Chapter 914: Deep Web (3)
“The rules of the AI Maze are simple.”
Vroooom!!
Two vehicles raced through the heart of a giant maze.
A white car bearing a flag that read ‘1P’, and a black car with a ‘2P’ flag.
They started from the starting line at the same time and split off in different directions.
“It’s basically a multi-round point system. Each player creates an AI to pass through the maze and participates. When one crosses the finish line, the winner gets one point, and the maze resets.”
From the spectator seats, which offered a panoramic view of the maze, the administrator explained, leaning back in a plush armchair.
“You get bonus points for passing through firewalls or cipher gates installed within the maze. It’s possible to sweep up over 10 points in a single round, but if you lose, it all counts as zero.”
“……”
“You can modify or improve your AI at any point during the game. The real charm of this game is identifying where your AI primarily gets stuck and refining its performance.”
Beep-beep-boop!!
As the administrator raised his hand in the air, a keyboard and monitor made of light appeared before him.
The moment he modified the algorithm and program code and entered it, the 1P car shot ahead in the maze.
Screeeech!!!
It broke through the firewalls and navigated the maze at a much faster speed than 2P, approaching the finish line.
He seemed accustomed to this kind of work, his series of actions flowing without a single hitch.
“A self-driving algorithm to plot the optimal route in a procedurally generated maze. A psionic decryption module to dismantle firewalls and cipher gates. And even the design of a complex AI that can autonomously perform all these tasks from the moment the game starts.”
The administrator watched the scene, leisurely taking out a cylinder, placing it in his mouth, and speaking.
“It’s an undisputed masterpiece among the Akeno Sisters’ AI Spellcode Tests, not only for testing and judging various aptitudes and capabilities, but also for forcing you to delicately adjust your goals while keeping an eye on your opponent, sometimes to the point of forgoing bonus points to prioritize finishing…”
He glanced over and asked.
“Aren’t you going to play the game?”
[1P WIN!]
A loud sound effect echoed the moment the white car crossed the finish line.
Simultaneously, the number on the scoreboard floating above the administrator’s head changed.
[1P: 15] [2P: 0]
The administrator had gained a whopping 15 points in a single victory.
It was the result of traversing every corner of the maze, disabling the randomly placed firewalls and cipher gates to earn bonuses.
He had earned in one go what would normally require winning five consecutive times to get a winning-streak bonus. But the administrator’s expression was not entirely at ease.
In the armchair opposite the administrator, Lennok, who had been sitting with his chin propped on his hand, smiled and waved his hand.
“Don’t mind me, just keep going. I fully intend to participate in the game properly.”
“For someone who says that, the AI you made can’t even seem to drive itself properly.”
Thud!
Screech, creak!!
Just as the administrator said, Lennok’s 2P car, unlike the 1P car, was merely fumbling, unable to pass a simple cipher gate.
It even collided with the maze walls, stumbling about, and couldn’t even find the right path, wandering in circles.
Despite this, Lennok just watched, showing no intention of modifying his AI’s algorithm and code like the administrator.
His half-hearted demeanor made it seem as if he had no intention of properly engaging in this contest from the start.
The administrator, watching Lennok with a hint of anxiety, spoke.
“If you’re thinking of backing out of the bet now, I have other plans.”
Vroooom!!
As the administrator spoke, the second game began, and once again, 1P swiftly shot ahead.
Watching his AI once again break through a randomly placed firewall in an instant and take a shortcut, he said.
“I’ll release some of the information we agreed on as the price for this deal to the Deep Web community.”
“……”
“You wouldn’t want your private information shown to others, would you?”
[1P WIN!]
In the meantime, another round ended, and the administrator’s score continued to climb.
The third game began without a word.
Only then did Lennok slowly raise his gaze to look at the administrator.
“What’s your name?”
“What?”
“Your identity, origin, age, aptitude. Tell me something.”
Lennok smiled.
“The favor you wanted to ask of me, wasn’t it naturally about the real world?”
“……”
“If you win the bet, you’ll have to tell me what favor you want. I’ll hear it now.”
For Felix, who had told him about the Pilgrimage Path, Lennok had once said he would grant any request.
It was the same now. The administrator couldn’t be unaware of how powerful an archmage could be in the real world.
So, wasn’t the ‘favor’ the administrator wanted something in reality, something Lennok could intervene in?
And that would surely be related to the administrator’s own true identity in the real world.
“…Cunningham. I manage the logical operation algorithm domain of the Deep Web.”
The administrator, Cunningham, who had been listening to Lennok with a stunned expression, hesitated before speaking.
“I… I want to leave this Deep Web and return to reality. I’d like you to procure a body for that purpose.”
“You want to return to reality?”
Lennok chuckled.
“That’s rather interesting. Weren’t you just rattling on about the superiority of the cyber-spatial network a moment ago?”
“…For a superhuman on the level of an archmage, procuring a spare body for a cybernetic lifeform shouldn’t be too difficult.”
[1P WIN!]
Looking at the scoreboard appearing above his head, Cunningham answered hesitantly.
“I want to handle this as secretly as possible, without anyone knowing.”
“As you say, acquiring a cyborg or android to house a consciousness uploaded to cyberspace isn’t difficult in itself.”
Lennok tilted his head.
“But if it’s just about getting a spare body, you could have asked Sybrid Echo or Mirror Diver. Why specifically seek my help?”
“Because what I want is a body with spellcraft talent. To buy such a body, money and connections aren’t enough. You need the backing of a major figure with a reputation like yours.”
Cunningham said with a slightly dark expression.
“It’s the same with Sybrid Echo, which you just mentioned. Most of the androids they deal in are simply mechanically superior products. The truly rare spare bodies never hit the market.”
“A rare spare body with spellcraft talent, you say…”
“……”
“I understand most of the Deep Web administrators have abandoned their bodies and uploaded their consciousness to cyberspace. Why do you want to return to reality now?”
“There’s no need to explain further. I’ll stop here.”
Although he was curious as to why Cunningham wanted to obtain such an item and return to reality, the man seemed to have no intention of speaking further.
[1P WIN!]
[1P : 88] [2P : 0]
Clank!!
As another round ended, the score updated, and the fifth game began.
Cunningham looked up at the scoreboard and said.
“Once I get 100 points, the victory condition is met and the bet is over. One more round should be enough.”
“……”
Was he saying that this was merely the minimum information exchange needed to establish the bet, and there was no reason to disclose personal matters?
Vroooom!!
The fifth game was already underway.
The white 1P car was once again far ahead of the black 2P car.
Cunningham, too, seemed to think victory was completely in his grasp, a hint of leisure in his expression.
“I was lucky. To think I’d get an opportunity like this against an archmage… Nowhere in reality could I pull a stunt like this against a wizard like you.”
“……”
“It’s worth having arrived and waited before the other administrators. Or maybe it’s because Vulcan’s Adamant Thunder has a personality that’s easier to provoke than I thought?”
A strange smile formed on Cunningham’s face as he looked at Lennok.
“I’m glad I can take care of the most troublesome matter so easily. I’m tired of it all. With your help, I’m finally going back to reality.”
“Ah, I see.”
With his chin on his hand, Lennok, who was gazing at the newly reset maze for the fifth time, muttered as if he’d just remembered.
“I was supposed to start winning now, wasn’t I?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s pointless to spout nonsense about a game that’s already over—”
[Vrooooom~]
At that moment, a cheerful voice echoed from behind the 2P car as it sped through the maze.
An incomprehensible broadcast from the participating AI. The moment Cunningham flinched and turned his gaze.
BOOM!!
The 2P car, which had been lagging far behind, explosively swelled up on the spot.
The 4-wheel drive vehicle grew grotesquely, transforming into the shape of a giant rocket.
It pierced through all the complex maze walls and instantly passed the finish line.
KABOOOOOM!!
[2P WIN!!]
[1P: 88] [2P: 1]
Clank!!
The fifth game ended with Lennok’s victory.
Simultaneously, the two vehicles stood again before the maze’s starting line, and a newly reset sixth maze unfolded.
“……”
“A victory is one point. And there’s a bonus for solving firewalls or cipher gates in the maze, you said.”
Next to a speechless Cunningham, who was staring blankly at the maze, Lennok spoke.
“I guess I’ll have to plan my route more carefully from now on.”
“This… is impossible.”
Coming to his senses belatedly, Cunningham muttered with a horrified expression.
“This maze isn’t a real-world terrain. It’s a test bed in cyberspace created by the Akeno Sisters. Even if you pretend to physically break through it, to get a victory judgment is…!!”
“Was I not supposed to break the maze or change the vehicle’s form?”
The moment Lennok said that and raised his hand.
Kugugugugugu!!!!
The giant maze spread out before the spectator seats began to fold in half.
It was a bizarre sight, as if the ground before them was rising vertically and folding like a piece of paper.
The moment the finish line of the precisely folded maze made a full circle and met the vehicle at the starting line.
Clank!!
Once again, a loud sound effect echoed.
[2P WIN!!]
[1P: 88] [2P: 2]
“To… to take the Akeno Sisters’ entire test bed and…”
“This will still take a while.”
Watching Cunningham, whose eyes were wide open, unable to even form a complete sentence, Lennok lowered his hand.
“Shall we try resetting the bonus rules entirely?”
VROOOOOM!!!
Cunningham’s 1P car violently accelerated.
The 1P car sped ahead, leaving the pursuing 2P car far behind.
But the match was over before the 1P car could even reach the destination.
BANG!!
The 2P car blatantly left the maze, swerving sharply to smash through the outer wall and escape.
The moment it circled the outside of the maze and reached the destination, the game ended just like that.
[2P WIN!!]
[1P: 88] [Master: 63]
“…!!!”
“You seem to have a hard time accepting the results.”
Watching the trembling Cunningham, Lennok raised his hand.
“Shall we go again?”
Vroooom!!
The race started again, the 1P car sprinting with all its might.
But this time, the 2P car didn’t speed up.
Instead, it slowly pressed the accelerator and moved forward leisurely.
At that moment, the finish line at the end of the maze was pulled straight toward the 2P car, and the match ended in an instant.
[MASTER WINS!!]
[Administrator 1: 78] [Master: 79]
“……”
“One more time.”
Vrooooom!!
The 1P car sped ahead.
But this time, the 2P car didn’t even properly start its engine.
It simply put the car in reverse and moved back one step.
Immediately after, the entire maze flipped upside down, reversing the start and finish lines.
Fanfare!!
With a loud fanfare, a message appeared above their heads.
[MASTER’S LANDSLIDE VICTORY!!]
[Lousy Hacker: 18] [Master: 96]
Lennok casually read the message floating above his head and said.
“0.032 seconds. They say it’s the fastest record since this test module was created.”
“…Dammit, cut it out!!”
Cunningham, who had been trembling all over, shot up and threw down the terminal he was holding.
“How long are you going to mess with me!!”
“I have no intention of messing with you.”
“Don’t lie!! I can overlook you changing the announcement message to mock me, but you’ve been blatantly chipping away at my score from the start!!”
“Oh, you noticed?”
Only then did Lennok nod with a smile.
“My apologies. My AI has a bit of a grudge. It says it can’t rest easy until it pays back what it’s been dealt.”
“Don’t be ridiculous…!! How can a mere AI possibly modify the program of the [AI Maze] itself!!”
Had the constant humiliation throughout the game driven him mad?
Cunningham forgot his own situation and glared at Lennok.
“It’s impossible for an AI existing within a psionic data network to modify the subordinate mana conversion tool it’s bound to. In real-world terms, it’s like trying to change your own species at will!”
“You think so? It’s not that difficult to play around with the operating sequence of a software with an already defined standard.”
Vrooooom!!
As Lennok raised his hand, the maze path split apart like waves to the left and right.
The black car coolly sped down the wide-open avenue.
Leaving Cunningham’s AI trapped in a dead end, it crossed the finish line with ease.
“You seemed confident in your AI and algorithm creation, but you didn’t even properly understand the principle of this test bed.”
“Stop, stop…!!!”
[MASTER’S PERFECT VICTORY!!]
[Hacker Dumber Than an AI: 1] [Master: 100]
[GAME SET.]
Kugugugu!!!
The maze spread out beneath their feet crumbled away, and the two figures returned to cyberspace.
Leaving Cunningham frozen in place holding the scoreboard, Lennok slowly rose from his seat.
“Now then, shall I receive the victory condition you mentioned earlier?”
“Wouldn’t you let me take it from here, Adamant Thunder?”
Fwoosh!!
At that moment, a woman with bronze skin appeared, parting a curtain made of countless cipher codes, and landed before Lennok.
“I will deliver the information Cunningham promised. In exchange, I’d like you to spare his life.”
“Who are you?”
“Raktasha Samir.”
The woman answered with an expressionless face.
“I’m one of the administrators of the Deep Web.”
“I don’t know why you think I would kill him, but I see no reason to transfer the terms of the deal.”
“Because I know that you completely erased the consciousness of the Gearside researchers who were cybernetic lifeforms.”
“……”
Lennok narrowed his eyes at Raktasha’s unexpected answer.
Gearside researchers. Consciousness incineration. To know about that event clearly meant-
“During the defense force’s rebellion, remember?”
As if guessing Lennok’s thoughts, Raktasha asked.
“The Gearside researchers who were helping Army Lieutenant General Edmus Trepen disappeared in droves as soon as the incident ended. They were beings who had uploaded their consciousness to the network like us, yet they all vanished overnight.”
“So?”
“We realized that this happened right after your clash with them, and through our own process of elimination, we were able to guess what method you used.”
Raktasha’s expression turned serious.
“Virus designation through central network interference. You probably used that method to incinerate all the cybernetic lifeforms of the Machine Cult who were roaming the network.”
“……”
The defense force’s rebellion.
Only then did Lennok understand why the Deep Web administrators had tried to contact him.
Army Lieutenant General Edmus Trepen had borrowed the power of Gearside to ascend to Level 8, and researchers who had uploaded their consciousness to cyberspace were assisting him.
Lennok had used Davi’s power to erase the researchers’ consciousness before killing Trepen, but the administrators had been searching for the cause of that incident ever since.
After a long time spent tracking how Davi had erased the researchers’ consciousness, they had finally succeeded in figuring out the method.
Through that, they naturally became aware that Lennok had the ability to interfere with the central network and had contacted him.
“The way you toyed with Cunningham like a child during your bet must have been a part of your cyber-interference ability.”
Raktasha asked softly in a flat tone.
“The very act of deliberately accepting the bet and dragging it out to toy with Cunningham was a demonstration for us, wasn’t it?”
“Enough with the useless talk. Let’s talk about the terms of the deal first.”
Lennok’s eyes, looking at Raktasha, shone coldly.
“The information about the Director and the Pontiff is in the Deep Web. Is that certain?”
It was clear that the administrator standing before him now was the same one he had spoken to when he first contacted the Deep Web.
If she had personally confirmed the information about the Director and the Pontiff, he needed to verify it here and now.
But instead of answering that question, Raktasha glanced away.
“Aren’t you curious as to how Cunningham was able to obtain information about the Cult or you from the Deep Web?”
“That doesn’t seem to be the answer I’m looking for.”
The moment Lennok tilted his gaze with a frigid expression, Raktasha immediately continued.
“The legacy of Ars Nova lies dormant beneath this non-official network.”
“……”
“I won’t beat around the bush. We need your central network interference ability for that very part. I’d like to show it to you while we talk. What do you think?”
Lennok understood what Raktasha was trying to say.
The legacy of the central city. And it was intangible data existing within a network called the Deep Web.
The reason information about the Director and the Pontiff existed within this Deep Web. The reason the Deep Web administrators were able to find out about it.
To investigate the direct cause of these two causal links, they needed the ability Lennok possessed.
“I appreciate that you don’t beat around the bush with trivial matters.”
Lennok nodded.
“Lead the way. I’ll decide after I’ve confirmed the existence of this legacy.”