Players Invade Cyberpunk

Lucy pulled out a data cable and connected it to the back of Pandora's neck.

A huge amount of data flowed through both their eyes simultaneously. Although they were using basic model type-I network access capsules, it was clear that Lucy's data processing speed was several times faster than Pandora's.

This was the most direct reflection of the algorithm difference between them.

Frankly speaking, if Lucy wanted, she could fry Pandora's brain right now just with a thought.

And while Lucy was teaching Pandora hand-in-hand to establish more efficient algorithms, information processing inevitably led to data interaction.

Pandora couldn't manage information confidentiality and stable operations well; despite her best efforts to contain it, some information inevitably leaked to Lucy's side.

"These are..."

Most of these were useless information.

As the only hacker among the players currently, other players often asked Pandora to help deal with some trivial matters.

For example, establishing an information database to gather the settings collected by players from the game world.

Or gathering content like posters found on trash mountains, company logos, some remaining data chip contents, all of which were used to perfect the world view documentation. Some players particularly liked delving into these things.

Building up the overall world view framework of this "Future Horizon" from these bits and pieces.

Currently, the place with the largest information stockpile was not the game world but the "Phoenix Club" in Super Dream Combat, where players learned the most about Night City.

Even if it's just idle chat among NPCs, a poster, a 3D projection, a distant and elusive advertisement screen...

Of course, there's still plenty of speculation and fiction; after all, players have never actually entered Night City.

Some of the speculative content in this information seemed absurd and funny to Lucy.

It's almost as ridiculous as those political conspiracy theories.

Like saying the East University had been low-key for decades and was actually playing a big game, or Prince Charles successfully ascending the throne.

How is that possible?

Who doesn't know that Prince Charles died before the Queen of England, tortured to death, the older generation mourning instead of the younger?

Are these people writing a collective science fiction historical novel?

However, a fragmented piece of information caught Lucy's attention as she read the content on it.

Doctor... BOSS... artificial beings... technological inheritance before the initial web collapse...

...

At night, players gathered on the open ground in front of the agency, bought a few cases of beer from W, a bunch of synthetic food, ignited a campfire with discarded wood, and completed a barbecue.

Then they played some small games.

For example, Red Barrel strapped a few composite boards to his chest for Brother Dao to use as a target to test the penetration of his newly purchased crossbow.

Water Moon Cave Heaven: "I bet it'll pierce one board!"

Brother Ni protested: "At least two boards, okay? I just made this!"

Players laughed and joked, making Lucy sweat profusely; do these people always play so big?

Brother Dao aimed for a long time, pulled the trigger, and the sound of the crossbow cutting through the air echoed, but the sound of the arrow hitting the composite board never came.

Red Barrel: "Are you still watching here? What the hell did you shoot?"

Brother Dao: "I don't know."

While Brother Dao and Red Barrel were bewildered searching for the fallen crossbow bolt without any success, Red Barrel suddenly felt a chill down his thigh, looked down, and saw his pants soaking in blood.

"Ah! You damn shot me in the thigh!"

"Ah?!"

Brother Dao suddenly remembered that the game indeed had friendly fire, hurriedly helping Red Barrel limp to the basement for medical treatment.

The speed of the crossbow bolt was too fast, hidden by the night, making it impossible for anyone to see its trajectory, and Red Barrel had turned off pain sensations, so he didn't feel the arrow piercing his thigh.

Poor Warrior: "What did I say before, Brother Dao can't shoot a gun well and plays with a crossbow, I say he might as well bite a lighter to make a scene."

Wildman: "Isn't this a good scene? This is a damn ultimate scene, okay? If you're capable, go out there and perform for me."

From the second floor, witnessing the scene, Lucy was speechless.

Although she could somewhat comprehend these people's abstract thoughts, she still couldn't understand their exuberant psyche.

She took a deep breath of the night wind leaning on the balcony; August should be the hottest time, but the Evil Land had a big day-night temperature difference, and night was even cooler than fall; far away, she could see the glowing lights of Night City, the nightscape beautiful.

But Lucy's heart was heavy because she felt she knew things she shouldn't have known.

Big secret!

World-shaking secret!!!

Yes, Lin Miao wasn't under any big company, the subordinate or heir of any tycoon.

But the reality wasn't necessarily better.

He was an artificial being before the initial web collapse... departed doctor, lost advanced technology...

It's almost like those third-rate conspiracy theories circulating online, yet it perfectly explained all the mysteries surrounding Lin Miao.

Why there's no trace of his past.

Because he doesn't have a past, he'd been dormant until the recent years climbing out from the ruins, the companions that emerged with him all died.

Why his prosthetics are so strange, valuable yet he's not very wealthy.

Because they're the technological inheritance from the "doctor."

Why these people can sacrifice without hesitation, even holding grenades to perish together with Night Wanderers.

Because they are outliers of this world, creations of biological sciences, artificial beings!

Just don't know where they're hurrying from to Night City, and how many are there....

Lucy wished she were dreaming, that this would all fade into the depths of her memory upon waking, yet reality kept her painfully aware.

Meanwhile, Lin Miao, whose randomly fabricated background story even he hadn't cared much about, but someone had uncovered, arrived holding two bottles of drinks and pushed open the glass door, stepping onto the balcony, putting a small coke on the railing.

"How do you find this place? Isn't it much better than Night City."

Lucy was somewhat surprised picking up that bottle of coke, thinking he shouldn't like such a drink, was it specially prepared for her?

"Hmm... not bad."

Lucy opened the can, soda fizzing out, bubbles rising on the surface, just like her restless mood at the moment.

Turning her back to the balcony, she looked sideways at Lin Miao, silver hair flowing with moonlight like silk in the wind, revealing a cheeky smile.

"Do you want to hear a little story I have?"

"I'd love to hear it."