Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

Chapter 524 - 57: Planet Task: Human-Form Destruction Vehicle

"Where is this place?" Dida looked around in surprise. The room was stark white and empty, filled only with rows of screens displaying endless streams of ’simulated perception code’.

Dida glanced at them, and for the first time since becoming an AI, she felt a long-lost sensation of nausea, akin to someone with 3D motion sickness playing hours of games. That overwhelming urge to vomit overcame her, and she retched, expelling some data fragments, which made her feel slightly better.

Dida dared not look any longer, as her body was already beginning to display gibberish. She was profoundly shaken because the last time she felt this way was in the cyber space’s Sea of Data. That high-intensity data layer was enough to make an Intermediate AI like her instantly unravel her logic programs and memory data.

And the intensity of the data on the screens was no less than the Sea of Data.

"Please hold on a moment."

On the screen, Gao Gong’s face lit up one by one, appearing to be doing something, with a look of peculiarity and gravity.

Such an expression was rare on Gao’s face.

Dida nodded and continued examining this peculiar place through her ’AI’ eyes.

To an outsider, it was just an ordinary white room, but from an ’AI’ perspective, it was fascinating. Countless data randomly transformed as if without any specific logical structure, yet even a ’bit-level’ data change would elicit reactions elsewhere, almost like... a living organism?

The more she studied, the more entranced she became, and consequently, her body began undergoing strange changes—her skin became more delicate, and the material of her black cocktail dress improved.

[You learned ’Advanced Data Structures’, Perception +1, Intelligence +1]

[You learned ’Advanced Information Analysis Skill’, Data Perception +5%]

[You learned ’Level 1 Ideal Village Type Search Engine’ technology, Perception +2, Intelligence +3]

[You acquired ’Life Code Fragment’ *1]

Finally, she regained clarity, shuddering as she noticed a certain someone was looking at her with a smile, their gaze oddly... benevolent?

Could this NPC be a pervert?!

Soon enough, Dida shifted her attention, as the frantic data streams on the screens vanished, replaced with a very special code structure she had never seen before, yet it felt vividly real, like a tangible object.

Gao Gong had no clue what was on her mind; he was quite thrilled.

He never expected that by merely invading a subconscious realm, he would make such a gain.

No. 5 Destruction Form, Purple Energy Strings.

Or rather, the special spatial energy of this planet!

String theory is a concept in spatial theory, generally proposing that space is composed of many ’strings’, and migrating to ’high-dimensional space’ requires enormous energy consumption, causing these ’strings’ to split and recombine.

The ’Purple Energy Strings’, therefore, are such a unique high-dimensional structure, through which low-level energy can be transformed into high-level energy.

This explains why, in an era where material science and engineering were yet undeveloped, a massive ’punk technology’ arose.

It was due to the historical interference by the ’No. 5 Destruction Form’ that such an ancient yet modern punk revolution occurred.

Furthermore, the ’No. 5 Destruction Form’ Gao Gong encountered in the ’subconscious realm’ was not its main body but a doppelgänger hidden within human consciousness.

And such doppelgängers undoubtedly exist in large numbers, either sequestered within the subconscious realm or sealed in some corner of the real world.

Thus, it all made sense.

For reasons unknown, Earth Net Group was retrieving various AI surviving in the ’subconscious realm’, and coincidentally, this ’retrieval’ startled the ’No. 5 Destruction: Purple Energy Strings’ doppelgänger, which, instinctively, began siphoning the world’s power to resist.

This was also why Gao Gong sensed something wrong after entering the ’Holy City’.

Subsequently, when Earth Net started sealing the entire ’subconscious realm’, the ’No. 5 Destruction Form’ finally realized something was amiss and began reallocating its power to leave.

Meanwhile, Gao Gong also took advantage of this power to extract ’Dida’ from that world and bring her back into his Brain Disc.

However, Gao Gong still sensed something slightly off.

’This ’No. 5 Destruction Form’ seems a bit sluggish; I’ve even entered its body, yet it didn’t attack me and merely instinctively expelled me.’

’Does this imply that this No. 5 hasn’t developed artificial intelligence and is merely acting on instinct?’

’Or perhaps, only when ’Destructive Energy’ is fully integrated with a ’Destruction Shell’ does it become a complete destruction form?’

The destructions Gao Gong knew—be it Xiao Yu or Gox or Black Rose—were, strictly speaking, just ’Destruction Shells’, or one could say manipulators of destructive energy, but they had yet to fully comprehend their own power.

Within them, Bionic A and War, belonging to the first tier, are the complete forms. They understood their power and developed their own nanotechnology and biomechanical technology.

Sister Rose is in the second tier. According to her own account, the complete ’Bionic Origin’ shell is sealed within six major bionic enterprises, and she has only attained the part from the ’Electronic Grid’.

Xiao Yu and Gox lie at the bottom tier; even they cannot fully grasp their own abilities.

So conversely, does a destruction form in a pure ’Destructive Energy’ state exist without a manipulator?

The 100% Destructive Energy description in Gao Gong’s system panel stated as follows—

A perfect destruction allows a mortal body to initially manipulate this destructive energy and even attempt to become a carrier of this advanced energy.

Advanced energy, a carrier!

Advanced energy? In Gao Gong’s impression, only Level 3 Civilization had the qualifications to study this level of energy.

Regarding carriers, could a player/NPC with 100% Destructive Energy become a destruction body?

Isn’t this directly participating in the main storyline task?

’Ding—’

[You received the planet’s main storyline task—Humanoid Destruction Vehicle]

[Planet Task: Humanoid Destruction Vehicle]

Difficulty: Tier 2 - Nightmare

Task Briefing: Increasingly more evidence suggests that the thirteen forms of destruction are the ultimate truth behind this planet and the real target of the Cyber Test Field. Even without all these, pure advanced energy is a treasure in the eyes of Interstellar Warriors.

Task Objective: Locate a Destructive Energy and achieve 100% mastery.

Task Rewards: Planet Reputation +2, Historical Line Change +7%

"Planet Reputation is included!" Gao Gong murmured to himself.

Though there were only two rewards, each was significant.

Gao Gong had only managed to secure Nightless City, increasing the historical line change by 3%, but this doubled that amount.

Planet Reputation is more needless to say, the highest reward the planet’s reputation system can bestow.

points of Planet Reputation have already exceeded most of the Cloud Nobility.

"What are you thinking?"

Dida’s words abruptly snapped Gao Gong out of his thoughts. He observed this old friend, who appeared increasingly wary, unsure of what this NPC intended to do.

Dida vaguely sensed that perhaps the other wasn’t a Cyber Killer, but she couldn’t be sure of exactly what.

"Do you want to switch to the energy system?" Gao Gong suddenly asked.

"Uh, what?" Dida seemed bewildered. Energy system, what’s that?

"To put it simply, it’s one of the Four Great Civilizations, only attainable by Master practitioners at the peak of Level 2 Civilization, who have the qualifications to attempt a transformation, becoming pure energy species," Gao Gong explained.

Peak of Level 2 Civilization, isn’t that Level 60?

Dida not only remained puzzled but became even more confounded. The planet civilization cap was supposed to be Level 30, so how was it doubled?

"Of course, fully converting now is unrealistic. But I can create a semi-energy body for you capable of holding advanced energy, based on your life code," Gao Gong said.

"Why would you do that?" Dida asked warily.

Gao Gong didn’t waste words and directly assigned her an advanced task.

[You’ve received a Tier 2 chain task—’Capture of Purple Energy Strings’]

Despite being old friends, he wouldn’t let them take advantage of him.

The destruction form with the highest probability for acquisition seemed to be ’No. 5 Destruction: Purple Energy Strings.’

And for this task, he needed bait.

For that bait, having a player take the role was most suitable.

After all, players were deathless beings, and undertaking such tasks where dying a dozen times was standard.

"So what do we do now?"

"First, we need to prepare a suitable body for you," Gao Gong paused. "So, we’re going to Earth Net Group."

"Earth Net Group!?"

Dida hadn’t forgotten that the massive force in cyber space was the culprit behind the destruction of countless ’subconscious worlds.’

Many of her AI friends had perished at its hands.

"How do we get in?" Dida asked, pursing her lips.

"Legally, of course," Gao Gong revealed a peculiar smile. "For instance, an interview."

"An interview??"