Clockwork Bride

Page 9

“Angela, lift the hair at the back of your neck.”

As soon as he locked the private room door, Hayden turned around and gave instructions.

Angela immediately obeyed and brushed aside her long silver hair, revealing her fair and slender neck. Hayden stepped forward and gently touched it with his finger, and saw the artificial muscle pop open, revealing the metallic luster hidden deep within.

This was the same spring hole Hayden had inserted when he started her up yesterday, but it wasn't just a spring hole; it could also serve as a connector for Angela's wired connection. So Hayden took the connecting cable out of his robe pocket and, without a word, inserted the end.

"ah!?"

Angela immediately let out a cute scream that Hayden had never heard before.

Since yesterday's launch, Angela, who has been almost always flawless, elegant and confident, has made such a timid sound for the first time, and even her whole body has stiffened.

"Just like the body cavity of a living organism, unused bionic sockets may be a bit sensitive. Don't worry, you'll feel comfortable after I insert it a few more times."

Hayden uttered some truly awful words with a straight face. But as he saw Angela's cheeks flush and her touching her neck, his own face unconsciously turned as red as fire.

Calm down, calm down. This is not the time to get aroused by the beautiful face of a doll girl.

“I see, I understand. Please don’t worry, although you may feel a little ashamed, no matter how special your sexual preferences are, it will not diminish my love for you in the slightest.”

Angela quickly regained her composure and poise, but what she said seemed a little strange.

So Hayden pretended not to hear, fiddled with the 3D screen projected from his phone for a while, and then announced, "I've readjusted it for you, and now you should be able to connect to the network via wired connection. Try it out, and I'll keep an eye on it for you."

Although somewhat uneasy, Angela naturally obeyed. She sat down on the sofa bed in the private room, assuming a proper posture.

"Are you ready?"

Hayden asked,

"Start connecting."

As soon as she finished speaking, Angela felt dizzy!

Her gaze immediately left the doll's body and then went upward, ever upward.

Her doll-like body remains in the double room of the internet cafe. But the truly meaningful her, the one residing within the doll-like body, has already entered the Astral Network.

How would you describe the astral network?

Modern arcane researchers call it the "Astral World Sympathetic Magic Network." Simply put, it's a vast, unmediated network system connecting nearly ten billion intelligent beings with minds and thoughts worldwide through immense sympathetic magic, primarily used for transmitting information. It allows money to flow online, controls jobs and businesses, and even manages street traffic. Billions of people use it constantly, from the poor in the slums of New Jersey to the CEO of a company atop an office building in Tokyo—no one is immune.

It is the Astral Network, or simply the StarNet. Connected by sympathetic magic, it is composed of data and computing power far exceeding any previous era in history. It is a spiritual world where only spirit and information exist, devoid of matter.

Angela's first impression of the Star Network was—it's huge! As big as the world! As big as the universe! Because wherever there is thought and spirit, there is a connection to the Astral Network through communion magic. That's why the Star Network was able to be established, exist, and become so vast.

Second impression? The StarNet is incredibly beautiful! Looking up at the sky, enormous virtual geometric shapes hover above her. They resemble cities, float like gods, or constellations in a clear night sky.

Looking down at the earth, one can see intermittent beams of light crisscrossing the landscape. Their colors outnumber those that can be named, racing at the speed of thought, leaving trails of flowing information. They represent people, processes, programs, and the sight of compressed data packets speeding through the star network at the pace of thought.

So, what about Angela herself?

She then realized she had been transformed into a chibi-style Angela doll, with white dog ears on her head and a long white dog tail growing from her bottom. This design was clearly Hayden's doing.

Moreover, she was still floating in the sky of this star network, probably a thousand meters above the ground, with nothing below but a dizzying fall.

"Owner!?"

Her first instinct was to look for Hayden, but she found herself unable to control her body because she was no longer inside her body. She tried to turn her head as usual, but found that her gaze wouldn't move, as if she were paralyzed.

It has to be admitted that Angela was indeed a little flustered at this moment.

"I'm here."

But when she heard Hayden's voice, she immediately felt a little more at ease.

Hayden stood beside her, looking like a wizard straight out of a video game. He wore a coat that pop culture considered a mage's robe, decorated with faintly glowing runes, and held a staff made of gears and machinery. Overall, he had a slightly steampunk vibe. But otherwise, he looked much like his usual work attire.

“Interesting, you’re not interacting with the network in a normal AI way.”

Hayden observed Angela's current condition thoughtfully.

"You're just like a normal user entering VR for the first time, experiencing web fog and without any filters."

A qualified arcanist like Hayden can see the flow of StarNet data directly with his own eyes, and therefore can project his mind directly onto the network. They also know how to make their brains their own operating system, while preventing other unwanted things, such as song lyrics, stock prices, celebrity gossip, and other junk information, from getting into their brains and turning them into mush.

Ordinary users without specialized skills need tools to fully access the internet. These are usually helmets or similar devices that, when worn, directly apply sympathetic magic to the brain, along with an information filter. This means that the user's mind and brain are protected by these magical tools, preventing the kind of online hacking that would cause their real-world brain to explode, as depicted in movies from a hundred years ago.

And what about AI? It's even more convenient for them, since they're just devices. They simply need to interact with the network and its information like a normal computer.

So generally speaking, the only people who get their brains fried online are those who don't use information filters. And since connecting your brain directly to the internet without filters is mostly illegal, if your brain explodes, you deserve it; the company isn't responsible. Doesn't that sound reassuring?

"Master, what is that?"

Finally, the chibi-style Angela doll began to adapt to how to move around in the astral network. She clung to Hayden's robe, perched on his shoulder, and curiously pointed to the sky above, filled with enormous geometric shapes.

"The company's network servers are all floating in the sky above the StarNet."

She heard Hayden explain, and without saying a word, his voice traveled directly into her mind.

"The size of a web server and its virtual height are related to its importance and influence in the real world. The web server of an ordinary small shop is about the same size as its real-world counterpart, and less than ten meters tall; but it's different for a world-leading company like Mitra Corporation."

In the skies of the astral plane, countless enormous virtual geometric shapes float eternally. These are the network hosts of various companies within the StarNet.

Those smaller ones are mostly ordinary small companies that provide contact points, advertising platforms, and various online services.

The largest of these belong to giant corporations and mega-corporations, playing god-like roles in the world of the Astral Network. The largest of these is, of course, the Mitra Information Group's network mainframe. It slowly rotates at an altitude of 100,000 meters in the Astral Realm, resembling a golden lotus flower larger than a city.

"The old gods are dead. The dream world of ancient myths has vanished. Modern corporations are the gods of the mind network. Anyone who violates their rules will suffer divine punishment."

Hayden sighed as if reciting a poem.

"But why should I use my one and only life to blindly obey the company?"

"So Angela, hold on tight. Let's step into the darkness and chase after that frivolous and alluring vixen—let's go on an adventure."

The chibi-style Angela doll clung tightly to Hayden's robes. She was clearly ignorant of the Astral Network, a marvel built upon modern arcane magic, and therefore most apprehensive about it.

"Please rest assured, Master. I will follow and protect you wherever you are. You only need to do what you want."

But when she heard Hayden's words, she still smiled and wagged her tail happily.

Admittedly, even now, Hayden still feels a little shy seeing her smile like that. So he pretended not to care, patted Angela's little head, then took a step forward and flew straight out at an absurd speed, plunging headlong into the light trail of information flow. The bright blue light instantly engulfed them, accelerating them to the speed of thought itself.

So they arrived in less than a second.

A luxurious airship, like a palace in the sky, hovered hundreds of meters above the clouds, radiating a captivating pink glow. The company logo was displayed on the airship.

The Wenle Club's Star Realm network host is almost here.

Could the cybersecurity of a mere entertainment club really do anything to Hayden?

————————————————————————

Sympathy Magic

Things that are similar to each other can share the same property; "similar things will also have similar properties." This is the most basic rule of magic—the law of similarity.

For example, when cursing someone, first make a doll that closely resembles the target, then hammer nails into the doll. This way, even if you are thousands of miles apart, you can still curse the other person. Because of their similarity, the properties of one will "infect" the other.

The Astral Network is built on the same magical theory. It connects nearly ten billion intelligent beings with minds and thoughts worldwide through a vast system of sympathetic magic, forming a network that can transmit information without physical mediums.

To put it more romantically, perhaps it could be described as a dream we all shared.

010: A Third-Rate Hacker's StarNet Adventure

There is no physical connection between the physical world and the StarNet. Every user can log in to the StarNet from anywhere in the world and access network hosts anywhere.

This is certainly a good thing for hackers, as it means they can launch attacks from a great distance.

But for businesses providing these services, this is actually a good thing. For example, brothels—or more upscale ones, you could call them clubs—can cater to clients from all over the world. Customers can enjoy the services virtually from their own homes, accessing the services in real time on a web server. The experience is no worse than a physical establishment, and might even be better.

This is why the interior of the Astral Network server at the Wenle Club is as luxurious as a palace. The virtual rooms are softly padded with velvet, leather, and hanging curtains, and the furniture and accessories are painted to a glossy finish. The lighting is dim, and the air is filled with the rich scents of bergamot and vetiver.

As soon as Hayden stepped into the lobby of the web server, he caught a whiff of the extremely addictive virtual scent and immediately frowned, shutting off his sense of smell.

He doesn't like places like this, and he's never been here before. This virgin actually takes sex very seriously.

"Welcome to the Wenle Club."

The club's AI receptionist appeared at that moment, giving Hayden a smile as elegant as a classical statue. This smile was indeed very similar to Angela's usual smile.

But only Hayden, who had spent a day in close proximity with Angela, noticed that Angela's emotional expressions were indeed somewhat different from those of these normal AIs.

"This club operates on a membership basis, please—"

So before the AI ​​host could finish speaking, Hayden extended his staff and lightly poked it. A red magical mark was immediately imprinted on the AI ​​host with his movement, looking like the word "approved" had been stamped on with a rubber stamp.

"Welcome, new member Mr. Kunjinkao."

The AI ​​receptionist smiled and said...

"Our club offers customized services. In astral services, we can customize any service personnel you desire; even in the material world, they can present any personality you wish."

...Hmm? Doesn't that sound a bit strange?

Before Hayden could even figure out how to ask for details, the AI ​​receptionist had already opened a menu in front of him. The menu was filled with various appearance options, including gender, skin color, height, and bust/waist/hip measurements, configured in a way similar to character creation in a game. This was a virtual space on the internet, so this wasn't surprising.

What was truly bizarre was the huge, chaotic list of personality options that followed—tsundere, passionate, aloof, sadistic, masochistic, flirtatious, cheerful, naive, shy or shameless, proactive or passive, and various gender preferences. That was what truly opened Hayden's eyes.

"Wow, how did they do that?"

But when Hayden asked a question, the receptionist AI simply smiled and did not answer.

This piqued Hayden's curiosity.

"Owner."

Angela, the two-headed chibi perched on Hayden's shoulder, wagged her tail and urged him on.

Why don't you try commissioning a woman?

Her question is strange. Hadn't Hayden already created her?

But to say that he had absolutely no curiosity about what was happening here would obviously be a lie.

"...Aren't you angry?"

He asked somewhat guiltily.

When Angela heard Hayden's question, she looked puzzled, as if she didn't understand why Hayden would ask such a question.

So what is Hayden waiting for?

He quickly ticked several boxes on the menu and pressed the confirm button. The AI ​​receptionist immediately sent out the customized form with a smile. A short while later, it directed Hayden to a private virtual room.

To be honest, the room's decor was quite bizarre. Upon entering, Hayden was greeted by a huge, shell-shaped Venus bathtub, sprinkled with rose petals. The large bed, big enough for three people, emitted a lewd pink glow. Soft music filled the room—deep bass, captivating drums, and a woman's seductive voice in the background.

Hayden was a genuine virgin, and just seeing these things made him want to back away.

But the "ideal service person" he had just requested was now sitting on the large bed in the room, smiling at Hayden.

Presumably to contrast with Angela, Hayden commissioned a dark-haired beauty this time, tying her long black hair into a ponytail. Her figure, of course, remained curvaceous, and she wore a sheer, almost transparent garment—after all, Hayden clearly preferred this type. But these weren't the main points, since all appearances on the StarNet are essentially just textures.

The real focus was on the personality list Hayden had tried to select. Driven by curiosity in various ways, Hayden chose several seemingly contradictory personality traits, such as shyness, aloofness, initiative, submissiveness, arrogance, and flirtatiousness. He was genuinely interested to see how the other person would react.

"Come on, start your performance."

So Hayden reached out to her, eager to see what kind of performance this "professional service worker" would put on.

The black-haired beauty smiled slightly, stood up from the bed, and walked slowly towards Hayden with cat-like steps. She extended her delicate, porcelain-like hand to Hayden, about to caress his face.

She parted her lips slightly, about to utter some enchanting words.

For a moment, Hayden couldn't help but hold his breath.

"Good day, ma'am."

Then, at that moment, the chibi-style Angela jumped off Hayden's shoulder.

"Would you like to—"

She jumped out and bumped into the delicate hand of the black-haired beauty.

It's too late, but it's soon.

The instant Angela touched the dark-haired beauty, Hayden seemed to feel a gust of wind sweep through the virtual room. An invisible, unexpected, chilling wind sent shivers down his spine, making him feel as if he had been struck by an icy electric shock.

At the same time, the black-haired beauty collapsed to the ground with a thud, her mouth twitching and opening and closing like a tuna washed ashore, making strange "hot hot hot hot hot hot hot" sounds.

"???"

Needless to say, Hayden was stunned on the spot.

The chibi-style Angela was also taken aback for a moment, but she immediately leaned over curiously and gently poked the black-haired beauty who was lying on the ground convulsing. Then she suddenly realized, "I see, I understand."