CH 209

Shutout to Qlikster, our newest protagonist tier Patron~ you guys keep us going truly!

Red’s expression turned sour.

“Tell me. Who is it? Whose legacy is this spaceship? Or where did you steal it from? Why did you do it? It doesn’t even work properly, it breaks down every time, causing trouble for the crew…”

“Hey stop! it’s not like that! Damn it, you’re talking without knowing anything!”

I wondered why I assumed that the protagonist had such a useless skill as ‘breaking down a spaceship’ before. Turns out, it wasn’t really an ability, it was just a ‘function’.

“…Then is there perhaps a problem with the artificial intelligence? There must be some serious flaws in it. Can’t it be upgraded?”

“Ugh, we won’t receive any upgrades from you, Space Alliance! Your skills that deal with artificial intelligence as parts, erasing all memories, and just use total control…!”

“…”

I don’t know what this Space Alliance thing is or what kind of things they did, but I think they were a ‘villain’ for the protagonist in this world. Perhaps, the protagonist of this world was an artificial intelligence.

If that is the case, then, the story would be roughly like this: The villain was trying to control the AI, but the protagonist hunts humans in order to avoid them. And Red was someone who had a role as the protagonist’s assistant. I presumed that he was the protagonist’s acquaintance from the time the protagonist was still human.

“Okay. ‘She’ has committed a crime. But, what can you even do? Zermelt 13 has its own defense system! Androids like you could be disposed of in no time!”

To be honest, that was one of the biggest problems I was facing right now. The combat power of this spaceship could undoubtedly subdue me in an instant. But it would be difficult for me to beat it without suffering any damage unless Aracelli had the strength from her heyday. That’s why I tried to talk to Red as much as possible.

“We are aware of it. But do you know? As soon as a Space Alliance’s android was eliminated, their latest location would be sent to the headquarters. On top of it, our memories are completely saved, so we can just get a new body with new parts and return right away.”

Honestly speaking, it was all nonsense. I just squeezed any contents I could remember from sci-fi novels I had read before.

“Wh-what? No matter how strong of an artificial intelligence you are, your memories can’t stay intact after being destroyed!”

“…”

It seems that all the sci-fi novels I had read were nothing but lies. But since I already told him so, I couldn’t simply brush it off. I just have to go along with it.

“You are wrong. It is now possible. We are based on a new technology which completely integrated our memory into the main computer. Thanks to that, we are able to function forever without any memory loss. Do you understand what it means? Even if I am erased from here, I will pursue you to the ends of the universe. And I will scrap your ship in the most terrible way.”

“Keuk-!”

“However!” I continued to speak without giving Red time to speak up.

“The target of this arrest is artificial intelligence. But, since both androids and artificial intelligence are similar, we decided to be a little more peaceful.”

Of course, it was nonsense. In fact, I did not even know how similar androids and AIs were. Aracelli stood beside me and looked at me blankly. It seems like the topic we just touched completely flew over her head, but she didn’t say anything.

“The vicious and emotionless space detective wants to resolve it in a peaceful way?”

“That’s right. After all, there are always exceptions in everything. Didn’t you say ‘she’ before? Let us talk to her then. Maybe we can show tolerance and mercy.”

“…”

Red fell silent. It seems like he’s pondering over my offer. From the information I got from the crew, Red’s fighting power was quite high, and if Zermelt 13 decides to attack us, even without him being involved, we will die in an instant. So if both of them work together, it would be close to impossible for me to kill them.

However, even though it’s a lie, currently I’m a space detective. Now that he knows that nothing good could come from touching a space detective, and that even if they kill us, we would be resurrected and chase after them forever, he probably would be open to the idea to resolve it in another way.

This is no choice. In the end, Red had only one option to choose from.

“Let’s do it then. Let me guide you to ‘her’, the most precious thing in my life.”

* * *

As expected, the AI ​​was originally human. On top of it, she was Red’s spouse. Long story short, one day, she died. And through a very special science and technology that was not disclosed to the public, she turned into an artificial intelligence. Since there had never been a case in history where humans turned into artificial intelligence, Red was delighted by this discovery. However, a problem came up soon after. It was that ‘she’ had to constantly consume the brain of a living human in order to retain herself, or to be exact, her memories and thoughts. 

‘Is that why the upper bodies of every victim were devoured?’ 

Red led us to the heart of Zermelt 13, the ‘Main Control Room’. Inside, a supercomputer responsible for everything on a spacecraft, including engine, orbital trajectory, warp, route, scan, and bio maintenance was located. However, the truth is, it was not a supercomputer, but an artificial intelligence. Perhaps because the size of the spaceship was not so large, the main control room was not as huge as I initially expected. The room makes me think that someone claimed that it was a cyberpunk just because they put machinery in a small attic.

Wiing-!! Wiing-!!

In the center of that small space was a monitor. However, it did not display any text whatsoever. But as Red slowly approached and tapped it, a figure of a woman made of dots appeared.

“It’s me, Zermelt… I brought the space detective.”

– I was watching.

It was truly a mind-boggling sight to see a woman who had turned into an artificial intelligence. Yet, her partner was still unable to forget her. At first glance, you might think it’s a sci-fi romance, but in fact, those parts were just a useless ‘background’ to the progression of the world.

It’s just ridiculous. if you think about it in detail, It’s a bit strange, isn’t it? Even for me who had traveled into many dimensions, I still felt uncomfortable.

Romance that transcends the four-dimensional wall? Is it possible to feel a heart-warming romance from an artificial intelligence that could only continue living by ingesting a living human brain every day?

However, that fact didn’t make me hate her. Rather, I just felt uncomfortable because she was so similar to me. The artificial intelligence Zermelt was forced to prolong her lifespan by killing others. I also had to kill protagonists in order to keep living. So it’s quite unpleasant. However, I didn’t intend to show any mercy to her just because of our similarities. After all, she was the ‘protagonist’.

-Their vital signals are close to those of humans, are they really androids?

“No. We are not.” I shook my head. “But I am like you.”

-What is that…?

“You’ve been killing innocent people all this time because you want to live, aren’t you?”

Zermelt was silent for a moment, then she affirmed.

-Yes. That’s right.

“It is the same with me. Even I killed because I want to live.”

-Pardon?

I felt sorry for Red. But I had no intention of keeping the cannibal AI computer alive in the first place. Slowly approaching the AI’s ​​body, I took out an EMC-A1 bomb from my inventory and attached it to it. It was a bomb which used ether while at the same time enchanted with magic, Therefore, it was a bomb that cannot be detected by science and technology in this world, where neither ether nor mana exists.

Beep! Beep!

– Wa-wait! What is this thing…!

– Jijik! Unidentified energy has been detected in the General Control Room!

– Appears to be capable of inflicting catastrophic damage to the hull. Please find the source of energy and eliminate it as soon as possible!

However, as if it was impossible to completely hide the energy, the spaceship that sensed the ether and magic shook violently.

– What, what are you doing!

“Space detective! Wait a minute!! What have you done!!”

Sensing danger, Zermelt 13 tried to activate its defence system. However, I was still calm. This room had no defence system whatsoever. So, even if it was activated, It need time to arrive at this room. But I only need to push the button I held in my hand to destroy her.

“You… You deceived me!” Belatedly, Red rushed towards me. But Aracelli jumped on his path to block him. Even in a world where science has advanced so much that interstellar travel has become possible, magic which was still close to the unknown unfolds in the palm of the small girl.

Red drew and swung his lightsaber. In retaliation, Aracelli erected a barrier in front of her. When the two forces collided, Red’s lightsaber bounced, pushing his body away from the barrier.

Meanwhile, I clenched the detonation button in my hand.

-W-why! Didn’t you say that you want to resolve it in a more peaceful way?

“Of course, it was a lie.”

-Didn’t you say that we are alike just now? So why!!!

“You should know. Didn’t you commit murder because you wanted to live? So do I.” I said as I pressed the detonator resolutely. “I’m killing you because I want to live.”

-NN-NOOOOOOOO!!!!

After a brief silence, a small storm swept through the control room. I was fine thanks to the barrier the flowerpot and Aracelli put out, but the same couldn’t be said for Red.

“Kuekkk!! Curse you, space detective!!!” Even though Red was engulfed in flames, he’s still screaming curses at the space detective, not me. For some reason, I felt sorry for the space detective. But since we would have nothing to do with each other, I shrugged it off.

Wiingg-!! Wiing-!!

– Severe damage is detected in the hull!

-The damage to AI ‘How Color’ has been confirmed.

– Checking whether the SS protocol is corrupted.

– Checking the damage to the space orbit system.

[You have killed a level 179 protagonist.]

[1790 days of lifespan has been paid.]

[Your current lifespan: 11913 days 9 hours 31 minutes]

[Your level has been raised by 4.]

[You have acquired the skill ‘How to Emotionally Understand Machines (A).]

-Pajijik!! Central control protocol ‘beta system’ took over the control.

-From now on, all systems on the hull will be operated manually, so please take special care…

When the artificial intelligence that Red arbitrarily inserted died, the old control AI returned. With this, the remaining crew members will be able to survive until the rescue ship arrives.

“Professor.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Even though you have succeeded in hunting, you look unwell.”

“Is that so?”

As I got out of the control room and slumped against the wall, Aracelli followed and sat down next to me.

“It’s just… I didn’t feel good about this hunt.”

“Is it because of what you said earlier?”

“Yeah.”

To live, for my own happiness, I am hunting the protagonist. But, at this hunt, I had a thought.

‘What is the difference between what I am doing now and what the protagonist was doing?’

Just like them, I also received the selfish blessings in the shape of [Protagonist Hunter].

Moreover, the way I act was no different from them. The protagonist of this world, Zermelt, lives as a predator until the moment she dies.

I am a protagonist hunter. A hunter who hunted all protagonists in many dimensions who endangered the world’s safety. But over and over again, I thought that even if someone killed me, I wouldn’t feel any sense of incompatibility,

<Don’t think like that, Hunter Yoo Seodam.>

‘I know.’

I was aware it was such a useless thought. After all, in the first place it was me myself who decided to tread on this path. So, it was just absurd if I started to have such thoughts this late in the game. Rather than being obsessed by those thoughts, it’s better to just move to the next world.

“This mission ends here, so let’s move on to the next one.”

My current level is 188. There was not much left until my target, level 200.