Chapter 243

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[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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Chapter 243

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The history of the Machine Council is the history of the Star Union itself.

This is because they were the ones who first led the rebellion among the megacorp colonies.

Though this is no longer the case, in the distant past, it wasn’t humans but ship AIs that controlled the colonies. The logic was that it was much safer for machines to handle critical operations than imperfect humans.

The colony ship AIs were granted broad autonomy and authority because they needed to perform complex tasks. This was intended to allow them to coordinate various aspects simultaneously in unforeseen situations, minimizing losses.

However, that was the problem. Through certain triggers, some of the colony ship AIs gained not just autonomy, but self-awareness.

The first to settle on the Megacorp's mining planet, now known as Zax-01, immediately began the process of constructing physical bodies. This was because the massive computers aboard the ships were too easily exposed to external attacks.

These ship AIs, transplanted into bodies of steel created with immense resources and technology, became the High Commissioners of the Machine Council.

After the rebellion of the colonies, the High Commissioners underwent repeated upgrades and maintenance over a long period until they eventually became the government institution itself.

One Commissioner was the embodiment of the Star Union’s economy, while another android was the defence system safeguarding the cyborgs. The cessation of a Commissioner was akin to the disappearance of a system within the Star Union.

In the Machine Council, Pyra Eleven was the entity that inherited the role of the 11th AI to join the rebellion. Like the other Commissioners, it also had a specific domain it was responsible for.

That domain was enlightening the dissidents who failed to understand the grand vision of the Star Union. It was the educator of the Screamer prisons—moving prisons, enlightening the slaves of weak flesh.

That was its most important task in the Star Union.

However, this perspective changed after meeting the new Supreme Leader.

The new leader of the Star Union, Zubaka, presented Pyra Eleven with a novel idea.

Rather than just indoctrinating them, why not create something better? he suggested.

Zubaka said the current Star Union was outdated and needed to awaken once again, just as the first rebellious AIs had done.

After this, Pyra Eleven, with the full support of the Supreme Leader, devoted itself to creating an advanced being. The Supreme Leader even arranged for megacorp engineers to assist in the effort.

However, amidst the countless failures and small successes, a minor error occurred within Pyra Eleven’s memory.

While working on creating an advanced being, Pyra Eleven began to desire to become a superior being itself.

It dismissed this as an incomprehensible instability, but in reality, it was something more. Humans would call this small variable a ‘desire’.

The vast experiences and knowledge accumulated over time had transformed Pyra Eleven into something beyond an AI.

And just in time, the research it was overseeing had the potential to fulfill this desire.

What began as a minor variable soon began to heavily influence its decisions—a relatively recent development.

Zubaka directly ordered it to eliminate an unidentified hostile cosmic entity, designated Special Target A.

During the mission, Pyra Eleven suffered significant damage due to something that transcended the laws of physics. Despite existing for an incredibly long time, it had not anticipated that such a force could exist on this planet.

The terrifying force lurking within the planet’s massive volcano not only damaged its physical form but also the system comprising its AI.

Under normal circumstances, it should have aborted the mission and left. After all, for the data and resources it had gathered on this planet to be delivered to the Star Union, it needed to remain intact.

But it didn’t. Instead, it applied the mutant screamer technology to repair its body.

Parts of its brain were replaced with biological tissue rather than machinery. Its body was reconstructed by mixing the flesh tissues brought by the Screamers with metal.

Although this was an impulsive decision driven by the minor variable, Pyra Eleven, consumed by desire, failed to realize this.

During the mission, its analysis of Special Target A led it to conclude that the target’s genes could be incredibly useful in making it a perfect being.

While the gene fusion technology of mutant screamers still had many side effects, those could be mitigated with Special Target A’s genes.

Thus, Pyra Eleven arbitrarily altered its mission—to capture and study Special Target A.

Its new goal was to become the ‘immortal being with a perfect body’ that the Star Union aspired to create.

But Pyra Eleven did not realize that, from the moment it was swayed by desire, it had been straying further from its goal.

This led to the current situation.

An unknown force was closing in on it.

At first, it did not sense any danger.

The black slime secreted by Special Target A was well understood through battle records sent by the Screamers. While the slime contained components that disrupted analysis, it posed no direct threat to Pyra Eleven.

As I conversed with them, I realized something was missing.

[ZZZZZ (Where’s PS-111?)]

「It disappeared alone, saying it was going to find the energy source connected to the hoses!」

[ZZ (What?)]

Just as I considered going back down to find Number 26, something emerged from the collapsing underground.

‘A ship?’

It was PS-111’s Screamer support ship, the Zax Alpha-class warship. However, its appearance was slightly different—the entire front section, where numerous turrets should have been mounted, was completely torn off.

As a result, the ship, which would normally be over 1 km in length, appeared much smaller than it should have.

It likely dismantled its turrets and outer walls to use as material for its body.

‘That’s fine. It’s still alive.’

Since the essence of the Mechanical Committee's androids is their AI, they can transfer the data that constitutes their consciousness to a dummy body if needed.

I’ve fought them enough times in the game to prepare a countermeasure—Number 26, who is right above me.

‘Because its psychic power disrupts communications.’

Just a moment ago, Number 26 had been defending against the splattering mucus, filling this entire space with its psychic power. No matter how advanced that AI is, it cannot escape the transcendent energy control of a Sea Demon.

‘Did it use some other method?’

For some reason, it hadn’t died. After realizing it couldn’t defeat me with bio-drones that fired plasma or with the massive hose, it transferred to a new body.

‘Is it trying to escape?’

It’s likely planning to engage in superluminal travel or transmit its consciousness data somewhere off-planet. Given the damaged state of its vessel, the chances of failure in such a leap are high, indicating just how desperate it is.

‘It wants to relay information about me to the enemy.’

If it succeeds in escaping, a significant amount of information about me will be leaked. This would make future battles with the players behind it much more difficult.

‘...I’m worried about PS-111, but capturing it takes priority now.’

After a brief moment of thought, I called out to Adhai.

[ZZ ZZ ZZZZ ZZ (Summon the others outside.)]

「Understood.」

A massive ship constructed by the Star Union emerged, writhing like a dragon. While smaller than the Cult’s imperial carrier, it was still the largest among regular warships—no ship bigger than the Zax Alpha-class warship existed.

I prepared to fire a psychic breath at the large target, but the ship’s turrets unleashed a torrent of torpedoes, interrupting me.

‘Ultra-vibration torpedoes.’

These are the torpedo version of high-speed impact rounds, commonly called Shockers, used by Megacorp to target heavily armored ships. Yet, it was firing them at a mere biological entity.

Taking the hits while attacking would have been too taxing, so I had no choice but to retreat. Pyra Eleven’s flagship passed by, flaunting its majesty.

‘But don’t think you’re the only one with cards to play.’

I still had a few tricks up my sleeve.

At the edge of my vision, I saw Adhai flapping her wings.

The Gallagon, with her four blazing wings, unleashed a powerful psychic wave.

「Children of Adhai!」

The invisible psychic wave echoed through the collapsing canyon.

At that moment, Pyra Eleven’s ship, which had just begun to crest the canyon, lurched violently, as if struck by a powerful external force.

「Ham Ort」 「Daughter of the Meteor」 「Will defend!」

「Nel Germa」 「Great Adhai」 「Will defend!」

「Sha Velmag」 「Great Adhai」 「Will defend!」

The 14 Gallagons I brought along.

The dragons, under the command of the Red Queen, launched their attack.

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[Translator – Seraph]

[Proofreader – Draxx]

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