Theo couldn't take his eyes off the robot either.
"......"
"......"
To an outsider, it looked as if they were having a staring contest.
As the robot blinked, Nay said:
─The winner of the staring contest is you, huh?
Theo didn't respond but continued to focus all his attention on the robot.
'It's fascinating the more I look at it. They even made it blink...'
It looked just like a real person when I first saw it at [Ford Company], and now it's even more convincing.
Nay said:
─Now that I think about it, this girl called Robot.
─Robot is not a name, but a designation. Like calling [Demon Sword] an artifact.
─Tsk! Why are you scolding me? Anyway, this robot, it really resembles you.
Theo looked closely at the robot after hearing that.
Just as Nay said, the robot had silver hair and red eyes.
Its sharp features were so similar that someone who didn't know better might mistake it for Theo's sister.
─That's true. It didn't originally look like this.
Theo then looked at Sonya.
"Sonya, this robot seems to resemble me a lot."
Sonya flinched and responded:
"Ah, well, since you were the client... I thought it would be good to make it resemble you."
Of course, that was a lie.
She wanted to remake it into a beautiful form, and Theo was the most beautiful person she knew.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Before Theo could raise another question, Sonya changed the subject.
"Anyway, why is it moving? I didn't even activate it... Oh!"
Before Sonya could finish, the robot stood up and walked towards Theo.
Knowing the power of what she had created, Sonya hurriedly shouted:
"Theo! Just in case, move, move away!"
But Theo didn't move an inch. He just watched the robot walk towards him.
'Its walking is hardly different from a human's. The robots I saw at [Ford Company] before walked awkwardly...'
The robot stopped in front of Theo and looked up at him.
"You. Scary."
"Oh..."
Theo's eyes widened.
'Its voice is choppy, but... it can even talk.'
Instead of responding to the robot, Theo turned to Sonya.
"Sonya, I didn't know you could make it talk as well. That's really impressive. I knew you were skilled, but I didn't expect this level of sophistication."
Hearing Theo's praise for the first time, Sonya's lips curled into a wide smile.
Sonya twirled her hair around and said.
"Ah, really? Well, I guess this is the only talent I have... Hehe."
Since Sonya enjoyed it so much, Theo added some flattery.
"They say it's better to have one true talent than a hundred mediocre ones. Sonya, your talent is incomparable even to a thousand mediocre ones."
Praise from someone who is usually sparing with compliments can sometimes be soul-stirring. That's how Sonya felt right now.
She laughed like a fool.
"Hehe, hehehehe..."
Theo then turned his attention back to the robot.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"You're scared of me?"
"Yes. Feels like. You could. Smash me. Any moment."
"That's strange. We've only met today."
The robot replied without care.
"Don't know why. Just. Scared of you."
As Theo was about to ponder why the robot feared him, Nay spoke.
─Hmm, kid. It seems to me this robot remembers its past life.
─Past life?
─Think about before you commissioned this skittish maiden Sonya to make the robot. Didn't you smash its prototype into pieces?
─Ah.
Then Theo remembered what happened at [Ford Company].
'Right, I did hack up the first robot.'
The first robot, deemed dangerous, was dismembered into six parts: two arms, two legs, torso, and head.
─It's highly likely then. As always, your wisdom is commendable.
─Huhuhu. Such deduction is child's play for me. It feels good to be praised after a long time. Keep it coming.
─Such insight is beyond a commoner like me. Truly, you are the Great Princess of Ashes...
─Shut it! Can't you keep your mouth shut!
─Yes.
Theo asked Sonya.
"Sonya, what powers the robot? I'm also curious about its performance."
Perhaps Theo's shower of praise had broken down some barriers, as Sonya no longer stuttered.
"The main power source is the same as the previous model, a mana stone. Its performance has been upgraded! Of course, it would be disappointing if that was all!"
"Oh? What else? I'm intrigued."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})Encouraged by Theo's reaction, Sonya continued with even more excitement.
"I've also added a self-generating power system! It's still incomplete, so it needs a mana stone supply, but the robot can learn on its own...!"
"So, once it's fully learned, the robot can move without a mana stone."
"Yes, that's right! How soon it can learn depends on how conducive the environment is for learning!"
Theo's eyes widened.
'Even if Sonya is a legendary inventor, this is unbelievable.'
Every creature and object needs resources to move.
Humans, as well as demons, angels, dragons, and similar beings, all require a power source to function.
The same goes for objects. For instance, a carriage needs a mana stone to move.
"You've created something incredible, in a good way... But, it's hard to believe, Sonya."
"Ah, yes, yes. It's surprising but true. The key point is 'self-generation'. It's not that it doesn't need any resources to move; it absorbs suitable resources from its surroundings to power itself."
"Ah. Are you talking about resources like sunlight or wind?"
"Yes, exactly! It can also absorb other types of resources besides sunlight and wind to use as power."
"I see."
Theo slowly nodded his head.
'She has made something incredible.'
Just from what Sonya had said so far, the robot's capabilities were evident.
Its performance had been upgraded from before, making it a viable force to be utilized immediately.
As Theo pondered, a question came to mind.
"But Sonya, if it's this advanced, isn't the robot already complete? Why did you say it was incomplete earlier?"
"The self-generating power system is key, and it's incomplete... I planned to take the robot for walks and teach it, but I haven't had the chance to go out. It still speaks awkwardly because there hasn't been enough time to teach it conversation."
"Hmm. Are there any other incomplete aspects?"
Sonya rested her chin on her hand and thought deeply.
"Um. I can't think of anything else. The previous model was already at a very high level of completion, so there wasn't much to improve."
Theo glanced at the robot for a moment.
The robot was standing still with its eyes closed. Seeing this, Sonya said:
"Oh, it's powered down. How it moved earlier... It's quite fascinating. It's been a while since I last supplied it with a mana stone."
Theo spoke to Sonya.
"Could you entrust the robot to me? I will take care of its learning."
Inside an office attached to the [Leaning Mind] guild building, the Chief Administrator Alaya was leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed.
A sigh escaped her lips.
"..."
Alaya had been in a foul mood since morning, meaning she was extremely irritated.
"To think Fyat would be defeated..."
Alaya regularly received reports from spies she had dispatched across the continent.
Among them, one piece of information caught her eye: Fyat was spotted at Elinia Academy with Theo Lyn Waldeurk. Anyone who isn't a fool could understand what that meant.
"To fall into his hands, of all people."
He's currently one of the individuals with the highest value on the entire continent. Theo was also the one who led the [Ford Company] subjugation operation.
One of our guild's key officers and a divine artifact have fallen into his hands.
What's even more frustrating is that they still haven't been able to grasp the full extent of his abilities. It's not something one can do alone.
...There must be a massive, unseen force protecting him from behind.
Alaya, with a determined look on her face, said:
"I can't handle this on my own. ...He gives me the creeps every time, but I have no choice."
She picked up a communication crystal and contacted her staff. She then ordered them to inform her immediately of the captain's arrival.
After the call ended, Alaya murmured:
"Now... it's your end, Theo Lyn Waldeurk."
