Wizard: Become stronger by drawing cards from the potions variety show

Chapter 804

"We must find him and bring him into our camp at all costs!"

At almost the same moment, everyone in different factions within the inner circle reached the same conclusion.

The AI's unusual behavior exceeded their expectations, and there must be a reason behind it.

Since it is beyond their current understanding, it proves that something must have happened in a place they are unaware of.

They need to review recent events to investigate whether anything is related to the AI's unusual behavior. But a more direct approach is undoubtedly to find this person named "Noah." Since he dared to propose such a radical plan, he must know something inside the story.

Getting information from him is much more efficient than finding a needle in a haystack.

Noah's identity was not deliberately hidden, so many people quickly discovered that he was just a second-year student in the library.

Although it sounds unbelievable, this is the answer closest to the truth after ruling out all other possibilities.

……

Noah also received a notification of his elevated privileges—as a second-year library student, he directly entered the core AI layer, a feat unprecedented and unlikely to be repeated.

Noah was not surprised by this.

He knew one fact clearly: he didn't understand the specific principles behind the formation of this world, but he was certain that it was a simulation by Li Daoxian, and its operating rules were based on his understanding of the real world. And in the real world, there could never be only one intelligent race.

Large-scale wars break out every year in the wizarding world, and there is almost constant friction and competition with different worlds.

Strengthening military preparedness is a vital lifeline for any civilization.

This direction is definitely not wrong.

The most direct evidence is the peculiar energy within his body—an energy structure that is definitely not native to this world.

Noah had already confirmed this point by testing AI and humanity with this energy in the first two acts of the play.

The main AI's reaction now further confirms his guess.

Noah was certain that other intelligent life forms had already made contact with this AI world.

That's why the AI ​​had such a huge reaction after he submitted that statement.

Noah was satisfied with the upgrade in privileges, not because of the resources—given his current status, resources were no longer a limitation.

More importantly, the increased weight AI places on him will directly impact his ability to intervene in AI's logical thinking. His perceptions are likely to become part of AI's decision-making.

Although the specific operational methods are not yet clear, there is no doubt that, in whatever form, this will be a powerful trump card.

Just then, Noah's terminal received a communication request—from Virgil.

Noah answered the call, and Virgil's face appeared before him. He looked somewhat flustered and hesitated before speaking, "Uh, team leader... can I come to your office? There's something I need to talk to you about."

Noah glanced at the doorway, his gaze seemingly penetrating the walls and doorway, and said, "Weren't you already at the door? Come in."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Virgil knocked on the door and pushed it open to enter.

He came in and got straight to the point: "My father wants to speak with you."

Virgil's father provided him with substantial resources, and a significant portion of the bionic robot production lines currently benefit from his investment. In some ways, he can be considered a competent angel investor.

Noah looked at Virgil: "For your sake, I can talk to him."

Virgil breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Noah with gratitude: "Thank you, team leader."

He then swiped his wristwatch, projecting the terminal into the air. It turned out that he had maintained a communication connection with his father ever since he entered the room.

The projection showed a middle-aged man with a calm and composed face.

He gazed at Noah and said bluntly, "Indeed, a handsome man. I am Virgil's father, Harden. Although this is our first meeting, Virgil has spoken of you quite a bit."

"Virgil may have limited abilities, but he has a good eye. As it turns out, you are indeed extraordinary. My investment in you back then is now the most successful business I've ever made."

Noah responded neither humbly nor arrogantly: "Virgil is equally important in the research group. Our current main source of revenue was proposed and implemented by him, and the results have been remarkable."

“Since you are Virgil’s father, I will call you Uncle. Your most successful investment so far is probably having a son like Virgil.”

Virgil's shoulders trembled slightly, and for some reason, he felt his eyes welling up with tears and instinctively lowered his head.

Harden looked at Noah for a long time before sighing, "I didn't expect my son to receive such high praise from you. Since that's the case, let's get straight to the point: did you submit a proposal recently?"

Noah was not surprised that his identity had been discovered. He submitted the proposal and was prepared to be approached by people.

"Yes, it's me."

"We'd love to know what happened recently, what caused the main AI's logic to change? Based on our assessment, your proposal has absolutely no chance of passing..."

“But the fact is, it passed.” Noah interrupted Harden with a smile. “I can tell you why, without any strings attached, simply because you are Virgil’s father, nothing more.”

"War is coming, a real war. The main AI wants to develop its combat capabilities at all costs."

"Past measures, current policies, and even future decisions all stem from the same core goal: to gain absolute authority. AI needs to integrate the power of the entire planet in order to have a chance to face the brutal survival competition of the future. I just gave it some topics that it was interested in."

"If you haven't grasped this yet, then remember my words: set aside your human identity and your prejudices against AI. We are a community of civilizations, and the most urgent thing is to survive at all costs."

Harden stared through the screen at the young man who was spouting outrageous remarks.

Under the control of the main AI, the star system where the planet is located has long been under their supervision. They are fully capable of relocating humans to different environments or even different planets to live, but they feel it is unnecessary.

Within the monitoring range, there are no safety hazards, and there are corresponding contingency plans for even the approaching meteorite.

Humans currently lack nothing and fear nothing; this seems to be common sense.

With AI in control, technological development seems limitless, as long as we follow the established procedures.

It seems that all they need to do is maintain internal stability, ensure humanity's reliance on and trust in AI, and maintain a high degree of harmony between humans and machines to ensure the perpetual continuation of civilization.

"Yes, that's right. It's precisely because humans have such thoughts that they will be replaced by AI."

Noah's words, however, were like a sharp needle, easily puncturing the soap bubble carefully constructed by the higher-ups. The main force behind the current harmonious atmosphere was not humans, but AI.

AI has long since taken control of civilization without humanity's knowledge.

Harden could have angrily denounced it as absurd, but he didn't. Instead, he asked directly, "Has the enemy... already appeared?" Noah nodded in confirmation: "Yes."

Harden pressed further, "Why didn't we get a single tip-off?"

“It’s not entirely without clues,” Noah replied. “The main AI has already been dealing with it, but it didn’t expect things to be so complicated.”

Harden's pupils suddenly contracted, and he looked up thoughtfully: "You mean... I understand."

"Noah, thank you so much for everything you've told me today. Although you don't need us to do anything, we will do our best to assist you in return. Of course, if you'd like to join us, you're more than welcome; if not, I hope we can become trusted allies."

Noah smiled and said, "As long as we share the same goal, I don't mind having a few more friends."

“Of course we agree.” Harden lowered his eyes, seemingly weighing something quickly, and then said, “Excuse me. The information you provided is too important; I must report it immediately and readjust our subsequent strategy.”

"Goodbye."

"Goodbye!"

Harden quickly logged off.

After his figure disappeared into thin air, Virgil moved closer and subconsciously looked at his team leader with reverence.

His classmate... was able to talk to his father, whom he had admired since childhood, on equal footing, without being at a disadvantage in the slightest.

This made him both envious and admiring.

"Team leader..."

Noah understood his concerns and patted Virgil on the shoulder: "Don't worry. You're part of our research group, you have been, and you will be. That won't change. Relax, go back and do what you need to do."

“I agree that children should respect their parents, but children are not their parents’ possessions. You can have your own life and follow your own wishes. If you feel uncomfortable with the current situation, you can take the initiative to leave.”

Noah used his index and middle fingers to mimic the walking motion of a little man, moving forward step by step.

“You are well aware of the operational status of our research group, and all projects have sufficient resources. We can repay all the support your father previously invested, including principal and interest. From now on, you don’t need to feel inferior to him; you can communicate with him as an equal, as the person in charge of our research group liaising with ‘Harden Military Industry’.”

“We accept cooperation, but we will no longer be ‘supported’.”

“Virgil, this is our common cause, and you are part of it. This is our own chapter, and you are an independent individual. Perhaps you were valued for bringing resources when you first joined, but people grow, and you are no exception. Now, we value your talent.”

Virgil was overwhelmed with emotion and speechless for a moment.

He felt as if the person in front of him could see through all his thoughts, and all his past struggles were laid bare under the other's gaze.

The other person spoke for him what he wanted to say but never dared to, pointing him to another possibility—he could be himself and live a wonderful life.

Virgil looked at Noah and said solemnly, "Boss, I want to say that I am a member of the research group, and always will be. I remember you said that we would change the world... I want to witness that day with my own eyes."

"of course."

"Thank you."

After he finished speaking, he bowed deeply.

When he got up, you could clearly feel that he was much more relaxed, with a relieved smile on his face, and then he hurriedly pushed open the door and left.

In the instant he closed the office door, Virgil sent a message to his father:

“I’m sorry, Father. Only today do I truly feel that I am alive, not as your appendage, nor as a burden to the family. I have my own abilities, and I am working with a group of like-minded partners on a groundbreaking undertaking.”

"You can't stop me, and nobody can. If you want the source code for the bionic robot system, please talk to our team leader directly."

After uttering those words, Virgil felt the wind around him grow noisier, and the leaves of the green plants by the window rustled.

A gentle breeze caressed his skin, bringing a sense of genuine freedom and joy.

Just then, Noah's voice came from inside the office: "What are you still standing there for? Your phone has been busy the whole time. Fio has even called me to inquire. They're almost overwhelmed."

Virgil responded loudly, "Yes, I'll be right there!"

Virgil left in a hurry.

Noah knew exactly what Virgil had said. As part of his thought process, Virgil's entire thought process would be recorded as long as the relevant permissions were used.

Noah trusted Virgil because he knew what Virgil needed and could provide it. In this team, mutual need and mutual support were key to maintaining the relationship, sometimes even stronger than blood ties.

The development of the third-generation manned combat mech is on track, and the "miracle" research he is in charge of is also beginning to show results. Presumably, it won't be long before experiments can be conducted on bionic robots.

Noah sighed softly: Time is still too tight.

He didn't know when the "Apocalypse Day" in the script would arrive, nor did he know what the "Apocalypse Day" represented. He could only do his best to keep bringing the plan forward.

"Can you schedule my promotion exam? What's the earliest you can do that?"

The library's AI immediately responded: "Tomorrow night."

Under normal circumstances, promotion exams have strict qualification requirements and fixed schedules.

Such a short exam schedule is practically equivalent to having a special session reserved for Noah alone. This is a special privilege that can only be obtained with extremely high authority.

However, this is also part of the assessment.

Noah's performance so far has been solid and increasingly impressive, which is why the AI ​​continues to grant him higher authority and expectations, raising the level of attention he receives to its peak.

Ultimately, the reason he is so highly regarded now, and whose authority has even jumped to the core of AI, is because of the three projects he led: the third generation of mechs, the "Miracle" research, and the "Hound Type 1" combat support system.

These all essentially enhance the real-time combat capabilities of AI and compensate for the vulnerabilities in its combat system.

Each one is a crucial step.

If his performance in any subsequent assessment fails to meet expectations, it is foreseeable that his authority will be immediately downgraded, but before Noah messes up, his authority has a very high priority.

The AI ​​granted such high privileges on the one hand, indicating its high regard for Noah, and on the other hand, it was also a way to announce Noah's existence to everyone in the inner circle and to have them closely monitor Noah's every move.

If Noah were to act out of line or have any disloyal intentions, the others in the inner circle would likely stand up and testify against him immediately.

Noah tapped his fingers lightly on the table, then slowly picked up a pen and began to write on the paper with a soft, scratching sound...

(End of this chapter)