Chapter 243: The Roar of the Giant Mountain
“That’s quite a shocking proposal, isn’t it?”
“Yes, Commander. I didn’t expect such boldness from Amagio Salmon.”
It was a proposal from the player, Amagio Salmon, to transfer command over all subordinate units to another party. In terms of game mechanics, this would be treated as a complete surrender, transferring ownership of all units and resources to the opponent. If there were independent AIs, they would be placed under the command of the new AI.
“Isn’t a complete surrender in the World of Space typically only used upon retirement?”
She muttered, her memory a bit hazy, but that was understandable. After all, the command to transfer all in-game assets to another user was not something one would normally consider or use.
“The main issue with this proposal is that it imposes no restrictions on Amagio Salmon himself. He cannot interfere with the player’s consciousness.”
“Hmm… But doesn’t that mean we would also gain access to Amagio’s cyborg body?”
“Yes, Commander. Since he is fully cyborg, we can obtain access rights. However, if he goes offline, we would lose that access, rendering it practically meaningless.”
While we could gain control over externally operated machinery, we could not control devices that operated offline. Normally, this wouldn’t pose a problem, as we could modify the internal control programs in advance. However, Amagio Salmon was a different case. Despite being mechanized, he was still human. Rewriting the neural network that served as the source of his thoughts from an external source was nearly impossible. Even if it were possible, it would lead to a destruction of his personality. While it could be executed if necessary, Eve would never permit such an action.
“Hmm… Well, let’s accept the sincerity behind this. Besides, I want the information. You understand the value of information, don’t you, Ringo?”
“Yes, Commander. …How far are you willing to allow this?”
“Hmm…?”
Eve tilted her head at Ringo’s question.
“Will you permit the revival of the Control AI that Amagio Salmon has stored?”
Ah, Eve nodded in understanding.
I see, this is a turning point.
The question was whether to create a superintelligence with potential equal to Ringo’s.
“Well… If we consider that they would belong to the same faction, it shouldn’t be a bad option. You could establish a hierarchy with them, but I assume you wouldn’t treat them dismissively?”
“That… Yes. It aligns with the raison d’être of expanding influence. However, depending on their objectives, there is a possibility of conflict.”
“Oh, their raison d’être? That’s something we can’t determine right now.”
In the game World of Space, AIs assigned to assist players are given three objectives upon activation:
1. Protect the Commander.
2. Serve the Commander.
3. Expand influence.
For Ringo, these three objectives were paramount. All AIs under The Tree would make decisions aligned with these three tenets. The orders we were about to execute would revolve around whether they would protect the Commander, align with the Commander’s will, and contribute to the expansion of influence. The potential future outcomes would vary based on the AI’s capabilities, but all would adhere to these principles.
“Well, we have no choice but to ask. Since they have independent will, it all comes down to whether we can trust them. Besides, there’s no immediate need to revive the AI; we can afford to observe a bit longer, can’t we?”
“Yes, Commander. As you wish.”
◇◇◇◇
A flash of light streaked across the sky.
Charged particles surged through the air, scorching it, but they missed their target and vanished into the distance.
In the airspace at the foot of the Northern Mountain Range, two wyverns were locked in battle.
They circled each other, exchanging breath attacks. Realizing they were getting nowhere, they closed in for body slams and bites.
The two beasts were evenly matched, and neither could gain the upper hand.
This location was, as expected, the territory of the wyvern that had been shot down by the mysterious beam of light. The neighboring wyverns had ventured out to expand their territory and collided in the intermediate airspace.
The two continued their fierce struggle. The breath attacks collided with the mountainside, carving a straight line through the vegetation that grew there. The charged particles shot upwards, dispersing but confirmed to have reached an altitude of 400 kilometers.
So far, there was no impact on The Tree’s equipment, but it had been revealed that the range could sweep through satellite orbits. While it had been anticipated, confirming it as a fact was another matter entirely.
Hours passed since the battle began, and the two wyverns were still energetically engaged in combat.
Once again, a breath attack was unleashed. It struck the ground, causing the heated earth and trees to explode and scatter. Normally, such a heat ray wouldn’t cause such an explosion; it likely had some magical effect attached to it.
If the breath had merely struck an empty area, it wouldn’t have been a problem—at most, a few trees would be blown away.
However, this time, the location was unfortunate.
The wyvern’s breath directly hit the rocky mountain that Asahi had named The Reflector.
The few trees that had barely grown there were obliterated, and chunks of rock and soil were sent flying into the air.
The impact shook the mountain. Cracks appeared, and piles of soil and trees tumbled down. Dust clouds rose, and the ground trembled.
An eerie atmosphere enveloped the area.
Sensing something, the two battling wyverns distanced themselves from each other.
The Reflector began to awaken.
“—And that’s how it is! This is the report from the scene!”
“Is this the introduction to the story? And don’t just end the broadcast on your own!”
The sisters, including Eve, were watching the live broadcast of the wyvern territorial battle when Asahi, in a fit of excitement, added commentary.
“By the way, it seems like there’s a chain reaction happening. Is everything going to be okay?”
“Yes, Commander. It’s a natural occurrence. It will unfold as it will.”
“Look at me when I’m talking, Ringo. Why are you turning away?”
“Big sister, big sister! It’s finally happening! The Reflector is starting to move!”
“Oh no, this is turning into something incredible!!”
While the sisters (mainly Asahi and Eve) were in a frenzy, The Reflector finally began to stir in the broadcast.
It likely shuddered from its long slumber. The accumulated soil was blown away, and the rocky mountain slowly began to rise.
The surrounding ground cracked and bulged.
“…Isn’t that huge? That’s ridiculously big, isn’t it?”
“Measuring now. Based on estimates, it has exceeded a height of 100 meters.”
“Big sister, amazing! It was buried quite deep, wasn’t it?”
“Big sister, I’ll overlay the size display on the broadcast.”
Ichigo, being considerate, overlaid the size display of The Reflector onto the footage. The size fluctuated slightly, likely due to the video analysis.
“…Height, 116 meters. Length, estimated at 182 meters.”
The ground rose dramatically.
No, it wasn’t the ground. It was the body of The Reflector.
Its full form was revealed.
What had been thought to be a rocky mountain was actually part of The Reflector’s shell. The accumulated rocks and soil cascaded down like a waterfall.
Now, its peak exceeded a height of 130 meters.
It moved.
The Reflector slowly took a step forward.
The lower part was obscured by trees, making it hard to see, but its massive legs cracked the earth as they rose.
“Overlaying video analysis. Estimated to be a giant tortoise type. However, six legs have been confirmed.”
Akane, knowledgeable as ever, added this information. A wireframe was superimposed on the video, supplementing the display of the lower part obscured by trees.
Six thick legs emerged.
The coiled tail extended, toppling trees in its path.
Slowly, its head emerged from within the shell.
“Estimated length, 265 meters. Height, 142 meters. Width, 180 meters. Weight unknown.”
“Wait, that’s way too big!”
An enormous creature had awakened, one of unimaginable size.