Players Invade Cyberpunk

Chapter 1140: Chapter 371: I’m Here to Buy Discs_3

Penguin training video?

The Jing Luo squad members looked at each other in bewilderment.

By 2076, penguins are likely nearly extinct, where are they supposed to find penguin training materials?

And using this kind of thing for trade feels a bit like selling illegal disks under Erli Bridge.

"Wait..."

Tears suddenly realized.

"Maybe... we can go find Zhao Zhongxiang..."

————

Endless

Before the Great Network Collapse, it was an autonomous AI tasked with managing the storage sectors in Antarctica.

Due to the convergence of storage devices granted by various nations to research stations, it gained an unimaginable server capacity for normal AI.

The strength of AI is measured by algorithms and computing power, and Endless reigned supreme in the latter.

As Antarctica is remote, with high costs for entry and exit, corporate wars didn’t reach here; furthermore, with fewer people, the active AI and programs in the natural data space were reduced, minimizing the impact of data waves during the collapse across various sectors.

All of this made Antarctica almost the safest place for reality servers of the old network.

Plus, Endless itself was neutral, allowing this place to become a refuge for many weaker AI after the Great Network Collapse, and Endless was happy to let them inhabit its hard drives.

The cost of living was to tell their own stories for Endless’s amusement.

Gradually, a neutral order formed in the network space of Antarctica, distinct from other chaotic network spaces.

Due to their origins from different places before fleeing the collapse, each responsible for different industries.

AI constructed living spaces in this network space utterly different from the human world.

When players crossed the snowy plains around data fortresses into the interior, through thin layers of data screens, they soon entered their habitat.

Behind the light screens was a purely, chaotically stitched internal of the Heaven-Reaching Tower.

One word to describe it: chaotic.

Yet it held a sort of chaotic beauty.

The surrounding environment at each level was evenly divided into countless units, with stone houses, European castles, modern commercial buildings, ship prows, trucks, forests, rivers, or purely data flow zones, endlessly varied.

Like a child indiscriminately stacking different style building blocks to create toys, with even the palette overturned.

And those data entities didn’t maintain human forms, mostly presenting as data flows, with some even being those spaces themselves.

Four penguins waddled in through the lightscreen.

"Oh my gosh..."

One got mesmerized by the dazzling scene upon entering, plodding ahead with its big feet towards a particular place.

The larger penguin behind saw it getting out of line and immediately emitted a sharp burst.

"Chill! This way, where are you looking blindly? Don’t get lost again; if you do, we can’t retrieve you this time."

Even rushed forward, flapping at the other with its flipper.

Johnny, transformed into a penguin, felt utterly uncomfortable.

"I’m not called Chill!"

"Code name! Code name, do you understand? This is a special mission, everyone should have a code name."

Ecstasy pointed at itself.

"Boss!"

Then pointed at Fury.

"Rookie."

Pointed at Tears.

"Kawaii."

"What kind of idiotic code names are these? Why must you drag me along?"

Johnny was quite irritated by these baffling code names; wasn’t his own nickname Silver Hand decent enough?

"Of course, because you’re the only one who’s met that guy."

Ecstasy said confidently.

Before arriving, they had collected some peripheral leaked data, roughly knowing it’s an Antarctica research station but unaware so much happened here, becoming an AI neutral zone.

The transformation into Adélie penguin was due to Johnny saying that powerful AI named Endless seemed to like penguins.

Boosting NPC favorability.

No shame in that.

But Johnny couldn’t remain as carefree as the players, finding it bizarre to turn into a penguin and actually enjoying it.

"I never met that guy, just talked a few words."

"That’s stronger than us."

Ecstasy wouldn’t let Johnny go now; losing him was entirely Johnny’s fault.

"Kawaii, what’s our probability of finding the AI called Endless?"

Tears, helpless, could only communicate with Nero using consciousness.

"Disguised as penguins, the probability of the other party actively meeting us is 5%, failure probability is 95%."

"Good, then choose this 5%."

They accomplished the unlikely task no AI would undertake.

Even Johnny found this action ridiculously foolish.

And those living internally AI were utterly baffled.

In their years here, it was the first time seeing data life forms come in as penguins.

A stream of light floated down from above, stopping in front of the four penguins, emitting a mechanical electronic male voice.

"Are you new?"

"Yes, passing by and came in for a look."

"Where are you from?"

"Madagascar." freēwēbηovel.c૦m

"Madagascar? But I heard there are no penguins there. Are you the local animal management AI?"

Not just Madagascar, there aren’t many penguins left worldwide now.

Ecstasy was impatient with the questioning; to old net AI = enemy is a common consensus among players.

"Why do you ask so many questions? Do you have ulterior motives, huh?!"

The penguin jumped up, flapping its flipper at the light ball, which quickly dodged.

"Hey! I mean no harm; you’re the first new AI in years, and four penguins, just curious."

"Alright, then I forgive your ignorance, but you must tell me how to meet the boss here. I’m a boss too, so it’s ace versus ace, you understand?"

If there were any real people here, anyone seeing a penguin say that would struggle to hold back laughter.

"Boss..."

The AI likely understood Ecstasy’s meaning.

"Are you looking for Endless, is there something you need?"

Ecstasy looked around, furtively pulled a few data discs from its pouch, and under the watchful eyes of countless AI, used a flipper to cover half its face, leaned close to the light ball, and whispered.

"I’ve got top goods from Madagascar Zoo here, wild, exposed... absolutely explosive. Wondering if you have anything good to trade."

Data space doesn’t rely on sound to spread information, but communication channels, so whispering is pointless; Ecstasy was loudly yelling on public screen about selling dirty disks.