Players Invade Cyberpunk

The annual server maintenance costs are quite significant.

And the network in the cyber world is several times stronger than in reality, so what about their servers?

No matter how much the AI messes around, if I unplug the server's power supply, can you survive a global blackout for a day?

Even if it's just a game setting, finding game loopholes is one of the pleasures for players.

"Hmm..."

Lucy recalled the network walker tutorials she received since childhood.

"Before the old net collapsed, the global internet servers were jointly built by various national governments and corporate enterprises. If they don't want to, no one can stop those things, and..."

Did the companies and governments back then really have no capability to prevent the network collapse?

How could that be.

Back then, before the AI rose to power, it was merely a toy for companies.

However, at the early stage of the collapse, no one could predict the disaster would escalate to that extent, plus their technology and even the entire world were deeply bound to the internet.

Deactivate the internet?

That would be equivalent to having all companies bankrupt overnight; it's better to kill them.

"By the time they realized something was wrong, it was already too late. AI had seized control of the drone fleets, and nuclear warheads were mounted on unmanned submarines in various countries."

Lucy said this and players understood.

Turns out it's fear of death.

Don't be deceived by how those multinational corporations seem to enjoy using nuclear bombs and biological weapons; in reality, the number of corporate executives who actually died for that is few.

In the companies possessing weapons of mass destruction, Huang Banjing is considered the highest-ranking person who died in the conflict.

But he was actually forced to suicide by a mercenary squad arranged by Military Science afterward.

Hu Lang said, "Those servers..."

"Exactly."

"The companies themselves maintained them. After all, if the network were genuinely shut down, the money they lose would be more than maintenance costs, and..."

Lucy said with some helplessness to the players.

"According to the intelligence we've gathered so far, those AI have likely been expanding their server arrays, power stations, and possibly even satellites for the past fifty years. Even if companies shut down the servers now, it likely won't make a difference."

Hu Lang said, "Now it's really Skynet invasion, we're going to be terminated, meow, I'm so worried."

"Worried about what."

[Yui Aragaki is my wife] said, "What's Skynet considered? Even if the Matrix comes, I can turn into Neo and knock it back."

Saying this, he also gave himself a pair of Neo-style sunglasses and trench coat.

"No fear if the boss is strong; as long as its health bar is displayed, watch me take it down."

But Hu Lang said,

"This is cyberspace, not reality, those AI can't drop anything, meow, they can't even produce prosthetics."

Lucy, who originally wanted to encourage the players, instantly broke out into a sweat.

So you're not afraid of AI, you're afraid of killing AI without any loot, huh.

"Ahem..."

Coughing once to avoid awkwardness, Lucy pulled up an operation screen, turned her back to the players, and said,

"I'll upload a firewall code for you all, afterward, you can freely explore for two hours."

"But after that, I won't provide you any protection. If you're worried about dying, you can exit the old net directly via the port."

"Awesome!!"

Upon getting permission, the players instantly dispersed, quickly forgetting about the dangers Lucy had just warned them about.

But Lucy didn't say anything because Lin Miao asked her to bring the players into the old net with the intention of having these players sacrifice themselves.

He wanted to find a way for ordinary players to explore the old net without instantly dying from AI attacks.

Maybe this wasn't possible for ordinary people, but players wouldn't really die, only their bodies in this world might be destroyed.

Even though Lin Miao knew his comrades wouldn't die in the literal sense, Lucy still felt a sense of guilt.

She couldn't help but question herself.

The things I'm doing now, how are they different from Huang Ban's actions?

Deceit, intimidation... these tactics Huang Ban had all used on Lucy and others.

So is my behavior of deceiving players different?

Thinking this, Lucy couldn't help but call out to Hu Lang who hadn't gone far.

"Wait..."

"Hmm?"

Hu Lang curiously turned back to look at Lucy.

"You..."

Lucy took a deep breath, trying to use this non-existent way to appease her inner self.

"If you don't want to go... that's okay too, the old net... is very dangerous, if you're careless, you might really die..."

"Hehe..."

Hu Lang flew to Lucy's side in cyberspace, there she augmented herself with many decorations not present in reality, looking more like a cat.

With her chest comparable to Pandora, she said,

"Don't worry, Lucy mentor, I'm a warrior meow, cats have nine lives, if I encounter something uncomfortable, I'll run away myself."

"That's not what I meant..."

Lucy always found talking to players to be a headache.

But Hu Lang put on a look of understanding.

In her mind also ridiculing, indeed NPC settings are still sentimental.

Then put on a serious face.

"Don't worry about us anymore, Lucy mentor, we are well aware of the old net's dangers, but everyone here is already prepared to sacrifice."

"The precious data hidden in the old net is vital to us, even if we truly die, we are contributing to human liberation!"

"Just like those workers and soldiers who died due to nuclear radiation in Chernobyl, we are fighting for a great cause meow."