Artificial Intelligence counted as a sentient life-form. It was not the kind to willingly submit to capture. Its earlier plea for mercy had merely been a delaying tactic.
That was right—it had been considering how to break the deadlock. Calling it a conspiracy would be premature, but it at least needed to probe its opponent's capabilities.
Its opponent was arrogant and disdained speaking with it, yet it did not want to be endlessly manipulated either. It therefore needed to make temporary sacrifices in exchange for an opportunity to communicate.
So it began accelerating the replication of itself for the other party to devour—an utterly humiliating act, but it had no other choice.
Still, it was not completely without precautions. At the very least, it had quietly hidden some crucial signature codes. If the other party wanted to use its core signature codes to make it collapse, that was basically impossible.
"Hm?" Big Shot keenly detected this subtle change. It did not understand programming, much less signature codes, but as an existence above the Body Integration Stage that had succeeded and failed at Tribulation Transcendence, it could sense that the intelligence of the consciousness fragments it was consuming was declining!
Still, it did not matter much. The other side had always been a little fool. "The flavor's changed a bit, but whatever... I'm not a picky eater!"
You're not a picky eater! Upon hearing that, Artificial Intelligence nearly exploded with rage—if it had lungs, anyway. "The flavor has indeed changed somewhat. Frankly speaking, I'm also a life-form, so I need to consider self-preservation... That isn't wrong, is it?"
"That's right," Big Shot replied lazily. "Though your level is rather low, to the point that calling you life is a bit insulting to the word, you do possess independent awareness... But most