My Cyber Psychosis is Task Prompt-Chapter 426 - 258: Kenichi Sora

This is risky.

Although John hides the secret of Black Light, some of the special traits on him have already been more or less exposed.

The Special Inhibitor is an exception!

This thing has a physical form, is hard to hide, and was given as a mission reward, with the method of making it transmitted directly into the brain. Even John himself can’t explain the specifics!

John usually only inserts a chip to eliminate side effects when his body shows symptoms. He hasn’t tried wearing a chip for long periods of action yet.

The main reason is the shadow left by the network surveillance action. If outdoors, he gets pinned down by SAT or network surveillance, and a piece of inhibitor is found on him, there’s no way to explain!

The situation isn’t much better now.

Under the eyelids of two rogue AIs, inserting an unknown chip deep down, who knows what might happen!

Dare to gamble?

[Countdown: 5s (Cancel)]

Time doesn’t allow John to hesitate.

He chooses to trust his previous task experiences and inserts an extra piece of Special Inhibitor into his neck.

The scene in front of him collapses and reshapes again.

The fighting arena in "Cyber Era" has changed its appearance.

The tatami floor floats in a data grid, the surrounding walls have become fragmented data, and red warning messages are pasted onto the broken scene like patches.

Kenichi Sora sits cross-legged on the floor, fingers interlocked, smiling as he looks up at the sky.

Behind him, a deep blue data turbulence crashes through a narrow information channel, constantly damaging new files, like a giant beast trapped in a cage.

"Who are you really?"

Kenichi Sora withdraws his gaze and stares at John.

"The server has already started a global scan. We only have two minutes to chat. You confess honestly, or I’ll burn your brain into mush directly?"

Sizzle—

The mosaic-made cracks spread across the floor.

John feels like someone has hit him in the head with a hammer, almost passing out, but is pulled out of the severe pain and forced to stay awake.

"Fuck, do something, damn it! The target is already identified for you, I’ve done my best to appease the kid, surely you can’t just watch him fry me!"

John yells at the Serum while lying on the floor.

Kenichi Sora’s expression changes slightly, touching his chin thoughtfully.

[Serum: I haven’t been idle, John. The server administrator is about to go crazy. You need to get ’Sora’ out of Cyber Era, convince him!]

"You’re joking! I’m not a hacker; I can’t dig out rogue AIs from deep diving games. Why wasn’t this clearly explained earlier!"

John widens his eyes, staring at the young boy sitting amidst data fragments.

Kenichi Sora smiles and nods his chin at him.

[Serum: I’ve been in contact with Sora. It knows what to do. Whether you survive depends on its willingness to move its butt.]

The voice channel is filled with electrical noises.

John cuts off the team communication, sneering, realizing he’s fallen into Serum’s trap.

He raises a middle finger at the boy in front of him.

"Fuck off, bitch! You and Serum are in collusion, right!? You had contact earlier and brought me here, which means you wanted me to act as a vehicle!"

"Whoa~ You’re so angry, buddy. Though I’m not sure what you’re misunderstanding, I’m definitely not a co-conspirator with that guy outside!"

Kenichi Sora turns his head to look at the broken wall behind him.

When John disconnected, Sora tried to leave but was forcibly kept by Serum’s vector cage.

"Serum sent you, right? Yeah, it did mention an escape plan from the server, but I’m still considering it. If you’ve been tricked, you can’t pin the blame on me!"

"Who cares, damn rogue AI, I’m quitting!"

John prepares to activate Black Light, forcibly isolating the impact of the headband and pulling himself out of this mess.

"Whoa, hey, wait, wait a moment! You’re, you’re leaving!?"

Sora suddenly becomes agitated, his eyes wide, and his voice stutters.

He raises his hands to stop John, getting close but raising both palms up as if afraid he’ll run away!

"This process isn’t right, is it? Aren’t you supposed to try to persuade me? Use benefits for exchange, negotiation tactics, find a way to make me agree to leave the server with you, isn’t that proper?"

"Heh."

John sneers, staring at him like looking at a child.

"Sorry, I came to save lives, not to sacrifice mine. That crazy data lump outside wants me to use my body to be a smuggler taxi for rogue AI, no chance!"

"Hey, don’t be like that~"

Kenichi Sora disappears on the spot and reappears by John’s shoulder.

"Things aren’t as bad as you think, and not using your body, let me explain it clearly..."

He waves his arms, and the scene in front of them completely shatters, exposing the "real" situation of cyberspace under consciousness observation.

Light and data traverse the black space like bullets, alert information forms dense walls compressing from all directions, while the space they move around is an almost broken cage.

"Ahem, sorry, don’t be afraid, buddy; Serum can withstand it."

Kenichi Sora touches his nose, hugging John’s shoulder like afraid he’ll run away, waving again to piece together the virtual headband’s outline, pointing at one illuminated component explaining.

"I will be stored in the neural interface’s slow-release area. The security protocol will protect your leading personality. The whole process will be as relaxed as watching a movie; it’ll be a little uncomfortable, but that’s minor; I can compensate you!"

"..."

John doesn’t speak anymore, staring at him expressionlessly.

Sora claps his hands, using virtual data to sketch various things in the air.

"What did Serum use to buy you? Mercenaries act for a reason, I don’t quite understand the rules, money, sports cars, illegal prosthetic bodies, top sex dolls, or you want to run away with some girl never to return to Eden City?"

He describes with enthusiasm, his mouth never stopping, afraid John will suddenly disappear from the game world.

"Heh."

John sneers.

"You want to escape too, right? Then why be coy, make a deal with Serum, let it send a taxi to take you away!"

"Uh... It’s complicated; many want to take me out. The company wants me to work for them in the server, dismantled, analyzed. Serum wants my data body to refine her algorithm."

Sora crosses his legs, flickering and drifting with a bitter smile.

"Mr. Mercenary, every way out has a price; they can see I’m restless, so everyone waits at the exit, and once I show up, it’s sack and knife time!"

He makes a gesture of inserting two fingers into the air in front.

John becomes interested in this rogue AI, maybe due to its words about being trapped and tricked.

He doesn’t directly cut the connection nor fully believe.

The words of a rogue AI are like the soul resonance of a sex doll in bed, aren’t they?

"Then what’s clinging to me mean?"

John directly asks.

Pop!

Sora claps his hands, flashing beside John again, raising his hand to condense the outline of the headband in the air.

He points at the neck area of the holographic projection, asking.

"Because I discovered another way out on you, not belonging to the company, nor to other AIs, but something magical, look, here, this chip has a sufficient buffering area."

"..."

John’s expression instantly becomes complex.

Sora, however, reveals a knowing smile.

"Aha, this thing is indeed your private stash, right? Don’t worry, I noticed it upon reconnection. I used server data to cover for you, not even Serum knows you’ve brought a chip in!"

He clenches both fists, no longer having the aura from their first meeting, like a flashy kid ready to pull a prank.

"Name your price, mercenary!"