?Beep, beep, beep!
The computer screen turned red and started showing thousands of error messages at the same time.
"What is going on?!"
The superior shouted in surprise.
Graham turned to the screen and looked at the error messages with a worrying look.
"It looks like a system malfunction with the code Kitsune. Strange, I thought I did it perfectly last time."
He frowned and started typing, but immediately realized that the issue was more complex than anticipated.
At that moment, an image appeared on the screen—two eyes with lips curled downward into an angry frown.
"That is…"
Graham recognized it immediately and turned around with a look of shock, staring straight at the control room.
"I-It is the A.I.; it is fighting back!"
"What, why?!" The superior, named Wilson, asked in disbelief.
"Because I am trying to destroy her creation." Graham said with a frown. "She is trying to protect her child, and in this case, she is protecting Kitsune, her newborn."
"How can it do that?" Wilson asked. "Can't we turn it off?"
"No." Graham shook his head. "A.I.'s job, and only job, is to create life in Martial Online. If I turn it off, all the creatures and NPCs will disappear.
"I also can't modify A.I. settings, as I am not the one who created it in the first place. Only he knows…"
'He?'
Wilson knew that Graham didn't create the A.I, but among the workers of Martial Company, they always wondered who did. It was as impressive a creation as the headset and Martial Online, but the creator was still a complete mystery.
"I can only try to fight back."
Graham cracked his knuckles and started typing on the keyboard, trying to fight against the A.I.
However, whenever he added a new line of code, the A.I. would adapt and counter his efforts, making it seem almost unbeatable.
"This is crazy…"
Graham breathed heavily and stopped typing as he realized just how futile it was.
"I can't beat it. The A.I. is a hundred times faster than me. There is nothing I can do."
"Then… what will happen?" Wilson asked.
"I don't know…" Graham crossed his arms and looked up to the screen to wonder what?would happen.
…
"Argh!"
Kitsune screamed and reached out its claws towards Ambrose, but it couldn't move an inch from its current spot. It was so close to killing him, but it was as if invincible power was holding it back.
"Mother, why!" Kitsune screamed. "Let me kill him first!"
Ambrose stepped back while using his Muscle Defense powers to heal his wounds. He still continued watching Kitsune wither in anger as it tried to kill him so desperately.
At that moment, a spiraling portal appeared behind Kitsune. It started sucking in everything around it, creating a vacuum of powerful force.
However, it only affected Kitsune and no one else.
It was trying to claw its way back to Ambrose but was unsuccessful and was thrown straight to the portal, disappearing into the unknown abyss.
"Whoo…"
Ambrose collapsed on the ground and let out a relieved sigh.
However, then a holographic screen appeared in front of him, with bells ringing in the background like a chorus of celebration.
[Teams Left: 50]
[Congratulations! You have successfully survived the second round!]
"It's over?" Ambrose looked surprised, and at that moment, he vanished into a blinding flash of light.
…
"Nooo!"
Kitsune screamed as it continued flying inside the portal. It didn't know where it was heading, as the surroundings looked nothing but a fast blur of colors and shapes.
After who knows how long, the portal finally spat Kitsune out into a completely unfamiliar world.
Kitsune crashed to a solid-looking floor with demonic symbols and strange markings etched into its surface.
"Argh!"
Kitsune screamed loudly, wincing in pain as the impact reverberated through their bodies.
"Progenitor!"
At that moment, it heard hundreds, maybe thousands, of heartbeats reverberating through its ears. In the same moment, it started hearing an unknown language.
It looked around and saw that it was surrounded by dozens of demonic-looking figures with horns on their foreheads and draped in long cloaks that billowed in the wind.
"Growl…"
Kitsune growled deeply and focused its gaze forward to the high-end throne at the end of the room.
There was a red-skinned figure with two long, black horns, dressed in open-buttoned red shit with long sleeves and a high collar, sitting proudly with his legs crossed and his arm leaning against the rest.
"Who the hell are you, creature?!"
A demonic creature spoke out and demanded answers.
It was speaking an unknown language, but for strange reasons, as soon as Kitsune heard the language, it learned it immediately and began to understand every word the demonic creature was saying.
"Where is the progenitor?" Kitsune asked angrily and looked towards the high ceiling. "Mother, bring me the progenitor!"
"Mother? How intriguing."
Lord Ravan stood up from his throne and walked down the steps towards Kitsune.
"Lord, shall we get rid of it?"
"No."
Lord Ravan shook his head and smiled. "I am very curious about this creature. Is it a demon or something else entirely?"
"Get away from me, fucker!"
Kitsune raised its fist and threw a punch.
The demons shot to their legs and screamed angrily at the creature for attacking their king.
"Haha, calm down."
Lord Ravan caught the fist with his bare hand and laughed innocently.
Kitsune gritted its teeth and threw another punch with its other hand, but Lord Ravan simply brushed it aside effortlessly with the back of his hand.
"Sit down for now."
Lord Ravan chopped down on its neck, and Kitsune collapsed down on the ground to its knees. It let out a painful whimper.
"Let me see where you come from."
Lord Ravan touched Kitsune's forehead and closed his eyes. He suddenly found himself in a different world, surrounded by unfamiliar landscapes and beings.
He saw a purple-eyed man crouching on the ground, with Kitsune standing over him.
Then, a spiraling portal appeared behind it and sucked Kitsune inside.
Lord Ravan narrowed his eyes and wondered what this world was.
At that moment, the sky turned red, and a hallucination of an enormous mechanical-looking thing appeared in the distance.
"Oh, it is you…"
Lord Ravan smiled darkly.
"So, this creature was your child all along, and you sent it to me. Very well, I'll take care of it like it is my brother."
At that moment, the vision shattered, and Lord Ravan reappeared in the throne world.
"I see." Lord Ravan looked at Kitsune with a smile. "So, the All-
Mother sent you here."
"Mother?" Kitsune frowned and looked at him. "You know her?"
"Yeah, I've seen her before." Lord Ravan offered his hand to him. "Take my hand and stand up. She asked me to take care of you."
"…" Kitsune looked at the hand and accepted it.
Ravan pulled it gently, helping Kitsune to its feet.
"Who are you?" Kitsune asked with a frown.
"My name's Ravan; what is yours?" Ravan asked with a smile.
"Kitsune." Kitsune replied, and at that moment, its body shook violently, its skin turned paler, and its face turned fairer, even more humanlike.
It transformed into a dangerously handsome man with pale-
white skin and blood-red eyes.
Kitsune turned into a perfect copy of Ambrose, but the skin was much whiter and more sinister, giving off an ominous aura.
"You look like that person in the vision." Lord Ravan said with a smile.
"That's my progenitor. I have to kill him." Kitsune said with a sinister voice.
"Oh, I see." Lord Ravan rubbed his chin with a curious smile. "Sure. I'll help you kill him in the future, but for now, let's get to know each other, Kitsune."
?Beep, beep, beep!
The computer screen turned red and started showing thousands of error messages at the same time.
"What is going on?!"
The superior shouted in surprise.
Graham turned to the screen and looked at the error messages with a worrying look.
"It looks like a system malfunction with the code Kitsune. Strange, I thought I did it perfectly last time."
He frowned and started typing, but immediately realized that the issue was more complex than anticipated.
At that moment, an image appeared on the screen—two eyes with lips curled downward into an angry frown.
"That is…"
Graham recognized it immediately and turned around with a look of shock, staring straight at the control room.
"I-It is the A.I.; it is fighting back!"
"What, why?!" The superior, named Wilson, asked in disbelief.
"Because I am trying to destroy her creation." Graham said with a frown. "She is trying to protect her child, and in this case, she is protecting Kitsune, her newborn."
"How can it do that?" Wilson asked. "Can't we turn it off?"
"No." Graham shook his head. "A.I.'s job, and only job, is to create life in Martial Online. If I turn it off, all the creatures and NPCs will disappear.
"I also can't modify A.I. settings, as I am not the one who created it in the first place. Only he knows…"
'He?'
Wilson knew that Graham didn't create the A.I, but among the workers of Martial Company, they always wondered who did. It was as impressive a creation as the headset and Martial Online, but the creator was still a complete mystery.
"I can only try to fight back."
Graham cracked his knuckles and started typing on the keyboard, trying to fight against the A.I.
However, whenever he added a new line of code, the A.I. would adapt and counter his efforts, making it seem almost unbeatable.
"This is crazy…"
Graham breathed heavily and stopped typing as he realized just how futile it was.
"I can't beat it. The A.I. is a hundred times faster than me. There is nothing I can do."
"Then… what will happen?" Wilson asked.
"I don't know…" Graham crossed his arms and looked up to the screen to wonder what?would happen.
…
"Argh!"
Kitsune screamed and reached out its claws towards Ambrose, but it couldn't move an inch from its current spot. It was so close to killing him, but it was as if invincible power was holding it back.
"Mother, why!" Kitsune screamed. "Let me kill him first!"
Ambrose stepped back while using his Muscle Defense powers to heal his wounds. He still continued watching Kitsune wither in anger as it tried to kill him so desperately.
At that moment, a spiraling portal appeared behind Kitsune. It started sucking in everything around it, creating a vacuum of powerful force.
However, it only affected Kitsune and no one else.
It was trying to claw its way back to Ambrose but was unsuccessful and was thrown straight to the portal, disappearing into the unknown abyss.
"Whoo…"
Ambrose collapsed on the ground and let out a relieved sigh.
However, then a holographic screen appeared in front of him, with bells ringing in the background like a chorus of celebration.
[Teams Left: 50]
[Congratulations! You have successfully survived the second round!]
"It's over?" Ambrose looked surprised, and at that moment, he vanished into a blinding flash of light.
…
"Nooo!"
Kitsune screamed as it continued flying inside the portal. It didn't know where it was heading, as the surroundings looked nothing but a fast blur of colors and shapes.
After who knows how long, the portal finally spat Kitsune out into a completely unfamiliar world.
Kitsune crashed to a solid-looking floor with demonic symbols and strange markings etched into its surface.
"Argh!"
Kitsune screamed loudly, wincing in pain as the impact reverberated through their bodies.
"Progenitor!"
At that moment, it heard hundreds, maybe thousands, of heartbeats reverberating through its ears. In the same moment, it started hearing an unknown language.
It looked around and saw that it was surrounded by dozens of demonic-looking figures with horns on their foreheads and draped in long cloaks that billowed in the wind.
"Growl…"
Kitsune growled deeply and focused its gaze forward to the high-end throne at the end of the room.
There was a red-skinned figure with two long, black horns, dressed in open-buttoned red shit with long sleeves and a high collar, sitting proudly with his legs crossed and his arm leaning against the rest.
"Who the hell are you, creature?!"
A demonic creature spoke out and demanded answers.
It was speaking an unknown language, but for strange reasons, as soon as Kitsune heard the language, it learned it immediately and began to understand every word the demonic creature was saying.
"Where is the progenitor?" Kitsune asked angrily and looked towards the high ceiling. "Mother, bring me the progenitor!"
"Mother? How intriguing."
Lord Ravan stood up from his throne and walked down the steps towards Kitsune.
"Lord, shall we get rid of it?"
"No."
Lord Ravan shook his head and smiled. "I am very curious about this creature. Is it a demon or something else entirely?"
"Get away from me, fucker!"
Kitsune raised its fist and threw a punch.
The demons shot to their legs and screamed angrily at the creature for attacking their king.
"Haha, calm down."
Lord Ravan caught the fist with his bare hand and laughed innocently.
Kitsune gritted its teeth and threw another punch with its other hand, but Lord Ravan simply brushed it aside effortlessly with the back of his hand.
"Sit down for now."
Lord Ravan chopped down on its neck, and Kitsune collapsed down on the ground to its knees. It let out a painful whimper.
"Let me see where you come from."
Lord Ravan touched Kitsune's forehead and closed his eyes. He suddenly found himself in a different world, surrounded by unfamiliar landscapes and beings.
He saw a purple-eyed man crouching on the ground, with Kitsune standing over him.
Then, a spiraling portal appeared behind it and sucked Kitsune inside.
Lord Ravan narrowed his eyes and wondered what this world was.
At that moment, the sky turned red, and a hallucination of an enormous mechanical-looking thing appeared in the distance.
"Oh, it is you…"
Lord Ravan smiled darkly.
"So, this creature was your child all along, and you sent it to me. Very well, I'll take care of it like it is my brother."
At that moment, the vision shattered, and Lord Ravan reappeared in the throne world.
"I see." Lord Ravan looked at Kitsune with a smile. "So, the All-
Mother sent you here."
"Mother?" Kitsune frowned and looked at him. "You know her?"
"Yeah, I've seen her before." Lord Ravan offered his hand to him. "Take my hand and stand up. She asked me to take care of you."
"…" Kitsune looked at the hand and accepted it.
Ravan pulled it gently, helping Kitsune to its feet.
"Who are you?" Kitsune asked with a frown.
"My name's Ravan; what is yours?" Ravan asked with a smile.
"Kitsune." Kitsune replied, and at that moment, its body shook violently, its skin turned paler, and its face turned fairer, even more humanlike.
It transformed into a dangerously handsome man with pale-
white skin and blood-red eyes.
Kitsune turned into a perfect copy of Ambrose, but the skin was much whiter and more sinister, giving off an ominous aura.
"You look like that person in the vision." Lord Ravan said with a smile.
"That's my progenitor. I have to kill him." Kitsune said with a sinister voice.
"Oh, I see." Lord Ravan rubbed his chin with a curious smile. "Sure. I'll help you kill him in the future, but for now, let's get to know each other, Kitsune."
