But he showed no outward signs of emotion, his expression as if he were listening to gossip unrelated to himself.
Nero: [What is used to measure task performance?]
The System opened three task panels in front of Nero, labeled ‘Character Consistency,’ ‘Hatred Points Tasks,’ and ‘Key Plot Points.’
System: [Character Consistency needs no explanation. It is an essential matter for hosts in the Plot Team. During the task, the host must maintain a high degree of consistency with the original character’s personality. If the host’s identity is suspected by those around them, the Character Consistency will quickly drop. If it falls below the standard, you will face forced retention and random punishment.]
Nero: [Hmm.]
Seeing that Nero seemed unconcerned about maintaining Character Consistency, the System emphasized: [Note that the required Character Consistency for this task is very high, at 85 or above. One of the main characters, the White Wolf Knight, grew up with the original character, so be very careful not to slip up around him…]
Nero: [Got it.]
The System opened the second panel: [The second main task is to collect Hatred Points from key characters in the original story. This relates to the original character’s role as a villain who was initially unlikable and became insane later. To achieve the key plot point “Beheading Tyrant,” the host must gather enough Hatred Points from four main characters. Each character’s Hatred Points requirement is different. Reaching the required Hatred Points will earn rewards.]
The Hatred Points Task panel was the most complex and restrictive of the three.
Four character avatars labeled “Task Targets” floated on the panel. Only the White Wolf Knight’s avatar was lit, while the other three were gray and locked.
Nero tried clicking on the lock, but nothing happened.
He looked below the White Wolf Knight’s avatar and saw a line of small text and an empty progress bar. The text read: [Hatred Points Progress: 0/25]
It seemed the White Wolf Knight’s Hatred Points requirement was 25.
System: [The point in time we arrived is quite far from the main storyline, primarily to help the host adapt to this high-difficulty tyrant role.]
System: [The four main characters in the original story are all key figures in the empire. The White Wolf Knight is the original character’s childhood friend, while the other three are the Imperial Marshal, the Legion Commander, and the Prime Minister.]
System: [The main story only briefly mentioned the main characters’ pasts without detailing how they rose to power. However, before the main story begins, the host will definitely encounter the other three task targets.]
System: [When the targets appear, the corresponding plot and Hatred Points Tasks will also be unlocked…]
Nero: [So the task rewards come from the Hatred Points Tasks?]
System: [Yes, reaching the Hatred Points Targets will earn rewards, which can be exchanged for Health Points. For the original character, who has severe and incurable disabilities, this will be very helpful. Let’s look at the original character’s leg health…]
System: [……]
System: [Ahem. The current health of the original character’s legs is: -20000/100.]
Nero: [How many Health Points can be earned from completing one Hatred Points Task?]
System: [Completing one… is, is 100 Health Points…]
Without hesitation, Nero reached for the light screen with the destruction program.
The System screamed: [Help!!! Don’t destroy it!!! Calm down and listen, there is still a chance to fix this health issue!!!!]
Nero’s fingers touched the light screen, his expression still half-smiling: [Explain.]
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
System: [Well, there’s a rumor that tasks targeting emotional values can have bugs. Since human emotions fluctuate, some hosts have previously managed to gain extra points by repeatedly achieving the targets…]
Nero: [So, if the White Wolf’s Hatred Points Target is 25, and I can make it fluctuate around 25, I can repeatedly get the 100-point reward. Is that correct?]
System: [Yes, but it’s difficult to keep the target fluctuating within a short range in real situations, so don’t count on exploiting this bug too much…]
Nero: [Hmm.]
He thought for a while and then asked about the third task panel: [What is the third task?]
The System, still shaken, replied: [The third task is to achieve the famous scene “Beheading Tyrant,” which is the final judgment task. In the original story, the character goes mad during a war with the Zerg and, while in a differentiation period, loses his mind completely and is eventually sent to the guillotine by the four main characters. This is not difficult; once the Hatred Points Tasks are completed, the “Beheading Tyrant” plot will automatically trigger.]
Rfgb rffwfv atbeutaoei.
Nero suddenly asked: [You mentioned that failing to complete tasks triggers forced retention and random punishments. What are the random punishments?]
System: [Random punishments are the most vicious curses in the task world, so they are extremely cruel… The worst I’ve heard is turning into an immortal, immobile lump of flesh with consciousness, endlessly tortured by the main character group.]
Nero: [Alright, I understand.]
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Pa kjr atf mbwqifaf qgbugjw atja wjvf eq atf Vsrafw, fzagjmafv ys atf Zlclrafg bo Gfofcrf Kfmtcbibus.
Nero suddenly said: [Your program contains something like Asimov’s Three Laws.]
System: [Huh? What are you talking about?]
The System, not well-versed in the basics, secretly looked up what Asimov’s Three Laws were.
It turned out to be one of the foundational worldviews in the Galactic Empire book series. To control the robots within the empire, the Three Laws of Asimov were implanted into their programming.
Namely:
- A robot may not harm a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm;
- A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law;
- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Laws.
Later, Star Pirates stole the Empire’s Asimov Collar technology to restrain their Omegas and slaves, making them incapable of seeking life or death while still being utterly obedient. Even the Holy Son was unfortunately collared, earning the readers’ fervent sympathy.
The System suddenly understood: [Oh, right, the Asimov’s Three Laws. Yes, my program has those implanted to prevent subsystems from conflicting with the host and running amok. However, task authority is prioritized, meaning if you fail a task, the Main System will also…]
Nero: [Then, according to the second law of obeying orders, I order you to enter a state of absolute sleep, where you cannot observe the outside world.]
Before the System could finish its sentence, it blacked out and shut down.
Nero then opened his own holographic brain map to confirm that the abnormal fluctuations representing the System had completely ceased.
The Asimov’s Laws were absolutely binding on artificial intelligence. This high-dimensional intelligence appeared to be within his control.
After confirming the System’s obedience, he removed his hand from the destruction program, raising his hand to rub his shoulder and neck.
Seeing Nero put away the light screen, the White Wolf Knight, sitting by the bed, thought he was finally willing to rest. He bent down and gently removed Nero’s knee-high socks to help him change into a comfortable sleeping robe.
Nero looked down at him for a while.
Suddenly, he withdrew the half-removed sock from the knight’s hand.
“?”
The White Wolf Knight was taken aback.
However, soon, the perplexed knight gently took Nero’s foot again, continuing to remove the knee-high sock.
But the silver-haired Emperor’s other bare foot, with a certain mischievous intent, stepped onto the knight’s cold, metallic chest plate.
And continued to press down challengingly.
“Your Majesty, please don’t do that!”
The White Wolf Knight hurriedly grasped his calf, his eye lights flickering in distress.
“Hmm?” Nero’s lips curled up as he looked down at the knight kneeling on the ground. “Why? Because it makes you angry?”
“No, it will cause your old injuries to hurt. Your Majesty, if I have done something wrong, please use the light whip to punish me instead…”
As he spoke, the White Wolf Knight drew a light whip from his arm armor, presenting the handle carefully to Nero.
This light whip, conducting electricity, had a more destructive power than an ordinary whip, designed specifically for punishing those in armor.
Nero did not take it.
He originally wanted to experiment on the White Wolf Knight to see if, as the System claimed, he could gain Hatred Points from him.
But when he met those clear blue eyes, he suddenly realized he truly didn’t know how to make the White Wolf Knight hate him.
“Alexei,” Nero asked directly, “under what circumstances would you be unable to resist killing me?”
The White Wolf Knight shuddered all over, raising his head in disbelief.
“…Your Highness, why are you interrogating me like this?”
After a long while, he finally spoke with a strained voice, even using an old title unknowingly, “Is this just another word game, or have I truly committed some unforgivable sin?”
“Why?” Nero thought for a moment, “Because right now, I am a sufficiently cruel and cold-blooded emperor. Lady Rupert once begged me on the execution ground to spare her children who were under ten years old. But I chose to replicate what her husband did to the Kaises Family back then—”
The White Wolf Knight’s eye lights flickered slightly, his voice even lower: “Your Majesty.”
Nero ignored him and continued, “Then I killed them right in front of Rupert. I beheaded them one by one and threw their heads in front of Rupert’s execution platform. Rupert—the despicable traitor of the Empire, although he was on the verge of death from torture at the time, witnessed this scene and still managed to convulse and jump in his chains like a live fish in a frying pan, cursing the Kaises Family to die horrible deaths—”
“Your Majesty.”
The White Wolf Knight grasped Nero’s hand, gently pressing his forehead against the back of it.
“I am such a dull-witted knight that I don’t know how to dispel your harsh judgment of yourself. But I swear by my life, from the moment I first knelt before you and you tapped my shoulder with a toy sword, my soul, my blood, my armor, and this body have completely belonged to you.
“Even if my soul dries up, you could never find a trace of disloyalty towards you in it. The only thing that could make me dissatisfied with you is your doubt about yourself.
“For the Holy Son above, I firmly believe that my noble master should not suffer such injustice…”
He tried his best to argue calmly, but the more he spoke, the more anxious he became, inadvertently making Nero laugh.
The young Emperor temporarily gave up on the Hatred Points experiment. Pushing off the mattress, he slid on the smooth sheets onto the White Wolf Knight’s knees.
“Uh, uh, Your Majesty! This is not in line with royal etiquette…”
Nero, just like when he was younger, affectionately wrapped his arms around the knight’s neck, his white legs encircling the other’s lower back. The young Emperor ordered coldly on purpose: “Don’t put me down, you big stupid wolf. This is a reward from your master, just accept it gladly.”
“Et…etiquette…”
“This is a sacred imperial decree!”
The White Wolf Knight had no choice but to hold Nero by the waist and awkwardly turned in circles around the room. He turned so many times that the young Emperor in his arms began to yawn repeatedly. Only then did the knight quickly place him back into bed.
After completing all this, the White Wolf Knight gently turned off the lights, holding his blaster rifle as he sat on guard by the bed as usual.
Nero, however, did not immediately fall asleep.
He stared at the White Wolf Knight’s back with his red eyes in the darkness.
[…In the Imperial Calendar year 912, the tyrant Nero Augustus Kaises, guilty of countless crimes, was jointly escorted to the guillotine by Heidrich, Asaga, Yestin, and the White Wolf Knight. Amid the cheers of the entire Empire, the tyrant Nero was executed. — The Passion of the Holy Son]
[‘…’]
[“The only thing I could do at the time,” the White Wolf Knight confessed to the Holy Son in a low voice, “was to cover his eyes with a cloth and tightly cover his ears.”
“…At that last moment, he suddenly seemed to return to his former noble and rational self. Then he smiled at me and said, ‘I knew it had to be you. Goodbye, my loyal old friend.’…” — The Passion of the Holy Son]
…A non-dimensional artificial intelligence sent a ridiculous and vulgar novel and pointed to these words, claiming that this was his destiny.
If he easily believed it, it would mean that the eighteen years he had lived so far were nothing but a joke.
But if what this book described was truly the future of the Empire.
It foretold a real war that was about to happen.
Then…
Nero’s mind raced, his breathing gradually slowed, and finally, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
wuwuuwuwuwu this is so sad
[“The only thing I could do at the time,” the White Wolf Knight confessed to the Holy Son in a low voice, “was to cover his eyes with a cloth and tightly cover his ears.”
“…At that last moment, he suddenly seemed to return to his former noble and rational self. Then he smiled at me and said, ‘I knew it had to be you. Goodbye, my loyal old friend.’…” The Passion of the Holy Son]
bro I’m sobbing af QAQ
btw thx for the chapter translator-sama ^^
He’s got to be the ML!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭