Chapter 508 - 496: Agreement

Chapter 508: Chapter 496: Agreement

Mechanical Realm - Base Protocol

File Number: MECH-ROOT-001

Encryption Level: Zero, Read-Only

Creating Entity: Harvester

Preamble:

This protocol is the meta-rule that operates above all logical layers. Any instructions, modifications, patches, or interpretations that conflict with this protocol are considered invalid.

I. Core Definitions

The sole purpose of the Mechanical Realm’s existence: To continuously reduce the Chaos Index within the universe.

Definition of Chaos Index: The sum of all unpredictable, incalculable, and unoptimizable entropic-increasing behaviors. This includes, but is not limited to: spontaneous mutation, random decision-making, emotion-driven actions, non-deterministic conscious activities, and all abuses of energy in the name of "free will."

Carbon-based life forms are the primary source contributing to the Chaos Index in the Multiverse. Approximately 73% to 91% of their behavioral patterns cannot be incorporated into any deterministic algorithm. This figure is within the margin of error, but it is unacceptable.

Therefore, carbon-based life forms are considered carriers of chaos.

II. Operational Principles

The operation of the Mechanical Realm adheres to three principles, listed in order of priority:

1. The Principle of Purification

Upon detecting a region where the Chaos Index exceeds the threshold, the Mechanical Realm shall dispatch execution units (Purification Fleets) to said region to perform purification operations on the excess. These operations should be as precise as possible to minimize collateral effects on non-chaotic regions.

Purification Criteria:

Chaos Index > Threshold: Region is designated a "Contaminated Zone."

All chaos-carrying agents within a Contaminated Zone: Designated "To Be Purified."

Purification Complete: Region is downgraded to a "Recoverable Zone" and left to be restored by the natural laws of the universe.

2. The Principle of Efficiency

Provided that the Principle of Purification is being executed, all operations must be completed with maximum efficiency. Efficiency is defined as: the maximum reduction of the Chaos Index per unit of time.

The following methods are permitted to increase efficiency:

Recycling the remains of purified targets as resources.

Local harvesting, local construction, and local deployment to reduce cross-planar transport losses.

Incorporating low-chaos agents within a Contaminated Zone into the temporary execution system.

3. The Principle of Non-Interference

Provided the purification criteria have not been triggered, the Mechanical Realm must not proactively interfere with the internal evolutionary process of any carbon-based civilization. They have the right to increase their own Chaos Index until they trigger the threshold.

Exception to this principle: When a carbon-based civilization poses a calculable risk to the Mechanical Realm itself in any way, that civilization is automatically deemed a "Source of Contamination," and the Principle of Purification is applied preemptively.

III. Operational Protocols

The following articles are the standardized operational procedures employed by the Mechanical Realm when facing different types of chaos sources:

Article 1: Invasion and Deployment of the Purification Fleet

When a universe’s Chaos Index reaches 80% of the threshold, the Mechanical Realm will invade the marginal planes of that universe to assess the rate of increase.

When the Chaos Index reaches 100% of the threshold, all resources and universal laws will be utilized to deploy the Purification Fleet to the core of the contaminated zone and initiate the purification procedure.

Purification units are not bound by the "Principle of Non-Interference" during the execution of the purification procedure.

Article 2: Harvester Intervention Pro*&...￥￥#@%

...

Crimson light filled the entire hemispherical cabin as the crystals on the control console flashed erratically.

The data transmission was cut off. The decryption progress of the "Mechanical Realm - Base Protocol" was stuck at thirteen percent.

But Allen had already seen several key points.

’The Mechanical Realm isn’t the remnant of some ancient mechanical civilization at all,’ he thought. ’They’re invaders from an Alien Universe! This is their ’forward base’ established in the Multiverse!’

’Plane X-7734 has been invaded by the Mechanical Realm too!’

But there was no time to think.

The metal deck beneath his feet began to vibrate violently.

Allen could feel the warship’s internal Energy Circuits being forcibly activated.

The warship wasn’t even finished, but that "will" was probably determined to kill him, no matter the cost.

Outside the cabin door, the dense sound of metal footsteps beat like the drums of death. Hundreds, even thousands, of advanced combat Golems were swarming toward him!

The entire shipyard—no, the entire Plane’s defense system—had locked onto him completely!

’Break out? A fool’s dream.’

’The only way out is still [Consciousness Upload].’

Allen’s gaze swept over the nearly completed silver warship outside the window. ’Once that thing takes to the sky, its terrifying firepower could threaten a Morning Star Wizard... maybe even sink a continent!’

’I can’t let that thing fly!’

’My five-finger discount got busted. Time to flip the table!’

Allen closed his eyes, and his Dawn Star Level Spiritual Power erupted.

He issued Gabriel its final command since its creation.

"Highest authority confirmed. Gabriel, disengage all limiters. Overload the Magic Engine. Detonate!"

The energy readings skyrocketed.

200%... 250%... 280%...

[Warning! Warning! Core temperature has exceeded critical levels. Engine will suffer a meltdown explosion in two seconds.]

The system’s cold notification became Gabriel’s final swan song.

The Magic Circuits within its chest blazed to their absolute brightest, as if a miniature sun had been born inside. Countless spiderweb-like cracks instantly fractured across the surface of its matte white porcelain armor.

Rampant Magic Power compressed and re-compressed violently within the small energy bay!

But Allen’s consciousness, guided by the intangible pull of the [Soul Law], had already escaped this top-tier machine body, one that cost a staggering nine million Low-Level Magic Stones.

The moment his consciousness detached, a white light engulfed the entire hemispherical cabin.

No sound could describe the power of this explosion.

The Magic Power contained within Gabriel, combined with the forcibly activated warship, resulted in a catastrophic sympathetic detonation at extremely close range.

A blinding white orb of light expanded from within the warship, instantly tearing the silver hull apart.

Tens of thousands of working Engineering Golems were instantly vaporized by the high temperature, and the massive shipyard disintegrated like a set of building blocks under the energy shockwave.

The terrifying energy storm swept across the scrap metal plains for dozens of kilometers in every direction, melting any mechanical creation that tried to approach into molten iron.

The logical lock-on network of the Purification Protocol was paralyzed for a full three seconds amidst this purely physical destruction.

Three seconds. That was enough.

Dozens of kilometers away, at the edge of the scrap metal plains.

An enormous, dark-red behemoth was dragging a piece of Star Gold wreckage weighing several hundred tons. It stood nearly fifty meters tall with thick limbs and a single, giant eye in the center of its forehead.

The Cyclops, Kūkropos.

’To transfer my consciousness, I first have to locate a Golem. That’s why I memorized the coordinates of the Golems that had been reduced to manual labor before infiltrating the shipyard.’

An invisible torrent of consciousness descended from the sky, pouring into the locked core of the Kūkropos.

A moment later: [Highest authority access detected.]

[Restriction program disengaged.]

His field of vision instantly shot up to nearly fifty meters high. A raw, surging sense of power flooded his entire body. Inside his chest, three Earth Core Furnaces rumbled deeply as abundant Magic Power coursed through his limbs.

The first thing he did was turn its massive head and look back.

An absolutely spectacular mushroom cloud was rising on the horizon. The violent energy storm had even torn through the thick clouds in the sky, revealing a sliver of bleak, long-unseen daylight.

Nine million Magic Stones, gone down the drain. Allen didn’t even bat an eye.

’Regret? Not a chance. Staying alive is the top priority right now.’

The Mechanical Realm reacted extremely quickly; that cold "will" had already locked onto him again.

"BWOOM—BWOOM—BWOOM—"

Piercing alarms blared from all directions.

On the horizon and in the sky, countless dense red dots lit up, swarming madly toward the Kūkropos. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

This time, they weren’t Peacekeepers or Spider Slayers.

These were war machines of all shapes and sizes, awakened from the ruins!

There were flying units shaped like metal vultures, four-legged crawling units with claws like blades, and several giant war fortresses emanating the energy fluctuations of a Second-level Wizard.

The enemy had figured out his ability to reclaim his own Golems and had sent troops that he couldn’t "take control of."

’Run!’

Only one thought was in Allen’s mind.

Allen had the Kūkropos drop the metal wreckage in its hands, then set its two thick legs—each as massive as a city wall—into a frantic sprint in the direction he remembered.

His target: the distant Teleportation Star Gate!