Tamura Anko and Tetsuya Daichi also showed similar expressions. Anko looked completely dejected and sorrowful, her eyes reddening, while Tetsuya Daichi sighed heavily, his expression extremely grave.
[Mercer: Don't be afraid, you're being used as expendables, which has created a mental inertia—capturing an AI directly, I don't think the project team has that capability yet.
To capture an AI, you definitely need very specialized equipment and more powerful server support. Our current prosthetic bodies, equipment, and facilities don't support that possibility.
Even if they're prepared to capture an AI, we would at most serve as bait, using us to fish.
What other preparations? How long have you planned? Is this all you've got?]
[Lucy: Leon and Daichi have also written a cracking program that can disable the lock on our prosthetic bodies. I'll send it to you later.
But this program triggers an alarm, so don't try to run it directly. We've used a simulation program and can disable all the prosthetic body programs within ten seconds.]
This is somewhat acceptable.
Mercer thought for a moment and, instead of saying he had casually come up with a better one, simply replied.
[Mercer: I'll optimize the program later, no rush. Aside from that? What about escape route choices, supply planning, identity concealment, destination, and preparations and future plans after reaching the destination?]
With those words, the chat group suddenly fell silent as the kids exchanged glances without saying a word, until someone suddenly knocked on the door.
[Leon: It's me, open the door.]
Mercer mentally unlocked the door, and a small, blue-haired boy eagerly walked in, naturally sitting at one edge of the table.
[Leon: Hey, Mercer~ I didn't expect someone so quiet to be this impressive.]
[Leon: Um, don't ask them too much. We haven't thought of that many things. We just don't want to die, so we must escape first.
Once we leave here, it doesn't matter where we go, as long as we escape... We originally planned to leave and resign ourselves to fate.
After all, everyone just has hacker prosthetics, with the single molecule line probably the only weapon. Against Agent Arasaka, what good is that? Most of us haven't even really fought and only received basic training.]
[Tetsuya Daichi: Yeah, we really haven't thought about too much... As long as we escape, we'll have a chance to survive.
Staying here... everyone is terrified, afraid that the next dive will be their death, so no one talks about dreams or the future.]
[Mercer: That's not okay, you guys should start thinking. Specific escape routes... never mind, I'll think of several routes to choose from when the time comes.]
[Kyoko: I trust you!!]
[Lucy: Alright, everyone, let's think together... But Mercer, be careful. If the project changes, you will definitely be the prime target.]
[Mercer: Small problem, there will surely be a way when the time comes.]
Having said that, Mercer didn't want to discuss escape plans with them anymore. It seemed the planning and execution would have to be up to him.
So, he turned to ask something he was genuinely curious about.
[Mercer: Kyoko, what did you see back then?]
[Kyoko: ...It was an AI.]
[Kyoko: Before you unplugged, I saw a strange AI; it looked like a giant male figure composed of red data with no physical features, only particularly bright eyes.]
[Kyoko: He was standing next to you. I saw your cyber image... collapse!
But it immediately restructured. I don't know what happened; it seemed like he killed you with a fingertip, then brought you back to life!
Moreover, he wasn't the only AI!]
[Kyoko: There was also a giant red female AI standing behind him!
Those two AIs were terrifying, giant humanoid AIs of that size are simply... monsters!]
[Kyoko: Your cyber image seemed to change before you went offline, but I couldn't see clearly because I... was scared.
So before it noticed me, I crossed the Black Wall and logged off immediately, only to unexpectedly find you awake after I logged off.]
[Kyoko: That's everything I saw.]
Seeing Kyoko's slight fear, Mercer simply winked at her and then smiled:
"Alright, regardless, we're still alive...
As for the cause of the cyber image collapse, I'm not quite clear. Honestly, I have no memory of that period."
"Since I'm still alive, let's just take it one step at a time."
Mercer stretched, closing the chat group proactively.
He roughly understood that these kids were unreliable, entirely pressured by the fear of death, trying to find a way to escape Arasaka.
As for other things, like dreams or the future, they weren't on their list at all.
It's not their fault; after all, for ninety-nine percent of people in this world, companies like Arasaka are like gods.
They might escape, but even if they do, they believe they'll eventually be caught...
No one's mentioning it now, but all they think about is living one more day, so they haven't considered anything else.
They just feel that dying from an Agent Arasaka bullet is better than silently being eaten by an AI on the old net.
"With things as they are, let's have some tea first."
Mercer said lightly: "Whatever happens, these days are a rare vacation. It's the first long holiday in years, right?
Enjoy this rare leisure time.
Leave these annoying matters to me to deal with."
"Hey? I just got here!" Leon widened his eyes, looking eager to continue the chat.
But Lucy looked at Mercer and suddenly felt some reassurance.
As Arasaka's current focus, he could still be so relaxed... perhaps she didn't need to be that afraid... right?
Tetsuya Daichi scratched his head, suddenly having an idea:
"I have a game console... bought it a while ago, and there's a new football game. Want to play?"
"Wow! Where did you get that? I want to play!" Leon's eyes were sparkling.
Tetsuya Daichi chuckled happily:
"After paying off the loans, there's still 300 Euros left each month. The company's meal cost is only 200 Euros, so I saved up for months to buy a second-hand one, actually asked a colleague to help buy it, just got it yesterday."
"So... Lucy, Mercer, do you want to see my Mewtwo?"
Kyoko's eyes shone: "I haven't seen it in a long time!
We can watch it together, or transfer the data to the TV and watch like a movie!
I spent a long time turning Mewtwo into a film!"
"Kyoko, didn't you watch that thing a dozen times?" Leon retorted.
"I didn't say it was for you, annoying."
Kyoko stuck her tongue out playfully at Leon and then looked eagerly at Mercer:
"Mercer, you said you weren't interested before... want to try it this time?
It's really amazing! When I first came here, I had to watch it every day to fall asleep!"
Lucy remained quiet but secretly sent Mercer a message.
[Lucy: Watch it, this kid treasures that Mewtwo, it was a birthday gift from a compassionate employee.
She's sharing it to get closer to you—you could tell, right?
This kid used to be a little scared of you.]
[Mercer: Yeah, I know, actually, I haven't tried Mewtwo.]
Mercer smiled and nodded: "Alright, let me try out Mewtwo first, to compensate..."
After a thought, he got up and removed his pillow.
Under the pillow was a reading chip.
With a scan of his prosthetic eye, he saw the chip's title, "Neuromancer."
"This is a novel about the sixties, you guys can take it, scan it, and read it for fun."
Anko eagerly took the chip, scanned it with her prosthetic eye, and copied the content.
Soon, the two had bright eyes, clearly already started reading.
Mercer, meanwhile, was fiddling with the Super Dream Headband, after a while figuring out how to operate it, and put it on his head.
With a flash of light, in the next moment, he successfully entered the world of Mewtwo.