Chapter 563 - 96: Metal Heart - Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

The technological styles of each faction are quite different. For instance, during the Iron Sand Desert period, the technology of the Security Corps was a typical hodgepodge; you could see various branded weapons and most of the prosthetic chips on the market. Even that base spaceship was a custom piece from the Mechanical Legion.

In Nightless City, however, an array of neurological chips, internet equipment, and personality implants display that it’s a network city.

Including Du Gao Technology, which now has its own style—its mecha being both large and sturdy, along with the various changes in chip technology, truly embodies Mr. G’s style.

As for the flying base of Mas Sharpness, the impression it gives Gao Gong is one of rawness.

For example, along the way, Gao Gong saw at least eight kinds of experimental technologies, such as the ’Energy Field Emitter’ still in debugging and the ’Ship AI’ being upgraded, along with some weapon modules for testing.

From these, he could see shadows of many factions, like Mother City’s heavy machinery, the alien technology of Cloud Nobility, and even his own technology—for instance, a seven or eight-meter-high unmanned mecha was moving its limbs under the engineer’s control.

This model looks so damn familiar!

Every member of the Skull Society is a big-time plagiarist and imitation master.

But that’s not all.

They’re more radical. Tier 2 weapons, under their development, can even reach Tier 3 performance, but at the same time, the failure rate also reaches 99%.

And if even they can’t figure something out, it’s definitely a significantly troublesome technological problem.

"Did President Du mention anything before you came?" asked Miao Miaomiao out of nowhere, who was leading the way ahead.

"Well, he mentioned something," Gao Gong said while glancing around with interest. "He said you guys tried developing a virus, but got beaten up by the robots so badly that you cried and begged us for help."

"..."

"Your tone is as infuriating as always," Miao Miaomiao, or rather, the orange cat, rolled her eyes and casually opened the last door, leading to the ship’s main cabin.

"Supervisor!"

Every Mas Sharpness employee greeted her, and Gao Gong took a glance and expressed surprise, "Why are they all bionic men?"

Not only were all the operators bionic men, but they looked identical, with ugly features, mismatched eyes—lifeless on the left, fanatical on the right—the kind you’d call a mental hospital about if you met them on the street.

"Let me introduce you, my boss, you can call him Old Ma."

"Your boss?"

"Yes, the boss said that as a leader, he needs to get down to the grassroots, so he made himself a bionic man. Now all the bottom-level employees within the company are bionic men of my boss Mas."

"..."

I’ve heard of employers making employees work 996 or 007, but never doing it himself. Quite ruthless.

"So, what about your boss’s real body?"

"Not sure," Miao Miaomiao shrugged, saying, "There are several theories within the company."

"One theory says the boss chopped his flesh into countless pieces, each part merging into a bionic man."

"Another theory says the boss modified his neural network, so as long as there are enough ’Old Mas,’ the real body can be awakened."

"Yet another theory suggests that the boss failed in self-modification and is now deceased."

"Uh—"

Gao Gong rubbed his chin, "Doesn’t your boss usually call meetings?"

"The boss said meetings are an inefficient act, and there are many alternative ways to enhance communication, like ’neural module swapping,’ ’shared thinking modes,’ ’colleague cell implantation,’ and ’interconnecting sensory equipment around the clock.’

"Only by turning the entire company into one big ’collective’ can it evolve more effectively."

What, you also wanna start EVA?

"So, are you part of your boss too?" Gao Gong suddenly asked.

"To be precise, we are all part of Mas Sharpness," Miao Miaomiao turned her head, her cat-like pupils flashing with a peculiar look—a gaze somewhat foreign.

Has this guy also become a part of the ’Artificial Collective Intelligence’?

Gao Gong squinted slightly. In the universe, shared civilizations aren’t rare, like the hive mind of the Insect Race, some biologically advanced civilizations, or some EVA-type virtual civilizations.

This type of civilization has a characteristic—their intelligence can become ’billions as one,’ which gives them an advantage in climbing the technology tree.

However, this is only accessible to ’Level 3 Civilization.’

Even Cyber Space only enhances computational power using ’collective thinking’ rather than creating a true ’collective intelligence.’

Sometimes, being too aggressive in ’tree climbing’ is quite dangerous.

But undoubtedly, this is their matter, and it’s not his place to ask.

"To get back on track, after the virus implantation failed, what’s your plan?"

The table opened up, extending two data cables with electrode clips at the ends, which Miao Miaomiao tore out violently and handed to Gao Gong.

"You guys really focus on efficiency; this kind of intense ’data infusion’ sure is brain-draining."

Despite what he said, Gao Gong obediently pressed them against his temples, and the next moment, scenes filled his mind overwhelmingly.

Bold experiments with various ’viruses,’ the wailing cry of mechanical life and artificial AI.

Mechanical skeletons growing like ’taking root and sprouting,’ becoming large trees.

Faces squeezing out from the bionic shells, speaking strange words.

Metal material resembling brain matter, spongiosa, heart—it all looked extremely bizarre at first glance.

As if a material that shouldn’t be alive suddenly became a ’living being.’

And then these unfinished viruses were implanted within the fortress of the ’robot’ under the agents’ operation.

Then the agents were discovered, and an overwhelming barrage of energy cannons, searing smokey mechanical greatswords, and several floors high, furious mechanical legions ensued.

Almost half of the virus data got destroyed.

The remaining ’Mechanical Disease Virus’ was transferred to an ancient ruin, ’Atomic City.’

What they’re doing now is a second experiment.

Gao Gong pulled off the electrodes, rubbed his forehead, opened the system panel, and navigated to the task section.

[Task: Metal Heart]

Difficulty: Tier 2-Nightmare-

Task Brief: The ancient ruin in Atomic City can’t support the propagation of the virus. Old age mechanical products can’t harbor the new era viruses. How can the failed products become the monsters of the era?

Task Objective: Complete Mas Sharpness’s ’Cyber Experiment,’ research and succeed with the virus.

Task Time: Shutdown time of old era robots, Countdown: 314 hours, 42 minutes, 17 seconds

Task Rewards: Personal Experience +5 million, Mas Sharpness +4000, Miao Miaomiao Affection +1000, Random Three ’Mas Sharpness’ Technology Blueprints, Mas Sharpness Forbidden Technology Product*1, Historical Timeline Change +1%

Gao Gong stopped a Cyber Experiment in Nightless City, disrupted a Cyber Experiment by the Earth Net Group.

And now, what he’s doing is completing this experiment.

This experiment, which did not succeed in the normal historical timeline.