Ch. 331 / 106831%

Chapter 331 - 306 OCT Domain

~8 min read 1,413 words

Every day, drugs.

Lille’s mouth twitched: You’d better give it a time for addiction to kick in.

The Vortex Gang would be the labor camp of Watson North District in the future, if any extremists wanted to blow off steam, they could volunteer as Lille’s experiment subjects.

A full body prosthetic was a dangerous experimental direction, but it was also the most promising avenue for prosthetic advancement. Since they were so fanatical about prosthetic modifications, Lille didn’t mind letting them be the pioneers in this endeavor.

[Antenna test program initializing...]

[Connecting to test console...]

[Connection successful, preparing to start test...]

[Antenna test starting...]

[Test 1: Signal reception capability detection...]

[Test 2: Data transmission efficiency measurement...]

[Test 3: Frequency coverage range test...]

[Test 4: Signal stability assessment...]

[All tests completed, summarizing results...]

[Test result summary completed.]

[Generating report...]

[Report generation successful.]

[Antenna test program concluded.]

[Welcome to OCT Network.]

Everyone under Lille’s command accessed the local network named OCT with varying levels of permissions.

Having fully absorbed the network monitoring’s security curriculum, this data fortification would be the pinnacle of Lille’s hacking skills.

In terms of hardware, the data fortress was equipped with CPU chips from IEC, Zeta Technology, Military Technology, and Kantao, with different companies’ chips working in tandem within the system.

The nodes were managed by several subunits of the Little Octopus, and if needed, taken over entirely by Little Octopus.

The nodes currently comprised two main branches, an intelligence library and an encrypted communication feature. In the future, it would also store the skills and knowledge mastered by the Wanderer and Lille, creating educational and skill spaces.

The data walls, resembling layers of an onion, enveloped the core. Each layer was computed by a different manufacturer’s CPU, utilizing dynamic encryption algorithms, appearing constantly in flux.

Along the paths leading to various data nodes, there were numerous honeypots, anti-intrusion, and anti-human programs.

Every CPU, whether responsible for security or data reading, was interconnected through different password gates.

Access to these password gates would be via a long-range data-guided link improved by Lille, utilizing the world’s only cross-dimensional encryption through cross-dimensional data transfer channels.

[Current network online users: 763 people]

[Memory space size: 600MU (storage space)]

[Network defense computing power: 700CCU]

Compared to a data fortress created out of thin air using cross-dimensional data channels, this data fortress had more practical functions and could genuinely connect a large number of people together.

Therefore, to maintain secrecy in the wireless domain, the scale of this data fortress was kept as small as possible.

After all, the server was truly placed in this world this time. Even Lille could not guarantee that this was a 100% secure database.

Of course, the combined defensive computing power of the two worlds currently reached the 1500CCU level, which was on par with a large local enterprise. Coupled with this unique encryption algorithm, this 1500CCU defensive computing power was enough to fend off most attacks.

What needed to be defended against was mainly physical hacks. In the wireless domain...

It’s maxed out, really maxed out.

Lille looked at the data fortress with satisfaction, watching each member connect to the network—

[Lille: Well done, prepare to wrap up.]

[Little Octopus: Got it, boss.]

Just as he was about to exit Cyberspace, a message box that only Lille could see popped up in front of him.

[Dual domain established]

[Cross-dimensional data channel expanded, direct data exchange process opened]

The entire data fortress suddenly trembled violently.

[10% of the information transmission in each world will be processed in the alternate world]

Lille felt it slightly, it was like some kind of cross-dimensional quantum resonance. While the physical process of signal receiving and sending could be observed, the actual data exchange appeared in another world in real-time!

That is to say, although the data fortress was still intact in Cyberspace, some interfaces did not exist in this world, making hacking through those interfaces impossible.

Skipping the process of going through Lille’s transfer space, the response became faster, and security was once again improved.

"Unexpected gain."

In Cyberspace, Little Octopus raised its arm and touched its head in confusion.

But soon, as Lille exited Cyberspace, it also gave up real-time control of the data fortress, leaving those initial intelligent programs to continue maintaining the data fortress.

Exiting Cyberspace, Lille directly unplugged the connection cables from his body. The heat fins behind him emitted steam, seemingly warping the surrounding air.

This level of computation didn’t require lying in a cooling trough.

V scratched her head: "This is the first time I’ve connected to a network outside Night City’s public domain... oh right, there was also Atlanta’s Ribbon Network, but that was also public."

Jack chuckled: "Means we’re not just anybody now, big shots should have a place in the network too."

V said: "Oh, you’re quite familiar with this pompous stuff, eh, Jack?"

After this job, the three had all amassed over a million in savings, though Lille’s million had a negative sign in front of it.

Looking at the thriving Red Shirt Mental Hospital, this place had now been completely renamed as the Adkaduo Office.

V looked at the house and suddenly recalled when she first returned to Night City, renting a place with Lille.

Back then, faced with rented items everywhere, she had roared in anger: she wanted a house of her own.

In a certain sense... these Adkaduo indeed had their own house now.

"Lille!" V suddenly shouted, "Why don’t we buy a house?"

"The money would be better spent investing in technology." Lille poured coolant over the heat fins, steam rising, "Rich people never lack houses, this place is pretty good, if you want to move over here, just ask them to clear a room."

Only those with uncertain futures always wanted a housing arrangement.

People with power and influence never lack real estate, just like Lille now.

Whether legal or not, the usage rights were certainly his.

"That’s true..."

Jack suddenly said: "It’s different, though. A respectable person’s house shouldn’t have the risk of eviction."

Lille laughed: "Do you think company employees are respectable? Do you think they dare guarantee they won’t be evicted?"

Jack was speechless, recalling those company employees who were homeless after being fired.

His mother’s bar was on the registry, but if it were outside Haywood, without the Valentino regulars’ protection, it would’ve changed hands long ago.

Seeing the two deep in thought, Lille sighed:

"The sense of security a house brings is an illusion, true security comes from something deeper.

For example, you, Jack, you feel safe at home because you can see your mom and remember growing up there."

V nodded: "Familiar things make people feel safe, I know that."

Lille curiously said: "You’ve had an interesting street life, you don’t seem to have much culture, but sometimes you say profound things."

"That’s right." V proudly rubbed her nose, then calmed down and said, "Not buying a house feels like there’s no motivation."

"This demotivates you?"

Lille shook his head in disappointment, taking a box from the car’s back seat.

"I think you lack imagination, let me use a Super Dream and analysis device to check your Si Anweisitan breakpoints, then show you some interesting things."

V paused, then sat up straight.

Super Dream?

"From the Biotechnology Building incident?"

Lille nodded while wearing the Super Dream headset, connecting the device to the cyber modulator on his spine.

The equipment they took from the Vortex Gang included many advanced Super Dream devices. When it came to Black Superdreams, they were making them long before Jotaro did.

As tech enthusiasts, their Super Dream devices were more compatible with various implanted prosthetics.

V’s Si Anweisitan had been okay in terms of repairs, but to perfect or even break the original design, they had to start with the overclocking phenomenon of cyber psychiatric disorder episodes.

V watched Lille lie down on the chair, feeling a mix of tension and anticipation.

Lille inserted a disc: "Alright, let’s see what potential this spinal prosthetic still holds..."

Buzz—

Electric current connected, the Super Dream headset suddenly emitted intense white light, covering all of Lille’s vision. In this white world, all of Lille’s senses were cut off.

Guided by the Super Dream disc, the device orderly stimulated his senses, reproducing V’s experience in the Biotechnology Building, directly impacting Lille’s brain, making him feel it firsthand—

Theoretically, that was how it should work.

[Complex emotional disorder caused by the Super Dream device, eliminated.]

End of Chapter

Ch. 331 / 106831%
Ch. 331 / 106831%