"Look, Dad! It's a video of the Mechanical Titan!" Selene ran to her father's study, where he went about his business amid a vast collection of eye-catching objects.
For example, a two-handed sword hung on the wall. The weapon was large and looked heavy. Lines covered the blade, indicating Glyphwork.
There were also photographs of his family, friends, and beautiful places. However, the only photograph on his desk was of him holding a baby next to his wife in a hospital bed.
It was a picture of Selene's birth! It was the first image of Selene, not counting the ultrasounds while she was still in her mother's womb. It was also the first image of the whole family, so it held great sentimental value for Hyperion.
Hyperion was reading a document on his communication crystal when he looked up upon hearing his daughter enter his office. He smiled, put aside what he was studying, and approached her.
"Has it reappeared?" Hyperion asked, letting his daughter show him the projections on his communication crystal.
"Yes, on the north coast! Look, it's huge," Selene said. She played the video she had watched on her way to her father's office. She had no problem watching it again because the images were so impressive.
It appeared to have been recorded by a crew member on a private boat, perhaps for fishing or an underwater search. Everything was going well until the waters became chaotic.
["Something huge is coming!"]
A distorted voice could be heard, presumably to protect the privacy of the person who uploaded the video. However, no one paid attention to this minor detail when a black shadow appeared in the blue sea and broke through the water to reveal its true form: a giant metal head!
A giant metal head! It was round with two large glowing red eyes. Its outer shell appeared slightly neglected, covered in rust and scratches with unevenly cut-off parts.
This mechanical creation looked directly at the person recording it as if evaluating something only they could see. Then, it simply turned its head forward and began to move forward.
With each step, its height increased until only its ankles and feet were submerged in the water. It was worthy of being called a titan! It was a metallic structure whose movement was a mystery, a remnant of the era before the cataclysm.
Its body blocked the sun, casting a shadow that stretched far across the water. Every movement it made stirred the sea, and every step caused huge waves. Should it attack the nearby humans? If the Titan had any sensitivity or artificial intelligence, it clearly didn't care about these small creatures.
What could they do to it when it was one of the most powerful beings in the world? Not even the most dangerous monsters bothered to fight it because it was a lost cause.
The Mechanical Titan did not respond to messages. Sometimes, however, when it came dangerously close to a city-state, causing tremors in its wake and generating fear and panic with its imposing presence, this machine never actively attacked.
It even changed course when it was about to enter a city. Not out of pity, everyone was clear about that, but probably because its creators were human. Unless it was attacked, it did not act against them.
Has the Mechanical Titan ever been attacked? Yes, and that's how Tide City disappeared. Thinking they would be destroyed by the machine, they launched a preemptive strike to warn it.
Selene remembered seeing that video. It was very old, but it remained online as a reminder of what should never be done. The Titan stopped moving, raised its hand, and fired a thick beam of light. Upon hitting Tide City's protective shield, the beam pierced through it as if it were paper.
What remains of Tide City is now a deep basin that extends to the Second World. The Second World is a place on the planet Cancri that emerged after the cataclysm. It is a complete ecosystem located beneath the planet's surface.
The Mechanical Titan created a new entrance to this place! Then, as if what it had done was effortless, it disappeared into the distance.
This was a clear demonstration of its power. Since then, no one has dared to point a weapon at it. However, some people have dared to climb the giant robot, hoping to find a control center.
If they took control of the machine, they would undoubtedly become tyrants respected by all humans on Cancri. However, no one has found the control center, not because it is difficult to climb, but because the Titan has an immune system of sorts: thousands of robots that attack intruders.
"I still remember seeing it in the distance years ago. Did I tell you that?" Hyperion asked, pulling Selene out of her thoughts. The girl rolled her eyes.
"Yes! But go ahead, I know you want to tell it again," Selene replied sarcastically. Her father, however, simply put his hand on her head and ruffled her hair. This caused his daughter to complain and try to break free from his grip.
"I guess you know me by now," the man laughed, gazing at a photograph of himself with a large group of people in black military uniforms.
"That was during the war between Eclipse City and Dusk City. The Titan walked across the battlefield, causing a ceasefire out of fear of provoking it. I saw it up close. The machine simply lowered its head and assessed us as if it wanted to find out why we were fighting." At this point, her father paused and swallowed hard, remembering that moment.
He was very afraid! But that's natural; human beings have a lot of respect and fear for huge things. Especially if that thing was moving toward you, causing tremors that made you lose your balance.
"I feel that it is sensitive. It has seen so much that we are just little ants fighting. Aren't we that in essence? Slightly larger ants," Hyperion reflected solemnly until Selene could no longer bear her father's attempt at profundity.
"But there are giant ants!" she exclaimed. Hyperion gave her a cold look with his pink eyes before shrugging.
"I'm talking about normal ant colonies, the ones that... You know what? Why am I arguing with you about this? It's my reflection!" the man said with a smile, causing his daughter to clench her teeth loudly as if she had bitten something invisible.
"By the way, I want to tell you what I discovered," Selene said as she took the gold coin out of her pocket. This caused her father to stop joking around and pay attention to his daughter instead of the device in his hand.
"Something good or bad?" Hyperion asked, tensing his body, fearing that something bad had happened to his daughter.
"Huh? It's all good! Look, it all started when..." Selene began to explain her thought process as she recounted how she had arrived at the simulations section of the Dream Interface Core.
She also told him about the only available simulation, what had happened inside it, and the idea that had occurred to her when she defeated Meredith, the first of seven assassins she had to survive in that story.
After listening to her, Hyperion rubbed his temples, processing everything she had said. Deciding he couldn't bear it alone, he went to a compartment in his study and took out a bottle of cider made from the fruits of the tree they lived in, along with two glasses.
"Your father invites you to drink," he said, gesturing to his daughter to come closer as he poured the liquor made by his family.
"Oh, thank you, Dad~!" Selene hummed her response, gladly taking a glass filled with the drink and savoring her first sip.
"Are you really planning to take her through your mental passage?" Selene, your ideas are always crazy and sometimes turn out to be very bad. Do you remember SOAS?" Hyperion asked. The purple-haired girl frowned and stared at her father.
"That robotic bitch misrepresented my orders! When she couldn't fulfill her objective, she ran away!" Selene clenched her teeth, grinding them as her murderous intent surged from her body.
"Now there's a machine whose goal is to break your spine, knock out your teeth, and lobotomize you just to fulfill its objective of 'maintaining the well-being of Selene Sahari at all costs.'
Do you remember the mayor's warning? It wasn't recorded in your citizen file because you were a minor at the time, but you still have the task of finding SOAS and destroying it," Hyperion said as he sat down in the chair behind his desk. Selene did the same with the chair in front of his desk.
"Oh, I know..." Selene sighed, bored, clenching her free hand tightly. The murderous intent she emitted grew stronger and stronger.
SOAS, S.O.A.S., short for 'Self-Organizing Autonomous System,' is a robot built by Selene using technology and enchantments. It wasn't a Glyphwork, but it was a useful machine for Selene, a disorganized girl.
It was supposed to take care of her when she was sick or injured, clean up the messes she made, and provide support during the construction of Glyphworks and other technologies. It was even supposed to be her alarm clock!
Selene stopped thinking about that matter and took a big gulp of the cider she was holding, finishing it in an instant. She looked at her father and smiled, having made a decision.
"I'll do it! I liked the will I saw in Meredith. I feel like she's much stronger than she showed. I plan to extract her data and create a simulation of her to train with while I sleep.
'But Dad, I want to bring her into my mental passage, too. If I can simulate things with my Noeia, why can't I do it with her? It's like having a much more realistic imaginary friend!" Selene exclaimed. This time, she no longer emitted murderous intent; instead, an unbridled impulse surged from her, the essence of her true self.
It was the wildness that sought freedom and could not be stopped by anything, including danger or death. Hyperion continued to enjoy the drink in his glass, but the corners of his lips were already turned up.
"Wouldn't that be creating a second personality? I've heard of people who do that. Do you want to go crazy?" he asked, testing his daughter's true intentions.
"What? No! Only I can be in my body and control it. I just want to bring her into my mind so that it's not empty. She won't have any rights over my body. If anything, she'll just be able to see the outside world," Selene replied, pursing her lips. She picked up the bottle of cider and poured herself another glass. She really liked this drink and wanted to savor it again.
"It's a really interesting experiment. The Dream Interface Core has shown me that a bridge can be created between Noeia, dreams, and technology. Dad, rest assured, I'll be careful. Besides, haven't you and Noelle wanted me to have teammates?
Now I'll have my own partner in my mind! HAHAHAHAHA!" Selene burst out laughing, causing Hyperion to shake his head. He knew his daughter was going to go ahead with her idea, even if it was dangerous.
"Selene, tell me, is Meredith attractive?" the man asked, posing an extremely important question that caused his daughter to stop laughing abruptly and turn red in the face, though it was unclear whether it was from the alcohol or embarrassment.
"Hehe, what are you saying, Dad? I told you it was because of the determination she showed! She's a bit proud, and maybe I like being called a princess a little too much... Oh! I hear Mom calling me! Bye!" Selene drank the cider in her glass in one gulp before running out of her father's study.
"Ah, I know you too well, my daughter," Hyperion murmured, leaving half the drink on his desk as he closed his eyes.
One of Selene's ideas interested him: giving her mental self a more concrete and detailed form and filling her mental space. But Hyperion decided to go further. What if he could organize his memories better?
He could program his mind from scratch to create an algorithm that would allow him to record and locate his memories when needed.
However, he did not tell his daughter about this idea, at least not until he could verify that it was not risky. He was not like Selene. Caution had become ingrained in him through years of experience.
"If I manage to achieve something, though, Selene will be able to take advantage of it and perhaps become stronger," he whispered before immersing himself completely in meditation.
As Selene concluded, everything related to the mind and Noeia was slow, arduous, and extensive. Regardless of whether it was beneficial, it was always good to experiment with these concepts.
You might find something really good!
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"Well, now my father will definitely think I'm a pervert," Selene muttered as she flopped onto her bed and buried her head in her pillow.
"But that's a good idea! Can simulated data become something mental? It wouldn't be creating a new personality or a Noetic entity from scratch, just transforming it.
I'd have someone to chat with all the time and train with. My idle chatter with myself would make more sense," Selene said as she rolled over in bed and stared at the ceiling without paying much attention to it.
"Let me extract Meredith. But how did they manage to create AIs so easily in the past? Even that bastard SOAS doesn't have the emotional capabilities the maid had," she muttered as she headed to the basement. She had some crystal memories there that would help her with this matter.
She had already planned to get one for everything she was downloading automatically. After all, she had many things to save, but she would rarely use those files except for the simulation.
When Selene arrived at her workshop, she found the drawer where she kept the crystal memories and took two of them. One would store all the data she planned to extract from Meredith before using it in her own simulation.
In the process, she would also gain a better understanding of this character, although she felt it would eventually become clear to her. Why not consider it a kind of living entity? Like one of those supernatural beings that roam the world?
"If things happen, who am I to judge? Hehehe," Selene laughed at some of her thoughts, but her focus never wavered.
Each time she explored the Dream Interface Core's systems, she felt she understood the programming, the mind, and the dreams of that distant past a little more.
Before learning about this device, Selene thought only advanced Glyphworks could achieve similar effects. After all, she knew of a device auctioned in a city-state that gave the user telekinetic abilities like those seen in old works before the cataclysm.
She did not doubt that, somewhere in the world, someone was seeking to replicate these supposed psychic abilities through technology. After all, Glyphworks gives you the ability to do things worthy of fantasy.
'The power of Noeia may have limits, your body may have limits, but your mind is limitless,' she thought as she transferred Meredith's data to the crystal memory. She took advantage of other resources from that simulation, too. Her pink eyes sparkled with excitement, and she trembled throughout the process.
Did Meredith's beating make her fall in love? Not at all! She really wanted to explore the mind more deeply. Although there may have been superficial factors, such as liking the maid's appearance, they only accounted for 1% of her reasons.
Training, companionship, experimentation. She wanted someone to train with all the time. Although it would be in her mind and she could do it in her dreams with the simulation she was planning to create, she wanted to make it more personal without relying on technology.
After all, her knowledge of the Dream Interface Core was limited. What if it got damaged? She wouldn't know how to repair it. What if there was a malfunction? She wouldn't know how to fix it.
This was too risky. Not to mention external factors, such as getting lost due to unforeseen circumstances beyond her control or, worse, the device being stolen again.
Regarding the company, she sought someone who would be with her at all times, which was pleasant in a certain sense. She had nothing against her friends. How could she when she trusted them completely? However, a mental entity that was always in her mind would not be a hindrance.
Yes, because for her, traveling in a group was problematic. She would have to be vigilant to prevent danger from reaching her companions. She wouldn't have to think twice about doing something.
If she wanted to stay in one area for two weeks, she could do so freely without discussing the matter. She told Noelle the truth: she would not be 'free' when she was with other people, even friends.
However, if she achieved her goal, she could have a companion for life. Privacy? Shame? Adverse effects? She didn't care as long as she could satisfy her need for constant communication! Whatever happened, happened. She was open-minded about this issue.
She was aware that many things could go wrong, but what experimental process is 100% safe? She knew about the potential risks, but that was the fun part.
Would her crazy idea work? Could she transform simulated data into a noetic entity? Would it have a personality and sensitivity? What would it learn from the mind and Noeia? Could she use it for defense, attack, or support? This whole affair could result in many things!
"However, let's start with the first step: the simulation." Selene saw that her bots were no longer downloading anything. The rest could only be obtained through more private means, and even then, for a price. So, she turned them off and looked at the mountain of data in front of her.
"Yes... I need a program that can categorize all this stuff." It only took Selene three hours to program the software because it was so simple. However, it didn't have an interface and depended on the console to work. But that was enough for her.
She let the program run and sort everything while she went upstairs to eat. It was lunchtime! Forty-five minutes later, she saw that all the data had been organized and placed in the remaining glass memory, leaving her communicator clean.
"It's time to get serious. Nothing else matters, only this moment," Selene murmured before cracking her neck, fingers, and back. Then she sprang into action.
She sat down at her desk and began creating the simulation, using her communication crystal to control the Dream Interface Core. After all, this object could only be manipulated this way while she was awake.
Following the instructions, she had read while exploring the gold coin, as well as what she had learned about its systems, she designed a perfect training and living scenario with Meredith. She did not change Meredith at all, but rather simply loaded her as she was, removing the limitations she had discovered.
"If I'm going to have her in my simulation and then in my mind, why do I have to leave her with those stupid limits? I want her at her best!" Selene's pupils dilated as she worked on the simulation.
This took her a couple more hours. When she was finished, she didn't test it right away. Instead, she gathered her things and went back upstairs. This time, it wasn't to eat or anything like that, but to meditate and train her Noeia channeling.
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Meredith opened her eyes and brought her hands to her chest and neck, trying to cover the wounds inflicted by the princess. In that moment, she felt her body and mind more clearly.
She felt the strange confusion lift from her. She was a murderer! Why had she toyed with her target? Why had she been so arrogant and haughty? The worst part was that she hadn't used her full strength during the fight.
Wasn't she dead? She thought about it, then assessed her surroundings. She had appeared on the sand near an unfamiliar beach. Waves crashed onto the shore, pushing a little water toward her feet and reminding her that she was alive.
"Where is the castle?" What is this place? What... is all this?" Meredith asked quietly, channeling her Noeia, ready to react to any danger that might arise in this unknown place.
"You are in a safe place, my dear servant," said a familiar voice from a distance. Meredith turned around and saw Selene sitting on a rock with a big smile on her face.
Although her body was made of threads, her expressions were understandable due to the environment in which the two women found themselves. Meredith recognized her voice but not her appearance. She showed her palm, where her nails had grown several centimeters longer.
"Who the hell are you? Why are you imitating the princess's voice?" the maid asked, propelling her body forward and covering the dozens of meters that separated her from the strange entity.
"Would you believe me if I told you that everything you've experienced is just an illusion?" Instead of answering, Selene jumped off the rock, got into a defensive stance, and dodged Meredith's attack.
The maid didn't use her nails like claws but rather as if she had a sword in her hands. Selene had to dodge her constant slashes and cuts while backing away.
"You think I'm going to believe you?" Meredith growled. The purple-haired girl smiled.
"Why don't you keep your distance and let me explain?" Selene slid several meters across the sand and sat down, not caring about the ugly expression on the maid's face.
Without waiting for Meredith to relax, Selene began to tell her the whole truth: the nature of her world, her existence, and her personal plans. She simply felt it was unnecessary to keep these matters secret and that openness was best.
When she finished speaking, Meredith was sitting on the sand. Her face was serious, and her posture was quite disciplined. However, her hands were clutching her maid's dress tightly. Clearly, Meredith had been shocked by Selene's words and evidence.
"So... I'm not real? My struggle, my desires, my fear, my revenge—all fake?" The woman spoke in a neutral voice, but you didn't have to be an expert to notice the sadness in her words.
"What defines reality? What defines falsehood? You are in my dream, albeit a simulated one. I plan to deposit you in my mind as a noetic entity. Are you not real, and will you be real to me in the future?" As she said this, Selene stood up and walked toward Meredith without fear.
"I liked the determination you showed when you tried to kill me, even though you were weak. I'm not talking about the limitations caused by the simulation, but by the wound in your heart.
Just remembering it makes me shiver," Selene concluded. She stood in front of the maid, who looked up and watched this woman made of threads reach out her hand to her.
"So, if I'm real to you, why can't I consider myself real? Besides, do you think I can become a... 'noetic' entity? In my time, we called it 'Noeia' grace." Meredith took Selene's hand and stood up.
"That's the interesting thing about all this! You may be able to transform yourself into a noetic entity, a mental being, or a supernatural creature, or whatever you want to call it. That's why we're experimenting.
In the meantime, how about we train? I want to learn the skills humans had in the past!" Selene exclaimed, distancing herself from Meredith and assuming a fighting stance.
"I suppose the princess has some crazy ideas in her head. This servant is willing to serve her. Even in training. But I warn you, I show no mercy. Since you won't really die in a dream... I'll show you how terrifying an assassin can be!" To emphasize her words, Meredith manifested her Noeia over her body.
It manifested as pressurized blue vapor surrounding her body as if it had finally found an escape. She took a step, releasing her momentum composed of murderous intent, bloodlust, and desire for revenge. All of these emotions exploded unrestrained, just like her Noeia.
"I couldn't expect anything less," Selene declared. The threads forming her body stirred and shone more brightly, showing that she was using the Noeia. If she were in the real world, she would undoubtedly show what it looks like when she externalizes it. Here, however, her current form only allowed for a small light show.
Selene had trained with an ancient assassin and suffered a terrible beating, but no one could wipe the smile off her face. She felt that she could learn something from Meredith's killing skills. However, like everything else she had been working on lately, it would take time.