Black fell silent for nearly a minute before a slightly gentler electronic voice sounded. "All right. What is the host's current level of knowledge according to interstellar standards? How many academic years? That will allow me to adjust the terminology used in my explanation based on your knowledge level."
"Zero years," Mu Fan answered without hesitation, glad to finally hear something remotely considerate from this robot.
"I'm sorry, Host. Black cannot explain it to you. Please acquire a basic understanding of spatial physics before asking again..." Mu Fan's eyes instantly went dead and fish-like. A chilling voice squeezed through his clenched teeth. "Black... Egg!"
"Host, please put down that 317.4-kilogram steel rock. Black will provide comprehensive answers to your questions."
With a bang, Mu Fan tossed down the massive rock and stared expressionlessly at Black. "Talk!"
"According to incomplete records from the body's detectors, it can be confirmed that Black is no longer in its original spacetime plane. The spacetime deviation data is missing and cannot be accessed. Initial calibration can only be conducted after the host connects to the Local Star System network."
"Host, please believe that as a controllable intelligent brain, Black is incapable of fabricating data or engaging in any other deceptive behavior toward the first-authority holder," Black immediately said after "seeing" the look on Mu Fan's face that plainly said, Are you kidding me?
"Based on calculations and deductions from damaged data prior to the spacetime jump, there is an 89.1% probability that Black originated from a parallel universe. The time database is damaged and cannot confirm this. Black belonged to the Galaxy Council First Sequence No.3—the Yake Super Empire—and was a product of an Empire SSS-class core laboratory." The icy electronic voice continued.
"Black Body: development cycle, 14,408 atomic days, equivalent to 39.473 atomic years. Scale: core of a Planetary Super Intelligent Cluster. Performance rating: highest known level, seventeen times that of the previous strongest intelligent brain. According to incomplete database records, on the day the Planetary Super Intelligent Cluster project was completed, an unknown energy reaction occurred 0.7 light-years from the core laboratory. Energy level, energy level... Beep. Unable to calculate. Database damaged. The incident caused spacetime turbulence. Black's planetary-scale main body was destroyed. With a one-in-a-trillion chance, a Spacetime Tunnel formed. Black's core activated its self-preservation protocol and ejected. Current landing location: unknown. The Alpha Superbrain currently holds Black's second authority. The first authority belongs to the host."
"Report complete..."
Mu Fan drew a breath. His mind felt somewhat numb. For the first time, something so immense had barged into his world of understanding.
"Black, what functions do you still have?"
"Replying to the host: Black is currently under the control of the autonomous intelligence Alpha Superbrain. The database has suffered a 91% loss. The Planetary Super Intelligent Cluster has suffered a 100% loss. The Alpha Superbrain is the highest-level core intelligent brain of the Yake Empire and can process..."
"Can you be used as a light computer?" Mu Fan cut Black off directly.
"The Alpha Superbrain is artificial intelligence in essence. It possesses growth potential and self-awareness and is not an intelligent physical object in the traditional sense. Once the host provides the necessary components, it can perform light computer functions with 100% effectiveness."
"Good. What components do you need me to provide?" Mu Fan stared at the Black Egg before him. He had no idea how shocking an artificial intelligence with self-awareness was to this world.
An indescribable impulse surged within his chest. He could not put it into words, but if he had to, it was the yearning of commoners for the vast sea of stars—the dream of an eagle piercing the clouds in pursuit!
Nine light-years from Luoqie Star, on Landu Star, the Administrative Star of the Star River Federation Fourth District, at Dingchuan Academy's First Virtual Mecha Training Room. Rows upon rows of blue-and-white virtual pods glimmered faintly as they stood neatly arranged throughout the hall. Several young people in gray academy uniforms stood on the spectator platform in the corner of the training room, transfixed by the three-dimensional light screen before them. A snow-white mecha was continuously performing tactical evasive maneuvers amid layers of firepower.
"Captain Lei Nuo, Senior Lu Qingxue's situation doesn't look good. She only just broke through to PO Battle Network Platinum 2 Star a few days ago. Isn't it a little too much for her to rashly enter a Professional Survival Match already?" A short, crew-cut youth beside him watched the white mecha's repeated close calls on the light screen and could not help breaking into a cold sweat.
"Let's keep watching. Qing Xue should be able to handle it. The instructors estimated before that her ability was above Platinum 2 Star. She has probably been honing other techniques recently." Lei Nuo kept his eyes fixed on the light screen. His tall, lean figure looked even more upright in his gray academy uniform. As Dingchuan Academy's mecha combat team captain, his Platinum 4 Star strength was already known to be the strongest in the academy.
PO Battle Network was a combat network platform focused on holographic mecha battles. It belonged to the pan-Federation super-large interstellar corporation, PO Interstellar Group Corporation. It could simulate reality to a degree of 95%, using full-body neural connections to digitize and simulate a person's data while coordinating with the brain.
PO Battle Network offered two combat modes. One was Fantasy Combat, which leaned toward entertainment. It offered a series of mecha bodies that did not exist in reality. Player simulation was lower, data received certain enhancements, and operational difficulty was reduced, allowing players to perform all sorts of imagined maneuvers. This combat mode was mostly for beginners or players simply looking to relax and experience the thrill of piloting a mecha. In reality, even the cheapest mechas cost tens of millions of Star Coins, far beyond what ordinary people could afford. The emergence of PO Battle Network had fulfilled countless dreams.
The other was Real Combat, a paradise for academies, military forces, and mecha enthusiasts. In this mode, various publicly available mecha models that existed in reality were strictly simulated, including standard military mechas and mecha model data that PO had obtained through other channels. PO also provided every engine, armor, weapon, and other component available on the market, along with modification services. Players could assemble their ideal mechas within the Battle Network. However, due to the 95% simulation limit, certain problems found in actual combat—such as poor routine maintenance or assembly and break-in issues—did not exist in the Battle Network. Fully digitized mechas allowed players to fight with all their strength without worrying about anything else. But conversely, thinking that mastering PO Battle Network meant one could handle real combat was a mistake. The various unexpected problems a mecha could encounter were simply not something theoretical players could deal with.
In the Battle Network, players advanced from novice to skilled through a system that compiled vast amounts of data, including kill counts, combat merits, and technique ratings, then used a series of complex algorithms to produce a rank evaluation. From low to high, the titles were Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, and King. Before the Master rank, each title was further divided into one to five stars, from low to high. In PO Battle Network, where entry-level players made up 85% of the user base, advancement was incredibly difficult. Platinum 2 Star was absolutely the rank of an expert.
Real Combat included relatively mild Restricted Matches, which removed high-powered weapons and imposed corresponding rules; lightly restricted competitions with some entertainment value; and No-Holds-Barred Combat. The most brutal of them all was the Survival Battle that Lei Nuo and the others were watching! The survivor was the winner! No rules! No weapon restrictions!!! Simulation level: 95% ± 1%! That 1% was because pain was locked at 100%!!
"Not good, someone's attacking from behind! Qing Xue is in danger!"
(P.S. Thanks to readers Billion_Lightyears and Remnant★Snow Without Trace for the rewards.)
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