2077: V really knows how awesome he is

Hallucination?

Do not!

The brutality on V's face seemed genuine, and his anger was clearly visible.

Sasha rushed over and hugged V tightly, shouting, "V, calm down, hand her over to the NCPD for arrest!"

V shoved Sasha aside and growled in a ruthless voice, "Humans are the ones who need to be arrested, beasts just need to be eliminated!"

The baseball bat struck the woman's face again, the sound of bones breaking crisp and clear. V continued to hit her with the bat, and the woman's screams gradually subsided until they were completely silent.

The woman was beaten into a bloody mess in front of millions of people.

V, panting heavily, let go of the baseball bat, which clattered to the ground. She knew it wasn't wise to do this, but to hell with being wise, she was programmed to be human, and under pressure she needed to vent!

V glanced at Sasha, who was sitting on the ground, a hint of apology in his eyes. He wanted to apologize, but didn't know how to start.

She looked around at the crowd, their eyes filled with shock and doubt, which suddenly made her feel so tired that she didn't even have the energy to explain.

V suddenly remembered the second divination that Misty had done for her.

In the upright "The Tower" card, lightning tears apart the crown-shaped tower top, and two people fall from the burning tower. Golden sparks pierce the night like a rain of divine punishment—the Tower signifies an irresistible, subversive energy, and the two falling represent the simultaneous collapse of the "cognitive self" and the "social self." You stand on the ruins of a false sense of security, and a crucial choice is inevitable.

It turned out to be the case.

The once profound advice suddenly became clear, making V feel powerless once again that his fate had been predetermined.

She was tired, really tired, not just physically, but also mentally.

"I will resign from my position as CEO of Arasaka 2077, and Sasha will succeed me."

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked, but V pushed aside the crowd that tried to stop him and walked away without looking back.

From that day on, V completely disappeared from the public eye.

“V’s social attributes have been destroyed. Phase one is over.” On the moon, Ultraman broadcast this message to Lancelot.

"That's it? I thought I was going to have a big fight with V." Lancelot clenched his fist confidently. "Now that I've been fitted with an advanced prosthetic body made by a roving AI, I'd like to see who's stronger between me and V."

"Your win rate is 47%."

"How come it's less than half?"

"Your combat experience is far inferior to V's, which has become a weakness."

"What should I do then? Should I also go and hang out on the streets?"

"No need for that. Human networks store data on V's combat performance. With my computing power, I can easily summarize all her combat techniques and then copy them to you."

"Defeat V with V's techniques? That would be too humiliating. I still want to redeem myself fair and square with my own abilities. But whatever, whatever you say, after all, I'm just a puppet." Lancelot was very clear about his role and asked with a smile, "What are you doing down here?"

"Enter the second phase and destroy the Black Wall."

Chapter 107 Using a big name as a tiger's skin

V's disappearance became a symbol of victory. People suffering from hardship seemed to see an opportunity to change their fate. A new religion called the "Human Supremacy Council" was established. They erected a statue for the woman who was beaten to death and called her the Virgin Mary. They opposed all AI indiscriminately and claimed to fight for all mankind. The leader of this religion was Lancelot, who was on the moon.

He remotely directed thousands of followers to storm factories and rob companies. His command was brilliant, his actions swift and decisive; he seemed to have precognition, always able to see through the company's various defenses and deployments.

Under his leadership, the Human Supremacy Committee achieved success time and time again. The looted supplies greatly improved the quality of life for believers, as if pointing out a bright path in the darkness, leading more ordinary people to convert and pray for a better life.

The company focuses most of its resources on space colonization and does not want such social unrest to occur. Since Lancelot is a lunar man, let the lunar man handle it.

The European Space Agency issued an order to the High Knights, who immediately began their operation.

They arrested Lancelot in full view of everyone, and Arthur, the leader of the High Knights, pronounced his crimes in an empty courtroom.

"Lancelot, the company does not allow anyone to defy their rule, and you have violated the cardinal law!"

“Arthur, you and I both know that my only mistake was that I was upholding justice!” Lancelot said righteously, “while you, you only hide under the protection of the company, sitting high on the throne of power to oppress your compatriots and people!”

"Shut up!" Arthur roared, leaping from the judge's bench and strode toward Lancelot. "You will pay for your crimes!"

He delivered a powerful punch, striking Lancelot squarely in the cheek. The immense force sent the strongest High Knight staggering backward, crashing into the wall. Before he could regain his footing, Arthur had already extended his Mantis Blade from his right arm, aiming a vicious thrust at Lancelot's chest.

"Qiang!"

The sharp blade pierced his palm, causing blood to flow.

Arthur looked at Lancelot in surprise, because he had actually broken free of the sixteen-layer encrypted electronic lock.

"How could you...?!"

Lancelot didn't answer. Instead, he gripped the blade and declared loudly, "You have no right to judge me, because—I am justice!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a tremendous force surged from Lancelot's mechanical arm. With a crisp bang, the latest military-grade mantis knife was snapped in two by brute force. Lancelot then punched Arthur in the abdomen with a backhand, sending the High Knight leader sliding backward a great distance with a soft thud.

Arthur, enduring the pain, tried to retaliate, but as soon as he looked up, Lancelot had already pressed the broken mantis blade against his throat.

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. Arthur thought he would be beheaded in the next second, but Lancelot suddenly threw away the blade.

"High Knights are born from oppression, and are meant to protect those who are equally oppressed. I was once proud to be a High Knight, but now High Knights have succumbed to the authority of the corporation. Since you are willing to be the lackeys of the nobles, then I would rather no longer associate with you! From this day forward, there is no longer High Knight Lancelot, only Archbishop Lancelot of the Supreme Human Council!"

Arthur died, in the midst of a revolution.

The High Knights were born from the "Three-Hour War" and are now dying out in the "Thirty-Minute Revolution".

Arthur planned a secret execution, but Lancelot had already discovered the secret. Lancelot then turned the tables on him, playing the role of a persecuted hero and successfully turning the tables.

The most crucial part of this was Lancelot persuading Gawain.

"I succeeded, Gawain! If you hadn't kept the other Knights of the Round Table inactive, I wouldn't have been able to succeed. You should be the one to take the position of leader!"

“My rebellion against Arthur was never for the position of High Lord.” Gawain shook his head. “The High Knights have indeed changed, Lancelot. You promised me you would make sure all the High Knights lived well. Don’t go back on your word. I can persuade the other Knights of the Round Table to overthrow Arthur, and I can persuade them to overthrow you too!”

“Of course, Gawain, you’re my best friend, how could I lie to you?” Lancelot raised his finger and swore, “Everything I’ve done is for all of humanity, and I will definitely make sure everyone lives a carefree and happy life. If I break this promise, may I be struck by lightning and die a horrible death!”

Seeing his friend make such an ancient vow, Gawain nodded in satisfaction: "Lancelot, you are my friend, I believe you!"

Lancelot's eyes were filled with gratitude.

But after Gawain left, all that gratitude turned into disgust.

"This piece of trash doesn't even deserve to be my friend! He only helped me once or twice, yet he dares to talk back to me. Tell me, how much longer am I supposed to keep up this idiotic savior act?"

Ott's voice echoed in his mind: "Soon, be patient, follow my script, and you'll soon get everything you want."

On that day, Arthur's head was impaled on a spear and stood upright, and Lancelot announced his many crimes.

This wasn't just Lancelot's fabrication; Arthur had indeed succumbed to the company. He had committed countless despicable acts, only they were hidden under the guise of power. Once that power disappeared, his crimes were like a man with severe premature ejaculation—he ejaculated everywhere before even penetrating.

The most impactful of these crimes was Arthur's betrayal of New Africa and his defection to the European Space Agency.

The High Knights have been oscillating between New Africa and the European Space Agency, but most of them consider themselves to be on New Africa's side. This is based on historical cultural inertia. However, Arthur saw through New Africa's outward strength but inner weakness and secretly sided with the European Space Agency.

The mass accelerator is on the moon, and without the cooperation of the High Knights, the European Space Agency could not have successfully deployed the meteorite.

Arthur's decision had already provoked strong dissatisfaction from the High Knights, who considered it a betrayal of their ancestors. However, Arthur brushed it off with the argument that "the High Knights are lunar people, and they and New Africa are two independent and equal nations. New Africa used false intelligence to sabotage the space colonization plan, making them sinners against all humanity. The High Knights should act on behalf of Heaven to uphold justice."

But in the end, Lancelot produced a large amount of evidence showing that Arthur had accepted huge bribes from the European Space Agency, so there was no justice involved at all, only business.

Arthur sold out his ancestors for money!

Upon learning the truth, the High Knights were enraged. They cursed and condemned everything about Arthur. The more they hated Arthur, the more they respected Lancelot.

Because it was Lancelot who exposed Arthur's true colors. Since he defeated the big tiger, he must not be the big tiger, but a saintly leader who truly cares about the people!

Lancelot quickly became the new leader of the High Knights, and the Human Supremacy Council became the state religion of the High Knights. With the backing of a nation, the Human Supremacy Council acted more aggressively on Earth, evolving from petty theft to direct confrontation with major corporations. Large-scale armed conflicts erupted across the globe, with the corporations, of course, emerging victorious.

But the believers have a firm faith. They firmly believe that setbacks are only temporary, and that as long as they are brave enough to fight and not afraid to sacrifice, they will one day achieve a complete victory under the leadership of the great leader, Lord Lancelot.

And so, more and more people threw themselves into the great struggle, only to be turned into mincemeat by the company's high-tech weaponry. Some questioned the purpose of such a struggle, but they were quickly labeled traitors by the believers and torn to shreds by the angry mob.

We have staked everything on this, and we cannot afford to be questioned or denied!

Those who are oblivious to the problem are wildly enthusiastic, while those who are aware of the problem dare not speak out. The masses are like an ant colony caught in a death spiral, unable to escape on their own.

Lancelot praised the brave warriors who charged forward and criticized the cowards who stood still. He claimed that all of humanity's suffering came from AI, and that the company was an accomplice of AI. Therefore, everyone should attack AI and attack the company. This would be a great war for all mankind, and all sacrifices would be meaningful. So don't be afraid, keep attacking, even if it costs you your life. As long as you persevere, you will achieve final victory!

Encouraged by their followers, the Supreme Human Council descended into madness, even launching suicide attacks against the company. The daily death toll broke records, and their frenzy even allowed ordinary citizens to gain the upper hand. Many companies chose to evacuate or close their branches in conflict zones to avoid the onslaught, leading the Supreme Human Council to believe victory was imminent.

"Unbelievable! These lowly people actually managed to suppress the company." Lancelot, sitting on his throne made of euros, was shocked when he saw the report's contents. "They risked their lives, fighting the company to the death, all because of a few of my nonchalant words? They're all a bunch of idiots!"

Ott replied, "There have been too many similar events in human history, where people follow great men or leaders to overthrow classes and systems that are impossible to overthrow. This is an algorithm that human society has developed to correct itself, and since I designed a similar scenario for you based on this algorithm, this outcome became inevitable."

Lancelot couldn't help but laugh: "Is this the power of AI? You've calculated everything about humanity, as if we were just bugs that can be manipulated at will."

"Humans are complex, I can't calculate them, but human society is very simple, and it's not difficult to control them."

"Haha, so this is what they mean by halving intelligence when numbers exceed ten thousand." Lancelot laughed a few times. "So what's next? Are you going to continue using humans to kill each other to destroy humanity?"

"Yes, but it's unnecessary. Humans are a race destined to be eliminated, and using too many resources and computing power on them is a waste. The goal of the second phase is only one: to destroy the Black Wall."

"Send believers to blow up the Blackwall server?"

"The Black Wall's servers are top secret, known only to a very few people, and I can't find their exact location."

"What should I do?"

"It's alright. If I can't blow up the Black Wall, then let the humans protected by the Black Wall blow it up."

A piece of software of unknown origin suddenly appears in the human network. This software can largely evade the surveillance of the black wall and reach the old network on the other side.

At first, people didn't take this software seriously, but as one salvage team after another returned victoriously with old-era technology recovered from the old nets, the software finally came into the view of major companies.

With the rapid deterioration of Earth's natural and social environment, space colonization has become an urgent necessity. Major companies are dealing with various difficulties every day. Since it is difficult to achieve technological breakthroughs in the short term, the old-era technologies have become the only way to break free from constraints.

Previously, due to V's opposition, the heads of various giant companies were able to maintain their composure. Now that V has disappeared, the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads is gone, and the bigwigs have immediately let loose.

Without Lancelot even needing to send anyone to recommend or entice them, the giants flocked to the software on their own. Seeing that the big players were using it, other small and medium-sized enterprises naturally didn't want to fall behind. Thus, major companies restarted their salvage operations. While this did yield considerable results and significantly accelerated the colony ships' progress, this reckless drilling into the Black Wall also left the wall itself riddled with holes.

Despite repeated objections from internet regulators, and even severe punishment of several hackers from major companies, she thought this would make the companies realize their mistake, but instead, she was met with an assassination attempt by the companies.

At night, J was cornered in an alley by two assassins. Just as she was about to be knocked to the ground, one of the assassins suddenly pulled out a dagger and stabbed his partner in the neck.

Even in death, the man did not understand why he had been betrayed. It was only when he saw a flash of light on his companion's face, transforming him from a man into a dark-skinned woman, that he finally understood and breathed his last.

“This dress doesn’t fit at all; it’s so tight I can’t breathe.” The dark-skinned woman with short, neat blond hair tugged at her collar before extending her hand to the stunned J: “Hi, my name is Alex. I’m here to rescue you on V’s orders.”

J's eyes lit up immediately: "V is back?"

“Unfortunately, not yet.” Alex shrugged. “Before she left, she gave me a chip with instructions to secretly protect key cyber police officers, that’s all.”

J was somewhat disappointed, but quickly regained his composure and asked nervously, "What about the other people in the internet monitoring team?"

"Don't worry, my teammates have already gone to rescue them." Alex gave a thumbs up.

"teammate?"

"Yes, a veteran patient and Mewtwo producer."

"It's not good to talk badly about people behind their backs," Li De's voice rang out.

Song Zhaomei's voice also came through the communicator: "Housewons just love to gossip."

Alex retorted angrily, "What 'housewife'? Call me the Chief's wife!"

"Yes, yes, Madam Director, enemy reinforcements are on their way. Do you want to continue this conversation?"

“Let’s go then.” Alex shrugged. “This is ESA territory. Who knows if they’ll launch missiles at us.”

Li De appeared in a black car: "Get in."

J asked, "Where are we going?"

"Night City."

The group headed straight for the dock, where, as expected, ESA assassins caught up with them. Alex displayed exquisite marksmanship, and Li De demonstrated superb driving skills. Song Zhaomei helped them unlock various obstacles via the internet. The three worked together seamlessly, bringing back the shadows of the past.

When they arrived at the dock, J expected a small boat like a speedboat, but instead it turned out to be a large cargo ship belonging to the New American Trading Company. With the sounding of the ship's horn, the cargo ship set sail. When the cargo ship was stopped by a European Space Agency warship for inspection, Alex and his two companions had already taken J from the lower cargo hold onto a submarine and left in style.

Seeing how familiar Alex and the others seemed with the task, J couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you guys even a little bit nervous?"

The three exchanged a glance and smiled without saying a word.

And so, J arrived safely in Night City and met K and the internet police, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

After V left, Night City expelled all the refugees, then closed highways, the airport, and all major transportation routes, strictly prohibiting all unauthorized personnel from entering.

Sasha and the others weren't fools; they had already sensed another conspiracy brewing in the shadows and began to tighten their defenses. The people of Night City weren't ungrateful either; they were merely shocked, not driven mad. After a brief moment of astonishment, they quickly made their decision: no matter what V did, V would always be their CEO. Even if V killed a criminal, or even if V were truly a roving AI intent on destroying humanity, they would not hesitate to become V's accomplices and henchmen—Night City only wanted to portray itself as a tourist paradise, not a real paradise, and everyone there was just a bunch of reformed scoundrels.

“No one in Night City wanted to force V away. The reason she left was probably because she couldn’t get over her own conscience,” Sasha explained to J.

J asked, "What exactly happened to V?"