Chapter 1013 – Mechanical Life

Mo Lan quickly came up with a plan.

“Zhao Mingxuan, I’m coming to find you right now. I’ll use Card Magic to record the information from the Technology Ghost elimination program and create a {Technology Ghost Elimination Program} card.

After that, I’ll sign contracts with all of you, share my Card Magic, and grant you access to claim the {Technology Ghost Elimination Program} and {Card System Invitation} cards.

Chen Mu, could you please mark out the timelines where warfare has already erupted? We’ll split up and head to Earth in those timelines first, use the {Technology Ghost Elimination Program} cards to exterminate the Technology Ghosts, then give the {Card System Invitation} to the humans on Earth and guide them to begin cultivating.

For the timelines we don’t have the manpower to handle, Sophia, please go ahead and freeze them first!”

After a brief silence, Chen Mu was the first to respond: “Marking complete! Timelines where warfare has already erupted — there are currently 47 in total. Of those, 12 are in a state of full-scale war, and 35 are in localized conflicts that are rapidly deteriorating!”

Almost simultaneously, forty-seven bright red points of light flickered across the blue-green network of luminous threads. Beside each point, detailed data was annotated: war intensity, estimated population loss, Technology Ghost infiltration rate, boundary membrane stability…

“There’s still time! I’m going to find Zhao Mingxuan right now!”

Mo Lan leaped along the blue-green thread of timeline ε-015. When the Starsea Skiff emerged from the wormhole and passed through Earth’s boundary membrane, she discovered a silver-white spherical mechanical body hovering within the membrane.

Soft streams of data light flowed across the sphere’s surface. When Mo Lan emerged from the mirror space, a fissure opened on its surface, and a clear voice with a slight mechanical quality transmitted outward:

“Identity confirmed… Mo Lan. Welcome.”

The voice paused briefly, as if carrying a touch of humanized apology:

“I am Zhao Mingxuan. I’m sorry to meet you in this form. My physical body was destroyed in an experimental accident five hundred years ago. Now my consciousness has merged with this ‘Morning Star Type-III’ carrier. I suppose you could call me… a mechanical lifeform.”

“Hello, I’m Moira! No need to apologize — strictly speaking, I’m no longer a purely human being either!”

The data streams on the silver-white sphere’s surface accelerated slightly, as if registering some kind of emotional fluctuation.

“I’m glad you understand.” Zhao Mingxuan’s voice softened somewhat. A port slid open on the side of the mechanical sphere, and a small silver storage device was lifted out by an invisible force field and offered to Mo Lan.

“This is the complete data package for the Technology Ghost elimination program. As long as it’s connected to any networked device, the program will automatically propagate, identify, and purge all consciousness fragments and core matrices of the Technology Ghosts. I spent fifty-seven years writing and optimizing it. In theory, it can handle every variant we’ve observed so far.”

“What a remarkable creation.” Mo Lan reached out to accept the storage device, offering sincere praise.

As expected, a fellow technology-oriented being was far better equipped to deal with Technology Ghosts. This elimination program was much more precise and gentle than her Civilization Rot.

In the next moment, under Zhao Mingxuan’s “gaze,” the storage device in Mo Lan’s hand suddenly dissolved into shimmering stardust, flowing toward the Book of Cards that had appeared in her other hand at some unknown point.

Soon, two new cards coalesced within the card slots.

Mo Lan extended her index finger and lightly tapped the cards.

“Materialize.”

A flash of radiance passed, and two brand-new silver storage devices appeared in her hands — identical in shape, connectors, and even weight to the one Zhao Mingxuan had just given her.

“This…” Zhao Mingxuan’s data streams showed obvious turbulent fluctuations. “My program… was fully parsed and reconstructed? And in the form of… Magic Cards?” Even with the computational power of a mechanical lifeform, this scene exceeded his comprehension.

The complex program he had spent over half a century writing had been “devoured” in three seconds by the person before him, then “spat out” as two perfectly identical copies?

Mo Lan tossed one of the storage devices back to Zhao Mingxuan. “Try it.”

The silver sphere extended a slender mechanical arm to catch the storage device and deftly inserted it into its own port. The data-reading indicator light blinked rhythmically, and three seconds later, Zhao Mingxuan’s voice rang out again, this time carrying irrepressible astonishment: “Completely identical!”

Mo Lan smiled and explained, the Book of Cards in her hand glowing faintly. “My innate ability is to create corresponding cards based on existing materials and knowledge. Your program was catalogued by the Book of Cards as raw material, so I can produce it by expending nothing more than magical energy!”

“Unbelievable… so this is the allure of Magic?” Zhao Mingxuan’s voice carried a note of longing.

Mo Lan produced a prepared contract. “Here! Once you sign this, you’ll be able to use my Card Magic and claim the {Technology Ghost Elimination Program} and {Card System Invitation} for free! Other functions can be unlocked too if you spend some energy, including Magic Cards!”

“Really?” Zhao Mingxuan didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he used his own sensors to carefully “read” every clause of the contract. Ten seconds later, he spoke again: “You’re really sharing Magic like this with us for free?”

Mo Lan nodded. A single spell would sell for at most a single-digit amount of permanent Mana, and she already had more than enough contracted users — she didn’t need the few of them for that. Their return had truly been a lifesaver for her urgent predicament.

Of course, if they wanted to unlock higher-tier card pools, the Card Shop, or purchase other cards later, standard pricing would still apply. What she was giving them was a fairly discounted version.

“Thank you!” A slender mechanical arm extended from the sphere, touched the surface of the contract, and signed it.

Immediately afterward, a simple light screen appeared in Zhao Mingxuan’s perception.

Within the Card Shop, two cards were pinned to the top: {Technology Ghost Elimination Program} and {Card System Invitation}.

Both were marked “Free to Claim” in the lower right corner.

He selected the first card.

A physical purple card materialized out of thin air in his mechanical arm’s gripper.

“Claim successful,” Zhao Mingxuan said, his voice finally carrying a ripple of something close to “excitement.” “Now I can conjure elimination programs out of thin air just like you! As for the other card—”

He carefully read through the functions of the {Card System Invitation}.

“Wow! Is this a Card Magic you designed specifically for Earth’s humans?” Zhao Mingxuan instantly recognized the card’s value.

Given Earth’s current state, the path toward mechanical life was virtually impossible — but the path of Magic was perfectly suited.

“Yes! These are the insights I’ve compiled on saving Earth. You can look them over. From here on, ε-015 is in your hands. I need to go find the others!”

After handing him a Knowledge Card, Mo Lan departed. She had to hurry and sign contracts with everyone else — every available hand needed to be put to work! (End of Chapter)