"Sustain humanity?"
Hearing this unfamiliar phrase, Bartmoss paused for a moment, then quickly figured out its meaning.
Given the efficiency of AI and the productivity of current technology, if AIs could truly be integrated, their productive capacity would be completely overflowing.
Since AIs don't require things like food, he hadn't thought in that direction.
Only after the System reminded him did he suddenly realize that this plan was indeed feasible.
Of course, the reason he even considered its feasibility was because it was a task from the 'Angel'; a value like Bartmoss's empathy stat of 2 meant he would never proactively help humanity.
As Schwarzer of the Machine Ex Machina, she was invincible, whether in terms of real-world combat power or within the net.
Having become an AI lifeform, Bartmoss could sense the terrifying computational power emanating from Schwarzer.
Infinite life, technology far beyond humanity's, and a powerful mind—Bartmoss would have believed it if someone told him she was an alien.
"After the virus paralyzes the net, I'll leave the management of the resulting rogue AIs to you. In return, I will give you a 'Cursed Energy Seed'."
The System pulled out a cluster of data that looked like garbled code. It hadn't been idle for the nearly one thousand years.
Using Cursed Energy to repair Schwarzer's soul, it had gained a complete understanding of Cursed Energy in the process. It could be said that it could now freely use any power related to it.
Among these, the most practical and suitable aspect was Cursed Energy's ability to convert the emotions of intelligent beings, especially negative ones, into a form of energy.
It was like a 'perpetual motion machine,' generating power from emotions, creating energy from seemingly nothing.
Under extreme emotions, it could even distort reality, transforming a concept understood by a sentient individual into a controllable ability—what is known as a 'Cursed Technique'.
The object in its hand was a seed of Cursed Energy, a seed formed by aggregating the core concepts of Cursed Energy itself.
Abilities from different worlds are not interchangeable; after all, the laws of each world are different. Just because the System and Schwarzer can use them doesn't mean others can.
What Schwarzer gave Naraku Ninja was the most primitive form of Cursed Energy. It would gradually be consumed with use unless it could be constantly supplied with fuel.
Coincidentally, Naraku's hatred for ninjas was endless and hasn't burned out even to this day, but that was a special case, a miracle only Naraku could achieve.
A normal person, even if they accepted Cursed Energy, could only sustain it for a very short time before it was extinguished due to insufficient negative emotions.
However, it had now achieved a breakthrough. By solidifying the concept of Cursed Energy itself, it had created the 'Cursed Energy Seed' in its hand. With this, anyone could use Cursed Energy.
The price was that this type of Cursed Energy could no longer produce a 'Cursed Technique,' as its very existence was a Cursed Technique.
Communication in cyberspace is incredibly fast, and Bartmoss quickly understood the concept and function of Cursed Energy.
With it, he would no longer be a mere AI, but a 'soul' in another form, capable of existing even outside of cyberspace.
As long as he could still think and possessed emotions, Cursed Energy would provide the energy for his existence!
This was a form of evolution: from an ordinary flesh-and-blood body, to an AI with infinite life, and now to a 'soul' that could exist without relying on the net.
"Thank you so much… I guarantee the mission will be completed." Wasn't it just integrating all AIs? That little task was no big deal for him.
The 'Angel' had offered too much, so much that he had no thought of resisting.
"Until you receive my notification, do not reveal this matter. Act according to 'history' for everything."
"When we truly succeed, I can give you a few more 'Cursed Energy Seeds'."
The System handed over the original 'plot development'—that is, information related to the Blackwall from the original Cyberpunk 2077 story—to Bartmoss, so he could ensure the plot unfolded correctly.
"Don't worry, there won't be any problems. I guarantee it with my skills!"
Bartmoss spoke with confidence. If even he couldn't do it, no one else in the world could. Such was the confidence of the strongest netrunner.
As for the extra Cursed Energy Seeds, he could guess the 'Angel's' purpose in giving them to him.
He could use these 'Cursed Energy Seeds' as temptations and rewards, which would make controlling the AIs much more convenient.
Of course, he would definitely save a share for his own Spider Murphy, and one for Alt Cunningham as well—he was already starting to look out for his own interests.
The AIs of the Cyberpunk world were more like another kind of human. They had their own emotions and desires, unlike the AIs in other science fiction works.
Therefore, an AI like Bartmoss, a human consciousness upload, would have no barriers with other AIs; they all had their own little schemes and moods.
Having explained all this, the System said no more and chose to depart.
Over hundreds of years, it had completely suppressed the ninjas. Now was the era when ninjas were scarcest and their influence was at its weakest.
The world's corrective force, combined with the System's active intervention, ensured that the timeline remained on the right track.
"I did it, Host."
The time spent repairing the soul this time had already surpassed the time the System and Schwarzer had spent together. However, it was not human, nor did it have the temporal perspective of a short-lived species; a thousand years had little effect on it.
Instead, confirming that it had fulfilled its promise and secured the Cyberpunk 2077 timeline made it happier.
What the System had always been bothered by was Schwarzer's soul shattering by accident. Since then, it had resolved that such a situation would never happen again.
But there was one thing it had never told Schwarzer: their first stop on their journey through the worlds was not No Game No Life…
The System looked up slightly toward the sky, not at this universe. Its gaze pierced through the clouds, the solar system, the Milky Way…
It crossed universes and countless worlds, looking toward a place even more distant.
A jet-black humanoid figure transcended universes and worlds. Around it were countless galaxy-like discs—countless multiverses.
"Disturbance detected in the Multiversal Labyrinth, but no large-scale Spiral Power outbreak has been detected."
"Sentient life cannot transcend the Multiversal Labyrinth. Leave it be."
The jet-black figure was, of course, the Anti-Spiral. Each galaxy-like disc was a multiverse.
To protect the universe from being destroyed by Spiral Power and the Spiral Nemesis, the Anti-Spiral chose to seal away all Spiral Power.
The Multiversal Labyrinth was their best weapon, trapping Spiral Warriors who could awaken Spiral Power and evolve it to a certain level.
Each multiverse held infinite possibilities, which, upon being perceived, became actual existing universes. The endless universes formed the perfect labyrinth.
To date, no Spiral Warrior has been able to break through the Multiversal Labyrinth. No sentient being can escape from it…
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