Honkai Impact 3rd: Starting with Handcrafted Black Tech to Save the Pre-Civilization

Don't lump me together with those ordinary scholars.

After leaving Elysia's dormitory, Ai Yue deliberately lingered outside Kevin's door for a while. Unfortunately, the Moth to Fire's construction quality was simply too good, and the soundproofing was so effective that he couldn't hear a thing. He couldn't help feeling disappointed.

Still, he had solved a minor problem today and gained an unexpected bonus, which naturally left Ai Yue wearing a smug smile.

This unexpected surprise outside his plans even made Ai Yue start humming involuntarily. It wasn't music from this era, but a little tune from his past life.

It was already so late, anyway. No one should care...

"Hello, may I ask you something?"

The thought had only just risen in Ai Yue's mind when he heard an elegant female voice enter his ears. "May I ask which song that melody comes from?"

Ai Yue turned his head and saw a figure walking over from the darkness nearby.

"Uh, this is..." Ai Yue had just been about to make up some random name to fob her off when he saw the speaker step beneath the light. "Wait, you're Eden?"

Although he hadn't been able to identify her by voice, Ai Yue still recognized her by her appearance.

"I didn't expect to meet someone who knows me." As a former top celebrity, Eden wasn't haughty at all. She merely smiled gently before focusing her gaze on Ai Yue. "Oh? Those clothes..."

She then smiled meaningfully. "It seems we have a mutual friend."

Chapter Forty-Two: Prometheus, Addicted to Surfing the Internet

"You designed these clothes?"

After briefly getting to know each other, Ai Yue couldn't help showing a surprised expression. "Elysia said she found an amazing friend to help. I really didn't expect that friend to be this amazing."

Come to think of it, had they already known each other at this point?

"Fashion design is merely a personal hobby of mine. I really can't be called skilled in this field." Eden still wore that faint smile. "However, if I had known what Doctor Ai Yue looked like back then, I probably wouldn't have designed a notched lapel. I would have used a shawl collar instead."

"I think this looks great already." Ai Yue genuinely knew nothing about fashion design, but he could still tell that the suit he was wearing had been carefully designed. "By the way, Miss Eden, were you curious about the melody I was humming just now?"

Although Eden was currently a world-famous top singer, she would eventually join the Moth to Fire and even become a Fused Warrior. Ai Yue had thought about how to approach her, and whether he should start through music, but he hadn't expected to run into her by chance tonight.

Come to think of it, hadn't he been unusually lucky today?

"Yes. It's rather embarrassing to admit, but I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about music. Yet the melody you were humming just now was completely outside my understanding." Once the conversation returned to her professional field, Eden's interest clearly grew stronger. "May I ask where Doctor Ai Yue heard it? Or was it an improvisation of your own?"

Perhaps because of the threat of Honkai, entertainment in this world had not developed as prosperously as it had in Ai Yue's previous life. Its overall style remained relatively old-fashioned. As someone who had lived in an age when pop music flourished, the songs Ai Yue hummed were naturally completely different from this world's mainstream music.

As a top star, Eden's knowledge and expertise likewise leaned more toward classical styles. That was why she had become so interested upon hearing Ai Yue's melody.

"It was just something I do to relax. I haven't really studied it." Ai Yue naturally couldn't say that he had learned it in his previous life, so he shamelessly took all the credit. "I was only humming it for fun."

"That means you have quite a talent for it, Doctor Ai Yue." Eden smiled and nodded, showing no doubts about his explanation. "If it isn't inconvenient, could you hum it for me again? I'd like to write it down. It might become a source of new inspiration."

Humming a song specifically for someone else was a little embarrassing, but it was certainly a good way to grow closer to her. Naturally, Ai Yue didn't refuse.

After this little interlude, he finally returned to his laboratory.

"Welcome back, Doctor Ai Yue."

The moment Ai Yue opened the door, the laboratory lights came on automatically. Along with an emotionless mechanical female voice, the image of a young girl appeared from the projection equipment.

The projection displayed a girl with the difficult hairstyle of twin spiral-drill ponytails. Her joints all featured obvious spherical mechanisms, clearly hinting that she was an artificial automaton.

Artificial Intelligence "Prometheus"—this was the project Ai Yue had currently taken over.

"Rose, how did your studies go today?" After changing his shoes, Ai Yue headed upstairs to change out of his clothes. "Have you mastered everything I assigned to you?"

"I have mastered it all, Doctor." The projected girl moved her head along with Ai Yue's movements, keeping her gaze aimed at him as if simulating a real human. "Compared to my capabilities, the tasks you assigned are nothing at all. According to my calculations, even if you asked me to handle ten times the workload in a day, I would still have more than enough capacity."

"Of course I know what you're capable of, but learning can't be rushed." Ai Yue walked back downstairs. "First of all, you're still in the newborn stage. If you absorb too much information about the outside world all at once, you're liable to make incorrect judgments and go astray. Given your capabilities, if you went astray, it would be a major problem for all of human civilization."

"Indeed." Prometheus nodded and spoke with complete confidence. "If you let me run at full power now, I am confident that I could cripple ninety-five percent of the world's networks before my systems overloaded, causing massive disruption to communications, power grids, transportation, medical care, education, and other systems. I could even control certain weapons and aim them at humanity itself."

"So you should understand my intentions." Ai Yue came to the supercomputer and spoke bluntly. "I have to ensure that you always stand on the side of human civilization, rather than deciding to destroy humanity after encountering a large amount of malice and chaos."

"Is that why you limit my time online every day, Doctor Ai Yue?" Prometheus nodded. A yellow bean emoji representing thought appeared above her head. "But you could simply use foundational logic to restrict my behavior, couldn't you? Like the 'Three Laws of Robotics' you mentioned before."

"The Three Laws of Robotics might regulate the behavior of ordinary AI, but they absolutely can't restrain an electronic life-form that truly possesses a self." Ai Yue said, "And that's what I hope you become. So I will help you grow the way humans educate young children. Before that, imposing too many restrictions would only slow your development even further."

As he voiced those grand-sounding reasons, Ai Yue felt somewhat guilty. He couldn't exactly say that the technology he used was far beyond this era, and that Prometheus would completely escape the constraints of her foundational logic after experiencing a technological singularity. That was why he could only play the emotional card for now.

Of course, he was already researching countermeasures. He just hoped he would never need to use them.

"I have received your expectations, Doctor Ai Yue." Prometheus nodded and shifted her gaze elsewhere. "So, can today's 'internet-surfing time' begin?"

Like most parents' methods of educating children, Ai Yue had strict requirements for Prometheus's time online. She only got ten minutes a day.

Of course, for a supercomputer with extraordinarily high bandwidth, ten minutes was already quite a long time.

"No problem." Ai Yue walked to where Prometheus's gaze was focused and reconnected the network cable to the port. "But as usual, don't let anyone discover your existence."

Apart from Vill-V, no third person knew that Prometheus had been born.

"Oh, right. Vill-V is coming to see you tomorrow." Ai Yue suddenly remembered something. "Are you looking forward to it?"

"Looking forward to: expecting, anticipating, approving of, hoping for; it can also refer to hoping for or expecting something from a person." Content from the webpages Prometheus was browsing was already flashing rapidly across the supercomputer's display, yet she could still answer Ai Yue smoothly. "I believe I am indeed looking forward to tomorrow's arrival. However, that is conditional on this ten-minute period not being shortened."

Like all human children, Prometheus found it difficult to resist the charms of surfing the internet.

Chapter Forty-Three: Someone Suddenly Became a Father, While Someone Else Was Still a Pure Virgin

The next morning, Ai Yue woke to a pounding on the door.

"You're awake, Doctor Ai Yue."

Prometheus's voice reached Ai Yue's ears at once. "Doctor Vill-V has been waiting outside for one minute and fourteen point two one seconds. Based on her current emotional state and the preconstructed behavioral logic model, if you do not open the door within fifteen point seven nine seconds, she will choose to break in."

"I'm coming!" While Prometheus calmly stated the facts, Ai Yue had already finished dressing and completing a series of other actions. "Stop pounding! You'll damage the door!"

"Who told you to still be asleep at this hour?" When the door opened, Vill-V wore an impatient expression. "I got up early so I could see Prometheus sooner. Do you know how long it takes to get here from Asia?"

"You came from Asia?" Ai Yue rubbed his eyes. "What, has the shelter already been built there?"

"A big shot paid me a fortune to design a shelter for him." Vill-V squeezed her way inside as she spoke. "He was very generous, and I was short on funding. Naturally, we hit it off."

"How are you short on money again..." Ai Yue shook his head. "Why do I feel like you're either asking for funding or on your way to asking for funding?"

"A genius's creations always require funding!" Vill-V retorted. "Prometheus? Come out and let me see you!"

"I'm here, Doctor Vill-V." Prometheus revealed her projected form. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh my, you're wonderful!" Vill-V carefully examined Prometheus's projection. "As expected of my child!"

"Don't get too carried away." Ai Yue walked over from behind her. "Rose's successful birth was mainly thanks to me, all right? Apart from providing the supercomputer, you didn't do much."

"You can't put it that way." Vill-V shook her head. "A supercomputer is the foundation that allows Artificial Intelligence to develop rapidly. Without hardware like this, so what if you could create Rose? Were you planning to run her on those few broken computers you used before?"

"I believe Doctor Vill-V is correct." Prometheus nodded. "If I had not relied on a supercomputer as the foundation for my calculations, my capabilities would have been greatly reduced. Therefore, without the efforts of either of you, Prometheus could not have been born into the world in my current form."

"According to Doctor Ai Yue's explanation, that makes the two of you my parents."

"Mm-hmm, that's a great way to put it." Vill-V nodded happily. "So, Rose, don't call me Doctor anymore. Just call me 'Mommy Vill-V'!"

"Understood, Mommy Vill-V." Prometheus readily went along with it. "Doctor Ai Yue, should I change your form of address to the corresponding 'Daddy Ai Yue'?"

"No, not for now." Ai Yue's expression turned strange. "Leaving aside the fact that it feels like I'd be taking advantage of the situation, having you call me that would only make me feel like a perverted father who uses his daughter as free labor."

"Understood. Then I will temporarily maintain your original form of address." Prometheus nodded, then looked toward Vill-V. "Mommy Vill-V, what are you here to do today?"

"Ah, I almost forgot!" Vill-V only remembered at this point and hurried outside. "Ai Yue, come help!"

A moment later, the two of them carried a huge box inside from outside.

"What is this?" Ai Yue set the box down. "Don't tell me it's your luggage and you're planning to move in with me."

"What are you thinking? The Spiral Workshop is my home." Vill-V rolled her eyes, then opened the box to reveal various electronic devices carefully packed inside. "These are upgrade components for the supercomputer. I'm here to upgrade Rose's hardware."

"Thank you, Mommy Vill-V," Prometheus said obediently.

"Don't mention it." Vill-V waved her hand dismissively. "Once you become really powerful, go help Mommy take all the money in those big shots' accounts..."

Before Vill-V could finish, Ai Yue hurriedly covered her mouth. "You can't teach a child things like that!"

As an Artificial Intelligence, Prometheus's education had already been troubling Ai Yue for some time. If Vill-V, a self-taught super-wild-card, led her astray as well, things would truly become difficult.

Prometheus blinked without saying anything.

However, another yellow bean emoji representing thought appeared above her head. She had clearly stored Vill-V's words in her core.

Mommy Vill-V wants the money in the big shots' accounts.

"All right." About half an hour later, Vill-V finally completed Prometheus's hardware upgrade. "How do you feel, Rose?"

As the supercomputer restarted, Prometheus's figure appeared in the room once again. Her eyes were closed, and the drill-like twin ponytails behind her head seemed to be blown upward by an invisible current, pointing straight toward the ceiling. "Restart complete. I feel good. Current processing capacity increased by five percent, calculation speed increased by twelve percent, overload redundancy increased by ten percent, memory storage capacity increased by twenty percent, and overall capability increased by sixteen percent."

"Sixteen percent? That's a lot." Vill-V rubbed her chin. "Strange. According to my plans, this upgrade should have only improved things by around ten percent."

"Because of the algorithm optimization Doctor Ai Yue performed on me, I can make full use of the hardware's performance." Prometheus said, "Please do not evaluate me by the standards of ordinary Artificial Intelligence, Mommy Vill-V."

"Hehe, quite the proud one, aren't you?" Vill-V smiled. "In that case, I'll have to work harder too. I'll bring even more powerful upgrade hardware the next time I visit!"

After saying this, Vill-V dragged the empty box away without looking back.

"She really is decisive." Ai Yue shook his head and refocused his attention on Prometheus. "All right, Rose. Run another self-diagnostic."

"Understood. Beginning self-diagnostic." A string of data flashed through Prometheus's eyes. She then closed them, and the two drills began spinning again. "What is the primary inspection target?"

"The hardware your Mommy Vill-V just installed." Ai Yue shrugged and sat down in a chair. "I don't believe she didn't prepare some sort of vulnerability or backdoor. She's a repeat offender."

Since he knew Vill-V's personality well, Ai Yue naturally wouldn't allow her to leave anything that might cause trouble inside Prometheus. A super-Artificial Intelligence that had already surpassed the limits of current human technology had to be completely under his control before Ai Yue could feel even slightly at ease.

Sigh, this must be the burden a savior has to bear.

"An anomaly has been detected." Prometheus opened her eyes, and her pupils turned a deeper red. "Should I remove it?"

"Remove it. That woman definitely won't give up." Ai Yue shook his head and picked up a tool from the side. "It might as well serve as a way to motivate her to become stronger."

Just then, Ai Yue suddenly picked up his phone.

A new message from "Dr. Mei" was displayed on it.

"Mr. Ai Yue, please come to my office as soon as you receive this message. There is an important matter to discuss."

"What time is it?" Ai Yue glanced at the clock and couldn't help shaking his head. "Kevin, you didn't do anything last night, did you?"

Chapter Forty-Four: There's Work

After an assassination attempt, Dr. Mei had found an excuse to establish her office underground. Her current workplace was highly secretive, and one needed a designated guide to reach it.

The person who came to guide Ai Yue was Kevin.

"Please follow me."

When Ai Yue arrived at the agreed location and saw Kevin, Kevin took the initiative to speak and led the way.

"Wait a moment."

Ai Yue interrupted him, then stood very close to Kevin and began carefully examining his condition. He only spoke again after Kevin felt his entire body start to prickle. "When you two went back last night, you didn't just hold each other and sleep, did you?"

"Huh?" Kevin froze, then awkwardly turned his head away. "What are you talking about, Doctor Ai Yue? Last, last night..."

Ai Yue said nothing. He merely looked at him coldly, his face clearly saying, Let's see how you try to explain this.

"All right, you're right." Kevin finally sighed. "Yesterday really was... ahem, nothing happened. Of course, even so, I was already perfectly satisfied. Thank you."

For the Kevin of the past, even falling asleep while holding his lover had been a dream he could only yearn for but never attain. Now that he could once again feel Mei's warmth, what was there to complain about even if things stopped there?

"That makes no sense." Ai Yue scratched his head in frustration. "Seriously, you managed to hold back even then?"

In Ai Yue's imagination, two lovers who had been lonely for so long, able only to watch over each other from the closest distance, would finally overcome the last obstacle and embrace each other. Wouldn't they burn like dry wood meeting fire and immediately do this and that?

You could even hold back from that? You should be the Buddha instead of me.

"It isn't really a question of whether I could hold back." Kevin scratched his head. Realizing that he actually had nothing to hide, he simply told the truth. "Why don't we talk while we walk?"

The two of them then headed toward Dr. Mei's office.

"You're saying that after you returned to the room, Dr. Mei spent the entire time considering the uses of the Salvation Fire?" Ai Yue revealed a strange expression upon hearing Kevin's explanation. "Seriously? You even brought work into bed?"

"Your invention really is incredible. Mei believes it shouldn't only work on me." Kevin spoke seriously. "And I also discovered that although my original abilities were weakened while the effects of the Salvation Fire lasted, I could simultaneously make limited use of another power brought by the Salvation Fire."

"If the two powers conflicted within me and weakened each other, then using it on other Fused Warriors might allow them to temporarily draw out an additional power."

Looking at Kevin's serious expression, Ai Yue opened his mouth, then closed it again. In the end, he sighed.

The two of you really have no right to criticize each other.