Cyber ​​God: Abyss Walker

"This construction method still has major problems. Although the initial layout is much simpler than the City of Myriad Machines of the Celestial Axis, its ability to resist the invasion of the power of a great being is close to zero before it is fully formed. In fact, it may even attract abnormal pollution and exacerbate its spread..."

While they were thinking, a large amount of data had been automatically analyzed and recorded, and all of it was stored in the "auxiliary chip" in the World Tree researcher's brain. However, the form of this auxiliary chip was quite different from that of a normal auxiliary chip.

This is something that looks like a tender sprout, light green in color, and looks quite vibrant. It is rooted in the researcher's cerebral cortex, which has undergone multiple biological modifications. Its root system completely covers all the structures inside the skull, forming a personal biological computer with extremely high computing power.

This tender shoot swayed gently, carrying its message through the invisible network of roots, layer by layer, to reach the present...

The location where the experiment failed.

"Can't we pin our hopes on the native species of the wasteland? Even if the parasite mother has undergone genetic reprogramming and multiple abnormality elimination processes, it still won't work. The instability of its larvae and its atavism may be impossible to completely eradicate."

Tapping his chin, the World Tree researcher seemed to be deep in thought, muttering to himself as if he had more ideas about the goal he was currently working on.

"If parasites don't work, then the only option is to completely modify humans, but circumventing the Inquisition would be quite troublesome. Perhaps creating a new species?"

"It is indeed a feasible plan. It seems that the Celestial Axis has actually gone a step further than us. As pioneers, the beings they created can indeed be regarded as new species, even if they are not biological beings, they are enough to meet the requirements."

Reflecting on the reasons for the failure, the World Tree researcher casually crossed out the parasite on the specially made paper in his hand. This was a failed product that could not achieve its goal, and there was no need to waste resources on it in the future.

"However, I may be in some trouble now. The Insect Web has been invaded by the Blood Sea, which will inevitably cause quite a stir in the Waste City. The Sky Axis and the Great Wall will probably take this opportunity to seize our share."

With a sigh, the researcher stepped out of his room and looked out at the orderly and peaceful city beyond the window of the hundred-meter-tall skyscraper. As the project director, he was likely to be under pressure from the company's upper management for some time. Should he consider sacrificing a little of his salary to get this troublesome experimental accident over with those annoying inspectors as soon as possible?

……

"Wang Yu, Wang Yu, can you still hear me?"

Ling Qi's voice rang in Wang Yu's ears, sounding somewhat distant and near. Even though it was being transmitted through the auxiliary chip in his brain, there was no sense of distance. This was likely because the invasion of the Blood Sea derivatives had begun to attack his brain, gradually blurring his consciousness.

"Hoo...ha...I can still hear you, how...speak?"

With some difficulty, Wang Yu answered Ling Qi, trying his best to open his eyes and look at the arm in front of him, which had long since become unrelated to his original arm.

The proliferating flesh swelled and churned, the crimson substance on its surface twisting and writhing, constantly replicating itself and then pouring into the parasite mother's body, which had been pierced by this mutated arm.

"So... that's how it is. What's eroding my consciousness isn't the sea of ​​blood, but rather those... mimicry organizations?"

Wang Yu vaguely sensed something. At this moment, the Blood Sea was using him as a vessel to transmit its power into the insect web to complete its desired invasion. In this process, the balance between the mimicry tissue and the flesh of abomination in his body was broken. The flesh of abomination, which was infused with the infinite power of the Blood Sea, had completely overwhelmed the mimicry tissue.

The power of the Blood Sea converged on Wang Yu's arm, which was inserted into the body of the parasite mother, forcing the mimicry organization to the rest of Wang Yu's body. This excessive disparity forced the mimicry organization, which had no great power to supply it, to devour the little remaining original flesh and blood of Wang Yu in order to maintain its own existence.

Wang Yu's original flesh and blood were nothing valuable. The act of devouring his original flesh and blood to maintain its own existence was a drop in the ocean and could not possibly contend with the flesh and blood of hatred infused with the power of a great being. It would only hasten Wang Yu's death.

"The insect web is... finished... and the eggs are gone, right?"

Wang Yu asked Ling Qi.

"The parasite is finished. Disasters caused by the blood sea derivatives have broken out in various parts of the ruined city. The blood sea has completely invaded the insect web. The gangs that use the parasite have no ability to stop this process. It is only a matter of time before the insect web completely collapses."

Lingqi transmitted the information he had collected on the public network of the abandoned city about the chaos caused by Wang Yu to Wang Yu in the form of pictures and videos to Wang Yu through the auxiliary chip.

"That's...good, that's fucking...awesome!"

With a smile playing on his lips, Wang Yu, this simple guy, felt no emptiness at all, only a sense of exhilaration. However, just like with the insect net, his time was running out.

Whether the Blood of Hatred completely assimilates him after eroding the insect web, or his original flesh and blood have been devoured by the mimicry organization beforehand, death awaits him.

"Damn it, I'm still not reconciled. Did I really have to die so easily?"

He'd already taken all the revenge he needed to, and he could probably face his impending death with a nonchalant attitude, but he just didn't want to die.

"Lingqi, I... am not dead yet. What... was it that you said you wanted to do...?"

He opened his mouth and asked Ling Qi in his mind. He now understood why he was still unwilling. Besides the instinct to survive, he wanted to say a few more words to Ling Qi and the better future that she had mentioned. He wanted to see the exhilaration of getting revenge. He wanted to enjoy this shitty world a little longer. He hadn't tasted enough of this shitty world yet!

"Wang Yu, I think, similar to the form in which I exist, if possible, I'll try to transform your consciousness into a form similar to mine. The auxiliary chip implanted in your brain should be able to do that, severing your connection with the great being..."

Lingqi answered Wang Yu's question at lightning speed. She was using an auxiliary chip to scan Wang Yu's brain structure. Although this might go against his idea that he did not want anything that could control his life or death to exist in his body, she couldn't care less. Let her make the decision for Wang Yu this time.

"Do you... have... a grasp on it?"

Wang Yu asked Lingqi a question, and the details she mentioned made his increasingly confused thoughts start to re-examine.

"I have no idea……"

Lingqi's words were tinged with bewilderment, just like her answer. She didn't know if this would work. The abandoned city's public network did have records about converting human consciousness into electronic life, but it didn't provide any methods. Lingqi was just trying her best in the way she could think of. She would rather fail than do nothing.

"Well, how about... I give it a try..."

Wang Yu responded haltingly, and what he said stunned Ling Qi.

"Um."

In the end, Lingqi did not go against Wang Yu's decision.

"Will you sever the connection with the power of a great being? Let me try!"

In a hazy state of consciousness, a force like that of a dead fish leaping for the last time burst forth, and Wang Yu drove his left hand to tear open his left rib, where something was buried in the flesh.

"Pfft!"

Flesh tore apart, and the transparent, rough object fell out, which Wang Yu held in his left hand—a relic from the old era: a glass knife.

His eyes looked at his right arm, his shoulder slightly outward. All the flesh from his upper arm to his palm had been replaced by the abnormal derivatives of the Blood Sea. All the abnormal pollution of the Blood Sea in his body had gathered here, and the connection with the Great Being was also based on this arm.

The researchers at the containment facility had mentioned something to him: relics from the old era could influence great beings, and they were among the few things humans possessed that could interfere with the power of great beings.

At this moment, the old-era relic, the glass knife, that Wang Yu pulled out of his body had an effect that, according to his and Ling Qi's summary, caused double the damage while also inflicting double the harm. This double damage determination was somewhat "vague" because it was difficult to verify, so they had never done so. But now, since they were going to die anyway, it didn't matter.

First, what happens if you self-harm with a glass cutter? It causes double the damage and double the trauma; could the cumulative effect lead to instant death? Second, assuming you sever your own arm, the damage seems to be only the severed arm; there's no "double" damage involved…

So, what if the blow lands on the arm that's possessed by a great being, the arm that's connected to oneself? Where will that double damage go? Let this dying guy try it!

With his left hand raised high, Wang Yu resolutely slashed down at his right hand, which was filled with the power of a great being.

"Pfft!"

With immense force, relying solely on the glass blade's less-than-stellar sharpness, he severed the entire right arm, separating it at the somewhat grotesque bone and blood break, leaving it intact inside the hole in the mother insect's chest.

Logically speaking, given his current state of being carried by the Blood Sea, even if his right arm were blasted to smithereens, it wouldn't matter. The power of the Blood Sea would allow Wang Yu's right arm to regenerate endlessly. However, no, the right arm severed by the glass blade did not regenerate back into this guy's body; it just hung there, dangling precariously.

A brief silence ensued, even the wriggling and churning ceased. Wang Yu and his severed arm, or rather, the abnormal byproduct of the sea of ​​blood attached to him, remained still, seemingly lost in thought.

"Heh, it actually works?!"

Despite his right arm being completely severed, Wang Yu's words were filled with a frenzied excitement. It seemed that the only injury he had suffered was the amputation of his right arm. So where did the so-called double injury go? Hmm? The severed arm, which had suddenly stopped moving and was filled with the power of the sea of ​​blood, seemed to have provided the answer.

"Bang!"

Suddenly, the severed arm exploded open, as if enraged. Its flesh and blood distorted and thrashed wildly, and the extended flesh and blood shot out at a terrifying speed, forcibly snatching the glass knife from Wang Yu's hand.

"Click!"

With a sudden burst of force, the glass-structured knife, which has no indestructible properties, was instantly crushed into dust under the immense force, rendering it completely unusable.

Then, the mutated flesh and blood that had exploded out once again sprang out and pounced on the severed part of Wang Yu's right arm, trying to return to his body, which was the carrier of the power of the Blood Sea. However, it only slid to the ground in vain and could not be restored to its original right arm.

The glass blade's slash not only severed Wang Yu's biological right arm, but the doubled damage also cut off the right arm constructed from the sea of ​​blood that was connected to him. Now, he has absolutely no connection with the sea of ​​blood!

The strange mass of flesh and blood on the ground, which had been transformed from his right arm, lost its connection with the great being after losing Wang Yu, the true entity that had established a connection with the sea of ​​blood. It then became a "plain and ordinary" abnormal derivative.

"Haha, you piece of shit, you're done for, aren't you!"

After wriggling a few more times on the ground, the mutated flesh gradually became still. Its special form of existence required the blood sea to constantly provide power to maintain itself, but now, it had completely lost contact with the blood sea, and its own structure led it toward self-destruction.

"Bang!"

Wang Yu, who had been laughing just moments before, suddenly collapsed weakly and heavily, his back resting against the parasite mother, which had turned into a pile of rotten flesh, as his vital signs gradually weakened.

"Wang Yu!"

Ling Qi was still shocked by Wang Yu's sudden slash, and now she was anxiously calling out his name because of his rapidly declining heart rate, pulse, blood pressure and other physiological parameters.

"Don't worry, I'm betting. I think... I can... it's just not... human, right? Please... you, Zero Seven, while I'm 'dead' for a little while... give me an electric shock..."

The response to Ling Qi echoed in his mind at the same time as the words he spoke. He was so weak that he could be described as barely breathing. As he asked her to do something, his voice gradually faded and then fell into complete silence.

The heart stopped beating after about three seconds, followed by a halt in the pulse and breathing. Body temperature began to drop, and at this moment, the guy with the severed right arm, leaning against a pile of rotting flesh, was probably biologically confirmed dead.

"Electric shock... electric shock..."

Lingqi anxiously repeated Wang Yu's instructions in her mind. She felt that her emotions should make her cry, but she didn't know how to cry or shed tears. She just felt very uncomfortable and then did what Wang Yu asked her to do.

"Sizzle..."

A weak electric current was released from the auxiliary chip in Wang Yu's brain, stimulating the brain that had "died" along with his body. One second, two seconds, five seconds, ten seconds, the current continued, but the dead guy showed no sign of waking up until Ling Qi further increased the intensity of the current stimulation.

"call!"

Heavy breathing sounds like thunder, lungs greedily pumping in air to get the body, which had been "dead" for a moment, moving again.

"Bang...bang...bang, bang, bang!"

His heartbeat gradually quickened until it returned to normal. Wang Yu opened his eyes and looked at his familiar yet unfamiliar body, now completely missing his right arm. He had probably won his gamble, but from now on, he probably could no longer call himself human.