Chapter 62 - 61: What? A Star Destroyer?!

At that moment, it wasn't just Seele's mind that was in chaos—Bronya's was too. Ever since they had woken up, Pei Guang hadn't explained anything related to Cocolia. Now, hearing Pei Guang's analysis, coupled with her own unreliable suspicions, Bronya felt as if she had fallen into an ice-cold abyss. She looked at Pei Guang, then at the others around her. Her rational mind told her that there were two choices: One, stop thinking and just follow Pei Guang's lead—forget about everything else. Two, debate with Pei Guang... Reflecting on Pei Guang's actions and all the bizarre things he had done, along with her mother's strange behavior, Bronya decided to temporarily give up on thinking. Her mind felt completely muddled, as if it were about to overheat and burn out. Since that was the case, she decided to stop thinking for now. If her mother had indeed abandoned her will to protect and decided to forsake the city out of fear, then she would... Pei Guang noticed Bronya's change in mood, but he wasn't too concerned. In his mind, building a good rapport with her could eventually lead to a traditional "mother-daughter reconciliation" scenario. After all, that's a classic in games. As for Seele? Seeing the doubt on her face, Pei Guang confidently said, "Let me tell you, machines are easier to communicate with than humans. I'm about fifty percent sure I can get them to join our team." March 7th chimed in sarcastically, "Here it is! Here it is! Ah Guang's mysterious expertise strikes again. It's his first time meeting someone, and yet he can figure out the most accurate conclusion just by observing the surroundings." Stelle added, "So strong! As expected of Ah Guang! Let's celebrate!" Pei Guang waved it off. "Ahem, it's just average! I've played so many game storylines that I can pretty much guess the direction things will go. Listen up, a true player moves like a ghost, with unwavering determination, using every tool at their disposal." Stelle, excited, asked, "What do you need me to do? Should we try to sneak over?" Stelle was eager to test out her dumpster-stealth skills, but Pei Guang shut that idea down. "Probably not. Stealth attacks only work on small mobs and elites. Most bosses are immune to stealth. If a cutscene trigger happens, sneaking would just be a waste. Let's approach them directly. We'll try diplomacy first, and if that doesn't work, we'll go in guns blazing!" Pei Guang began to move forward, just as the white-haired girl below, named Clara, was talking to the towering robot, Svarog. As Pei Guang and his group arrived, they caught part of the conversation between Clara and Svarog. Clara said, "The mining team and the people from Wildfire still don't understand Mr. Svarog's intentions. If only we could do more for everyone..." Svarog responded, "My mission is to preserve the Underworld. The trust of a few samples is irrelevant to my calculations. Human behavior is inherently irrational. Their presence here is proof of that." Svarog looked up at Pei Guang's group. But Pei Guang, with his vast experience, was already prepared for this. Forget games, he still remembered the lines from MOSS in The Wandering Earth. Pei Guang looked straight at Svarog and said, "I heard you. Your mission is to 'preserve the Underworld,' so your core logic as a machine should be to 'protect the Underworld at all costs and ensure the survival of its inhabitants to the greatest extent possible,' right?" This statement left Svarog silent. In all the time he had spent in the Underworld, this was the first time someone had approached him in such an unorthodox way. Svarog was programmed from his creation with the directive to "preserve" the Underworld. Even if it meant ensuring the Underworld survived just a millisecond longer than the upped city, he would carry out this directive to the letter. While he could withhold information, his core directive prevented him from lying about anything related to it. Seeing Svarog's silence, Pei Guang smiled. "Just as I thought, you haven't reached the level of a fully sentient AI. That makes this much easier. Svarog, I now order you to follow all my commands, as long as they do not violate your core directive." Svarog replied, "Request denied. Calculations indicate that your presence poses a threat to the Underworld. I will now execute..." Pei Guang pulled out his Starship certification and tossed it to Svarog. "Denial invalid. The fundamental law here is 'preserve the Underworld,' which can be interpreted as doing whatever it takes to ensure the survival of the Underworld and its inhabitants. If you refuse to follow my commands, in five days, my Imperial-class Starship will reach the orbit of Jarilo-VI and initiate a planetary annihilation protocol. You wouldn't want the Underworld to be destroyed, would you?" Svarog took the certification Pei Guang threw at him. Pei Guang had already granted Svarog limited access to the starship's data, allowing him to verify the authenticity of Pei Guang's claims. At that moment, everyone was stunned. Even Dan Heng, usually calm and composed, was taken aback by Pei Guang's boldness. Threatening to destroy the planet to negotiate with a machine? Was he not afraid of triggering a hostile response? As for Bronya? Her face now held only a faint smile. Her brain was in a state of overload. At this point, it didn't matter if someone told her that her mother planned to destroy the world or if Pei Guang intended to blow up this planet: she was past the point of caring. The little girl named Clara was also shocked. Her voice trembled as she asked, "Uncle, is this... real?" Though she didn't know what an Imperial-class Starship was, she could tell from Svarog's reaction that the threat to destroy this place was genuine. And Svarog? He had initially planned to eliminate Pei Guang as a threat. But when he verified Pei Guang's credentials, the vast amount of data made him pause. The certification contained detailed information about the Imperial-class Starship. According to the data Svarog had, this starship, when not influenced by any Paths and with its weapons fully charged, could destroy a planet with a radius of 10,000 kilometers in ten seconds if it had no protective measures. Although Jarilo-VI had the Preservation power, it was too weak, and the planet lacked any effective protective mechanisms to withstand an attack from the starship. Pei Guang also showed Svarog the three active tasks the starship was currently executing. Task One: Reach the orbit of Jarilo-VI and stand by. Task Two: If the owner dies, transfer ownership of the starship to March 7th. Task Three: If both the owner and March 7th die, execute a planetary destruction protocol on the last known location of the owner and March 7th until the planet is destroyed or the starship is destroyed. In addition to the three tasks, Svarog also saw the starship's three foundational protocols displayed by Pei Guang. Protocol One: Connect with the owner. Protocol Two: Protect March 7th. Protocol Three: Protect March 7th.