Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Beneath the Wizard Tower, many apprentices were walking back and forth. Countless young wizards had walked into this tower, filled with admiration and dreams. Some would become formal wizards within five years, while others would leave without even graduating.
The structures of the school sprawled over the dark mountain ranges, surrounding the central tower. The wind ravens hovered in the skies. Occasionally, a dragon’s roar would resound throughout the area, shocking all of the apprentices and forcing them to cover their ears. When this happened, everyone knew that the violent red dragon, which had been raised by the owner of the tower, was angry again.
Meanwhile, within the alchemy laboratory of the wizard tower, Lu Zhiyu was conducting a crucial experiment. All of the tower instructors were present to observe.
Bohr was almost eighty years old now. He had become a level four wizard after enhancing his brain and assimilating the life template of the Double-headed Magic Eagle. In doing so, he had gained the lifespan of the Double-headed Magic Eagle, which was close to eight hundred years! If he had not completed this step, he might have already died a natural death by now.
Without breaking through as a level four wizard, a wizard’s lifespan could only be partially extended by refinement, using the deified cells of the Double-headed Magic Eagle. Even then, it would only grant a lifespan of around two hundred years at most.
So far, only Bohr had broken through to the fourth level. The others had integrated some deified cells, but by now, their bodies had already begun to show signs of aging. Their consciousnesses were also becoming more rigid and sluggish. If they didn’t hurry, it would be unlikely that they would be able to break through.
Lu Zhiyu stood on top of the experiment platform, manipulating an alchemical doll. After spending the past twenty days in the real world, Lu Zhiyu’s harvest was significant. In particular, Fabio Rossi, who was the was the foremost expert in robotics manufacturing from the Italian National Bionic Research Institute, had taught him many significant things.
But, what the prototype that they had built on the base of Byrne Island was still only a robot. What Lu Zhiyu ultimately wanted to be able to create was alchemical life.
His aim was to create a true alchemical lifeform, an existence on the same class as silicon-based life. Although it wouldn’t be on the level of the silicon-based life wreckage that he had encountered before, Lu Zhiyu knew that it was still an important step to take for making forward progress on the research on alchemical lifeforms.
The most important element would be the construction of the brain from metallic cells, which would then allow him to develop sentience. However, this was still not artificial intelligence, as Lu Zhiyu still had no idea how to create artificial intelligence. The sub-brain system that Lu Zhiyu had first developed, was just a simple imitation, which was based on the operating system and processing model of computers.
It was also different from the SS Eternity’s sub-brain, David, which was created with the soul of Sakun. A true alchemy lifeform had to naturally develop wisdom and awareness.
The alchemy doll was lying on Lu Zhiyu’s experiment table. Its shape had been fashioned after humans’ forms. It had a silver face with a streamlined body. It was clear that, when it ran, it would definitely exhibit similar beauty as that of a professional athlete.
The entire body was made from a titanium skeleton. Lu Zhiyu had put a bionic skin on the outside, so it was similar to a normal human epidermis. Lu Zhiyu was only using metallic cells for its brain.
Nerve fibers were implanted into its ears, and the signal was transmitted to the brain through soundwaves. The arms and feet could rotate freely. The heart was a supercapacitor battery. The eyes were hyperspectral cameras, and the throat was an amplifier. There was a solar panel in its back.
Needless to say, this was indeed a high-tech product. In Maria’s World, it could even be called a miracle, as no one else could create such a thing!
In the eyes of all of the students, who were seated behind Lu Zhiyu, this kind of thing was simply a miracle of the gods! All of them stared at the experiment with wide eyes.
Meanwhile, Akkad, who specialized in mechanical alchemy, was looking around like a madman. For him, the figure on the table was simply the most beautiful thing in the world.
At that moment, a large number of scattered parts flew through the air. Lu Zhiyu used his mind power to controls these small parts to, bit by bit, assemble the alchemy doll.
After checking every detail, he let out a deep breath. Now it was time for the most important step, the activation process. This process involved the activation of the brain, not the body, and took place in order to actualize the birth of the alchemy doll.
Lu Zhiyu wanted a doll that posessed both emotions and awareness. It would be the first alchemy lifeform born in Maria’s World, and would thus be a major breakthrough in the mechanical alchemy field.
Lu Zhiyu cautiously pressed the activation switch on the alchemy doll, and began to stimulate the brain. This brain was composed of a pure unrefined metallic cells, instead of enhanced metallic cells, which have a higher plasticity.
As such, Lu Zhiyu was careful to follow David’s calculations, ensuring that he built a life template that was able to seamlessly imitate human neurons and glial cells. According to the derived template, this project was feasible, but Lu Zhiyu was still not sure whether it would succeed.
The doll lying on the alchemy platform suddenly moved. Lu Zhiyu could see that, deep within its brain, a weak mental energy current had begun to flow. The signal was obviously being transmitted!
Finally, the brain’s awareness began to form. Lu Zhiyu could feel the power flowing from an unfathomable place, then gathering to form an awareness within the alchemy doll. Lu Zhiyu had guessed a long time ago that the birth of a lifeform’s awareness was intrinsically connected with the highest law of the world. As such, every time a life was born, it would extract some Source Form from which to derive its awareness. Such was the scene that was occurring before Lu Zhiyu’s very eyes!
The alchemy doll stood up slowly and looked at Lu Zhiyu. It was like a child just born, observing the whole world. It looked at Lu Zhiyu with its hyperspectral camera eyes, then glanced around the entire alchemy laboratory. It then peered curiously through the window at the world outside.
As they watched it move, the noisy laboratory suddenly grew silent. Akkad’s whole body shivered in excitement, then he shouted, “It’s beautiful! This is a true work of art!” This is the miracle of life, the highest realm of alchemy, the realm of God.”
Akkad was deliriously happy. He was eager to learn this alchemy technique that he now saw in front of him. This was the true future of alchemy. His teacher Anthony had shown him a door to the supreme path!
Before, he had been ridiculed by the others for being a heretic and following an unusual path. But now, his teacher had just proved to him that this was alchemy was truly of great worth!
Lu Zhiyu was also smiling, as the silvery doll stood in front of him. The two looked at one another, the doll’s gem-like eyes continuously zooming in and out. Lu Zhiyu then nodded. “From now on, I shall call you Eva. You are the first alchemy lifeform in the world!”
