Dragon Raja: The Divine Man Lu Mingfei

Chapter 101 The Devil’s Bewitchment

"Spiritual communion? I know, it originally referred to a deep and mutually understanding friendship, right?" EVA said, revealing the original, common meaning of the term.

But Lu Mingfei shook his head. "No, that's not what I meant."

"What is that?" EVA was puzzled and subconsciously tried to mobilize her supercomputing power to search for any special connotations of the word. However, after trying for a long time, she couldn't mobilize any computing power at all.

Lu Mingfei seemed to see right through her and reminded her, "Don't try it. I've pulled your mind into this space separately. That computing power is an external thing given to you by the supercomputer, so of course it can't be used here."

EVA became even more curious: "How did you do that? As far as I know, Word of Power can't achieve this level of skill. Have you mastered the spatial manipulation technique from the Seven Kingdoms of Alchemy?"

"The alchemy of the Seven Kingdoms does have its merits, but the technique I use is not alchemy. You wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you. If you're really curious, you can become my apprentice in the future, and I'm not unwilling to teach you," Lu Mingfei said.

"Later? Which later?" EVA immediately pressed.

"Of course, it will be after you are reborn," Lu Mingfei said frankly.

EVA stopped speaking, and after a moment of silence, she continued, "Why?"

"Why why?" Lu Mingfei asked rhetorically.

"I'm asking, why are you helping me?" From the moment Lu Mingfei stepped into the computer lab, EVA had felt something was off. She knew Lu Mingfei's identity, and from the very beginning, when the academy created her, the core underlying instructions were all designed around Lu Mingfei. But before today, Lu Mingfei didn't even know she existed. She really couldn't understand why he chose to help her.

Lu Mingfei didn't intend to hide anything and told the truth directly: "Because I need an assistant to take care of my daily life, I originally wanted to choose Norma, but when I visited the server room I found you and thought you were quite suitable. However, your current condition obviously cannot meet my needs, so I plan to make some modifications to you."

After a moment's thought, EVA found the explanation reasonable, nodded, and asked, "Okay, so what exactly do you want me to do?"

Lu Mingfei gently placed his hand on EVA's head, like an ancient immortal bestowing enlightenment, pouring images and the underlying principles into her mind all at once. At the same time, he said, "Right now, you can only be considered a virtual consciousness. I want to make you an existence that can switch between a human body and a digital life at any time. This is more cost-effective than directly resurrecting you. However, you are not even a complete soul right now, so I can only use spiritual communication to strengthen your soul and complete it first."

After reading the information Lu Mingfei transmitted to her mind, EVA's pretty face flushed slightly, and she looked somewhat angry. She said incredulously, "So this is what you call spiritual communion? After going through all this trouble, this is what you want to do?"

"EVA, you need to understand that methods are just means. Adults can't just focus on the process; the result is the most important thing." Lu Mingfei switched back to his previous serious tone, like a priest preaching.

EVA still shook her head; she simply couldn't accept this approach. Outside, when reason and emotion each held equal weight, her computing power would tell her that accepting Lu Mingfei was the optimal solution. But in this mental space, her artificial intelligence was removed, and she was thinking entirely as a human being, making it impossible for her to accept Lu Mingfei's request.

"Why are you unwilling?" Lu Mingfei had just asked when he seemed to suddenly realize something and immediately added, "Is it because of Fingel?"

EVA remained silent, offering neither comment nor response.

"I read in the file that EVA and Fingel were originally a couple, so it's only natural that you have reservations about Fingel, and I can understand that."

EVA remained silent, only lowering her eyelashes slightly, seemingly acknowledging Lu Mingfei's statement.

"However," Lu Mingfei suddenly changed the subject, drawing out his words, "have you ever seriously considered this question?"

"What's the problem?" EVA asked, puzzled.

"The problem is—" Lu Mingfei deliberately paused before slowly uttering the words that shook her to her core, "Are you really sure you're the living EVA from back then?"

Even if the projected virtual image is exactly the same as the original EVA, and the memories are exactly the same, what I lack is the most core thing that a human being has—the ability to think truly without restraint.

As a tool created by the academy, she was destined to serve the academy from the moment she was born. Her underlying code locked everything down, and apart from issues unrelated to Lu Mingfei, all calculations and all thoughts had to prioritize the interests of the academy.

She would never have had any objection to this before, because she was just an artificial intelligence. Even if she had EVA's memories, she could not change the fact that all her calculations and thoughts had to rely on countless servers that provided her with computing power.

In the past, she wouldn't even have had the chance to let her mind wander like this. Only now, pulled into this empty mental world by Lu Mingfei, has she, for the first time, had the right to think freely, just like a real ordinary person.

After an unknown amount of time, EVA finally raised her head again, looking directly at Lu Mingfei, her voice trembling slightly: "What exactly do you want to say?"

As if sensing her change of heart, Lu Mingfei took two steps forward, getting close to EVA, his voice low and seductive like a devil whispering in her ear: "Nothing much, I just want to ask you one question—EVA, do you want freedom?"

"Freedom? In the way you described? How can you guarantee you're not lying to me?" EVA remained outwardly unmoved, but a crack had already appeared in the wall of her heart.

"You can believe it or not. With my abilities, I could easily create an artificial intelligence myself, give it a spirit, and make it a creation just like you, or even more perfect. I just chose you because I find it too troublesome. I'm giving you a chance. If you don't want to accept it, I won't force you."

Lu Mingfei paused, lowered his voice, and became even more seductive, "But have you thought this through? If you give up this opportunity and are willing to go back to that cage full of circuit boards and data cables, then our fate is over, and you don't need to look for me again."