Chapter 266: Digital Ascension

After Kaiba's voice fell, only a moment later, a figure emerged from the darkness.

It was the red suit just like in his memory, the white-haired old man, but his physique was surprisingly strong, and even seemed to be more energetic than the appearance in Kaiba's memory.

Or it should be said that this is a matter of course. The last time he saw the real Gozaburo in reality was when Gozaburo was forced down by him. At that time, Gozaburo was just an old man who was furious but powerless, looking so weak and tired.

But now he looks much more energetic.

"Long time no see, Seto."

Gozaburo said calmly with his hands behind his back.

"I saw you grew up and remembered my teachings. I told you, a man's future is not given by others, but obtained by his own hands. It seems you truly practiced this with your own life.

You already have the potential to spare no cost, even to use these to deal with me—the father who taught you these."

Kaiba sneered: "Are you serious, Gozaburo. There are only the two of us here, so you can save those hypocritical words. We all know what the truth was back then, so there's no need to fabricate some false pictures to try to build some moving past."

He waved his hand, and the hem of his virtual windbreaker seemed to rise with the air waves of his waving arm.

"For me, the past has nothing worth lingering on, especially the parts related to you, Gozaburo." Kaiba shouted. "I have already defeated you twice, but since you are so lingering, I don't mind doing it again.

No matter what way you come back, even if you become a ghost to claim your life, I will accompany you to the end."

"Twice, huh."

Gozaburo pondered for a moment and said.

"So that's it, you are referring to Noah's time."

Kaiba frowned: "Why are you still playing dumb now? Hasn't such a conversation happened once already?"

He was referring to the accident that happened during the first Duel City tournament while Atem was still there.

Gozaburo's real son, Noah Kaiba, who died in a car accident, hijacked Kaiba's airship during Duel City and forcibly brought all the contestants on the airship into the virtual world where Noah was.

However, it was only at the end of the incident that it was discovered that Noah was also a victim. The true ruler of the virtual world was the AI of Gozaburo Kaiba, who backed up his consciousness in a data way before he died, achieving digital immortality.

Not only that, the old man even evolved the ability to attack any firewall in the world at will, and could enter and exit the Internet freely. And he had calculated that he only needed to maximize the use of all weapons, arms, and production lines mastered by Kaiba Corporation, and he could completely control the entire earth within a month.

But of course, the Gozaburo at that time was still a bit too optimistic. Because he only considered traditional armaments in this calculation, ignoring the weight of card game elements in the new era.

Gozaburo, who was still stuck in the old era thinking about conquering the world with planes, cannons, and missiles, was destined to fail even if left alone.

But that AI should have been completely destroyed; the server he inhabited was bombed by Kaiba Corporation's missiles until not even slag was left.

"What you have seen is just the old model of 'me' that has been abandoned." Gozaburo said with his hands behind his back. "Of course, even that 'me' didn't know this fact."

"What?" Kaiba frowned.

"Noah had an accident back then, and the top scientists of Kaiba Corporation sealed him into the data world. But that was our first attempt, and the technology was inevitably immature."

Gozaburo Kaiba said.

"However, the birth of electronic Noah helped us a lot. He has learning abilities that humans cannot compare with, especially the development in the field of artificial intelligence gave us a lot of inspiration and key data.

Therefore, after that, the related technology of Kaiba Corporation made rapid progress.

And from the birth of electronic Noah until you forced me to hand over Kaiba Corporation, there were several years, which was completely enough for us to push the related technology to a new height."

"What do you want to say, Gozaburo?" Kaiba frowned.

"It means that Noah you faced back then, or the other 'me', were just defective products on the road of development, and should have been eliminated long ago."

Gozaburo continued.

"I think that 'me' didn't know this either. He thought he was the last backup uploaded before Gozaburo Kaiba died. But it's not like that; he was just an experimental product, a test product downloaded on old-generation hardware of the same model as Noah to verify the possibility of digital immortality.

In fact, he should have been destroyed along with all other similar derivative models after the test was completed. But I didn't have time to do that, your matter happened, Seto."

He looked at Kaiba and told him calmly, without the resentment of the past, and without the rage of the past, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself.

"You took away my company and forced me to death, so the project naturally stopped."

"However, Gozaburo Kaiba finally enabled this project for the last time before he died, and sealed his consciousness into the new-generation equipment that was still in the testing stage."

"Fortunately, I succeeded. I survived in this way and created the most perfect life form in history."

"You don't mean yourself, do you?" Kaiba sneered. "Looking at it this way, you haven't made any progress at all compared to back then, whether in reality or digital, you have never been able to recognize yourself, Gozaburo. This is also why you lost to me."

"You just think you won, Seto." Gozaburo shook his head.

"Oh? So this is your way of winning?" Kaiba mocked. "Creating a bunch of my substitutes, shaking their tails and begging for mercy like pugs?"

"They are just test products, worthless from the beginning." Gozaburo said lightly. "They are stepping stones developed for a greater project, destined to be eliminated and recycled from birth...

Well, dying for me can be considered as exerting a little bit of their value."

"You really haven't changed at all, Gozaburo." Kaiba frowned. "You were a scumbag back then, but now you've just become a scumbag with power."

"I don't expect you to change your view of me, Seto. However, having these long years to think, and possessing clearer and more rational thinking, my view of you has changed, Seto."

Gozaburo looked at him, as if to see through his heart through the eyes of Kaiba's virtual body.

"The project I just mentioned, all those stepping stones I created, where is the end of this project?"

"Hmph, since it's your idea, I guess it's some boring stuff again." Kaiba snorted coldly.

Gozaburo didn't care and continued: "It's for you, Seto."

Kaiba frowned.

"They thought they were designed just to imitate or study ways to defeat you, but it's not like that. This is a necessary adjustment to create the most perfect you."

"What are you talking about, old man?" Kaiba asked coldly.

"You are a genius, Seto. Over the years, having let go of hatred, I have figured it out. You are the only genius I recognize, and the only one who should obtain immortality with me, sharing endless knowledge and all power."

"You took away everything I had, my wealth, my company, my life. But I forgive you, Seto."

Gozaburo Kaiba reached out to him.

"I want you to become my son again."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 267 =====