Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

On the Mechanical Split Star, the surface is a testing ground. Below the surface, from the mantle to the Earth’s core, is where the advanced citizens of the Mother City reside.

Why is the Other Shore of Freedom said to be the closest place to the Mother City? Because over there, it has the largest fissure on the Mechanical Split Star’s surface.

As for why Cybertron is on the satellite, don’t ask. If you ask, it’s the pride of mechanical life.

Living together with carbon-based creatures, they would be unable to breathe.

”You don’t seem surprised?”

Inside the Mechanical Octopus, Miss Ke’s intelligent voice sounded because she could clearly sense the native of this planet’s indifference towards the universe.

In the ’eye’ of the Mechanical Octopus, Gao Gong, studying the Attribute Panel, dumbly raised his head, looking at the ’night sky scene’ magnified a thousand times, with the Asteroid Belt changing uniformly and mountain-sized meteor fragments occasionally flashing past the window.

Caring, why care? This broken scenery, I’ve seen enough in the last life.

”Ahem, shocked, I’m very shocked, already stunned to the point of being petrified.”

After Gao Gong gave this line with a blank face, his gaze scattered again, looking utterly distracted.

Miss Ke didn’t speak again, but she was very interested in this person. Based on the biological features survey, she had a 64.1% probability to determine that the person in front was the former ’super mutant monster.’

Was the person a partner of that ’Super Hacker’?

How did he know Mr. Aramaki?

Why did Mr. Aramaki trust him so much?

As a non-Mother City person, could he subdue those arrogant soldiers of the Ghost in the Shell Mobile Division and complete this mission perfectly?

In short, she was full of curiosity about this man.

And the Mechanical Octopus, agilely crawling over the meteor fragments, found its target quickly in a flexible and brisk manner.

A superstructure towering 100,000km high, with the top piercing through radiation clouds, the Arasaka Tower.

This was also the largest space elevator on this planet.

”Through the platform at the top of the space elevator, we will use the star orbit to travel to Cybertron,” Miss Ke suddenly said.

”Oh.”

Gao Gong glanced at the enormous building outside the window. He knew that besides being a space elevator, the Arasaka Tower was also the largest public Personality Storage Center on the planet.

In the future, the hacking of this giant structure marked the beginning of the Cyber Tide.

The Mechanical Octopus expertly maneuvered through the defense platform, its six mechanical claws skillfully inserted into the lift, and then the eyes rose swiftly. Three minutes later, amidst the mist caused by coolant vaporization, a ’creak’ sound marked a significant change in gravity, giving an elevator arrival feeling. Gao Gong’s body sank as he knew he finally reached the tower top and distinctly heard the noise from outside.

The mouth of the Mechanical Octopus slowly opened wide, revealing a vast interstellar platform before his eyes.

Those who could appear at Arasaka Tower were either rich or noble, even including some Cloud Nobility. But facing the guests personally received by the Mechanical Octopus of the Mother City, they maintained sufficient reverence, and soon, a large area around was cleared.

Only a group of nearly thirty individuals sized up the arrival with curious eyes.

These people were representatives from another Mother City, emissaries of the Deep Net, responsible for supervising the replacement of the Golden Rule. Among them were semi-electronic Mechanical Men, fully mechanical Metal Life, and Super AI composed of countless overlapping Holographic Projections. Each one emitted a terrifying aura, in terms of lingo, Tier 2 boss creatures.

In their eyes, there was doubt, confusion, questions, and hostility—only two people expressed goodwill. And these two were two of the Mother City Trio from before, superpower Cyber Hacker Chapai, and Neural Modeler Pupil.

”Yo, Boss G, long time no see,” Chapai squinted his signature dead fish eyes, raising a hand in greeting.

”Mr. G, our representative from the Ghost in the Shell Mobile Division, also responsible for replacing Captain Suzi to supervise network operations.”

Pupil adjusted his glasses; instead of a greeting, it felt like an introduction of Gao Gong to others.

According to Aramaki’s plan, Cybertron, Deep Net, and Fortress each send a representative to jointly oversee this operation.

”Ah, so sleepy,” Chapai yawned, ”The Fortress people are not on our path; the Cybertron representative is above, meaning here you’re the boss.”

Six departments, under the joint supervision of three Mother Cities, this organizational structure inherently leads to conflicting interests and intrigue on all sides.

Department interests were one thing; the inclination of the Mother City was another. Even influenced by some large enterprises and super-rich secret sponsorships, some arrangements might have differing stances even among members of the same department.

But Gao Gong was uninterested in all this; he was merely executing Old Man Aramaki’s plan to investigate the whereabouts of the ’Information Mother.’

Other than that, he had no interest at all.

Thus, after greeting the two, Gao Gong continued to drift away, showing no intention of improving relations.

Of course, for him as a seemingly inexplicable ’paratrooper,’ others seemed to have no such intention either.

After completing the Tier 2 Profession transition, Gao Gong had two primary attributes that broke through over two hundred points, namely 210 points of Power and 216 points of Perception.

With every 100-point breakthrough in primary attributes, an additional talent or skill would be acquired.

[Your Power broke through 200 points, please select enhancement direction: Genetic Lock release/Hulk Mode/Random ’mutation’ option]

[Your Perception broke through 200 points, please select enhancement direction: Lightning Sensing/Vibration Mode/Random ’mutation’ option]

In carbon-based species evolution, often accompanied by ’mutation,’ and this mutation, to put it simply, is ’superpower.’

Furthermore, some Carbon-Based Civilization evolution paths are superpower civilizations.

[Random option completed, you have obtained the primary genetic mutation ’Low-level Magnetic Field Mastery’]

Low-level Magnetic Field Mastery (Mutant Talent) (Tier 1): A shallow mastery over the life magnetic field, its effect is roughly equivalent to squeezing a chicken to death?

Uh—this suggests something a bit bothersome.

However, after advancing to Tier 2, this talent can be upgraded. Whether this talent has potential or not, it needs to be enhanced further.

Gao Gong spent 15 Specialization Points to upgrade ’Low-level Magnetic Field Mastery’ to Level 5, which is also the cap for Tier 1 talents.

[You have upgraded mutant talent, ’Low-level Magnetic Field Mastery’ to Level V, initiating a secondary mutation, random mutation generation in progress—]

Gao Gong suddenly felt his entire body heating up, the area originally occupied by the Mechanical Body was filled with itchiness and heat.

Does this feel like a deficiency in iron?

[Mutation complete, you have obtained Tier 2 mutant talent—Metal Magnetic Field Control]

Hey, this is good!

Gao Gong’s eyes lit up.

Metal Magnetic Field Control (Mutant Talent) (Tier 2 Level I): A powerful magnetic field capable of controlling the distortion and transformation of ordinary metals, widely disrupting metal substances and magnetic materials, significantly reducing Mechanical Life’s state, and slightly decreasing the operating efficiency of large Mechanical Architectures.

Simply put, this is an ability targeting the ’Mechanical System.’

In layman’s terms, it’s a super low-budget version of the Magnetic King.

Gao Gong quietly activated the ability, causing the surrounding Mechanical Bodies to suddenly feel a tightness for an unknown reason.

”Right, why didn’t the Collider come?”

Speaking of Mechanical Bodies, Gao Gong naturally thought of that Mechanical Man composed of 100% Memory Metal.

”He’s a traitor to Cybertron, went to someone else’s turf and probably lost his life.” A nearby half-electronized, voluptuous mechanical lady coldly remarked, most of her waist was composed of electronic tubes, which might appear sexy to Mechanical Life but simply horrifying to Carbon-Based aesthetics.

’Model T-X, Collider’s ex-girlfriend, he cheated on her before and almost got beat to death,’ Chapai grinned slyly and sent some information to Gao Gong.

So, an ex-girlfriend—

Gao Gong nodded in realization and glanced at Chapai again. His superpower ’Virtual Thinking’ is definitely Tier 2, but unsure about the level.

Doesn’t seem like there’s technology specifically developing superpowers on this planet?

’That annoying old man is here again.’ Chapai sent another message.

Annoying old man?

Gao Gong looked up, seeing a group of people hurrying over, with a thin old man wearing small sunglasses surrounded by sunglasses-wearing bodyguards.

Like you, Arasaka!

In the previous planet plot, Old Man Aramaki and Arasaka Saburo fought bitterly. After Arasaka Group’s fortress was destroyed, the loss of strength was substantial, especially since many backups of Artificial Intelligence and senior officials were stored in the fortress, the compensation money nearly cost the old man half his life.

Later, for some reason, Arasaka again offended Aramaki, the corporate rival, and players were driven to hunt him relentlessly, resulting in a tragic end.

However, in Gao Gong’s impression, even after the plot ending, this old man didn’t die but Aramaki died protecting Mother City in the later plot.

Huh?

”Hahaha, it’s an honor to receive a distinguished guest from the Mother City into our group, truly making Arasaka shine bright, salute!”

A bunch of high-ranking Arasaka Group executives simultaneously bowed at a 90-degree angle, posing typically like springs installed on their spines.

Unfortunately, no one paid attention to him.

Which is understandable, as Mother City represents the establishment, even wealthy external merchants are subject to upper management.

Arasaka Group is merely a second-tier consortium, still somewhat distant from top-tier Super Corporations.

Arasaka didn’t feel awkward, looked around, and enthusiastically asked: ”Where is Miss Suzi? The previous incident was really thanks to her, without her, my family’s corporate data would’ve been stolen by those little thieves.”

”Captain Suzi is occupied, currently in charge is this person,” Eyewear girl Pupil calmly stated, gently patting Gao Gong’s waist.

Oh, seems like I’m the one in charge now.

Arasaka quickly sensed the stiffness in the atmosphere and realized that this strange man seemed to be the one in charge.

”Hello, I’m Arasaka Saburo, the person in charge of Arasaka Group, may I ask who you are?”

”You can call me Mr. G,” Gao Gong smiled.

The older and younger each extended their hands, one covered in wrinkles and bones, the other’s palm glistening like jade.

They shook hands.

Gao Gong suddenly found something very interesting.

Inside Arasaka Saburo, there wasn’t a trace of metal element.