Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

Little Woman, oh no, Gaia’s eyes seem to reflect an entire world, blue sky, white clouds, herds of cattle and sheep, a fully natural ecosystem, like the great plains of the Civilization Era.

Even Professor Han was drawn in; everything from the Old Civilization Era seems so wonderful now.

Gaia looked at Gao Gong, whose eyes were like mirrors. With a perception level of 56, he passed the ”exemption” directly.

Gao Gong knew that this wasn’t intentional on the other party’s part, but rather that a psychic body’s descent naturally comes with its ”worldview.”

As expected of the ”Cosmic Three Idiots,” Gao Gong thought, somewhat in awe. Once a brain-in-a-vat survives its infancy, its upgrade speed is terrifying, like a virus, capable of spreading autonomously.

Currently, the whole Iron Sand Desert, the creatures infected by it probably outnumber those uninfected.

In this universe, there are always some weird life forms that are quite bizarre—pan-galactic life forms, prehistoric giant structures, cosmic dark tides, and the like. Compared to them, a brain-in-a-vat isn’t exceptionally bizarre, just mildly so.

”This guy should be nearing level 60, time to find an anchor point.”

Information life forms receive information at strengths thousands of times greater than normal life forms, often causing their ”values” to collapse. So, as their levels increase, they must find their own ”information anchor points.”

This anchor point could be a particular worldview, an unusual preference, or a vehicle capable of handling its vast information, such as a planet-level main brain.

Gaia looked at Gao Gong and suddenly said, ”Mr. Gao, it seems like there is something strange on you.”

Gao Gong looked between his legs and said seriously, ”If you don’t have it, but I do, then yes, indeed, there’s something like that.”

Gaia lightly landed in front of Gao Gong, her palm glowing white, and surprisingly pierced through his chest, grabbing the ’co-evolution seed’ inside him.

Gao Gong’s palm suddenly turned crimson, and he grasped the other party’s wrist with his reverse hand. The ’red liquid’ wriggled crazily; while it could not stop the opponent’s information intrusion, it could absorb the opponent’s energy, preventing the arm from becoming ethereal.

”Little Lady No. 2, although I’m quite familiar with the owner of your body, we’re not close enough to ’bare our hearts and livers’ like this. No need to be so ’heartfelt.’

Gaia tilted her head slightly and gently explained, ”There’s a peculiar existence on you that will gradually cause you to lose control of your body.”

”I’ve got a way to deal with it myself.”

Gaia pondered for a moment and said, ”So I see, my apologies.”

Gaia slowly withdrew her arm; the front half of Little Woman’s arm suddenly vanished, only to restore once she lowered it.

”Informationization, an almost unsolvable existence below level 30, luckily this guy isn’t fully informationized. However, for Little Lady No. 2 to completely informationize on this planet would likely also be difficult.”

To be fully informationized means to become the ”Gaia consciousness” or ”Mother Earth” of this planet. To become this planet’s manager, one must first move ’Cybertron,’ ’Deep Net,’ and ’Fortress’ like moving mountains.

This is unsolvable.

The level cap has been directly locked.

At this moment, Professor Han came back to his senses, taking deep, gasping breaths, and said with a livid face, ”You pulled me into the virtual realm!?”

Gao Gong chuckled gleefully, saying, ”Truly, a master produces outstanding disciples, one generation surpassing the previous.”

Gaia said, ”I thought you would love the old times.”

”I don’t like fake goods!”

”Hearing you say that, it carries no weight at all.”

Professor Han glared furiously at Gao Gong, who coughed dryly and quickly changed the subject, ”Number Two, you should know why we summoned you here, why are you still dawdling? Don’t you want to go home quick?”

Gaia nodded calmly and extended her hands. In the next moment, the eerie dark forest started flickering, streams of electric signals appeared in various tangible forms, and as time passed, the trees, soil, and ground began to peel away, revealing a large experimental base.

The entrance’s metal sign was engraved with a line of big words.

The Technology Research Institute of Human Utilization

Gaia bent her five fingers, making a tearing motion as if clawing at something. The next instant, hundreds of electric currents continuously sparked with electric sparks on the outside.

Once Gaia lowered her hand, the creepy sensation on Gao Gong’s body vanished.

”What’s this, environmental bionics?” Gao Gong curiously looked around.

”This isn’t environmental bionics; it’s human defense system bionics. That just now was the bioelectric phenomenon, shouldn’t you two monsters be the most aware?” Professor Han said coldly.

”Researcher Han’s thyroid is secreting excess hormones, abnormal gastric contractions, increased blood flow, accelerated heartbeat, this is an emotional change in humans called ’anger,’” Gaia suddenly said.

”Clearly caused by you.”

”Are you saying I’m the pathogen?”

”Of course, why else would Professor Han compete with you among other bionic monsters? This is meant to prematurely nip you in the bud.”

”Is that so,” Gaia began to ponder, ”Could my life form have triggered a large-scale uncanny valley effect?”

Professor Han’s mouth twitched; this fool, one dares to say, and the other dares to listen. Taking a deep breath, he walked directly to the door and input a series of numbers.

The heavy metal door creaked open slowly inward, and Professor Han turned with a cold expression, ”This is just the outermost defense system; according to my memory, there are two more such defense systems. If you wish to die, feel free to wait here.”

”Professor, don’t be angry, relax, keep a happy mood when you go home.”

Gao Gong cheerfully followed along, Gaia’s feet left the ground, floating over as well.

The entire research institute is a giant elliptical structure, like a closed bird’s nest, and it’s a segmented structure, so that in the event of an experimental accident, both the institute and the experimental units can be sealed off simultaneously, minimizing harm.

This institute should have an energy circulatory system, even after decades, there’s still ample electricity.

The three of them moved constantly inside this large research institute, the cameras faithfully recording this scene.

...

In the universe, a Level 1 Civilization is called a ’Satellite System Civilization,’ meaning, while such civilizations cannot achieve interstellar migration, they can already achieve initial space exploration.

Above that, a Level 2 Civilization is called a ’Planetary System Civilization,’ the formation of this type of civilization is marked by establishing planetary bases and mining resources from other planets.

Of course, in the vast universe, anything is possible, it is possible that in an entire star system, there’s only one habitable planet, and civilizations in such star systems are rather unfortunate, looking up only to see the ceiling.

For such civilizations to make a breakthrough, the cost they have to pay is probably a hundred times that of other civilizations.

And on the same planet, the emergence of three different types of Level 2 Civilizations is actually a very rare phenomenon.

Because civilizations are not countries, under the same civilization, there can be great power struggles, racial wars, network wars, or even corporate battles, all of which are common.

But this kind of strife generally takes place under the same technology tree.

The emergence of three different systems of civilization on the same planet is very rare.

Empire, Alliance, Federation.

These are the three superpowers of the Civilization Era, each taking a different route, something that Gao Gong knew from a previous life.

But from the perspective of someone who has been through it, the appearance of these three Level 2 Civilizations on the same planet is likely the result of human manipulation.

’Cyber Test Field’ wasn’t naturally a ’Cyber Test Field.’

This planet must have held value recognized by an Advanced Civilization before it could be subjected to a civilization experiment.

So Gao Gong suspects that the aliens of this research institute may have already micro-managed this planet even before the establishment of the ’Cyber Test Field.’

It’s like a small investor buying into a startup team, then both the team and the people are acquired by some huge capital.

Among this, some interest conflict is likely the reason for ’aliens posing as Mechanical Split Star People.’

Gao Gong suddenly stopped, abruptly turning his head, the corridor was empty, not a single figure in sight.

”Stop looking, we are indeed being tracked.” Professor Han said without turning his head.

”What she just tore apart was merely the first layer of the defense system, which is the ’skin’ of the ’people,’ what we’re entering now is the ’body’ interior.”

”So those tracking us now are the research institute’s ’immune cells’?”

Gao Gong touched his chin, ”Then why don’t they act?”

”Because I’m taking you through a safe route.”

Professor Han looked at the two eager individuals and warned, ”Don’t recklessly use your abilities, this place is different from others, do you want to alarm the entire defense system?”

Gaia didn’t speak, after a while, said, ”When I left here, many experimental subjects had mostly died, or had escaped early.”

Professor Han led the two through twists and turns, finally arriving at the entrance of a large laboratory, Professor Han aimed his pupil at the monitoring device, and soon, a mechanical voice sounded.

”Good morning, Researcher 122.”

The sealed door creaked open from the middle, Professor Han was the first to enter.

This laboratory is large, with all kinds of instruments on both sides, the most common being nutrition chambers, containing a variety of brains, roughly a thousand kinds at a glance.

Gaia pointed to the largest nutrition chamber, somewhat nostalgically said, ”I used to sleep here.”

”Your bed is huge, quite a few square meters.”

”Back then, I’d sneak out and play in other places when the researchers weren’t paying attention, to ’see’ their life experiences, it’s a pity that the places I could go became fewer and fewer.”

Gao Gong looked at the other nutrition chambers, finding most of the brains inside had rotted, some even growing green mold.

The energy system can circulate, but the nutrient fluid wasn’t replaced in time?

Gao Gong looked at another nutrition chamber, more luxurious than Gaia’s, but it was empty inside, the nutrient fluid also drained.

”Professor, whose brain was in here before?”

”Supreme Emperor.”