Chapter: 35
Maybe the praise had some effect after all. Doctor Kuroid started smiling and chatting about various topics.
“Hmm, rookie. What research brought you here?”
“Oh, I’m doing research on superpowers.”
“Oho—superpowers, huh? Getting in here with that must be quite tough. It’s such a complex and inconsistent field─.”
“It really is difficult. My research was aimed at manifesting superpowers in beastkin. The process of manifestation is quite…”
“Wh-What kind of research?”
Doctor Kuroid’s eyes gleamed as if he hadn’t heard me correctly. I made sure to inform him that he hadn’t imagined it.
“It’s research on manifesting superpowers in beastkin.”
“Hu-huh—Is that so? That’s quite a complicated subject. Have you succeeded?”
“Yes, I have.”
“R-Really… I was invited to Scholar more than ten years ago after successfully developing artificial intelligence. I’m the fifth member, you know.”
“Oh, that’s impressive.”
I had assumed he became a member of Scholar due to his contributions in developing the AI android standing next to him, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
After all, someone capable of creating something like that wouldn’t have gone unnoticed up to that point.
The development of artificial intelligence was just the result of his accumulated knowledge and intellect exploding at once; it wasn’t his final destination.
“By the way, about the manifestation of superpowers in beastkin… It was a firmly held belief in the academic community that beastkin couldn’t manifest superpowers. Could it be that the theory stating beastkin are fundamentally beasts is wrong? If so, from a biological standpoint…”
Doctor Kuroid began mumbling about various things. He had immersed himself in his own world. The typical behavior of a scientist. I couldn’t help but smile at that sight.
In the past, I thought that teaching my knowledge to the people of this world was a meaningless endeavor. That thought hadn’t changed much, but… enlightening people who are filled with a thirst for knowledge is always an exciting experience.
Their yearning was more overwhelming than any aspect of human nature, and purer than any desire. Watching them greedily seek knowledge reminded me of a child clamoring for snacks.
“You said you’ve realized it? Can I see that object?”
“Yes. There should be a successful video uploaded on the internet.”
“On the internet? The government allowed something like that to exist?”
“Yes. They didn’t really say anything about it.”
“No way. How could they not be terrified of their own system collapsing? They wouldn’t let the fact that superpowers can be granted to beastkin go public… Lucia.”
“Yes, Master.”
At Doctor Kuroid’s words, the beautiful maid robot Lucia stepped forward. When Lucia lightly extended her hand, a hologram emitted from the back of her hand, immediately playing the video that was uploaded online.
As expected from a highly advanced AI, Lucia understood what Doctor Kuroid wanted right after listening to the conversation.
[Hahaha-! You heroes! Is this all you’ve got?!]
The hologram displayed Galm, releasing beams towards the heroes inside a large stadium. Watching intently, Doctor Kuroid’s eyes widened as if he had realized something, and he cautiously looked at me.
With a slightly trembling voice, he opened his mouth.
“This guy… is a villain from the Evilus Corporation.”
“Yes, Master. He’s a villain belonging to an evil organization called Galm. The association has designated him as an S-rank villain.”
“And if a villain from the Evilus Corporation is using technology created by this rookie…”
As if he grasped the meaning behind it, Doctor Kuroid’s eyes changed. The condescending gaze he had before now turned into one of admiration.
The speed of that change was so remarkable that it left me bewildered for a moment, then Doctor Kuroid cautiously asked,
“You… you are the one who created our Lucia’s circuit.”
“…There’s no need for such formalities. Why all of a sudden—”
“No, no. That can’t be. Ahh—! How could this stubborn old man dare to be rude…!”
Doctor Kuroid said this while starting to kneel. Watching a man in his fifties kneel was quite burdensome, and seeing that shiny bald head only added to my heartache. A cursed affliction. His image afflicted by a heart-wrenching illness that even the power of Earth science couldn’t resolve…
“O God of Science…! Please quell your anger and bestow upon me new knowledge once more…!”
“…I’m not a god. Just an ordinary scientist.”
“No way. Your achievements can only be explained with divine language! If you’re not a god, then who is?”
I awkwardly lifted Doctor Kuroid up. He certainly didn’t look well for a middle-aged man. If he ended up getting hurt from kneeling like that, it would only add to my own discomfort.
However, even after he stood up, his overly respectful attitude made me sigh. I had expected someone like this. For the people of this world, my knowledge must seem no different from the language of the gods.
But never did I think such a person would emerge from Scholar, renowned as the greatest intellect of this era and humanity’s treasure. Not even Regalia, who first saw my designs, or the researchers from Evilus had shown such a reaction.
‘No, maybe it’s because someone of this caliber responds like that.’
Just as someone with far too low abilities wouldn’t understand a masterful expert’s motions, most scientists in this world might not comprehend the technology contained within.
Perhaps a fragment of Doctor Kuroid’s brilliant talent sensed the significance hidden in that technology. If so, then rather than condemning others, I ought to admire Doctor Kuroid’s talent.
“Oh, right. Lucia. Greet him. He’s your creator.”
“…Error. My creator is Master.”
“Right. I did create you. However, this man is the one who laid the groundwork for your creation. So, without this man, the chances are high that I wouldn’t have been able to make you.”
With an explanation that seemed incomprehensible to Lucia, who had been nodding, she cautiously lifted the skirt of her maid outfit and lowered her head.
“─It’s an honor to meet my creator. Master. What extent should the rights of a creator entail?”
“Of course, all─.”
“No problem. Lucia is a treasure created by Doctor Kuroid.”
I stopped Doctor Kuroid, who wanted to grant me some strange privilege. I’m not like Goldensun, aiming to snatch powers from an android that has an owner.
However, there was one request I wanted to make.
“─In exchange, may I take a look at Lucia’s circuit just once?”
“I feel it’s far too embarrassing to show the god…”
“No. I’m actually curious about how to make Lucia.”
“If that’s the case, even if it’s embarrassing… Lucia.”
“Yes, Master.”
As Lucia said this, she spun around and tossed aside her maid outfit. I was taken aback for a moment at seeing her suddenly undress, and the steam began to emit from the back of her neck and spine, slowly opening.
As I watched that romantic sight, I couldn’t help but groan as I laid eyes on the tangled circuit connections inside. Just as I expected, there were signs that Doctor Kuroid had tried to grasp the toy circuits I had made, but… in my eyes, I noticed several areas that were connected messily.
“Doctor Kuroid. May I touch the circuits for a moment?”
“─What are you saying? That doesn’t even require my permission. A god shouldn’t ask for human permission.”
“So stop with the god talk already…”
It was about time to feel a bit bored, but I endured the endless praises from Doctor Kuroid as I brought my hand closer to Lucia’s circuits. Right here, there were plenty of devices that could repair the circuits in real-time.
After deciding how much I needed to work on and how I should do it, I moved with Lucia to the place where the equipment was gathered.
‘Let’s see what we can manage here…’
Ah, really.
I just couldn’t hold back my urge to give some advice.
*
Doctor Kuroid watched with such intensity his eyes could dry up, fixated on Eight’s touch. Not for a moment could he tear his gaze away. Even closing his eyes would be unforgivable.
With the hand of a god performing miracles in real-time, how could he dare to think of looking away? It was absolutely impossible.
‘What on earth is happening…’
However, the touch of the god was something that even the greatest intellect and knowledge of this era, Doctor Kuroid, could not fathom. Why was it moving like that? Even his basic understanding of Eight’s circuits seemed vague and confusing.
Is there truly any being in this world that can comprehend what that touch signifies? Scholar should simply change its name to Eight and the Seven Knights.
Before I knew it, the sacred moment passed quickly, and after completing the miracle, Eight wiped the sweat flowing down his forehead and spoke up.
“All done.”
“Ahh, oh god… thank you.”
“Please, don’t do that…”
Eight said this and reactivated Lucia’s power button. The open back and neck sections closed up, and Lucia, who had been with her eyes closed, now opened them.
Seeing Lucia who had just opened her eyes, Doctor Kuroid was filled with expectation. Since the touch of God had graced her, he couldn’t even imagine how much she would have transformed.
Would she now have the ability to hack every computer in the world? Or has she perhaps become a super-intelligent AI capable of continuous development and evolution?
However, contrary to such hopes, Lucia, upon opening her eyes, let out a sharp scream and fell to the ground.
“Kyahhh-!?”
“…Lucia?”
“M-Master— I’m sorry. Oh, oh? Why is this happening… Something… something feels off…”
Lucia, collapsed on the floor, covered her front and whimpered while tugging at her clothing. The cooling fluid injected to cool down Lucia’s gaze glimmered.
Seeing that, Doctor Kuroid looked at Eight with a sense of dread.
“G-God… this isn’t…”
“There shouldn’t be much difference. Just a minor tweak to the circuit. The computational ability she had got a bit faster, and the latency decreased. That’s about it.”
“…That’s not all, right?”
“Yes? Ah— yes. That’s right. She’s an AI after all.”
As God reached out His hand toward the steel doll, the doll that had initially moved by being dragged suddenly began to move autonomously.
“I added a bit of emotion.”
With a single gesture, God turned the doll into a human.
It truly was a miracle.
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