What is it like to truly Deep Dive into Cyberspace, the networked world?
At first, there's an overwhelming sense of emptiness. Your heartbeat, the propagation of sound, the feel of touch, taste, and smell—all fade away. But the moment your consciousness is fully uploaded, these senses return to your body, albeit in a peculiar way.
Sight comes first.
The darkness around you begins to shimmer with faint blue light waves. Blocks of glowing blue code rise and undulate, forming structures that resemble vast, towering buildings. Looking ahead, a wall of red lasers descends from the sky, slicing the infinite expanse of Cyberspace into two distinct ends. Beyond these barriers stretches darkness, within which lies the fabled Old Net.
Arthur turned his head, and before him lay a grand Japanese mega-city—or rather, an ancient fortress city reminiscent of Azuchi Castle. The tallest tower bore the Arasaka Corporation's emblem. This was the firewall construct built by the Guardian AI, an imposing sentinel of the server.
As Arthur watched, a massive stream of blue data burst forth from the city. Hesitating briefly, he held his ground. The data surged towards him, forming a colossal armor around his body. In front of him, the flowing code condensed into a mirror, reflecting his own image—a self-check program, made tangible in the perceptible world of Cyberspace.
Arthur examined his reflection. The armor formed a perfect samurai shell, and he stood at the brow, looking down over Cyberspace. His virtual self was a simple blue silhouette, with faint facial features visible. Beyond that, he seemed bare—without weapons, without protection.
Deciding to take advantage of the server's immense computing power, Arthur reshaped his avatar. A smiling mask appeared, a perception module to better sense surrounding data streams. A trench coat, like Dante's from Devil May Cry, materialized, serving as a self-constructed ICE. In his hands appeared two guns:
Black gun: A pure virus attack; bullets carried destructive programs capable of annihilating other hackers' systems.
White gun: Loaded with data-attack programs; bullets sent self-replicating low-level malicious code that could slow an opponent's operations, like a cybernetic DOS attack.
Though stylish, these tools were primarily effective against human hackers. To confront a true AI, Arthur would require a far more powerful system or highly sophisticated programs.
Experiencing the blue data stream firsthand, Arthur assessed the server's computing power and gauged the newly installed Guardian AI's potential. Should Lucy and her crew attempt an intrusion, escape would be impossible. The combination of this AI with vast computing resources was beyond the reach of ordinary hackers.
To launch an attack using the server's power, one would need unrestricted access—but that meant first breaching the Guardian AI. The old system had been a cold, mechanical fortress with patrolling guards, a system one could exploit with patience. Now, however, the castle had transformed: a giant samurai with deadly intelligence. Though still resembling a castle in form, Arthur knew the AI could instantly animate it into a relentless army of samurai and monstrous data streams once provoked.
Approaching the Blackwall, Arthur realized he could not rely on conventional hacking to defeat such an AI. Without massive computing support, he would either need to invent a super-virus like Alt's Soulkiller or Bartmoss's Rabies, capable of destroying the Old Net, or he could try external intervention. The latter might involve using the Blackwall itself—a human nuclear bomb, as the DLC Phantom Liberty described Songbird—but employing it would almost certainly harm him as well.
With cautious steps, Arthur neared the Blackwall. A deep, inexplicable fear gripped him. Most would see a Guardian-like presence; he perceived a cold, predatory monster, silently scrutinizing its prey. Even his virtual form trembled under its oppressive gaze.
Taking a steadying breath, Arthur reached out and touched the Blackwall. Instantly, the environment seemed to shrink, then violently pull him in. His body felt compressed, spun, and tumbled as if inside a washing machine, then expelled like refuse.
When his vision cleared, he found himself in an infinite darkness, with red data streams drifting aimlessly, flickering like mist. He had entered the Old Net, but not its familiar zones—he was deep within it, far beyond the reach of the Blackwall.
Blue data streams surged around him, but suddenly: IP detection in progress…
Arthur froze. He could not even identify his current IP address, and the red mist began coalescing into active programs. Panic surged. Whether AI or Old Net virus, Arthur had to retreat to the Blackwall immediately.
But it was futile. His IP transfer was too slow, and the program had already locked on with greater computational precision. Crimson chains erupted across his avatar, crushing the blue armor. The armor's plates shattered and dispersed like water.
Arthur crossed his arms, standing resolute. "If I'm dead, I'm dead. Come on, show yourself."
A faint voice whispered in his mind:
"Don't be afraid… I am… helping you."
The red chains devoured the remaining blue data, strengthening themselves as they spread. Then, a colossal red figure appeared, hovering in the distance. Its movements seemed deliberate, yet every instant counted, as though it had jumped IPs innumerable times to confront him.
"You're slower than I imagined, Han Yu… or rather, Arthur," the figure intoned.
Arthur braced himself. He was in the heart of the Old Net, stripped of defenses yet facing an entity of immense power. The red giant's presence radiated authority, awareness, and danger, and the cyberworld around him pulsed with tension.
This was no longer a mere digital battlefield; it was a test of his ingenuity, courage, and understanding of the fundamental laws of Cyberspace itself.