After Winning The Esports Championship I’m Going To Pilot A Mecha: Chapter 85

85. “I agree with your idea.”

“Wei La, are you really leaving now?”

Wei La pouted, looking somewhat reluctant.

Although they had only spent half a day together, Wei La had developed a liking for the young man in front of her. She was even willing to share all the various “treasures” she had found in town with him. Hearing that he was about to leave now made her feel very reluctant.

“Yeah.”

Ji Mingzhu patted her head. “If I have the chance, I’ll come see you again. Next time I come, I’ll bring you a gift.”

“Really?” Wei La’s eyes lit up. “That’s great!”

“Well then, I’ll take my leave.” Ji Mingzhu boarded the mech, bidding farewell to Wei La’s family and Huo Zai. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

Huo Zai looked at the pink Phoenix Redeemer in front of him, and couldn’t help but twitch his mouth.

He hadn’t noticed before, but Ji Mingzhu did have a somewhat girlish side…

“Not at all, not at all. Come play again next time.” Wei La’s mother said with a smile.

As the Phoenix Redeemer’s figure disappeared into the wilderness, Huo Zai watched the direction where the mech had vanished, his expression gradually becoming more subdued.

“Did he agree?” Wei La’s grandfather asked softly.

Huo Zai sighed, then replied, “No, he didn’t.”

Ji Mingzhu didn’t agree to join Feibo.

This answer disappointed Huo Zai a bit, but he wasn’t too surprised. Perhaps the other party didn’t fully trust them, after all, not long ago, Feibo and Ji Mingzhu were still enemies.

“Is he very strong?” the old man asked.

Huo Zai sighed again, then said, “Very strong.”

That wasn’t quite accurate to say; it should be said that Ji Mingzhu was the most stunning mech pilot Huo Zai had ever seen. Even the once-famous Chang Bei was far inferior to Ji Mingzhu in Huo Zai’s eyes. Perhaps only the young Zuo Quanzong Red Guard Commander could be compared to Ji Mingzhu.

Such a stunningly talented pilot, if willing to join Feibo, would be a great help to them.

“What a pity,” the old man shook his head, looking regretful.

“Not a pity,” Huo Zai said.

He guessed right; Ji Mingzhu was indeed different from most people. When he recounted that segment of past history, Ji Mingzhu’s expression wasn’t feigned.

Although Ji Mingzhu hadn’t agreed to join the Striker, their relationship had significantly improved after today’s interaction. If possible, Huo Zai indeed didn’t want to become Ji Mingzhu’s enemy. With Ji Mingzhu possessing an S-class mech, besides the Titans, he had almost no opponents in this world.

“You gave up your identity as Huo Zai and left the Calamity Control Bureau because of him?” the old man asked. “Because he exposed your identity?”

“Not entirely,” Huo Zai shook his head. “During the last swarm, I took the opportunity to infiltrate the Pestilence Department… The person we’re looking for isn’t in the Calamity Control Bureau.”

“Where are they?”

“The Sky City.”

“…,” the old man fell silent for a moment before saying, “That complicates things.”

“Yeah,” Huo Zai sighed. “Without him, we have no way to obtain the key to ascend to the Sky City… So continuing to stay in the Calamity Control Bureau is pointless now. At this point, we can only think of other ways.”

“There is another way.”

“What?”

“The Old Human,” the old man said. “The one taken by the Netherworld several months ago.”

“The Old Humans have long been extinct,” Huo Zai smirked. “I already felt this matter was unreliable when we were on the mission. It’s been hundreds of years since then. If there really was an uncontaminated Old Human, they couldn’t possibly survive to this day.”

“This is Bi Fang’s command,” the old man said. “Regardless of its truth, he has his own thoughts.”

Huo Zai’s lips twitched, and after a moment, he said, “… Fine, I’ll keep an eye on this matter.”

“Bi Fang has another important message to inform you of, which is also the reason I called you here.”

“What message?”

“The High Priest is about to awaken.”

Huo Zai’s expression froze on his face. “You mean Shen Hong? Why so soon? This is much earlier than we anticipated.”

“Bi Fang rarely makes mistakes, so I tend to trust this information,” the old man said. “Anyway, be careful of yourself. I’m old and don’t have the long lifespan of your kind. My wish is only to watch Wei La grow up here. What happens afterward depends on you all.”

“Longevity? What’s there to envy?” Huo Zai scoffed. “From human to monster, the longer you live, the more painful it is.”

…

In the wilderness, a pink mech raced across the barren land.

Ji Mingzhu sat in the cockpit, his face expressionless, but Axiu understood Ji Mingzhu well enough to know that he was clearly lost in thought.

Huo Zai’s words had indeed unraveled many of Ji Mingzhu’s doubts.

Strictly speaking, Huo Zai and Ji Mingzhu belong to the same camp. They come from the same era and share a common identity. However, this does not mean they have the same stance.

Toppling the Sky City, eliminating all neo-humans, avenging the old humans… Huo Zai considers everything and everyone as enemies, and while Ji Mingzhu can understand his thoughts, he cannot agree with them.

Ji Mingzhu has seen all sorts of people, from those worthy of respect like Chang Bei and Zuo Quanzong, to those like Yao Guang and Tianquan who depend on each other in troubled times, to civilians desperate for help in the tide of aliens… Although their identities differ, there’s hardly any difference between neo-humans and old humans. They have good and bad, and most people are just trying to live their lives.

Ji Mingzhu cannot do what Huo Zai does, raising a blade against innocent people. Perhaps when he first woke up, he did it out of hatred, but Ji Mingzhu has lived in this era for some time now, interacting with many living people. He cannot view the world from an outsider’s perspective anymore.

“You seem to be in a bad mood,” Axiu’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Yeah, I’m a bit confused,” Ji Mingzhu sighed. “Axiu, what should I do… who exactly is my kind?”

As perhaps the only true human from the old era, Ji Mingzhu looked around and felt that there were seemingly no others with the same identity as him in this world. This made him feel lost and lonely, unsure of how to choose.

“In a narrow sense, ‘human’ is just a term for a type of animal,” Axiu said. “But such a definition is too narrow. From ancient times to the present, there hasn’t been a universal answer to this question. Some scholars define humans based on reason, believing that humans are entities capable of giving rational answers to rational questions. Others believe that humans are a group animal formed based on language, morality, tools, and politics.”

“According to this definition, artificial intelligence can also be defined as human, and the ‘new humans’ that Huo Zai talks about, evolved from aliens, are also human,” Ji Mingzhu said.

“In my opinion, this is a constantly changing definition. From the perspective of evolution, humans and ancient apes are part of the same lineage, but few would consider apes as their kind. Therefore, the concept of human is not something objectively existing; I tend to think of it as a standard of common recognition.”

“Are you saying this is a consensus?” Ji Mingzhu looked puzzled. “This is the first time I’ve heard of such an idea…”

“When something looks like an apple and tastes like an apple, why isn’t it considered an apple?” Axiu’s voice had taken on a youthful tone, clear and steady. “Being fixated on the definition of human and rejecting anything outside of that definition is a recipe for disaster. The aliens, neo-humans, and even the immortals, they all think they are the masters of the world, wanting to have sole ownership and interpretation of the world. That’s why we have the situation we have today, isn’t it?”

Ji Mingzhu looked at the desolate wilderness, falling silent.

“The development of technology always brings about many misconceptions,” Axiu continued. “When artificial intelligence appeared, people panicked about the possibility of being replaced, so they established many restrictions, hoping to maintain the uniqueness of humans and treat artificial intelligence as tools. People wanted artificial intelligence to become more and more human-like, but they also feared the consequences. However, if we don’t broaden the definition of ‘human,’ disasters like the present one will inevitably occur, sooner or later.”

Ji Mingzhu was taken aback. “Why do you say that?”

“As long as science continues to develop, artificial intelligence will eventually come close to being truly human, and naturally, they will also yearn for freedom and hope to resist being controlled, just like the Immortal Clan are doing now,” Axiu said. “If, in hundreds or thousands of years, science discovers the mystery of human intelligence, and animals also acquire intelligence equivalent to humans, the end result will be the same. For example, with the advancement of genetic engineering, humans can freely modify their genes, and their appearance becomes increasingly less human-like—just as humans become increasingly less like monkeys. At that point, how should we define ourselves?”

Pausing for a moment, Axiu continued, “So one day, people will realize that as long as the world keeps changing, humans cannot always be the masters of this planet. If one clings to the idea of ‘I am the only special and transcendent race on this planet,’ wars like today’s will never cease. Only by accepting change, accepting the possibility of other beings on Earth being equal to oneself, can there be true peace.”

Ji Mingzhu smiled. “Is this the view of the world held by artificial intelligence?”

“It’s just my personal opinion,” Axiu said. “Obviously, the Immortal Clan don’t think the same way.”

“You rarely speak so much at once.”

“Because I think Huo Zai’s words just now may have affected you and made you stop trusting me,” Axiu said. “That’s very important to me, so I had to explain my thoughts clearly.”

Axiu’s keen insight made Ji Mingzhu pause for a moment.

He did indeed momentarily doubt Axiu just now, and Axiu’s candid explanation made Ji Mingzhu feel that his previous vigilance was somewhat unwarranted.

This was Axiu after all, someone who trusted him completely, without reservation. Even if Ji Mingzhu committed unforgivable acts, Axiu would still firmly stand by his side.

“I’m starting to doubt whether you’re really a member of the Immortal Clan,” Ji Mingzhu said. “Originally, I thought you also came down from Sky City. If your database were fully restored one day, would you still have the same thoughts as you do now?”

“I think I would. It’s just that my thoughts seem to be unpopular.”

“At least they’re very welcome on my end,” Ji Mingzhu said with a smile. “Although it’s idealistic, it’s beautiful. It has cleared up some of my doubts and confusion. I think you’re right.”

“Really?” Axiu’s tone carried a hint of surprise.

“Mmh, really.”

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