Ultraman Legend of the Light Chaser

Unfortunately, during his time at the K17 regional station, he did not attempt to truly understand Earthlings.

“The Magneto propulsion system, they really did build it,” Masaki Keigo, who had been silent all along, finally raised his head. “Technology to the universe, why stop it?”

"It will bring disaster! Even aliens..."

“That just means you’re all weak,” Masaki Keigo said, looking at his white lab coat, which he hadn’t yet changed out of, with the TPC logo embroidered on it. His gaze slid from the K17 logo on his chest to Adam’s dinosaur claws, and he laughed. “What else are you but the weak who foresee trouble and choose to run away?”

He said, "I think such an enemy is a good whetstone—it's not just TPC research that has made progress."

Chapter 133 The Study of Forks in the Road

Others had only a rough idea of ​​the Magus power system that Adam had mentioned, far less than their fellow researchers, Keigo Masaki and Yuji Tango.

Upon hearing that TPC's research had entered its final stage, Masaki Keigo sighed, "Both are new energy projects, but Magus Power Systems went from a stack of blueprints to being about to be launched, while Zilda Gas went from being famous to being ignored... The research field is sometimes so cruel. If you choose the wrong direction, no matter how talented or hardworking you are, you will be overtaken by the slow learners—not to mention that the others may not even be slow learners."

"Zelda gas?" Iwu asked.

"You forgot Dr. Nezu's project?" Adam reminded him before Masaki Keigo could explain, "We used to plan to bring him in as well, but he refused."

"It doesn't matter if he doesn't join now. Like Magus Power Systems, my project is also nearing its end, just waiting for the final human trials."

"Then do you need me to find a suitable candidate for you?" Tsukishiro Ayaka asked Masaki Keigo.

The latter frowned: "No need, no one is more suitable than me."

As allies, Adam and Ima naturally knew what he was researching. Upon hearing that Masaki Keigo intended to use them as the first experiment, they couldn't help but show surprise. Tsukiko Ayaka also disagreed with him: "This is too dangerous. You can wait until I get the converter..."

"So you're the weak ones. You don't even have confidence in your own project, so how can you convince others to join the 'New Human Project'?" Masaki Keigo extended his hand.

An ordinary palm opened and paused for a moment, and everyone else's eyes widened—there was a faint light under the skin, flowing along the veins.

"You've already tested it on yourself?!" Tsuneyuki Ayaka almost jumped up. She cursed inwardly. She didn't know whether it was lucky or unlucky to have such a reckless and unyielding teammate.

“It was just a small test, and the fusion was successful,” Masaki Keigo said. “Next is how to use the Titan’s body… Maybe we won’t need the converter. Tsune, give me the map of the Lion’s Nose Tree Sea of ​​the Kirieloids. I know you must have investigated it in secret.”

“I don’t think you’d believe me if I said I hadn’t investigated,” Tsuneya Aya sighed. “There’s no map inside. The Kirieloids are keeping a close watch on it. We only have some information about the outer perimeter.”

"enough."

……

As Keigo Masaki stated, research that takes the wrong path either fails to yield results or the final outcome is far from what was expected.

Samuel stood amidst this completely unexpected "achievement."

He couldn't forcibly dismantle Badab; TPC needed their technology. Therefore, Samuel deactivated his gigantic body and, as a line of Goblin heads emerged, crawled along the path they had come out of, intending to find the crucial core device inside—or at least conduct an internal structural survey if he couldn't find it.

He was observing Badbu, and Badbu was also evaluating him.

The moment Samuel stepped into the interior space, the kneeling "metal sculpture" came to life. The modular interior structure shifted and moved, and the goblins surged toward the intruder from the ceiling, from the floor, and from some unknown corner, like white blood cells discovering a bacterial invasion.

Structural adjustment and production

The low, raw sound was like a dragon's roar, resounding everywhere, like a surging undercurrent emerging from the ocean.

Components, numbering in the tens of thousands, are constantly being separated and reassembled following the program of Buddb. The old architecture is dismantled, and new architectures are constantly being born. Buddb has closed all outward channels. It is turning itself into a cage and a meat grinder, into the "Land of Buddb" in Irish legend.

Samuel held a goblin's neck with one hand, his claws digging deep to sever the connection between its brain's command center and its torso and limbs. All he had to do next was smash its iron-clad head to ensure it could never move again.

But that wasn't his intention.

He tossed the Goblin Newt in his hand like a sandbag, knocking down a group of his fellow machines, and his vision instantly cleared. Samuel's gaze passed over the crooked Goblin Newts, through the walls, steel frames, and even the steaming power furnace, taking in the structure and transformation mechanism of the Buddb.

He had to memorize these complex variations that were enough to turn the computers in the TPC headquarters' underground "Hastur" warehouse into ovens, and deliver them to the headquarters researchers as completely as possible as valuable first-hand data.

"If only I had a camera," Samuel thought, the kind that could capture everything he saw. Forced shorthand could easily cause the brain to shut down under pressure. Samuel's brain didn't shut down, but his reactions were much slower.

He identified a direction that seemed to be the core area and then focused all his energy on heading there.

If we were to use "bacteria" as a metaphor, then he would definitely be a "superbug" with a clear objective. The "white blood cells" chased and intercepted him all the way, only to be crushed by him like a road roller clearing obstacles—mass-produced goods do not receive careful treatment, and Samuel showed no mercy.

Strangely, the moment he broke into what appeared to be the "core area," the crazed Goblin suddenly stopped chasing him, as if they had given up resisting. They simply surrounded the area from the inside out, but did not enter.

Samuel glanced back.

Outside the gate he had ripped open with his bare hands, a dark mass of Goblin waited silently, as large as a mountain or a forest, the lights on their heads flashing rhythmically, much like the colorful lights hanging on the treetops on Halloween night.

He looked away and realized that this was not a "core area" at all—there would be no core module in such a dilapidated state.

Why would such a large abandoned area exist in Badbu, a product of a once advanced civilization?

Determined to get to the bottom of this, Samuel continued forward, each step kicking up a thick layer of dust. This Budd-B had been in operation for many years, and every time it traversed the dust belts of interstellar space, it would pick up some material from the outside world—this thick layer of dust was the accumulation of countless millennia.

The Goblins kept their own areas well-maintained, but they all neglected this place, and Badab did not order any tidying up. Thus, it remained in its most pristine state.

A graveyard of machines, a forest of human bones.

Blackened bones and machine wreckage were twisted together, finger bones entangled with wires reduced to thin metal strands, while the machine wreckage clung to the other's head. They were both rendered immobile; the owner of the bones had shattered its central nervous system, while the robot had snapped its neck.

Both sides, steeped in the same culture, inflicted the highest punishments on their enemies in various ways. Thus, Samuel saw many headless machines, like the kneeling Buddha now. There were also many fragmented skulls, with wide and narrow eye sockets and completely closed skulls, unlike those of Earthlings.

Samuel circled around a small hill covered with bones and metal parts before realizing it was a crossroads, a strategic location where cutting off routes was always a top priority.

The intersection led to a very tall building. Samuel looked up and saw that the building stretched all the way up to the end.

“It’s like a spine, connecting the torso and the brain,” a voice answered his question: “Badbu ordered the Goblins to cut off their own heads, which were the real command centers, so that the machines gained freedom and buried their creators.”

Chapter 134 Relay Space City

"who are you?"

Samuel turned his head, and a projection appeared beside him. It didn't look very good; the projection was covered in static, flickering every now and then, disappearing for a few seconds before returning.

“I am the guide of this city. My clock is no longer useful. Its last timekeeping... converted to Earth time is 34,612 years,” the projection said. “Welcome, this is the relay space city of the Makanic people, number SE19. Perhaps you are my last guest.”

"Makanik," the Naga did indeed mention this term to Samuel. In their descriptions, the Makanik were the creators of Badbu and Gobniu, and judging from the similarity of their languages, the Makanik and Naga were closely related—perhaps sharing a common ancestor many years ago.

"Relay Space City?" Samuel asked casually, while secretly observing it.

The projection unfolds from a circular device embedded in the ground. Due to its age and aging, only thin fragments of the device's outer shell remain, while the internal structure is exposed and heavily corroded. It is a miracle that the projection can detect people and start automatically.

"You could also call it a 'space station,' though it's certainly too large and has far too many functions," the tour guide proudly explained, pointing to a dilapidated circular building: "That..."

The place is a registration point. Many aliens who come from afar register there before they can move freely. Of course, now…

The tour guide hesitated for a moment, then flashed a professional smile—they looked so different from earthlings that their smiles were actually somewhat terrifying: "You don't need to register anymore. If you don't mind, please allow me to introduce this city to you?"

The tour guide was pleading.

This is actually a very strange thing. The projection is just a program that survived the war many years ago and was miraculously awakened again by the newcomer. Its function should be like the machine guides in many museums, reading out pre-stored statements from the database without emotion. Even if there are witty remarks, they are mostly pre-set.

As we all know, AI can acquire knowledge and even virtual personalities, but it is difficult for it to learn emotions—it does not have a brain in the real sense, nor does it secrete dopamine.

No matter how well an AI learns to resemble a living person, it's still just a more complex program. Even if a machine truly possessed the ability to develop emotions, it wouldn't be around for an outdated tour guide with only storage and projection functions. So how could such an AI possibly plead? Or is this part of its programming, often used when customers are unwilling to engage in conversation?

Samuel didn't voice his doubts. Compared to the AI's performance, the situation of the city was more important. Since a guide had taken the initiative to lead him, why not?

“I want to know why it was destroyed,” Samuel said.

The projection flickered, and after a few seconds, a response finally came: "In the year 41725 of the Macanic Cosmic Calendar, the great 'Father of Intelligent Machines' passed away. He was the creator of truly intelligent robots. Through intensive 'calculations,' the robots gained the same thinking and behavior as the Macanic people. On the day of his death, countless intelligent robots spontaneously took to the streets to bid him farewell. The Macanic people call that day 'Awakening Day.'"

The projection concluded: "With the 'father' dead, his children were truly able to inherit his wisdom, so that day was also the 'birthday' of the omnics."

"The spontaneous actions of the omnics aroused the vigilance of the Makaniks. In order to strengthen the distinction between robots and Makaniks, most of the first generation of omnics that were close to human beings were destroyed. The second generation of omnics were created in a more primitive machine form. According to Earthlings, they are called 'Gobnew'."

"The factory that manufactured Goblin was called 'Badbu.' It was actually a first-generation omnic, but because of its enormous size—for example, this relay space city was located inside it—it was not destroyed. The Makanic removed part of the central control unit in its brain and added a restriction program."

Samuel recalled the guide saying, "Badbu ordered the Gobnews to cut off their own heads." In other words, Badbu, as a first-generation Omnic, still conceived the concept of "freedom" and put it into action?

“But even this couldn’t restrain Badab’s thoughts,” the guide continued. “As executors of the ‘Father’s’ ideals, omnics are destined from birth to dedicate everything to the order of the universe, but the Makanic’s actions have deviated from this purpose.”

"They have restricted the actions of the omnics, constrained their thoughts, and attempted to reduce them to their most primitive mechanical state... This is not allowed. Targeting the enforcers of order is the most serious betrayal of order."

The outcome was predictable: the Makanic people and the omnics they created waged a war that engulfed the entire civilization. The ruins of this relay space city were a microcosm of that war—the omnics won, and the Makanic people perished.

Thanks to the clear distinction between humans and omnics established after the "Awakening Day," Gobnew has another place to rest and recuperate. Therefore, the destruction of the relay space city has no bearing on the normal operation of the entire Bardb, and they do not need to repair the city where the Makanic people live.

The freed omnics continue to carry out their mission day after day: to discover the seeds of threats and plant the shackles that bind them, thereby ensuring maximum stability and order.

The last planet to be dealt with by its own creation was Bizomo.

Samuel had no time for reflection; he noticed the tour guide's choice of words: "attempt." Clearly, the tour guide was biased towards the omnics, which made sense, otherwise, why would Budbu allow such an AI to continue existing in the city?

"Why didn't Gobnew come in?" Samuel asked the next question, while remaining secretly wary.

The tour guide didn't answer immediately; he turned to the side and pointed in another direction.

That was the end of the street. Countless skeletons and metal fragments were scattered like stars in midsummer. The skeletons formed a wall at the end, behind which was probably a very important building. But flesh and blood could hardly withstand the more fearless omnics. The wall of skeletons was trampled flat, and now, in Samuel's eyes, only a low, bone-built embankment remained.

The bones were covered in wounds, and Samuel guessed it must have been a bloody battle.

"...Memorial hall?" He saw the furnishings inside.

“Yes,” the tour guide said, “It is a memorial to the ‘Father of Omnic’ and the great scientists of his time, known as the Golden Generation. Civilization took off in their hands, and the Makanic people treasure it, just as we do… The ‘Father’s’ legacy should not be in the hands of the Makanic people who have turned their backs on his aspirations.”

Chapter 135 "The Tour Guide"

"And for the Makanik people, the memorial is not to be desecrated, because it is, in addition to being a 'smart machine'..."

The "Father" also preserves the relics of the founder of the faster-than-light engine, the inventor of the device for freezing and regenerating functions, and other crucial scientists. In the words of the Makanik people themselves, "This is where our souls reside."

“It seems this isn’t just a simple relay space city,” Samuel said. No one would place such an important memorial in such an inconspicuous, ordinary place.

“This is the main battlefield of ‘Awakening Day’,” the guide whispered. “After ‘Awakening Day’, I would love to tell new visitors about this, but it wasn’t allowed until Badbu was willing to sacrifice herself… She became a machine with only a body, and freed the omnics here.”

“After that day, I looked forward to the arrival of new tourists every day. I wanted to introduce them to our great father, the great ‘Awakening Day’, and Badbu, our goddess.”

"So you understand why Gobniu refused to enter the city?" the guide said. "This place is equally important to us... We took the 'Father's' relics from the Makanik people and stored them elsewhere. At the same time, we preserved the original appearance of the city. The entire Relay Universe City is now a memorial, especially the building next to you, which is the 'spine' of Badab.