According to Lucy's estimate, there were at least fifteen Arasaka Operatives, including five professional hackers responsible for network security, and the remaining ten were professional soldiers equipped with combat cybernetics.
Leading the team was a squad leader who was an advanced operative with laboratory-level Sianwistan.
The existence of this advanced operative was not only to guard against potential enemies but also to deter their own people, so the entire lineup of cybernetics was publicly displayed.
Anyone with a glance from a Prosthetic Eye could see a string of combat cybernetics that would make one's skin crawl.
[Operating System·Arasaka "Shadow Warrior" S2 Experimental Sianwistan]
[Arasaka Operative-Class ICE V.2]
[Pain Editor]
[Neural Processor·Arasaka NP-Mk.2 "Obsidian"]
[Combat Eyewear·Militech "Night Owl" Mk.2 (Arasaka Modified)]
[Skeleton·Universal Enhancement Module]
[Arasaka Special-Type D.2 Subdermal Armor]
[Hand·Universal Co-processor]
[Arm·Arasaka "Demon" Test Version Mantis Blade]
[Circulatory System·Bioconductor "Blood Pump" Beta Test Type]
Hmm...
After Mercer saw it, he immediately added two cybernetics courses overnight—if there's a way to take him down by then, not being able to access equipment at that time would be a huge loss.
As for whether it's disgusting or cruel...
He could guarantee if he fails to escape by then, the best outcome is dying on the spot and praying the body isn't too intact.
Dead is dead, gotta leave something for the buddies, like Sianwistan or something, which can sell for one or two thousand Euros, right?
No, in the game it's one or two thousand, in reality it has to be ten times more! There's the start-up capital!
Maybe there's something he can use, Mercer isn't picky, he would use it with eyes closed just to become strong and survive first.
As for whether he can take him down?
Hmm, that's dependent on how formidable his personal ICE is to withstand hacker attacks launched using the Arasaka Server.
After all, in this underground facility, everyone is connected to the same server's network.
Whoa, this is the strength of the hacker stream!
What about the time dilation and aerial jumps of Sianwistan, the Mantis Blade, compare that to my quick breach synapse dissolving, your brain will burn and let's see how fast your corpse can run.
Mercer imagined for a few seconds, then quickly plunged back into studying.
As expected, just after server reconstruction was completed and personnel changes ended the next day, all the little hackers were again ordered to gather in the server room on the underground second floor.
Huge blue glowing neural wires, combined with heat dissipation functionality, appeared like a cluster of vines falling from the ceiling, converging in the center of the room.
The server, with its whirring fans, encircled the room and gathered together, emitting a low hum that was unsettling.
Countless flashing indicator lights and those glowing neural wires almost replaced the lighting, at this moment, the current project director Ena Tanino revealed a slightly excited smile, standing before a hacker chair.
"Good morning, kids."
"I know many of you are seeing me for the first time and aren't familiar with me, but that's not important.
All you need to know is that I am Ena Tanino, the new project director of the 'Star Plan' project."
"Next, our 'Star Plan' will advance to the second phase.
The goal will no longer be limited to excavating data within the Old Net but will focus primarily on capturing special AI behavior data within it.
Don't be afraid...
Seeing your pale faces, rest assured, I am different from the former director.
This time, during deep dives, you will receive the latest protection from Arasaka Guardian Firewall.
Although our firewall cannot extend into the Old Net to provide fortress-like protection, see this server?
That's right, this is the subroutine server of Arasaka Company's Guardian AI!
It does not possess AI characteristics, to guard against corruption by AI in the Old Net.
But it still boasts corporate-level ICE capabilities, with short-term defense ability against AI, enough to support your escape back behind the wall and complete a logout.
Remember, the current operational guidelines are unchanged, no one is permitted to log out directly in the Old Net, to avoid IP capture by AI, you must log out after crossing the Black Wall."
Meanwhile, Ena Tanino also took out a box of chips:
"These are special chips made in the lab, maybe some of you have heard of our Arasaka Company's core product, the 'Secure Your Soul' project.
That's right, these are Relic Chips, of course, these expensive chips are not used to clone your souls, but to capture AI.
When you wear this chip and encounter AI, the Relic Chip will activate, and the program will automatically record AI characteristics.
What you need to do is find every possible way to record as much of the AI's characteristics as possible.
This also means that I require you to utilize the delay time by 'Guardian' ICE when attacked by AI.
During program combat interaction, stay as long as possible, using the chip to record AI attributes.
Our target AI is only two, so other AI outside our target is not within our records range.
If you encounter non-target AI, you can transfer directly and log out.
The task is this simple, search for AI, observe and record AI as much as possible while the firewall is still there, return and log out.
Compared to random attacks which may not be defensible while digging for data, isn't the current objective much simpler?"