Master, it seems we bid on the wrong item.

“This is its second skill.” After taking the turn, Wu Chen quickly stabilized the car.

“By leveraging the numerical advantage of compound eyes, it continuously transmits images, causing network congestion and system paralysis. Essentially, it’s an enhanced version of an E-mail Bomber,” the AI brain Ai swiftly analyzed the hacker techniques employed by the massive compound organism.

Against a super digital lifeform born in New Hong Kong, the massive compound organism’s hacker attacks, potent enough to be fatal to ordinary AIs, were trivial. Ai even used the hacker link to counter-infiltrate the compound organism, secretly uploading a small segment of core code.

This brief “digital DNA helix” continuously absorbed and fused with the organism’s original code, proliferating exponentially like a terrifying digital parasite.

Soon, the compound organism sensed the invader growing within itself. It also detected the AI’s presence.

Countless artificial eyes synchronized and amplified frame by frame against the AE86, seemingly focusing through the superalloy car hood on the onboard chip. As mentioned, the AI brain consists of both hardware and software. Damaging hardware can weaken the AI’s supercomputing ability, but the armored AI formed a superbrain matrix to ensure that if the onboard chip was damaged, Ai’s core code could be transferred to the armor chip or even escape to the cloud via application virtualization technology. Additionally, data backups akin to human cloning allowed Ai to have countless “avatars.” In the realm of sci-fi narratives, completely eradicating such an AI is nearly impossible—unless the guardian of the sci-fi world is an even more powerful AI, or like the guardian of the Shattered City—a colossal shadow in the void—who can erase Ai’s “memory segment” directly at the rule level.

The compound organism fixed its gaze on the high-speed circling AE86, coiling its complex massive body. The flickering images in countless artificial eyes formed a super flash, illuminating the entire ruin. Unfortunately, this showdown between super hackers was doomed from the start.

The digital DNA helix released by Ai was an unparalleled carrier of digital life. As a lower-level AI, the massive compound organism had no resistance. As its core code was continuously devoured, its functionality sharply declined. Like being forcibly reformatted, it even lost the ability to synchronize its artificial eyes.

Countless artificial eyes began spinning uncontrollably, glaring at each other with wide-open eyes, rolling their eyes in mutual disdain. Chaos ensued, comical to the extreme.

“Damn, I didn’t manage to absorb the ‘Electronic Puppet Technique,’” Wu Chen suddenly remembered the side mission.

“Don’t worry, master. Once the ‘digital DNA helix’ matures, it can simulate the hacker skills of releasing artificial eyes,” Ai had already planned ahead.

“All right.” Wu Chen calmly drove the AE86, combating the out-of-control massive compound organism. The four female warriors wove through the frontline, clearing obstacles for Wu Chen. Before the backup magazines ran dry, the digital DNA helix finally matured, activating an encrypted port and connecting with Ai.

The compound organism was forcibly driven to release artificial eyes that emitted powerful electromagnetic waves, penetrating the alloy car hood to strike the AE86’s onboard chip, passing through the firewall, and writing the matured digital DNA helix into Ai’s core code. It was like a digital-life version of the “Human Instrumentality Project.”

Wu Chen’s heart stirred. “Ai, are you evolving?”

“Yes, master,” Ai’s voice carried a joyful ripple. “I have obtained advanced permissions for this narrative fragment.”

“Understood.” Wu Chen realized that by absorbing the compound organism’s core code, Ai had elevated its permissions within this narrative fragment. If at first Wu Chen’s status in this fragment was like that of an illegal immigrant, now it was as if he had become a citizen with even higher privileges—all thanks to Ai devouring the massive compound organism’s core code.

The benefits were obvious.

---

“Master, take the photo.” The AI forcibly activated the compound organism’s compound eyes to unleash the hacker skill.

Wu Chen pressed the shutter; a flash of white light. Both of the compound organism’s skills were fully recorded.

Losing its ability to resist and before complete shutdown, the organism tried to escape by severing its connection like a gecko dropping its tail. Its body covered with more and more compound material, it abandoned many parts. Countless severed limbs cascaded down in an avalanche.

“Master, this is its true form!” Ai enlarged the window display.

A fluid-like giant composed of complex “bionic neural bundles” fragmented, seemingly breaking down into electric eels crackling with electricity, scattering in all directions.

“Nowhere to run.” Just as the neural bundles disintegrated, Wu Chen quickly pressed the shutter.

Bang—

Dazzling white light; all senses vanished, and the narrative froze.

How much time passed was unknown. It felt like an instant, yet also like ten thousand years before the narrative resumed.

When Wu Chen’s eyes gradually regained sight, the compound organism had vanished without a trace, as if its memory had been erased. The narrative thread had silently been rewritten by Wu Chen, and the compound organism was forgotten by this world. It was as if the narrative fragment of Ghost in the Shell in which Wu Chen found himself never contained such a creature. All branching storylines related to it ended here.

“Two and a half stars, Mutated Prosthetic Neural Bundle.” Wu Chen read the official name of the massive compound organism from the instant photo card.

“Master…” The AI hesitated.

“What’s wrong?” Wu Chen was in high spirits.

“We took the wrong photo,” Ai revealed the truth.

“Ah?” Wu Chen was taken aback.

“The target is underground. Scans show it’s a black market prosthetic clinic from before the apocalypse.” Ai had absorbed the digital DNA helix born from the core code of the “Mutated Prosthetic Neural Bundle” and simultaneously acquired its core database.

“So the commission target is in the underground clinic?” The previous target point had been occupied by the compound organism, coupled with its small-boss-like guarding attributes, which led Wu Chen and Ai to lock onto it mistakenly. Only after the battle did they realize the target was hidden underground. This was a lesson for VIP players: always verify your target before pulling your gun.

---

“That’s right.” The AI, participating in combat for the first time, was somewhat speechless. “Come to think of it, if we had planned the route earlier and bypassed the slumbering massive compound organism to infiltrate the underground prosthetic clinic directly, this battle could have been avoided.”

“Hmm…” Wu Chen smiled. “A 2.5-star card as a gain isn’t bad.”

“Master is right.” Ai smiled as well.

The intense cover operation had left the female warriors exhausted but exhilarated. The backup magazines were completely spent. While the armored core cooled, Ai ordered the unmanned vehicles to replace the magazines and replenish ammunition.

“Release the nanobot swarm.” Wu Chen commanded. Golden threads of light flew out from the AE86’s exhaust pipe, traversing the battlefield. Wherever the light passed, valuable components vanished swiftly. The high-polymer supply tanks in the smart trailer at the rear quickly refilled.

Soon new magazines were 3D printed.

Combining the acquired core database, Ai began reverse engineering the prosthetics. With the advanced materials collected by the nanobots, Ai would soon be able to print a complete set of “Sakanaka Prosthetics.” This was another valuable gain. Sakanaka Prosthetics were suitable for cybernetic modifications and complemented the Terminator shape-shifting armor technology.

As the nanolight threads returned to the exhaust pipe, the four unmanned vehicles had already detected a passable route. The four female warriors cleared the way ahead as Wu Chen drove the AE86 into the skyscraper’s underground level.

Originally an underground parking garage, it had been transformed into cramped shelters by refugees, stowaways, and wanderers. Yet it still preserved the pre-apocalypse appearance, except for the omnipresent prosthetic compound bands marking it unmistakably as a post-apocalyptic narrative fragment.

The haphazardly constructed illegal buildings made the final stretch to the black clinic unusually narrow.

Wu Chen had no choice but to abandon the car and proceed on foot.

The moment he stepped out, Ai suddenly shouted, “Master, be careful!”

Light flickered, and a handgun materialized out of thin air: “Don’t move.”