Chapter 8: I Became a Hacker Loved by AIs

Aptitude Test (3)

After stabilizing my coordinates, the next obstacle was the wolves.

God, if only I weren’t stuck in the body of a five-year-old girl right now.

If this were my previous life, back when I was a nineteen-year-old guy, those wolves would’ve been—

[So cool! o(≧▽≦)o]

—eating me alive, most likely.

I mean, seriously. Dozens of wolves? Isn’t that a bit much?

[Σ(°△°|||)]

Sure, they weren’t real wolves, they were only made of data, but that didn’t make them any less dangerous.

There was only one path forward, and it was completely blocked.

It was a really simple but difficult problem.

What now…?

I leaned on the door, staring blankly, running through options in my head.

But this time, V beat me to the solution.

[Bitmancer’s essence isn’t brute force.]

‘What do you mean?’

[The ICE’s warning identified master’s actions as ‘infiltration’.]

Ah. Right.

I’m not here to wage war.

I’m ‘hacking.’

Not slashing through enemies with swords, not gunning them down, but slicing through layers of logic in cyberspace.

At first, I thought being a hacker meant breaking down this maze head-on.

But V was telling me otherwise, that there were more precise ways in, which was infiltration.

‘Got an idea?’

[Proposal: Hack through the wall and bypass them entirely.]

Of course.

The walls here are ultimately just data assigned the role of a wall.

If I rewrite its properties through hacking, it stops being one.

‘…You're finally acting competent again.’

[(•̀ᴗ•́)و]

‘Funny how you only forget your ‘based on my brain’ line when you’re being clever.’

[Σ(°△°|||)]

But one thing still bugged me.

‘Won’t the system detect me passing through the wall?’

Sniffing data flows and stealing encryption keys? I can do that now.

But surely ICE wouldn’t just let me hack the wall unnoticed.

[Correct. Additional proposal: Large-scale infiltration operation.]

[Duplicate yourself and attack from multiple points simultaneously.]

‘…What?’

Duplicate… myself?

I was briefly flustered by the unexpected proposal, but when I thought about it, it wasn't impossible.

This is cyberspace. Everything is data.

Why should humans be the exception?

‘But can my brain handle that?’

After all, there’s still only one of me, which means one brain.

If I split into copies, the computational load would skyrocket.

[Copies will be degraded versions of the original. This will reduce processing demands.]

[Also, you may want to reconsider how highly you value your own brainpower.]

I smiled.

With V saying that, I actually felt confident.

‘Let’s do it.’

V and I began computing in sync.

What I was extracting wasn’t code, it was me.

What I was organizing were my memories, ego, physical parameter and so on—purged to leave behind only blank puppets that obey my command.

What I was packaging was my appearance and internal data—fake signals that was convincing enough to fool any system into thinking they’re me.

[Extraction: Data copy created. Integrity 100%.]

[Organizing: Memory, ego, and body information purged. Central command structure established.]

[Packaging: Fake signal module completed. Observational discrepancy: 0%.]

Before me, multiple clones began to form.

Right now, I could handle thirteen copies. Fourteen if you count me.

I had pushed my computing power to the absolute edge, leaving only the minimum margin for safety.

I already feel a slight heat in my head. No, I think it's really hot.

Each clone took on the exact appearance of me: a young girl, identical in every way.

Looking at the clones, I raised my right hand.

There was still no special reaction from them yet.

‘Central command.’

But when I sent the data and raised my left hand, all 13 girls raised their hands in unison.

I couldn’t help but smile a little at the strange sense of satisfaction.

Then the 13 girls smiled just like me.

‘Oh. When we all do it at once like that…’

I’m ridiculously cute. Unfairly pretty, even.

[Master’s body was created by Alphabet.]

‘Don’t ruin the mood.’

The preparations were complete.

All fourteen of us placed our hands on the wall, clones and original alike.

Among them, only the main body, me, was holding a dagger in my hand.

‘Let’s begin.’

I plunged the blade into the wall.

The sniffing hacking code activated, once again intercepting the internal data flow.

[Partial data interception completed. Reanalysis efficiency improved by 78%.]

Since I’d done this before, it was faster this time and used less computation power.

[Decryption progress: 100%]

[Key successfully extracted.]

[Initiating large-scale infiltration.]

At the same time as V’s signal, all fourteen “me’s” phased into the wall at once.

We didn’t break through.

We converted ourselves into data and rode the internal data flow through the wall.

If it were a house, it would be like infiltrating by slipping in through the plumbing, electrical wiring, ventilation shafts, not smashing through the wall.

[Ghost Layer Embedding initialized.]

[Embedding new data layer within enemy’s data layer.]

[Success. (•̀ᴗ•́)و]

Fourteen entities split and spread throughout the maze, flowing naturally through the data streams.

As I moved, a complete map of the maze began forming in my mind, sketched out by the paths my clones were taking.

‘Something’s off. This is way too easy.’

If a Bitmancer could just bypass the maze using wall infiltration, why did the ICE even bother building it?

Wouldn’t that be like designing a trap with an obvious escape hatch?

[Warning: Exit the wall immediately.]

I didn’t hesitate.

I’d been gliding through the data network when V’s alert flashed in my head, and I yanked myself out right away.

At the same time, I issued commands to my clones to pull back as well.

I emerged onto a corridor within the maze.

I couldn't see any wolves or Cerberus around yet.

‘Why did you tell me to come ou—’

I didn’t even finish the question.

Right behind me, a eerie wave of red static passed through the wall where I had just come out.

[DDoS wave detected. Executed to annihilate intruders within the wall.]

[High-output. Lethal to even high-level Bitmancers.]

So that’s it.

The maze has meaning because wall infiltration is so dangerous.

Now I understand.

Inserting my body into enemy-structured data means walking straight into the enemy’s hands.

I only did it because I had no other choice — the wolves were blocking the other path.

Still, I felt a slight chill at the fact that I would have died if I had been hit by that wave just now.

While checking if any of the clones had been hit by the wave, I saw a wolf appeared in one of the clones’ line of sight.

The moment their eyes met, it jumped in without hesitation and attacked the clone.

[Copy #4 detected. Terminated.]

But before it could land a clean hit, V preemptively wiped the clone.

[Wolves are now dispersed and actively hunting infiltrators.]

[If a copy is attacked directly, enemy may backtrace the data stream and expose the original. Caution advised.]

Meaning: if I hadn’t terminated the clone right before the attack, my true location might’ve been compromised.

‘Let’s remake that one.’

[Danger: Must restart from extraction. Can’t intercept the wolves if it gets too close.]

‘…Then just monitor. If any clone is about to be hit, erase it on the spot.’

[Command acknowledged.]

Now I had a handle on the situation.

This was their home turf, and I had to act accordingly and cautiously.

But that didn’t mean I was helpless.

Because I had the map we’d drawn during the coordinated infiltration.

It's hard to get a sense of it because all sides are blocked by walls.

But the maze itself was smaller than I’d expected.

And within that limited space, I could clearly identify several key points.

[Merging data from all copies. Secured security map.]

[Detected systems:]

[– Intruder containment system.]

[– Vaccine: Wolf command system.]

[– Illegal intrusion identification system.]

[– +4 auxiliary subsystems.]

[No sign of Cerberus Protocol core location.]

These were the essential components that kept the security system running.

Think of them like control rooms in an amusement park — vital infrastructure, but tucked away behind the scenes.

Some of these systems were even hidden in remote corners, just like you'd hide a ride’s control booth from the guests.

A theme park where wolves hunt humans in a maze.

Now that’s a concept.

I should pitch it to some artsy megacorp. I'd easily make 200 billion euros.

No… focus.

I have deeply entered the enemy system and even grasped the internal structure.

[Copy #7 detected. Terminated.]

But even now, the 'vaccine' wolves were still out there, looking for me.

Each time a clone got erased, my burning-hot brain cooled ever so slightly.

Still, that wasn’t exactly good news.

Time was running out.

‘Wait a second. Why are the security systems inside the maze? Wouldn’t the intruder be able to just destroy them?’

[Correct.]

[To prevent that, systems should ideally be either moved outside the structure or absorbed into the core for unified protection.]

[However, both options increase computational cost and decrease system efficiency.]

If you offload the systems externally, you’d have to build a communication structure between them and the mainframe.

That increases data load and exposes the signal to eavesdropping.

Which means you also have to encrypt and hide the comms.

And that’s just the start.

There are many other problems that can occur.

A single structural change could spike computational load several times over.

‘…This is a commercial-grade ICE, after all.’

How many customers buying this product would even own a cyberware capable of handling higher computation loads?

As a profit-driven company, this setup was the optimal compromise.

And that fact becomes a clue for me to destroy Cerberus.

‘Found it. A vulnerability.’

A structural flaw.

One a skilled Bitmancer would immediately exploit.

Now I understood why this thing posed no real threat to experienced Bitmancers.

All I had to do was move to the right location marked on the map and destroy the system using a data weapon loaded with hacking code.

The only issue left was the system’s internal security protocol, the wolves.

[Copy #2 and #3 detected. Terminated.]

[Remaining copies: 10, including the original.]

[Probability of death increasing. Recommending offensive weapon design for all-out war.]

Using the computational power freed up as the clones disappeared, I generated a lightweight handgun loaded with DDoS shells and held it in my hand.

In a five-year-old's body, there was no tool easier to handle than a gun.

‘…Will this even kill them?’

[Effective destructive power against individual wolves.]

‘So if all of us fire at once, it should work pretty well, right?’

[Valid strategy.]

Nice.

A self-defense equipment for neutralizing the wolves — check.

Now I needed a solid plan.

Even with weapons, breaking through wolf-patrolled corridors and manually destroying each system would be nearly impossible.

I was thinking hard when an idea struck me.

I glanced at the wall.

‘If Cerberus has limited processing power, then it can’t flood all the walls with DDoS waves at once, can it?’

[Correct.]

The plan is simple:

I’d reenter the walls.

When a DDoS wave approaches, I jump out.

When it fades, I go back in.

Using mobility to attack and escape—

Repeating the cycle until the entire internal system collapses.

Yeah. This would work.

I pointed the dagger at the wall, but then paused for a moment.

I knew I had to act fast.

But still, I hesitated.

If I’m even a second too slow exiting the wall, I will die.

I'll die if the wolves catch me, and I'll die if I make a mistake in the process of destroying the system.

And yet, I didn’t feel afraid.

What I was about to do was twist, toy with, and ultimately obliterate their entire security structure from the inside.

If someone told me they had to catch a cockroach that could phase through walls at will… yeah, that’d be terrifying.

But that cockroach is me, isn't it?

‘V, I think I might be a natural at this. Unexpectedly, it doesn’t scare me, it just sounds… fun.’

[You were always a natural, Master.]

Her mechanical tone made me smile faintly.

A mage who bends data to their will—

Bitmancer.

The title has a nice ring to it.

I slammed the dagger into the wall.

[Key acquired.]

We’d done this twice before.

V ripped the encryption apart in seconds.

I and the remaining clones in each location simultaneously infiltrated the wall—

And far off in the distance, a DDoS wave surged toward us.

‘Rendezvous point: The wolf command system room.’

With ten bodies still intact, I was taking out the vaccine first.

If I eliminated the wolves now, I wouldn’t have to lose another clone later.

Before the DDoS wave could hit, I dumped every drop of computational power I had into accelerating the speed of all clones.

What I saw when I came out of the wall were eight other me's.

One is gone.

[Copy #13 hit. Terminated.]

I also spotted the core data block of the vaccine system, and six wolves positioned around it for protection.

I directed the three clones nearest to the wolves, pushing all available computational power into arming them with guns.

The three raised their weapons and fired simultaneously.

Three wolves were hit, one for each shooter.

But numbers prevailed, and the rest of the wolves closed in and tore the clones apart.

[Copy #1, #8, and #12 terminated.]

That left just six of us, myself included.

Without wasting time, we all turned our weapons toward the data block and opened fire.

[Effective attack. Target data block destroyed.]

I watched the data block shatter into digital fragments and immediately turned my gaze back to the wolves.

Without that system, they shouldn’t be able to move anymore.

They couldn’t.

And just as expected, the wolves stopped attacking.

Their bodies began to unravel, collapsing into unstable data.

Did we win...?

But the joy was short-lived.

The wolves suddenly froze mid-collapse, then started regenerating.

[Cerberus core intervention detected. The core is temporarily handling vaccine system calculations.]

‘What?’

[Tactical advantage: Enemy’s computational efficiency drastically reduced.]

So you’re going to desperately hold on until the end, huh?

Fine. Let’s see how long you can last.

I stabbed the dagger into the wall again.

The six me's simultaneously re-infiltrate the wall.

[System priority index compiled.]

[‘Intruder Containment System’ holds the highest priority. Destroying it will collapse all auxiliary systems at once.]

In that case, don’t touch it.

No doubt it’s heavily defended, probably crawling with wolves.

‘Rendezvous point: Illegal Intrusion Identification System.’

The speed of the data waves that flew at us every time we infiltrated was noticeably slower.

That alone confirmed the enemy was taking damage.

We dodged the weakened waves with ease, then all six of us emerged simultaneously inside the target room.

The wolves that came charging were met with six pistols unloading DDoS shells in perfect sync.

Clean kill.

No time wasted.

We immediately turned our guns on the system module and opened fire. As the code shattered, we phased back into the wall.

[Previous encounter: unable to eliminate 6 wolves.]

[Current encounter: eliminated over 18.]

[Master is improving in real-time.]

V’s praise came just as we broke through to the next room after overcoming another DDoS wave.

The ImmuneWire product system.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…!”

Now they covered the system’s data block with a wall?

What, you think I can’t break through that?

I formed a massive data weapon.

Its shape is an elongated Japanese sword.

A katana.

I pack it full of concentrated hacking codes that match its size.

Meanwhile, I could hear them.

Wolves—dozens of them—began to flood in from outside the room.

I dispatched three clones to intercept.

The three of them bought time by shooting at the front lines, until they were overrun and torn apart by the wave of wolves.

[Copy #5, #6, and #11 terminated.]

In that brief window, I swung the katana wide, cutting through the wall and the system behind it in a single arc.

The sensation was strange.

A five-year-old girl shouldn’t be able to swing a weapon like this.

It should’ve been impossibly heavy.

But the result was undeniable.

The wall split clean down the middle, and the block shattered.

After confirming the destroyed data block, I dismissed the weapon and immediately stabbed the dagger into the wall again, escaping alongside my remaining two clones—#9 and #10.

Now only three of us remained.

[Halt.]

‘Why?’

I was moving urgently when V suddenly sent a hard stop signal.

[Most of the internal compartments have been destroyed.]

[The enemy is destroying its own auxiliary systems, shifting all remaining computational power into the core. Prioritizing survival.]

So you’re going to protect only the most important system?

Come to think of it, the DDoS waves had stopped.

Guess they don’t even have spare computational power anymore.

[Warning: Danger level extremely high.]

The enemy was coiled up, pulling every last ounce of its remaining power inward.

And yeah, just like V said, it was going to be brutal.

But I wasn’t exactly weak anymore either.

How many skills have I learned in this place?

I hacked through walls.

I built guns to take down wolves.

I even forged data weapons stronger than anything I’d ever imagined.

And now, with the clones reduced to just a few, my computational power has increased—

Which means each of the remaining clone is becoming elite, receiving a concentrated amount of computational power.

‘We break through immediately. No more breathing room for them.’

***

Intruder Containment System.

That was where the Cerberus Core made its final stand.

All the auxiliary systems were already gone.

It was very difficult for the Core alone to support all those systems.

Its collapsing computational efficiency was putting brutal pressure on the entire protocol.

And yet… this room was still a fortress.

Walls of hardened data blocks.

Wolves fused into living shields, guarding the blocks with their bodies.

And at the center, Cerberus itself.

It may have looked desperate, but it was a defense that mobilized all the remaining power of ICE, deployed to protect the heart.

The number of remaining intruders had already been identified.

Three.

It didn’t know which one was the original, but it knew exactly what to prioritize.

At that moment, Cerberus's code reacted.

Intruders approaching.

Intruder approaching.

It detected an unfamiliar data flow from the ceiling of the room.

Cerberus raised its head.

A single clone dropped through the ceiling, pistol in hand.

This is not a threat.

This one couldn’t do anything alone.

The real target is the original.

Cerberus scanned. It had to find her.

A beat later, two more clones dropped.

Both armed with massive data weapons, aiming to strike the system.

Hypothesis: First one was a decoy.

Conclusion: One of the next two was the original.

Without hesitation, Cerberus immediately jumped up.

Two of its three heads snapped forward, tearing into each attacker before they could swing.

Blocked successfully.

The system was safe.

But deep within Cerberus's logic, a new message surfaced.

Intruder origin backtracing complete.

Coordinate values displayed.

After checking the tracked coordinates, Cerberus’s last remaining head twisted downward frantically.

It wasn’t either of the ones it just killed.

It was the first one.

The decoy was the real one.

Wolves rushed in from all sides.

Cerberus also turned its main body to strike—

But it was too late.

In the situation where they were rushing in from all directions, the original moved faster than anything, as if she existed in a different timeline.

In her hands was an odachi, larger than any data weapon she’d made before.

She moved into stance and aimed it directly at the final system.

"All clones have been terminated, which means…"

All available computational power has returned to the original.

And in cyberspace, physical movement is ultimately dictated by computational strength.

The great odachi slices through the system in a single, diagonal arc.

Within the Cerberus Protocol's internal code, a final line appears:

'SECURITY SYSTEM COMPLETELY COLLAPSED. REMAINING INTEGRITY: 0%'

The next moment, the entire maze splits along the diagonal.

Golden trails of decaying data shimmer outward as the world collapses.

***

[Master, it's not over yet. The core is still intact.]

The last system had fallen.

And then, the world shifted.

I found myself floating in the air, high above the exact place where Cerberus had first hit me with the DNS spoofing attack.

Below, I could see the children and Enora, looking up at me.

At the same altitude, a woman in a black suit was watching me with an amused expression.

And next to her, Cerberus was collapsing, spewing out tremendous errors.

I had returned to the starting point.

[Descent imminent. This isn’t a fall. It's a correction of invalid coordinates.]

[You must finish Cerberus.]

Right.

No such thing as fall damage in cyberspace.

I tightened my grip on the odachi.

I created footholds in the air and flew towards Cerberus, using them as stepping stones.

At that moment, Cerberus moved and began to make 'noise.'

[[[WARNING: Security system has collapsed.]]]

[[[Final protocol initiated. All customer data will be destroyed.]]]

Red code coalesced across its three heads, forming unstable, hostile data clusters.

[Warning: DDoS Howl incoming.]

[Uncontrolled, indiscriminate DDoS attack. A final struggle to avoid handing data over to the intruder, even if it means destroying 'customer' data.]

The moment I heard “indiscriminate,” I looked down.

All my friends were still below.

I could clearly see Clea’s face.

If I didn’t act, they’d be wiped out too.

But before I could make a move, an anomaly occurred in the space where black-suited woman was.

A giant snake launched outward at impossible speed, and coiled around the children like an umbrella, shielding them from above.

Good.

Whatever that thing was, it would protect them.

So now... what about me?

In front of me, the DDoS Howl was seconds from detonating.

If I got hit by that, I’d probably die, right?

For a split second, my mind flashed back to the Erebus Line, to the sight of the man who had his brain and neural networks fried alive.

In the moment of desperation, V’s message appeared before me:

[Target's computational efficiency has reduced extremely due to the system collapse. Master’s current computational power overwhelms Cerberus.]

[Master, Protocol V is a sister of Alphabet.]

[You can do this. (•̀ᴗ•́)و]

‘I believe in you.’

[Warning: Do not give 'the answer' to anything.]

‘…What?’

I continued my charge toward Cerberus.

The DDoS Howl detonated—

A blast of red data consumed my body.

And in that instant, what I saw was...

My little sister’s face.

And our home.

“Oppa, how do I solve this?”

“Solve what?”

The reply left my mouth by habit.

As if I was talking to my family I’d lived with for years.

I slowly looked down at the workbook my little sister had been working on.

A simple math problem: 1 + 1 = ?

“Why are you even asking me this?”

“Becaaause~ I don’t know. Tell me.”

“Hey, don’t mess with me.”

As I frowned, unsure how to respond, my sister suddenly said in a cold and somewhat chilling voice.

“I said... tell me the answer. The answer.”

Huh?

Did my sister always sound like this?

“Answer me. Aren’t you going to answer? Your sweet little sister is asking you a question.”

No. This wasn’t her.

This wasn’t the sister I knew.

“Oppa. Answer.”

In that moment when I was flustered by my sister's pressure and weird demand—

An emoticon suddenly appeared on the workbook page:

[o(≧▽≦)o ♡]

“…Huh?”

[Data encryption complete.]

[All DDoS rejected.]

[Cognitive integrity: 100%]

I burst out of the red DDoS wave.

The odachi, Cerberus, me, and V.

Attack is me. Defense is V.

The weapon is the odachi. And the target is Cerberus.

My awareness fully restored, the situation came into focus in an instant.

I smirked and adjusted my grip on the blade.

My sister…

If she were still alive, she might’ve seen the war with Alphabet.

Would she have survived?

And if she had, what would she think of me now, making a deal with Alphabet?

To hear that answer, I must survive too.

So I shouted into the collapsing world.

Your big brother is alive and having a damn good time!

“Thanks doggy! I had a fun time!”

The odachi cut through Cerberus's body in a straight line.

The data, which was already in a state of collapse, could not withstand any further attacks and was completely torn apart.

When the fall ended, the only thing that dropped with me were scraps of broken code.

It was over.

The joy of winning and the exhaustion that came with the release of tension surged in at once, knocking the strength out of my legs.

I collapsed to the ground, catching my breath, scanning the aftermath.

Enora just stared at me wide-eyed, speechless.

Yeah, you didn’t think I’d actually pull it off, did you?

Suck it.

[t(- n -)t]

Good job, our V.

I looked up at the sky—

The woman in black clapped deliberately, making sure I could see it.

You better keep that promise to meet me. Got it?

As for my friends… most of them just looked kind of dazed.

I guess from their perspective, I just disappeared and suddenly reappeared alongside a broken data storm.

Just as I was about to quietly get up—

A familiar voice tickled my ear.

“Neige! You did it, right?”

“Clea? Yeah. I won!”

“Awesome!”

She clapped alone, congratulating me.

“You are so cool, Neige!”

Thank you, Clea.

You’re a real friend.

In the next moment, Enora received a comm line from someone, paused, and shouted with awkward acting:

“A-Alright, everyone! Neige defeated the big bad dog! Let’s all give her applause!”

The kids, catching her awkwardness like a virus, clapped unevenly and out of sync.

Ha, even that awkward applause felt kind of nice.

I wanted to end this with style, so what should I do?

Ah right, that will do.

Hacking complete.

========================

TL: Notice the chapter's longer than usual? That's right, the length is more than double the normal chapter, so I will count this as 2 releases (I'm just too lazy to divide it into parts~~)