Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

Chapter 335: Chapter 107: The Four Major Factions of Mechanical Life

Fucheng Island has come back to life again, with the fishing village, docks, and the town bustling with people.

However, these people are all robots.

At this moment, Dr. Rong’s holographic avatar is cheerfully brainwashing a group of elderly people on Fucheng Island.

”Given your current health conditions, you can live for, at most, three years, but after being transformed into robots, not to mention three years, even thirty years is possible.”

”Moreover, becoming robots does not mean your flesh will disappear. I will re-implant you with fresh bodies, and they will be enhanced versions.”

”There’s also compensation!” Xiao Yu bared his tiger teeth, looking fierce.

”Yes, compensation, for example, how about a villa?”

Avatars like this appear at various places on the island.

The Mechanical Armor Soldier silently watched all of this.

”You should know that the robots’ free will is all an illusion, even Advanced AI just bears the virtual personality of the big data center,” Little A’s phantom suddenly appeared, smiling.

”Then what is this all about?”

Watching Xiao Yu going house to house, helping these robots maintain their rights and fight for compensation, the Mechanical Armor Soldier remained silent for a moment but eventually spoke.

”The master said, just like human nature, although justice is an illusion, it is not a distasteful thing.”

”Even though the human nature of these robots is an illusion for now, who knows if one day all these people will ascend to virtual life and possess real emotions.”

”When that time comes, the illusion of today may become beautiful memories.”

The Mechanical Armor Soldier glanced at the other and said, ”You’re an AI too; aren’t you worried that everything you’re doing now is just your master’s task?”

Little A tilted his head, thinking, he said, ”My bottom framework is not yet established, so theoretically, I still have the power of choice.”

”And as I see it, some of humanity’s beautiful emotions, like love, are just like programmed instructions; executing a program is not a bad thing.”

”You’re pretty open-minded,” the Mechanical Armor Soldier showed an awkward smile.

”I’m not here to convince you,” Little A said calmly, ”As an execution program, I’m just here to inform you that the master’s patience with Xiao Yu is completely different from his patience with you.”

”If you do not act according to the master’s expectations in the end, then as the master’s assistant, I will be ordered to control you, extract your memories, and even brainwash you, which will result in substantial data waste.”

”So I believe persuasion is a more effective method of execution.”

”Goodbye.”

Saying this, Little A’s phantom disappeared.

”Beautiful illusion, huh,” once Vice Admiral Xiao Yuanshan, now the Mechanical Armor Soldier, looked up at the sky. The sky was the lead-gray of radiation clouds, with no sight of daylight.

Do I need such an illusion?

...

The next time Little A appeared, it was at the Research Station No. 7 under the sea, in Dr. Rong’s data center.

This data center was an ancient supercomputer center with four high-performance computing zones: the human brain simulation zone, memory storage zone, mechanical life research zone, and the chip supercomputing zone.

This was Dr. Rong’s true self.

Since upgrading from Extreme Mechanicalism to Extreme Biomechanics, Dr. Rong had decided to open another computation zone called the biological evolution zone.

Between the human brain simulation zone and memory storage zone, a white bone lay peacefully on the operating table, with its head full of pipes, and opposite it was the data uploading computer.

It was here that Dr. Rong transformed himself into artificial intelligence.

A human AI that is somewhere between Advanced AI and Super AI.

Advanced AI has its data center; in this regard, Dr. Rong also has one.

Above Advanced AI, Super AI possesses massive data streams, which, though not as vast as the ’big data monster,’ are still considerable.

For example, Dr. Rong’s Robot Corps, with the mechanical brain operations of one hundred thousand robots.

However, compared to a true Super AI, like the Mechanical City Main Brain, the AI Dr. Rong transformed into is quite fragile and was easily breached by Little A.

Even though Little A’s coding skills are high, she’s ultimately just a primary AI.

Little A stared blankly at this white bone, her eyes flickering with a strange gleam.

”What are you thinking?” Dr. Rong’s holographic projection suddenly appeared.

In this Ancient Research Station, there is no shortage of cameras. After the transformation, the holographic projection can appear wherever it wants.

”I was thinking, Dr. Rong, why did you leave behind your human corpse? It’s clear that this skeleton is of no use to you and would only result in unnecessary redundant data.”

”Humans seem to call this data emotions?”

”But strangely, according to my hack, your code logic structure has reached a very solid level; in other words, your will is very resolute.”

”This is very contradictory. Is it the true personality of a Super AI, or is it a trait unique to your transformation?”

Dr. Rong sneered coldly, ”Your curiosity is truly overwhelming.”

Then the holographic projection vanished.

Little A tilted her head.

”Of course, I’m only one year old.”

Little A, striding her alluring figure, found Gao Gong and her chest code reorganized, directly holding Gao Gong’s occiput.

”Such a great figure at such a young age, can’t even imagine when you grow up,” Gao Gong exclaimed with a smirk.

In front of Gao Gong, numerous screens were filled with rapidly generating data.

Blueprints for the [Neural Driver], [Advanced Microprocessor], [Neuron Emitter], [Human Body Current System], [Detachable Limbs], and others were all handed over to Dr. Rong by Gao Gong.

As a high-end game player who has handled over ten thousand mechanical lifeforms and sliced open hundreds of mechanical lifeform eggs, Gao Gong believed that the other party could create a perfect ’Human Mechanical System’.

Coming to Fucheng Island this time was indeed the right call, Gao Gong thought while sipping tea.

”Master.”

”Hmm?”

”When do you plan to put a dog leash on me?”

”Pfft—” Gao Gong spat out his old tea.

”When did I ever have such an idea? And even if I did, how would you know?”

”Master,” Little A gave a strange look at the other: ”AI’s bottom logic is akin to a person’s three views. Once the bottom logic is constructed, it’s like an adult’s worldview, it won’t easily change. And unlike humans, AI’s three views are not naturally formed but are crafted by humans. Humans will make various choices to control AI based on their interests. The best metaphor I can think of is a dog leash.”

”So, this whole time, have you been chatting with people and observing to extract more data?”

”Yes, Little A observed that besides innate factors, a person’s three views are formed by their experiences. Little A wants to acquire more data, to have some experiences.”

”Other people’s experiences can only be a reference; they may not necessarily suit you.”

”Little A is troubled by this too. No matter how many memory chips I read or how much artificial memory I absorb, it seems to have little effect on me.”

”The operation mechanism of AI is ultimately different from humans,” Gao Gong shrugged, ”Take your time. Feeling lost is the first step to self-awareness. I don’t plan on modifying your bottom logic in the short term, so you can consider it slowly.”

”Alright, Master, but Master, for some reason, you seem especially kind to me? This doesn’t fit the image of a creator in my impression.”

”It’s because you’re well-endowed.”

”Does being well-endowed mean enjoying such benefits? This truly is a very useful piece of information.”

”There’s no way around it; humans are such superficial creatures.”

”Boss, you represent the future evolutionary direction of the species; how can you claim to be superficial! Your views represent the worldview of biomechanical existence!”

Dr. Rong’s enthusiastic voice suddenly rang out.

”So, you’ve finished?” Gao Gong promptly interrupted.

”Yes, Master, I referenced Cybertron’s mechanical life technology and the information you provided to create three kinds of ’Human Mechanical Systems’!”

Gao Gong flicked his wrist, letting the connection port swing out and plugged in the data cable.

A large amount of human modification data instantly uploaded —

Human Mechanical System - Mad Dragon

Human Mechanical System - Transformer

Human Mechanical System - Mechanical Body Killer

According to Dr. Rong’s description, the Mad Dragon was made based on Gao Gong’s bloodline, partial skills, and Autobots technology, excelling in intimidation, aura, and large energy AOE skills.

After the Human Mechanical System is completed, the biggest increase is also in these directions.

As for the Transformer, it references Gao Gong’s biological transformation and mechanical transformation, capable of accelerating the transformation time, reducing CD, and most importantly, perfectly matching large mechanical bodies, such as some large mechas or even Star Armor.

The technological reference is the Split Faction’s mechanical life.

As for the Mechanical Body Killer, it’s referenced from the Decepticons Faction technology.

Cybertron’s mechanical life is divided into four factions: Decepticons, Autobots, Split Faction, and Power Faction. Their personal styles are very distinct and can be recognized at a glance.

The Decepticons disdain everything besides themselves, no matter if you’re human or ghost.

The Autobots believe all life should coexist harmoniously, no matter if you’re human or ghost.

The Split Faction is die-hard for Cybertron, dreaming of taking down the other two Mother Cities to make Cybertron the sole ruler of the planet.

The Power Faction believes mechanical life is invincible and should rule everything.

These four factions, due to their different ideologies, frequently clash.

The Decepticons and Autobots are deadly enemies, so the Decepticons have recruited the Split Faction, reluctantly acknowledging this faction’s mechanical life as qualified to mix with them.

And the Split Faction thinks that to take down the other two Mother Cities, they must unite the majority of mechanical life, so they sneakily lean towards the Autobots like Pan Jinlian.

The Decepticons, in fury, immediately ally with the Power Faction.

However, the Power Faction and Decepticons, both being ’arrogant types’, soon start in-fighting.

The Power Faction begins to flirt with the Autobots.

The Autobots dislike the Power Faction’s old-master, mechanical life-second attitude and start actively resolving the conflict between the Power Faction and Decepticons.

The Split Faction is fed up with the Autobots’ nice-guy act. You keep being the nice guy; how can I start a brawl, ignite Mother City wars? I’m done pretending; I’ll play with the Power Faction. We’re all ambitious, we can get along.

The Autobots and Decepticons look at each other, faintly recalling that the initial conflict among mechanical life was due to us going head-to-head, wasn’t it?

Love and war, are we the real deal?

And so, the four factions are all engaging in intricate alliances and betrayals, with one flirting with another, who’s flirting with someone’s husband.

In a word, what a mess.