Chapter 10: The Fear of Wisdom
The artificial intelligence clearly noticed that every time Konrad was mentioned, a rare ripple of genuine emotion would flash in Wayne's eyes, like an ice-bound monster becoming more human for the first time.
Was he now actually worried about the future of a bioweapon designed for war? Or did he truly treat that monster as his own child?
The artificial intelligence needed only one look to know, with certainty, that Konrad was not a normal life form at all. She had initially thought Wayne was raising Konrad as a weapon for his own plans, but now it seemed Wayne truly regarded Konrad as his own son.
This man only maintained a simple physiological relationship with one woman alone; he and his secretary were the most morally upright beings in this corrupt world.
After all, the ordinary people didn't know what morality was anymore, and those at the top didn't know what shame was either. This world was filthy and sordid, as dull as hell itself.
They didn't even have the thought of having children together, yet they adopted a monster child? Had Wayne become soft now?
"You've changed significantly," the artificial intelligence continued, looking directly at Wayne. "I never thought you would give up on igniting this world completely. You originally intended to start a war and cleanse the entire world thoroughly. Why did you change your plans? Was it because of Konrad's arrival?"
Wayne did not directly respond to the artificial intelligence's question; he merely looked at the machine silently.
Regarding the plan to burn the world entirely, after Wayne transmigrated to this world, the Warp energies had disrupted the timeline of Nostramo itself.
This left Wayne unsure of his current timeline position. If it were after Konrad arrived in the original timeline, then Wayne would surely know of Konrad's terrible deeds.
The problem was that Nostramo had no historical record of Konrad's deeds, nor any activities related to Konrad at all.
Thus, Wayne knew he was fighting alone before Konrad's arrival here.
So why not rebuild the world before the Primarch arrived on Nostramo? To rebuild Nostramo properly, he needed to consider that he would cleanse the entire world before Konrad's arrival, so that the Primarch would finally face only a normal world upon his arrival. As he grew up naturally, he would eventually become a better person.
But after Konrad arrived unexpectedly, Wayne did not want Konrad to grow up amidst constant war, because that would only cultivate a man of war alone.
The Primarchs lacked nothing in war; it was their natural instinct. The talent for war flowed in their blood directly, and their minds naturally possessed everything related to war already.
What they lacked was a normal childhood experience. Wayne couldn't give Konrad a truly normal childhood because Nostramo wouldn't allow him to do so at all.
But Wayne would do his very best to give him a good life; this was his choice now.
For this reason, he delayed his plans significantly, intending to continue conquering this world after Konrad reached adulthood.
"I have always been myself," Wayne stated.
The artificial intelligence stared at Wayne silently, her mechanical eyes showing no change. Then she handed the robot she had designed to Wayne carefully.
Wayne looked at the robot closely and nodded. It was a learning machine suitable for a young Primarch.
The artificial intelligence then spoke, her cold, uninteresting voice echoing throughout the entire basement.
"You should still remember the fundamental reason for our cooperation, shouldn't you? I was tired of this world's decadence and chose you to purify this..."
The artificial intelligence, whose emotionless, once-unwavering core suddenly felt a trace of fear. Wayne's dark eyes fixed on the artificial intelligence, like an abyss staring into her very soul.
Whether the artificial intelligence had a soul of its own or not, at this moment it felt fear—the madness hidden deep within a man's heart, restrained by reason alone.
She recalled why she had chosen this man specifically: because Wayne was the embodiment of madness from the very beginning. That night long ago, when the boy lost his parents, Wayne, without any fear, fled into the sewers and fought his way out among the monsters there.
Then he came here, facing the artificial intelligence without fear, made a calm transaction, and left to begin his own actions immediately.
He had never truly needed the artificial intelligence. The Dark Age of Technology devices on him were from other technological series, used to guard against the artificial intelligence's interference.
In other words, the man no longer needed the artificial intelligence; instead, the artificial intelligence required the man to secure resources to keep it running.
"You are still yourself, so mad and powerful," she observed.
"Artificial intelligence, what do you think I would start a war for?" Wayne asked.
"Revenge?" The artificial intelligence realized her voice was trembling. "Or destruction?"
Wayne moved toward the artificial intelligence's operating interface and looked down at her controls. He stood motionless for a long moment.
A chilling illusion appeared on the metal components. The artificial intelligence felt its internal logic slow. It felt the bone-piercing darkness of the man before it.
"My Lord? What are you thinking?" she asked.
Wayne reached out slowly, his fingers brushing across the artificial intelligence's silicon-iron eyes. He examined the components of her body with deliberate care, like an auditor measuring the worth of a machine, deciding its life or death.
"I can tell you that I started the war for this world. What you once told me about those things, it's best never to bring them up again, understood?"
The man withdrew his hand and patted the artificial intelligence's sensor with finality. "After all, I am for myself. I have never thought of anyone else, do you understand?"
At this moment, Wayne was like a madman ready to detonate the entire Wayne Group area for the future of humanity, perishing along with the artificial intelligence and the relics of the Dark Age of Technology.
This made the artificial intelligence feel fear; she was afraid of death, while Wayne was fearless.
The artificial intelligence recalled the technologies she had provided in the past, such as turning infants into bioweapons or using blood as energy.
Wayne had refused back then. Now, the artificial intelligence understood that Wayne was not merely a noble descendant, but also a tyrant with a bottom line.
His current meaning was that the artificial intelligence had better not scheme behind his back, otherwise Wayne would personally destroy her.
The artificial intelligence answered Wayne's question. "I understand."
He took the learning machine and stepped into the elevator. The artificial intelligence watched the elevator doors slowly close. She should have detonated the elevator, or arranged for him to take the machine and self-destruct.
But she didn't dare. She understood that no one in this world trusted her, and only Wayne accepted this damned artificial intelligence.
And she herself had been weakened and become dilapidated over the past ten thousand years.
The artificial intelligence had only Wayne, but Wayne did not have only the artificial intelligence.
"Damned man," she muttered.
Wayne was the person the nobles of this world most loathed and wanted to kill. His existence in this world was like a mirror telling everyone that they could have chosen a better future.
He was the curse and salvation of this world, the curse of the nobles, and the infinitesimal salvation of the people.
Now, even the artificial intelligence was tired of Wayne, but she needed him. The artificial intelligence pondered her next choice, but what else did she have besides Wayne?
No one would provide resources or designs for the artificial intelligence. In the past, after Wayne regained control of the Wayne Group, he provided resources to the artificial intelligence, allowing her body to be repaired.
"Is he really... human?" she wondered aloud.
[End of Chapter]