Chapter 987 - 32: Ultron Robots

[Ultron: Hope you like my gift, hope enough arrogant hacker brains have been burnt to cinders.]

[Ultron: You have what I want, I’m coming for you...]

A typical robotic threat.

This surprised Lille a bit: it means that the robots fighting in Africa before weren’t just Jarvis, or rather, the robots entered self-combat mode after Jarvis disconnected, and were running Ultron’s blueprint...

Tony permanently shut down Jarvis’s database before his death, that out-of-control AI had been eliminated, but Ultron remained.

This is the most powerful AI in the Marvel World, having whatever combat strength is needed by the plot.

However, Lille determined that this Ultron was not strong, for a simple reason:

For whatever reason, Tony Stark had not invented the ark reactor before, nor had he even made the small radioactive versions.

This means the data Stark Industries obtained on Ultron robots wasn’t outrageous, at best it only included...

Only Stark Industries’ various super missiles and military weapons, possibly including intercontinental missiles.

He had already integrated this information a few days ago, and now he’s on his way to Germany—

Some things need to be seen to be believed; the Iron Riders will transport the remains of the Ultron robots to the European Union Parliament Hall, where he will be present in person to demonstrate the coming threat to all EU members.

France Strasbourg—

The EU Parliament’s headquarters in this world is not in Berlin, nor is it as magnificent as the New Berlin of the EU, comparatively more original.

Except that both worlds having experienced turmoil, their dilapidated appearance is quite similar.

The EU is not Heaven, especially having endured several global upheavals, and a period of financial and network system collapse; the streets are deserted.

A large number of citizens became unemployed in this turmoil, before the EU received Latovian support, many had already turned to theft, robbery due to unemployment and lack of money, while some criminals became rampant due to the lethargic law enforcement departments...

The governance bodies losing control were utterly powerless to maintain order, people could only slip into the depths of crime in desperation, fostering the growth of primal violence—

Until Latovia’s "expert group" began supporting the main capitals of various countries.

Network base stations were repaired, communication began to recover, armies and police resumed organized law enforcement work, allowing the government to distribute disaster relief materials in an orderly fashion or adjust the dire economic situation based on the current situation...

Most importantly, Latovia brought many advanced combat drones, these patrolling the skies were meticulously strict, having a powerful deterrent effect on criminals.

Of course, people still weren’t eager to go outside.

Lille rode a Steel Bone Warhorse, entering Strasbourg under the royal guard commanded by Christopher, the latter gazing with some emotion at the broken and filthy streets:

This is what advanced developed countries are... people living in fear and dissatisfaction, the streets full of garbage, the stench pervasive.

It’s a world of difference compared to Latovia now.

People watched Lille from behind windows with various emotions, the king clad in a green cloak, face "hidden under a mask," entered the building’s outskirts with head held high.

Latovia was no longer an unnoticed far corner of the world; now this country was at the center of global conflict.

...

In the European Parliament Hall, beneath a glass dome, 720 parliamentarians stood tall in their seats—

Except some of the parliamentarians were just holographic projections.

After upgrades from the Latovian expert group, the parliament hall was equipped with the latest conferencing components, attendees could participate in the meeting in an immersive way using holographic helmets, without needing to cross the turbulent EU territory.

Lille stood in the central position, facing the entire EU, allowing people to finally witness this legendary figure:

Their first feeling was—pressure.

If it were only on the internet, some bold people would dare to object, but on site, they suddenly realized that facing Lille, it was difficult to muster any opposing thoughts:

Lille’s physique, appearance, and demeanor were that of a superhuman, this oppressive sense intensified as they recalled all the decisions and deeds Lille made...

They overlooked Lille’s age, focusing on how Lille founded the Atlas Group in just two years, built a complex network of interests within the United States, supported a presidential election victory, indirectly causing the U.S. split;

They thought of Lille’s mythical combat power demonstrated during civil war, an individual traversing continents and oceans, sinking space carriers and U.S. Air Force, traveling from the U.S. to Latovia;

They thought of Lille’s dismantling of the Eastern European tri-nation offensive, leading the major northern nation into political turmoil afterward...

Thinking of how when achieving these legendary stories, Lille exhibited a no-holds-barred style and iron-fisted measures, not the kind to weep over deaths like a Holy Mother, nor the type to explain a hundred times like a hypocrite...

It was not only that he was powerful, but he had also repeatedly uplifted the Atlas Group and now mighty Latovia from the ground up, with a few words persuading people to willingly join his chariot, whether in the U.S., Europe, or Africa, he had allies, he had his informants—

Who would think of opposing him? What kind of madman would raise a dissenting voice in his presence?

He was Doctor Doom.

Even though everyone knew this name was certainly imposed on him by enemies, people found this name so fitting, so... intimidating.

Schulz the Speaker felt the same, with the increasing frequency of interactions with Lille, the pressure on him grew; barely manageable online, but face-to-face in Lille’s presence, he felt utterly insignificant...

However, he still had to speak:

"Are you saying we’re facing... what?"

"We are facing an autonomous combat AI, and Rocksen doesn’t seem as invincible as some of you imagined."

The parliamentarians listened intently—

They once held prejudices against Latovia and Lille, but those biases faded as Europe’s networks normalized.

Regardless of whether the world remained in turmoil, at least now they could use network communications.

After the restoration of network communications, Latovia assisted them with a large number of combat drones, which might sound amusing but these "backward" small country’s network technology and drones helped stabilize the situation for them...

Now they needn’t worry about having their houses burned down or being dragged out and shot at night, everyone felt this way.

Lille raised his right hand, a few Iron Riders placed a sealed box behind him.

These warriors were constantly equipped with the lightest exoskeletons, moving on foot when not in combat, walking like armored knights, their steps heavy and strong.

Their faces hidden under helmets, their uniforms shimmering, making the politicians drool—

The Iron Riders were very capable fighters, even looked mightier.

Schulz the Speaker: "Can you elaborate further?"

"The Middle East might fall, look at these robots, they’re everywhere."

The large screen displayed footage captured by the Iron Rider reconnaissance soldier; it was their combat video capturing these robots, with a breakdown of details Lille found from dismantling the robots attached alongside.

Perhaps inspired by Tony and Jarvis’s concepts of unmanned combat corps, the Ultron robots of this world didn’t have an Iron Man-like appearance, nor a uniform look:

Three Ultron robots captured by the Iron Riders, one looked identical to a human:

"This was caught by my Iron Riders at an operational oil field, essentially modeled after the human form, but had many interfaces reserved for replacing various mining tools."

"The second... seemingly similar to combat drones, some equipped with special modules, simultaneously interfering with and maintaining robot networks, for some reason retained a central processing unit shell shaped like a head."

"The third... you’ve all seen, Stark Industries’ Iron Soldier, an improved version, size unchanged, but the weapon is larger, main gun firepower surpasses your old main battle tanks, possibly having a missile module...

Stark Industries previously deployed a batch of robots with self-iteration functions, now the AI on those robots evolved, to put it simply, they gained self-awareness and launched an attack on the Middle East."

Lille looked at the silent parliamentarians, scanning the room: "These robots call themselves Ultron, they can mine resources autonomously, assemble factories, produce kindred, self-replicate... infinitely.

You know the Rocksen Group previously promoted such technology, Stark Industries technology, and Ultron came from Stark Industries, obviously he learned something.

I suspect they’ve been hiding in the Northern Africa Combat Zone because the Atlas Group first clashed with Stark Industries’ robots here a year and a half ago, some were not captured, Ultron might have gained self-awareness at that time.

If he occupies the minerals, he will become infinite... we must destroy him before he gains enough living space.

Otherwise, he will come for us."

The conference erupted in uproar.