Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 178 - 156: Don’t You Recognize Me?

Chapter 178: Chapter 156: Don’t You Recognize Me?

Xu Yang searched for and downloaded hacker technical files in the deep anonymous network, honing his skills. This was his breadwinning ability and could not go untrained.

For six years, Digital Mind technology had accompanied Xu Yang for such a long time.

Neural Network Engineers used their brains to access data terminals to process problems. Due to business structure issues and overall corporate strategy adjustments, this position had been optimized and eliminated. On the industry forums, he saw a large number of experiences shared about changing careers every day. Many were forced to resign or terminate their contracts and ultimately absorbed by various hacker groups.

More people joined the deep anonymous network—that was their best destination, where like-minded individuals were the most numerous, a grand gathering place for hackers, outlaws, gang members, and rebels.

The deep anonymous network was arguably the largest chaotic nest; its server rooms were unknown, it never lacked funds, and not only did the rebels with great ideals fund it, but some enterprises with ulterior motives also became its sponsors, trying to secretly change the world order.

All the fighters in the world who aspire to oppose corporate oppression exchange experiences on the deep anonymous network day and night, planning one attack after another.

Deep meant that it could not be accessed by conventional browsers and network service providers. Anonymous meant untraceable and without a trace, with no need to worry about IP addresses showing up on posts and messages, and no fear of being captured along the wires.

This network was a bigger treasure than the superficial one.

Having accumulated extensive network attack and defense experience at Kyushu High Pavilion, Xu Yang had an excellent grasp of password cracking, equipment control, and foe-to-friend identification conversion. According to his own training, he could also use a Net Avatar, directly transforming into a digital life-like form and entering multiple devices at once.

But there was still much room for improvement, especially in combating human targets and robots, including sabotaging and affecting personal implants and directly hacking into combat robots.

For this purpose, he specifically visited the largest hacker organization on the deep anonymous network, the "Formless System."

They accepted donations in cash, in exchange for hacking techniques, running the largest hacker technology exchange platform. After submitting a request document to the Formless System, a hacker quickly got in touch with Xu Yang.

"Hello :) I am a member of the Formless System, codenamed ’Relay Machine.’ The Formless System is currently advancing a project to unlock all corporate knowledge databases and bring back the original internet where everything can be freely searched, downloaded, and archived, reminiscent of the one 50 years ago. Your donation will help us advance this cause, and in accordance with your needs, we will trade you the ’R-type Luxor Titania 2’ technical files, a top-tier individual data attack method, also known as the RLT virus, valued at four million in funds, to be paid in one lump sum."

"That’s really quite good," Xu Yang responded, "I’ll transfer the cash information to your account right now."

"Your donation hastens the fall of corporatism," Relay Machine replied.

"You sound very confident."

"The original creator of the internet, Gratia Mariano, did not profit from it but opened its source code, hoping to promote it for free worldwide. Yet corporatism forces everyone to pay for it and marks up knowledge that should be shared freely. The Formless System aims to break down every firewall and knowledge barrier erected by companies. If you are interested in joining the Formless System, please click the following link____"

"I’ll consider it." After transferring the money, Xu Yang received the technical documents sent by the other party.

R-type Luxor Titania 2—RLT virus, commonly known as ’Total Paralysis,’ is a breakthrough cracking program that can hack into personal bodies through internet communication modules, interfering with, controlling, or sabotaging the operation of various implants inside them, according to the technical documents loaded inside.

It belongs to a new type of electronic neural virus developed by technicians of the Formless System. Its code was just designed in early August, and various internet antivirus software had not yet updated their defenses against it, making it quite useful.

Silently reading and analyzing the source code of the virus, Xu Yang incorporated it into one of his usual cracking programs in the backend of his Digital Mind.

"If you aim to breach every company’s knowledge base," Xu Yang responded, "money alone won’t be enough; you must control your own large supercomputer."

Only the computing power of supercomputers was sufficient to break into the core databases of gigantic corporations. Xu Yang had confirmed this while working at Kyushu High Pavilion; even Neural Network Engineers like themselves could get lost within, causing their brains to overload and melt from the strain.

"We will try, and we will never give up," Relay Machine messaged, "Those great selfless uploaders are the cornerstones of the internet. Those freely shared books, anime series, and cracked resources—who hasn’t found solace and joy in them? Yet corporations constantly attack these saints of the internet. Our hacker’s mission is to pass on this spirit of freedom. Hackers are quite remarkable, even in places like Northern Archipelago Continent, which are corrupted by anime and games, there still emerge social activists like Cyber Specter."

"What do you know about Cyber Specter?" Xu Yang asked.

"I like its icon very much," Relay Machine sent over the image of Cyber Demon Shadow, designed by Seeking Shadow and Nidelaide. The Roaring Evil Spirit was in the middle, with the seven-pointed star and crossed cross images overlapping, creating a memorable visual.

""I think there’s a misunderstanding here, it doesn’t have its own symbol, it’s the symbol of its companion," Xu Yang pointed out.

"You might not fully understand the Cyber Specter," the Relay Machine said, "It is the most surprising character I’ve come across this year."

"I also think so, that guy seems like a decent person," Xu Yang agreed.

"Members of the Formless System are all looking forward to what kind of commotion it will cause in the Archipelago Continent next, many of us believe its true form is a technically skilled hacker who would quickly be eradicated by corporatism if they were to act alone. However, if it could collaborate with the Formless System, we could together create the freest internet."

"If it knew this, it would certainly look forward to working with you. Unfortunately, such people are probably very busy."

"That’s what I think too, probably busy with part-time jobs. Honestly, many hackers are influential in the deep anonymous network, but offline, they can only stay in rental houses, in the company of burrito boxes. You must be doing better than it, what do you do for work?"

"Mining. I’ve got something to take care of here, goodbye."

"Goodbye :)," the Relay Machine closed the communication.

Rental houses and burrito boxes, quite fitting indeed, Xu Yang mused. The marginalized rebels generally lived in straitened circumstances.

After deciphering the RLT virus, a wave of exhaustion swept over him, and Xu Yang needed a good rest to maintain normal bodily functions. Digital Mind consumed a lot of mental energy, working with extreme efficiency, and during rest, his brain would immediately switch from work mode to standby mode. As soon as he touched the bed, he fell asleep at once.

The next morning, Xu Yang was woken up by Lila’s morning greeting; she did not want to leave a single drop for Farosa, insisting on resolving everything on her side.

"Master~" the fully rejuvenated Lila smiled at Xu Yang.

Now brimming with energy, Lila no longer displayed the occasional gloom, passivity, or fatigue, but was motivated and full of hope for life, which was an indescribably new experience for Xu Yang.

After all was done, Lila brought Xu Yang breakfast, changed into a set of silver-white military bodysuits, and left the dorm to deal with the daily affairs of Nestor Corporation, soon encountering Farosa.

Farosa stood still in the industrial park’s glass corridor, gazing at Lila with an incredulous look.

Who is this?

"Good morning," Lila smiled at Farosa.

Wait, wait, wait... Farosa continuously confirmed her own sensory abilities.

She sounded like Lila, and her movements were just as annoyingly presumptuous as Lila Nestor’s, but she looked completely different from Lila—beautiful, with living skin, a cute appearance... a real, human face that very much resembled the dead one Lila used to have.

Farosa looked at her hands in horror. Could it be that she was sleepwalking? Returning from the dead in the middle of the night? Did she unconsciously use the Law of Recovery on Lila’s head? But that wasn’t possible either. Generally, the Law of Recovery could revive something up to 7 days old, yet a dead head from 7 days ago was still a dead head.

How did it become so healthy, vibrant, and fresh-looking now?

"Oh, don’t you recognize me?" Lila tilted her head, "I’m Lila Nestor, your club president."

"..." Farosa opened her mouth but found she couldn’t utter a word; every sound retreated back down her throat as soon as it reached the tip of her tongue, daring not to fling itself out.

"Must be curious about the changes in me," Lila pressed her hands close, "Master has replaced my body with a new one."

"You... he..." Farosa looked for the right words before finally biting her lip.

"What’s wrong? That look of envy?" Lila stepped forward, closing in on Farosa’s cheek, their eyes locking, "Can’t say anything? Then take your time to think, to try hard, Farosa."