“A suggestion?”
[Yes. There is a way for us to harvest Aether safely without going against the Federation’s law.]
Isaac’s interest was piqued. He was aware that the System AI’s intelligence was far above his.
Others would be probably reluctant to consult an AI, but Isaac did not really mind lowering his pride if it meant he could easily achieve his goal.
“Let me hear it.”
[First, let me discuss the current situation of this world.]
[In this world overflowing with impure mana, there exist mutated humans called Awakeneds.]
[Using this planet’s standards, Awakeneds are superhumans akin to strategic weapons. They’re basically the reason why the human race has not gone extinct yet despite the numerous portals scattered throughout this world.]
[If we go by the terms used in the Galactic Federation, they would be classified among the Tainted Variants.]
“Hmm… Tainted Variants,” muttered Isaac. “Aren’t they no different from lower lifeforms then? No matter what kind of mutations they undergo, a body modified by nanotechnology would always be superior.”
[Yes, Admiral.]
[But that’s only from the perspective of someone from the Galactic Federation, like you.]
[From the perspective of the primitive humans living on this planet, the Awakeneds are the pinnacle of the human race.]
[According to the intelligence we’ve gathered, the strongest Awakeneds are living their lives like monarchs on this planet.]
It was an interesting piece of information. But honestly, Isaac had no intention of interfering with how the primitive humans wished to govern this planet.
Whether those so-called Awakeneds exercised their strengths to protect others or enslave their kin, he could not care less.
“What are you trying to say?”
[Admiral, not all Tainted Variants are equal. Although there exist powerful Awakeneds called ‘Rankers’, the vast majority of the Awakeneds are no stronger than the orcs we’ve captured.]
[No, if our analyses are correct, most are only a bit stronger than goblins.]
“Thirty-five years… Only a bit stronger than goblins… and they still managed to survive this long, huh?”
[The humans in this undeveloped planet are quite resilient, Admiral.]
[If they’re this adaptive, it should be possible for us to tweak their capabilities a little bit.]
[A stronger constitution grants a person the ability to purify mana at a faster rate.]
Isaac was starting to see where the conversation was heading to.
“Y-You… is that even allowed? You want to introduce nanotechnology to this planet?!”
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[Admiral, introducing nanotechnology to a primitive planet with the goal of helping the residents survive does not go against the Primitive Planet Protection Law of the Galactic Federation.]
[Well, it goes against the Technology Transfer Law, but if we limit the nanotechnology transfer, the repercussions should be quite lenient.]
[There have been numerous cases when this has been done before.]
[Planet Orga-54, one of the pillars of the 2REA5 Outpost is a prime example.]
“…But if the Empire finds out.”
[Then we’re done for, Admiral.]
“!”
[With or without nanotechnology intervention, we’ll be dead anyway the moment the Betelgeuse Empire detects our presence on this planet.]
For a full minute, Isaac stood there, dumbfounded. Although it shouldn’t be possible, it felt like the System AI was grinning mischievously at him right now.
Basically, the System AI was telling him to go out there and strengthen those primitive humans.
And once those humans reached a certain strength, they would be able to quickly purify the abundant yet impure mana in this world, converting it into Aether.
It was a win-win situation for the two parties, but –
“…is this really alright? For us to impart our technology to the residents of this planet.”
Isaac wouldn’t be this hesitant if they were currently on a planet under the Galactic Federation or even a planet unaffiliated with any nation. But this planet called Earth was part of the Betelgeuse Empire.
Isaac continued muttering to himself.
“Imparting nanotechnology to the subjects of the Empire… no matter how I look at it, this is no different from treason.”
[That is one way to do it.]
[You also have the option to forcefully gather Aether from all of the humans inhabiting this planet, Admiral.]
“And what? Get executed after our return? Screw that! And besides, it feels wrong to massacre everyone here, even if they’re primitive humans.”
[I am merely presenting choices. In the end, the decision is up to you, Admiral.]
Isaac pondered over the choices carefully.
In the end, he decided to go with the method he would likely least regret.
“Let’s go with that option,” said Isaac. “Tell me, System. How do you plan on imparting nanotechnology to the inhabitants of this planet?”
[Affirmative.]
[Proceeding to present plans to Admiral, Isaac.]
Several holograms appeared before Isaac. He realized they were the glass tanks in the Specimen Room and the Laboratory, where the bodies of the Wasteland monsters were currently being kept.
[Unlike machines, humans grow through trials and experience.]
The holograms of the Specimen Room dissipated, and a large tower took its place.
[Although there are still plenty of nanotech vials remaining in the Medbay, our current supply is finite. It would be prudent to give the nanotech only to those who are capable of fully utilizing it.]
[This way, we’ll be sure to gather as much Aether as we can using the least amount of nanotechnology possible.]
“You mean we should screen them before administering the technology into their body? But how do you plan on doing that?”
[Using the limits imposed by the Federation’s law and the Admiral’s humanitarian tendencies, I believe a trial would be the best way to screen the worthy from the unworthy.]
“A trial….”
[Using the remaining power of the ship, I suggest the Admiral to create a Tower of Trials.]
[And using the Tower, grant power to the worthy primitive humans.]
When Isaac heard this suggestion, he couldn’t help but stand up in anticipation.
He got to admit, this task felt exciting. Although he would be dealing with primitive humans, a part of him wished to know what it would be like to play the role of a god – no matter how fake it was.
As embarrassing as it was to admit, Isaac really liked this idea.
“A Tower of Trials…”
Isaac bit his lips. He had an epiphany about what kind of tower he wished to create.
“System, do you still have the layout of the Heavenly Tower from the Space Emperor movie?”
Space Emperor! Against all odds! was a movie he’d watched back when he was still a kid. In that movie, the main character entered a building called the Heavenly Tower, which transported him to an entirely different realm every time he entered the next floor.
[Yes, Admiral.]
Soon, the hologram of the Heavenly Tower, copied straight from the Space Emperor movie, appeared in front of Isaac.
“Haha! Perfect!”
“System, short-distance warp consumes very little energy, no?”
[It depends on the mass of the target to be transported. But generally, that’s correct.]
“If I warp humans from a certain place in this continent to another?”
[As long as it is within the planet, the energy used should be negligible.]
Isaac grinned.
There was only 5.83% energy remaining in the ship. But for the standards of those living on this planet, that much energy would be more than enough to perform miraculous feats.
In the Space Emperor movie, the first floor of the Heavenly Tower was your typical castle. But from the second floor onwards, the scenery vastly changed. The second floor was a massive rainforest, while the third floor was a vast desert.
As long as warping was possible, Isaac did not have to recreate the environment. He could just use the ship’s technology to secure those places and convert them into something that resembled another realm for the primitive humans of this planet.
Moreover, they’d also captured quite a lot of monsters.
Those monsters were currently stored in the Specimen Room. And if needed be, they could be released into the wild to serve as enemies by the humans who would undergo his trials.
[You seem to have already formulated your plans, but please remember, Admiral.]
[In order to avoid problems once we returned to the Federation, all trials in the Tower must be voluntary.]
[The primitive humans must enter the Tower and undergo the trials on their own volition.]
[Otherwise, we would be going against the Federation’s law.]
“I know that,” said Isaac. “And I already have an idea in mind.”
Isaac grinned. The number of fantasy books he’d read and the number of movies he’d watched had already reached the four-digit mark. He was basically an expert when it came to setting up plots, adversities, and quests.
“Once we’ve finished setting up the first floor castle, the rainforest that would serve as the second floor, and the vast desert that would become the third floor—”
Isaac pranced around the room.
“—Let’s create a warp tower right at the center of all the cities on this planet.”
Humans were naturally curious creatures.
Isaac believed they would enter the tower on their own the moment it appeared right at their doorstep.