Chapter 14: All or Nothing—Leaving Tomorrow!

“You always manage to surprise me... or rather, trouble me, Messer.”

When Eina Tano first spoke, Messer immediately sensed the tone of the conversation.

Yes, it would begin with a harsh reprimand, followed by a soothing consolation.

“You know, after you attracted the AI and caused damage to the servers, there was a high chance you and the former supervisor would be dealt with. Especially since you were directly contacted by the AI. As a hacker, you should understand that you should have died the moment of that contact. Now, can you tell me why you’re still alive?”

Messer found it tedious but masked his feelings with a slightly anxious expression.

“I don’t know... I—I didn’t even know I was contacted! When Kyoko told me about it... Honestly, I still think she must have been mistaken. Please, Director Tano, you must believe me!”

“Messer, I do want to believe you; after all, I personally conducted your investigation and interrogation. But you should know, at Arasaka, someone in my position is watched by countless eyes—not only competitors but also old enemies. I’m willing to trust you, but others might not. If this got out...”

She sighed. “To be honest, the project’s progress hasn’t been promising. We’ve mobilized a large budget, yet there’s been no tangible results or even progress. The pressure on me is immense.”

Tano’s words gave Messer a chill—this plot sounded suspiciously familiar.

Would the next line be, “You wouldn’t want others to know either...” ?

“So now, we need to help each other, and coincidentally, I have a solution that benefits us both.”

Eina Tano smiled, stood up, and surprisingly invited him to sit on the nearby sofa. She picked up her teapot and said, “Sit down, let’s take our time.”

She poured tea slowly without speaking.

Messer sat upright cautiously, eyes fixed on the teapot and the tea leaves, inhaling the aroma.

After spending so much time in cyberspace and eating those synthetic slop meals in the cafeteria every day, the scent of natural tea was unexpectedly tempting.

Unaware that her deliberate pause and pressure had only whetted Messer’s appetite, Tano smirked inwardly, thinking he was still just a child.

“What do you think?” she asked, pouring two cups, then settled at the other end of the sofa.

“What exactly do you want me to do?” Messer asked nervously.

“Before I was transferred to this project, I was responsible for cybernetic development related to hackers. The prototype lab model has been completed, but the initial design was somewhat idealistic. Strictly speaking, it’s not a single cybernetic limb, but a full set tailored for hackers. Because it must be installed as a whole, the requirements for the user are extremely high. Even for daily use, the user’s neural strength must be very robust. Also, the user’s mental attributes and cybernetic tolerance standards are quite demanding.”

“The previous test subject was an Arasaka hacker agent who burned their brain attempting to overclock. They were sent to Japan for recovery. The current full cybernetic set is undergoing a second round of adjustments—originally to reduce some functions to lower the user requirements.”

“But you, Messer, might be able to endure the full prototype set and become the perfect candidate for this cybernetic system. Do you know what it means if you can handle it?”

Eina Tano’s voice rose, her eyes sparkling with temptation: “It means you will become Arasaka Group’s ‘Adam Hammer’ in the hacker world!”

Holy hell, how extreme is this upgrade? I’m not ready for mechanical ascension!

Messer hesitated, then whispered timidly, “What exactly is this cybernetic set? Could you explain it in detail?”

Tano chuckled softly and transmitted the data directly to him.

Messer accepted and saw a straightforward display and data description of the entire cybernetic set.

[Brain-Computer Interface: Obsidian Neural Link — supports 0.01 ms latency thought control devices, compatible with dedicated network access hubs.]

[Operating System: Network Access Hub ‘Soul Killer’:
Enables rapid cracking of enemies using the Soul Killer protocol.
After a fast crack, all enemy consciousness data is destroyed but automatically copied and backed up to spare storage chips.
Paired with the Obsidian Neural Link, network latency can be reduced by over 50%.
Includes eleven standard memory units. The Soul Killer protocol can spread infection to up to four marked targets.
With the ‘Obsidian Coprocessor,’ hacking speed is accelerated by approximately 40%.
Built-in brain-computer overclocking function greatly enhances computing power in overclock mode.
Drawbacks: Significant heat generation, requires professional-grade hacker cooling cybernetics and strong neural resilience.]

[Arasaka Network Phantom V3 Cyber Eye:
Can see networked devices and targets within a 32-meter radius, perceiving connection signals in the air.
Supports hacker tracking of airborne network signals to trace origins and complete remote hacks.]

[Cerebral Cortex: Guardian ICE:
Enterprise-grade electronic countermeasure unit that effectively blocks data attacks.
Triggers automatic network disconnection when under overwhelming attack, requiring manual system reboot to reconnect.]

[Circulatory System: Black Shark Blood Coolant:
A specialized coolant injected into the bloodstream for circulation and safe metabolism, effectively lowering brain temperature.
(Requires reinjection every three months.)]

[Obsidian ‘Great White’ Super Cooling:
Integrated cooling installed in the brain, neck, and spine, significantly reducing physical heat during network connection.
Its effectiveness exceeds that of the network monitor’s professional-grade cooling by about 12%.]

[Neural System: Obsidian Neural Synapse Accelerator:
Slows perceived time by 72% during use while maintaining normal thought speed.]

[Hands: Obsidian Super Data Connector:
Provides highly efficient data connection with virtually no latency when paired with the Obsidian Neural Link.
Allows direct connection to servers or advanced devices via hand data cables for control and hacking, greatly reducing hacking delay and improving data transfer speed.]

[Skin: Obsidian Cooling Coating:
Works with Great White cooling to greatly enhance bodily heat dissipation.
Drawback: Excessive thermal conductivity causes severe absorption of external heat; currently under improvement and optional installation.]

[Arms: ‘Neural Mayfly’ Single-Molecule Wire:
Automatically uploads rapid crack data stored in memory units upon hitting a target.
When sharpness is not activated, can implant the malicious ‘Neural Mayfly’ program.
After program termination, network positioning data is left in the target’s data.
Soul Killer protocol can automatically locate the target for ultra-long-range rapid hacking.]

Messer was stunned.

This...

I was just trying to get some freebies... but you’re basically feeding me the whole sheep!

Top-tier, absolutely top-tier.

Messer thought to himself that with this cybernetic set, if he tinkered, patched, and upgraded it until 2077, it would still be elite equipment.

Not to mention, the network access device with the built-in Soul Killer protocol rivals the military-grade super network access device equipped with the ‘Black Wall Gateway’ protocol.

Black Wall means pure destruction; Soul Killer kills you but preserves your consciousness imprint to toy with at will.

And this cooling system...

Just from the design, Messer could tell it was no joke—its appearance was about 80% similar to the cooling gear used by the network monitor agent Bryce in the game.

Keep in mind, that agent’s gear was the 2077 network monitor’s cooling tech, and now it’s only 2070!

Single-molecule wire is also a miracle weapon; paired with the Soul Killer network receiver, it’s an assassination tool!

Imagine this: during the day, the wire is inactive and harmless like a thin string; at night, it remotely locates your IP with Soul Killer and hacks you for assassination.

It even packages and transmits your consciousness back, wiping out all your secrets—your very mind no longer belongs to you.

Your soul could be modified to serve as a miniature AI for the company... that’s the terrifying nature of the corporation.

Moreover, with this level of cooling, as long as you can endure brain-computer overclocking, it’s like having a miniature server at your back, maximizing your hacker potential.

The Guardian ICE not only saves memory on the network access hub but also provides stronger protection.

“Confident?” Eina Tano smiled knowingly. She understood no hacker would refuse this equipment—ambition was everywhere in the company.

“...I want to try,” Messer responded with difficulty, then looked up. “I’m willing to install it.”

“Excellent.” Tano’s expression softened with confidence. “Messer, I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me! Don’t worry, starting today, you won’t have to dive deep anymore. I’ll arrange a flying car for delivery; the equipment is in Vancouver. Tomorrow morning, you’ll see your new cybernetics!”

Suddenly, Messer hesitated.

“A flying car? I mean... there’s no need to waste resources or rush so much.”

He seemed suddenly scared, searching for excuses to delay.

Tano smirked, “This is Vancouver, Canada. No fool would dare harm Arasaka here. Besides, it’s just one flying car; this amount of resources is nothing to me.”

Messer lowered his head, seemingly resigned.

Tano nodded with satisfaction, “Alright then, you can rest now. Be ready for the cybernetic installation early tomorrow.”

“I understand...” Messer glanced at his teacup—forgot to drink it, damn.

“Like it? I have a new can here, take it with you.”

Eina Tano! Damn your gentle kindness! You make me feel guilty when I strike!

Messer felt embarrassed and stayed silent, taking the tea leaves with him. No need to drink this cup—he could brew his own tea later.

Tano didn’t mind that he entered without bowing or left without bowing.

It didn’t matter—whether Messer harbored ill intentions was irrelevant. Once the cybernetic installation was complete...

He would be entirely under Arasaka’s control.

The Soul Killer would imprint and modify his soul, turning him into an incredibly loyal dog—loyal to her.

For such a capable and adorable dog, Eina Tano never held back her kindness.

At this moment, her mood became exceptionally pleasant. Sitting in her office chair, she gazed out at the distant desert and dust storms.

She decided it was best to leave this broken base soon. Once the cybernetics were installed, let the damn Stellar project be whoever’s problem.

She suspected there were big secrets hidden here, and to live long and well, it was better not to uncover whatever AI-related dangers lurked.

The thought of escaping to the city and perhaps using Messer to redeem her earlier failure on the Soul Killer project warmed her heart.

The sunshine seemed warmer, and her chair more comfortable.

“Messer, don’t disappoint me...” she murmured.

...

[Messer: All or nothing—leaving tomorrow!]

Upon returning to his room, Messer gathered his small team and immediately made the decision in an encrypted channel.