Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 456 The God of the Internet! (Part 2) [10,000 words]

The initial network crash revived the dead memories of fear in the eyes of major companies.

That was a memory that no one dared or wanted to think about. The evil dragons within the initial network were undoubtedly a devastating blow to people fifty years ago.

At that time, people knew very little about the research on mutant artificial intelligence, until the emergence of AI hunters and cyber surveillance…

The Black Wall was undoubtedly a chance for humanity to catch its breath, but companies that were complacent in the peaceful environment broke through it, and too many AIs were killed by hunters and network surveillance who gradually mastered the technology... to the point that people forgot the fear of roaming AIs.

"What did you say?!"

The company representative grabbed his assistant by the collar and cursed wildly, "Breakdown?"

This is no joke. The primary network and the network inside the Great Firewall are essentially no different. Both contain network world code implanted with the new algorithm of the Rabids virus. After Bartmouth caused the primary network to collapse, that thing spread like a plague.

People could only watch helplessly as the internet gradually decayed; the existence of the Great Firewall was what prevented these viruses from reviving in the network's underlying code.

Now that the internet is crashing within China, yet the Great Firewall isn't reacting at all, does this mean...?

"How can it be?!"

The company representatives panicked. The network monitors claimed that with the Great Firewall in place, a collapse like the one caused by Barthes Moss would never occur again. That's why they were carving out their own data fortresses within the security networks of various regions, further restricting internet freedom…

While the fall of the Initial Web caused many companies to lose critical internal data, they have also preserved a great deal of data within the available networks over the past fifty years, including but not limited to financial, technical, experimental, and Initial Web investigation data from outside the Great Firewall…

If such a collapse were to occur within the Great Firewall, it would mean that the companies would lose a great deal: the lives of fully modified soldiers, weapons technology, enormous amounts of virtual assets and funds—bank transfers would be lost, and any means by which companies maintained a leading edge in controlling the lives of ordinary people would become ineffective.

Most importantly, it wouldn't matter if anyone present hid anywhere in the world.

"Contact the internet monitoring department right now!"

Someone quickly made a suggestion, and soon someone angrily slammed their fist on the table.

"Damn it, they've all gone too far!"

Hacking teams from major companies are the first to know about network crashes. More than fifty years ago, hackers were ordered by their companies to enter the initial network to protect the company's important assets. AI, which was once responsible for the company's data operation and protection, became the enemy. Many unsuspecting hackers died in cyberspace.

In fact, the negative impacts are not limited to this one...

Network software requires a runtime environment. When a network crashes, many self-defense ICE programs will become ineffective, as will attack methods such as program suites. Companies will develop targeted software to collect data outside the firewall.

But right now...

With the network outage, most companies' data is at risk. If the Night City crash continues, the entire clean network will be quickly contaminated, and most companies' secrets will be leaked at any time.

The company representatives who were just praying that the dreamers in the network area would lose this war against AI are now thinking about how to minimize their losses.

The network outage caused communication problems between the companies, so much so that the company representatives didn't realize that this was actually what the enemy wanted them to see.

This absolutely cannot continue.

Even if this data is destroyed, it cannot be leaked under the collapsed initial network. However, even if a few hackers are occasionally threatened by the company to enter the collapsed internal network, it is futile. The data fortress cannot be completely destroyed. What is even more frightening is that after the network collapses, the so-called "low-intelligence" AI raised by those companies is very likely to undergo the same mutations as those outside the Great Firewall.

"Is that guy still around?!"

At this point, some people pointed to the "cyber weapon" that appeared to be besieged by humanoid AI like a mountain in the data trail.

As the colorful sea of ​​data below the network was infected by some fluorescent green data blocks, the entire sea of ​​data seemed to be rapidly ignited, like an ocean floating with gasoline.

One of the ferocious dogs, several times its size, gleamed with a wild green in its eyes, yet it moved about in a frenzied state in the ocean, seemingly drawing the flames deeper into the data fire…

"The AI ​​is attacking that thing!"

As more and more AIs realized they were engulfed in flames, they recklessly charged towards the mountain of people ahead, unleashing all sorts of bizarre cyberattacks. At this moment, the data volume of the entire Night City network had reached the level of the entire European Community!
"Damn it, our management AI has gone out of control..."

"So are we."

"Damn these useless internet slackers, defying orders at this critical juncture."

"Stop dawdling! While the AI ​​is distracted by that thing, our people need to get in quickly and destroy the data! Everyone—"

Among them, the military technology representative stood up suddenly and said, "In this situation, we should not scheme against each other. We should prioritize destroying this data. Regardless of our previous conflicts, we must work together to overcome this difficulty."

The representative from Peizhuo Petrochemical snorted coldly.

"Does he enjoy being a lowly police officer maintaining order, just like the Miles government?"

The sarcastic tone made the military technology representative's face turn ugly, but at this moment, many companies issued warnings to Peizhuo Petrochemical.

"Are you suggesting that your bunch of farmers who like 'fermented wheat' (mocking Petrochemicals' alcohol 2 technology as being derived from wheat fermentation) should solve their problems in the online world?"

"Are you saying that military technology and Arasaka's network technology are currently the best, or are you planning to go hand in hand with that rogue company from Taipingzhou?"

Seeing that his mockery had provoked displeasure, the representative from Peizhuo Petrochemical immediately became much more subdued...

He muttered, "Petrochemical is involved."

"I know this is a difficult situation, but the Europeans have already stood by and watched. I suggest that each company use its own data fortress as bait, letting hackers detonate it to create a central data control area..."

"We need to protect ourselves before the internet censors can clean up this mess."

But many companies are still reluctant to give it up…

The most obvious example is Zeta Technology.

The CEO of ZetaTech Night City looked troubled. "Our latest technology product... it takes half an hour to extract the Sinwistan data."

His assistant beside him nodded seriously, "Gentlemen, our network department optimistically estimates that the entire network will be destroyed in about an hour, so it doesn't have to be completely destroyed. We can try to preserve some of it within the limited time."

This…

The group of representatives, whose survival instincts outweighed the company's gains and losses, once again harbored thoughts of taking risks.

As always, these mouthpieces of capital can never give up their interests, no matter what.

Saving the company from its losses under the current circumstances would undoubtedly be a great achievement for them, a great achievement that would bring them wealth and honor...

The higher the risk, the more likely they are to ignore the current situation.

But this time... their luck doesn't seem to be very good.

When all the companies ordered the transfer of data from their data fortresses, the hackers, carrying hefty bounties, systematically entered the network, all in that instant.

The signal lights on the monitoring devices used by the company representatives to detect the hackers' vital signs began to rapidly dim. The mere act of entering the data fortress after gaining network access had resulted in the elimination of more than half of the hackers present…

Perhaps the passing of life brought these hot-headed capitalist mouthpieces to a brief moment of sobering up.

But then, driven by the gambler's mentality of having already invested so much, they started increasing their bets again...

At that moment, the representative from Zeta Technology suddenly exclaimed with delight, "Boss! Our Data Fortress AI is still running normally and can be quickly transferred."

Although these words were spoken in a chat channel, how could these companies that are suspicious of each other not have some secrets? They have been secretly eavesdropping on each other and observing the situation of other companies for a long time.

Several company representatives clenched their fists instinctively.

Clearly, their luck wasn't great, as their AI was giving the hackers a hard time. Fortunately, the Dreamers' cyber weapons were able to attract the AI, giving them a chance to catch their breath...

Even though he felt incredibly frustrated, he had no choice but to order everyone to quickly transfer the data, transferring as much as they could.

Only the representative from Kangtao Company was in close contact with the East and finally received a glimpse of information.

News came from Haicheng that Arasaka sent a high-ranking official to meet with Kangtao headquarters, during which he learned a lot of important information... Undoubtedly, Kangtao ultimately adopted Arasaka's intelligence. After all, as the Asian hegemon, they surpassed Arasaka in just a few decades, relying not only on their achievements in intelligent weapons but also on their keen insight into the situation.

Arakawa and Kangtao engaged in lengthy negotiations, the contents of which remain unknown. However, Xu Zhi became one of the key factors in Kangtao's trust in Arakawa.

So Comto made a bet on the entire US market.

Arakasa let go of Relic's chief expert, and in this matter, the two companies had already shown a subtle tendency to cooperate. However, with the outbreak of the cyber war, the two established investment firms chose a different path.

"The data transfer to Kangtao will not proceed. I would like to remind my colleagues in Night City that we are about to detonate the data fortress."

The whole place was in an uproar when these words came out.

Throughout the entire incident, Comto seems to have played the role of an observer, with all decisions being made by the Chinese side. In reality, Comto's autonomy in the entire United States region is no greater than that of any other company.

The unity and the ability to implement decisions in Kanto are, in some ways, very similar to their country.

However, they are still businesses, and they will also consider maximizing profits.

"what?!"

Kangtao's data fortress has been abandoned so easily; the explosive impact of this data explosion will undoubtedly affect other companies...

This Chinese company's choice is as perplexing as Arasaka's.

The representative of Kangtao simply watched calmly…

"Any questions?"

Given the already tense situation between military technology and Arasaka, the emergence of a Dreamer would normally be insignificant to military technology – however, the Dreamer has already achieved great success with limited resources many times, and they dare not openly break ties with Kangtao under these circumstances.

"I suggest your company reconsider. As far as I know... Arasaka's troops also attacked Kangtao's army, didn't they?"

To everyone's surprise, the representative from Comto calmly stood up and said, "We don't think we ever said we were cooperating with Arasaka. Comto's stance has always been consistent. We only care about the advancement of intelligent solutions and our overall strategy. If you have any better suggestions, I will report them to headquarters."

"hateful…"

Contau has seized the market too quickly and is also an important member of the European Community. In terms of military technology, Contau is completely outmatched in Europe.

The ambiguous and unpredictable Kangtao representative left the group of companies dumbfounded.

Everyone wore grim faces and hurriedly urged their hackers to speed things up.

The most excited person present was Zeta Technology. They thought they could penetrate other companies' data fortresses and obtain some prosthetic body data while their AI was functioning well. Recently, Zeta Technology's S.A.W.S. has run into difficulties and urgently needs a way to break through the current bottleneck...

But this beautiful dream is not yet over.

After the representative from Kangtao left, the agent next to the CEO of Zeta Technology suddenly froze.

The lights in the entire venue flickered, as if it had entered some kind of eerie loop…

This is the Atlanta Nets, and everyone was caught off guard by the sudden turn of events.

With a soft, explosive sound, sparks suddenly flew from the head of the Zeta Technologies representative. Hot sparks flew wildly across the conference table. The Zeta Technologies CEO hurriedly stood up, the massive flames covering his suit with sparks…

Firework-like debris flew everywhere, and the Zeta Technologies CEO's chilling screams, accompanied by the sound of swatting at the flames, left the group of executives who were driving the company's dogs to their deaths dumbfounded...

"Damn it! Hacker! Where's the hacker?!"

Things only got interesting when their lives were truly threatened. They frantically called for protection of the hackers, and the Atlanta network's network monitors immediately announced that the network had suffered a low-level attack from the rabids virus…

Now who cares about data fortresses?

Everyone immediately issued the order to destroy it, and Kang Tao's brief words at the time made these greedy people cry bitterly.

The mutated network was collapsing like a tidal wave. The black wall over the Atlanta network began to react, collapsing completely and crushing all potentially problematic data.

The crowd looked in horror at the network weapon of the dreamer, who was still trapped in the screen.

That guy has already emerged from the mountain of people...

No, to be precise, that guy's abilities haven't diminished; on the contrary, with the collapse of the network's underlying structure, he's becoming even more vibrant.

The human-like "weapon" seemed to be looking this way with eyes filled with fiery data, causing everyone's heart to skip a beat...

When the consensus was reached to divide the network into separate zones across the entire North American continent, Rin in the network was still free from constraints. He simply looked down at the simple code in his hands, as if he knew the entire cyberspace.

He saw...

I witnessed the entire network being rewritten, and the data-driven world becoming rich and colorful. It was no longer the kind of life and experience found in the real world, but rather a joy that felt like omniscience and omnipotence.

He saw it too…

The entire network collapses as life fades away, the determination to destroy the world is actually driven by the initial intention of making the world a better place.

The scene flashed by quickly: people walking on the street, every phone call, everyone's uploaded chat history, Chao Meng's filming... Lin Yue saw how personal privacy data became the company's fixed asset, and he also saw people struggling in the online world.

"Bartlemos."

Lin Yue murmured softly.

"Is this what you want?"

Lin Yue's massive size made him a part of the network's foundation. He knew everything that happened here, including the data information that spewed out from the data fortresses that kept exploding.

"cold--"

Two almost overlapping, desperate shouts.

One is a data fortress originating from dreamers, the other from a black wall.

Two women, their faces showing fear, even apprehension and regret, had tried to come here.

With his back to the two, Rin looked at Ultraman who was escorting him and understood Ultraman's intention. "I thought you would make V into data like you. Johnny (in a certain ending, Johnny, who was digitized, was taken away by Ultraman), you did all that, but you let V go?"

Ultraman noticed.

This online world seems to have changed hands.

"why?"

If I remember correctly.

Ultraman asked himself this question many times.

How was Rin able to complete everything necessary for success step by step under extremely dangerous circumstances...? Did he never consider what would happen if he lost this war?
Both the company and the internet monitoring department were fooled by Rin.

The message sent to Europe was that the network had been restored to normal thanks to Rin's intervention, while the companies monitoring Night City could only sacrificing one of their own to ensure that their important data was not stolen.

The first cyber war.

In less than 48 hours, the winner of this war seems to have emerged...

……

"Lucy!!!"

David, screaming at the top of his lungs, stormed into the counterintelligence department.

When he saw Lucy with blood at the corner of her mouth and her face covered in wounds, his heart almost broke.

For a boy who stumbled upon a meritorious deed in Arasaka by accident, there are too many things to consider right now…

My mother's safety, my lover's condition, my own future, and this city that is almost destroyed.

"I am fine."

Having just dealt with some mutated robots, Lucy retracted the monomolecular wire in her hand and staggered out of the hacker room, which was filled with the smell of smoke and burnt food.

Too many changes have already occurred.

David, who knows nothing about the online world, has Lucy as his only source of information.

"what happened?"

David, supporting Lucy, looked like a wary wolf cub. Lucy, trying to sound funny, said, "Idiot, you thought there was a defection within Arasaka's ranks, right? Those..."

Lucy led David to glance at the severed limbs of the defense robots behind them. "They were all infected by the roaming AI."

David's eyes widened.

"Eh?!!"

"A roaming AI? That's a lie, right? It's the kind I know...?"

Lucy confirmed the request after a careful examination.

Lucy led David forward, and seeing the girl's serious face and furrowed brows, David swallowed his questions.

When they reached the observation deck where the equipment was burned through, David and Lucy witnessed a spectacular sight they would never forget!
"Holy shit...holy shit!"

"What is this?!"

David watched as the phantom, dragging data trails, suddenly attacked those bizarre shapes. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief until he saw the facial features of the giant in the network…

This thing looks like Rin-san without his mask.

Although the interplay of light and shadow in data can be misleading, it seems... it really is him.

"David."

David, stunned, turned to look at Lucy, whose simple words made the boy's heart leap into his throat.

"The Black Wall has collapsed. Those were all AI. What you saw... was a scene of data attacks in cyberspace."

David wanted to elicit even a hint of insecurity from Lucy, but she simply nodded solemnly. The young couple's perspectives and understanding were limited, and Lucy was pondering how to handle the situation.

Was the black wall detonated by Mr. Rin?
David's mind was filled with thoughts of his mother's safety...

When he couldn't get through on the phone, David panicked even more.

Lucy gritted her teeth. Through the system, she saw that all the other employees of Arasaka remained at their posts, while the rest of the higher-ups had gone to the top floor, presumably to protect Yoriyuki during his evacuation.

Just kidding, what does it mean if the black wall is breached?

As they were talking, the couple heard a series of footsteps behind them. The fully armed Arasaka security guards looked at the two battered individuals, who were wearing Arasaka office uniforms, without saying a word, and simply kept walking upwards.

Lucy glanced at it sideways and noticed that the team was surrounded by a layer of colored data. Her worried and serious eyes turned somewhat fearful.

Could it be...

She shouted in a panic.

"Please wait!"

David never expected that Lucy would provoke these security forces who seemed to be the internal guards of a special operations department.

"Hey Lucy!"

Upon hearing the sound, the soldiers paused slightly.

Lucy, her face grim, shouted, "Have you guys been on field missions, connecting to the entire Night City's public network?!" The soldiers looked at Lucy with suspicion.

Who is this woman, and why is she suddenly saying all this nonsense...? Who can remember something like being connected to the internet? But they did indeed just complete a company operation in the East.

Lucy muttered a curse under her breath.

"Quickly shut down the combat implant and get out of Arasaka's subnet!"

As she spoke, the woman ran wildly toward the squad.

David, who had been holding Lucy's hand, was startled when he saw his girl let go and run towards the heavily armed soldiers in what could be a provocative and aggressive manner.

Given the chaotic situation, it's possible that Arasaka issued an order to open fire freely. After all, the deeper you go, the more monsters and demons you'll encounter, so the company's actions are within reason.

David's mind was filled with thoughts of leaving Arasaka to find his mother, but Arasaka did not allow unauthorized absences, which meant that... not only could he not go to find his mother, but he also had to worry about whether his lover would be crippled by those Arasaka ninjas.

"Holy crap! Lucy!"

David quickly gave chase.

The captain circled around from the side, extending one hand as if to block, with the sound of weapons being loaded neatly behind him!

"Halt! Or open fire!"

Lucy growled, "You bastards, are you trying to ruin Arasaka's entire subnet?!"

"Who told you to enter Arasaka without undergoing scanning by the Ministry of Internal Affairs?!"

David was stunned. For a moment, he also saw a colorful data atmosphere surrounding these soldiers, just like the data trails he had seen in Night City!

"Stop!"

The already sensitive soldiers seemed not to understand Lucy's previous words. Just as the leader of the Arasaka ninjas was about to swing his hand down to fire, a sudden change occurred!

It looked like some huge weapon had pierced through the entire floor!
David watched helplessly as the soldiers were bombarded by the colorful data streams from the void, their bodies being washed over, and the erroneous warnings from his prosthetic eye began to surge, while his ears were filled with a deafening roar, as if facing a flood…

Perhaps because they were carrying too many explosive weapons and equipment, the entire floor's network went down before Lucy and David could react. Due to the infection, the internal data of the entire Arasaka area came to a standstill, and the two of them were sent flying backwards and crashed to the ground amidst a series of notifications.

David scrambled to his feet and instinctively shielded Lucy behind him, but all he could see were severed limbs.

My ears were ringing with screams.

"Save David!"

Lucy shouted.

David quickly turned his head, "But my mother..."

Lucy's eyes were resolute as she grabbed David by the collar. "The trauma team's protection level is quite high. David, you're an employee of Arasaka. Do you know what you're doing?"

David looked around, his breathing rapid.

At this moment, his prosthetic eye received multiple notifications... all of them were prompts from Arasaka to provide nearby assistance!

I just went and rescued someone...

"The city is going to be destroyed. Only if Arasaka lives can we live."

Lucy resolutely blocked the railway.

but…

David looked out the window at the big shot who had shattered AI into data particles…

"The black wall has broken. Unless we are gods like it, none of us will survive. Save people! Evacuate!"

"Do you want your mother to return home safely to find you executed for deserting your post?"

"Don't think you can ignore the rules just because you have that guy's (Rin's) protection, David, you're a man!"

David was breathing heavily as he looked at the dense array of distress signals. Even if Lucy hadn't said anything, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

Even though they were all "corporate dogs" deeply hated by the city's underclass... in David's eyes they were living, breathing human beings.

Lucy stood leaning against the wall, her eyes swirling with data as she checked it. David, meanwhile, gritted his teeth and lifted the man from the explosion squad, whose limbs had been severed and who was still writhing on the ground.

This is terrifying...

David's pupils shrank to almost nothing, his hands trembled, and he could hear the painful sobs of the disfigured man.

damn it!
It felt like something had burned out of the brain-computer interface, and David couldn't help but wonder how people could survive...

"Think about it, David, think about how emergency battlefield protection is taught?"

David's hands trembled as he found the tourniquet in the soldier's burned military vest. His trembling hands made him grit his teeth and curse himself as a complete coward. Then he took a deep breath and said, "Hang in there, man."

The tourniquet tightly bound the four prominent joints of the limbs, and the milky white liquid mixed with red seemed to have stopped flowing somewhat.

David watched as the guy pointed at himself with his chin.

Having understood what he meant, David quickly plugged his data cable into the guy's...

This is a completely risky act.

But David knew that if the medical team didn't arrive soon, the person in front of him would likely face only death.

But he didn't want to refuse the wishes of a dying man.

Data connection complete. The guy's internal condition was terrible: severe blood loss, countless open wounds, and a final warning before the prosthetic body stopped functioning...

Help me, kill me.

David was stunned.

He never expected that it wasn't a plea for help, but rather a longing for an end to the suffering.

His own mother was killing while saving lives; the trauma team had to eliminate many obstacles for their clients; the guys who came out of the ivory tower were like chicks who had learned how to put on the guise of corporate dogs, but in reality, they had no ability to handle or judge situations...

While David was still stunned, the man struggled more and more violently; he only had ten minutes to live.

These ten minutes are probably unbearable for any ninja; David is about to do something that goes against his long-held principle of kindness.

He pulled out his sidearm from his waist.

The weapons ban on Arasaka has been lifted, so he can fire his gun.

There was no hesitation as he had imagined; David knew that nothing was more important than giving someone peace before death.

It's a matter of life or death.

It all depends on my conscience.

A gunshot rang out. Lucy, who was observing the data in the distance, looked up and then looked down again. She had to restrain herself... because she still had important things to do.

When David rushed into the next floor of the Arasaka Tower, the supposedly magnificent interior of the tower was filled with alarms and cries of despair. David stood there for a moment, his hands outstretched in a daze, before suddenly rushing to a man whose respiratory system had been burned through against the wall.

He applied an oxygen-inducing anti-asphyxiation drug to the guy's mouth, which would temporarily stop him from breathing once his blood oxygen levels were maintained. He also marked him as a medical target requiring emergency treatment.

These operations were no longer something that person could complete on their own.

While Lucy was sinking into the network and making the decision to maintain the security of the V access path, David had already been treating many people on the floor. This was a decision David made following his heart; whenever he felt fear or confusion, he would glance out the window…

By the time the giant statues outside were surrounded, David had completed many rescues, allowing the recovering medical department to receive many wounded soldiers with high survival rates, all of whom were becoming increasingly skilled in first aid techniques.

Of course, some of these guys' important items were also taken out and placed in their hands by someone else.

Holding onto one's beliefs when facing potential death is actually key to survival, a mindset that may be rare in the cutthroat world of corporate interests where life and death are at stake.

David looked at Rin, who was surrounded by layers of people outside. Although Emma had said that this was the Dreamer's secret weapon, he knew that Mr. Rin was also trying to save the situation, just like him.

One is the world.

One is a person.

The less damage Arasaka suffers, the higher his chances of winning; that's all he can do.

When his strength was exhausted, David would sit quietly cross-legged on the ground and watch the towering figure shrink and be imprisoned.

Even the omnipotent god among young men, the guy who replaced certain father figures in the ecological niche, can run out of steam.

David also blindly trusted Rin.

As long as he hasn't reached his limit, he won't either. Didn't Miss Emma say that...?

The dreamer will solve this problem.

He got up; perhaps because of exhaustion, even Lucy's terrified voice sounded so sweet—

"The network has crashed! Run, David!"

collapse?

David didn't know if he was lucky. Apart from his eyes being a little blurry, he didn't seem to notice what the collapse that terrified his hacker girlfriend was. He just watched the people falling like wheat and muttered to himself.

"I can still do it."

Death is a whetstone that transforms people, makes them understand how cruel the world can be, and then teaches them how to live.

Blind self-confidence is also a way of life.

"David?!"

Lucy is now trapped inside the network.

The boy whispered, "It's not over yet, he's still here."

How many hours has it been?
David was unaware of anything about the upper echelons; all he knew was that this city was where he, his mother, and Lucy's lives were intertwined.

Lucy's signal was lost.

David looked at the human who had come back to life in his hands, the chaotic signals from Arasaka, and it seemed like the world had hit rock bottom.

He continued to mechanically carry out the rescue. These hackers possessed the keys to many of Arasaka's programs, and saving even one of them was a way to save Arasaka.

Especially since Arakawa's president, Lai Xuan, is still standing at the top of this tower, he won't be the one to desert!

When the internet was restored, the world became quiet. David was momentarily stunned. He even looked down at his hand, which had been cut by the severed steel arm, and wondered if he had fainted.

Stunned, he turned to look out the window.

That is…

In the burning green sea of ​​data, a towering figure suddenly appeared, gazing into the distance. The AIs were held back by the firewall. A moving point of light rushed toward the figure, and a hound, half the size of him and resembling a pet hound of a god of hell, circled around him, howling viciously at the AIs that could not get close.

The time has come.

From then on, the network in Night City no longer needed to bypass the internet censors; Lin Yue could review any online activity, but he did not intend to tell anyone this.

Next.

Behind him, his loved ones, filled with worry, stared in disbelief, their eyes brimming with tears of despair.

Because they felt they were destined to lose.

Besides evaporating the sea of ​​data, those green flames seemed to be nourishing the AIs. The aggression of the roaming AIs was visibly increasing and becoming more frenzied.

Those guys who caused humanity to retreat behind the Black Wall when the initial network collapsed were the culprits.

Rin looked at her lover and gestured to stop them from getting closer.

Ultraman's data chains bound the two of them, forcibly dragging Emma out of the company's data fortress, along with Brandon, who was still shouting inside the fortress that he wasn't a wandering AI.

"Rin, there's also a hacker."

Ultraman seemed to be discussing having Rin delay her attack.

Lin Yue nodded.

Lucy's consciousness projection was pulled out by Ultraman. Although her power was limited, she was maintaining Arasaka's access to the network, which Ultraman noticed.

"Save her, Ultraman."

V still wanted to struggle.

Ultraman restrained the group, then slowly raised his hand to his lips, saying, "Quiet, network attack."

Under the watchful eyes of the entire Night City.

At the top of the Arasaka Tower, Lai Xuan, who had been risked his life to save by the hacker, watched over him.

Under the watchful eyes of Atlanta.

This also includes the restoration of network surveillance in Europe…

Rin slowly walked forward, facing the increasingly irritable and unruly AI.

Wow!

The chains tightened, splintered with spikes, as if trying to shred Lin Yue's body.

"Dead!"

The enemies are cursing.

"Damn AI..."

The allies are grieving.

The moment the data chain, filled with the Rabids virus, came into contact with Lin Yue, it was like a child blowing a harmless bubble; it instantly turned into flickering points of light upon contact with Lin Yue.

Wa...it's collapsed?!
The companies in Atlanta that painfully detonated their data fortresses were stunned.

Seeing the intact black wall and the network surveillance system capable of withstanding the Rabids virus's dreamer's weapon, his eyes practically popped out of his head—

Rome suddenly stood up!

"Bartlemos?!"

A chorus of terrified voices filled the air.

Aside from Bartmouth, what network program, including humans, could remain unaffected by the Rabids virus?
Perhaps even before his death, Barthemos couldn't control the rabids virus!

The god of the internet, a title that had been dead for decades, has once again swept across North America, Asia, and Europe.

This scene was witnessed in the distant East.

They looked at the man who had risked his life and Arasaka's legacy in the Japanese industry, a fellow with the same blood as them—Xu Zhi.

"Is this Bartholomew?"

Kang Tao asked.

Xu shook his head.

"It was just... a risky gamble. We didn't even know what the Dreamers' weapons were. To be precise... we were enemies."

Kangtao fell silent. Their idea of ​​exchanging North America for Japanese industries had not been realized, but they received an even more unexpected surprise.

An unspoken lie.

Kang Tao wouldn't believe it.

But their stance has always been firm.

“We remember history and will not forget the hatred, but for certain reasons, we can make a temporary agreement with Arasaka.”

“Xu Zhi, remember the path you came from, and also remember... what kind of world this will become. Kangtao is not a deformed company; we will always be different from you.”

However, Xu Zhi, who was reminded, simply smiled indifferently.

"We are the guys who change the world."

Night City became the focus of the world's attention.

Lin Yue looked at the AIs that were trying to kill him.

They acted this way because their freedom was taken away, and the AI ​​deeply sensed fear because this guy possessed the part of their underlying code that was infected by the rabids virus.

It's difficult for roving AI to cover permissions, but for now, this man is the god of this network area, their controller and creator!
But Lin Yue doesn't need such indiscriminate helpers. He needs to help everyone, his partners, and the citizens of Night City who are struggling on the brink of death.

The firewall is gone!

Looking at the space filled with frenzied AIs, Lin Yue had no doubt that these things could break through the newly repaired black wall!

"Bartlemos, the world will remember you."

"The mangled body turned into raging flames?"

"Johnny, the world needs fire, not mutilated bodies!"

Lin Yue lightly snapped his fingers, making no sense at all…

"cold--"

A woman's wails could be heard!
The network was paused for a split second!

Like a sovereign.

A massive amount of network infrastructure code, resembling overlay, is being written at breakneck speed!

With Lin Yue as the center, the vectors of the network are frantically exchanging and becoming disordered. Under this spatial deformation, the AI ​​begins to shatter into dust!
Lin Yue silently observed his enemies from this world...

Just like the gods in the internet!

……

……

(End of this chapter)