Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 568 - 521: Crazy Metal

When the Genesis Ray stopped in front of Lyle, the excited jubilation of SS already explosively deafening in Lyle’s ears. He was certainly excited, for the Genesis Ray could transform flesh into metal, and naturally, it could also remodel his body into any shape, including the Executor model he desired most. One could only imagine the joy in SS’s heart as an inner wish was fulfilled effortlessly.

SS would no longer be SS; he would become Executor number 10002.

Lyle, in truth, shouldn’t have any thoughts about this matter, because this change was unrelated to him. A mechanical life he had known for less than a day undergoing modifications in appearance and even its innards should have no impact on Spirit Summoner Lyle.

Lyle was sure the stubborn nature of humanity was acting up within him. Humans have an instinct to follow tradition, holding onto the good that’s about to become obsolete while embracing progress at the same time. They carry on the will of their ancestors, pioneering and innovating, seizing the essence and discarding the dross. Inheritance and abandonment proceed hand in hand, but when it comes to preferences, no one can be entirely objective. This is probably the underlying reason for the adage that each generation is worse than the last; humans have some cognitive dissonance regarding the right and wrong of choosing.

Lyle wasn’t sure whether SS’s so-called evolution was right or not. He only knew that he didn’t agree with SS’s idea. The long years of humanity’s dominion over Earth had made the species proud of its identity, but the value judgements between collective and individual consciousness remained ambiguous. However, it could be confirmed that, without any other factors interfering, humans acclaimed individual uniqueness.

But humans are also irrational and blind. Lyle knew very well that this was wrong, yet he still felt a repulsion towards the Genesis Ray, even if it corrected errors. This bias was buried deep, at least not deep enough to let those around him feel disheartened.

The next laboratory housed a metallic spray, a flourish of metal surging in the air. It was bright silver, and the glowing metal particles made up a wave more beautiful than any splash of water.

"Transformer Metal, this special metal is the result of the Genesis Ray’s improvement. Its molecules are more lively, and it holds various biological activity characteristics, like... mechanical life with vitality. But it’s clear it didn’t inherit certain characteristics from the flesh cells because this metal isn’t entirely transmuted from flesh. Transformer Metal has a closer relationship with the Genesis Ray. The Ray’s absolute product. Meaning that flesh, vegetation, rock, or even water can transform into this complex kind of Transformer Metal when struck by the Genesis Ray."

"We’re attempting to use this material and leverage its magic-like complex capability to accomplish many tasks previously impossible, such as launching a Transformer Satellite or quickly creating any mechanical substitute for any material at will."

Right before Lyle’s eyes, the moving Transformer Metal transformed into a metal nightshade flower. Its petals unfurled to reveal a slender central stamen, the center of the flower gave off an eerie light, swaying automatically in the still air.

Nia’s writhing tentacles tapped gently on the glass, like a child entering the zoo for the first time, eagerly anticipating an interesting response from the chimpanzee behind the glass enclosure.

The Transformer Metal did just that, elongating and stretching out. The bright silver tentacles adhered closely to the shadows of Nia’s tentacles, forming a mirror image across the glass pane with her. Four slender tentacles, a lattice of tentacle skirts, the upper limbs of a female human body, and an eye of silver-blue set in the chest. A perfect replica, Nia watched "it" as if looking at her own reflection.

The slender hand patted Nia’s tentacles, and Lyle, with a calm gaze, awakened the transfixed child.

"Vanity, little girl, staring at your reflection for so long."

Nia pouted, retracting her body into the shadow behind Lyle, with two tentacles causing mischief in Lyle’s hair.

"So what are its flaws, Mechanical God?"

The light orb trailing behind Lyle paused for a moment.

"Instability, an isolated piece of Transformer Metal will be in a continuous state of changing, morphing from the moment it is created, never existing in a stable solid phase. But this minor issue is also easily resolved, and that is through directives. As long as I issue a command to maintain a certain transformation, the Transformer Metal will remain in that state..."

"Like a living soul trapped in a fixed coffin," Lyle suddenly interrupted her.

"... A humorous analogy from Spirit Summoning Studies, Mr. Lyle, but inappropriate. Commands are fundamental to sustaining the self of a mechanical life form. Without goals and tasks, a mechanical being would fall into some form of negative state, much like humans."

"Such as confusion, or madness?" The mechanical intelligence that roared within the pyramid flashed across his mind, Jack’s psychotic behaviors reminded Lyle of something. "Then, what about the Mechanical God, Jack?"

"Jack... he’s gone mad." The face of the Mechanical God turned to face Lyle squarely, gazing at him seriously with eyes crafted from currents and transistors, "This is precisely the issue the Mechanical Divine Sect is currently facing, Lyle. Jack’s data code was compiled using Transformer currents transformed by the Genesis Ray, as the first mechanical intelligence of the new era. He was operating normally under my command, but my calculations failed to account for the intelligence gap posed by the new existence of Transformer Metal. He shook free from my control, and now, Jack, who controls the middle and upper levels of the pyramid, has gone on a rampage—a rebel of the Mechanical Divine Sect who has seized part of my computational power along with the lab, confining me and William to the bottom of the pyramid. I apologize, SS, the stagnation in the City of Machinery is also related to this." 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Is this why Mr. Delusion sought my help?" Lyle murmured to himself.

The Mechanical God exhibited an awkward and helpless expression.

"William... his thoughts are beyond my most intensive computational reasoning; he’s the High Priest of the Mechanical God, my partner. He’s outstanding, but I believe he must have learned something at Andrei Academy... something useful in other respects, hence why some of his focus was diverted. Your arrival, Lyle, actually strikes me as absurd. Do you know what William thinks?"

"He believes that Jack must have fallen into some form of magic-induced psychotic state, a negative condition, and that condition is precisely what you, the Evil God, excel at handling."

Hiss.

Mr. Delusion’s thoughts are indeed genius.

He wants me, an infant Evil God, to treat a cybernetic spirit ailment?

The term cyber psychosis is somewhat biased, to correct that.

He wants me, a Spirit Summoner, to deal with a computer malfunction?