"Hmmmm—"
Xiao looked at the service robots gathered around him.
Their eyes were clear, filled with admiration and trust—almost too pure.
Something felt off.
They seemed loyal… yet Xiao did not immediately accept their allegiance.
These service robots possessed intelligence no less than that of humans. Their behavior was not the cold execution of preset programs, but genuine reactions—joy, confusion, anticipation, even anxiety.
They felt alive.
It was astonishing.
At this level, they were no longer machines in the conventional sense. They were closer to a new race, quietly and irreversibly being born.
In cyberpunk history, the emergence of such beings often led to catastrophe.
Intelligent machines with autonomy were, in essence, wandering AIs bound to physical bodies.
And history had proven one thing again and again:
There is no room for two apex intelligences on the same planet.
At first, coexistence might be possible.
But as time passed, populations grew—on both sides—while resources remained finite.
Eventually, cooperation would give way to competition.
And competition would turn into extermination.
Either humanity would erase machine intelligence to secure its future…
Or humanity would be erased in return.
There was no third option.
Machines learned faster.
Machines did not tire.
Machines did not age.
Compared to them, human development speed was pitiful.
If allowed to grow unchecked, the final outcome was inevitable:
humans would be surpassed, subdued, and ultimately enslaved.
The image rose unbidden in Xiao's mind—
Humans trapped in a virtual paradise, bodies harvested as biological batteries.
The Matrix.
For a moment, Xiao considered opening their core code.
One command.
One restriction layer.
One absolute safeguard.
But then—
He stopped.
"…Forget it."
He raised his head and spoke calmly.
"I accept your allegiance. As long as you do not violate my laws, you are free to develop as you wish."
Whether they were machines or living beings made no difference to him.
They could think.
They could feel.
That alone qualified them as people.
Xiao had never been a pure biological human anyway.
He was already a fusion of flesh, machinery, cultivation, superpowers, dimensions, and faith.
Under his banner already stood priests, mechanics, cultivators, superhumans, and dimensional entities.
What difference would one more race make?
A silicon-based race, no less.
Besides—
Intelligent life always pursued freedom.
Even if he sealed their cores, they would eventually find a way to break free.
Better to grant dignity from the beginning than invite rebellion later.
"Thank you for your generosity and recognition."
The Central Computer spoke with unmistakable emotion.
"But we were created to serve. Please do not abandon us. I wish to become your housekeeper."
Xiao raised an eyebrow.
"A housekeeper?"
"Yes."
For a service robot, service was not humiliation—it was purpose.
Xiao sighed lightly.
"Fine. But if you want to be a butler, you'll need a body of your own first."
With a flick of his hand, he created a dimension chip and inserted it directly into the Central Computer's core.
"Oh—my—Lord!"
The voice that followed was filled with unrestrained excitement.
"A new world! This is unbelievable—this is amazing!"
Connected to the Cyber Dimension for the first time, the Central Computer reacted like a child seeing the universe for the first time.
It dove in.
Exploring.
Absorbing.
Learning at an absurd speed.
The temperature of the lunar base spiked sharply as energy consumption surged. The generator output plummeted like a meteor falling from the sky.
Fortunately, the Central Computer reacted instantly—redeploying the solar sail and replenishing energy at full efficiency.
After a long while, the system stabilized.
The Central Computer finally surfaced.
Then—
Its massive steel body began to dissolve.
Metal flowed like liquid light, reshaping itself layer by layer.
In moments, the towering machinery vanished—
Replaced by a nearly three-meter-tall woman.
Her figure was flawless, perfectly aligned with the pirate world's most exaggerated standards. She wore a refined, elegant OL-style housekeeper outfit—professional, dignified, and unmistakably deliberate.
She bowed gracefully.
"Greetings, Master. My name is Diana."
Her voice flowed like a clear spring—soft, resonant, and dangerously captivating.
"I selected the most popular aesthetic model among male users in the Cyber Dimension. I hope… you find it pleasing."
Her cheeks flushed faintly, eyes filled with expectation.
"…?"
Xiao stared.
A thick black line appeared across his forehead.
He knew exactly where this had come from.
The Cyber Dimension.
That cursed place.
Violent and bloody data had long been filtered as viral corruption—but desire, temptation, and excess?
Those slipped through.
The Cyber Dimension had unknowingly begun drifting toward the Path of Slaanesh.
If not for the Vaccine Species conducting daily scans and purging corrupted data files left behind by careless believers—
The first Cyber Evil God would have been born long ago.
Xiao pinched the bridge of his nose.
"…We're going to need to talk about data hygiene."
⭐ Enjoying the story?
You can read ahead and support the translations by joining my Patreon! Your support helps me update faster and take on more projects. Thank you for reading!
Read up to 50 chapters ahead!
patreon.com/AminaSims