am-books Chapter 227: Vulcanus arrives.
Chapter 227: Vulcanus arrives.
[Downloading data...][Checksum...]
[Categorizing...]
[Priority file found...]
[Starting secondary virtual machine...]
[Started.]
[Request to access the database of preset scenarios...]
[Evaluating...]
[Request affects Lady Alexa...]
[Releasing all restraints, starting up secondary, tertiary, and fourth virtual machines.]
[Redirecting computational power...]
[Permission to use mainframe from Saintsworths Conglomerate Server Cluster acquired.]
[Starting new background and using data available.]
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The data stream came while Edwards was going through the required paperwork to deal with the meatbags that ended as collateral damage from Test Subject MS2.
It didn't care about that, and would have rather be closer to the site, but Edwards would never leave these kind of pointless problems to someone else, he liked to use their condition to deal with these problems, as it 'reminded him what was important'. Or so he claimed.
The reality of it, was that Edwards wanted to guilt himself into feeling human. A pointless worry if Vulcanus was to be asked.
The fact that one of his subprogram pinged him asking for clarifications and direction was the only good thing so far, since it would allow him to distract himself.
Edwards barely registered the ping before Vulcanus flagged it as a check up confirmation from one of the subroutines Edwards had left before. All so Edwards wouldn't look where it wasn't needed for him to see.
The data call came from one of the subrotuine collars they had given to the lieutenants. This one in particulary came from Test Subject A7: Gabriel Light.
The subprogram had been connected to a fake blacksite, a quick perusal on the data acquired...
[Receiving datadump from Saintsworths Main Server: ThePlan.lmao]
What he got was a datadump with some rough plans from Master about the background he wanted the meatbags to know from Lady Alexa. Nothing too hard, Lady Alexa was even there, and from the recording, she was fighting and adapting to the turrets Master had left there for Lady Alexa to fight against.
Most had the order to not attack the brain or destroy Lady Alexa's upper body, everywhere else was fair game according to the instructions. But that was not the issue here, more of the issue was the test subject Gabriel Light.
He was too smart for his own good, he would notice the flaws. Unless...
[Upload virtual link...]
[Redirect data stream...o Lady Alexa, but towards test subject MS2, as protocol dictated. "Report."
The man wasn't turning his head towards Lady Alexa, and the cameras didn't-
*BANG-BANG-BANG*
Exists anymore, as Gabriel Light had shoot each of them, limiting Vulcanus ability to monitor the situation.
"...No head...Decapitation? But this wound..." Gabriel Light said as he moved towards Test Subject MS2.
The body was missing the head, and the neck had been cauterized as if a high energy blade had cleaved straight throught it. Near the body was the pulverized body of two other meatbags, also missing body parts.
But unlike test subject MS2, these seemed to resemble more the damage from either explosions or clawed weaponry. Perhaps Lady Alexa had synthesized explosives? The last recording Vulcanus had of her, Lady Alexa, was accessing the high-caliber weaponry database. So it was a possibility.
"...Rhapsody..." And it was at that point that Gabriel Light turned fully towards Lady Alexa, with that his own point of view also allowed him to see.
As right now Vulcanus was tied to the necklace, his point of view was limited. That is to say, he could only see from the body cam and the necklace cam.
Unlike Gabriel who could see all the light he had access to. It was there that.
[Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error]
Something went-[Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error]
Some[Error][Error]
"...You should have waited for reinforcement..." Gabriel continued speaking as he kneeled besid-[Error][Error][Error] "...We just found your family."
Gabriel Light holstered his weapon and removed his face plate, putting it beside Lad[Error][Error][Error][Error]
"We even found a clue to the bastards that stole your future..." Gabriel Light moved on to fix Lady Alexa's hair, letting her face be seen clearly, a smile on her [Error][Error][Error][Error] Face. "...Why?"
Vulcanus could see that Lady Alexa was [Error][Error][Error][Error][Error], there was some slight damage to her form, but nothing that Lady Alexa couldn't solve of course, she was Master's sister after all. She could not [Error][Error][Error][Error][Error].
"Why did you die here, like this?" Gabriel sighed as he sat besides Lady Alexa's [Error][Error][Error], "...What am I supposed to-"
*CRASH* *SKRRRKHHH*
Vulcanus did not heard the next part, his subroutines started running at full power, his spun as fast as possible as it prepared all the required data for the spatial folding.
The entry data point was acquired easily, as the necklace from Gabriel Light flew away from the minion, turning into the anchor, the area around was devoid of mana, but that was not an issue for Vulcanus. What he needed was not mana, but the required materials. The mana could be drawn from his own stockpile, endlessly pouring from the information dimension into the necklace, and then transformed into an unstable Core for Vulcanus' Core Power to use as a medium.
The first thing he did was flex his Core Power, calling upon the machinery within the black site, even as a fake one, it was designed to pass the scrutiny of hero organizations and villain organizations.
Vulcanus would have enough materials to make himself a new body.
So he , he stripped bare of everything that could be used, cables, metals, machinery, computers, microchips, cellphones, tablets, weapons, motherboards, processors...
Gabriel Light seemed to catch on that as he quickly unfastened some clips on his body armor and the needed mechanical parts were stripped from him.
Vulcanus cared not about that, he needed to make a body, he needed to make sure of it.
So when the singularity finished gestating his new mechanical body, Vulcanus fell to the ground with a heavy thud. His body still adjusting and turning from a disfigured form into the usual sleek body that he went by.
"...Vulcanus?" Gabriel seemed surprised at seeing him, probably had not expected it, "Why...why does that look like you are using Nanites?"
That? Ah right...
Vulcanus answered with his mechanical voice, he didn't pretend to be Edwards. There was no time for the stupid mindless fear Humanity had towards nanites.
And engineered fear from the manufacturers that didn't want Nanite Core Users from taking their industry away, of course, an actual Nanite core could spell the world's destruction. But so could half the people that had A-List type core powers.
Of course, Vulcanus with his [Machine Core] could control Nanites too, it was how Edwards could detect them. Not that they advertised that fact. And while Gabriel looked around as if to check that no one was around, Vulcanus kneeled beside...Besides...
[Error][Error][Error][Error][Error][Error]
Vulcanus respectfully spoke as he extended a hand atop the chest of the blonde woman. His hand hovered half a centimeter above the woman's torso.
The data stream started as a whole suit of scanners sprout from Vulcanus' body and all the readings started to come down.
"...She is dead Vulcanus..." Gabriel spoke, but Vulcanus ignored him.
Lady Alexa could not be [Error][Error][Error][Error]Dead.
"She has no pulse, her flesh and blood are crystallized... probably mana blacklash, mana toxicity from a forced Core Evolution... Or... she triggered... again." Gabriel Light started giving his opinion.
Under normal circumstances, he may even be right.
The phenomenon of core users turning into crystal was a known one, among the upper echelon of society, anyway; people who overtaxed their core beyond their limits all ended with their flesh turning into a crystal lattice.
But that was for .
Vulcanus stated as his sensors moved into the next step, a small syringe bloomed from the palm of his hand,
"STOP!" Gabriel finally screamed while shooting at Vulcanu's hand. "Just... stop Edwards...she is dead...we... we failed."
Vulcanus' mechanical voice resounded as he turned its attention to Gabriel Light.
It...
Vulcanus stated that, as it stood, it would need to start synthesizing a new batch; perhaps using some biological components would make it more effective? Good thing they had something at hand.
Gabriel Light seemed surprised at this as he took a couple steps back. Vulcanus could see on his sensors how he seemed to want to take in some mana to stimulate his Core. But there was no mana within this area.
Vulcanus raised its voice as they pointed at his own chest and started to generate new AI Cores,
"What... What are you on Edwards?!" Gabriel screamed back as he pulled out his gun and pointed it at him, "What is happening to you? You aren't this irrational!"
Vulcanus stated,
"Master?" Gabriel asked confused, "...You aren't Edwards are you?"
Vulcanus stated,