Bab 43: Chapter 43: The Deep Dive II

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Chapter 43: The Deep Dive II

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X closed his eyes and basked in the sensation of what felt like absolute power, enjoying the breeze of data passing by him, and the wind sparking from collisions of data.

X regained his focus as he moved toward the outer cluster of camera nodes, approaching cautiously as they flickered in and out of focus, casting shadows in the ambient red glow.

He activated a stealth program, watching his form flicker and dissolve until he was barely visible, like a shadow slipping through the Net.

His fingers danced over his deck, and he felt a tingling surge as his program latched onto the first camera node.

The system offered a mild resistance, a soft vibration beneath his feet as it pushed back with low-level ICE defenses.

X barely noticed as he worked his way through the code, stripping away the barriers like peeling back layers of thin glass.

He felt the network open up before him, and the camera feed blossomed on his HUD.

The specific alley before the camera appeared, cast in dark, grainy shadows, with silhouettes of people moving through alleyways, unaware they were now under his watchful eye.

The sensation of control surged through him. That was only one camera, but it felt like the first taste of something addictive.

As he moved deeper into Japantown's network, the structures around him became denser, more labyrinthine, like stepping into a cathedral of light and shadows.

Larger nodes appeared, each representing higher-security feeds from busier intersections, commercial plazas, and private businesses.

These nodes pulsed a brighter red, encased in fortified walls of shifting data patterns; layers of code, and ICE that hummed with an almost menacing energy.

The ICE moved with purpose, like serpents weaving through the walls, watching for intruders.

X paused, taking in the imposing sight of the district's core security network.

The sight was beautiful, an awe-inspiring labyrinth of light and shadow. Even now, surrounded by Japantown's inner defenses, he couldn't shake the high it gave him.

This wasn't just a system; this was a kingdom of data, and to familiarize himself with the deep Net, he made claiming the kingdom of Japantown his first target.

There were, however, necessary parameters that he needed to abide by, staying away from any Tyger Claw businesses, properties, and Jig-Jig Street, the latter being Wakako's territory.

They are most definitely many Netrunners overlocking those areas. Therefore, he only targeted small businesses, and 'nobodies'.

X wandered through the Network of camera nodes, cautiously picking his targets, some he could break through in seconds. For most, it took minutes to dozens to weave through their ICE.

Without using his premade scripts and daemons, it was an arduous process, a primitive process.

That's exactly what X wanted, a challenge to adapt to this world's level of tech.

Moreover, in the heat of the moment, when things come to worst, what he will have to rely on is his mind to adapt to unexpected circumstances.

X can not expect to have daemons and scripts for every scenario. He has to learn to adapt to all circumstances quickly.

He didn't want to just be a great Netrunner, he wanted to lord over the Net.

If the competition is AIs, then that's going to be a nigh impossible task.

Even if he can now achieve very inhuman things, such as seemingly reading through three HUDs at the same time as if he has three brains; that still doesn't amount to even a percentage of the capabilities of AIs.

X started with the apartment complex he lives in, attacking the camera nodes within, slowly but surely.

Then, he just settled in and listened. Like a god, he manifested a comfy chair and sat down, several HUDs appearing before him, all showing a live feed from the cameras he now controls.

It isn't difficult to create things in the Net Architecture. It may seem like a thing only a god could do, but it's in fact very simple. The chair is just a piece of code.

X watched and through some of the cameras' audio captures; listened to the whispers of Japantown's residents.

He filtered the information he didn't want to hear or see, and just enjoyed the process.

"Fuckin' finally, son of a bitch deserved it!"

"Hey, don't be so harsh. At least he gave free services sometimes... Certainly not preem services, but ay, good enough."

"Shut the fuck up you fucking retard! The bitch wanted me to loan him ma wife for a fuckin' broken shoulder! Greedy bitch."

"Ya, you know nothing choom. I heard once that he 'helped' a Joytoy for some sexual services. The problem is he fucked it up, he fried the Joytoy, and sent her to the Tyger Claws to be used as a fleshlight."

Joy toys are humans. They are sex workers. The word Joytoy is merely street slang.

"Didn't know that, fuck him then. By the way, who killed him?"

"It's... It's actually an ironic story. It was someone he fucked up, leaving him in pain and weakness. Hachirou, I think is his name. Heard X fixed him. Hachirou then put a bullet in Fingers' head."

"Fuckin' karma, exquisite!"

"Now, you'd think he's done after that... No, the motherfucker survived!"

"How? Fingers have connections to the Tygers, no?"

"No idea? With how much of a sewer pipe Fingers is, would the Tygers want him?"

"Got wind of how. A new gang, or I think cult? They helped him disappear! They're like the Mox, ya know?"

"Oh? What gang?"

"Little Monsters, they call them!"

"One of those edgy gangs?"

"Ya, they're usually very peaceful though."

X raised a brow, surprised by the news. The death of Fingers is an anomaly, something he seemingly indirectly participated in.

What attracted his attention most, however, were the Little Monsters. He'd heard of them before, a newly rising cult, "Z, make a note to investigate them later."

X listened a bit more before Steeling himself, launching a counter-attack program to pierce the security on one of the mid-tier nodes, initiating his first real challenge of the dive.

The challenge was taking over the apartment complex's security systems, a very difficult task.

The moment he made contact, the ICE bristled to life, spinning and warping into razor-edged barriers around the node.

He marveled at its complexity, the deadly elegance of its form. Each strand of ICE moved with fluid precision, weaving through the code with a predator's grace.

He carefully deployed a decoy program, sending a flickering copy of his avatar sprinting down a virtual corridor.

Some of the ICE peeled off in pursuit, clearing the path just enough for X to slip through and access the node's feed.

That's only the start, however. To rummage through the node's systemic code is the challenge.

He'd to look through hundreds of lines of codes to even thousands and more, seeking vulnerabilities that he could exploit to gain deep access.

Most Net Architectures are compromised of floors. X just scratched the first floor of a well-built system.

He didn't need to go deep through. X's target was only the building's surveillance system.

X had to do so fast before the ICE restructured itself. It did before he finished the job, forcing him to slip away and restart the process... Till he finally saw it, the vulnerability, upon which he injected his script.

His HUD bloomed with new video streams; angles from even the apartments within, the hallway, elevator, and quiet corners of the place.

Each feed appeared in a small, translucent window overlaid on his vision. He could practically feel the power growing with each one he captured, the sense that he was weaving the building's very fabric into his own private network.

He had only begun to scratch the surface of what he planned to achieve.

Japantown's inner core; a maze of corporate networks, private feeds, and encrypted data servers; was still beyond his reach, its defenses too heavily fortified for a single dive.

With every dive, every captured feed, he'd wrap Japantown tighter and tighter in his own network, if that's possible.

Sensing that he was reaching the limit of what he could safely accomplish tonight, X withdrew, moving back through the shadowed corridors of the Net.

The nodes dimmed behind him as he severed each connection, but not before he left his mark; code signatures embedded in the captured nodes, giving him a foothold for future dives.

As he moved back, he took one last look at the glowing architecture around him, marveling at the surreal beauty of it all.

Each step back felt like leaving a palace of light and power, a kingdom that he felt more like home than the real world.

Finally, he broke free, disconnecting from the Net, the digital world dissolving in a shimmer as he returned to the quiet, dim stillness of his apartment.

The thrill of the dive lingered, leaving him feeling more alive than he had in a long time.

PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA
VQuintessence

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Pilih

Bab 44: Chapter 44: Echoes in the Dark I

Make sure to check my Patre.on out if you want to support me and want to read advanced chapters: Patre.on.com/VQuintessence

[22 Chapters in Advance on Patre.on]

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Chapter 44: Echoes in the Dark I

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"I've decided to take the gig," Said X.

"Oh my, that's good news. Still doesn't explain why you're here," Wakako wasn't surprised, merely confused, "I've already given you the shard. Need something else?"

"The shard isn't enough. I need more, something about Militech that could give me a headstart," X stated, "Otherwise, making any progress would just be a pipe dream."

"Hmm, why do I have this feeling that you're confident you can complete the gig," Wakako was curious, leaning forward as she clasped her hands together, scrutinizing X.

"I have some ideas, just need a little push," X shrugged, not giving out any hints.

Wakako's eyes flashed blue as she sent out an order to her Netrunners, "Had you not shown your value by making the clinic what it is, it wouldn't have considered this, but you are indeed deserving of a little push."

"I'm honored you think of me so highly, lady Wakako," X let out a faint smile.

"Your clinic has quickly monopolized the field in Japantown. You've performed way above my expectations, whether it is by luck or skill... So, well done," Wakako gracefully complimented him.

"Skill, mostly by skill," X corrected her. Relying on luck isn't within his vocabulary.

"Oh? Indeed, you do not, so please solve my doubt," Wakaka smiled, her eyes fixing upon X like a snake that glimpsed its prey, "Why are you so lucky?"

"Lucky? I'm not sure I understand your question," X raised a brow, truly surprised by the question, "Mind clarifying."

"Fingers is dead. Every other Ripperdoc in Japantown has had accidents that either interrupted their work or sank their reputation,"

"I investigated the incidents, and they seem to have something with a rising gang named Little Monsters. Mr. M is your alias on the Net. The individual behind the Little Monsters is called Monster."

"I hope you can see where the confusion came from... Do you have any association with the Monster, and did you in any way contribute to the said incidents?"

Wakako leaned further forward, her piercing eyes scanning X for any signs of deception or hesitation.

"Monster? The serial killer?" X blinked twice, asking with uncertainty.

"I believe so, his targets happened to coincide with Little Monsters' 'enemies', but still didn't answer my question," Wakako stated.

"The only one I contributed to was Fingers. I fixed one of his patients, a patient he messed up, thus revenge," X frowned as he responded, stroking his chin in deep thought.

"But you suspect someone," Wakako pointed after analyzing X's expression.

It was by that point that a lady entered the shop and placed a shard in front of X.

"It's complicated. I will look into it, and investigate the Little Monsters, but I certainly do not have anything to do with them," X shook his head as he picked up the shard.

"Very well," If Wakako doubted him, she didn't show it as she added, "The shard has information that my people managed to scratch off Militech's Data fortress. See if it can be of any use to you."

"Thank you," X nodded and stood up, "The gig will take time, a long time, months to a couple of years, so don't expect the good news anytime soon."

Wakako merely nodded and watched him leave, soon turning her attention to the Netrunner beside her, "What're the results?"

"The scans showed no signs of deceit," The Netrunner responded.

"I see," Wakoko gently and repeatedly tapped the table, seeming in deep thought before instructing, "Keep an eye on him."

X stepped outside, getting a breath of freshly polluted air, his eyes eerily void of emotions, just tracing his eyes around.

X's vision coincided with two special individuals heading his way, or likely, heading to Wakako's office.

The individuals were a man and a woman, the former looking especially notable, a young man with light brown eyes and dark brown hair that he modeled in a quaffed hairstyle, with the sides shaved.

He sported a yellow EMT jacket over a black t-shirt, two golden chain necklaces, gray cropped sweatpants with two yellow straps on the sides, and white tennis shoes with blue straps.

Most importantly, he has quite the heavy build, which X's eyes clearly noted to be a result of cyberware, a lot of cyberware, more than X has ever seen in a single person.

His practiced eyes allowed him to catalog each piece of cyberware almost instantly.

The arms stood out first; heavy-duty Gorilla Arms rigged with a Projectile Launch System.

His legs bore Fortified Ankles, giving him stability and explosive speed, which paired well with the Linear Frame that reinforced his entire skeletal structure.

The optics were unmistakable; dual Kiroshi Cyberoptics, engineered to detect weaknesses, map heat signatures, and process data overlays at a glance.

There seem to be many more signs of cyberware, hidden beneath his exterior synthetic flesh.

The lady beside him was... She was gorgeous, a young woman of slender build with light skin.

She has white hair and red-purple eyes, complimented with red lip makeup.

Her hair is cut in a split bob; with her left side left longer, and dyed with a colorful pastel rainbow gradient. Her eyes appear to reflect with the colors of her hair.

"David," The girl questioned with puzzlement, turning her eyes to the man beside her in reaction to his hand falling on her shoulder and stopping her from moving.

The man named David had a serious look on his face, pulling the girl back a bit as he eyed X, "Danger."

The girl instantly had her guard up, yet strangely, X's eyes had left them, now looking into the void, the side of the street where no one stood, "Him?" The girl was surprised.

Her surprise is warranted because a simple scan would show that X exhibits little to no signs of cyberware.

"Maybe I read it wrong," David frowned, though catching a glimpse of X's eyes made him realize why he felt such a threat.

X's eyes were... They were that of a cold killing machine with a purpose for slaughter.

Indeed, X paid them no heed, having only eyed them for no more than a second.

Now, his vision was on the corner of the street. There, he walked into the darkness, and asked seemingly no one, "Explain yourself."

[Is this truly the place to have the conversation?] Y questioned, standing right by X's side, though Z was nowhere to be seen.

X stayed silent, soon turning around and walking away, making his way home.

He couldn't help but rub his head on the way, feeling a headache, no, a war rising in his head.

X was disoriented, certainly not in the right state of mind, especially as he started noticing memories that he didn't have before.

'M. Monster. M. Monster. M. Monster. M. Monster...' X repeated in his mind endlessly, questioning how he didn't realize it before, and making sure he didn't forget again.