Horium

Sigh...

"...Alright, I give up," Kraynnor expressed with a tone of palpable frustration and a long sigh. He had searched every corner of Cognitron X-12, but no matter how much he looked, he couldn't find anything out of the ordinary!

Why did he immerse himself in this meticulous search if it was so bothersome?

Everything was linked to what his friend had told him just a few minutes before, when he questioned them about the abrupt removal of the Astryilite AI, as it was evidently on the brink of defeat. No matter how much he pondered it, such a sudden improvement lacked logic.

Cognitron X-12 sensed Kraynnor's question and, with an uncertain tone, responded: [It's confusing even for me. In the heat of the binary realm confrontation, my attempt to erase the enemy AI was threatened by a surge of data notably superior and more complex than mine. I tried to disconnect from the DataNexo to avoid infiltration into the ship, but I was completely at the mercy of this enemy...]

As his AI delved into its explanation, Kraynnor noticed something very interesting, be it the expressiveness in the voice or the way of speaking; it was as if he was talking to a living being.

He knew this would come at some point due to the enhancements he extracted from the Stealth Exoskeleton, but it was an improvement that would take years!

[At a crucial moment, a hitherto unknown force, which, for now, I'll call "factor X," emerged from my own programming. This enigmatic factor X carried out a comprehensive upgrade in my code, filling many existing gaps, infusing advanced data and superior algorithms. Although the origin of this improvement escapes my understanding, it is an undeniable fact that it has turned out to be entirely beneficial.]

Back in the present, Kraynnor closed his eyes in deep meditation, engulfed in a dilemma he felt powerless to resolve.

On one hand, he agreed with Cognitron X-12; the unknown incident provided significant improvements. However, the uncertainty of having something unknown inside his friend troubled him.

Not only was his AI at risk, but he himself was in danger!

His mind, like an infinite library with meticulously organized memories, projected the scene when they took off from Caelum. He recalled Cognitron X-12's words, mentioning that for less than a second, it felt an intrusion.

Finally, he reached an inevitable conclusion: his AI harbored an intruder...

However, locating and expelling it with his current skills and knowledge proved to be an impossible task. Faced with this dilemma, he confronted two options: completely eliminate Cognitron X-12 or let circumstances dictate the course of events.

Kraynnor didn't hesitate; he would opt for patience, acknowledging that in this case, time would be his best weapon!

"How is it to control this robot? Do you have any interesting information about it?" he asked curiously. Although Cognitron X-12 had completely eliminated the AI controlling the robot, it should have left some interesting data.

[There's not much to say. Apparently, this AI belonged to the category of industrial AIs. They don't possess consciousness; all they know is they have to fulfill the tasks given to them. It's like taking the steering wheel away from a car, leaving it only able to go backward and forward. Quite cruel, to be honest...]

Its tone was somber, leaving Kraynnor increasingly amazed at the enhancements: [Unfortunately, its place of origin is impossible to know; that part of the data was either erased in the confrontation or simply wasn't recorded in its database.]

Just when he expected that was all Cognitron X-12 had to say, he suddenly mentioned something that made his eyes light up.

[Although I haven't been able to obtain significant information about the Astryilite civilization, I have managed to grasp a bit of their vocabulary. It's only the most basic, which was what that AI knew to understand basic commands.]

Kraynnor observed the screen, where hundreds of circular symbols with branching lines were displayed; they shared similar aspects but were all distinct. According to Cognitron X-12, these constituted the elemental vocabulary of the Astryilites, equivalent to the letters a child would learn in their early stages of life. With this, he could understand some expressions of these aliens, but comprehending more complex linguistic constructions would be practically impossible.

It took him no more than one reading to understand how to create simple words; Kraynnor nodded satisfied with this significant contribution from his AI. Still, with a cold tone, he asked, "How is it going with the captured Astryilite? Have you been able to extract anything useful from his brain?"

[Unfortunately, no. Although making the incision is easy, and even forcibly establishing a brain-machine connection is, his regenerative capacity prevents successful connection. The only way would be to extract the organ where it produces that regenerative substance, but in doing so, it's very likely that he would undergo cellular degeneration so rapid that he could die within seconds.]

"Can't you just extract 99% and leave the remaining 1%?" before Cognitron X-12 could respond, Kraynnor answered himself: "Of course, you can't, as that substance works the same regardless of the quantity. His regeneration will continue working even if there's just a drop."

[Indeed, even extracting his brain would lead to the same fate, as without a connection to that substance, he would lose his vitality within seconds until death.]

Kraynnor couldn't help but feel a slight headache.

No matter what he thought, there was no way to do anything with that alien's brain if every little alteration would be instantly healed, interfering with any technology he used.

Fortunately, the High Humans did not face this problem, as their human DNA prevented their bodies from aging to death in such an unnatural way, so they did not rely on that substance to live at least a hundred years.

"Leave it as it is; we'll figure out what to do at another time. For now, take control of all the robots here, gather as many crystals as you can, and hide them somewhere. We'll come back for them in the future," with these words, he was ready to leave, but Cognitron X-12 suddenly warned urgently: [Astrylite ships have been detected heading towards the mining tower; it's best for us to retreat before any incident occurs.]

Upon hearing this, his eyebrows furrowed, but quickly relaxed: "No need, just hide and wait. If they come down, just do this..."

Crzzz-clop!

In a span of a minute, near the tower, a group of ten ships landed on the seafloor. As the hatches opened, water rushed in instantly. However, no incident occurred like a short circuit or similar, as a bit of saltwater posed no threat to these ships.

Even the sea pressure was insignificant for them.

In fact, the moment the Astryilites inside emerged, the hatches closed immediately, absorbing all the water inside, leaving not a single drop.

Nine soldiers lined up in two rows, allowing Horium, with his golden armor, to walk with imposing steps in the middle of them.

"So, this is where the attack happened; it seems the hole was covered with resilifuse," despite his appearance, he wasn't a fool who ignored the basic materials equipped in these mining towers. In particular, this material, extremely resistant under high pressures, but with normal pressure, was as fragile as paper.

Despite this inconvenience, it was specifically chosen for implementation in these towers, with full knowledge that they would be operating in locations subject to high pressures. After all, Verdantia crystals could only form under such conditions; otherwise, they would simply turn into iron oxides, silicates, and other materials, meaning they would lose their value completely.

In summary, resilifuse proved ideal to fulfill its role of sealing holes or cracks in such extreme environments.

"Major Zarok needs any kind of information about that bastard causing us trouble. It would be even better if we captured him ourselves; that way, the Major wouldn't have any issues with those nobles. So, I need a detailed analysis; check the entire area and watch for any sudden anomalies," as he finished speaking, a small rectangular golden piece with several stacked layers expelled from his right wrist.

By pressing it with his hand, it expanded, unfolding the layers, forming a grip that covered his entire massive palm.

Zzzzshhh!

"No need to be a genius to realize that anyone who made this hole did it to get in. So, I'll go check," his tone was confident, not asking anyone to accompany him. Moreover, as he finished his statement, a stream of stable plasma emerged from the grip, forming something akin to a greatsword blade wreaking havoc in the surrounding water!

Without hesitation, he headed towards the tower, away from the hole covered by resilifuse. When his plasma greatsword sank into the structure, it melted at an astonishing rate, creating a hole through which he entered one of the descending platforms.

"..."

The soldiers around watched this in silence, with a big question in their minds...

Why had Sergeant Horium pierced the tower instead of simply heading to the control room above and entering one of the descending platforms?

But they were so accustomed to his impulsive actions that they focused on what they were ordered to do.

On the other hand, Horium remained completely still, arms crossed, and the plasma blade of his greatsword deactivated. He held the grip in his hand, waiting silently like a lurking wolf, hiding his intense thirst for blood.