Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

Chapter 844: Chapter 12: Personality Reset, Neurotheft

The Shota looked down beneath his feet. The original data channel transformed via data protocols, transmitting from one virtual node to another, similar to page switching on ancient computers—often incredibly fast and fleeting. Even if unsuccessful, it would turn into a blank page.

But now it was different; Shota even saw a completely special layer.

A vast number of neural currents appeared within the virtual level, stretching as far as the eye could see. Each neural current seemed like an intense thought.

Just one glance made Shota feel as though his head would explode.

Fortunately, the next moment, terrifying flames suddenly emerged, burning through the data layer and code layer. Amidst the flames, a figure seemed to notice him. After contemplating, a massive claw flew out from the flames and seized Shota.

Under this claw, Shota felt as though his physical body in reality was burning away until it was exhausted, and then it was reshaped within the flames.

"Kid, you’ve got some talent, you weren’t stolen by neurotheft."

"Neurotheft, what’s that?"

Instinctively, Shota asked. But then he immediately realized his current condition, looked down, and found himself engulfed in code flames. The incomprehensible code transformations formed black flames, seemingly able to burn through everything, and beneath him, an unprecedented divine bird was soaring amidst the lightning.

Standing on the head of the divine bird was a woman’s silhouette, also entwined in flames. However, she exuded an awe-inspiring aura that could not be directly looked at.

In Shota’s eyes, the Paradise Bird at that moment had completely transformed into a flame deity. A Tier 3 information lifeform, being called ’deity’ at the planetary level was not an exaggeration.

Soon enough, his visual system disappeared, destroyed by the information field of the information lifeform.

However, the Paradise Bird also seemed to take note of this, waving its hand as two flames drilled into Shota’s eyes, quickly restoring his vision.

But when he opened his eyes again, he was already back in reality.

"This is—"

Shota looked down and discovered that the entire bedsheet had burned into ashes, and smoke was billowing from the network access chamber. Only then did he realize that the power of the virtual level could indeed affect reality.

At some point, he had truly been dragged into the virtual level from reality by the other party.

A strong and passionate feeling suddenly surged in Shota’s heart.

’That power, that power...’

He fiercely grabbed a mirror at the head of the bed, looked into it, and saw that his facial features had eyes turned crimson. When he focused his attention, walls, ceilings, floors, and some objects on the table all transformed into data streams.

When he opened the window, he could even see a data void in the distance.

"I can actually directly see the changes in the data layer!"

The next moment, a unique flame code emerged from his mind. This code was among the most powerful in all hacker cracking codes.

"The world’s number one hacker, Flame Bird, is my master!?"

Shota immediately realized that this was a great opportunity. Suppressing his excitement, he cleaned up the room before opening the door.

Unexpectedly yet unsurprisingly, his mom and dad were wearing headphones playing an old-style gaming console, the controllers clicking chaotically, laughing and randomly taunting each other, completely ignoring his previous reminders to watch over him when he’s online.

Shota took a deep breath, ultimately speechless.

He silently closed the door, preparing to study the flame code. He knew this was the trial given by that person; only by mastering this advanced hacker code could he truly gain that person’s recognition.

...

Virtual Level

"That kid truly has talent," Gao Yuanyuan said.

"Hmm, I have to pass on my legacy to my disciples," Paradise Bird replied. "Counting on those few wastes, our lineage is doomed."

Gao Yuanyuan thought for a while and found that it was true; their master became a punk killer, the second brother an inspector, and the third brother a shut-in.

A well-established hacker sect, yet it was filled with all kinds of characters except hackers.

Gao Yuanyuan opened her mouth but ultimately closed it.

She had just meant to say that the kid’s talent largely derived from his mother.

But now it seemed that maybe now wasn’t the best time to mention it.

"’Personality reset’ and ’neurotheft’ happened simultaneously."

Gao Yuanyuan’s face grew serious as she spoke.

The Cyber Tide is a means of resurrection for the ’Memory Mother’. It is not a true tide and does not come wave by wave.

There are times when two waves or three waves hit simultaneously; it is a regular occurrence.

’Personality reset’ can still be understood as a sequela of ’memory loss’, since memory is complex and subtle information content reserve, and is also an emotional anchor. Missing a memory is like a data model missing an operation or lacking critical data; the resulting outcome is entirely different.

Because memories differ, so too will personalities.

Thus, ’neurotheft’ is an entirely new ’wave’.

"I never expected a ’neural layer’ to appear between the data layer and source code layer, and it is rapidly spreading," Paradise Bird murmured.

Both parties are Tier 3 Information Lifeforms, and they understand what this means.

Once this "neural layer" spreads globally, then "neurotheft" on a global scale will occur, and everyone, at a certain time each day, will turn into a "cyber psychosis."

"We must leave now, I must do what my brother entrusted me before the new wave starts."

Paradise Bird nodded.

In the next moment, a virtual door opens, and in the next moment, the two appear in a Virtual Realm.

This is a Virtual Realm composed of countless "Virtual Sleep Chambers," with each "Sleep Chamber" hosting a sleeping Virtual Personality.

But at this moment, the surface of these figures is crawling with Memory Worms.

The number of these Memory Worms far exceeds the usual number of eggs on ordinary people.

Many worms have already grown wings.

And whenever the wings of a Memory Worm grow, the Quantum Computer operates to transfer it to another Virtual Space.

This Virtual Space is infinitely close to the Black Shadow that Gao Yuanyuan saw before.

And this Black Shadow is the egg of the Memory Mother.

Gao Yuanyuan is feeding the other party with the tens of millions of Virtual Personalities she controls.

Paradise Bird’s eyes flashed with worry, she couldn’t help but speak: "Is this really okay?"

"My brother is saving the world, everyone in this world must contribute to saving the world, isn’t that normal?" Gao Yuanyuan looked at the other person strangely.

Paradise Bird choked a little, she wanted to say that if the outcome is even slightly different from what Gao Gong said, all these personalities would be scrapped.

This behavior seems a bit "wanton slaughter."

However, she did not stop it.

After all, she is not a good person either.

Even if she persuaded, the other party would definitely not listen to her.

Because she understands, this seemingly weak girl is neither purely good nor purely evil; to be precise, her values change with Gao Gong’s needs.

The other says this matter is just, then Gao Yuanyuan would believe this matter is just.

That’s how it is now, even if Gao Gong wants her to use tens of millions of Virtual Personalities as sacrifices, Gao Yuanyuan does not hesitate and would go all out to achieve it.

The evolution of the Quantum Computer can manipulate massive amounts of data, becoming the most suitable nest for Memory Worm cultivation.

And with the birth of each "Butterfly," finally at a certain time node, millions of butterflies simultaneously flew out and disappeared in a single breath.

"Success!" Gao Yuanyuan smiled sweetly, she knew that Memory Worms in the "Memory Loss" phase had been fed fully.

Paradise Bird smiled pale-faced, just a moment ago, she felt as if she was devoured by endless Memory Worms.

She remained silent for a while, then said:

"Another two or three wave periods and I won’t be able to hold on, and by then, I’m afraid you’ll have to rely on yourself alone."

As a Tier 3 Virtual Life, although she still couldn’t resist the feeding of the Memory Mother, she could roughly predict when she couldn’t hold on and when she needed to enter the Information Security House.

Gao Yuanyuan nodded:

"I understand, we’ll act separately next, you go to the Deep Net mainframe, I’ll go to the Other Shore of Freedom, we both need to find the food to feed it for this stage."

...

The Ghost in the Shell Mobile Division is still bustling with people constantly downloading consciousness and entering the artificial shells on the walls, moving their limbs to walk down, some are uploading their consciousness, and the shells are being automatically preserved.

Tonight is another sleepless night.

The reason is simple, after finally controlling the "Memory Loss," two more waves erupted in succession.

"Personality Reset" and "Neurotheft."

The former changes people’s heart.

The latter erases personality entirely, triggering "cyber psychosis."

In the hall on the first floor of the Ghost in the Shell Mobile Division, suddenly someone’s Prosthetic Body opened a switch, and without a word, the gun barrel swept towards the surrounding people.

Fortunately, no one present was a pushover, they either executed standard tactical dodges or deployed Prosthetic Body shields and Energy Shields.

Before several melee experts could act, the ceiling automatically opened up, revealing circles of bullet holes, and in the next moment, Energy Beams shot out, directly turning the target into a honeycomb.

"Give him a sedative, remove the Memory Chip, dismantle the computing system, lock him up for now and talk about it later."

Several medical robots and a few Prosthetic Doctors expertly came up, doing what needed to be done.

Not because they are professional, but because this kind of thing happened five or six times in one night, they had no choice but to be proficient.

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