Chapter 8 - Talent Test 3: Fixed Coordinates

The next obstacle was a pack of wolves. Hah, if I weren't a five-year-old girl right now... If I were my past-life self, that nineteen-year-old young man, those wolves wouldn't be...

...anything to worry about. They'd rip me to shreds and I'd die deliciously. Even so, dozens of wolves were a bit much. [Σ(°△°|||)] They weren't real-world wolves but data wolves, though that didn't make much difference. There was only one path forward, but the obstacles blocking it made progress impossible. It was a simple yet brutally difficult problem.

What to do... I leaned blankly against the door, pondering, when V came up with the solution first.

What does that mean?

Ah, right. I'm in the middle of a hack here. Not fighting with guns or blades, but using my brain in cyberspace. At first, I thought hacking meant brute-forcing through mazes like this honestly. But V was telling me something more precise was possible—an infiltration beyond that.

Got a good idea?

The walls here were just data assigned the role of "wall." Hack them to change their properties, and they were walls no more.

...Getting competent again?

Why don't you say it's based on my brain at times like this?

But there was still a problem.

Could it miss me slipping through the wall?

I could eavesdrop on data flows and steal encryption keys at my current level. Conversely, ICE wouldn't miss me hacking its walls.

Uh...?

Copy me? The unexpected suggestion threw me for a loop, but thinking it over, it wasn't impossible. Everything in cyberspace was data. No reason a human couldn't be replicated.

Can my brain handle it?

One brain becoming many would explode the computational load—that was obvious.

We can do it. Seeing V's affirmation filled me with confidence.

Let's try.

V and I kicked off the computation simultaneously. What to extract: me. To prune: memories, ego, body data, etc. Strip command authority, make them obey my orders only. To package: appearance, internal data, fake signals to fool them into thinking it's me.

Multiple replicas formed before my eyes. I could handle thirteen right now, fourteen including myself. Maxed out compute to the limit, leaving minimal headroom. My head already felt faintly hot. No, it was actually getting hot.

The replicas all looked like me—petite girls. I raised my right hand, gazing at them. No special reaction yet.

Central command.

As I transmitted data and raised my left hand, all thirteen girls lifted theirs in unison. A subtle sense of accomplishment made me smirk. They smirked back.

Oh, all together like that...

I'm super cute. Totally pretty.

Don't be ridiculous.

Preparations complete. Me and the replicas placed hands on the wall simultaneously. Only the original me gripped a dagger.

Begin.

I plunged the dagger into the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wall. Sniffing hack code activated, eavesdropping on internal data flows anew.

Since I'd done it before, speed increased, compute decreased.

With V's signal, all fourteen "me"s infiltrated the wall simultaneously. Not breaking through—datafying our bodies to ride the wall's data flows. Like sneaking into a house via pipes, wires, and plumbing instead of smashing walls.

The fourteen entities scattered along flows, naturally mapping the entire maze in my head.

Something's off. Too easy.

If bitmancers could slip through walls, why bother with a maze? Wasn't this handing over vulnerabilities?

Mid-doubt, as I rode the data net, V's warning hit—I ejected from the wall instantly. Ordered my clones to do the same. I emerged at a maze crossroads. No wolves or Cerberuses nearby yet.

Why tell me to—

Before I finished, a chilling red wave swept through the wall I'd just left.

Got it. The maze made sense because wall bypass was risky. Diving into enemy data was putting yourself in their hands. Wolves forced my hand, but that wave would've killed me. A chill ran down my spine.

Checking clones—no hits from the wave. Then one clone's view caught a wolf lunging without hesitation.

V dissolved it before full attack.

Dissolving pre-attack prevented location leak.

Remake them.

...Then watch and dissolve if attacked.

Situation grasped. Enemy home turf—proceed cautiously. But no reason to panic yet. The map from mass intrusion was mine.

The maze wasn't huge. Key points stood out clearly amid the walls.

These were essential for maintaining security—like indispensable park management facilities. Hidden like park offices, in hard-to-find rooms. A wolf-hunting maze park concept? Fresh. Sell that idea to an arts corp—two hundred billion euros easy.

Now, think. Deep in enemy system, structure mapped.

Wolves—"vaccines"—still hunted me. Brain cleared as clones dropped, but not good news. Time was short.

Wait, why are security systems inside the maze? Won't intruders just smash them?

Isolating security externally requires separate comms structures. Bigger data, masking to prevent theft—problems galore. Restructuring skyrockets compute.

...This is consumer ICE for sale.

How many buyers have computers to handle that? Optimal for profit. And that's my in to destroy Cerberus.

Found it. The vulnerability.

Structural flaw for a bitmancer to exploit. Explains why pros crush it. Simple: Approach mapped spots, destroy with hack-code data weapons.

Remaining issue: Wolves.

Used freed compute to craft a DDoS-round pistol. Easiest for a five-year-old body.

...Will this kill them?

Then if me and clones all shoot, it'll be decent?

Great, self-defense wolf-killer ready. One more idea.

Weapons don't mean bulldozing wolf-packed halls to systems. Deep thought... I eyed the wall.

If Cerberus compute is limited, DDoS waves can't blanket every wall endlessly?

Plan: Remount walls. Eject on DDoS approach, reenter when clear. Use mobility to smash systems and flee, repeat till collapse.

This'll work. Dagger to wall... I hesitated briefly. Knew to hurry, but death loomed: late exit, wolf bite, hack error.

Surprisingly, not scared. I'd toy with the whole system. Cockroach slipping walls at will? Creepy to hunt. But I'm the cockroach.

V, I think I've got talent. More excited than scared.

Machine-like reply drew a faint smile. Bit-wielding wizard. Bitmancer. Nice ring.

Dagger slammed wall.

Third time—V nabbed key in seconds. Me and clones dove in. DDoS wave approached from afar.

Rally at wolf command room.

Strike vaccines first with ten clones. No need to lose numbers if wolves down.

Accelerated all clones beyond DDoS speed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with full compute. Exited wall: eight other mes. One down.

Wolf command data block and six guarding wolves visible.

Controlled three nearest clones, armed pistols, fired in unison. Hit three wolves matching numbers, but wolf swarm tore clones.

Down to six including me. All fired pistols at data block.

Block shattered. Turned to wolves—they needed this to move. As expected, they lost aggression, slowly crumbling.

Success? Joy brief—crumbling halted, wolves regenerating.

What?

Desperate last stand? Fine, bring it.

Dagger to wall again. Six "me"s reentered.

Skip that—no idiot packs wolves there.

Rally at illegal intruder sorter.

Data waves slowed—clear damage sign. Dodged leisurely, six emerged in target room. Six pistols unleashed DDoS on charging wolves.

V's praise. Dodged another wave, next room: ImmuneWire product system.

"What the fu—!"

System block walled in? Think I can't crack it?

Crafted massive data weapon: elongated katana—tachi. Packed hack codes matching size. Meanwhile, horde of wolves swarmed outside.

Sent three clones: They fired upfront, buying time before wolf wave consumed them.

Swept tachi wide, cleaved wall and block in half. Wielding this five-year-old body felt alien—heavy blade normally.

Effective. Block shattered, dissolved weapon, daggered wall, vanished with remaining clones.

Clones 9, 10, me. Three left.

Why?

Defend one key system? No more waves—out of compute slack.

Enemy hunkered with remnants. V right—very risky. But I'm dangerous too. Skills gained: Wall bypass, wolf pistols, stronger weapons. Fewer clones freed compute—elite upgrades.

Breakthrough now. No time to give.

Intruder containment system. Cerberus core guarded personally. All auxiliaries gone. Solo-supporting everything strained efficiency, pressuring protocol hard.

Still a fortress: Walled data block, meat-shield wolves clinging, Cerberus body.

Meager but all-in defense. Intruders: three. Didn't know original, but priorities clear.

Cerberus code reacted.

Intruders approaching. Ceiling energy flow detected. Cerberus looked up.

One pistol clone dropped first. Low priority—solo impotent. Find original.

Beat later, two dropped with massive data weapons swinging at block.

Hunch: First bait. Conclusion: One of two original.

Cerberus leaped without hesitation. Flank heads bit clones. Blocked. Protected.

But code reported: Enemy original reverse-traced. Coordinates marked.

Remaining head glanced down urgently. First dropper—that was original.

Wolves swarmed. Cerberus turned on original.

Too late. Amid rush, original moved like separate timeline—fastest yet.

Greatest data weapon: odachi. Stanced at last system.

"All clones dissolved."

All compute returned to original. Cyberspace athletics = compute. Odachi diagonally slashed system.

Maze diagonally split, crumbled leaving golden data echoes.

Last system down, world shifted. Floating midair—above initial DNS disruption spot.

Below: Kids and Enora looking up. Same altitude: Black-suited woman grinning amusedly. Beside her, crumbling Cerberus spewing errors.

Back to origin.

Right, no falls in cyberspace. Gripped odachi tight. Made midair platforms, leaped at Cerberus.

Then Cerberus moved, emitting "sound."

Cerberus heads gathered red codes, forming unstable data.

No friend-foe distinction. Glanced down first—friends there. Clea's face clearest.

Before acting, anomaly at black suit: Giant snake burst forth, coiled over kids like umbrella.

Good. Protected somehow. Now me... DDoS roar seconds from exploding.

This hits? Dead. Life flashed: Brain and nerves burning beyond Erebus Line.

Life-or-death, V's message appeared.

I believe.

Got it.

Charged Cerberus. DDoS exploded, red data engulfed me.

What I saw:

My little sister's face. Home.

"Oppa, how do you solve this?"

"What?"

Habitual reply. Like daily family life.

Slowly eyed her workbook. 1+1=?

"Why ask me?"

"I don't know! Tell me."

"Don't mess around."

Perplexed reply—then sister's voice turned cold, chilling:

"Answer. Tell me the answer."

Eh? Did she ever say that?

"Answer. Answer! Your loving sister asks?"

No. Not my sister.

"Oppa, answer."

Panicking under pressure—then emoticon on workbook.

"...Huh?"

Burst from red DDoS. Odachi, Cerberus, me, V. Attack me, defend V. Weapon odachi, target Cerberus.

Consciousness snapped back, grasped all. Smirked, gripped blade right.

Sister, huh... If I'd lived, she'd have seen Alphabet War. Survived? If so, what'd she think of my Alphabet deal?

To hear, I survive. So shout it: Your dead bro lives happily.

"Puppy dog, that was fun!"

Odachi straight-slashed Cerberus body. Already crumbling data tore fully.

Descent ended; only wreckage fell with me.

Victory joy and tension release hit—exhaustion crashed. Slumped, caught breath, scanned around.

Enora stared shocked. Yeah, didn't expect win? Eat shit.

Good job, my V. Skyward: Black suit clapping big for me. Keep that meeting promise, yeah?

Friends... Mild reactions. I vanished, returned with debris—normal.

Rose quietly—familiar voice tickled ear.

"Neige! You won, right?"

"Clea? Yeah, won!"

"So cool!"

Clea clapped solo, celebrating me.

"Good job, Neige!"

Thanks, Clea. Best friend.

Enora got comm, awkward-acted shout:

"Ev... Every...! Friends! Neige beat the bad dog! Everyone, clap!"

Kids clapped irregularly, infected by awkwardness. Hah, awkward but felt good.

Wanna end cool. Right, this.

Hack complete.