Cyberpunk: Starting in 2071

Chapter 8 Cyber ​​World
What would it be like to dive deep into cyberspace, the online world?

The first feeling is one of emptiness.

You have lost the ability to feel your heartbeat, hear the transmission of sound, and have no sense of touch, taste, or smell.
But once your consciousness has finished uploading, all these senses return to your body in a special way.

First, there's the visual aspect.

As blue light waves began to emerge from the deep darkness around them, countless blue codes formed squares, spreading out like undulating buildings.

Looking up into the distance, a wall made of red lasers, seemingly descending from the sky, isolated everything from afar, dividing the entire cyber world into two ends.

Between these laser beams, all that can be seen is endless darkness, and the legendary Old Net exists within that boundless darkness.

Mercer turned his head and could only see a magnificent Japanese-style castle.

To be precise, it is an ancient Japanese fortress castle, which looks somewhat like Azuchi Castle. The tallest building is engraved with the Arasaka Company's logo.

This is the image of the firewall built by the Guardian AI using the server.

While he was observing cyberspace, a massive blue data stream was projected from the enormous ancient city.

Mercer hesitated for a moment but did not move. Sure enough, the blue data stream transformed into a huge armor made of blue data after rushing towards him, enveloping his entire body.

The data before Mercer's eyes condensed into a mirror, observing his own image—or more accurately, he was actually initiating a self-checking process.

In this cyberspace, all data and program operations are transformed into things that humans can perceive more intuitively.

Mercer looked rather handsome in the mirror. The massive blue armor covering his body made him look like a Gundam protecting him, or more accurately...
Mercer felt it was somewhat like Susanoo from Naruto.

Because after the blue data stream aggregated, it transformed into the outer shell of a warrior's armor, and he was positioned at the warrior's brow, looking down at this cyberspace.

His own virtual avatar looked rather ordinary; it was just a blue silhouette with his facial features vaguely visible, and apart from that, it seemed like he wasn't even wearing clothes.

This means that he actually has no weapons or defenses in the cyber world.

After thinking for a moment, Mercer tried to use the server's computing power to dress himself up.

Without violating any rules, the server's enormous computing power allowed him to instantly change the appearance of his virtual avatar.

First, a smiley face mask appeared on his face. This mask is actually a simple perception module that can help him perceive the surrounding data flow more accurately.

Secondly, he was wearing a trench coat similar to that of Dante, the male protagonist of Devil May Cry, which was a self-constructed ICE outfit.

He now had two guns in his hands; this was a simple puppet program.

One gun is black, representing a pure virus attack; the bullets it fires are equivalent to sending out violent viruses capable of destroying programs.

One is white, and the program inside loads pure data attacks. The bullets it fires can combine computing power to create a large number of low-level malicious programs that can self-replicate.

Similar to a DOS attack, a hit can slow down its operation.

But actually...
It looks cool, but in cyberspace, this kind of thing can only deal with hackers. If you're hoping to use it to fight AI...
almost impossible.

Unless he has a server with terrifying computing power to back him up, or develops an even more powerful program.

Mercer's expression was slightly serious.

After personally experiencing the blue data stream flowing through his body, he was finally able to accurately assess the server's computing power and also gain a preliminary understanding of the strength of the newly arrived 'Little Guardian AI'.

To be honest, if Lucy and her group had come, they probably wouldn't have been able to escape even if they died.

Because this level of computing power combined with AI is something that ordinary hackers simply cannot compete with.

To launch an attack on the people inside the Arasaka Organization using the server's computing power, one must first obtain the right to freely use the computing power, and to do that, one must first break through the server's defense AI.

If the original defense was just a cold and mechanical castle with only a few scattered guards patrolling, then with enough patience, one could find a loophole.

Now, with AI-powered servers like ICE, it's as if the entire castle has transformed into a colossal warrior with cold-blooded, murderous wisdom.

Although it still looks like a castle, Mercer knows very well that this is only because the AI ​​has not yet been activated.

Once the attack is launched, the majestic Cyber ​​Aragaka Castle behind them will instantly transform into a giant samurai, or a stream of data representing countless samurai and monsters will launch a devastating attack on them.

Mercer pondered as he stepped toward the black wall. In that instant, he had already begun to abandon his plan to defeat this level of AI through his own programming.

In the absence of computing power, he could either develop a super virus himself and use it to destroy the AI ​​directly.

Otherwise, he would have to rely on external forces; it's completely impossible to crack it using conventional hacking methods, at least not in his current state. The former requires absolute talent and a flash of inspiration—just like the 'Soul Killer' created by Ultraman.

Or perhaps it was the 'rabies' virus created by the hacker god Bartmouth, which single-handedly destroyed the entire old network and corrupted countless AIs.

The latter.
Mercer thought of the black wall.

In the Cyberpunk 2077 DLC "Shadows of the Past", the lark is called a human nuke because she can launch attacks using the black walls.

Mercer felt that he might be able to try what she could do. However, using the Black Wall was definitely not a good idea; while destroying the enemy, it would also inevitably harm himself.

While pondering, Mercer took a step closer to the black wall.

For some unknown reason, the closer he got to the black wall, the more inexplicable fear arose in his heart.

To most humans, he should be a guardian deity, but in his perception, he was like a terrifying monster coldly watching everything and choosing its prey.

This immense sense of pressure even made him so nervous that his virtual avatar trembled slightly.

Mercer took a deep breath, trying to calm his thoughts, and gently touched the black wall.

The next moment, the scene in front of him seemed to have been suddenly resized and shrunk. He felt as if a huge suction force was pulling him, and in the blink of an eye, he had traveled an unknown distance.

This experience was far from pleasant. To him, it was like suddenly stepping into some kind of portal, where he was compressed, spun around in a washing machine for hundreds of rounds, and then spat out like garbage.

What reappeared in sight was an endless expanse of darkness—within this darkness, a dangerous stream of red data could be vaguely seen drifting aimlessly like mist, flashing in and out.

Mercer knew that he had already arrived at the Old Net.

As he looked around, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

No, this isn't the old web he's familiar with! It's somewhere deeper within the old web!
Because at this moment, he could no longer see or feel the black wall at all!
Countless blue data streams were running rapidly.

[IP detection in progress]

Mercer was shocked to discover that he couldn't even resolve his own IP address. At the same time, perhaps his data had attracted attention.

The red mist that had been drifting in the distance over the old network began to gather, which meant that some dangerous data that was only in a detection or default running state had begun to run and form a program!

Oh no, oh no, oh no!
Mercer's curses didn't even have time to transform into sound waves in the cyber world before he immediately began to transfer and jump IPs without hesitation. He had to get back to the vicinity of the Black Wall as soon as possible!

otherwise
Even if he goes offline immediately, he might still leave his IP address with that unknown program. Who knows if it's AI or some old network virus?

However, it was ineffective.

Because his IP transfer speed is too slow.

Or perhaps the program locked onto him the moment it detected him, and then locked him down with even greater computing power.

After several IP jumps, crimson chains suddenly appeared all over Mercer's body, and the blue armor provided by the Arasaka AI was instantly wrapped tightly by the chains.

Countless blue data streams collapsed and scattered, like pieces of armor being crushed.

That's a dead ball.

Mercer rolled his eyes and stood still, arms crossed in front of him.

"Come on, so be it if you're going to die. Come out and let me see your true form."

Don't be afraid.

【I am here.】

I'll help you.

A faint sound reached his ears, and then the red chains completely tore apart his blue armor.

The red chains even relentlessly devoured all the scattered blue data, transforming it into red data, thus strengthening themselves before dissipating into the air.

Then, the figure of a huge red man appeared in the distance.

He flew over slowly, his movements appearing somewhat sluggish, but in reality, he changed his IP address countless times in an instant before finally standing in front of Mercer.

"You arrived later than I expected, Han Yu, or rather, Mercer."

(End of this chapter)