Chapter 14: Mechanical Civilization, Section 5

The dark-haired man was in extreme tension; even the slightest disturbance could provoke a reaction from him, let alone a sound so close by. Almost instinctively, he drew his military dagger and prepared for defense.
But the next moment, he put the dagger away.
He knew his situation. He was on some unknown artificial planet, where everything was a mystery to him. If danger arose, his dagger alone would not be enough to protect him. So he had to take a gamble—hoping that the lifeforms on this planet could communicate with him.
“Hello, esteemed guardian. I am deeply sorry if my arrival has disturbed your master’s sleep,” the dark-haired man said, nodding slightly in response to the black mist’s words.
“No need to apologize… Visitor… My master… is happy to have company… The long years… can be so lonely…” The black mist writhed continuously, emitting a harsh sound. It seemed as though hundreds of people were speaking at once. Without his keen hearing, the dark-haired man would hardly have been able to understand it.
“Then… may I meet your master? Esteemed guardian, I believe I need to learn some things,” he said with a gentle smile.
“Now… not possible… My master is sleeping… must not be… disturbed… You… can wait…” The black mist replied intermittently.
“How long do I need to wait?”
“I… don’t know…”
This won’t do!! The dark-haired man immediately frowned. This strange black mist guardian clearly lacked intelligence. From their brief conversation, he could conclude that its wisdom was severely impaired. It claimed its master welcomed the visitor to pass the time, yet also said the master was sleeping and couldn’t be disturbed—these statements were contradictory. It was simply… nonsense.
Maintaining his gentle smile, the dark-haired man began subtly observing his surroundings, his mind working at full speed.
The black mist was a mist-like creature; physical attacks were likely ineffective. Its mist contained arcs of electricity, ruling out electrical attacks as well. Based on its nature, this black mist was clearly not a foe to be reckoned with physically. Fighting it would surely be a nightmare for any enemy. At least, after searching for a while, the dark-haired man still hadn’t found a way to defeat it immediately.

But when he turned his gaze back to a corner of that dark mist, his eyes lit up. He saw something protruding from beneath the constantly writhing mist—covered in jumping arcs that emitted a harsh crackling sound. That dark mist was actually a mechanical creature!!! Black Hair immediately drew a conclusion. He realized that what was protruding was clearly a mechanical ankle without any external armor; those jumping arcs were reflected from it. If so, then the dark mist was just a disguise, and the real guardian must be someone inside it. A robot? A robot with self-awareness? Black Hair finally understood why the mist spoke in such a peculiar way. Perhaps it was a newly born life form still in its developmental stage, unable to think logically. What was blocking him now might just be an instinct—instinctively formed because its master was asleep, to protect its master. But it didn’t matter. Whether it was instinct or premeditation, Black Hair only needed to know it was mechanical. With a harmless smile, a black thread suddenly appeared on his left hand. It silently slithered across the ground and disappeared into the mist. As expected, at the center of the mist lay a mechanical life form. However, based on the information from the black thread, this life form was clearly makeshift and not yet complete. Most of its components were arranged in a chaotic mess. But none of this mattered anymore. With just a thought from Black Hair, the once fearsome guardian turned into a pile of mud, collapsing to the ground. The terrifying mist vanished without a trace. It was then that Black Hair saw its true form: merely a metal sphere with many dark holes, likely from which the mist emerged. Due to the collision, the sphere’s surface was now cracked, revealing complex circuits and panels. Numerous arcs burst out from within, emitting a buzzing sound. How could such a broken thing have blocked him for so long? Black Hair couldn’t believe his eyes. Had he lost his usual composure due to nervousness? Or was he distracted by this planet, losing his judgment?

Black Hair didn’t know, but what he was sure of was that none of these options were acceptable to him at the moment. So instead of moving forward right away, he stood still, took a few deep breaths, and closed his eyes.

In the darkness, a figure stood quietly in the passage, like a statue.

When Black Hair opened his eyes again, there was no trace of impurity in them—they had returned to their usual clarity. He smiled slightly, raised his head, and strode toward the huge valve across from him.

After some time to calm down, he figured it out. This planet did have a master, and the master wasn’t asleep. Everything seemed like a chess game, with him being just a pawn in it. Likely, from the moment he entered the planet, he had already fallen under their notice. That dark mist earlier might well have been their way of testing him.

If that was the case, it was better to go in openly rather than continuing to sneak around like a thief. Black Hair understood that only by meeting the master of this mysterious planet face to face could he get a definitive answer.

And indeed, he was right…

The moment he continued moving forward, the huge security valve ahead seemed to sense something, emitting a rumbling sound as it slowly retracted into the wall. The valves behind it did the same, one after another, clearing a path for Black Hair.

At the end of this path was a pitch-black opening, completely dark inside—like the maw of a monster, ready to swallow anyone who dared approach.

With a cold smile, Black Hair hesitated no longer and stepped quickly into the dark opening. Behind him, the huge security valves gradually closed, sealing themselves shut once more.

Although he had guessed what the interior of an artificial planet’s core might look like many times before, he was still quite surprised when he actually entered.

It wasn’t because what he saw was particularly advanced, but because he simply saw nothing at all.

From the moment he stepped through the final door, he felt as if he had been thrown into endless darkness. There were no sounds, no technology, and no master of this planet he had been hoping to meet. All that existed was boundless darkness. Even as he took a few tentative steps forward, the darkness remained unchanged.

“Boom!!” Just as the black-haired man grew increasingly puzzled, a blue light sphere suddenly burst forth from the darkness. The light sphere expanded rapidly, filling the entire space, forcing him to close his eyes. When the light dimmed slightly and he could open his eyes again…

The black-haired man was stunned!! What appeared before him was an endless universe. He felt as if he were standing alone in empty space. Everything around him seemed so familiar; he could even see neutron stars with the naked eye!!

This was… the perspective of this asteroid!!

The black-haired man immediately understood. Sweat appeared on his forehead. He never expected that this asteroid would have such an extraordinary device, allowing one to observe the surroundings from the perspective of the planet itself. In that case, what couldn’t it detect? Since the planet was round, the perspective was all-encompassing. As long as he wished, he could look in any direction.

What kind of technology was this? It could even allow one to experience the universe firsthand and travel through it?

It was unimaginably advanced. Even the black-haired man couldn’t help but marvel at such cutting-edge technology. Yet, his mood gradually darkened.

Because he suddenly had a disturbing thought.

Artificial planets, mechanical life, a complete perspective—all these combined painted a strange picture in his mind.

Could it be that this planet itself was a form of life?

“Welcome, visitor!!” An old yet powerful voice suddenly rang out, as if coming from all directions at once, making it impossible to determine its source. The black-haired man’s pupils contracted sharply, and his heart trembled violently.

It was here. The owner of this mysterious planet was finally about to appear.

“Hello,” the black-haired man replied indifferently, his eyes scanning around in search of any clues. But no matter where he looked, there was still only the vast universe.

“I have waited for countless years to see a living being appear before me. Please forgive my curiosity, visitor. I really can’t figure out how you got here. In your current form, you shouldn’t be able to withstand the pressure of a neutron star.”

“That shouldn’t be your concern, respected master. You should rather tell me how you know human language. And why I can’t see you now,” the black-haired man interrupted the mysterious voice rudely, expressing his dissatisfaction.

Silence ensued immediately. After a long while, just as the black-haired man began to grow impatient, the old voice spoke again.

“I’m sorry, visitor. I can’t show you my true appearance yet. But you can answer three of my questions, and if you get them right, I’ll fulfill your request.”
“Very well, then let’s begin.” The dark-haired person took a deep breath and slowly answered.