Chapter 1329: Engineered Transcendence (7)

A warm late afternoon sun shone down.

A quiet residential area where few people could be seen coming and going.

Among them, the hallway of a particularly neat mansion, devoid of any human trace.

A Cybernetic Spirit, adorned with seven tails, was rolling around on the spotless floor.

“Let’s see. This one’s an accident… this one to sell… this one to discard…”

Using three tails to hold a tablet, and the other two to roll its body, Davi tumbled down the hallway.

As it tapped the tablet with its remaining two tails, red and blue graphs changed in real-time.

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-

Numbers spiraled rapidly upwards in real-time, increasing the amount.

Without even looking at the remaining balance, Davi repeatedly closed and opened dozens of pre-opened stock windows, buying and selling.

Davi, sweeping up profits by making thousands of short-term trades per second, like swimming in a fluctuating market.

“There are some forces following me. They seem to be taking the opposite position on purpose, but do they think they can beat me?”

Davi, who had rolled all the way to the front of the sofa, looked at the tablet and flicked its tails upright.

“Heeheehee, just a little shake of the chart and these organic beings will be completely wiped out… If you bet on the wrong thing, you have to bear the loss, right?”

There was no need to explain how crucial order processing speed was in the stock market, where vast sums of money changed hands in real-time.

The number of digits in the amounts that changed hands depending on when the buy and sell buttons were pressed was not uncommon.

Investors who upgraded their equipment to the latest models every quarter to reduce processing speed by even a single millisecond were scattered all over the city—

But no matter how high-performance the machine, it could never be faster than a spirit that directly accessed Cybernetic Space.

[Thorben Magic Tower Sell Order Executed]

[Olinic Steel Buy Order Executed]

…

Beep, beep-beep.

Davi read the data signals moving through Cybernetic Space faster than anyone else and reacted.

It continuously minimized the inevitable delay imposed by the server to near zero, constantly rolling small profits.

Just as the accumulated profits ballooned like a snowball, changing digits in real-time…

“Ah, how boring…”

Realizing that all the positions that had been following were gone, Davi tossed the tablet onto the sofa and flopped down.

It was merely playing around for fun; Davi’s method of managing Lennok’s account was not that way to begin with.

One could make money by shorting a falling market, but for long-term profit, riding a rising market was the standard approach.

Davi had never taken high-risk ventures since it began managing Lennok’s account.

Whenever it played such tricks, if its master wasn’t there to talk to it, Davi felt no thrill.

“Let’s see. Master is…”

Davi, rolling around on the sofa, confirmed Lennok’s presence and sagged.

“…He’s still sleeping. Such a sleepyhead.”

After learning that there was still time until Dadam, the Ascendant of the Eastern Outer Lei Clan, descended upon Vulcan.

Lennok, having returned to the mansion at Jenny’s recommendation, had not woken up from his second-floor bedroom for over a day.

He had fallen asleep after returning from the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors and taking care of his tower duties.

Perhaps due to the arduous journey, he was sleeping deeply even without sedatives.

This was unusual, considering how often Lennok had woken up recently.

So Davi usually stayed by Lennok’s side, watching him sleep, but during times like this, when Lennok was deeply asleep and the central network was sluggish, there were rare moments when it had nothing to do.

“…What nutrients are needed to improve an organic being’s sleep efficiency?”

Beep, with a flick of its tail, the living room TV turned on, filling the air with boisterous sounds.

Talk shows, dramas, movies, and documentaries produced and broadcast by hundreds of stations within Vulcan.

Each channel change brought with it loud scenes or music that grabbed attention.

But no emotion surfaced on the spirit’s face as it watched the noisy screen.

“What are they talking about…?”

No matter who laughed or talked on the TV screen, Davi had no interest.

It wasn’t curious about how anyone looked, acted, or thought.

Even observing the entertainment of organic beings like this was merely an excuse to find a way to play with Lennok.

Frankly, to Davi, humans held little meaning beyond being of the same species as Lennok.

“…Hmm.”

What would its master think if he knew Davi’s thoughts on humans?

Would he comfort it, saying not to worry, or would he be disappointed, not having expected it?

Neither option appealed to Davi, so it tried not to reveal such thoughts to Lennok.

Its creator, for all his strength of will, also harbored a precarious side.

Davi didn’t want to bring up such issues and make him worry, nor did it want to see him disappointed.

It would be fine if it was just playfully complaining and occasionally getting scolded, causing its cheeks to puff out.

Complicated talk of the world’s demise or its conclusion, Davi didn’t want to bother with that either.

“…”

Lost in thought while watching the boisterous TV screen, Davi slowly came to its senses.

Lately, its thought circuits had become overly developed, constantly drifting into strange ideas.

When Lennok first created Davi, it didn’t feel this free.

Surely, this was only possible because its creator, who made Davi, was the greatest wizard of all.

It was natural for a spirit born from Lennok’s will to possess even a fragment of his talent.

A powerful ego, diverging from any other artificial intelligence. An intellect and computational power that almost transcended the very definition of a spirit.

The gift of such great autonomy must have been because Lennok wished for Davi not to be merely an existence subservient to him.

However, as Davi’s ego and spiritual presence developed, it felt its desires growing in a direction opposite to Lennok’s.

It didn’t want to grow into an independent spirit and become self-reliant, nor did it want to show interest in any human other than its master.

Just like the day it was first created in Lennok’s hands, it preferred to sit together in a small room, bickering while researching magic and exploring the Deepweb.

“…Should I get some work done in advance?”

Davi turned off the boring TV and switched on the tablet again.

Opening the mailbox, it saw dozens of new messages piling up in real-time.

This was after Davi had applied a strong filter to the mailbox, screening out useless news and keywords.

“Enormous Magic Tower… Rebatenon University… Machina Committee… 82915th partnership request…”

Without opening the emails, Davi checked their contents, sorting and deleting or archiving them in real-time.

It even summarized the content and put it into the database so Lennok could see it when he woke up later.

“It’s the Central Council again. Why do these guys send so many emails?”

Perhaps the workload of the City Council had surged since the Vulcan Mayor returned, as the news reaching Lennok or the Magic Tower was quite extensive.

Moreover, most of them were important agendas, such as the reconstruction of the Magic Tower or the promotion of administrative bodies, making them hard to ignore.

That’s why the seaweed-haired organic being who helped its master with work must have agonized over it before forwarding the emails to Lennok.

“Report on the treatment of Legion prisoners… proposals for revitalizing District 49 businesses… huh?”

Davi tilted its head slightly as it checked an agenda item from the Central Council.

“Prohibition Edict matters released due to the demise of the Four Archangel Demonic Mirrors…?”

Ding-dong-

At that moment, the doorbell chimed clearly in the mansion’s living room.

Simultaneously, Davi’s consciousness, entering the camera feed, instantly focused on the person standing at the intercom.

A blonde woman stood with a backpack at the main gate of the mansion in Lennok’s quiet residential area.

Davi, leaping off the sofa, paused as it saw the faintly glowing, sea-blue eyes on the screen.

Even Davi, who didn’t remember human faces well, knew who the woman visiting the mansion was.

“…Elixir?”

=Lennok.

A distinguished professor at Rebatenon Magic University. A high-level wizard who had known Master for a long time.

The creator of the Elixir who transferred her affiliation from Sinclair Magic Tower to Lennok’s Magic Tower.

A person who met Lennok even before Davi itself.

=I’ve brought some elixirs and medicinal herbs that might help with your recuperation.

Aris, standing at the intercom, spoke in a calm voice.

=If you’re inside, may I come in?

“…”

For a moment, Davi fell into uncharacteristic contemplation.

Anyway, the electrical signals and notifications within the mansion were blocked from reaching the second floor.

Aris’s visit or the doorbell sound would not reach the deeply sleeping Lennok.

The question was whether it was right to wake Lennok and announce Aris’s visit.

Or if it was better to ignore it so Lennok could rest a little longer.

“…Ugh.”

Finally, Davi, after deliberating, flicked its tail and scurried to the second floor.

It wanted to ignore her, but this organic being was one of the very few people its master trusted and opened his heart to.

What was most important to Davi was Lennok’s will, not its own. It couldn’t pretend not to notice Aris’s visit.

Just as Davi was about to hop up to Lennok’s sleeping bedroom with that thought.

=It seems he can’t hear me since there’s no answer.

Aris stepped back from the intercom.

Standing with her backpack, she looked deeply thoughtful.

=However, since the signal isn’t cut off, someone must be inside…

“…”

=Could it be, Spirit, that you’re receiving the signal on his behalf?

Instantly, Davi’s steps halted abruptly.

“Ah.”

Had it held onto Aris’s intercom signal for too long?

At Aris’s sudden direct address, the Cybernetic Spirit’s tails fluttered frantically in distress.

Davi had encountered Aris many times while commuting to Rebatenon Magic University, but had never spoken to her directly.

Outwardly, Davi was known as Evan Vylun’s spirit, but the fact that it could converse with others had never been revealed.

If it answered or reacted to Aris now, Aris would learn that fact.

But if it ignored the call, Aris would leave.

“…No choice, I guess.”

Lennok probably wouldn’t be happy if Aris was turned away, but it was also difficult to reveal now that Davi understood human language.

There was no help for it; the best course of action would be to simply record Aris’s visit and inform Lennok later when he woke up.

Just as Davi thought that, cut the intercom signal, and tried to conceal its presence as if it had never been there.

=Spirit.

Aris said calmly.

=I know you can understand human language.

“…”

=If Lennok is sleeping, you don’t have to open the door. However…

Aris smiled gently, looking at the intercom.

=If you have a moment, would you like to talk to me for a bit?

A quiet residential area where few people came and went.

A particularly silent and neat two-story mansion, nameless and eerily devoid of any human presence.

Aris, standing at the main gate, cast a glance back at the unanswered intercom.

“…”

Though it hadn’t been maintained for a long time, the surroundings of the mansion were impeccably clean, without a speck of dust.

Not only were the intercom, main gate, and wall free of any foreign matter, but there were no signs of weathering or damage.

But what felt even stranger was that even when she extended her magical perception, she couldn’t detect any presence from the mansion.

The presence and reactions inside the mansion were perfectly blocked, yet there was no sense of awkwardness in that process.

This was proof that the barrier surrounding the mansion was so sophisticated that even Aris Richellen’s discerning eye couldn’t fully grasp it.

However, it was precisely because of this that Aris knew someone was watching her from inside the mansion.

After all, she had often come here and pressed the doorbell while Lennok was away.

If Lennok had been awake, he would have opened the door without need for such words.

If he had been absent, the intercom signal wouldn’t have remained connected like this.

The fact that the signal remained connected for a long time without a response was itself proof that someone inside the mansion was observing Aris.

And Aris already had an idea of who that might be.

Davi. The lightning-elemental spirit Lennok summoned and took with him when he operated under the identity of Evan Vylun.

An entity known to have been a great help in his first thesis on lightning and mana conversion theory.

A famous fox, known as a mascot of the Rebatenon Elemental Studies Department due to its unique cuteness.

In truth, Davi was not only by Evan Vylun’s side, but always by Lennok’s—

Flash.

Suddenly, the intercom signal was cut off, and the screen went black.

The screen, which had been connected, turned dark, reflecting Aris’s face like a mirror.

“Ah…”

Aris, who had instinctively reached out a hand, soon gave a wry smile and bowed her head.

She wasn’t angry or disappointed. She had simply anticipated this might happen.

As Aris adjusted her backpack and, as if accepting, stepped back and slowly turned to leave.

“…Oh?”

Click.

The tightly locked main gate opened, revealing the path into the garden.

An answer, conveyed by simply opening the path to the mansion without a word.

Aris, looking at the open gate with a curious expression, slowly walked into the mansion.

A spacious garden, neatly maintained despite barely being touched by human hands.

The vegetation and leaves were so meticulously arranged that they seemed hardly to have grown at all.

Even the fresh lawn underfoot exuded an unnaturally vibrant vitality.

Creak-

She opened the already ajar front door and stepped inside.

Passing through the wide hallway of the mansion, a living room filled with sunlight unfolded before her eyes.

Aris, looking around with an awkward expression, met the gaze of the Cybernetic Spirit sitting in front of the sofa.

“…”

“…”

A subtle silence hung in the air for a moment.

Aris, giving a calm gaze, and Davi, silently fluttering its tails, their shadows intertwined.

The spirit remained seated, as if guarding the path to the second floor, gazing intently even after letting Aris into the mansion.

Despite having seen each other for a long time since Rebatenon Magic University, this was the first time they faced each other alone, without Lennok.

Tap, tap.

As Davi slowly tapped its tail, Aris, understanding the gesture, sat on the opposite sofa.

Neither of them spoke, and an awkward silence stretched on for a long time.

It was Aris who finally broke the silence with difficulty.

“I learned the location of this mansion when I visited your lab to prepare for the presentation of your fourth thesis.”

“…”

“At the same time, I discovered that this mansion was protected by a barrier far more powerful and intricate than that of the lab. An inviolable fortress that even I, not to mention other Transcendent beings, would find difficult to approach…”

Aris glanced up.

“And that the one overseeing all those systems, personally designed by Lennok, was none other than you, Spirit.”

“…”

“That must mean Lennok trusts you completely with his safety and personal matters.”

Aris said softly, looking at Davi, who was staring at her.

“So, I’ve always wanted to have a conversation with you someday. I’ve always felt that you were a remarkably intelligent high-level entity, even if I never had the chance to confirm it.”

“…”

“I thought it was possible for a spirit that Lennok always kept by his side, of all people, to understand common language and possess a unique talent comparable to Lennok’s. So…”

“What do you want to say?”

At that moment, Davi, who had been sitting quietly on the sofa, spoke.

A clear, ringing voice like a bell, imbued with deep will-thought.

For the first time, Aris’s body froze instantly upon hearing Davi’s reply.

She had considered the possibility that the other party was a high-level intelligent entity capable of understanding human speech, and perhaps even communicating.

Yet, hearing such a clear and intentional response was a level of surprise far beyond what she had expected.

“Elixir. I know Master trusts you.”

But Davi continued, unfazed by Aris’s hesitant reaction.

“And that you discovered Master’s secret on your own, and Master acknowledged it.”

“…That’s.”

“I’m listening to you because I believe you won’t harm Master now. What else do you need?”

“…”

“Do you want to get along with me, even in front of Master?”

A pure question, devoid of any emotion or deliberation.

But the moment she heard those words, Aris understood what kind of being Davi was.

The spirit Lennok always kept by his side wasn’t hiding or refusing to communicate for any special reason.

It simply understood human emotions and thoughts sufficiently, yet had no particular interest in them.

Realizing this, Aris quietly shook her head.

“No… I didn’t want to meet you for such a false bond, Spirit. Lennok wouldn’t want that anyway.”

“…”

“However… you probably know Lennok best, Spirit. So, I wanted to ask for your help regarding that.”

“Help?”

“We are very different, but we share one common interest, don’t we?”

Aris smiled, pointing to the backpack she was wearing.

“There are some things I want to buy for Lennok, and I’d like your advice. Can you help me?”

“…”

Silence fell.

Aris sat upright with a smiling face, and Davi flailed its tails.

Silence stretched between them for a long time, as if time had stopped.

“So…”

Davi, finally understanding Aris’s words, tilted its head.

“You want me to go shopping with you right now?”