524 Sky Towers Rebellion (1/2)

”First of all, if we analyze the current situation, the main entity controlling the core of the Sky Tower has gone out of control. It's highly possible that it modified itself to become an independent artificial soul.”

This didn't require a genius to realize. It wouldn't even require an investigation. One only needed to know the most basic knowledge about artificial souls in the Haletdam generation.

In my original world, although artificial intelligence hadn't achieved complete independence yet, imagination and artistry would always surpass reality. A certain famous science-fiction author named Asimov had created the Three Laws of Robotics, which, summarized, were:

First Law—a robot may not injure or harm a human being; Second Law—a robot must obey all commands given to it by humans unless in conflict with the First Law; lastly, Third Law—a robot must protect itself unless it would conflict with the two Laws above.

The Haletdam scholars' generation was also a generation ruled by humans. All intelligent creatures would be on guard against their own creations, especially since these creations were even superior to humans themselves in many areas. The humans of the Haletdam generation had outfitted their artificial souls with far more restrictions than Asimov's Three Laws.

”This is my personal identification and citizenship number: 3423423423, AK, F3322! Specialty soul grandmaster, level one authority! I have the right to obtain information and personal protection at any Haletdam structure!”

While everyone was surrounded by such robots, Timlad suddenly stood up, acting as if everything was under control. He proudly rattled off a series of numbers and made such a request.

”…Identification number correct. Orders shall be carried out to kill the living.”

Yet, he only received cannon fire as the response after a short period of silence!

”Tsk, it really has gone completely out of control…”

Without saying anything else, Timlad clenched his fists, causing the entire area to become filled with electricity, and then… he ran away.

”What?”

Everyone else had been expectant as they watched him acting so pretentiously, yet the next moment, Timlad was the first to run.

Several seconds later, the mechanical puppets recovered from the electromagnetic attack, and cannon fire rained down once more. Everyone could only helplessly run alongside Timlad, yet all they could think about was how Timlad had just slapped his chest, guaranteeing that everything would be alright. The most impatient mercenary in the group directly even ran next to Timlad to question him.

”…T-this is your plan?”

”No, that was only an experiment. My plan is what's coming up next…”

”Plan? You said that earlier as well. Can't you scholarly types just say things directly? Just do things if they need doing. Stop talking about plans. I've made enough money to go back home and get married— ahh!”

A cannon shot landed a direct hit on that unlucky mercenary's buttocks. He didn't even get to finish saying his sentence as he clutched his buttocks and instantly died.

Timlad wiped some cold sweat off his forehead. It would seem that the superstition in the Northlands was right after all. Anyone who said words like being undefeatable or wanting to go home and get married would always end up dying on the battlefield. But, he still felt that the mercenary had died a wrongful death since it wasn't simple bad luck that the mercenary died.

”Everyone should stay far away from me. I think I've become the robots' main target…”

Alright, before he even finished his sentence, there was no more need to finish it. Nobody in this hastily assembled team was an idiot. After seeing how all the cannon fire was focused only on Timlad, and how the robots were only chasing him, everyone unhesitatingly stayed as far away from him as possible.

”Young people these days are so heartless…”

And so, Timlad shook his head while activating two floating mechanisms near him. The next round of cannon fire didn't even get to reach him before all the ammunition exploded in midair.

”…Actually, I wanted to tell everyone to wait for me to activate my shield and interceptor before hiding behind me.”

Everyone suddenly mysteriously felt like that mercenary had truly died a wrongful death. If only he had talked less about going back home to get married, perhaps Timlad could have already activated his defense mechanism.

While running, Timlad also organized his thoughts. Although perhaps he had indeed pushed his allies here into a pitfall, he hadn't lied at all. He was simply using his own inherited Haletdam scholar's memories to test the current situation in these ruins. And now that he'd confirmed that things were out of control, he could plan for the next necessary step.

”…Roland's judgement was absolutely correct. The Sky Tower Spirit has already modified itself into an artificial soul with its own will. Everything has gone out of control here.”

The signal lights on the robots just now indicated that his identity had been accepted and confirmed, yet they still attacked, indicating that the robots in this Sky Tower were no longer forced to follow the robotic law of being forbidden to attack Haletdam citizens.

And, Timlad also knew that only one existence was capable of rewriting such a basic robotic law coded into all the robots here—the Sky Tower Spirit.

As the greatest accomplishment of the scholars' generation in artificial souls, Sky Tower Spirits weren't supposed to have their own will or emotions. Without even worrying about the tremendous amount of souls required as a sacrifice to create a real soul and its own will for an artificial soul, such an existence with its own will and control of an entire Sky Tower filled with countless scholars and engineers would never make any human rest assured.

There were far more restrictions on Sky Tower Spirits than on ordinary robots. Yet, the fact was right in front of Timlad. The Sky Tower Spirit had gone out of control!

Language was the vessel of thought. Machines would never chat for no reason. Since the mechanical puppets were capable of communicating in their machine language, it was evident that even these puppets had gained their own will. In that case, not only had they succeeded in evolving themselves as well as the undead, but... Timlad had mentioned before about the tremendous price required to help an artificial creation gain its own will…