Legend of the Cyber Heroes
Chapter 774 - 2, The First Station, McGovern

Chapter 774: Chapter 2, The First Station, McGovern

Since Jeanne decided where we were going, Tumor Xiang Shan really hadn’t made any decisions on the matter.

The two of them... or rather, two consciousnesses sharing one brain, thus embarked on their journey, starting on the path to self-save and to uncover the Thug behind the scenes.

Jeanne’s first investigation targets were the medical staff and the logistics management personnel from the original training camp.

The latter were often ordinary military officers, not too difficult to deal with. But those medical staff were different. To become an independent medical director, one had to be at least an Official Knight. And Official Knights were granted the Scientific Knight’s Badge. Each badge had a level listed on the Sanctuary’s official website, which was public and could be checked. Their mentor-ship was also basically transparent.

The medical director of the training camp had once been an Official Knight, trained on Mars. According to his official record, he had left the Scientific Knights division due to limited Talent and became a researcher exclusively under the Kings. However, the medical staff he trained could still enjoy the status and treatment of "Scientific Knight apprentices".

In the official internal documents, the medical director died in the "Lunar Training Camp Rebellion" — under the official narrative, the tragedy at the camp was defined as "a group of Mobile Cavalry trainees who had been exposed to the memories of the Martial God plotted wrongdoing, planning a major rebellion, which was preemptively detected by King Aqini, who acted first and subdued them".

And this medical director was unfortunately killed in the said rebellion.

Jeanne couldn’t remember if this was true. In that battle, she had been dazed by a shockwave. Afterward, for the first time, Tumor Xiang Shan took over her Physical Movements.

Jeanne’s first stop was the Holy McGovern Knight Order that trained that medical director.

"The McGovern Knight Order, eh..." Tumor Xiang Shan pondered this for a long time, "If this ’McGovern’ is the one I’m thinking of... the fact that the mentor-apprentice lineage has been fully preserved to this day is indeed significant... With so many years of accumulation, having the title of ’Holy’ is not really... much of a problem."

Jeanne did not understand. She was a Ranger of humble origin who had only demonstrated her Martial Talent in a Martial Arts School within a Satellite City, and so she was taken into the Ranger training camp in her youth for training. This area of knowledge had indeed been installed into her brain, but she didn’t pay much attention to it.

"This used to be the name of a research institute. I had a friend who served as a Knight here," Xiang Shan said, "Moreover, coming here might actually be a good choice."

"Hmm?"

"Didn’t I tell you before that the structure supporting my consciousness is not a network composed of neurons, but a new form of neuronal cells? This peculiar form of differentiation is likely a result of transgenic modifications coupled with controlled expression. But from the perspective of this era, all of these are mature technologies. The Black Hand behind the scenes definitely didn’t intend to verify these technologies—there is no need to specifically use my Thug memory for that," Xiang Shan explained, "They might be trying to verify... ’whether structures beyond the neuronal network can carry consciousness’."

So far, the only known structure capable of supporting human consciousness is the neuronal network. Computer-simulated neural network models currently cannot carry a complete human consciousness. Some more advanced functions, like "Creation of concepts," "higher mathematics," and the like, cannot be genuinely replicated by computers, which only try to match the human brain by piling up quantity.

But can human consciousness, or consciousness akin to humans, exist only within neural networks?

For Xiang Shan, he hoped the answer to this question was negative.

Not just neurons, not just logic circuits. Steel, chemicals... anything sufficiently complex should be able to carry human consciousness.

However, humans have not yet mastered the structure that determines "what makes consciousness consciousness"—it exists within the brain, but humans have yet to understand it, let alone abstract it.

"Their aim is most likely this," Tumor Xiang Shan said, "The artificial neurons installed in you were to copy the processed sensory information from your higher cerebral cortex and direct it to your lower function areas. For a Martial Artist of your level, that area is temporarily unused. This ’unused portion’ would later be treated with drugs, induced to form these quasi-neuron cells. These cells would then process the information from the artificial circuits, directly constructing a me in the depths of your brain."

"These artificial neurons would only activate when you access the memory of the Martial Ancestor... your cerebral cortex would chew up the vast sensory memory and feed it to me. These mutated quasi-neuronal cells have some features of neurons. The input of those electric signals would organize the quasi-neuronal cells orderly."

Jeanne was somewhat puzzled, "Why did they choose you?"

"Apart from Tumor Xiang Shan, whose memories could you read for a long time?" Tumor Xiang Shan spread his hands, "And Xiang Shan is indeed a special individual—humans believe he truly has the ability to resurrect. So he does indeed resurrect more easily than others."

"Is that even scientific..."

"Many physiological phenomena involving ’consciousness’ really do exist if the individual believes, and don’t if they don’t."

Standing near the McGovern Knights Order’s base, Jeanne suddenly recalled something, "Wait a second, old man. Under these circumstances, no matter how I choose, will you always say ’that decision is very wise’?"

"How could that be possible." Tumor Xiang Shan scoffed.

But as it turned out, this move was indeed the right one.

While preparing a safe house, supply station, and hiding places near the Holy McGovern Knights Order’s base, Jeanne and Tumor Xiang Shan encountered an unidentified force from the Martial World.

There were several formidable martial artists of unknown origins living and wandering nearby.

"From their demeanor, they really don’t seem like Jianghu Heroes."

Jeanne was skeptical of this, "How would you know?"

"This is the application of advanced Inner Strength. You’ll understand once you reach that level."

Although Tumor Xiang Shan had stated that using the Restoring Enzyme on both parties would strengthen his own Inner Strength over time, eventually surpassing Jeanne’s, she couldn’t stop cultivating her Inner Strength.

The Restoring Enzyme, which reversed the lifecycle of neurons, was the only medicine that could slow the spread and worsening of Tumor Xiang Shan."

Moreover, if Jeanne wished to survive under the pursuit of the Protectors, Inner Strength was indispensable.

She also knew that Tumor Xiang Shan assimilated Xiang Shan’s memories more completely. There were some "personal experiences with Inner Strength" and "views on technology" hidden inside that Tumor Xiang Shan could easily absorb, while she always had a barrier. Tumor Xiang Shan’s progress in Inner Strength was bound to be greater than hers.

This was drinking poison to quench thirst.

But it was something she had to accept.

As it turned out, it was indeed necessary.

Outside of the McGovern Knight Order, Jeanne was attacked by those mysterious martial artists.

If not for Xiang Shan’s Inner Strength having a miraculous effect within the city, Jeanne would certainly have died.