Diving deep into Cyberspace, that is, the virtual world, what kind of experience is it?
Firstly, it is a feeling of emptiness.
You lose perception of your heartbeat, can't hear sound transmission, have no sense of touch, taste, or smell...
But after your consciousness is fully uploaded, all these senses return to your body in a special way.
First is sight.
As the surrounding deep darkness starts to reveal blue light waves, countless blue codes form blocks that spread out like rising and falling buildings.
Looking up into the distance, a wall composed of red lasers that seem to fall from the sky separates everything from afar, dividing the entire Cyber World into two ends.
And between these laser beams, all you can see is endless darkness, where the legendary old web exists in that boundless darkness.
Mercer turns his head, only to see a towering Japanese-style giant city.
Accurately speaking, it's an ancient Japanese fortress city that looks a bit like Anzhu City's exterior, with Arasaka Company's logo engraved on the tallest building.
This is the image of the firewall constructed by Guardian AI using the server.
And just as he observes Cyberspace, a majestic and huge blue data stream is projected from within the gigantic ancient city.
Mercer hesitates for a moment but doesn't move. As expected, after the blue data stream rushes towards him, it turns into a giant armor of blue data that envelops him completely.
The data before Mercer's eyes condenses into a mirror, observing his image—more accurately, he's actually running a self-inspection program.
Just in this Cyberspace, all data and program operations are transformed into things that humans can perceive more intuitively.
The Mercer in the mirror looks a little handsome, with the giant blue armor clinging to him, like a Gundam protecting him inside. More precisely...
Mercer feels a bit like Susanoo from Naruto.
Because once the blue data stream aggregated, it turned into a shell of samurai armor, and he was in the samurai's forehead, looking down upon this Cyberspace from above.
His virtual image looks rather ordinary, just a blue human figure with barely visible facial features, beyond which it feels like he's not even wearing clothes.
This means he actually has no weapons or defense in the Cyber World.
After pondering for a while, Mercer tries to use server computation to dress up his virtual appearance.
And without violating rules, the immense computation brought by the server instantly gives him a new look.
Firstly, a smile mask appears on his face. This mask is actually a simple perception module that helps him more accurately sense the surrounding data stream.
Secondly, he gains a trench coat akin to Dante's from Devil May Cry. It's a self-constructed ICE.
He also has two guns, which are simple Magic Puppet Programs.
One gun is black, a pure virus attack, its bullets equivalent to sending violent viruses capable of destroying programs.
The other is white, loaded with pure data attack programs, its bullets capable of delivering low-grade malicious programs that can self-reproduce, causing significant harm to enemies through computation.
Similar to DOS attacks, hitting slows their operational speed.
But actually...
Looks quite cool, but in Cyberspace, this thing can only deal with hackers. Expecting to use it against AI...
Almost impossible.
Unless a terrifyingly powerful server backs him, or he researches more advanced programs.
Mercer's expression is slightly solemn.
After personally experiencing this blue data flow on his body, he can finally accurately assess the current server's computation power, while also gaining a preliminary sense of the strength of this new 'little Guardian AI'.
Honestly, if Lucy and her team were here, they'd probably never dream of escaping.
Because this strength combined with AI is something ordinary hackers simply cannot contend with.
To initiate an attack on people inside Arasaka Organization using server computation, first, you must obtain permission to freely use computation power, and accomplishing that means first breaching the server's defensive AI.
If the original defense was merely a cold, mechanical castle, with only sporadic guards patrolling that by persistence could reveal vulnerabilities.
Then today's server ICE loaded with AI, is like the entire castle has turned into a massive samurai with cold, ruthless wisdom.
Now, although it still looks like a castle, Mercer knows it's just that the AI hasn't yet activated.
Once an attack is launched, the towering Cyber Arasaka ancient city will instantly transform into a giant samurai, or numerous samurai, monster-like data streams launching a devastating attack upon them.
Mercer thinks as he steps towards the Black Wall, at this moment, he has preliminarily abandoned the plan to defeat such a strong AI using his programming.
In the absence of computation support, unless he personally develops a super virus, using the virus to directly destroy the AI.
Otherwise, he could only rely on external forces; it was absolutely impossible to crack it using conventional hacker methods, at least not now.
The former requires absolute talent and a flash of inspiration—just like the "Soulkiller" created by Ultraman.
Or the "Rabies" virus created by the God of Hackers, Bartmos, which alone destroyed the entire old net and corrupted countless AIs.
As for the latter...
Mercer thought of the Black Wall.
In the Cyberpunk 2077 DLC, "Phantom Liberty," Lark was called a human nuclear bomb because she could attack using the Black Wall.
Mercer thought that perhaps he could also try... but using the Black Wall was definitely not a good idea; while destroying the enemy, he would also certainly harm himself.
While pondering this, Mercer took steps closer to the Black Wall.
Inexplicably, the closer he got to the Black Wall, a vague fear arose in his heart.
For most humans, it should represent a guardian deity, but in his perception, it seemed like a terrifying monster coldly watching everything and choosing its prey.
This immense sense of oppression even made his virtual image shiver slightly.
Mercer took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind while gently touching the Black Wall.
The next moment, the scene before him seemed to shrink, like it was being adjusted in scale; he felt a massive pull dragging him, and in the blink of an eye, he traversed an unknown distance.
This experience wasn't pleasant; for him, it was as if he suddenly stepped on a portal, his entire person compressed, spinning, tumbling hundreds of times in a washing machine, and then spat out like trash.
Appearing again before his eyes was endless darkness—in this darkness, dangerous red data streams were vaguely seen floating aimlessly and flickering like mist.
Mercer realized that now, he had reached the old net.
The moment he looked around, he felt a chill down his spine.
No, this wasn't the old net he was familiar with! It was much deeper within the old net!
Because at this moment... he could no longer see or even sense the Black Wall!
Countless blue data streams were swiftly operating.
[IP detection in progress...]
Mercer was shocked to find that he couldn't even resolve his own IP address, and at the same time, perhaps his data had attracted attention.
The red mist that had been drifting in the distance on the old net began to coalesce, indicating that some dangerous data that were only on standby or in default mode started to operate, forming a program!
It's over, damn it...
Mercer's curses didn't even have time to convert into sound waves in the Cyber World; he immediately started to jump IPs without hesitation, needing to return to the vicinity of the Black Wall as quickly as possible!
Otherwise...
Even if he logged out immediately, he might still leave his IP to that unknown program, whether it was an AI or an old net virus.
But, it was futile.
Because his speed in changing IPs was too slow.
Or perhaps, the program had already locked him at the moment it detected him, and then used more powerful computing power to pin him down.
After several IP jumps, chains of crimson suddenly appeared all over Mercer, and the blue armor provided by Arasaka AI was instantly wrapped tightly by the chains.
Countless blue data streams collapsed and dissipated, like armor plates crushed to pieces.
He's done for.
Mercer rolled his eyes, stood in place, and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Come on, if I die then so be it, show yourself, let me see your true form."
[Don't be afraid...]
[I'm here...]
[To help you...]
A faint voice reached his ears, and then those red chains completely shattered the blue armor on him.
The red chains didn't stop; they devoured all the dissipating blue data, converting it into red data, growing stronger while dispersing in the air.
Then, a huge red figure of a man appeared in the distance.
He slowly flew over, his movements seemingly sluggish, but in fact, he had jumped through countless IP positions in an instant, finally standing before Mercer.
"You're slower than I expected, Han Yu, or should I say, Mercer."