Ghost in the City
Chapter 74

I ended up having to go home after I woke up. While I did have a sink in the basement so I was able to clean the blood off my face, my netrunner suit needed an actual cleaning since some of my blood had caked on.

So I was throwing my clothes in the washer back at the apartment, and slumping onto the couch when I thought to check my stat page.

I had killed a lot of Daemons after all, and they did give XP.

I started looking through the update list with wider and wider eyes.

*250 XP Gained.*

*250 XP Gained.*

*250 XP Gained.*

*250 XP Gained.*

And on and on, the page of XP alerts just didn’t stop.

*Level up achieved!*

*One Stat Point Gained.*

*One Skill Point Gained.*

*250 XP Gained.*

*250 XP Gained.*

I had actually managed another level already!

I had killed enough 250XP Daemons to gain more than 11,000 XP!

That was… Well okay it was only 44 Daemons. That actually fit, that horde of Daemons I had slaughtered had been quite large.

Wow.

But that wasn’t even the end of my improvements!

I guess breaching through a corrupted system had given me a lot of practice, my intelligence had leveled!

*Intelligence Leveled up!*

Intelligence 9.

But even better!

Breach had leveled as well! Despite the intelligence level up just happening Breach had shot up as well! I guess navigating that ruined system had been a great new experience.

*Breach Protocol skill level up!*

Breach 9.

I now had a new highest stat. Cool had been my highest level stat for so long it was kind of weird to think it had fallen behind.

Yet that wasn’t even the end.

*Quick Hacks skill level up!*

Level 6!? Already! I mean, my previous levels with quick hacks had all been with ping, and in the real world, and this time not only was I using much more powerful programs, I was using them on the net. Both as offense and defense, against enemies doing the same.

I nodded, it made sense for it to level so fast, but it still surprised me.

The influx of knowledge and experience hadn't even been noticed. I had been so busy fighting against the Daemons. The fact I had suddenly improved had completely slipped past my awareness.

“I’m gonna be such an awesome hacker.” I whispered to myself unable to stop the jittery excitement flowing through me.

Sure it had been a mess. That server had nearly killed me, well I likely would have been okay with two other hackers watching my back, but I could have been hurt…

Okay more hurt.

But it was still totally worth it for this alone.

So many changes just with one dive. Heh. It really was like a game. Go into a dungeon and come out more powerful.

I loved dungeon delves. Maybe I could actually find a server that had that gimmick. I bet there were at least a few. There was no way fantasy archetypes died out.

I picked up my Programming laptop as I waited for my clothes.

I was feeling inspired. There had been a gain greater than just higher numbers. I had learned what it was like being in the net, what I could expect, what I would face, and what I would need.

It made me want a Daemon of my own.

Not just a Daemon I could use, because I had a few stored away in my system. Specifically the neat little Daemon that would interfere with optics of people I hacked for example. Cyber Ninja was still a really cool perk.

But I wanted to make a Daemon of my own. One just for me.

But first? I needed more levels.

Back to the grind.

—--

A few hours later mid work on trying to streamline Reboot Optics some more. The door opened and Jun slumped inside.

“Hey Jun. You okay?” I chirped as he seemed lethargic but he just waved a hand holding a XXL burrito at me as he headed to the fridge grabbing a drink and then slumping onto the couch as he started eating and drinking.

I ignored him for a bit, he looked tired, and I knew he would tell me what was wrong when he was ready.

“I was stuck dealing with a total disaster all day.” He finally told me and I nodded as I closed down another line. Looking at it, and deciding it was better than it had been.

“Sounds tough.”

“Some gonk decided to try to beat up a 6th. St. girl. The Girl was the kid sister of someone important. I was the bodyguard of Hitake, while he tried to calm things down. It took forever, and I had to keep an eye on things the whole time. It got tense a few times.” He said, sighing as he took a big bite of his disgusting burrito.

“Sounds like it all worked out in the end? No gunfights?”

“Not this time.” He muttered but he nodded and leaned back seemingly happy that it had all been okay in the end. “How was your day? You’ve been out and about the last few days.”

“I was netrunning.” I told him which caused a reaction as he jerked up and looked at me in surprise.

“Wait, really!?”

“Yeah? Why is that a shock? I’ve been doing netrunner stuff for a while! I even upgraded my Cyberdeck a little bit ago, remember?”

“Yeah but… knowing how to throw a quick hack, or a little programming- Err I mean being a programmer isn’t the same as netrunning.” He said having to backpedal on calling my skill with programming ‘little.’ Jun had been smart enough to notice my glare.

“Yeah well. I told you that I took over the netrunners basement and all the stuff to get at his equipment.”

“Yeah but I just… I guess I hadn’t really thought that you really would… Oka-san… She’d be so proud of you Motoko. She always wanted you to follow in her footsteps. Wow. I guess…” He went silent as he sort of stared off into space for a bit.

“Natasha Kusanagi, huh.” I spoke, unable to help myself. I didn’t think of my parents very often.

“Yeah. She was amazing, there wasn’t anything she couldn’t hack.” Jun said with a smile on his face and I nodded.

“Well I’ll be just as amazing!” I told him not sure what else to say. So instead I turned back to my laptop and got back to work. Jun eventually turned on the TV and settled in, as we just hung out together.

—--

The level up hit me by surprise.

*Programming skill level up!*

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

Programming 5!

“Eeee!” I squealed as the information hit me. The fact I had been fighting my Reboot Optics Quick Hack for so long only to suddenly gain something even better?

“Huh? What’s up Motoko?”

“Ah! I just had a breakthrough!” I lied to Jun but it was kinda true as well. The info dump as always gave me the chance to look over my previous code and scoff at how bad it was.

Even just a single level improvement was enough to make me realize all of my work up to that had been a waste.

Wait.

The thought struck me and I looked at my current stat screen with a realization.

1 Stat point.

6 Skill point.

I had everything I needed…

Why was I wasting my time grinding out low level programming when I could maximize it!?

I hesitated as the thought struck me. I liked grinding, and it was good for me, the grind forced me to produce something, to create. I mean sure I could probably rip apart everything I programmed up until now if I really upgraded that much, but it was useful to do it myself.

There were other stats, other skills as well…

Wouldn’t Ninjutsu be best to level up more instead?

Wouldn’t Reflex be a good choice to increase, as it makes me incredibly more deadly?

Tech? The stat and skills I had worked with the least? Wouldn’t they be best to bring up in line?

But….

I really didn’t want to fight against these programs anymore! I wanted to make amazing programs!

I stopped myself from putting all the points in.

I remember the info dump that had happened the last time I had done that. So instead I simply put a skill point into Programming.

Programming 6.

The rush was everything I had hoped for. Increasing a skill by one point was a massive increase. Getting another level up moments after?

Ahhh yissss.

But I wasn’t done. Once my mind processed the level up, I flicked another point in.

Programming 7.

I shivered having to use Cold Blood just to calm my excitement so Jun wouldn’t notice me freaking out.

It was amazing. Methodologies, improvements, secrets, tricks, and the experience of knowing when and how to use them flooded in.

I had been like a baby playing with a weapon, without the understanding of how to take off the sheath. Of the skill on how to turn a weapon into something truly deadly.

But I was starting to see it. That vague understanding of what programming could truly do. I was finally starting to glimpse it’s true potential.

Rache Bartmoss had with a bit of programming literally caused an apocalypse.

I was going to be just as good in the end.

I pushed another button.

Programming 8.

I exhaled, Programming was now at the same level as my Ninjutsu. The skill that had turned me from a streetkid with memory problems into a merc with a future.

Programming 8, might even be more powerful.

I understood how to make rudimentary AI.

I could create intelligence.

Oh I had some plans for that!

But I could still push it more.

I had three skill points left… Who says I shouldn’t use them? They were mine!

Programming 9.

So close.

I was so close. I could see it, that tiny bit more. I had seen a digital world before, but now? Now I knew what it was made of. How it was constructed. Like humanity learning about the atom, only I could alter atoms. I could program the world and change it.

I don’t know how long I sat there, as Jun watched TV staring at a laptop without seeing a word on it.

The amount of information was smaller, but the complexity was higher.

There was so much I could do now. So many problems I had stopped working on before would now be… Easy. Simple. Childs programming. No not even that, Good programming from an average person.

But I wasn’t average.

The gamer system made me capable of being a genius, a prodigy, a monster.

I was maxed out though.

Intelligence 9. Programming 9. I couldn’t go any higher.

My eye peeked over to the stat point.

I had been saving them for my arms, but that wasn’t too much of an issue anymore…

Right?

It was just… One point. I clicked it, before I could stop myself.

Intelligence 10.

And then… I pushed another button.

*Programming skill level up!*

*1 Perk Point Gained.*

*Human limit Achieved.*

Programming 10.

I winced, hissing a bit as I rubbed at my head.

Maybe taking five level ups in a short period hadn’t been the smartest thing.

My head throbbed, but it was the knowledge flowing in that made it all worth it.

I didn’t even have to think about it.

I could think back to my Reboot Optics quick hack, and remember bad code, bad choices, and ways to fix it.

Ways to improve it.

And yet.

I checked my stat page trying to figure out what human limit alert meant.

When I selected it, a small alert appeared.

*Human Limit Achieved. XP leveling has been locked. Stat or Skill points required for further advancement.*

I read the alert a few times. Trying to understand it, I had come so far.

And yet I wasn’t at the peak.

Level 10 wasn’t the max. I didn’t even know if there was a max, but since this was mimicking Cyberpunk 2077, then level 20 would be the max level… Right?

I was only halfway there.

I only had half the understanding and knowledge of programming that I could have?

For a moment I just felt like my brain was melting, because the idea that I could still get even better…

Being this skilled at something…

It almost scared me.

No wonder Bartmoss had been so feared. Had been so capable.

A monster. A true inhuman being.

That is what being level 20 must mean.

I stood shocking myself as I nearly fell as I felt woozy, something even Jun noticed as I stumbled over to the kitchen and grabbed a soda out of the fridge.

“Hey?” Jun was there behind me gently reaching out to grab me, which was weird, until I realized he was moving back and forth.

No. No it was I who was swaying on my feet.

“Motoko are you sick?”

“No. No I’m okay Jun just… I just had a surprise I guess.” I mumbled but I let myself fall into a hug. He obviously didn’t believe me, but the soda helped. The cold and sugar was just what I needed. A few moments later I pushed away from Jun and my legs held me.

“Motoko? Do we need to go to Vik’s”

“No I’m okay Jun really… I just… It’s all a bit much. Programming.” I muttered, “I think I’ll take a break for a while, let my brain cool down.”

“Yeah.” He grumbled but as much as I wanted to just think Jun guided me back to the couch and very firmly closed my laptop, which earned him a snort, but I was a good girl. I settled into the couch and flopped over onto the arm rest and instead of doing any further work, I just watched the stupid show Jun was watching.

God it was awful.

—--

I ended up falling asleep at some point. Which goes to show just how tired my brain must have been.

Okay Motoko you fucking gonk brain. No more leveling multiple skills back to back. Give it a few hours at least.

I was on the couch, but a blanket covered me and the TV was off leaving the room quiet which was rare.

I snuggled into the couch for a bit not wanting to get up just yet.

Jun must have put the blanket over me.

He was a good Onii-chan. I would have to do something nice for him like… Not wreck his sleep by cannonballing on him? Or something.

I’m not a good Imouto. I’ll work on it.

Eventually I started getting bored and actually rose up, untangling myself from the blankets but rather than open up my laptop like my brain was begging me to do, I went to the bathroom and took a shower.

The water flowing over me let me process what I had just done.

It wasn’t stupid. Other than rushing through the leveling. I couldn’t have known that leveling up to ten meant I stopped getting XP, and would have to level through stat and skill points.

Was it annoying?

Yes.

But it was fine. I knew it now. Besides…

Programming.

God it was almost terrifying what I could do now.

And I still had two perks.

I snorted. I had gone from Level 5, to ten in one sitting, no wonder my brain had felt like melting out my ears. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the ɴøvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Although I did have to admit. It felt amazing. Learning something, no more than learning it, mastering it?

I shook my head spraying water around. I wouldn’t put myself through that again, but doing it once was neat.

Now I just had to decide.

What did I do now?

The system had told me I was at the human limit. What did that mean?

What did that say about me?

Was I now the greatest programmer of all time? But I could still level up. The stats and skills went past 10.

So what would programming 11 be?

20?

I shrugged. I guess I would find out when it happened. Until then, I really really wanted to fix my quick hacks.

But first I had perks to pick. No point in getting to work without them selected.

The first perk was an obvious choice.

Inspired Programmer: Inspiration strikes constantly. Never run out of steam while programming.

Instantly just thinking about my quick hacks brought tons of ideas on how to fix them. Truly I was inspired.

It felt great!

The second perk was harder. I went back through the list.

It took me a while to find something I felt was good enough to add in.

Honestly I picked it so I might finally be able to complete one of my big goals.

A.I. Whisperer: Daemons, Smart Programs, Virtual Intelligence, and true A.I. You don’t just create a mind. You create life.

I shivered as I picked the perk. Was it the right choice? I don’t know. There had been a few about creating better quick hacks in the list too. But my choice was made.

I dried off and got dressed in just my leotard as I settled onto the couch. Throwing the blanket Jun had grabbed for me over my shoulders as I brought the laptop into my lap.

Time to see what I could really do now.

Sᴇarch the NʘvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.