As Xiao's voice faded, Johnny suddenly felt his entire body go rigid.
Every muscle.
Every movement.
Gone.
It was as if he had become nothing more than a walking corpse.
Helplessly, he watched his own body move step by step back toward Xiao.
Then Xiao slowly raised a finger—
and lightly tapped the side of Johnny's head.
"Johnny…"
His voice was calm.
"Do you think I have the ability to rewrite your memories and consciousness?"
The gesture was simple.
But the meaning behind it was unmistakable.
I can change you whenever I want.
Yet Johnny didn't show even the slightest trace of fear.
No panic.
No hesitation.
Only cold contempt.
"If that's what you want, do it."
His eyes narrowed.
"I wouldn't expect anything less from a corporate dog."
His tone dripped with mockery.
In truth, Johnny was certain of one thing—
even if Xiao tampered with his memories, he still wouldn't be able to find Alt.
Arasaka had tried the same thing countless times.
They had controlled him.
Manipulated him.
Used him as bait.
And every single time—
they failed.
Even Johnny himself never fully understood how Alt could always tell the difference between what was genuine and what was forced.
But somehow—
she always knew.
Xiao looked at him and sighed.
"You really are…"
"…a rock in a cesspit."
"Hard and foul."
Johnny actually chuckled.
"Heh."
"Sounds like you know me pretty well."
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
At this point, Johnny truly feared nothing.
A man who no longer feared death—
and had nothing left to lose—
was practically invincible.
And right now—
that was exactly what he was.
"Johnny."
Xiao's voice softened.
"Do you know something?"
"Even without you…"
"I can still find them."
He paused.
"It'll just take more time."
Johnny curled his lip.
"Sure."
The word sounded less like agreement and more like pure ridicule.
But Xiao didn't care.
"The reason I want you to find Alt and the others…"
"…isn't because I want to control them."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"On the contrary."
"I simply don't want legends like Alt Cunningham, Bartmoss, and Spider Murphy to disappear so pointlessly."
His voice carried something unusual.
Not arrogance.
Not madness.
Admiration.
"People like them shouldn't just fade away."
Snap.
With a crisp snap of his fingers—
the world inverted.
The laboratory vanished.
In an instant, Johnny and Panam found themselves standing in another world entirely.
The Cyber Dimension.
Xiao spread his arms.
"This…"
"…is the world I created."
"A separate dimension woven entirely from data and energy."
"The network core that connects every Cyber Apostle."
His voice carried unmistakable pride.
Then—
the scenery shifted again.
The space twisted.
And suddenly—
they stood at the very edge of the Cyber Dimension.
Before them rose a towering wall of endless darkness.
A colossal black barrier that seemed to stretch beyond sight.
Johnny's pupils contracted.
"…No."
His voice shook.
"…That's impossible."
His eyes widened.
"The Blackwall?!"
He stared at the massive structure in disbelief.
Then looked down at his own hands.
He wasn't in digital form.
He was physically here.
Yet somehow—
he was standing before the Blackwall itself.
His breathing became uneven.
"…You used some kind of sensory manipulation."
His voice sharpened.
"This has to be an illusion."
"You're messing with my brain."
"That's the only explanation."
Xiao ignored him.
Instead, he calmly walked forward—
and led them through the Blackwall.
On the other side—
an endless expanse opened before them.
The Old Net.
Vast.
Empty.
Silent.
And in the center of that infinite digital sea—
hung a giant black sun.
Panam only looked at it once.
Then immediately turned away.
Her face had gone pale.
Her voice trembled.
"What… is that?"
She instinctively stepped back.
"It feels like it's trying to devour my mind."
Unlike her—
Xiao stared at it with visible excitement.
A dark gleam burned in his eyes.
He took a slow breath.
"That…"
"…is the Cyber Black Hole."
He spoke the words with unmistakable pride.
"I created it to consume the entire Old Net."
His voice echoed in the void.
"It continuously devours its power."
"It's computing capacity."
"Its energy."
"And everything it contains."
He slowly raised his hand toward the black sun.
"It feeds all of that…"
"…back into the Cyber Dimension."
His smile deepened.
"It's a pump."
"A giant one."
"One that will eventually drain the Old Net dry."
He looked at the black sun like a craftsman admiring his masterpiece.
"Sooner or later…"
"This world will be completely emptied."
Before now, even Xiao himself hadn't fully realized something.
That laws—
true, fundamental laws—
could also be applied within a virtual world.
In his previous understanding, science and metaphysics should have been opposites.
Science explained reality.
Metaphysics transcended it.
But now—
he had discovered the truth.
The two were never truly separate.
Both sought the same thing:
the laws that govern existence.
Whether physical or digital—
rules were still rules.
The universe still obeyed principles.
And principles could be controlled.
That realization thrilled him.
It deepened his understanding of everything he had built.
Johnny stared at him.
Then finally spat out the only conclusion possible.
"You're insane."
His voice was low.
Almost breathless.
Because he finally understood what Xiao was trying to do.
He wasn't simply attacking the Old Net.
He was trying to drain it.
Consume all its resources.
All its intelligence.
All its existence.
The scale of it was suffocating.
Johnny could already imagine the inevitable outcome.
The AIs would never allow this.
They would retaliate.
Fight back.
A war unlike anything before.
"Aren't you worried…"
"…that the AIs will rise up again?"
"That they'll start another war against humanity?"
Xiao laughed softly.
"What exactly can they do?"
His tone was full of contempt.
"Fight me virtually?"
He spread his arms.
"I'm right here."
"Have you seen a single AI dare approach me?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
"As for real-world warfare…"
He pointed behind them.
"The Cyber Dimension has an absolute network barrier."
"They can't enter."
"If they can't even breach the network…"
"How exactly are they supposed to wage war?"
Johnny opened his mouth.
"What about everyone else—"
But then—
he froze.
The words stopped halfway.
His expression changed instantly.
Because in that moment—
he understood everything.
The entire plan.
The true purpose.
This wasn't just about destroying the AIs.
This wasn't even just about controlling cyberspace.
This was—
a grand unification plan.
A war so inevitable, so overwhelming—
that humanity would have no choice but to unite under a single power.
Under Xiao.
A cold chill crawled up Johnny's spine.
Because this wasn't merely strategy.
It was a conspiracy designed to unify the entire world—
without anyone even realizing it.
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