Chapter 905: Simulated Universe·Unknowable Territory (11)

Original God.

"Heavens! Star has already come to regard herself as a mechanical construct! This, this... can she still change back?"

Inside the Hall of Heraldry, Paimon had just cried out when she quickly covered her mouth, afraid her voice would disturb the other students studying in the library.

"In the Simulated Universe, it's easy for Star to return to normal—Black Tower Lady just needs to flick a finger. But for those in history who truly had their self-perception altered and were deemed inorganic lifeforms... there should be no risk of healing."

Amao lowered the book in her hands, her violet eyes sweeping toward Paimon: "By the way, you've been stuck on this test question for half an hour—how come none of the four multiple-choice options is to your liking?"

"I-I..." Paimon stammered; she had just been suspected by Zibai of not having studied language, and in a fit of determination she decided to really buckle down. Coincidentally, Alhaitham had signed her up for a Causality class, so she followed the Traveler to Sumeru.

I never expected to not only run into Amao in the library, but also, out of boredom, to start supervising her...

"I'm just thinking about a problem... yes, that's it! It's not because of the sky curtain." Paimon hurried to defend herself.

"What problem?"

"You think, the thoughts of inorganic lifeforms should be fixed by specific programming, right? How do they manage to have, to have..." Paimon froze, beginning to search her impoverished vocabulary for the most fitting adjective.

"You're asking how the thoughts of inorganic life can be as 'free' as those of organic life, right?" Amao said lightly.

"Exactly! That's exactly what I mean!"

"Paimon, you forgot? If we count, my kind of puppet also counts as inorganic life." Amao placed her hand on her chest; beneath the soft clothing lay the puppet's hard body. "Although Teyvat's puppet technology originates from Khaenri'ah's technology, the 'thought' has been mine since the moment of my birth; as for the principle... if you're truly curious, you might as well ask the god who created me."

"Well, well, never mind then..." Paimon scratched her head in embarrassment.

"I don't know whether a nasty piece of work like Sandrone is the same as me—having thoughts from the moment of creation—but if so, that shows Teyvat's mechanical technology has already reached a remarkably high level. If another Emperor War were to break out..."

Paimon gasped, drifting backward repeatedly: "Ah, Amao, you... you wouldn't attack us, would you?"

"Who knows?" Amao shrugged. "It just depends whether the anti-organic equation can be implanted into the creations of the silver-white ancient tree."

——

"She recalled her honor, in the annihilation battle of the 11010 star system, using the scepter to prevent organic interference with the Emperor. To curb the computation of the anti-life equation, her mech was destroyed."

"Furthermore, Star also felt an extraordinary sorrow. This already-determined future gave her an innate mechanical sense of mission, to kill those sorrowful, utterly lacking free will organic beings."

"She must annihilate them, break the universe's stalemate. Conclusion: slaughter equals salvation."

"Suddenly, a female individual appeared before Star. Based on safety analysis, she should not reveal her inorganic identity. Order: pose as the other's companion and disengage from observation."

"The woman wore a candy-colored gauze dress, over which she draped an utterly ordinary scholar's robe, and she smirked, sizing up Star: 'Has your cognition been affected? Like a drunken bird.'"

"Danger level determined——extreme."

"Mortality rate determined——99.99%."

""Next, you flee toward darkness. Then, throw yourself into the embrace of blood." the woman said."

"Star's mind churned with huge waves, countless alarms seemingly echoing within her skull, resonating: 'Warning, warning, the opponent's functions far exceed those of ordinary organic individuals; attempt to alter response strategy.'"

""Load the organic lifeforms' behavior database; order: keep distance from unknown individuals and make contact with more Moneto."

"Star attempted to flee toward the scepter's transit zone."

"Death judgment rate——17.45%."

""Warning, encountered organic interception. Anti-organic equation loaded, initiating annihilation mode… weapon system query failed, again requesting to initiate annihilation mode… weapon system query failed."

——

Sword Art Online.

"Really strange..."

Kirito carefully observed the silhouette of Bolca·Kakamoku, and although he, like everyone else, couldn't make out the woman's face, a strong doubt took root in his heart.

"How could Bolca·Kakamoku kill two Emperors in a row? Could she also be a wielder of the 【Wisdom】? But nowadays, the only wielders of Wisdom are the Primitive Doctor and the Black Tower Lady, right?"

"Moreover, he couldn't discern any special ability in Bolca; the only thing particularly special and eye-catching was her method of shielding her appearance. Besides, she was like a scalpel hovering above all geniuses' heads, able to fairly execute any genius."

"She is clearly an organic lifeform, her killing method is extremely plain and ordinary, even her weapon is quite common, yet why can she so casually slay geniuses?"

"She seems like a bug." Asna frowned and said.

"Bug?"

"Yeah, just like a bug that automatically triggers when certain conditions are met; this bug exists everywhere in the universe, and usually only geniuses trigger it. I even have a premonition…… she has been monitoring, via some means, everyone still alive in the genius club."

——

"A fragment of memory not her own surfaced in Star's mind—as an organic entity's memory. She tried to scan the blocker's face, but there was only fuzzy, garbled data. She clearly knew she was smiling and gradually drawing near."

""A beautiful undulation, disputes and suspicions blooming among the flowers—believe you'll enjoy this farce starring ten thousand people." As she spoke, that sharp scalpel had already pierced Star's chest."

"A strong sense of suffocation washed over her."

"Star finally remembered her name: Bolca·Kakamoku, the killer of the Emperor."

「……」

""You mean you're saying you got infected with the anti-organic virus and were killed by the Lord of Silence?" Black Tower half-believing, half-doubting, pried open Star's eyelids, trying to judge whether one could fever and delirium in the Simulated Universe."

""The anti-organic virus fabricated by 'accident,' using electromagnetic waves as its carrier, spread wildly across species barriers within the communication network of the Perfect Evolution School, as if responding to the terrifying prophecy of Rupert III's advent."