Chapter 276: Punklorde Mentality 『 Part Two 』
"Impossible."
Heimerdinger's moustache twitched slightly upwards.
"He is not merely driven by simple programming; he possesses genuine cognitive faculties. A higher existence even Gaze him—Nous the 『 Erudition 』."
Jayce's brow furrowed slightly as his fingers tapped a rhythmic tattoo on the tabletop.
"Theoretically, if machinery can simulate the neural structure of a human, perhaps thought could be replicated. But someone like him, who can not only think but also demonstrate linguistic expression akin to high art? My apologies… Professor, I still feel that within Mr. Screwllum's chassis lies a power that transcends the concept of 'machinery'."
"That is not the crux of the matter, Jayce."
Heimerdinger shook his oversized head.
"Screwllum's existence challenges our very definition of 'life'. If a machine can possess wisdom, emotion, and even an aesthetic sense… then ought we not re-examine the boundary between 'life' and 'machine'?"
Jayce pondered for a moment before a sudden smile broke across his face.
"Professor, you aren't planning to build a Piltover version of 'Screwllum', are you?"
"No, Jayce. I was simply wondering… if machinery can reach such heights, then how should humanity define its own uniqueness? Is it flesh and blood? Is it reproduction?"
The laboratory fell into a brief, heavy silence.
"Professor, I cannot answer your question either. But perhaps the answer does not lie in comparison. Only after we coexist with them might we find the truth."
—
「 Stelle noticed a staff member in the Space Station doing something to a portrait of Herta. Curious, she approached, only to be mistaken for a new hire looking for the reception desk.
"She's really pretty." Stelle pointed at Herta's portrait.
"Oh~ Another fan of Madam Herta?" The staff member wore an expression that said 'I get it', as if he had found a kindred spirit. "Alright then, feel free to admire it, though this portrait will be taken down very soon."
But almost immediately, he recognized Stelle and recalled hearing of her glorious deeds aboard the Space Station. He hastily added a self-introduction: his name was Leonard, the Space Station's Cybersecurity Engineer.
Not long ago, the Space Station had been invaded by the Antimatter Legion. His duty was to repair various equipment and restore the station's cybersecurity.
However, during the restoration process, he discovered that a third party, separate from the Legion, had intruded. Unaware of the intruder's identity or appearance, he planned to investigate the matter.
He suspected the Stellaron Hunters. After all, that group was elusive, each member high on the IPC's wanted list. In particular, a super hacker from Punklorde had caused him to lose face in front of everyone.
Currently, he cherished this opportunity to atone for his mistakes and hoped to use this chance to turn the tide of public opinion.
He had designed a detection device capable of revealing hidden traces. Saying this, he wanted to show off a little in front of Stelle. He aimed the detector at Herta's portrait, and soon, something emerged on the image…
A drop of sweat appeared on Herta's hat.
"Uh, this is…" Leonard looked embarrassed.
"…She's really pretty." Stelle continued to savor the sight.
"I—I didn't mean for you to look at that!" Leonard couldn't fathom that someone would dare to scribble graffiti on Madam Herta's portrait, but he quickly understood that this was a digital graffiti tag carrying a certain automatic encryption function. It only required a secondary calibration to decipher.
He hoped Stelle could help him find similar digital graffiti around the Space Station, as this would be very helpful in understanding the Stellaron Hunters.
Seeing Leonard's sincere plea, Stelle reluctantly agreed.
Stelle aimed her lens at the graffiti on the wall. The blue pattern began to flicker with veins of light she had never seen before.
Suddenly, she watched it collapse inward; the surrounding sounds and colors were sucked into it, as if something was about to burst forth…
A Voidranger appeared in front of Stelle.
"Huh? No, wait—why is there a Voidranger here?!" 」
「 ..... 」
—
〜Saint Seiya Shioriverse, The Lost Canvas timeline〜
"Sealing a Voidranger into a wall? That little girl's ability is truly inconceivable…"
Aldebaran rubbed the stubble on his chin. Although it wasn't their first time witnessing Silver Wolf's abilities, they marveled at it every single time.
"Speaking of which, is this Voidranger the same one that tried to ambush Kafka from behind on the Space Station back then?"
Dohko suddenly recalled.
"At the time, Silver Wolf said she threw it to some random coordinate she typed in. Could it be here?"
"It is possible. Then, if Stelle hadn't scanned this graffiti, would this Voidranger have remained sealed in the wall forever? Neither dying nor coming out to cause chaos…"
"Aldebaran, I can hear the abacus clicking in your mind from here."
Shion of Aries smiled gently.
"You're thinking of using this ability on the Specters… or even on Hades, aren't you?"
"Indeed. If we could seal Hades into a wall, it would neither kill him nor allow him to reincarnate and cause chaos again. It would be the perfect counter to his ability—it is a pity we cannot meet this little girl. And even if we did, I fear she would have no interest in teaching us hacking techniques."
"Why would we need her to teach us?"
Shion narrowed his eyes slightly, the corners of his mouth curving into a smile.
"It is said that the little girl is quite interested in games. Why not offer a Cloth as a reward and ask her to seal Hades for us? Or perhaps inviting Blade would also be a fine choice. With his immortal body, I would be curious to see how those Specters would handle him?"
—
「 After dealing with the Voidranger, a hologram of Silver Wolf appeared before the two of them.
Leonard, true to his technical background, immediately understood the principle behind Silver Wolf's manipulation. In short, she could edit reality as if it were a computer program—a level of absurdity that only a Masked Fool might find plausible.
Furthermore, these graffiti tags were actually a tradition from Punklorde. Hackers there would intentionally leave something behind during an intrusion, waiting for it to be discovered—like a letter of challenge. They called this the 'Punklorde mentality' where there is conflict, there is victory and defeat; only with victory and defeat is there fun. Gamify life, for having fun is what matters most.
The two followed the graffiti left by Silver Wolf to continue their exploration, eventually arriving in a room filled with Curios, where the clues abruptly cut off.
"Speaking of which, does this count as a Curio too…"
Stelle turned her gaze toward a display case in front of her. Inside floated a pair of wing-like pinions, seemingly a flight tool from some other world. 」
「 ..... 」
( Translator-kun: Ohhh no, the Curio's Room.... )