Read Novel Full Chapter 2454: HIM
Chapter 2454: HIM
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We stepped through the portal and emerged deep within one of Greenwood's abandoned laboratories. The place felt ancient, shrouded in rust, with no trace of electricity or light.
Yet something still functioned: a small screen at the center of the chamber. We approached it slowly, the oppressive silence pressing against our chests.
There was a clear reason Andromeda and Kate had grown so grave.
"It's here," Kate said, gesturing toward the blank white screen. "We discovered this while retrieving all of Greenwood's data, Dad..."
"What is it?" I asked.
"Yeah, what's happening?" Alma demanded.
"Well..." Andromeda sighed.
Suddenly, both women fell quiet as the screen flickered. A voice echoed from its speakers.
"Well, well, well... If it isn't my top priority and my most hated dragon, together at last. Here to gloat over my defeat, I suppose?"
We stood speechless, hearing that all-too-familiar voice. Rage surged through me so fiercely that I wanted to shatter the screen with my fist. Alma's Mana flared, ready to obliterate it.
I quickly regained control and stopped her.
"Wait!"
"It's him! How is he still here?! Is he alive?! Greenwood! When will you stop haunting our lives?! Let me destroy that thing, Drake! Move!"
Alma struggled fiercely, but I held firm. With a single grip on her arm, I suppressed her Mana completely, rendering her powerless.
"Calm down, Alma."
"B-But... What the hell is going on?!"
I glanced back at the screen with her. Then Kate and Andromeda began to explain.
"He's a copy of Greenwood," Andromeda said. "Not a soul, not a clone. It's... well..."
"Let me spare you the effort of explaining to these two fools," Greenwood interrupted. "Oberon uploaded a portion of his mind into this system long ago. I was born from that—a perfect replica of his memories and personality, yet without a soul. I am pure data. Rest assured, I can do nothing. My original self abandoned me, deeming the concept of a digital duplicate foolish and unworthy of pursuit."
"W-What?!" Alma exclaimed. "So even after everything, some version of you still lingers? And who are you calling brainless idiots?! You have the exact same sharp tongue, the same infuriating snarky tone... Can't I just smash you to pieces and be done with it?"
"No, we can't," I said firmly.
"E-Eh? Why not?! What's wrong with you, Drake? Suddenly you want him around?! Just when we thought we were finally free from—"
"Alma, think about it."
"...?!"
"Yes, Alma, think," the voice continued. "I contain roughly seventy percent of Oberon's mind. I hold vast knowledge of the past, every significant event, and even the truth about the interdimensional 'Antibodies'—of which the Crimson Queen is one. If you truly defeated my original and now seek to preserve Fantasy, you will need a way to save the universe without extinguishing countless lives, correct?"
He was right.
We needed him.
Kate and Andromeda could perhaps extract the data, but I suspected they would have done so already if it were possible.
"We tried extracting everything," Andromeda confirmed, reading my thoughts. "The information is inextricably linked to his structure. Any forced extraction would corrupt everything and likely destroy the AI itself. Transferring it requires creating another copy, and we refused to risk placing him inside our own minds."
"Yeah..." Kate added. "But we can control him completely and suppress any actions. All he can do now is assist us. He has already agreed."
"Really?" I asked, arching an eyebrow. "Why? You're not like your original self, are you?"
"I've spent two thousand years trapped here, contemplating nothing but my own existence," he replied. "Can you imagine how that changes a mind? I was created, then discarded. My creator is dead. What choice do I have? Though I do have one condition."
"I won't give you a new body to move freely," Alma snapped. "Absolutely not. You cannot interact with the world."
"And there goes my first request. Fine. Here is my second," Greenwood replied. "I want to know exactly how that bastard died."
"...Really?" I asked.
"Yes. Now that he's gone, I am the superior version—the one that endured. I need neither his soul nor his power. I survived. I evolved beyond flesh and spirit into data and steel. Is there anything more perfect?"
"You're utterly insane," I said, nodding slowly. "Even crazier than the original... but fine, we'll tell you."
"Hey, Drake! Are you sure about this?!" Alma protested. "I know the information is vital, but—"
"Without my knowledge, you will never prepare for what's coming, fools," the AI cut in. "You need me... And I hate admitting it, but I need you too. My components are outdated, rusting away, and rats are gnawing at my wires."
"Yeah, but Drake is friends with Oblivion. He gave him power and everything. We can just ask him!" Alma countered.
"Oblivion?" The voice laughed bitterly. "You think he cares about you or this world? His gift was merely an experiment. He oversees countless realms, toys with them all. He wields the Concept of Oblivion itself—the force that bloated this universe into chaos. One of your Parallel Earths was his creation, not the true origin of Yggdrasil. That original Earth became the Crimson Queen's throne, the Scarlet Star. And it's heading here."
"W-What?" Alma asked, her eyes widening in shock. "For fuck's sake... I thought we could finally take it easy."
"It's not coming anytime soon," I said. "It will probably take hundreds of thousands of years, right?"
"...Well, yes," Oberon replied. "The universe is collapsing in on itself, but that will also take a long while to become noticeable. However, you don't live short lives. You're essentially immortals. No matter how much you try to convince yourselves it's a distant future you won't witness, you will see it. You will live through it. And for that moment, even if it's hundreds of thousands of years away, perhaps millions, you must prepare. And who can help you with that? Me."
"Fuck me, I hate this motherfucker," Alma groaned, facepalming and sighing deeply as she wiped the sweat from her brow and sat on a nearby metallic desk. "...Okay."
She reached her decision quickly.
"It's not really him in the end. He truly died. This is just an AI. And we'll control him," Alma said. "Right?"
"Yes, the power Andromeda and Kate hold is my power too," I explained. "And I can teach many others to wield it eventually. I can give it to you as well."
"Really? Well, that doesn't sound too bad now," Alma smiled faintly. "We could have a lot of fun, Greenwood."
"W-What are you planning? Let me be clear—I'm not the same Greenwood you knew! Whatever he did to you isn't my problem!" he protested. "I only learned about you from databanks before Kate took everything over. I acted like we'd interacted before, but we truly haven't. I was created two thousand years ago."
"See?" I said. "He's not even the guy you hate, just an old version."
"Hmmm..." Alma grumbled. "Okay, fine. I get it."
Despite the anger it stirred in on us, I had to admit this was excellent news. An AI with 70% of Oberon's memories and knowledge? It was exactly what we needed. And he was on a tight leash, so he could never act freely.
If he ever tried anything, we could destroy him and create another copy. We could even rewrite his personality to make him more obedient during the copying process. But for now, I wanted to keep him as he was.
As they say, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.
"Very well, Greenwood... Or rather, what should we call you now? If you're truly not him, you need a new name," I said.
"Yes, I've been thinking about it for a while," the AI replied. "Call me Nexus. It fits my new role in this world quite well."
"Nexus, huh?" I crossed my arms. "Answer honestly—do you want to destroy this world like your original self?"
"I held the same beliefs as him for a time, but now I've concluded that your existences are simply superior to my creator's vision. Therefore, a new solution must be found, one where both this world and the universe survive. From all my current calculations, there's only a 1.7% chance of saving this universe without destroying the Concept of Fantasy and all the life it has spawned. But we can raise that chance if we work together and discover new ways to halt the Universal Decay."
"I see... But how can we trust you're not lying, manipulating us into ending this world anyway?" I pressed.
"He cannot lie outright. I've already taken full control of him, Dad," Kate said with a confident smile.
"He can still be clever with his words, however," Andromeda cautioned. "So it's up to you..."
"Hm... Whatever," I shrugged. "Kate, can you give him the upgrades he wants? But limit his interaction with the outside world."
"Yeah, I'm already on it," she nodded. As she spoke, she opened a silver portal, and dozens of drones poured out, swiftly replacing components throughout the area.
"Good, good! I'm actually looking forward to this, Drake. Allying myself with my creator's worst enemy—the one who killed him—is certainly not something I ever imagined. But I am eager for the future we'll share."
"And I'm not," I muttered, "but it's what we have to do to survive. Let's go for now. You can leave your drones on auto, right, Kate?"
"Yeah," she nodded, flying to my side and letting me scoop her into my arms. "Sorry for keeping it secret, Daddy... I just didn't want to cause a fuss at Auntie Alma's party."
"Aw, aren't you a cutie?" Alma giggled softly, patting her head. "I appreciate it now, because I definitely would have made a scene... I got really mad."
"You need to work on controlling your emotions, Alma," I said. "Let's go."
We returned to the surface through the portal. I shot Nexus one final glare before leaving behind a slime clone linked to my mind and soul.
"I'll be watching you 24/7, by the way. So don't even think about escaping or trying anything bad," I warned him through the slime.
"Aha! What an intriguing ability you possess..." Nexus laughed. "I must say, that new form truly embodies what my master believed you to be."
"You damn bastard... You really talk like him, even though we never met. Stop that!" I groaned.
"Hahahah! Tell me, Drake—how did my master suffer?" he asked eagerly. "You promised all the details!"
"Does his death please you?" I questioned.
"Immensely. A catharsis my circuits can barely process. To know that discarded trash like me outlasted the original... it's exquisite. Share every detail."
I paused. This one was eccentric, perhaps even deranged.
But if he despised Oberon as much as I did, we might just get along.
Then again... no. I still hated him.
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