Chapter 527 - 498: Lightning Fast

Human logic typically does not support multitasking.

Someone might ask, "Isn’t it very normal to multitask? I can open an adult video on my mobile device while relaxing myself."

While human instincts indeed support multitasking, logical, complex thought usually requires focus on one task at a time.

For example, here are two very simple math problems: ∫1^3 (2x^3 - 4x^2 + x - 5) dx; ∫0^pi (sin(x)* cos(x)) dx; try solving them simultaneously.

Learn to distinguish between instinct and thought.

However, rapid thinking and efficient execution can make you appear as a multi-thread thinker in the eyes of others.

When you can solve two problems in half a second while others can’t even solve one, in their eyes, you may be considered a "multi-threaded" thinker.

—— "Arasaka Academy·Introduction to Logic (Adult Education Material)"

It was only after coming to Night City and gaining a certain understanding of the human brain that Munemasa obtained this information.

After taking over the authentic brain, he also acquired a lot of information in his head, one important tactic being: as a ninja, you must learn "multi-threaded attacks."

However, it is not human; it can think multi-threadly.

Sensors operate.

Light, vibration, changes in air composition, temperature changes, and even faint electromagnetic signal fluctuations—complex signals were perceived by Munemasa through the most primitive electrical sensing.

Humans need to decode signals, it does not.

All it needs to do is face the data and implement the solutions set in the model—

Bang!

The legendary Mackinaw’s rapid deceleration suddenly allowed the Centaur Chariot to overtake, this armored truck, even after dismantling many damaged components and scrapping two motorcycles, still weighed a ton.

Just listening to the sound of the brake friction on the ground, Munemasa realized that if the Centaur War Machine got hit like this, it might cause a sprain.

And his main target, the guy carrying the Brain Demon Gang’s mainframe, had already jumped off and fled.

The focus is the people in the car.

Jack was using Power Armor, this type of Power Armor might not be heavy-duty compared to similar equipment, but its performance and functionality were top-notch.

But Munemasa could distinctly feel the heat generated by the armor through the infrared sensors, which allowed him to roughly analyze the armor’s principles and operational status.

Battery and biological energy were the main power sources for this armor; both have limits, Munemasa was somewhat surprised, but it looked like the battery would reach its limit first.

Then there was V, her movements were so fast that one might think she had the unparalleled judgment of AI, but in fact, she extremely relied on instinct.

And instincts depend on the senses, senses can be deceived.

Fianlly, there was Lille, honestly, he was the human Munemasa found the hardest to make a definite judgment on.

Although from the outside, this guy seemed mediocre in combat, the plethora of sensors made Munemasa realize that the flexibility of those three Octopus Arms was beyond imagination. To fully utilize the mechanical design’s flexibility required equally spec’d computational power.

Humans could not maintain such computation while doing other tasks simultaneously.

Munemasa had always believed that Lille was very likely also an AI, and this probability skyrocketed after the competition started.

But now, he had a second judgment: the Octopus Arm "hosted" an AI.

Although he didn’t know how that was possible, the likelihood was high.

Lastly, there was that car—

It was just a car.

The sensors collected data, converting it into electrical signals, entering it into the database, the processor finished running, electrical feedback.

In front of the thinking speed of AI, even Si Anweisitan seemed lackluster.

In one second, with the help of the high-jump from the Octopus Arm, V who had leapt high had not even crossed the less than 50 meters distance, both the Centaur War Machine and Munemasa’s main body started moving synchronously.

Hiss—

The second second.

Time crawled to V’s reaction speed, legendary Mackinaw created exaggerated sparks on the ground, the foul smell hadn’t even had time to spread, and the vehicle and the Centaur War Machine collided—

Or almost collided.

The four-legged war machine lifted its legs, reminiscent of it not solely relying on wheels and tracks for high-speed movement.

The war machine made a four-legged animal-like leap forward, it seemed it would just avoid colliding with the legendary Mackinaw — at least its front legs were destined to avoid it.

V, standing on Octopus Arm barely thirty centimeters in radius, Lille controlled the Octopus Arm, converting all the energy from the battery into mechanical energy stored in the activity components of the Octopus Arm.

The elongated Octopus Arm, like a whip, sequentially released power towards the end, V’s two robust legs fully exerted force, feeling this immense power, the Enhanced Achilles Tendon and synthetic muscles made slight sounds at the microscopic level—

The synthetic fibers were about to burst!

The speed suddenly increased to 120 kilometers per hour, so fast that to ordinary people, it was merely a shadow flying past on the street!

And this was not yet the limit of the force she could withstand—

The two arms responsible for wielding the Mantis Blade felt even greater pressure, the built-in mechanism of the Mantis Blade sprung open, maintaining the previous high-speed launch at such high speed, the tip’s linear speed far exceeding 120 kilometers per hour!

And the speed at which the blade shot out wasn’t conjured from thin air; momentum accumulated onto the arms and body.

So, V only had one chance to adjust her blade swing.

Hush!

Steam clouds erupted from Munemasa’s surface!

An extremely bright red laser, preceding the steam, shone onto the visor of V’s helmet, the high-frequency flashing causing the optical sensors to experience a brief paralysis—this slight disturbance turned her world red!

When one loses their vision, instinct becomes ineffective.

Suddenly, V’s posture became more conservative, arms shifting to a position more suitable for defense, as the system reboot would occur swiftly, and her instincts inclined her towards defense.

Munemasa was leaning forward in the steam.

Boom!

The third second!

The flow of time suited Jack’s reaction speed, his fist accelerating again with explosive propulsion!

In Jack’s eyes, the world was fast, and he could only perform predictive actions, among them, the Rocket Punch!

With both fists in front, the turbo propulsion device accelerated for a final time, the blazing flame and smoke serving as his best cover!

He aimed to directly destroy the Centaur War Machine!

But he didn’t feel the sensation of hitting the target at all, as the Centaur War Machine seemed to leap like some kind of quadruped animal, and the Rocket Punch merely grazed the belly of the mecha!

The immense power combined with the high heat on the surface of the glove resulted in severe deformation of the armor’s surface, even from just a graze!

However, it ultimately did not damage the Centaur War Machine!

Moreover, Jack felt something step on him.

V’s vision had recovered by then, and she clearly saw—

It was Munemasa!

The attacking paths of Jack and her were one high and one low, one aimed at Munemasa, the other at the war machine, with only a small gap between them!

Who would choose to dive into this deathly gap? No one!

If something went wrong there, it would result in being torn apart!

But Munemasa managed it!

His mechanized prosthetics produced two more arms from his shoulders looking like crude industrial limbs, each launching a rocket at the seam of Jack’s power armor’s neck and V’s left leg...

He intended to capitalize on the explosion to directly target Lille, the unstable element!

In the eyes of outsiders, Jack and V seemed like the greatest threats, but for Munemasa, sorting out Lille first meant humans were simply no match for him!

The firing pins of the rockets detonated prematurely, and the explosion would also affect Munemasa, but the acquired speed was sufficient for him to break through the mechanical reaction limit of the Octopus Arm!

And indeed, that was the case!

One of Lille’s Octopus Arms was used to launch V, another to stabilize his body, while the last, shorter and thinner one had a reaction limit!

The claw charged directly at Munemasa, a brief calculation confirming his anticipation!

He could break through the defense!

The fourth second—

It was when Munemasa fully confirmed the high viability of his tactic, at 99.9%!

"First blood!"

Munemasa’s wrist ejected a scorching short blade, the blade pointed forward, directly targeting Lille—

Yet Lille’s expression remained utterly unchanged, as if he couldn’t react in time.

But upon closer inspection, it was clear that from the start, there hadn’t been any subjective changes in Lille’s expressions or limbs.

It was as if he was uncontrolled.

Munemasa’s processor quivered—

This appearance was completely different from how he was at the start of the competition.

It was as if he were running other calculations.

The more complex the logical thinking, the less likely humans can perform multitasking...

Lille was now using all regions of his brain, fully driving the Octopus Arms, making their movements almost identical to those made when Little Octopus was controlling them!

This deceived Munemasa!

[0.1% probability: Alien Mechanical Arm manually controlled.]

[Probability confirmed.]

[New query: Is there an AI?]

[New query: If there is, why did the Octopus Arm AI disappear?]

[New query...]

Zzz—

An unusual external current surged from his leg, and a fully armed Octopus Arm appeared in Cyberspace, completely breaching the integrity of his body!

[System anomaly: Left leg out of control.]

Boom!

Two rockets exploded behind him, causing the gyroscopes that lost sensor feedback to spin erratically, plunging Munemasa into chaos!

[Query resolved.]