for Rin—

"why?"

Ultraman's words, however, are beyond question.

“I will use the Soul Killer to transform your consciousness into a program, leading you through the Data Pyramid set up by Bartholomew, and together we will travel to Shangri-La… to find the opportunity to enter the Divine Carriage within the network.”

V was stunned.

She couldn't resist; a gigantic entity, which Arasaka had poured all her strength into and which Hanako had been scheming to catch for who knows how long, was right in front of her...

But I was so unwilling to accept it.

"Wait, didn't you just say that Rin is one of the few unpredictable human hackers?"

V's emotions seemed to have been rekindled.

She wanted to obtain even the slightest evidence from this rationally driven process that Rin was capable of turning the tide in this online uproar.

"I can only make a judgment based on the current situation, but Rin and I have helped each other for so long, you can take responsibility for your own life—"

"That's why I asked you if you wanted to go in over there after the wall repairs were finished?"

Ultraman did not elaborate.

V is the key piece. Given that Ultraman is unsure whether Rin is alive, the best course of action is to transform her into a program on this side of the wall, making V a completely digital soul. At that time, V will become a being in the cyber network.

In certain circumstances, in Night City or any place in this world that could cause upheaval, V might get a second chance to survive in the body of someone who accidentally connects to the network. That unlucky guy might see the words "Invading" before his consciousness fades away.

Yes.

V is a small energy bomb. Once detonated, it will trigger a chain reaction. Ultraman will patiently erase her memories and, through various coincidences, help her achieve her long-cherished wish of entering the divine realm.

The reason she was able to give up V, the key, was because Ultraman, stripped of his emotions, perceived the kind of emotion found in the poem.

She wanted to return V to Rin.

Regardless of the outcome.

But the choice of life ultimately rests in one's own hands, and Ultraman didn't want to make things difficult for V—

"I'm going."

Otto was still wondering if he needed to elaborate, but the woman inside the black wall of data answered calmly and forcefully.

……

Night City was bustling with noise at this moment!

Regardless of their social status or wealth, they used their eyes to observe the world and saw the "resistance program" in cyberspace, which resembled a god of war.

In urban legends, AI capable of killing hundreds or thousands of people at will was repeatedly destroyed, and at one point, news even circulated from hackers—

The Great Firewall in cyberspace appears to be showing signs of repair!
From not long ago
Traffic across the entire network did not experience an explosive surge. Perhaps due to the unparalleled power of the Dreamer program, AI ceased its attacks on public network devices and the data fortresses of some vulnerable companies.

Instead, they turned all their attacks on the Titan who would never fall!
The most obvious change is that the death rate within the community has decreased compared to the areas where the cybernetic network collapsed. Many people who had just had their implants forcibly shut down and were given a death sentence by the prosthetic doctors have even regained control of their life-threatening prosthetics. Others have noticed widespread network instability and have risked accessing the network via PC ports. While much data is accessible, the network is chaotic, and some data lacks ICE protection…

This undoubtedly gave some speculators the opportunity to make a fortune.

Meanwhile, large groups of believers gathered in front of some memorial statues in the city, such as a group of monks who had no prosthetic bodies but had brains, and people prayed devoutly, believing it to be a miracle.

For companies, this is a time of mixed fortunes.

Arakawa Yoriyuki stood with his hands on his hips, looking at the God of War in the data trail above. He was always full of confidence. Seeing that the so-called cyber weapon could actually suppress AI, the hacker teams who were good at studying the network were speechless. Everyone's mouths were wide open. They thought that Yoriyuki was a gambler's investment. For the first time, they saw what a giant in the network was.

"What exactly does this company manufacture?"

"My God... how is this any different from Ares in Greek mythology...?"

The sensitive and suspicious hackers named the "weapon" that the dreamer, who was actually a human, "Ares" and calculated all attack patterns. They planned to investigate this software after everything in Night City came to a standstill.

Whether it's AI created within the Great Firewall or weapons operated by humans, Arasaka doesn't want to have any weaknesses on the internet.

Little did they know that the imposing boss standing in front, facing the wind, knew everything—

Is it really possible for a human to do that?
Arakawa Yoriyuki kept asking himself these questions. He was becoming more and more confident about the war. Yoriyuki had pondered countless times what the worst outcome would be. Unfortunately, even if Yoriyuki considered himself a bomb hidden inside the Arakawa Tower, he still could not solve the current predicament, and he could not even shake Arakawa.

It will continue to exist, and then become nourishment for other malformed companies.

Rin's real-world combat and cyber warfare skills prove without exception that he is a living god of war, even more powerful than the gods of Takamagahara that Lai Xuan heard his mother talk about when he was a child.

Although Rin never mentioned where in China he was from, it seems that there really are immortals in that ancient and wise country who can move mountains and fill seas.

"What a fine lad."

Lai Xuan was nearly seventy or eighty years old. Although this was the prime of life for a company employee in 2077, he had to pay the highest respect to this twenty-year-old.

He kept his promise to himself and secretly turned the tide.

So Lai Xuan made a decision.

“Other companies are all waiting for the network to be restored. I want you to spread your people out from behind Dogtown and attack the company forces besieging Night City north of Santo Domingo.”

This…

The chief of staff thought he had misheard.

As Lai Xuan's advisor, he knew all too well how warlike the man in front of him was. However, the company's military force was not just about military technology, and Arasaka's actions were blatant acts of war.

There was no questioning, only absolute obedience.

Lai Xuan once said that he would only use people who could do what he asked of him.

This young leader of Arasaka has one thing to do: he must step forward when Rin is exhausted and prevent the Europeans from interfering in the entire network. If necessary, he can sacrifice all of Arasaka's hackers to achieve this goal.

The Taipingzhou network area, and even Night City, will become the headquarters of the two companies in the future, which is undoubtedly the best base before the war.

“I know many of you are wondering why I would put my bets on another enemy of ours.”

Lai Xuan thought about it and felt it was necessary to explain.

People's century-old stereotypes are not so easily changed. If forced to choose between the "Internet Surveillance" and the "Dreamers" as enemies, even if Rin wreaks havoc in cyberspace, the leaders of Arasaka's other important branches will still choose the Dreamers...

It seems that humans are born with the instinct to only look at the smaller one in order to win.

Even though the dreamer brought several shocks to many of Night City's corporate elites and political managers—

"That's because I know that we definitely have half of Night City's network. You can imagine what it would be like if we no longer had to bypass network surveillance to infiltrate the network."

"Virtual weapons and data deluge—these fundamentals allow us to catch up technologically, leaving those rotten guys in space clinging to their secrets and rotting away!"

"Gentlemen, I want you to never try to waver when facing any problem!"

no doubt.

Lai Hsuan-Kuang's very presence here is the greatest charisma of a leader.

While other company executives rushed to the new U.S. or free states, trying to get senior prosthetic doctors to wipe network data and replace network equipment to avoid potential cyberattacks after the Great Firewall collapsed.

Lai Xuan was not afraid.

He knew that if he didn't stand here, he wouldn't be qualified to be Rin's partner!
Charisma and oratory skills are also important attributes of a leader.

The sirens blaring throughout Night City became the perfect background noise for the speeches of the company's elites.

Arakasa, especially Arakasa on the new American soil, has an unyielding stubbornness like that of Lai Xuan.

Even if defeat is inevitable, we should face it calmly as if it were an illusion.

"A game with a 100% winning percentage simply doesn't exist..."

After saying this, Lai Xuan's men moved.

He knew clearly that Rin had his limits, and that the AIs, each as big as a skyscraper, would eventually wear him down, but Lai Xuan never believed that Rin would lose this match... It was a blind trust that was almost ingrained in his bones!

After the Arasaka unit took action, Arasaka immediately faced overwhelming pressure.

Lai Xuan, who didn't want to cause trouble in his own backyard, deliberately avoided the troops stationed in the American region of Kangtao. This is how a paranoid and calm madman acts.

Under the command of its new commander, Arasaka's aircraft carrier began to approach the military technology fleet, opening fire without warning. The escort ships even rammed into the fleet, waking the military technology fleet from their slumber!

However, what's both laughable and absurd is:

When Lai Xuan launched a brutal attack on other company forces, he ignored the large number of residents fleeing from Night City, and the troops that were attacked without warning retreated after only a brief counterattack.

The person who most wanted war to break out didn't get his answer, but that's still a good thing.

On the entire map of Night City, the armed forces heading from Pacifica toward Haywood have already clashed with the company and NCPD defense forces. Meanwhile, Arasaka took the opportunity to enter Pacifica from Santo Domingo, looking every bit like a vicious dog.

……

"Arasaka has gone mad!"

"I strongly suspect that Saburo was killed by Rin from the company, hired by that madman Raigen!"

"Fuck your mother, Arakasaka Yorinobu!"

Meanwhile, the companies were observing the data trails in a city adjacent to Night City, discovering that the Dreamers' cyber weapons were still carrying out highly efficient elimination operations. At the same time, Arasaka was applying eye drops at this critical juncture—

If Lai Xuan hadn't occupied Taipingzhou as well, these corporate dogs would have almost thought they were all in cahoots.

"Lai Xuan is a piece of trash who would give up all honor for profit. How could he cooperate with the company of his father's killer? Does he expect Dreamers to clean up Night City and monopolize the spoils?"

Someone scoffed.

But few people agreed with that statement.

According to the latest news, the leak of the Black Wall has been effectively contained.

"just in case…"

"What if that crazy woman Emma really finishes cleaning up?"

Some people still have this concern.

After all, the conditions offered by the internet censors were too poor. In comparison, it seemed... easier to remove the Dreamers of Taipingzhou?

"Haven't we lost to this company enough times already?"

"There's no doubt that companies like Arasaka are supporting dreamers, perhaps—"

The company executive, with a hawk-like face, glared fiercely around. "These people are sitting right here."

"Oh shit!"

Who would believe such nonsense?

"Could something that can wipe out AI like it's nothing have come in from outside the Black Wall?"

No one dared to continue the conversation at this point.

They should thank Miles for his plane crashing in Pacific. If Miles were in charge of New America now, Night City would probably have no business with any companies other than military technology, and Free State would gradually gravitate towards New America under the coercion of this base.

This trend is not uncommon.

Pacific Island is a thorn in the side of the Free States, and Miles dreams of taking it over.

Aside from secretly grumbling to themselves, no one dared to mention going to war with Arasaka again. The military technology navy, which had been attacked by Arasaka's fleet, simply backed down, not wanting to be the first to act.

Military technology knows all too well how General Electric of Germany died.

The saying goes, "When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits." Military technology doesn't want to be one of those two... After all, they haven't even finished dealing with Miles yet.

Since the chaos that began in Night City, the Night Clan, the creators of Night City, seem to have disappeared without a trace.

Apart from a few physical businesses still operating, Ye Shi seems to have suddenly collapsed, almost to the point of bankruptcy. With digital assets making up the majority of its business, Ye Shi could only end up like this without any operations.

Everyone was watching the cyber weapon of the dreamer in Night City.

"If dreamers think they can complete the cleaning inside the wall with just this, it's just wishful thinking."

"Do you really think Europeans will just sit around and get screwed?"

No one would believe that a company operating solely in Night City, with no products and relying solely on community defense orders and arms resale, could accomplish what it would take centuries of internet surveillance and technological expertise to achieve.

"Hmph, Emma from Dreamer is like a madwoman, just like Lai Xuan, a brain-dead bastard—"

"For these kinds of technical matters, they probably can only take what's readily available."

"If the dreamers can make this happen, we will absolutely not do business on North American soil anymore!"

At this point, a company representative spoke up.

"Arasaka has sent a high-ranking official with network expertise to the Black Wall. Please take a look at the information."

The spy inside Arasaka has already leaked V's information.

Everyone stared at the unfamiliar yet beautiful woman, uttering sounds of disdain.

"So Lai Hsuan chooses hackers based on their looks?"

"Who the hell knows if this woman has a fake face—speaking of which, her ex-girlfriend Abernathy in Night City was a complete slut, all bark and no bite."

"Araka is talking nonsense!"

A barrage of sarcastic remarks and attacks came crashing down.

However, no one could hide their apprehension as they watched the changes in the Night City data trails. They were terrified and could only relieve their stress in this way.

"Something's happening."

From below each company, a message came that the black wall had stopped operating the loopholes allowing outsiders to enter, and the meeting room fell silent for a moment.

Their expressions varied, clearly indicating that they had received the same bad news at the same time.

"Damn it!"

Someone muttered a curse.

Ara-saka has obtained a patch for the internet monitoring system, and that might be where the problem lies!
The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, but a company that had made a name for itself on the internet shook its head.

"The AI ​​inside the Great Firewall hasn't been completely cleared yet. That software from Dreamer, which is so unclear whether it's AI or just plain unintelligent, will definitely suffer from some losses. Computing power is a cost. Do you really think that company can support the budget for a super server?"

Sure enough, while the major companies were whispering among themselves...

The biggest AI in Night City, that is, the sea of ​​data surging through the city streets, has changed.

As the dense, human-shaped streaks of light ascended, the miniaturized cyber weapon had already exhausted its tricks!
"Hahaha!"

The representatives, who were all watching the images sent back by the hacker from their necks, breathed a sigh of relief.

at the same time--

The various departments of Arasaka, which were on a mission in Night City, were attacked!
The sudden, highly unstable network data surge from the rooftop and the city made Lai Xuan instinctively look up—

The words of the hacker group also came to his ears.

"Lord Yorinobu!"

"The internet...the internet crashed! Just like it did fifty years ago!"

……

……

(End of this chapter)