Chapter 994 - 39: Large-Scale Frontline Advancement

Four years ago, the Atlas Group introduced brain-computer interface devices. These implants were first popularized among the disabled, with few normal individuals opting for implantation.

It wasn’t until more skill chips were developed, better exoskeletons, and other technologies that required brain-computer interfaces became a reality, alongside more useful medical technologies, that people began to implant brain-computer interfaces.

Although Lille had always proactively encouraged countries to incorporate such devices into social security systems, the thought of implanting something incomprehensible into the body, something that directly connects to the brain, naturally made everyone cautious.

This resulted in far fewer people in Europe having brain-computer interfaces than anticipated...

Of course, this is relative to the vast population base of Europe.

At this moment, those "bold" prosthetics implant users in Night City, once loaded with skill chips, can become engineers capable of maintaining dozens of robots, or human computers ensuring the smooth operation of an entire production line, with productivity skyrocketing.

Unfortunately, it’s hard to say whether this growth can surpass the army of Ultron robots.

Lille sat in the command chair of the King’s Throne, enjoying a moment of peace:

The experience of becoming an AI is far heavier than it sounds. To make an inappropriate analogy, it’s like a person left with only a head, fitted onto a body identical to a human’s, controlling every muscle with thought to act normally.

And his workload during this time has been enormous, something that even roaming AIs rarely wish to undertake—

The vast amount of data, operations, and network coverage means that the distortion of information during transmission increases, raising the likelihood of systemic issues.

Moreover, he must maintain human emotions that contradict such vast rational calculations.

Sixteen hours have passed, millions of workers have entered factories, and across Europe, millions of soldiers have been selected and reclassified, countless legal amendments have been issued, making the continent busier than any time since World War II.

But... this also brings new problems.

After a break, Lille opened the tactical map:

Directly confronting the forces of Ultron by outnumbering them would be a suicidal move when facing an enemy with destructive intentions, especially since the enemy is purely artificial intelligence.

The problem now is that Europe has indeed come together like a tightly woven rope, but Latovia’s standing army and the group of engineers must remain in Europe to continue accelerating this process. Military machines and weapons are produced continuously, but there are insufficient personnel for offensive operations.

He has to face the entire Middle East combined with Northern Africa; titans are indeed formidable, but they are merely special forces. To achieve a decisive occupation, a large number of combat personnel and war machines are necessary...

The forces Lille can mobilize hardly cover the entire operational area, but Ultron possibly can, having occupied that territory for an unknown amount of time.

So there remains only one method:

A strike on Ultron’s central hub.

Ultron’s most prominent feature is also its greatest weakness, being an AI with excessive self-awareness, which means it struggles to handle distributed problems like Illuminati-type AIs. Naturally, it is at a disadvantage in distributed factories and network constructions—

This means that destroying its core area would inflict damage sufficient to allow the EU’s industrial capacity to surpass its industrial potential at some point in time, and during this period, use complete military superiority to forever crush those robots.

At this moment, in cyberspace, Lille faced the entire European Parliament:

Although it’s no longer made up of 720 representatives, it remains the same European Parliament, waiting with bated breath for Lille’s next command.

All present parliamentarians and observing national leaders feel the world is changing so rapidly; initially, Lille was an excellent entrepreneur, and they wanted to introduce some policies through the Atlas Group.

Later, Lille became a fugitive, which the European Parliament found troublesome; then he became the leader of the resistance in a remote small country, and the European Parliament collectively decided to use his country as a strategic buffer and extract benefits.

But subsequently, things spiraled out of control; they found themselves unable to do without Lille, his technology, his protection, much less his decisions, his every word and action...

Until now, if Lille were to breathe, they would strive to hear every breath clearly—

This is the law.

[Lille: We must employ a carpet offensive approach, sweeping from the Middle East to the Northern Africa region, clearing and occupying every potential location where Ultron might be present.]

Everyone took a sharp intake of breath:

Perhaps politicians are unclear about what this concept entails, but military officers immediately understand.

Lille’s planned front line width is at least 3000-5000 kilometers, potentially far exceeding the most brutal battles in World War II!

Honestly, their mindset hasn’t quite adjusted: whether it’s the division of the United States or the Ultron robots, they only perceive it as an unprecedented crisis...

But when faced with detailed combat plans, they realize this is already a super-large-scale battle seen only in world wars!

However, in Lille’s estimation, after all production technologies are implemented, such a large-scale battle will end within one to two months—

This is incredibly fast!

Such complex terrain, such a wide front line...

Perhaps modern warfare can indeed reach such a scale.

But they quickly realized one thing: this essentially relies heavily on the overall industrial capacity of society.

Can they outperform robots?

The answer is, Lille doesn’t hold much hope for this, so they must fight for it.

[Lille: I’m unsure of Ultron’s production capacity, but it’s likely stronger than ours.]

[Lille: We have only one opportunity: a blitz attack. After the King’s Throne is resupplied, we will launch a blitz in six hours, targeting this location—]

[Lille: My scout titans have observed the presence of massive factory facilities here, and in my judgment, Ultron’s central hub is here.]

[Lille: We need a round of precise and rapid blitz to gain the upper hand. Once the blitz succeeds, we can widen the gap in production capacity with Ultron.]

[Lille: This small gap will allow us to continuously expand the results on the frontline, and Ultron’s industrial capacity will struggle to recover, while we will thrive, ultimately annihilating all potential data carriers it hides in...]

[Lille: Overall, this is a race, and we must win.]

This is a strategic offensive at a world war level, a global-scale war conflict.

A fascinating idea emerged in the minds of the parliamentarians: as Lille took over Europe, the enhancements in industrial capability brought by information technology, cyber technology, biotechnology, and a series of high-tech advancements resembled an industrial revolution...

But whether this is a true industrial revolution will be determined by a true product of the next era—

The reality is that humans indeed find it hard to outrun Ultron, hard to outrun a machine singularly obsessed with destruction, devoid of emotions, utterly rational, extremely ruthless, and never bound by arguments or emotions...

But their bravest will take the first attack, delivering a fatal blow to Ultron in this darkest hour, thrusting it into the abyss before it devours the world.

However... there is still one question.

[Speaker Schulz: I want to know... if our blitz succeeds, but Ultron’s industrial capability still exceeds ours?]

Lille has no detailed data on Ultron, and naturally, the European Parliament cannot see these comparisons, knowing only the core strategy.

To this, Lille’s response was cold, reflecting the chill of reality:

[Lille: Then we will lose.]

Before the dust settles, no one can be sure of the path to victory...

Just as humans, despite possessing absolute courage, unwavering will, and brilliant minds, cannot transcend the laws of physics.

Facing reality, people felt nothing but a bitter taste on their lips.