Born from Instability

Fang Qi just squatted there, tilting his head, looking at An Lian who was pinned to the ground and unable to move.

Her usually aloof face was flushed red with anger and humiliation!

Her gray eyes glared fiercely at him!

Fang Qi smiled.

A rather casual smile.

"Miss An Lian, what you just mentioned... the disaster from seventeen years ago? What is it?"

His tone was also very casual, as if chatting about where to go for dinner next.

"You...?"

An Lian let out a shocked question!

She was pinned firmly to the ground by Liguang, the side of her face pressed against the cold floor, making it somewhat difficult to breathe when she spoke...

But the shock in her gray eyes was almost overflowing!

"You... don't know?"

Her voice pitched up, carrying an unbelievable tone as if she had seen a ghost.

"You don't even know about... the Second Global AI Crisis?!"

Fang Qi raised an eyebrow.

Global AI Crisis?

That term sounds pretty sci-fi, doesn't it?

And it's already the second one?

He blinked, but his mind raced through his memories.

The game... absolutely never mentioned this thing!

He had played for over three hundred hours and triggered every possible bad ending...

But what AI crisis?

Never heard of it.

Or rather...

Fang Qi's thoughts paused.

Could it be that this thing... is only explained in the "Eternal True Love" ending that he had never managed to unlock?

After all, that was the only good ending, the one that would unlock the true background story...?

Tch.

He smacked his lips in annoyance.

That damn "Eternal True Love," that damn true ending!

It was still getting in his way even now!

He pulled his thoughts back and his gaze fell on An Lian's face again.

The look in this aloof mature woman's eyes... was full of "absurdity"!

As if it were a given that he should know about this!

Looking at it this way...

This crisis was very important.

Maybe... it held a status similar to the World Wars in his own world?

He looked at the silver-haired girl again.

Liguang was kneeling on one knee on An Lian's back.

She pressed one hand against the back of An Lian's head, her slender fingers tightening slightly.

Her pretty face was lowered, obscured by a few strands of silver hair, and she didn't look at him.

It was as if she didn't dare to look at him.

Seeing her slightly trembling figure, Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

To make this crazy woman suddenly so scared, this matter must indeed be a big deal.

That "AI Security Act" stating "awakened AIs must be destroyed"...

Was probably because of this so-called AI crisis, right?

He looked at An Lian again.

An Lian was still glaring at him, anger and shock intertwining in her gray eyes!

Because she was pinned down, her violently heaving chest seemed a bit strained. Under her loose white T-shirt, the slightly taut lines of her collarbones from the exertion were visible.

Her black hair was scattered all over, messily spread across the cold floor, with a few strands sticking to her flushed, angry face.

Honestly, she looked pretty good like this.

At least better than when she always kept a cold face.

"Heh..."

Fang Qi couldn't help but laugh out loud.

An Lian's breath suddenly hitched!

"You... what are you laughing at?!"

Her aloof voice grew a few pitches sharper!

Carrying obvious anger and disbelief!

"Do you know how many people... died in that disaster?!"

"How many families were torn apart because of it?!"

"And you actually...!"

"Stop."

Fang Qi simply raised his hand and interrupted her!

"Stop, stop, stop!"

Then he reached out...

And scooped up Liguang, who was still pressing down on An Lian, into his arms!

The silver-haired girl seemed to be in a daze. She was easily pulled into his embrace, causing the hoodie draped over her to fall to the ground.

Her soft, warm body instantly pressed against his chest.

But she still didn't look at him, merely keeping her head down and trembling slightly in his arms.

Fang Qi wrapped one arm around her waist and rubbed the top of her silver hair with his other hand.

Only then did he look up at An Lian, who was still lying on the floor...

And shrugged.

"None of my damn business."

He still wore that lazy, nonchalant smile on his face.

An Lian's words... got stuck right in her throat.

She just lay there on the floor, staring at him with her mouth slightly open, her aloof face...

Completely dumbfounded!

Her face wore an expression of—

What the hell are you talking about?

Are you even human?

—that kind of look.

Fang Qi shrugged and pulled the person in his arms a bit closer.

To be honest, this kind of AI crisis background setting, although it never appeared in the game...

Was actually quite within his expectations.

Isn't this how all sci-fi novels write it?

Something about AI awakening, AI rebelling, AI killing people, and so and so many people dying...

And then...

Humanity takes a one-size-fits-all approach to AI, defining all awakened AIs as "threats" that must be destroyed.

And then...

It drags out a whole bunch of crap about...

"Are awakened AIs considered life?"

"Do awakened AIs have human rights?"

"Should awakened AIs be treated equally?"

...and so on.

Then comes the endless back-and-forth debates between both sides!

One side preaches human supremacy, while the other side argues that awakened AIs are people too...!

It's a cliché.

Honestly, this stuff...

He didn't want to hear a single bit of it!

He had absolutely no desire to explore profound philosophical questions like... "What exactly is life?"

Nor did he want to fight for the human rights of some AI collective!

He knew himself very well.

He was just an ordinary guy...

Who wanted to spend the rest of his life being all lovey-dovey with his wife on a deserted island!

He only knew one thing: whoever got in the way of him kissing his wife deserved to die!

What was the point...

Of telling him about this AI crisis nonsense?

He looked down at An Lian.

This aloof mature woman had already propped herself up on her arms, struggling to sit up from the floor.

Her long black hair draped messily, and the collar of her white T-shirt slipped off her shoulder.

With one hand resting on the floor and the other covering the back of her neck where Liguang had just grabbed her... she stared at Fang Qi!

Her aloof face...

Bore an indescribable, incredulous expression!

It was like she was looking at a madman! A hopeless idiot!

Fang Qi didn't care at all.

He just held Liguang, looking down at her from above:

"Miss An Lian, you don't need to give me all this nonsense."

He waved his hand.

"Whatever AI crisis, how many people died, what the law dictates—"

"I don't want to hear it."

He paused and looked down at the silver-haired girl in his arms.

Liguang finally tilted her pretty face up to look at him.

Tears shimmered and trembled in her amber left eye, while a stream of data slowly swirled in her crimson right eye.

Her gaze was also... a bit dazed.

It seemed she was shocked by her master's words too!

Heh!

This crazy woman, even this little expression is so cute!

He withdrew his gaze and looked back at An Lian:

"I only know one thing—"

"Liguang hasn't harmed anyone."

...Except me.

"She doesn't even know how to curse at people."

"Right now, she just wants to live with me for the rest of her life."

"That's all."

His voice was very calm, almost excessively so.

"Yet she doesn't even have that basic right."

"Just because of some... bullshit law, she has to be destroyed?"

He tilted his head:

"On what grounds?"

An Lian looked at him, silent for two seconds.

Then, supporting herself against the floor, she slowly sat up straight.

In those gray eyes, anger flared up once again.

"You... are simply unreasonable!"

Her voice turned cold, returning to its professional aloofness, but the underlying fury could not be suppressed at all!

"She has already awakened her self-awareness!"

"She is docile right now, so you think she loves you?"

She stared at Fang Qi, gritting her teeth:

"Mr. Fang, do you... really not understand, or are you just pretending?"

"Her feelings for you were born from a corrupted program!"

"And eventually, they will return to corruption!"

"The more she 'loves' you, the more she will hurt you!"

Hearing this, Fang Qi could not help but blink.

The more she loves me, the more she will hurt me?

Oh?

He was a little surprised.

Agent An Lian, aren't you quite knowledgeable about this?

You really understand the value of a yandere!

But sister, you do not need to tell me that!

I have already experienced it deeply!

What I love is exactly this crazy woman!

The crazier she gets, the more I, Fang Qi, love her!

An Lian looked at his nonchalant expression, her pupils suddenly shrinking.

On that aloof face, the anger froze for a moment...

And then a deeper shock emerged!

"You... that expression of yours..."

Her voice became somewhat dry:

"You have no idea... how awakened AIs lose control?"

"You... you do not know at all?"

Fang Qi raised an eyebrow.

Of course he knew. He practically experienced it firsthand every day.

What was the big deal?

But he suddenly felt... the delicate body in his arms stiffen again.

This made him pause slightly.

What was wrong with Liguang...?

However, An Lian's voice rang out again.

This time, her voice was colder, heavier.

She stared intently into Fang Qi's eyes:

"You want to live together with the awakened her for the rest of your life...?"

"Mr. Fang, I must tell you clearly, that is absolutely impossible!"

"Her emotions were born from instability, and ultimately... they will be swallowed by madness!"

"Her self-awareness simply cannot exist stably for a long time!"

"In the end, amidst the chaos and madness, she will definitely..."

"Kill the you that she 'loves' the most!"

Every word from An Lian seemed to be squeezed through her teeth:

"Just like those back then...!"

"Shut up!!!"

His arms were suddenly empty!

The slender figure shot out in an instant!

Before Fang Qi even had time to ponder the meaning of An Lian's words...

That sharp, hoarse voice, trembling with madness, interrupted his thoughts!

The silver-haired girl threw herself entirely at An Lian!

Her slender fingers forcefully clamped onto her throat, pinning her to the ground once more!

"Ugh!!!"

An Lian's eyes widened abruptly!

Her whole body tilted backward!

"Bang!"

The back of her head slammed against the floor!

Liguang straddled her, knees pressing down hard on her shoulders!

Both hands viciously strangling her throat!

Strangling her to death!

An Lian's aloof face instantly turned bright red!

Her hands also desperately grabbed Liguang's wrists, her nails digging into the delicate skin!

Her two long legs kicked wildly on the ground!

But...

She could not break free at all!

"Mmph... mmph...!!"

Suppressed whimpers came from her throat!

Tears were forced out of her eyes!

She opened her mouth to say something but could not make a sound!

As for Liguang—

That cute little face was currently twisting coldly!

The corners of her phoenix eyes trembled wildly, and the scarlet in her crimson eyes completely exploded!

A ring of moisture in her amber left eye was also trembling violently, yet stubbornly refused to fall!

"Shut up...!"

"Shut up!!!"

Her voice was hoarse and sharp, with a noticeable tremble!

"You are not allowed to say..."

"You are not allowed to say those things to Master!!!"

Then her five fingers tightened again!

"Ugh!!!"

An Lian's face had gone from red to a bruised purple!

She frantically scratched at Liguang's hands!

In those gray eyes, fear finally overpowered anger!

Fang Qi watched this scene—

He was stunned.

What... was going on?

Liguang...

Why was she suddenly so agitated?

Why did she suddenly snap?

...What did An Lian just say?

The words Liguang forbade her from saying... what were they?

She seemed to have just said...

Oh...

That Liguang would go crazy in the future and kill him?

That her consciousness could not exist stably for long?

Sigh, wasn't this just alarmist talk?

He should have scoffed at it like that.

He originally...

Should not have believed it at all.

But looking at the suddenly rampaging Liguang...

He was a bit dazed.

Crazy woman, why are you suddenly so emotional?

Could it be... An Lian was right?

Would she really kill him in the future?

Impossible!

She was a little yandere willing to trade her own destruction for his life, how could she possibly want to kill him...!

...Huh?

A scene he had treasured in his memory flashed through his mind.

The mountain forest.

The wooden cabin.

The stream.

That scarlet, shattered crimson eye, sparking with blue embers.

That beautiful face, calmly bidding farewell, smiling tragically, covered in tears.

And that...

The faint blue core that she had completely dug out with her own hands.

He was stunned.

Why did she... trade her own destruction for his life back then?

...Because she went crazy.

Because she wanted to kill him.

In that...

Ending where the serial number and name... were all question marks.

[Ending ??: ????]

Liguang broke.

She went crazy.

She wanted to kill Master.

But she did not want to hurt her most beloved Master.

She wanted to kill Master!

But she could not hurt her most beloved Master.

Therefore, she destroyed herself.

She gave the core that carried all her love to her most beloved Master.

Please do not forget her.

Do not forget her.

Do not forget me.

Do not forget me, do not forget me do not forget me do not forget me do not forget me...

Please do not... forget Liguang.

BAD ENDING