Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 811 - 668: Fleeing is Useless_2

Chapter 811: Chapter 668: Fleeing is Useless_2

"Come down through the dark door," the hacker said.

Tsuchigumo used her limbs to pry open the password-protected door, squeezing her slender form through and landing lightly below.

A corridor appeared before her eyes, the ground completely made up of black pipes, with no lighting at all. Fortunately, Tsuchigumo had night vision capabilities. She surveyed her surroundings, ensuring there were no traps before moving through the corridor to the inner chamber.

The inner room housed three side-by-side enclosed network access pods, each with a pale mechanical appearance and the Night Gate Technology Company logo painted on the surface, thick cables connecting the pods to other devices in the room.

It was almost like an illusion. Tsuchigumo felt she saw countless signals exchanging and shuttling here—this was where the three hackers worked. They might have already entered some state of consciousness upload, their bodies securely protected by the pods.

"I’ve arrived," Tsuchigumo kept her distance from the access pods, knowing the hackers did not want their sleeping bodies disturbed.

"You’re very professional."

"It’s not my first time dealing with the underground intelligence network of the Northern Archipelago. I know the rules."

"Like the T-7 Alliance, Protecra, the deep anonymous network of the Formless System?"

"Yes." Tsuchigumo was well aware that these were the dark facets of the world, a web of information deeply embedded in the network pipes. Only the boldest traversed these realms, dreading being eradicated for knowing what they shouldn’t.

"And many of them have been hunted by Cyber Specter."

"I know, that’s what makes combating the Nestor Corporation so challenging... and thrilling. Nestor Corporation defeated the original corporations; why can’t we defeat Nestor Corporation? The roles of ruler and the ruled can always be reversed," Tsuchigumo emphasized.

The massive Nestor Corporation will one day be shattered by ’the little people’, and marginalized rebels, these network hackers hidden in the shadows could kindle the original spark of rebellion.

"The intelligence on Nestor Corporation is tiered in pricing," came the hacker’s voice from within the walls.

"Tell me, I’ll relay it to the head company," Tsuchigumo said.

A pale blue projection emerged from the pod, listing a complete inventory including Nestor’s peripheral staff, core staff, confidential personnel, top management, military deployments, business plans, and technical blueprints, with prices ranging from 3,000 to 500 million.

"Can you really get all this?" Tsuchigumo realized the hackers could do much more than she imagined.

"You can imagine."

"There truly are cracks in Nestor Corporation’s defenses."

"All defenses have cracks."

Tsuchigumo had a keen interest in those true secret pieces of intelligence, but she felt constrained.

"And those most secretive pieces of intelligence? Why are they blank? Are they unobtainable?" Tsuchigumo also noted some entries about Cyber Specter and President Lila, as well as intelligence price listings for important witches of the Witch Division, but the price column was blank.

"Why do you want that information? Are you trying to shake up Nestor Corporation?"

"...Yes. I initially thought it was hopeless, but seeing how much information your studio can provide, I feel there’s a chance," Tsuchigumo nodded.

"Some knowledge should not be understood; that’s why they are not priced."

"What if I want to know?" Tsuchigumo wanted to learn more secrets.

The information unearthed by the hackers in the network world could help them accomplish a great feat, a small player overpowering the giant Nestor Corporation.

After Tsuchigumo expressed her stance, the hacker’s voice became even deeper.

"Then pay the price. Are you willing to pay it?"

"I am willing," Tsuchigumo replied without hesitation.

Tsuchigumo’s abilities also include Spider Sense, she can detect the slightest threats.

Just as the words fell, she vaguely sensed a tremendous danger brewing.

This perceptive ability has helped her avoid countless dangers throughout her life, and at this moment, she trusts her own skills.

Tsuchigumo forcefully extended her spider claws from her back, striking the front network access pod, flipping open its hatch.

Inside lay the pale body of a male youth hacker, his expression calm, as if asleep, but Tsuchigumo could sense not a trace of human life.

"You have restarted the corruption process of the Good Guard." said a voice from within the walls.

Tsuchigumo’s heart chilled, no need to check the other two network access pods, they must also contain corpses.

She fled backwards, the dim light in the corridor flickering on and off, as if some digital life was communicating with her.

Were all the hackers in the studio killed? When? Tsuchigumo looked terrified.

Then what was this invisible monster that had been speaking to her all along?

The disguised hacker’s hoarse voice stopped speaking, Tsuchigumo was relieved it hadn’t locked the explosion-proof door, she quickly crawled out of the secret compartment, and jumped straight out of the window.

She realized she had touched some taboo, this was a big mistake she made.

Tsuchigumo’s heart raced, rapidly extending spider silk from her wrist to stick to a distant light pole, pulling herself towards it.

Crouching atop a large streetlight, Tsuchigumo scanned her surroundings, the street lights just coming on, light interweaving everywhere.

She picked up her phone, trying to book a flight or cruise to escape the Northern Archipelago, but only saw an anonymous text message.

"Running is useless."

Tsuchigumo felt a shock of horror explode from her head down to her feet, she closed her phone unintentionally looking towards the nearest billboard.

It should have been promoting the izakaya below it, but the text had somehow changed:

"You still have an unpaid price."

Tsuchigumo’s heart sank again, she raised her hand to shoot out spider silk, leading herself upwards, her body swiftly climbing onto another apartment’s rooftop, landing on the railing at the edge.

In the distance, the vague roar of engines; a high-speed rental Shuttle Machine skimmed across the sky, her gaze landed on the advertisement display on the back of the Shuttle Machine, letters in clear blue dot matrix outlined:

"Touching things you shouldn’t have touched."

Tsuchigumo’s scalp tingled, her face pale. She continued to shoot out spider silk, jumping down from the rooftop, trying to escape the city. The sturdy spider silk pulled Tsuchigumo’s body sliding, but her emotions were not as steadfast as the spider silk.

The myriad machines passing around her, the lights and sounds seemed to target her. Suddenly intense music burst from a nearby apartment, seemingly syncing to an action movie; an anime and audiovisual store’s exterior screen switched displays, starting to play a vintage Spider-Man cartoon; in the distance, a siren from Nestor Security Machinery rang out, but not coming for her, only adding to her anxiety.

The city had become her enemy, every electronic device turned into a surveillance tool.

And then the pedestrians, who initially ignored her, now seemed to get some hints, lifting their heads to point at Tsuchigumo moving swiftly through the air.

"Wow..."

"That is..."

"We need to capture this!"

Tsuchigumo fled in panic, hoping something could shield her from all this.