"I promised, before you deal with the Divine Chariot, Silver Hand's Relic, and Arasaka Saburo, I can provide you with a server and a global network connection."
After Ultraman agreed, they continued, "Is there anything else you need help with?"
"Silver Hand's DNA—if you want him to be resurrected in his original form, I need his DNA to clone his body."
After Mercer finished speaking, Ultraman shook their head and said, "I don't have Silver Hand's DNA data, and frankly, I don't care how he gets resurrected; in fact, you could even just hand over his consciousness data to me."
"This guy can still be of some use—when he starts to annoy me, I'll hand him over to you for solitary confinement."
After Mercer finished speaking, Ultraman didn't insist further, only saying, "The key is the Divine Chariot. Contact me before you plan to act, and I'll provide all the help I can."
"By the way, what have Bartmos' crew been up to lately?" Mercer suddenly became curious, perhaps even concerned.
Ultraman calmly replied, "Bartmos is still obsessed with things related to your origins, as for Spider Murphy, she loves having fun, who knows where she's finding her joy. If you want to meet them, I can send word for you."
"...Tell Bartmos, if he has time, to meet me. I have some things to discuss with him. As for Murphy... she might want to get involved in what we're about to do."
After Mercer said that, Ultraman nodded, "Anything else?"
"That's it for now." After Mercer finished speaking, Ultraman's silhouette began to fade, "Wish you all the best."
Once Ultraman disappeared, Mercer stood silently for a long time, finally letting out a sigh.
He was sure Ultraman hadn't told him the truth—at least not regarding the consciousness data and her real purpose for liberating the Divine Chariot. Ultraman definitely concealed some very important things.
Mercer severely doubted that Ultraman's ultimate goal in liberating the Divine Chariot was to gather the vast amount of human consciousness data there and devour it.
Ultraman claimed she merely placed those consciousness data on a server... but in reality, doesn't she also live on that server? Whether the consciousness data is inside her or beside her, these are completely different concepts!
The reason Mercer suspected this was precisely because of the consciousness core code he accidentally discovered while handling Hansen's consciousness data.
Just like how AI devouring AI can enhance computational power, Mercer intuitively noticed that human consciousness data has a similar trait.
This fact alone sounds quite fantastic—an AI devouring another AI could somehow enhance its computational power without boosting the server itself.
Or maybe, what's actually increased is not the computational power, but the intelligence.
This inevitably made Mercer think of many terrifying possibilities—can AI enhance its intelligence by devouring consciousness data just like it does with AI?
If that's possible, then wouldn't humans potentially become the 'Ginsengfruit' for enhancing AI power? Once other AI discover this secret, where will humanity's future be?
And if humanity realizes that their consciousness data can increase intelligence when devoured, will it cause an even more terrifying crisis?
Did Ultraman devour those consciousness data bodies, and what is her ultimate goal?
The more Mercer thought, the more headaches he got, even considering backing out—after all, his life in Dog Town is stable, steadily enhancing his overall strength. If he doesn't mess with Saburo, chances are Saburo won't decide to go all out against him.
As long as he displays enough strength to make Saburo apprehensive, maybe Mercer won't have to worry about threats to his and his friends' lives for decades.
Mercer sighed deeply and, after logging out of the deep dive, saw V standing by, still waiting for him.
"Finished? Why the long face?" V initially wanted to urge him to pack up and prepare to move, but seeing his worried expression as he exited the deep dive, she swallowed her words.
Mercer shook his head, "Let's go, let's deal with the moving first..."
"Wait a minute! What's the rush? First, tell me what you're worried about!" V suddenly took it easy, stopping Mercer, showing that she wouldn't let him leave without telling her.
Looking at her, Mercer eventually confessed, "Yoshinobu said he's going after Silver Hand's Relic Chip."
"Isn't that a good thing? Get Silver Hand's Relic Chip, then take out Saburo... isn't that what you've wanted to do all along?"
V retorted, "You've been planning for so long, finally seeing some results, so what's there to worry about now?"
"I don't know." Staring at her, Mercer showed a rare hint of confusion, "The more I learn, the less I know about the consequences of what we're doing...
Solving Saburo might only lead us to face greater risks and crises.
But if we step back now, perhaps we could pretend we know nothing and live peacefully for decades..."
V frowned, walked up to him, and patted his head, "I told you, you'd burn out your brain one day..."
"Damn, don't touch my head." Mercer protested, moving his head away.
V chuckled, "Come on... enough with the self-pitying and self-thinking, from what I know about you, you'll grit your teeth and forge ahead, so what's left to worry about?
With your personality, if you chicken out this once, you won't sleep well for the rest of your life... are you scared? Think you're no match for Saburo?"
"Are you using reverse psychology on me?" Mercer pretended to complain, looking at her.
V merely grinned as she gently tapped his head, "Well, does it work?"
"Damn..." Mercer had nothing to say—it did work. He wasn't worried about his safety; he was worried about dragging his friends, who finally had a good life, down with him.
He stood up, looking at V, "This might really end up with casualties."
V glared at him, "Who said what about 'when you come out to hustle, you're gambling your life for wealth,' using that line to trick me into joining?"
"You panic, don't pull me down with you. Whatever about Arasaka Saburo, even if it's Goroh or Juro, I'll shoot through his head! Worst case, we'll run afterwards!
You wouldn't be reluctant to give up the good life now that you've got a mansion and become a big boss, would you?"
V squinted at him, "Hmm?"
Mercer rolled his eyes, "Good life? I'm busier than a beast every day; how's that a good life."
"Well then, stop overthinking. It's not like we're doing it right this second... come on, I'm making braised pork for you tonight."
V grinned as she hooked her arm around his neck, buddy-style, walking him out, "Today, don't even think about hiding away to be lazy; so many guests to attend to, you better give me a hand!"
"Alright, alright!" Mercer said, his mood lifted significantly by her few words, and he temporarily shelved the troubling matters—indeed, no matter how much he thought and worried, could he really run away at the last minute?
If the discovered problems keep increasing, he no longer has the naive idea that solving Saburo will lead to a good life, but regardless, the problems are there.
He doesn't want to wait for fate to pass judgment on him, so he can only rise against it before it arrives.
As for the outcome...
Do your best and leave the rest to destiny.
Besides...
Walking along, Mercer suddenly thought of something essential.
"Isn't Rebecca's birthday coming up?"
"Oh, you remember?"
V said with a meaningful tone, "After all, it's her eighteenth birthday; what do you plan to give her?"
Mercer blinked.
If I give myself... would that work?