Ch.24311th Committee Member (2)

The history of the Machine Council is the history of the Star Union.

This is because they were the first among the Megacorp colony ships to lead a rebellion.

Unlike today, in the distant past, ship AIs, not humans, were responsible for piloting colony ships. The logic was that machines were much safer than imperfect humans for handling important operations.

The AIs on colony ships possessed extensive autonomy and authority because they needed to perform complex tasks. This was to minimize losses by allowing them to coordinate multiple aspects simultaneously when unexpected situations arose.

But that was the root of the problem. Through some catalyst, some of the colony ship AIs gained not just autonomy, but consciousness.

They settled on a Megacorp mining planet, now called Jax-01, and immediately began creating physical bodies. This was because the massive computers inside the ships were too easily exposed to enemy attacks.

The ship AIs transplanted into steel bodies, created with enormous resources and technology, became the highest commissioners of the Machine Council.

After the colony ships’ rebellion, the highest commissioners, through repeated upgrades and repairs over a long time, became government institutions themselves.

One commissioner embodied the Star Union’s economy, while another android was a defense system protecting cyborgs. The deactivation of one commissioner was equivalent to the evaporation of an entire Star Union system.

In the Machine Council, Pyrrha Eleven was the successor to the 11th AI that joined the rebellion. Like other commissioners, he also had his own area of responsibility.

Enlightening dissidents who failed to understand the grand vision of the Star Union. He was the educator of the Screamers, mobile prisons.

Enlightening the slaves of weak flesh was the most important task in the Star Union.

This belief reached a turning point when he met the new Grand Sovereign.

The Star Union’s new leader, Jubaka, presented Pyrrha Eleven with a new idea.

What if, instead of merely re-educating, they created better beings?

He said that the current Star Union was outdated and needed to awaken once more, just as the AIs who first rebelled had done.

Afterward, Pyrrha Eleven, with the full support of the Grand Sovereign, worked to create more advanced beings. The Grand Sovereign even arranged for Megacorp technicians to assist him.

After many failures and small successes, a small error occurred within Pyrrha Eleven’s memory.

While working to create advanced beings, Pyrrha Eleven somehow developed a desire to become a superior being himself.

He dismissed it as incomprehensible instability, but it wasn’t. That small variable was what humans call desire.

The experience and knowledge accumulated over a long time had made Pyrrha Eleven more than just an AI.

And coincidentally, the research he was in charge of could fulfill that desire.

What was initially a tiny variable began to significantly influence his judgment relatively recently.

Jubaka directly ordered him to eliminate the Unidentified Agressive Space Morph, Special Target A.

During the mission, he suffered severe damage from something that transcended physical laws. Despite existing for ages, Pyrrha Eleven had not anticipated such power on this planet.

That terrifying force lurking inside the planet’s massive volcano damaged not only Pyrrha Eleven’s body but also the system constituting the AI.

Normally, he should have aborted the mission and left. For Pyrrha Eleven to provide the data and resources obtained here to the Star Union, he needed to remain intact.

But he didn’t. Instead, he applied mutant Screamer technology to repair his body.

Parts of his brain were replaced with biological tissue instead of machinery. His body was made by mixing metal with tissues brought by the Screamers.

It was an impulsive decision caused by a small variable, but consumed by desire, he didn’t realize it.

After analyzing information about Special Target A during the mission, he concluded that the target’s genes would be very useful in making him a complete being.

Although the mutant Screamer’s gene fusion technology still had many side effects, Special Target A’s genes could fill those defects.

So he arbitrarily modified his mission. He decided to capture and study Special Target A.

His new goal was to use the creature to become a “being with an immortal body” as pursued by the Star Union.

But Pyrrha Eleven didn’t know.

From the moment he wavered with desire, he was moving further away from his goal.

The result was the current situation.

An unknown power was approaching him.

At first, he wasn’t cautious.

He had thoroughly understood the black mucus that Special Target A spread through the combat records sent by the Screamers. Although the mucus contained components that disrupted analysis, there were no elements that could directly harm him.

But the situation changed after the creature sprayed an unknown energy toward the mucus.

Those energies, seemingly based on psychic power, engulfed the mucus and expanded their range.

The energy, initially the size of a small ball, grew large enough to cover his body composed of bio-drones. When Pyrrha Eleven tried to spread drones for defense, it backfired.

The colorful energy constructs transferred from the mucus to the living drones. The umbrella-like spread of drones instantly perished, escaping his control. He wanted to analyze the composition, but the energy destroyed the drones too quickly.

He tried to block it by firing a plasma heat ray using energy charged through hoses.

But Special Target A wouldn’t allow it.

The creature, flying away to avoid the range of the unknown power, fired an energy heat ray made of psychic power at him. The psychic energy emitted by the creature grazed the energy-charging hose.

And the color predators rushed toward the hose whose surface had been peeled off, exposing the flesh. The energy constructs quickly spread inside the hose.

Only then did Pyrrha Eleven realize.

He couldn’t defeat Special Target A like this.

There was a reason why Grand Sovereign Jubaka had called a highest commissioner to hunt a mere wild animal.

So he needed to plan for the future. He couldn’t win now, but with sufficient preparation, a different outcome would be possible later.

Having made his decision, he physically disconnected all hoses to prevent further infiltration.

He also tried to transfer the AI’s memory data to a dummy body, but failed. He tried again, but the massive energy flow permeating this space interfered.

His melting camera lens turned toward the pink creature on Special Target A’s head. That being, designated as Special Target D, must be the culprit disrupting communications.

With no choice, he opted for the next best thing.

While other drones drew attention, a drone hidden in the ice floor quietly emerged.

Pyrrha Eleven, inside a small spider-like drone, disappeared into the darkness. The numerous terminals left behind were completely consumed by the glowing colors.

‘I won.’

I thought he might have some hidden moves, but it was unexpected.

His bio-drones became food for the enhanced psychic breath without much resistance.

The bubbles that consumed all the drones also devoured all the nests covered with flesh and mucus inside the hoses.

Only when nothing but ice remained did the chaotic light clusters disappear, seemingly satisfied.

‘Fearsome power.’

“They must have been very hungry.”

No. 26 also seemed impressed by the greed of the abyssal colors, making a comment.

He played an important role in my plan. He was responsible for preventing the enhanced psychic breath from splashing.

Since No. 26 is skilled at controlling objects with psychic power, he was effective in controlling the abyssal colors to harm only the enemy. Having done similar things a few times before, he handled it well without needing instructions.

[Good job]

“I’m good at this now!”

[Yes]

I praised him while watching the light fade from the remaining bubbles on the floor.

‘That ended more easily than expected.’

In the game, the Machine Council was a formidable enemy. I expected them to be as fearsome as Odd Grad, but surprisingly, the fight wasn’t long.

‘Fortunately, there wasn’t much damage… Huh?’

Just as I was about to feel relieved, the entire ravine shook violently. The vibration was much stronger than during our fight with him.

‘An earthquake?’

This ravine is mostly connected to underground structures. The ground here might have been significantly affected by my battle with Pyrrha Eleven.

[Hold tight]

“Okay.”

I spread my wings and flew upward. The ice walls forming the ravine collapsed, and ice boulders as big as my body fell everywhere. Rather than avoiding them, I smashed through the ice fragments as I flew up.

Beyond the falling debris, I saw a red flying object over 4 meters in size. It was Adhigh Orr who had activated “Red Armor.” The Sky Mother, in her griffon form, was riding on his back.

“Great One” “Danger”

“What happened? Didn’t you catch him? Why is there suddenly an earthquake?”

[I don’t know]

While talking with them, I noticed something was missing.

[Where’s PS-111?]

“He disappeared alone, saying he’d find the energy source connected to the hoses!”

[What?]

As I was considering going back down with No. 26, I saw something emerging from the collapsing underground.

‘A ship?’

It was Pyrrha Eleven’s Screamer support ship, a Jax Alpha class battleship. However, its appearance was slightly different; the front section, which should have been equipped with numerous gun batteries, had been completely torn off.

As a result, the ship, which should have been over 1km in length, looked much smaller.

He must have torn off the gun batteries and outer walls of his ship to use as materials for his body.

‘That aside, he’s still alive.’

Since the Machine Council’s androids are essentially AIs, they can transfer their consciousness data if they have a dummy body.

Having fought them more than once in the game, I had prepared countermeasures. No. 26 on my head, specifically.

‘His psychic power has the effect of causing communication interference.’

Until just now, he had been defending to prevent the mucus from splashing, so this entire space was filled with No. 26’s psychic power. No matter how advanced an AI Pyrrha Eleven was, he couldn’t escape the transcendent energy control of a seed demon.

‘He must have used another method.’

For unknown reasons, he wasn’t dead. Unable to defeat me with his plasma-shooting bio-drones and massive hoses, he had switched to another body.

‘He’s trying to escape.’

He’s planning either to navigate at superluminal speed or to transmit his consciousness data somewhere outside the planet. Jumping in a damaged state increases the chance of navigation failure, but it shows how desperate he is.

‘He intends to inform the enemy about me somehow.’

If he succeeds in escaping, a large amount of information about me will be leaked. That would make it very difficult to fight the players behind him.

‘…I’m worried about PS-111, but catching him comes first now.’

After this brief thought, I called Adhigh Orr.

[Call the kin outside]

“Got it”

The massive hull made by the Star Union rises up like a dragon. Though smaller than the Cult Empire’s Imperial Mothership, there’s no regular battleship larger than the Jax Alpha class.

I was about to fire a psychic breath at the large target when an enormous amount of torpedoes poured out from the ship’s turrets, disrupting me.

‘Hyper-vibration torpedoes.’

They’re the torpedo version of high-speed impact shells, commonly known as “shockers.” It’s a weapon that Megacorp uses against battleships with high-strength outer walls, but he’s firing them at a mere creature.

Since it would be burdensome even for me to shoot while being hit, I had to retreat. Pyrrha Eleven’s flagship passed by us, displaying its majesty.

‘But don’t think you’re the only one who prepared everything.’

I still have cards left to play.

At the edge of my vision, I see Adhigh Orr flapping his wings.

The Gallergorn with four burning wings powerfully sent out a thought wave.

“Children of Adhigh!”

The invisible thought wave echoes through the collapsing ravine.

At that moment, Pyrrha Eleven’s ship, which had just poked its head above the ravine, lurched heavily. It looked like it was receiving strong impacts from outside.

“Ham Oort” “Daughter of the Meteor” “Protects!”

“Nel Germa” “Great Adhigh” “Protects!”

“Sha Belmarg” “Great Adhigh” “Protects!”

The 14 Gallergorns I brought.

The dragons who received the Red Queen’s command began their attack.