But in the end, he still went insane, as if merging with the Big Ghost.

Lately, for a long period, Kunbu stayed at Silver Port, connected to nutrient fluids, sleeping in the depths of a backup server room, murmuring in memory-induced fantasies.

Serum tried many methods.

Including leaving him messages, encouraging him, like a battlefield doctor.

John recalled the words he saw on the screen.

Before Kunbu went completely mad, he had already set up the facility, giving Serum mechanical arms and a database.

She prepared a Sianweistan, along with various life-saving surgical plans and medical supplies.

Serum intended to forcibly separate the Big Ghost from its pilot, reduce Kunbu's level of modification, and share the mental burden through a prosthetic body...

[I wanted to turn him back to normal, but it's too late, now all these things have become yours.]

In cyberspace, the details were unclear.

Serum exuded an air of fatigue and despondency.

"Where did you get this Sianweistan design from?"

John started getting to the point.

[An AI was born at the base of the black wall. We can't observe it, nor have we succeeded in communicating with it. We can't even predict its current location or next move, all I know is that it exists.]

Serum responded calmly.

[This Sianweistan modification design comes from the other side of the black wall, the serial number is very long, and it includes many things, all very dangerous yet creative products.]

[There are not many serial numbers discovered so far, I deduce it's related to the destroyed old network. I accidentally came across a few, this implant was modified based on Plato's design.]

"F*ck, the state police told me, that AI is called Black Light, right? What the hell is in my head?"

[I don't know, John.]

"Bullshit, the Pandora Algorithm was your doing, right? There's a Black Light in my head, it was originally sealed, your algorithm can restart it and even upgrade it..."

John became increasingly agitated.

If they were in the real world, he might have already lunged forward to grab Serum's collar and start questioning her harshly, but of course, even now it's almost like that, just that in cyberspace he couldn't physically touch her.

[Calm down, John, even though you are in the network, your emotional fluctuations will still affect your body, causing unpredictable deviations in the surgical process... You don't want to be paralyzed, do you?]

Serum paused for a few seconds.

[A roaming AI named Black Light can't be observed and definitely can't be locked inside your head. No matter what you think you've seen, how similar it is, it can't be a roaming AI.]

"I..."

[The evidence is the demon program, my Pandora Algorithm and that thing are essentially the same, both used to destroy AI. As long as you have data transmission with the other side of the black wall, it will directly fry your brain, yet here you are, still lying safely in the pool.]

John didn't know if this was a good answer or not.

He remained silent for a moment, then quickly asked another question.

"What's my relationship with the roaming AI? Is that Black Light thing the culprit? Why is it messing up my life, is the transport accident and my current condition related to it..."

[Ah...]

Serum's consciousness showed clear helplessness.

[I'm not a god, John. Before plugging into your data slot and matching biological information, I didn't even know who you were...]

[The reason I let you watch that video just now was because your biological information triggered the employee recognition of Tiebang Logistics server, I only retrieved a transport accident report related to you.]

"Who's messing with me?"

John recalled the main mission content.

"The one I was running for wrote your name as the recipient, what do you know? Who attacked the convoy!"

[When it happened, I was still at Plato's Warehouse. It must have been someone misusing information, as for the attacker, sorry, I really can't think of anyone who would do such a thing.]

Serum's consciousness vanished.

She flickered briefly and reappeared in another direction.

[There's a network signal source approaching, I must leave now. The surgery process is going very smoothly, you'll survive.]

[Try not to tell anyone you've seen me, I'm highly wanted, and there will be countless people wanting to pry open your mouth, although even telling the truth won't help.]

John's mind raced.

He racked his brain trying to ask for more information.

"Black Light, that roaming AI, how much do you know about it? Oh right, you mentioned something about a link in the calculations, what does that mean..."

[It's undoubtedly the most dangerous AI at the moment, and to say it could cause the collapse of human society would not be an exaggeration.]

Serum's body began flickering non-stop.

She appeared in the corners of the room, finally stopping in the surgery pool, half of her data submerged in the water, bowing, waving her hand, countless mechanical arms being withdrawn from the patient...

[Black Light's influence is spreading from cyberspace to reality, many developments of people and events are being forced to change.]

[If you find that your life is filled with coincidences, you're most likely a part of its plan to achieve its goal.]

"Why did it save me?"

[What?]

Serum didn't understand what John meant.

"I'm not kidding, since stepping onto the street, I've narrowly escaped death several times, looking back now, it was ridiculously coincidental, there's definitely something helping me... Black Light it..."

[Black Light can't be helping you, John, if it is, then it's certainly something else.]

[Since you stepped into this facility, many things I've left have been triggered and destroyed.]

"Speak more specifically!"

[Something deep in cyberspace is tracing your steps, John, and it's eager to kill you.]

"What the hell..."

John lost strength before he finished speaking.

Everything in cyberspace began to collapse rapidly.

His consciousness once again crossed a bristling conduit, after a chilling soul sojourn, finally returning to reality, where everything before his eyes started to regain color.

John opened his eyes.

The turbid pool gradually became calm.

Those mechanical arms and densely packed syringes were pulling away from his body.

The breathing tube naturally withdrew from his throat.

Woo woo woo, glug glug...

John never expected such an ordeal, the pain radiating from his throat and body caused him to struggle involuntarily.

He splashed and managed to stand up.

Clatter—

"Huff, cough cough, gag~"

John collapsed kneeling in the pool.

The surrounding buffer fluid was flowing out through the opening.

He was stark naked on the slick floor, his left arm was still in a damaged state, merely treated for bleeding, while over half of the skin on his stomach was synthetic leather.

They presented a kind of primitive metallic color, forming a stark contrast with the skin beside it.

John remembered the Big Ghost stomping through his body.

He still recalled that terrifying gaping hole, the internal organs spilling through the gap, and the fractured spine...

John tried to stand.

There was a slight pulling pain in his stomach, yet there was no impediment to his movement.

"What are you doing?"

Oulos's voice came from the side.

She walked to the edge of the surgical pool, squatted, and gazed scornfully at the naked man below.

"Hold on, turn around."

She frowned, gesturing for a turnabout.

John tried hard to turn his head back, his limited view only allowing him to observe simply through the wall's reflection.

A matte alloy spine lay behind him.

It replaced most of the bones and was seamlessly spliced with extensions of Igdrasir.

"You've survived... once again."

Oulos had learned the cause and effect from Alonna.

The Big Ghost Power Armor annihilated the network repeater.

She and the other hackers were all knocked offline, taking considerable backlash, lots of equipment got burned out.

Oulos rebuilt temporary communications.

She was busy taking control of the battlefield, replacing Nando's command, gathering the remaining forces to clear the battlefield.

Then she rushed to the facility as fast as she could.

"In any event, you have to leave now, the time left for us to scavenge after the battle is short..."

Oulos showed no joy in victory.

"You're still alive, that's what matters. I'll repair Igdrasir for you, and there are some things we'll talk about later."

She waved her hand.

"The corporation and ECPD are coming to take a bite."

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