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.

 

The author’s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

“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.