Technology has advanced to the point where AI is now highly developedโand out of control.
Although the law attempts to limit the scope of AI cognition to prevent true self-awareness from emerging, in a world full of heroes and freaks, the law clearly lacks any real power.
Not to mention, the security division of Nightmer is basically a squad of AI-controlled muscle robots, and there are even numerous criminal organizations composed of malicious AI, such as โExtinctionใThunderโ and โMaliceใOrder.โ
Where there are freaks, there are also AI with a sense of justice stepping up as heroes. Some robots can even combine and transform.
So, although Nyx always disguises herself with cold words to appear as a weak AI without emotions, Squire has no doubt that she possesses self-awarenessโฆ
And is even a bit of a mischievous troublemaker.
Standing naked in the bathroom, Squire thought this as her hands rested unmoving on her knees, sitting on a small stool. Meanwhile, the ten tentacles were busy scrubbing her with towels, sponges, and bath gloves. They even lathered shampoo into her hair and provided massage servicesโthe cramped bathroom had turned into a full-fledged bathhouse.
Of course, this process wasnโt being controlled by Squire herselfโฆ
ใIs the pressure okay?ใ
โItโs fine.โ
ใWould you like a more thorough service?ใ
โNo, just a wash like this is enough.โ
Squire definitely didnโt want to know what โmore thorough serviceโ meantโฆ
ใUnderstood.ใ
Though she was being pampered comfortably, using her own tentacles and with no other person present in the bathroom, it still felt like being served by someone else, which made Squire feel slightly embarrassed.
ใNyx is very useful. Please think rationallyโhanding over the driver to World Tree Technologies would be of no benefit to you.ใ
This was the cleaning service Nyx provided.
More accurately, it wasโฆflattering service.
Would a weak AI, whose thinking range was limited, flatter someone?
Obviously not.
โHey, youโre literally a heroโs driver. Is it really necessary to cling to a freak like me? Wouldnโt it be better to find someone more suitable to be a hero after the transformation is undone?โ
ใNyx cannot undo the transformation.ใ
โLiar.โ
ใItโs true.ใ
Even though Nyx said so, Squire couldnโt verify it.
The tentacles curled up the slightly rusty showerhead, letting the rushing water wash away the foam in her hair. Squinting, she asked again:
โEven if you canโt undo the transformation, you could still restore me to my original form using my data, right? Why donโt you do that?โ
ใThat form is not the optimal solution and does not align with future guidance.ใ
โGuidance? What exactly do you want me to do?โ
ใYou should know.ใ
Squire began recalling every occasion Nyx responded to her.
โโฆYou want me to become a hero?โ
Becoming a hero wasnโt that easy.
If she were qualified, how could she have ended up as a freak working at Nightmer?
ใYou are different from others.ใ
โI donโt think Iโm special. Youโve got the wrong person.โ
Without a hairdryer, Squire just wiped her hair and left the bathroom.
She was wearing an oversized T-shirt, the neckline sliding off her shoulder, but it was just sleepwear, so it didnโt matter.
ใStill want to draw?ใ
โโฆNo, not tonight.โ
She had to hear the companyโs verdict early tomorrow morning, so to keep her mind clear, no staying up late tonight.
Lying on her bed, Squire glanced at her phone again.
There was a new message on QTalk.
The chibi avatar of Ghost Horn Girlโit was Nangong Xiwang.
She had sent a photo while Squire was bathingโa girl in an oversized coat, head down, eating hot pot. Squire had no idea when it was takenโฆ
The photo looked like herself, but wasnโt.
Squire sighed, unsure how to reply, so she silently logged out and opened Franโs avatar to ask about tomorrow. In the end, she didnโt have the courage.
She covered the phone, closed her eyes, and tried to empty her anxious mind.
These problems would just have to wait until tomorrow at the company.
The next morning, Squire finally wore formal clothes again, complete with a tie, and mustered the courage to leave her home, heading to the subway station to face the fate of being fired.
Of course, the outfit wasnโt actually hersโit was reconstructed after Nyx scanned clothing data and reshaped it to fit her body. The tie featured a subtle squid pattern on a pale background, giving off a mature little adult vibeโฆ
On the way, she bought two brown sugar steamed buns to fill her stomach. These buns, soft and sweet without saltiness or strong flavor, were Squireโs favorite breakfast.
Ugh, choking!
But she had no time to savor them and had to pat her chest and swallow before entering the subway station.
While queuing on the platform, whether from her imagination or reality, Squire vaguely felt eyes on her. Considering what happened yesterdayโฆ
She wasnโt even wearing that wool coatโcould she still be recognized?
Someone even took out their phone and stealthily snapped photos, thinking they hadnโt been noticed. Squire had to keep her head down and shuffle sideways in small steps, silently praying for the subway to arrive soon.
She never considered the possibility that people just found a little girl in a suit too cute to resist a second look.
The subway arrived, and the petite girl followed the early commuters into the crowded morning train.
This time, she went straight for a spot in the aisle.
At least leaning against the wall made it less likely to fall and avoided the awkwardness of people offering their seats.
โSo darkโฆโ
Life as a little girl was truly inconvenientโat barely 1.5 meters tall, she didnโt even have the right to breathe fresh air. Squireโs view was nothing but a wall of people. Although it was late autumn and people werenโt sweating much, their bulky clothing made the already cramped space feel even more suffocating.
The carriage was playing the morning news broadcast.
ใAccording to the Hero Associationโs report, there were thirty-two freak crime incidents in Central City yesterday. Among them, the attack by the evil organization โThe Fourth Catastropheโ on the popular hero team โSigma Series Heroesโ was the most severe.ใ
That was the attack from yesterday. Looks like things were quite serious.
ใCasualties among civilians reached forty-seven, and important landmarks in Central City, including Monument Square, suffered severe damage. In response, the Hero Association has pledged to accelerate the construction of the hero network to facilitate more formal and efficient hero activitiesโฆใ
โThe hero networkโฆ Thatโs that new policy?โ
ใIt will register and manage all heroes in Central City. When a freak attack occurs, it will notify nearby heroes directly for intervention. This will be faster than the current commission systemโฆใ
โI know, but that kind of thing is impossible.โ
Having heard Nyxโs explanation, Squire just shook her head and muttered. As a freak herself, she was very familiar with the conduct of the Association and those hero companies.
โThis project canโt work. If heroes united, Nightmer might even team up with the Fourth Catastropheโฆ Besides, it doesnโt align with the hero companiesโ interests.โ
Even heroes have performance metrics. Two heroes teaming up occasionally is one thing, but if they always act together, whoโs the star?
For those โheroes,โ asking for help is already admitting defeat.
And the Hero Association wants to call in other heroes as soon as an incident happens?
No way. The Association itself would never approve such a project. Itโs just something they use to pacify the public.
ใAs you imagine, this project is extremely difficult to advance, and at least for now, there is no sign it will succeed.ใ
โAfter all, the nature of heroes and freaks in this world has long diverged.โ
But from now on, this kind of thing wonโt concern her much, right?
After all, the squid freak was about to be canned.
โSighโฆโ
With a heavy heart, Squire stepped off the train.