Chapter 422

In South Korea, biological experiments were being conducted.

Of course, a high-ranking executive of Valpurgis wouldn’t directly confess, and it was someone like a personal aide who poured out his thoughts in hopes of reducing his sentence.

People were engaged in a debate about what kind of artificial life Valpurgis was referring to.

[Domestic Magic Gallery]

[Explains what artificial life is simply][103]

First, the Valpurgis subordinate (a dropout) mentioned “artificial life,” but I don’t think that person fully understood what it meant.

To explain, the concept of artificial life accepted in modern times is based on “artificially synthesized cells.”

You only need to remember two methods: “top-down” and “bottom-up.”

The top-down approach is still used in the field of agriculture, with the most representative example being the “pomato” (tomato + potato).

For instance, if you want to create an eye, you investigate what cells are in the eye and what proteins and DNA it consists of.

The bottom-up approach now falls under the subfield of synthetic biology.

If you paid attention in middle school, you would know that mixing artificial bases with A-T-G-C leads to the birth of entirely new life.

In reality, this is a challenge to the realm of gods, and to this day, we haven’t progressed beyond bacteria.

So, I conclude that it’s not quite artificial life, but rather a highly advanced level of unethical genetic manipulation.

What’s more interesting is the claim of injecting ASI consciousness, but I’m not quite sure if that’s actually possible.

Three-Line Summary:

The dropout saying it’s artificial life is unconvincing; I suspect it’s just genetic manipulation. The ASI consciousness theory is quite intriguing. Please distribute “one household, one name”…

[Comments]

-I think the same thing. How can Valpurgis do something the US can’t? They’re not Iron Man!

└ Iron Man built an arc reactor in a cave…!

-The last line is the key.

-There’s already a case like Adella, so is Noname just a human body with ASI consciousness?

└ Body is genetically modified, mind is AI ㄷㄷ.

└ That sounds incredibleㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

└ Are you here to destroy the world?ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

-Are you looking down on Noname, who isn’t even a dropout!

└ Oh…!

└ (Author) Oh, you’re right… I won’t look down on her again.

└ Noname is a graduate.

└ She didn’t even go to kindergarten, so she’s not a graduate.

└ Since she’s graduated from LoL, let’s just call her LoL grad.

[Five Reasons Why the Noname ASI Theory is Correct][179]

1. Suspiciously vast knowledge.

2. Absolute memory + human calculator.

3. Unclear existence of parents.

4. Has a developed self at 12 months of age. (Typical self-formation period is 15-48 months)

5. Not of this world’s cuteness.

[Comments]

-They’re all using analytical posts to showcase their selfishness.

-2 and 3 could make sense. But 1, 4, especially number 4 is the most suspicious.

└ I’m for number 5.

-Or is it possible that it’s Highlander Syndrome? Maybe Noname is actually an adult but is hiding her age.

└ That person can’t possibly be confused during a physical exam at a university hospital.

└ It’s disgusting how they’re trying to slander Noname with such shallow knowledge.

└ Why are these people so angry?

└ Noname must remain forever young.

Having seen the true face of the community, Noname chuckled softly and bit her lip.

It was clear that Nonsulah was Noname’s biological mother.

There was no room for doubt, as a paternity test was conducted during her rescue.

If it weren’t for the lack of memories from her past life, Noname would just be a smart child like others.

“So, what you think of as my past life was all just a setup!”

Above all, it was absolutely unforgivable for her to dismiss all of her previous experiences as fake.

So Noname tugged on Saetbyeol’s shirt and pressed her forehead against hers.

Saetbyeol was overwhelmed by the fiercely burning gaze of Noname.

It seemed like a hint of light was visible in her wide-open eyes.

“Are you… angry? I was just joking.”

Adella, taken aback, blinked several times and asked.

Noname gradually eased the grip in her hand, and the crumpled T-shirt hung down.

“I don’t care if you call me an artificial lifeform. If you think about it, you’re also an artificial lifeform. What matters is just living a good life as a human. Just know that my past life exists. I suffered much more there than you can imagine.”

“Uh… okay. I believe you…”

“You don’t look like you believe me at all.”

“I do. I believe you!”

“No, you really don’t.”

“The person in question says they believe me! What kind of nonsense is that!”

“Just say you don’t believe me quickly.”

“Geez, I don’t even know what to think anymore. Fine, I don’t believe it! Isn’t that all nonsense?”

“Ah, I didn’t expect you to say that… I’m hurt.”

Noname spoke with a sullen and stern face.

Eventually, Noname led Saetbyeol to her room.

“I’m worried that the bath water will get cold, and here I am, a Korean. You aren’t Korean.”

“You can just warm it up later. Stop chattering and sit quietly on the floor here.”

She pointed to the carpet.

Saetbyeol couldn’t hide her skepticism, but the household hierarchy was absolute.

As Noname brushed past, she lightly touched Saetbyeol’s shoulder in a seated position.

Saetbyeol screamed in shock.

“Ah!”

“Why? I didn’t do anything.”

“No, I’m just anxious. What are you going to do next?”

“It’s not suspicious; it’s a sort of drug.”

“If it’s a drug then it’s super suspicious! Ahhhh, no! Save me!”

* * *

Was the feline family always this scared?

I wrapped the mana detector installed in the room with duct tape and, while I was at it, also sealed Saetbyeol’s mouth.

As I slowly took my time to draw the magic circle, Saetbyeol was truly putting on a wild show.

“Mm! Mmm!”

“Noname, you fool?”

“Mm? Mmmmmm!”

Listening to her was so frustrating that I eventually let her go.

Creeeak-!

“Ah! It hurts! My philtrum! Argh!”

“What I’m doing is called Alchemist magic. The principles aren’t fully understood yet, but it’s an illusion magic that creates the happiest moments of the caster and their companion. The cosmic waves reaching Earth are all stored in the mana main line and we entrust our consciousness to the main line—”

“Keep it short; even elementary school students can understand.”

“We’ll show each other the happiest moments we ever had. Then, you can understand my past life. It’s a slightly different world, but I think it was probably the same Earth.”

“Do we really have to go through all this just to prove your past life?”

“Yeah.”

“Why only with me?”

“That’s obviously…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence.

Adella—what kind of being is she to me?

A friend, a family-like being, and a pet-like feeling too.

Above all, both of us are flawed beings who cannot perfectly blend into this world.

But still, regardless of all reasons, it was just comfortable.

Dealing with people is difficult, but it’s easy to get along with her.

Suddenly, though, I thought to myself—am I taking too much control over her?

“Please, Adella.”

I fervently begged.

“I’m still scared to face people.”

The days I’ve lived prove that I’m a being who should be rejected.

In the end, the amount of love doesn’t matter.

I thought perhaps if everyone loved me, it would be okay, but it wasn’t merely that.

In the end, I have to be convinced that I am a being worthy of love.

Only until that time.

“I wish that no matter what I do, you would always be by my side, cheering for me. You won’t betray me.”

“No, I’m going to betray you at any time.”

“What?”

“If you go off track, I’ll definitely betray you to correct your wrong mindset. So don’t say things like you were betrayed later. I don’t know what kind of magic it is, but happy moments? Sounds good, let’s do it.”

That was a truly Adella-like response.

I was trying hard to hold back a smile and transformed this room into a stage of stars.

I was going to.

[Cast: Alchemy-]

“Wait, stop! All stop!”

Saetbyeol rushed in, enveloped in aura, completely ruining the magic circle.

128 runes shattered and the circuits of the magic circle tangled.

“Hey! Do you even know how much this costs?”

Since I had already saved the magic up to that point, I had to at least pay 10%.

Because of her actions moments ago, a hundred thousand won flew away.

At this point, a real cat would need to be slapped just to ease my frustrations.

When would I use those 128 runes again?

“I’m sorry, it’s really really important to me. I really mean it. I just have one question to ask.”

“Huh, what is it?”

“What are the criteria for the happiest moments?”

“I don’t really know the details either. Roughly, it’s when you remember something, and your aura heart resonates? Like when you won a long-prepared contest, or when you went on a family trip, or something that has lingering feelings even to this day. You have plenty too, right?”

“Until now?”

“Yeah. At this point, your unconscious is thinking.”

“So happiness is the standard, right? Not just simple pleasure?”

“Why are you even asking that? And what difference does it make?”

I was about to reply gruffly when a thought suddenly popped into my mind, leaving me speechless.

No way, could this girl…

Saetbyeol quickly turned her head, trying to hide her reddening cheeks.

“Ah, no, you don’t need to know… Hurry up and cast the magic. What are you doing?”

“While your very personal moments won’t come out, what if they do? I’ll cut ties with you first if that happens.”

“Why not?!”

I firmly warned ahead of time.

We have so many memories together with our family. How could I just throw them aside?

If I did, I wouldn’t have anyone to trust in this world, and I was determined to live completely alone this lifetime.

“That’s not necessarily a bad thing…!”

“True, it’s not bad. But the priority is different, right? Did I create a body for you to do something like that? If you have excess energy, you should go volunteer or something since it’s cold outside.”

“I know, I just asked out of curiosity… But that doesn’t mean I’m going to cut ties with you. Haven’t you ever done it in your past life?”

“Never.”

“Not once? That can’t be true. That doesn’t make sense. This is ridiculous. How can someone…”

Ah, I’m glad I saved it on the wand.

Fortunately, I was able to finish the magic circle early after using around 30 more runes.

[Cast: Alchemist]

* * *

128 meteor showers fell, shattering the celestial dome that had enclosed the girls.

“Your head has reverted to how it used to be.”

Illusions are spaces that do not adhere to physical laws.

Thus, they are implemented in forms closest to a person’s essence.

Adella, with her silver hair, cat ears, and cat tail, was one of the elements defining her essence.

Adella shook her silver tail from side to side.

Unlike external manifestations, it felt just like moving a real tail.

“I love this stable feeling.”

“Do you see that?”

Noname pointed to a hill covered in green grass.

Atop the hill was a large tree providing shade.

The sound of lush foliage swaying in the wind resembled a spring song.

What could the red fruits growing among the bushes be?

Thinking they were raspberries created a strange space filled with raspberry scents.

A blonde girl was bouncing her way over to her friends who had spread out a mat on the hill.

The picnic bag woven from willow branches swayed rhythmically in her hands.

“That girl is me.”

“Huh? Oh? Now that I think about it, she does resemble your avatar somewhat…!”

Though the arms and legs were short, her eyes and nose were strikingly similar.

While Adella held her mouth shut, Noname grabbed the girl’s back.

At that moment, the girl faded away like a ghost.

“I just possessed that child. Shall we go?”

“Who are those guys?”

“Um, my half-brother and half… friend? They’re good kids.”

“Oh, this is so amazing. It really feels like I’m dreaming lucidly.”

Following the chirping sparrows along a narrow path, they finally reached the top of the hill.

There, the siblings Hiasen and Niobe were always present.

The young siblings playing under the shade of the tree turned to look, startled by the presence.

Noname swallowed her heated feelings and waved her hand nonchalantly.

Adella followed along and greeted the same way.

At that, the brother of the blonde siblings sprang to his feet, hiding Niobe behind him.

“Hiasen, who on earth did you bring!”

Fear, dread, anxiety, hostility.

Hiasen visibly displayed various negative emotions as he shouted.

“Who are you? Do you know her?”

Noname asked, puzzled.

Adella’s appearance was that of a beastkin.

In her previous life on Earth, the races were humans, Mazzak, and dragons.

There weren’t any beastkins with animal ears anywhere.

Noname thought that Hiasen couldn’t have mistaken Adella for someone else given her prominent animal ears and tail.

Hiasen gripped his sword sheath with trembling arms.

“Hey, do you not remember? It happened long ago.”

“…?”

“The first Demon Lord. Salvamonium Delacroix.”