Abyssal Wanderer

Chapter 119 NO.0076: Crossing the Styx

Another Program (Another Program) is an interactive program independently developed by Jiang Zhou, the general manager of the Janus project, for the digital personality uploaded by users to communicate with the outside world.

After a hundred years and countless upgrade iterations, in this era, the stand-in program has become the best tool for human beings to enter the sea of ​​data.

Scan the body to generate an avatar that can be perfectly driven by the user's biological brain to enter the online world. Let the originally abstract online world become a state that most people can understand and interact with—this has become the most effective way for humans in this era to explore this Internet that has long surpassed human imagination.

However, there is a huge risk in doing so - after the substitute program is destroyed, it is likely to be used by malicious programs wandering in the abyss and dark web. And then it becomes the path for them to invade the brain-computer interface and sneak into the base reality.

This has literally caused countless crises in human society in the past. Even the effects of some of these crises persist to this day—for example, the autonomous proliferating drones that have sealed off the skies and seas.

However, fifty years ago, there was a cold-blooded genius who solved this problem once and for all.

She designed the so-called "apoptosis program" - pre-installed in the brain-computer interface, as long as it is detected that the abyss wanderer's double died in the abyss dark net, this program will immediately activate the brain cells to automatically apoptosis.

As long as the abyss roamer dies with his stand-in, there is no need to worry about being exploited by malicious programs.

It was also after the advent of this technology that death in the abyss dark net is equivalent to death in reality, and it became the consensus of human society.

In fact, in today's era, the "apoptotic program" has completely become an important part of the "Styx Firewall".

But now, after Jiang Zhou's stand-in program was destroyed, the apoptosis program that killed his body was not activated.

"Normally, you should be dead by now. However, your situation has some peculiarities that I have never expected...

"You have two doubles."

At this moment, Hecate, who was lazily sitting at the stern, said so.

As the ferry boat swam farther and farther, Jiang Zhou felt that his energy was getting stronger and stronger.

Right now, he has gradually changed from being unable to move to being able to barely support himself and sit up.

After listening to Hecate's words, Jiang Zhou looked down at his outstretched palm—he could clearly feel that under his skin, there was a layer of plastic steel armor.

Although there are no mirrors or other things that can reflect light nearby, such details all show that what I am currently controlling is Liao Qi's substitute program.

Although Jiang Zhou's double had been destroyed, his own consciousness had entered Liao Qi's double. Therefore, the apoptotic program is not triggered to kill itself.

"Then can I use this double to return to the base reality?"

After contemplating for a long time, Jiang Zhou asked this question—no wonder his first concern was this, not to mention the dangers in the abyss and dark net, which are as diverse as department stores. My own brain radiation sickness can't support myself to stay in the abyss dark net for a long time.

As for this question, Hecate shook his head slightly, pushing him into despair:

"I persuaded His Majesty Charon to bring you back from Styx just to avoid this from happening."

Hearing the words, Jiang Zhou subconsciously turned his head to look at the rickety boatman who was holding a long pole without saying a word. The latter seemed to have sensed his gaze, turned around and smiled sarcastically at him, revealing the uneven waxy yellow teeth in his mouth.

"If you have this kind of thinking, then the old man suggests that you better jump into the Styx River and swim back by yourself, so as not to waste the old man's computing resources."

The ferryman Charon said so in a hoarse voice, as if he might die at any moment.

Styx...

Jiang Zhou noticed the word.

The firewall between the world wide web and the dark web of the abyss is called the Styx firewall. No matter from which point of view, the Styx mentioned by Charon earlier most likely refers to the firewall.

In this way, the malicious program in front of me, who claims to be Charon, the ferryman from the underworld, is probably related to the "smuggling" of data?

Bring the data from the World Wide Web or even the base reality to the Abyss Darknet, or take out the information and data from the Abyss Darknet.

Jiang Zhou guessed what areas the other party was in charge of, and what areas they might be in.

At this time, Hecate on the side continued to explain:

"If you just go back like this, your double, which doesn't match your living body, will be recognized by the terminal as a malicious program, directly triggering a break in continuity."

In other words, as long as he stays in the abyss dark net and doesn't try to go back through the Styx firewall, can he continue to barely survive?

Recalling what Hecate said earlier, Jiang Zhou concluded.

Of course, this is not a long-term solution.

In addition to the fact that I might die from radiation sickness, there is another major premise—that is, my body that is still lying in the submersible will not be killed by the guys outside.

All in all, stretching out one's head is now a slash, and shrinking one's head is also a slash.

The difference between the two is only that one of them will die faster, while the other will die more thoroughly.

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhou couldn't help but sighed.

But no matter how you say it, the current situation is better than his sudden death in the first place. No matter how bad the current situation is, at least there is still a chance of recovery.

Thinking of this, he once again looked at Hecate and expressed his sincere thanks.

But to this, the goddess of the moon replied blankly:

"I will talk about the remuneration you should pay to me later. At the moment, you need to pay the ferrymen the copper coins for crossing the river. Please solve it yourself. I can't interfere."

Jiang Zhou froze for a moment.

Did you have to pay?

In mythology, every soul that takes a boat across the River Styx needs to pay the ferryman copper coins, so the funeral customs in many places will put two copper coins on the eyes of the deceased... But you don’t even Are you going to imitate this?

"Wait a minute, where are we going?"

Jiang Zhou asked quickly.

Charon, who was supporting the boat, replied:

"We have just crossed Acheron, and are entering Setus. And then we will pass through Styx, and finally reach the plain of Narcissus, and there you will disembark, and with the wandering ones, cross the Have a great time."

Acheron, Setus, and Styx are all names of the river Styx, which represent the river of resentment, the river of lamentation, and the river of oath-keeping respectively.

In Greek mythology, the Narcissus Plain is the place where the souls of the "ordinary" dead will go-they often have neither enough sins to enter Tartarus to receive punishment, nor enough glory to enter the Paradise of Bliss to enjoy bliss In the end, they can only wander forever on the plain full of daffodils.

Saying is tantamount to not saying...

Jiang Zhou couldn't help complaining silently, but then he changed his mind - in order not to be caught by high-level existences, these AIs often deliberately don't speak human words, and use myths as metaphors to hide their purpose.

And in order to figure out what they want to do, he should try his best to understand the meaning behind them in the current context.

hesitating...

So, Jiang Zhou found this keyword.

In Abyss Wanderer, there is such a concept that can be matched with this word.

wanderer.

Refers to those whose spirits are trapped in the abyss and dark net, and need to spend a lot of money and resources every year to maintain their physiological functions.

Just like myself now.

"So, you want me to help you find a specific wanderer on the Narcissus Plain?"

Jiang Zhou asked.

Charon heard the words, but did not make a sound.

The lone boat traveled a long way, until they had crossed several tributaries, and when they came to a river of lament that flowed entirely from tears, it opened its mouth and said:

"That man was once my steed, but now his body is chained in Tartarus, and his spirit wanders in the Narcissus Fields.

"If you succeed, in addition to being able to pay your round trip money, I will also introduce you to a corpse stitcher who will sew up the broken double for you so that you can return to your own world. "