[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer":3,"chapter-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-399":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Cyberpunk: Cross-dimensional Science and Engineering",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1151890,1495,"Chapter 399 - 371: Critical Danger (Part 2)","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-399",399,"\u003Cp>If there were a phenomenon that remained a mystery to humans, someone would definitely study it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If there were a technology exceedingly effective yet not understood by people, the same would hold true: someone would persistently investigate it for various reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the age of the internet, AI aided many tasks, proving immensely useful in production, research, and even combat, becoming the premier choice for cost reduction and efficiency increase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, the virus released by the god of hackers, Bartmos, made these AIs cross the threshold into dangerous entities; the vast majority of AIs became highly aggressive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Single-handedly, he nearly crippled all of human society. In desperation, people also pondered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>whether this power could be harnessed for their own use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could humans possibly use highly intelligent AIs again in the new net?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blais’ answer was simple yet blunt; it did not expose the specific reasons behind network surveillance research but did address Lille’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There are many reasons to study these things, but you just need to know that studying this process alone is of great value.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blais ended the topic of Delamain with this sentence, while Lille silently pondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This answer was highly informative for the average person: After the old net collapsed, almost all major companies outwardly maintained a respectful distance from high-performance AIs, tacitly approving network surveillance management.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But secretly, it was evident: since this is a valuable project, any company with some capital would surely be conducting research.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Lille, he could think of much more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, he could only ask less sensitive questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So, what does this have to do with the AI Munemasa?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Firstly, network surveillance has to some extent acknowledged your status as an unofficial AI hunter—although it’s just an auxiliary role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since you have this status, you need to have a basic understanding of our attitude toward AIs, as well as the basic classifications and details of AIs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secondly, Munemasa is highly likely a dangerous entity, as the technical level of Digital Souls is tied to the deceased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If a person was not the type willing to learn and understand technology while alive, their intelligence would not significantly change after digitization.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After assisting network surveillance in advancing tasks regarding Digital Souls, Lille’s new mission was to deal with these dangerous entities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knowledge was indeed valuable, and Lille silently committed this information to memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps finding Lille’s reaction rather bland, Blais solemnly added, \"But do not privately research these AIs; you are not part of network surveillance, and the slightest mishap could lead to your demise, triggering severe consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Network technology is usually just an accompanying skill for them; within their areas of expertise, they possess unparalleled power.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Little Octopus popped out in Lille’s prosthetic eye, two tentacles crossed in front of it and another reached out, condescendingly patting Blais’ head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With an expression like this: ψ(｀∇´)ψ.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Little Octopus: Yes, big brother, it’s me.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This activity was completed only in Lille’s mind, so Blais showed no reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille clicked his tongue and turned off the memory unit displaying Little Octopus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blais, not noticing Lille’s distraction, continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Black Wall has the strictest monitoring on dangerous entities, and Munemasa’s appearance is quite unusual. This task not only involves capturing it but also finding out how it broke through Black Wall to operate in the network.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Black Wall in Cyberspace was an infinite wall, sealed entirely up, down, left, and right. Essentially, it was software, or rather, an AI.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blais’ daily task was to patch and investigate anomalies in Black Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was one such anomaly, and he needed to clarify the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then... why do we say we have a lead? Currently, only Digital Souls and low-intelligence AIs are known to avoid triggering a reaction from Black Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to your help, we compared part of the Soul Killer’s data blocks and found some previously undiscovered information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we follow this lead, we might uncover how these AIs infiltrated.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long conversation, the car slowly passed a building in Haywood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From a distance, Lille could see that it seemed as if NCPD officers had cordoned off the area, with holographic caution tape and drones hovering nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the vehicle turned into the street, Lille got a clear view of the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked as if the place had been bombarded; the ground was littered with craters deep enough to scrape the car’s undercarriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The building was a small, mixed-use high-rise, with the bottom three floors consisting of shops, totaling 14 floors—not too tall, not too small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The glass on the exterior of the building was completely shattered, and the walls were riddled with various explosion holes, with twisted rebar, shattered furniture, and steel plates clearly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A Trauma Team floating car was even embedded in the wall of the top floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trajectory of the explosions was quite clear; it could be seen that whoever created these marks fought their way from the top to the bottom, in a very dramatic fashion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some floors were still emitting black smoke, and the scent of gunpowder and dust had not yet dissipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few civilians walked up and gazed silently at the building, their expressions hard to read, but then quickly entered the hazardous building—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed this was their home, and with rent already paid, they had nowhere else to go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, some had their homes obliterated and could only shout angrily at the NCPD officers—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shouting with notable restraint, not daring to cross the holographic caution tape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn you NCPD! I just rented this place!! Compensate me!!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The officers didn’t even bother to look up, silently gathering data.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blais explained, \"There was a fierce battle here a few days ago. We only know that the data streams of one group showed suspicious characteristics, but the details are unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apart from the civilians, 13 people died, 10 Valentino members, and 3 from Afterlife, all locals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This destruction—investigation teams believe it was caused by automatic grenade launchers of unknown origin.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No survivors? All killed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mercenaries, no survivors—the ones who were extracted by the Trauma Team, some of them survived.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trauma Team cited client privacy to refuse NCPD’s search warrant, but I can get you information on the personnel at the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, you can use your connections to ask the Valentino people; you have more contacts in that area than I do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright...\" Lille looked at the passing scenery outside the window and remarked, \"Those Europeans sure brought in some impressive stuff.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Impressive stuff?\" Blais exaggeratedly questioned, then shook his head in painful disbelief, \"Do you know how much effort it took just to control Night City’s crime rate and battle intensity to this current level?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If we let the Europeans run wild, we might see power armor on the streets by next year!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Voodoo Gang got their hands on those things...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The thought made Blais shiver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Voodoo Gang usually took on less visible tasks, but high-tech and high-intensity gear were not in their typical arsenal of explosive hardware.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille found it a bit amusing: Blais truly saw himself as network police.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he patted Blais on the shoulder: \"Little brother, why not come and work with me? There’s no future with network surveillance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Heh.\" Blais dropped the painful look and turned, expressionless, \"A street thug trying to poach from network surveillance? Nice try.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mind your words—Night City’s most badass big brother,\" Lille shrugged, \"By the way, why is our destination City Hall?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ll see when we get there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blais closed his eyes and leaned back in the seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to admit that this booked taxi ride was indeed luxurious, with heated and massaging seats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The car fell silent, and Lille then noticed the aroma therapy feature was active.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>1,200 euros per session for neuro-relaxant aroma therapy, high-end Biotechnology merchandise...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Does this miserable company have so much money?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All the detailed information is in here, including the advanced knowledge about AIs you need,\" Blais said, pulling out a chip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lille took the chip, not dwelling on the subject, and prepared to insert it for learning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before starting, Lille asked one more question, \"Are there only these two types of AI? No third type?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There used to be rumors that each district’s internet itself was a massive AI, but, you know, the internet no longer exists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least for now, we can’t observe such so-called super AIs; past matters remain unverified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rather than trusting those street legends, it’s better to study the verified knowledge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blais, eyes closed, nonchalantly answered Lille’s query.\u003C\u002Fp>",1421,"2026-06-03T12:33:12.909Z","2026-06-03T12:33:19.803Z",1,"novelbin.me","b38ccfaba7c55af6490a1c99b41351f47ba9150d62c5727d768fa5dd5b242e7d","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-400","cyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-chapter-398",1068,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fcyberpunk-cross-dimensional-science-and-engineer-cover.jpg"]