Phillips… or perhaps it should be called Sea God now.

It escaped.

At the moment of collision, Sea God immediately identified the incoming data from Black Wall and knew it was no match. There was no choice but to flee using Brigitte's network interface into the Night City regional network.

And the rest of this has nothing to do with the players.

The Sea God's subnetwork and Night City's regional network are physically separated in reality. The Voodoo Gang prepared in advance for Sea God's power, preventing exposure if Sea God left the subnetwork.

Yet, before disconnecting from the city's power grid company, she was pulled back to Sea God's subnetwork. If Brigitte hadn't relinquished control, Sea God couldn't forcibly intervene, but now all that's left of Brigitte is a puppet shell controlled by AI, leaving Sea God to manipulate it.

Moving into the municipal network was akin to committing suicide.

Cyberspace isn't the physical world, Black Wall is not the Great Wall—once crossed, it's gone.

There's no such thing as three-dimensional spatial coordinates. No matter where you are, or whose IP you use, Black Wall always exists.

While entering the Night City regional network, Sea God quickly shed the manifestations influenced by Black Wall's programs.

It fragmented its data into dozens, flowing through different channels, attempting to latch onto that minuscule chance of escape.

However, everything it did was futile. At this moment, all hackers roaming the municipal network saw a startling scene.

The once calm municipal network space suddenly issued an alarm, and the surrounding space turned black and red. Floating data seemed frozen, reflecting like an invisible curtain in the red glow.

Some net-runners noticed with terror that the instigator was Black Wall, the firewall that's never actively attacked was moving.

They saw invisible data chains extending from every corner of the void, precisely hitting some of the unknown escaping data in the space. Some chains barely brushed past certain hackers, the terrifying fluctuations nearly scaring them off into disconnecting.

Then, like a grim reaper dragging chains, the unknown data was bit by bit dragged into the bottomless Black Wall, in silence.

Everything returned to the way it was before.

Except this fluctuation didn't just affect Night City, but also impacted operations of many companies and devices.

Huang Ban's hacking division was searching the old network for remnants just seconds before, and then the data channel they opened on Black Wall was forcibly closed, resulting in heavy casualties.

In Washington, New America, inside a top-notch medical room in the Military Technology Mansion.

Augmentation doctors looked helplessly at the woman screaming horrifically on the operating table, the alarms nearly deafening their eardrums.

"Aaaaahhh!!"

Beside them, a Military Science hacker shouted loudly:

"There's a significant Black Wall data fluctuation! Quickly disconnect her, hurry!"

Bang!

Several servers exploded instantly, the sparks blasting operators meters away.

"What?"

What does it mean that Black Wall has data fluctuation?

That damn thing hasn't budged for decades!

The augment doctors were stunned for a moment before controlling the mechanical arms to remove Song Zhaomei's deep-dive interface at the back of her head.

President Miles soon arrived upon hearing the news.

When she came, Song Zhaomei had already been placed back onto her bed by the doctors.

Miles, still in her crisp white military uniform, briskly walked to the bedside, pulling back the care doctor, concernedly asking:

"Zhaomei, are you okay?"

Seeing the sincere concern on her face, the weakened Song Zhaomei held back the urge to punch this woman's face, lightly shaking her head.

"It was disconnected in time, still got a life left."

Miles let out a breath.

"I'm glad you're okay. Don't push yourself for a while, rest well here. I'll have them stop the experiments."

A hint of relief flickered in Song Zhaomei's eyes, but she soon heard Miles somewhat tensely ask:

"I heard that Black Wall had abnormal data fluctuations during that time. You were deep-diving connected to Black Wall, did you see or leave any backend record data?"

Backend data?

Song Zhaomei almost laughed.

During her coma, Military Science has likely thoroughly scavenged her brain. Was there any backend record data? Does Miles really need to ask her?

But Song Zhaomei still honestly spoke out what she discovered then:

"I saw some…"

She held her forehead, trying to recall everything she saw when connected to Black Wall.

"The source of the fluctuation came from Night City, seemingly pursuing escaping data… I suspect a rogue AI but don't know its specifics…"

"Proactive pursuit!?"

Miles was shocked.

Everyone always thought of Black Wall as a passive firewall, but you're telling me it can capture rogue AI like an aggressive ICE?

Doesn't that mean, if Black Wall wants, it can crush everyone online with a snap?

This was more shocking than rogue AI appearing in the local network.

Simultaneously, her desire to control Black Wall grew stronger.

"Hmm…"

Song Zhaomei faintly saw figures, but the idea was so outrageous she herself thought it was a mistake.

"Oh… Night City, really is a hotspot for incidents."

Miles feigned wistfulness.

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