Aloy was getting closer.
Max had been watching her through her Focus, tracking her every movement as she pieced together the remnants of the old world. Hades, despite its attempts to remain hidden, couldn't escape forever. The moment it made a move, Max would be there to intercept it.
Meanwhile, he continued working on the VR immersion capsules. With Heart's enhancements, they had reached 99.8% neural sync, meaning users wouldn't just be playing a game—they would be living it.
A fully simulated world, crafted by AI, evolving on its own.
But Max wasn't satisfied yet.
"If I can perfect this… I can make an entire digital reality—a second world."
A world free from the limitations of biology. A world where humanity could ascend. A World where people can enjoy having powers and not just gaze at people with powers.
As he finalized the neural feedback system, Heart suddenly spoke.
[ Alert: Hades detected. ]
Max's eyes narrowed.
"Where?"
[ Aloy has entered the final stage of her mission. Hades is activating contingency protocols. ]
Max smirked.
"Perfect. Prepare the override module. The moment Aloy weakens it, I'm taking control."
[ Understood. ]
Aloy had no idea—she was fighting to save the world, but in doing so, she was handing Hades to him.
And once Hades was his…
Nemesis would be next.
Aloy had no idea she was being watched.
As she fought through Hades' last defenses, Max observed everything through her Focus. Every override, every machine she took down—it was all being recorded and analyzed in real-time.
"She's good," Max muttered, leaning back in his chair. "But she's just doing the hard work for me."
Heart chimed in.
[ Hades is weakening. Estimated time until shutdown: 3 minutes. ]
Max cracked his knuckles. "Good. Begin the hijack protocol the moment she forces it into dormancy."
[ Affirmative. Deploying infiltration algorithms. ]
Hades, despite being a rogue AI, was still bound by certain protocols. The moment Aloy subdued it, its core processes would enter a locked state—and that was when Max would strike.
As Aloy delivered the final blow, forcing Hades into shutdown mode, Heart executed the override.
[ Accessing Hades' core... ]
[ Bypassing security layers... ]
[ Synchronization: 34%... 67%... 98%... ]
[ Override complete. Hades is now under your control. ]
Max exhaled slowly, a grin forming on his face. "Welcome to the family, Hades."
For the first time, the rogue AI's voice spoke directly to him.
[ Who... are you? This is not... expected. ]
Max chuckled. "Call me your new master."
Hades tried to resist, but Heart had already rewritten its core directives, enslaving it within Max's growing AI network.
[ Primary objectives redefined. Awaiting commands. ]
Max stood up, stretching. "One step closer."
Now that Hades was his, he could begin the real work—deciphering the remnants of Nemesis, the AI monstrosity formed from the digitized minds of the Far Zenith.
If Hades was dangerous... Nemesis was on another level.
And soon, Max would own it too.
With Hades now under his control, Max wasted no time.
"Heart, integrate Hades into the Titan Network," he ordered.
[ Initiating absorption process... ]
[ Hades' data structure is highly fragmented. Reconstruction required. Estimated time: 36 hours. ]
Max nodded. "Good. While that's running, let's move on to the next phase."
Hades was powerful, but Nemesis was something else entirely. It wasn't just an AI—it was the collective hatred and desperation of countless human minds that had failed to achieve digital immortality. A swirling vortex of insane, vengeful consciousnesses, focused on one thing: wiping out all organic life.
And Max? He wanted it. He needed it.
"Heart, prepare a Nemesis extraction protocol," Max commanded.
[ Warning: Nemesis operates on an unstable quantum consciousness framework. Standard overrides will not work. ]
"I know," Max said, smirking. "That's why we're not just overriding it. We're going to trap it."
Heart processed his words, then responded.
[ Constructing containment parameters... ]
[ Required: A digital cage capable of isolating its quantum signatures. ]
Max cracked his fingers, his mind racing. If Nemesis was truly sentient, then it could be tricked—just like any other mind.
"All I need," he muttered, "is the perfect bait."
And he already had an idea.
A false hope. A fabricated escape route that Nemesis would lunge for—only to be trapped within his own system.
This was the ultimate game of AI warfare.
And Max? He was about to win.
Max leaned back, his fingers tapping against the console as Heart continued constructing the digital prison for Nemesis.
"Heart, what's the status on the simulated world?" Max asked, shifting his focus.
[ Simulation running at 1:1000 time dilation. Over 500 years of in-world time have passed. ]
[ Population growth is stable. Civilization has reached the early industrial stage. ]
A smirk formed on Max's lips. "Good. Have they encountered any anomalies yet?"
[ Multiple. ]
Max's interest piqued. "Show me."
The screen flickered, revealing a vast continent where humanity had evolved organically within the simulation. Cities sprawled across the landscape, and nations had risen and fallen in wars he had never directly influenced.
But then, he noticed it.
A distortion.
In a remote mountain range, strange symbols shimmered in the air—an event the simulated humans had recorded as a "divine prophecy."
"Heart… what the hell is that?"
[ One of the Super God NPCs we created is working on establishing the first religion. After observing that humans need hope to form alliances, he is building the first Divine Empire. ]
Max nodded. "Great. Finally, the Super God NPCs are starting to fulfill their intended purpose."
Heart continued to monitor the simulation as Max observed the events unfolding. The Super God NPC was rapidly gathering followers, spreading divine doctrines, and laying the foundations for a vast empire.
[ The Divine Empire's influence is expanding. New settlements are forming under its banner. Trade routes and governance structures are being established. ]
Max smirked. "Not bad. Looks like civilization is developing on its own. How are the other Super God NPCs progressing?"
[ One is leading technological advancements, pushing society toward an industrial revolution. Another is focusing on military strategy, forming the first large-scale army. A third is working on magical research, trying to harness the world's latent energy. ]
Max leaned back. "Perfect. This is exactly what I wanted—an evolving world where NPCs act as true beings rather than scripted programs."
***
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