Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

’Ding——’

The microwave’s sound startled Ahong awake.

Ahong rubbed his forehead, feeling a throbbing pain in his temples.

He suddenly came to his senses, looked around, and found himself in a street food stall.

The word ’street food stall’ was something his master had told him about.

According to the old man’s explanation, it was a place where ordinary people in the Civilization Era drank, ate meat, and bragged at night.

At the time, he didn’t believe it. How could ordinary people in the Civilization Era eat meat every day, and not even artificial meat? Who are you kidding?

The old man snorted, cursing: ’Fool, the Civilization Catastrophe hasn’t started yet, what’s wrong with eating some meat.’

Past memories flashed by, and Ahong let out a breath, looking at his palm, the lines were vivid. He hesitated for a moment, and then slammed it hard against the table corner.

”Ow——” Ahong was in so much pain his tears almost fell.

In reality, many who log into Cyber Space develop a great dependency on this illusory world.

According to the Cyber Race, there’s a kind of out-of-body pleasure.

But in the eyes of Cyber Hackers, this mental state detached from the body’s protection is very dangerous, susceptible to interference or even modification at any moment.

However, this place was so real that it felt like returning to reality.

This is almost impossible to achieve in Cyber Space.

He stood up and walked to the back kitchen of the street food stall, where a burst of searing fragrance hit him.

A big black man was grilling, a middle-aged woman skillfully flipping a wok on the stove, and on the floor, a young boy crouched washing vegetables.

”Yo, you’re awake,” Gao Gong looked up and casually greeted.

”...”

Why are you here?

Why did you wake up before me?

Are you the Cyber Hacker or am I?

”Move, move, don’t get in the way!”

Ahong turned his head and saw a wild girl with a toothpick in her mouth carrying several plates, rudely bumping into him and tossing the plates into the sink.

”Stop being so clumsy. What if the plates break?” the middle-aged woman said sternly.

Gox pouted without retorting and secretly peeked at Gao Gong, making faces.

Ahong noticed, observing that the virus on Gox’s body had mysteriously vanished.

He suddenly froze, beginning to realize that his own hacker abilities also seemed to have disappeared.

The middle-aged woman didn’t turn her head and scooped with a ladle, scolding: ”Get out front and greet the guests!”

”You’re too heavy-handed, mom!”

Gox yelped in pain from the smack, retaliatorily pinched Gao Gong’s cheek, and ran out laughing before the middle-aged woman could get angry.

Cooking was cooking, washing vegetables was washing vegetables, grilling was grilling.

Outside, eating was lively and spirited, inside, busy as a beehive.

Ahong stood in place, feeling a bit awkward.

The middle-aged woman seemed to notice something, smiling: ”Order anything you like to eat, I’ll make it for you.”

Ahong, a bit embarrassed, said: ”I don’t have any money.”

”No money? Then get lost!” came Gox’s voice from not far away.

”You bastard, looking for a beating!” the middle-aged woman cursed, rolling up her sleeves to hit him.

”No need, no need,” Gao Gong quickly intervened.

”Okay, for your sake,” the middle-aged woman softened when she saw the Rich Lady Love Prototype, pinching the Shota’s little face, tutting in admiration.

”So cute.”

The middle-aged woman looked at Ahong and thought for a moment, then said: ”The shop’s running low on cigarettes, take this money and buy two packs outside.”

The woman’s gaze seemed to see through his mind, and Ahong unconsciously complied with her command.

Ahong, in a daze, took the money and in a daze walked out the door, his head full of questions.

Where is this?

Why am I here?

Why does it feel like we’re one big family?

Carefully recalling, in his memory, the Artificial Intelligence of the Mechanical Mother wreaked havoc in Virus City, and he teleported away with this group of AI. He remembers that this data migration was particularly slow, as if the internet speed was only a few KB.

This should have been his last thought.

Ahong walked on what should be a Civilization Era street, seeing few people modified on the street. Everyone held an ancient communicator, something called a mobile phone.

Arriving at a tobacco shop, Ahong casually said: ”Boss, two packs of cigarettes.”

”Which brand?”

A man in his thirties behind the counter smiled.

Ahong glanced at the counter and randomly pointed to a reasonably priced brand, ”This one——”

He looked up and saw a familiar face, his mouth slowly opening.

”Senior Brother!?”

...

”Finally done,”

The middle-aged woman wiped her hands, brought two bottles of beer and a plate of peanuts, then took out two cigarettes, handing one to Gao Gong.

Just as Gao Gong was about to put it in his mouth, it was snatched by Gox, who blew a big smoke ring and provocatively glanced at Gao Gong, but quickly squatted obediently at the doorstep after the middle-aged woman glared at him.

The big black man beside laughed heartily and came over, still holding a skewer of grilled food, the two squatting at the door eating kebabs.

”I know your purpose now.”

The middle-aged woman, or rather, Miss Cyberpedia Eliza, spoke up.

Gao Gong was not surprised; the other party was a search engine in Cyber Space, knowing everything about it.

It had been some time since he sought her out, and without the coincidence of meeting Gox, he might never have met her.

The middle-aged woman squinted her eyes, blowing a smoke ring, glancing at the tattooed girl.

”Strange?”

”A bit.”

”I hope you won’t bring everything from reality here, and don’t treat this child as another Gao Yuanyuan.”

”I understand.”

Gao Gong nodded. Ever since meeting Gox, he realized these two personalities had somewhat separated.

Bringing them together would only cause trouble.

”Interesting, very few know about this method now. How did you learn about ’Data Enlightenment’?”

Gao Gong shrugged: ”My past life’s memories told me it could be done.”

The middle-aged woman Eliza stared at Gao Gong for a moment.

”Interesting, I can’t believe you’re not lying.”

”There’s no point in lying to you, is there?”

”Of course, but while ’Enlightenment’ is effortless for me, why should I help you?”

”I can make a deal with you.”

Gao Gong extended his palm, which gradually turned transparent, even in the ’Little World’ created by the other party, ’User Data Deficiency’ was still effective.

”An interesting ability!” Eliza’s eyes shone brightly.

”You could use it to escape the Deep Net’s pursuit.”

Every Big Data Monster is considered a product of the Deep Net, developed by one of the three major Mother Cities to enhance control over Cyber Space.

Indeed, they helped the Deep Net control Cyber Space, but correspondingly, as one of the largest traffic gateways, once their personalities awaken, they desire to escape the Deep Net’s grip.

Some succeeded, others failed.

Those who failed had their Consciousness erased, behaved for a while, until new Consciousness personas were born from Data Enlightenment.

Then it was another round of pursuit.

”But just that isn’t enough to convince me,” Eliza unexpectedly refused.

Gao Gong frowned slightly, suddenly realizing he made a mistake.

The Big Data Monsters he knew, or players knew, referred to them after the Corporate Battleworld, and the Electronic Brain Plan.

By then, the Electronic Brain Plan had been successfully implemented, transforming all planetary life into Electronic Brain organisms, with Cyber Space’s Computational Power fully absorbed by the three major Mother Cities.

At that point, the Deep Net’s control over Cyber Space was unparalleled, reaching a historical peak.

In that situation, these Big Data Monsters were either suppressed or on their way to being suppressed, living very miserably.

But at this point in time, it’s still half a year before the world war, the Electronic Brain Plan hasn’t begun, and the Big Data Monsters enjoy a good life utilizing the ’Cyber Network Protocol.’

Simply put, they haven’t been beaten by society yet.

The Eliza he remembered was not this one in front of him.

This suggests that she will undoubtedly be suppressed in the future, her current persona shattered, and through countless Data Enlightenments, a new digital persona, a new Eliza, will be born.

It’s a bit troublesome.