Translator: Noodletown Translations Editor: Noodletown Translations
“Phew…” Mu Fan let out a breath in relief as he returned to his home, back to that abandoned factory filled with industrial junk.
The black egg landed with a loud thud as Mu Fan threw it onto a pile of useless junk. He carelessly left the black egg there and stared sharply at the beast lying on the ground as he swallowed his saliva.
There was a simply constructed stand on top of the burning bonfire, and large pieces of meat were skewered together on a metal stick, the fat turning into oil and dripping down onto the charcoal. The smoke that followed brought forth a delicious smell that lingered in the air. Mu Fan was slicing the meat as he sprinkled salt over it. This was a luxurious meal more delicious than rat meat, and it would last him for two days; not to mention that he had found that forest with more beasts just like this one. It was a huge gain for Mu Fan today as he squinted his eyes out of happiness thinking about it.
*Crackle*
“Who!” Mu Fan stood up immediately and turned around.
His body was half-bent into a combat position, with his right hand holding his dagger in front of him and his left fist near his waist; but it was quiet as if nothing happened.
It sounded again and Mu Fan quickly turned towards his right side. The sound came from where he had left the black egg, and he was right, it was the black egg that was making the sounds.
Under the bonfire’s light, a thin gap cracked open on the black egg as if something was going to hatch.
Mu Fan was on guard with his right hand grasping the dagger tightly, and his posture shifted carefully as his gaze locked on that strange black egg.
Suddenly, an intermittent cybernetic voice came from inside the black egg. “Self-diagnosis in progress… Detecting relative time: abnormal data, relative time unknown… Detecting database integrity: at 91% loss… Analyzing Main Artificial Intelligence: at 87% capacity… Initiating Alpha A.I. mode, activating emotion simulating function… Beep… Emotion simulating function compromised… Initiating Plan B: pass, enter background recovery… Connecting to the database… Beep… Alpha A.I. mode successfully initiated, detecting and analyzing surrounding environments…”
Mu Fan carefully shifted a step having seen that the black egg had gone silent. Then suddenly a small gap appeared in the middle of the black egg and an antenna slowly creeped out of the gap; there was a white ball-shaped object at the tip of the antenna, and it was flashing a faint blue light.
Mu Fan was in full alert and didn’t dare to move again. The white ball projected a fan-shaped light-screen and swirled around until it detected Mu Fan.
“Scan completed, detected two living organisms. Recognition: Human; Recognition: Fruit Fly.”
“Scan completed, no detection of other living organisms.”
“According to protocol, changing the primary objective of the current vessel to survival.”
Mu Fan squinted his eyes and didn’t move as the blue light-screen turned red and stretched over his entire body for a second scan.
“Detecting Galaxia ADO Network: detection failed… Beep… Initiating Host System, initiating Host-recognition program, target organism selected: human, target requirements met; Detecting target organism: minimal pupil dilation, normal heart rate, body ratio: below average, muscle density: high. Organism in combat position, power unknown. System diagnosis: not average citizen, meets Host selection requirements, satisfies Host-recognition system: confirmed.”
The light screen narrowed into a straight line as it eventually disappeared, and the cybernetic voice sounded again. “Host-recognition system in progress. Please place your hands onto the ball-shaped detector…”
Mu Fan was slightly stunned and didn’t make a move.
The cybernetic voice repeated itself, “Host-recognition system in progress. Please place your hands onto the ball-shaped detector…”
“Host-recognition system in progress. Please place your hands onto the ball-shaped detector… Programmed self-destruction will activate if the target does not proceed with the Host-recognition system within thirty seconds… Countdown… 30… 29… 28…”
What? Mu Fan was shocked that it didn’t even give him a chance to think, and who knows how powerful the self-destruction program was. When the system countdown was at twenty seconds, Mu Fan didn’t think much and placed his hand onto the ball-shaped object that was flashing with a faint blue light.
“Ah!” Mu Fan felt as if thousands of needles stabbed into his palm when he grabbed onto the detector, but they quickly retracted inside the moment he wanted to pull his hand away.
The light inside the ball-shaped object changed color from blue to red, and back to blue again.
“Host DNA information confirmed, system binding succeeded, activating system… Host, please provide a name for the system.”
The cybernetic voice sounded again, and this time with some sort of emotion. “Host, please provide a name for the system.”
“Black Egg!” Mu Fan said in a fit of pique as it was still a black egg to him even if it wasn’t edible.
“… Detected negative emotions in Host’s tone, system default suspects negative connotations in the name provided. Please name again.” The cybernetic voice seemed like it really did carry some emotion this time. Mu Fan stared blankly at the black thing in front of him and thought. Did this black egg just understand the meaning behind what I said? That’s impossible though, wasn’t it just speaking without emotions? You can’t fool me like this just because I didn’t receive much education!
“Host, please name again!”
Mu Fan squeezed out a smile and said softly, “Black egg.”
“Beep… The same name is detected as the previously given name. Confirmed that Host is in an insincere mentality, therefore the System rejects this name. Please name again.”
Darn! Mu Fan was certain that this black egg had been fooling around with him.
“Egg!”
“Sorry, System rejects this name. Please name again!”
“Black!”
“Thank you Host, name confirmed. System codename: Black.”
…
Mu Fan was holding a big piece of meat in his hand as he sat across from the black egg, no…’Black,’ and he stared at it with an indifferent expression as he chewed on his meat. However, the meat that he felt excited about five minutes ago had now become tasteless and didn’t interest him anymore.
Mu Fan was convinced that this system was definitely intelligent and that it was fooling around with him a few moments ago, which he didn’t like.
Meanwhile, ‘Black’ didn’t move a slight bit after it was named and even the white ball-shape detector was gone as if it knew that Mu Fan was in a bad mood.
Suddenly, Mu Fan stopped chewing as he saw that white ball-shaped detector creeping out again. Damn it!!!… The moment he stopped chewing, the detector also stopped moving as if it sensed something.
“Black Egg!!! If you understand what I’m saying then don’t pretend to be dead! And don’t pretend to be a normal optical computer when you talk! I know that you understand exactly what I was saying! Are you fooling around with me! If you don’t talk, then I’ll have to break through that eggshell of yours!”
Mu Fan exploded out of nowhere; he was irritated by the black egg.
The cybernetic voice replied immediately and said at a quick speed, “The outer shell is made up of Ohmla Alloy and its strength is thirteen-times stronger than the industrial metal in Host’s hand. The system believes that the Host is unable to cause damage to ‘Black’, please take this as a reference.”
Mu Fan felt like he wasn’t hungry anymore all of a sudden, and he clenched his teeth together as he slowly spat out his words, “Black! Please… answer… the… question!”
The white detector tumbled a bit and came back up in an unsteady manner. “Sorry Host, System had detected a prank code hidden by the developers as an Easter Egg. However, Black will execute all your orders and all of Black’s actions will be for the greatest benefit of the Host.”
Having heard that, Mu Fan became slightly relieved as he said, “Introduce yourself then, Black.”