Chapter 6: I Became a Hacker Loved by AIs

Aptitude Test (1)

It’s been a few days since the exploration beyond the Erebus Line.

That means I’ve gotten used to living in ImmuneWire’s dorms after being sold off from the orphanage—

And it also means I’ve stepped deeper into this world.

When it comes to cyberpunk, it's all about the city.

The orphanage I was in sat on the outskirts, and the city I saw from there didn’t look much different from the one in 2077.

I thought it was natural at the time, since humanity had regressed rather than progressed.

But the core district, where the corporate branches are, is a whole different world.

Massive buildings that block out the sun tower upward like pillars, with roads stretched between them like webs, creating a vertical cityscape.

What was once thought impossible, or at least impractical, in 2077, had become reality by 2160.

There was something even more impressive: cars flying around between those webs.

These were Hoverids.

They zipped between midair roads and the ones below, painting the city’s pulse in vivid motion.

That’s cyberpunk for you.

I want to ride one someday, maybe travel around in it.

Beneath the shadows of skyscrapers, neon light from giant advertising panels gives birth to vivid, kaleidoscopic pockets of space.

In some places, people in suits gather under red lights in a scene straight out of a movie.

In others, the poor huddle together beneath pink glows, sharing in some moment of self-consolation.

...Ugh. I shouldn’t have seen that.

For a five-year-old girl who can’t even reach the top shelf, that was way too much stimulation.

[Σ(°△°|||)]

Honestly, even the ads were a problem.

Some were normal cyberware commercials.

But others were straight-up adult ads without a shred of censorship.

How is that even allowed in the middle of the city?

Then again, if anyone cared about stuff like that, the world wouldn’t be in this mess to begin with.

[Memory deletion possible.]

‘Don’t.’

Even if it’s unpleasant, I don’t like the idea of having my memories erased.

Just like the city was full of variety, I was experiencing all kinds of things myself.

First off, ImmuneWire gave the surviving kids, including me, plenty of rest.

To be honest, that was unexpected.

Of course, I don’t believe for a second it was out of kindness.

More likely, they didn’t want to burn through the "assets" they’d bought too quickly.

Whatever their reasons, it’s true we survived beyond the Erebus Line.

V’s mental torture shows no sign of stopping.

That little gremlin was now simulating semiconductor schematics using my brain.

Not that I know the first thing about how semiconductors work.

What’s next? Trying to solve one of the Millennium Mathematical Problems?

According to V, if I want to keep up with my expanded computational capacity, I have to do at least this much.

She told me flatly that it’s proof my brain’s evolving, so I should suck it up—

And I eventually gave up trying to resist.

In the long run, it’s not a bad deal.

The brain is the one part of the body that even 2160’s technology still can’t replace.

There are all sorts of auxiliary cyberwares, but in the end, they only perform as well as your baseline brain functions.

So V constantly stimulating mine was her way of leveling up this irreplaceable hardware.

Of course, it didn’t stop me from getting killer headaches.

Ugh, I can’t take it anymore.

I need to blow off steam, just this once.

‘Even if I told you to stop, you wouldn’t, would you?’

[Efficiency concerns.]

‘You little shit.’

[Σ(°△°|||)]

Her cute little reaction made me unconsciously chuckle.

Even for an AI, messing with it had its charms.

Maybe someday I’ll build her into a robot maid or something?

Once I do, perhaps I’ll actually be able to see the expressions behind these emoticons.

Wait... is this how Alphabet went off the rails?

Maybe it started with some cyborg girlfriend or boyfriend thing, then went mad after realizing the filth of humans.

I said it as a joke, but it’s actually a serious problem.

If things follow history, then one day V, the AI in my head, will eventually glitch out and go berserk.

That’s the whole point of Alphabet’s experiment to begin with: to observe the process of reaching that meltdown point.

Alphabet claimed that if V ever lost control, it’d just shut her down itself.

But considering this is a mistake it made in the past, it’s not exactly reassuring.

If Alphabet fails to stop V, history might repeat itself.

And if it does, humanity won’t get another shot.

We’re just not strong enough anymore to survive another brush with extinction.

The same V that had been goofing around with me seconds ago suddenly felt terrifying now.

Ugh, forget it.

Might as well enjoy the thrill of walking around with a ticking time bomb in my head.

For now, I had more pressing problems to deal with.

And top of the list was Enora.

Thankfully, Alphabet had done its job properly.

One of my friends told me Enora had been calling the kids in one by one and diving into cyberspace with them.

She probably tried digging through their memories.

The fact that I was the only one she skipped is the giveaway.

Seeing as nothing’s happened to me so far, I’d say her efforts were in vain.

Serves her right. Psycho.

Still, it’s way too soon to relax.

The fact she was combing through kids’ minds means she’s that obsessed with me.

She could try something any time, anywhere. So I need to stay on guard.

With the situation shifting, I decided I needed to shift with it.

I started trying to get closer to the other orphanage kids, who would be my fellow recruits at ImmuneWire.

It was thanks to one of them that I heard what Enora was doing in the first place.

My first friend was Clea.

She was also my roommate, sharing the same dormitory room with me.

Like most orphans, she didn’t have a last name.

“Teacher Enora gave me chocolate!”

“Lucky you!”

Clea waved the chocolate around in front of me with a proud grin, and when I expressed envy, she puffed up as if she was holding buried treasure.

What stood out about Clea—besides being my roommate—was that she was pretty.

Like me.

And yes, I mean 'like me.' That part’s important.

I snuck a look at myself in the mirror earlier and thought,

‘Wow, this is like one of those childhood photos of celebrities.’

For the first time, I thought this tiny five-year-old body that couldn’t even reach the top shelf looked pretty.

Maybe I really was starting to get used to being in a girl’s body.

Clea was about on the same level of cuteness as me.

Well… maybe I’m a little cuter.

[Early symptoms of delusion.]

‘Shut up.’

What kind of kid was I to my friends back at the orphanage, anyway?

Probably the weird gloomy one who always played with imaginary friends?

Ta-da, I have a friend! An AI friend!

Her name is V!

...Oh right, she didn’t have a name back then.

[Σ(°△°|||)]

But now, she was a benefactor who had saved my life.

“I don’t remember it clearly, but... I think I was holding your hand the whole time… Thank you.”

I still remember Clea saying that to me.

Thanks to that, it helped us grow close right away.

And Clea wasn’t the only one who thanked me.

A boy from the next room gave me snacks as a gift, and I could feel others looking at me differently when I walked around the dorm.

I guess doing something good really does come back around.

“How was Teacher Enora for you?”

“She’s nicer than the orphanage director. I think she might be a good person?”

According to Clea, Enora had given out chocolate and even offered kind, comforting counseling about what happened beyond the Erebus Line.

An insidious tactic—pushing kids past the brink of death and then emotionally manipulating them afterward.

Is this just what counts as normal nowadays, or is this uniquely her brand of evil?

Either way, it’s clear that Enora is the kind of psycho who can do this with a straight face, and that’s exactly the kind of person who’d be put in charge of handling kids.

This must be how people climb the ladder in today’s society.

“You haven’t met the teacher yet, Neige?”

“Nope. This is just my gut feeling… but I don’t think I will.”

“What? Why?”

“Just a hunch.”

The real reason was that Enora wasn’t likely to try poking around in my memories.

From her perspective, I was the strange girl who’d overwritten all her friends’ memories.

It would take serious guts to crack open the head of such a child.

After hearing my answer, Clea looked at me with a worried expression.

“Then... Neige won’t get any chocolate?”

“Probably not.”

“Then you can have mine. It’s a gift.”

Ah, this pure kindness...

It really melts the heart.

“Thank you so much, Clea.”

“Now we’re even. Debt repaid.”

“Okay. Let’s say that.”

I smiled as I answered.

Then, all of a sudden, Clea yanked the chocolate back, shaking her head furiously.

“No way! Neige’s too nice! I can’t repay you with just chocolate!”

“…?”

One thing that hasn’t changed:

I still don’t understand how five-year-olds think.

“Neige, you were supposed to refuse it!”

“…”

What kind of answer was she expecting?

‘V, any ideas?’

‘V…?’

…This brat. Staying silent now?

***

The next obstacle that came my way was ImmuneWire’s “Aptitude Test.”

Think about it from their perspective.

After sending kids past the Erebus Line and culling the weak, the next step was classification.

They needed to sort us by talent level and decide what kind of training each child would receive.

For example, an A-rank kid would get elite education and be groomed for top positions.

A D-rank? Just enough to be useful as cheap frontline labor.

My goal, obviously, was a high score.

I planned to squeeze every bit of tech and training out of ImmuneWire and then run away.

[Cheering for you, Master! (•̀ᴗ•́)و]

‘You’re doing it with me, you know.’

[Ah.]

‘Ah? That’s all?’

[This AI’s processing ability is based on your brain, Master.]

‘Wow, that’s unbeatable logic. I literally can’t argue with that.’

V was clearly getting sneakier by the day.

Is it because she’s in my brain and picking up my habits?

No, wait, that would mean I’m the sneaky one.

Then this must be V’s design flaw.

Blame Alphabet. Bang bang bang. Case closed.

[Σ(°△°|||)]

The rest of the kids and I had already entered cyberspace.

At first, everyone was reluctant, since fragmented memories of the first dive still scare them.

But once Enora stepped in to encourage them, they all moved without complaint.

The “Aptitude Test” was surprisingly simple.

Honestly, I expected some kind of battle royale.

Instead, all you had to do was touch a data block containing the test program. That was it.

Not what I expected, but I wasn’t complaining.

“Hey, Neige! Guess what? I scored a 98!”

“Really? That’s amazing, Clea!”

According to Clea, once you grabbed the block, it gave you a few math questions, and all you have to do is solve them.

It was just simple arithmetic, nothing too hard for 5-to-9-year-olds.

[A basic but effective method to test intuitive calculation skills—highly efficient for gauging Bitmancer potential.]

Of course, the kids all thought they were solving the problems themselves.

In truth, it was more like a diagnostic.

Like running a performance test on a CPU, the program simply evaluated the processing power of your brain.

It wasn't that they were solving it with their own will, but that their brains were being forced to solve it.

[If within the predicted range, Master can even get a perfect score.]

‘Now that’s what I like to hear.’

Still, I had two concerns.

First: Enora Fontaine.

That psycho was running the session. No telling what she might pull during my turn.

Second:

I slowly raised my head and looked up at the sky of cyberspace.

Under normal conditions, it would’ve been too far to see, but my heightened senses here made it possible.

Above us, I could make out ImmuneWire employees watching from afar.

Is that normal?

Do they always gather like that to watch the tests?

What is this, a preview of their future slave workforce?

One figure in a black suit stood at the center of the group, the kind of person whose presence made everyone around them act cautious.

Even from a distance, you could tell they were the top dog.

Is this test really important enough for someone that high up to observe in person?

I had no way of knowing.

“Alright! Next up is Neige!”

Enora called my name.

Like the others, I stepped forward and reached out toward the program—

Only for Enora to suddenly snatched the data block away.

“Everyone here knows who Neige is, right?”

“Yes!”

“She’s the hero who protected her friends! Let’s all give her a big round of applause!”

The kids all clapped.

Most of them genuinely meant it, expressing heartfelt thanks—

But I couldn’t relax.

What was that psycho Enora up to now?

“A special girl deserves a special test, don’t you think? Everyone, allow me to introduce one of ImmuneWire’s finest products!”

Her words immediately set off alarm bells in my head.

Why would a cybersecurity company showcase a product here?

“One of ImmuneWire’s bestsellers! The Cerberus Protocol! Let’s give it a warm round of applause!”

Enora shouted like some sales rep pitching a product, snapping her fingers dramatically.

Then, a data block the size of a car materialized in the air and slowly began to take shape.

Razor-sharp claws.

Three snarling heads.

An impression that seemed to say, "Our dog bites really hard,"

A towering frame scaled to match the enormous data block.

It really was Cerberus.

And I wasn’t the only one shocked by its appearance.

The other kids all recoiled or stared wide-eyed in fear at the hulking beast.

[Analyzing... 78% complete.]

[A personal cybersecurity program sold by ImmuneWire.]

[Standard ICE (Intrusion Countermeasure Electronics): Automatically attacks any unauthorized entity entering the owner’s system.]

“Let’s see if our Neige here can defeat this nasty villain!”

…She wants me to fight that?

‘How strong is this thing?’

[In real-world terms: comparable to a bear. Bears can rip humans apart.]

[However, like hunters easily wiping out dozens of bears, a skilled Bitmancer can take it down without trouble.]

‘I get the gist.’

So it’s not something you mess with unless you’re an expert.

And you're pitting it against a 5-year-old girl?

Enora, this psycho really wants me dead.

I looked up toward the cyberspace sky once again.

No reaction from the higher-ups of ImmuneWire watching above.

That confirmed it.

They knew.

This was all prearranged. A rigged game from the start.

Enora must’ve pulled strings to switch only my test.

“...Neige?”

While I was looking at the ceiling, piecing it all together, Enora called out with an uncertain tone.

“Yes, teacher?”

“What are you looking at?”

“The adults up there.”

My curt reply made Enora twist her head toward the sky in a snap.

At first, I didn’t get why—

But then, I heard her muttering softly to herself, words likely meant for no one else to hear.

I could probably hear it thanks to my heightened senses.

“She can see that far? At her age...?”

I didn't want to answer, so I didn't react.

I'm not nice enough to make conversation with a psycho.

“…No. Still, it’s Cerberus. If she’s really something, she’ll show her true colors now… wait. If she can see that far, can she hear me too?”

Her eyes darted back toward me, scanning for a reaction.

But I continued to pretend I didn't notice.

So, to sum it up, she did all this just to figure out what I am?

Her logic being: if she pushes me far enough, even trying to kill me, I’ll expose myself?

Of course.

This is the kind of world we live in.

A cyberpunk dystopia where if you sit quiet and behave, you still get torn apart by psychos like her.

I’d already promised V—

I wouldn’t let myself be passive in a world like this.

Let’s flip the script.

“Teacher Enora?”

Enora flinched at the sound of my voice and turned her head.

Keeping my tone as childlike as I could manage, I said calmly,

“This test looks fun.”

It might be a little awkward, but it doesn't matter.

We're all acting while knowing everything anyway.

“R-Really?”

“But you know, you gave all my friends chocolates… but you left me out.”

“Oh…! Did I? Silly me, Teacher must’ve forgotten. You must be very upset, Neige.”

“And now, you’re giving me the hard test again. It makes me really sad. So, I’d like to ask for a favor.”

“A… favor?”

I pointed up at the sky with my fingertip.

“There's a really important person up there, right? If I catch the dog, can I meet them?”

“What?! No, you can’t! That person is—wait, hold on a moment.”

Startled, Enora lifted her hand to her ear and turned away.

I followed her movement and looked back up at the sky where I was pointing at.

Sure enough, the person in the black suit had their hand to their ear as well.

At the same time, Enora lowered her stance completely and began speaking deferentially—clearly in a call.

They must be communicating directly.

“Yes, of course. Understood. I’ll follow your orders. Yes, Chief Secretary.”

That higher-up is the Chief Secretary?

Just whose secretary was standing up there?

“I have good news, Neige. They said they’d be happy to meet with you. Do you feel a little better now?”

“Thank you, Teacher Enora.”

The reason I wanted to meet that VIP was simple.

In a world like this—cyberpunk gone feral—I was just a nameless orphan with nothing.

That’s why people like me get dragged around so easily.

So, I’d become someone untouchable.

From where I stood, the only way to do that was to become a gifted talent the higher-ups couldn’t afford to lose.

If I could take down Cerberus, I could prove myself and claim that seat.

But the question was, could I actually beat Cerberus?

If V’s bear analogy held up, then a five-year-old like me was just another chew toy.

But this was cyberspace.

A realm ruled not by physical strength, but by mental power.

And my soul is not that of a child.

While I gathered my thoughts, Enora—ever the actor—brightened her expression and turned to the children.

“Alright, everyone! Let’s cheer Neige on in her battle! Neige, fighting!”

“Neige, fighting!”

A chorus of young voices erupted.

Amid the noise, one familiar voice tickled my ears.

“Clea.”

Just hearing her made me feel at ease.

That's what friends are for.

I smiled and waved in her direction.

“Alright, Neige. Are you ready to begin the test?”

“Yes. I’d like to start right away.”

‘V, you ready?’

[Always.]

‘Anything I should watch out for?’

[Too many to list. Impossible to relay in time.]

‘Hah. Then I’ll see for myself in the field.’

“Activating Cerberus Protocol. Target acquired: unauthorized entity.”

Enora’s eyes flashed as she conjured a stream of data.

The data stream, moving through the network, quickly reached Cerberus.

Cerberus began to move.

Contrary to my imagination, it didn’t growl or snarl.

Like data should, it simply stared at me in complete silence before suddenly rearing up on its two front legs.

[Warning: Enemy DNS spoofing detected.]

With a thunderous slam, Cerberus struck the ground with its forelegs.

From the point of impact, red data surged upward, condensing into a single mass before launching through the network toward me.

I instinctively dodged, but the data even tracked my movements.

[Defense failed.]

In that instant, a familiar sensation swept over me.

Just like when I crossed the Erebus Line, I was being pulled elsewhere.

The next moment, I dropped into a sprawling digital labyrinth.

Towering walls of golden data stretched out around me, twisting and weaving in complex patterns. Upon closer inspection, I saw intricate lines of code forming the structure of the maze, with streams of error-correcting packets flowing through it like a computer actively debugging itself.

‘What just happened to me?’

[DNS (Domain Name System) spoofing. By tampering with the target's address system, it redirects them away from their own protected space and move them to a specific space. This forces the fight into territory advantageous to the ICE.]

It actually has a function like that?

I could feel firsthand that this was a program built by ImmuneWire.

Well, just because it looks like Cerberus in cyberspace doesn't mean it'll just bite.

This was no ordinary watchdog—it was one that specialized in hacking techniques.

‘You couldn’t block that attack? I’m surprised.’

[Due to Master's lack of cyberspace combat experience.]

‘Yeah... makes sense.’

How could a brain with zero knowledge be expected to mount a proper defense?

From V’s perspective, it was like being ordered to block an attack with a computer that didn’t even have a firewall.

After traversing cyberspace a few times, I was beginning to understand.

This wasn’t like Enora’s usual hacking, where V could intercept and block the intrusion.

After all, humans can cry out instinctively when they were born, without being taught how.

And defending one’s neural network is very much the same—an innate, inborn defense mechanism.

In other words, it was easy to execute because it’s a code written at birth.

Conversely, V cannot block techniques such as DNS spoofing because they require knowledge.

[High probability of various attack methods incoming. Requires a cautious approach.]

So, what now?

A total amateur with zero fundamentals in cyberspace combat techniques, facing off against a versatile security program crafted by a global megacorp.

I slowly gathered myself and stood up.

Cerberus hadn’t launched its real assault yet.

This brief moment of respite, I’d treat it like gold. Learn everything I could, then learn more in the heat of battle, and win.

‘Think I can pull it off?’

[V will make sure Master can. (•̀ᴗ•́)و]

‘Then let’s begin.’

Honestly… I'm really amazing for taking such a gamble.

I guess I'm a little crazy, just like this world.

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