Chapter 19

I don't know when it started. One day, a voice began echoing in my head.

"...Huh?"

I couldn't figure out why this was happening to me on my own. I needed help, but I was introverted by nature and didn't have many friends. No one around me noticed my condition. Still, the fear of something strange in my head drove me to muster my courage and tell the adults.

"There's something weird with me..."

"Hmm, there's nothing wrong with you."

"...What?"

I only got unbelievable responses.

"That's a lie, right? I can hear something strange—how could there be nothing..."

"What are you talking about? You're perfectly normal. Don't you trust us?"

The adults were probably pretending not to know on purpose. I was so lonely. No one reached out to me.

"Ugh... my head..."

"What the hell... is this?"

Chronic headaches and endless voices. That's how I lived my childhood until one day the adults said,

"We have a way to solve that problem."

"What is it?"

"You have a lot to do for us. Think of it as... repayment."

"Huh?"

That was when it began. When I was trapped in this prison of the mind.

I reached out toward the bars of the prison. The cyberspace jail refused to let me out. Meanwhile, my body... already had a new owner.

What was that I glimpsed beyond the DDoS? Some kind of prison. A memory from the host boy?

My battle with the spider dragged into a prolonged war of attrition.

The spider's DDoS roar unleashed another wave of red data. I quickly crossed my arms to block it. A shield formed beyond my arms, shattering the wave softly upon impact and dispersing it.

Using the memories of its host for DDoS attacks? Talk about desecration. This thing is seriously dangerous.

Good thing V's the one in my head. If it was something like that, I'd be crazy too. Right?

I love you.

After sharing that hot camaraderie with V, I slowly assessed the situation.

First, the boy on the spider's back. From what I saw through the DDoS, he'd had a rough childhood—his mental state was wrecked. His mind was imprisoned by the cyberdemon. In this era, if you ask what happens to the weak caught in massive corporate power struggles, this boy is the perfect example.

Hold on, I'll save you.

Next, my own combat power.

The spider's fangs and legs struck at me in sequence. My data weapon clashed with them, sparking red bursts.

After a few exchanges with the spider, I could tell. I was completely different from my 5-year-old self. No more fleeing from wolves—I could now go toe-to-toe with this giant spider.

My body's encryption level—my defense—had risen, so random DDoS waves were no threat anymore.

But it wasn't just raw power. I dodged beyond the spider's attacks, stepping on its legs to dive deeper in.

To protect its system, the spider thrashed violently to shake me off. I parried with my sword and fired data at a pre-placed beacon.

Vanishing mid-air, I reappeared far from the spider. I picked up the fallen beacon, copied it, generated stealth code, and scattered it everywhere.

The spider clacked its fangs in frustration as the beacons vanished from sight.

Thanks to all that coding training, I could understand V's code now. My mobility and maneuvers in cyberspace had improved dramatically. Things impossible in reality, like 12 consecutive aerial flips, were doable here.

Hacking code destructive power, clones, teleportation—my mastery of various techniques had surged too.

The spider, on the other hand, was tricky. True to its survivor-of-the-Dead Sector reputation.

I glanced down at the spiderwebs covering the floor. A hexagonal area centered on the spider. The moment I stepped in, it charged at incredible speed, unleashing attacks.

Responding in kind, I clashed while slicing away part of the web with my sword. Clutching the web data, I retreated outside the range—the pursuit stopped.

With V's analysis, I had the enemy pegged. A demon from beyond Erebus, guarding its Dead Sector domain. Devilishly strong in its controlled space, but weakened outside— that's how it evolved.

Every time I'd entered the web before, it was fierce close combat, mostly draws. Couldn't overpower by size, so time to bitmancer it up and find the weak point.

Like with Cerberus, ride the webs? No, impossible. DDoS code flowed through them like a river.

I gazed at the boy on the spider's back, letting out a genuine sigh of admiration. Impressive that it could handle that computational load.

If true, I was fighting a degraded V. Oh, a downgraded V...

Don't look for the enemy's weak point. Think about mine.

I looked at the boy on the spider's back. Just get him out of the prison...

Let's split my consciousness data in two.

One sneaks into the spider's core, the other ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fights outside.

Have to trust the brain you upgraded.

I reshaped my data weapon into an assault rifle-based form that could fire multiple hacking rounds. On the 15th of 30 bullets, I embedded my consciousness.

Whoa, dizzy. I caught my breath and stepped back into the web zone.

The spider's eyes flashed as it lunged. I charged too.

It swung a sharp foreleg again. I slipped past smoothly, stepped on its leg, leaped into the air, and unleashed the rifle.

The world slowed. In my temporarily boosted processing, I counted the firing bullets. 1, 2, 3, 4... Hacking code rounds flew toward the spider's body.

But the 15th was different. I angled the barrel and fired the consciousness-laden round at the boy.

The rest poured into the spider.

The spider staggered in pain but quickly repaired the damage and counterattacked.

Rifle-based data weapons had this flaw. Unlike reality, penetration was easy, but destructive power had clear limits.

But the goal was achieved. As the spider shoved me hard, I took the hit on purpose and escaped the web.

It doesn't attack much outside the web, right?

I know. Gotta keep dipping into the web.

I focused on my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠separated consciousness. Inside the cyberdemon's system.

Everything's crammed into the core.

Like with Cerberus, rooms forming key systems everywhere. Web virtual memory system. Stealth, infiltration code—this was its assault base.

Mental prison system. Yeah, here.

I stood quietly before the prison. Inside, a boy hugged his knees.

I jammed my dagger into the bars.

And quietly, I spoke to the boy.

"...What's your name?"

The boy slowly looked up.

I'd forgotten how to converse after so many long years. So when a girl suddenly approached and asked my name, I just gaped like an idiot, mouth flapping silently.

A dazzlingly beautiful girl my age. Stunned by her looks, my foggy mind froze again.

The next instant, I remembered how to speak and tried to voice it—then realized something odd.

"I can't remember."

Who I was, my name.

The girl smiled.

"Then let's find it. This is your system, after all. It has to be somewhere."

She opened the prison door and extended her hand.

But I hesitated to take it.

"No..."

"Why?"

"They said if I go out, everyone will be in danger."

"Who?"

"...The adults..."

"Have you tried?"

She said it so confidently. Have you tried?

"No, but..."

"I came from out there. I want to show you the outside."

I was still scared. A strange girl appearing out of nowhere, opening the prison door, inviting me out. Asking me to abandon the familiar space I'd spent so long in.

Yet I took her hand. For one reason only: She was the first person in my life to approach me first, speak to me, reach out.

I stepped out of the prison.

And nothing happened.

"See?"

"...Yeah..."

"Now you lead."

"...Huh?"

I tilted my head at her.

"We need to find who you are."

"But... I've never been out here before."

"Focus."

She cupped my face, locking eyes. My heart raced for the first time in forever.

"This place is ultimately yours. There must be a spot with your memories. Don't try to recall—search for it."

Why was this my creation? Wasn't it the prison made by the monster in my head?

I focused as she said. Slowly, data streams from me revealed the space's shape.

Far off, a familiar sensation called to me.

"...Huh?"

"Right?"

"Weird, how did I just do that..."

"You always knew how... You trained at this company."

"Training...? Company...?"

"You'll understand soon. Wanna lead?"

I pondered long, then nodded.

I'd escaped the prison. Now walking this strange space with a stranger girl. Because I thought it was time for the courage I'd never mustered in life.

"...This way, I think."

"Let's go."

We delved deeper. Many things happened.

Once, we locked eyes with a giant spider in the halls. The girl hid behind me in surprise. I was scared too, but it stared long then vanished.

She said, "It doesn't see you as enemy. Of course... you're its foundation."

"Yeah...? Complicated..."

Another time, we entered a room. She hid blue data cubes, preparing 'fireworks.' Didn't get it, but her 'look forward to it' made me excited anyway.

We walked and walked to the destination. At the hall's end, a door blocked by red, sparking data.

She jammed her dagger in and opened it.

"In we go."

It was a library.

"...This is..."

As I marveled, she looked puzzled too.

"...Sealing a mind ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like this, huh."

I reached for a book. Memories flooded my mind, filling it.

Scary adults. Yelling whenever I spoke, terrifying me. Ignoring my headaches and voices.

But when I tried the gifted academy, they approached. For some big task.

Each new book brought memories back. From when my mind was whole, to atrocities under the monster's control.

Implanted hacking code in a friend's head; he got badly hurt. I was shocked, but adults clapped for 'success.'

Before entrance ceremony, sneaked in demon code. Chaos ensued for many.

And again, again. Drowning in my countless evils, flailing—

A hand grabbed my wrist.

"Not those memories."

She met my eyes.

"Don't look at wrongs swept up in surroundings. Deeper, to before the monster."

"...Deeper?"

"Yes, when your head was monster-free."

She pointed to a book. I reached as if entranced.

What I saw... my much younger self.

Past me preferred books over play. Especially, not fairy tales—a tough learning book.

Stories of mountains over 8000m, blue seas, lava lands, frozen poles, sandstorm deserts.

Seeing them all, I answered her question.

"...My name is Saints."

"And?"

"And...?"

"Besides cyberdemon mischief, something you wanted."

"I..."

Worlds unseen in the city.

"Wanted to travel the world."

"That's it, Saints."

The space warped. A sharp voice echoed everywhere.

"Way out of monster's prison: When people have desires, dreams, ego strengthens."

"Saints, I'm Neige. Love hovercrafts. You know? Flying cars."

"...Yeah."

"World travel? How about with me on a hovercraft?"

"If possible... that'd be great."

"Then one favor for me."

"...What?"

"Reject it."

Return? To prison? Reject lifelong orders?

"Why... why go this far for me? We just met today."

"Why?"

Neige smiled. So pure and clear, it felt like the blue sea from books.

"I can't stand trash happening around me."

"Huh...?"

Always the victim, me. Neige, never idle. My first courage in life.

So I shouted.

"No!"

Neige smiled at my voice.

"My gift."

She snapped her fingers. The space erupted in massive explosion.

I incinerated the infiltrated consciousness data. Returned to my body battling the spider outside.

As the core critically wounded spider's data crumbled, I gripped my longsword, charged, scooped the boy from its back, and escaped.

Even in its final moments, the demon turned to gaze at the separated boy.

The spider ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slammed a leg, extending webs. I slashed the floor with my longsword simultaneously.

Code from the blade tip formed a wall, blocking the webs.

Like V, it was an AI symbiotic with human brains. No body to sustain computation, and it was done.

"Farewell, cyberdemon. Revenge for when I was 5."

Not the same one, but still.

The spider's form fully collapsed, melting like ice cream. I hurled my longsword at the data.

While V worked, I looked at the boy in my arms.

"Saints, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Let's be friends from now on?"

Saints stared blankly, then data tears flowed from his eyes.

"...Yeah!"

One more friend. Gotta introduce him to Clea.

Why?

What the...?