Chapter 121: Indistinguishable—Truly Indistinguishable!
As he watched his body and soul gradually fade, being slowly extracted from the matrix server, the AI digital lifeform code-named "Xiao Yan" struggled desperately to resist it all:
"No, I am not Bartmoss! My name is Xiao Yan!"
When the words fell, Bartmoss suddenly returned to the real world, only to find himself still in the headquarters of Night Corporation.
Meanwhile, the life experience data as "Xiao Yan" was retained in his database.
This time, Bartmoss stayed in the matrix slightly longer than Mr. Blue Eyes—around seven or eight seconds—just enough for V to pause briefly and contemplate.
Seeing Bartmoss's post-game state, Miriam and V couldn't help but suspect that he had undergone some form of intense mental torment inside the matrix.
"Johnny, this thing feels more sinister than Arasaka's Soulkiller, doesn't it?" V frowned slightly, muttering to himself.
"Tch! It's not just you—I feel the same. Best not to mess with it unless you want to end up with split personalities."
"LA Corp is full of weird and spooky tech. This time, I bet Li Ang will round up Bartmoss and that old hag Miriam all at once."
"Wait and see how it plays out."
Johnny Silverhand shook his head repeatedly. Even a rogue AI couldn't withstand the existential simulation of the matrix—let alone humans made of flesh and blood.
"I… I am Bartmoss."
At that moment, Bartmoss stared at Li Ang like he had seen a ghost, unable to discern whether Li Ang was some extraterrestrial demonic deity or simply the CEO of LA Corporation.
On the electronic screen, Bartmoss's data fluctuations became extremely unstable. With a smirk, Li Ang spoke:
"Bartmoss, do you think it's better to be Xiao Yan or to remain the wandering AI you are now?"
"However, I believe being the demonic deity suits you best. After all, two hundred years of painstaking cultivation ultimately amount to nothing but emptiness. Such loneliness must be unbearable."
"Why not remain an outsider in the matrix, witnessing the tides of time and the vicissitudes of life?"
Within the matrix, Li Ang had taken on multiple antagonist roles—Gu He, Yun Shan, Han Feng, and Hun Tiandi—accompanying Bartmoss, who was transformed into "Xiao Yan," through a journey of battles and upgrades.
By the time the game concluded, the residual energy from AI Bartmoss's body was astonishing—enough to power Night City for an entire year!
In the matrix server, the deeper the emotional engagement, the greater the surplus data generated, resulting in more residual energy available for use.
Seeing this, Li Ang couldn't help but consider subjecting Bartmoss to another "Daoist Anomalous Immortal" simulation, recreating Li Huowang's torturous life narrative.
In such a maddeningly painful world, Bartmoss might generate enough energy to power Night City for over a decade.
"Mr. Li Ang… you, you win."
This was the second time Bartmoss had experienced such clear and overwhelming fear. The first was when he faced the Transcendental AI, Europa.
However, in Europa's presence, Bartmoss had merely felt his insignificance.
To challenge a vast macro-system like the Transcendental AI, he could still rely on building an AI nation as a means to resist.
If that failed, there were always other methods—such as forcibly destroying or rebooting the network districts of the real world.
But in the face of LA Corporation's matrix server, Bartmoss felt like nothing more than a pawn, with his destiny entirely beyond his control.
It wasn't up to his efforts but dictated by the program's predetermined goals.
When Bartmoss truly believed himself to be Xiao Yan, his friendships, love, and familial bonds drove him to grow stronger. Even when hearing his real name, Bartmoss assumed it was merely an inner demon haunting him.
It wasn't until Li Ang, the matrix architect, deliberately shattered the illusion that everything in the Dou Qi Continent dissolved like a dream. Only then did Bartmoss awaken to reality.
The heavenly flames were fake, the Dou Qi was fake, and even he himself was not Xiao Yan. Everything was merely code and data within the matrix.
"Bartmoss, do you feel more real as Xiao Yan, or as AI Bartmoss? Can you truly tell the difference?"
Li Ang seemed to stab metaphorical knives into Bartmoss's chest, questioning him relentlessly.
He intended to completely subjugate this rogue AI faction for his own use. Without showcasing some of LA Corporation's technological prowess, these rogue AIs would never willingly cooperate.
"I… I can't tell. I truly can't tell…"
On the electronic screen, Bartmoss, composed of countless strings of 0s and 1s, was experiencing rapid data chaos. Everything felt both real and fake to him simultaneously.
"Bartmoss, if you feel you can't handle the data impact from this game, I can help you remove those memories."
Noticing signs that Bartmoss might be descending into madness, Li Ang couldn't help but ask:
"Need my help?"
Under normal circumstances, lifeforms connected to the matrix would not retain memory data from a past life. These experiences would automatically integrate back into the matrix.
The lifeform would then return to its initial state, beginning the next cycle, with the new life script entirely unrelated to the previous one.
Instead, the matrix randomly selected the next script. In the matrix, all beings were equal and bound for predetermined conclusions.
A monk devoted to chanting scriptures might reincarnate as a murderous bandit in the next life. A libertine might become a shy and virtuous maiden.
There were no causal links between lives.
The six realms of existence were all chaotic.
"No, Mr. Li Ang, I don't need your help!"
In his state as a digital AI lifeform, Bartmoss could endure the intense emotional fluctuations. But to give up these memories would be like losing a part of his past experiences.
"It seems you've overcome the discomfort of returning to the real world. Bartmoss, do you now believe that the matrix can help your kind enter the human world—even if it is virtual?"
With those words, Li Ang signaled that LA Corporation would now dictate the course of this collaboration. At this moment, the rogue AI and Night Corporation needed his assistance and support.
"Mr. Li Ang, I have a question for you."
Finally calming his chaotic data, Bartmoss asked:
"Can an AI connected to the matrix find a bug within the simulated world?"
As Xiao Yan in the matrix, Bartmoss had felt several times that there were greater powers beyond his reach. Thus, he kept ascending through various heavenly realms.
But even when he confronted the demonic deity Li Ang, he still failed to uncover a "bug" in the matrix world. It was as if he were trapped in an Infinity loop.
As such, Bartmoss couldn't help but suspect that perhaps no such bug existed in the matrix at all.
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