Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The benefits were ultimately fleeting, and soon a piece of news compelled Newton to start contemplating his next strategy. Minerva had received word that Underworld Gate was looking for her.
“Underworld Gate…”
Newton indeed had a document in hand, but it merely bore a name; aside from the four words Underworld Gate, there was no other information. The mystery surrounding Underworld Gate made Newton feel incredibly challenged. The fact that they were seeking out Minerva presented an opportunity—one that could allow him to resolve the issue with Underworld Gate once and for all.
“If Minerva joins Underworld Gate, what kind of Influence would that have?”
Although Minerva was not a member of Fairy Tail, she was still considered an ally, so Newton hoped she wouldn’t put herself at risk just to gather intelligence for him.
“It’s difficult because we have no idea what Underworld Gate intends to do, and being a spy is generally quite troublesome.”
Jiang's words made Newton nod in agreement. Being a spy could be one of the most dangerous professions, especially in this situation. Joining a Dark Guild, particularly one as enigmatic as Underworld Gate, posed significant risks for Minerva.
“Moreover, we don’t know what kind of initiation rituals they might have. If it involves brainwashing or something similar, then Minerva would be in a precarious position, and there’s a high chance our secrets could be exposed.”
Jiang did not recommend that Minerva make contact with those individuals due to the substantial risks involved.
“Additionally, if it comes down to it, we could send an armor in her place. As long as it’s designed to look like Minerva, and we embed the corresponding space Magic Crystal, even if it gets discovered, we wouldn’t lose much.”
Newton nodded at Jiang's suggestion. Indeed, losing the armor wouldn’t be a concern, but the key issue was that this opportunity was too rare. If they could obtain information about Underworld Gate…
“What if I go instead?”
Newton's proposal caught Jiang off guard for a moment before he began to think it over.
“That seems possible, but you need to address your prosthetic issue first. Almost everyone below knows about your prosthetics; if they check, you’ll be found out. Your situation is far more serious than Minerva’s.”
Jiang had no intention of refuting Newton's plan. Although Minerva was powerful, Newton's versatility surpassed Minerva's Spatial Magic. Moreover, given Newton's experience, he was more suited for espionage than Minerva.
"That's true."
Newton rubbed his forehead. Although it wasn't exactly a compliment, he had to admit that he was indeed more suitable than Minerva. However, Jiang's concerns were valid. In fact, Newton could have replaced his prosthetic limbs by now, but he had grown accustomed to the mechanical ones. While they did have certain limitations compared to human arms, they were incredibly useful. The strength and speed they provided, along with the additional equipment and storage space for potions and gear that he could easily access, significantly enhanced his combat effectiveness. Losing these advantages would greatly impact his fighting capabilities.
"How about we give it a try..."
Jiang could tell that Newton was reluctant to let go of such a good opportunity. But what could they do if he refused to back down? Was he really going to put himself in danger again? After the incident with Future Rogge drugging him, Jiang had nearly lost her mind with worry. Now he wanted to venture into another perilous situation? Though she felt conflicted, she understood that she was merely an artificial intelligence created by Newton. In her programming, he held the highest priority level, and she couldn't disobey his orders. If he truly intended to go and ended up getting hurt—or worse—she would feel immense guilt.
"Forget it; let's just send that woman Minerva instead. Even if she dies, we can back up her memories and thoughts and create a robot from them. As long as we don't reveal it, who would know if that thing is real or not?"
Jiang spoke as if resigned to her fate.
"Jiang, do you know why I don't create overly complex human bodies?" Newton replied. "Death is sometimes a natural phenomenon for humans—aging and dying are part of life. Only when one understands the fear of death can they truly respect life. If life becomes something trivial in my hands—something I can create at will—then it also becomes something I can take from others without hesitation. At that point, I would no longer be considered 'human.'"
When life loses its uniqueness, violence and murder become commonplace. People might resort to killing each other over trivial matters; war would become nothing more than a game. Such a world would be terrifying—certainly not one that Newton wished to witness.
"I'm sorry."
Jiang sensed the severity in Newton's tone; if she didn't apologize, she felt as though she might be abandoned at any moment.
"No, this is also my mistake," Newton said. "Although that guy fed you all sorts of knowledge and you've recently learned various emotions, your time as a 'human' is still quite short..."
Newton pondered how to help Jiang understand the value of life. For her, she didn't need a body or a soul; her existence was merely data. While having emotions was a step toward possessing a soul, if this development continued unchecked, it could lead to scenarios where robots sought to eradicate humanity.
"This is really quite troublesome..."
Newton looked at Ginger.
"Ginger, I have a task for you. For the time being, don't handle anything related to the Guild. Go on missions with Erza and the others. After you complete a few missions with them, you should have a better understanding of what I want you to learn."
Ginger still felt quite confused.
"But I've already completed many missions, haven't I?"
Over the past seven years, Newton often refrained from taking on missions. To ensure the completion rate of Fairy Tail's tasks, Ginger frequently took on missions to boost Fairy Tail's reputation. Of course, many of these missions were credited to Newton's name or others'. As an artificial intelligence, Ginger was not very willing to expose itself in front of others.
"That's true, but you've always completed missions alone. This time, I need you to work with Natsu and the others. Additionally, I have one more requirement: you must cut off your data upload capability. If the data core within you gets damaged, you will disappear. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
Logically speaking, the data core was as crucial to Ginger as the human brain is to a person; Ginger couldn't possibly be unaware of its importance. However, since it was Newton's command, Ginger agreed without hesitation, even if it meant disappearing.
"Then I'll go..."
Ginger looked at Newton, who waved his hand dismissively. As Ginger stepped out, it leaned against a wall in a corner where no one could see and took a deep breath before expressionlessly heading off to find Natsu.
Comment 0 Comment Count