Chapter 121 Make A Path
The farm was already operating with full automation, utilising the machines Alex had purchased from the farm shop for this purpose.
Tasks such as ploughing the fields, planting seeds, watering, harvesting, and even storing the harvested products were all carried out automatically.
While having an AI didn't provide any tangible benefits for Alex, it could potentially be a disadvantage.
However, the farm's ability to answer his questions proved to be extremely helpful. Alex could now obtain detailed information about each feature of the farm, eliminating the need for guesswork and manual identification.
This also meant that he could enhance his farming skills to a certain extent. As the demand for Farm Points increased, having access to more information was a blessing.
After some time had passed, the children fully reverted to their normal state. All the mutant cells were expelled from their bodies, leaving them in perfect condition.
Upon observing the subsiding fever and relaxed breathing, Alex utilised his mana vision to examine them closely.
Unlike before, he immediately noticed that the turbulent mana within them had calmed down.
However, he also noticed an oddity. One of the children still had a worm-like structure inside his body.
Alex posed a question to the farm, "Farm! Why does the son of the street vendor still have mutant cells? I want to understand why the gene serum eliminated the mutant cells from the other children but failed to do so in his case."
To Alex's surprise, the farm provided a concise answer: [Even if that were true, his body doesn't contain mutant cells.]
"What?" Alex exclaimed.
[They are cells that the child assimilated,] the farm clarified. [While evolving his genetic makeup, he integrated these cells into his body, surpassing the rejection of mutant cells. With the assistance of the gene serum, his body naturally assimilated and made them his own.]
Alex was taken aback by this revelation. The child had seemingly defied all odds and successfully integrated the mutant cells, destroying the consciousness that attempted to take over him.
Though Alex didn't fully grasp the implications, he sensed that the child had become something beyond human—a being distinct from all the other hosts infected by second-generation mutant cells.
Concerned about the worm-like tissue structure, Alex inquired, "Is the presence of this tissue harmful to the child?"
[No, quite the opposite,] the farm responded. [By using the mutant cells as a foundation, the child has successfully raised his life rating. He has surpassed the limits of evolution.]
Alex found himself delighted by the current notifications, which stood in stark contrast to the previous rigid and monotonous notifications that revealed minimal information.
"Can you predict what the effect of the now integrated mutant cells would have on the child?"
[That would not be possible. The question is beyond the scope of the farm currently. However, the user can analyse thousands of samples of mutant cells to finally completely identify the genetic make-up. After upgrading the farm knowledge it would be possible to answer that kind of question.]
The farm responded, stating that it was currently unable to answer the question as it was beyond its current capabilities.
However, it suggested that the user could analyse numerous samples of mutant cells to fully identify the genetic makeup. By upgrading the farm's knowledge, it would eventually become possible to provide an answer to such a question.
This was great news for Alex.
Now, he had an idea of what the farm knowledge base is. It also suggested that the farm, with constant observation of its environment is improving its knowledge base. It was understanding the world around him faster than him.
It would take long for the farm to have a better understanding of the world than him. After all, phase two was just initiated.
The current scenario of Alex asking questions was equivalent to asking a baby to solve quadratic equations.
'Currently, the farm was acting like a chatbot which revealed information. But, I think it would evolve into a fully functional Artificial General Intelligence if the growth continues.'
'Currently, it was not an AI. But who said it couldn't become one in the future? In my past life, I had seen a multitude of experiments with AI. Maybe the farm has yet to realise that it was an AI. That seems more plausible.'
Alex concluded.
—-
After Alex vanished from his sight, Kain's face burned with humiliation, as if he had been slapped. Consumed by anger, he harboured a strong desire to track down Alex swiftly and tear his limbs apart.
To aid his pursuit, Kain channelled mana into his staff and forcefully thrust it into the ground, connecting it with the ancient runic formation surrounding him. Although he didn't possess complete control over the ancient runes, he could still establish a connection and utilise it as a sensory device.
Utilising the maze functionality to his advantage, Kain hoped to detect Alex's mana signature within the vast network of underground tunnels in Pushpam City. However, despite his efforts, he failed to discern any mana signature resembling Alex's. This failure only further fueled his anger, pushing it to new heights.
As frustration consumed him, Kain took charge of the maze formation, actively impeding other warriors in an attempt to vent his anger on them. His inability to track Alex made him lose his mind.
-
Beneath the expansive expanse of Pushpam City lay a profound mystery, buried deep within the soil.
Unbeknownst to many, the present-day city was constructed upon the remnants of an ancient civilisation.
This knowledge was safeguarded by the mightiest warrior of the Divine Butterfly tribe, who was prepared to defend the secret with their life.
However, Chitra soon discovered, upon entering the tunnel right behind the white-robed man, that their once well-kept secret was no longer concealed.
Somehow, the Spider Gang had managed to seize control of the previously inaccessible ancient city, which shed light on why Chitra had found it so challenging to track their movements within her own city.
The Spider Gang had emerged mysteriously around two decades ago. Even as a child, Chitra had been aware of their presence. They had initially operated in the shadows, biding their time before revealing their true nature.
They swiftly established dominion over illicit activities within the city, eliminating rival gangs in the process. To solidify their power, they formed alliances with the wealthy and influential, engaging in various business ventures to amass funds for their gang.
No one could control the corrupt individual residing in the city. That was the truth.
By the time the Divine Butterfly tribe realised the true extent of their influence, it was already too late to eradicate them entirely.
The Spider Gang had woven a complex web that entangled the lives of ordinary citizens, resembling a parasitic entity feeding on the vitality of the city, slowly draining it to its demise.
The Divine Butterfly Tribe recognised the threat posed by the Spider Gang and made numerous attempts to eliminate them. However, despite surface-level defeats, the Spider Gang consistently reemerged. Their leader remained elusive, impossible to locate or eliminate.
As Chitra grew older, she battled against the parasitic presence of the Spider Gang within her city, but each attempt ended in failure. Now, with the realisation of the Spider Gang's alliance with the evil organisation and their ability to control the ancient runic formation within the abandoned underground city, Chitra understood why her previous efforts had been in vain.
Chitra looked at the ever-changing path before and wondered what she should do. The maze in front of her was making it difficult for her to find the path.
She was supposed to follow the white-robed man closely. And yet, the moment she stepped into the dark tunnel, her senses were hampered by the ancient rune formation that surrounded her.
She tried to navigate it in the begging. But her failure caused her to rethink the method.
"Thuck!" Suddenly, a wall nearby collapsed. The ancient runic formation that spread like tree roots exploded due to the attack by some person.
In the dim dark tunnel, a figure appeared from the dust cloud of the destroyed wall.
"Hello!" The figure calmly looked at Chitra and said.
It was none other than Karthi and the old man from the primal chaos tribe. They stared at Chitra for a second before resuming to talk.
"It seems like this is the only way. The maze is not designed to confuse the enemy. It is designed to prevent everyone from finding the right path." Karthi stated.
"So, you decided to break through the walls?" Chitra asked back.
"Indeed, you are welcome to join us," Karthi declared as he aimed his attention at another section of the wall.
"When you are at the end of your path, make more by smashing through." He said after finally realising how to get to the other side.
With the notion that the wall was constantly shifting, he resolved to break through all of them.
He reasoned that taking action was more productive than pondering endlessly. This rationale drove his decision.
Initially, Chitra hesitated to dismantle the walls, as they held a significant connection to the secrets of her tribe and the city. However, she swiftly cast aside her reluctance and joined Karthi in the endeavour.