Modern World Warlock

The following day, everyone at the Jade Palace was practicing their combat skills when they received a visit from the Azure Rebels.

Initially, Camille thought that the rebels would be visiting with a large group of people. However, only Oskar, Alexander, and Android 16 showed up for the meeting.

As soon as Oskar stood in front of Dante, the man bowed his head and thanked the warlock from the bottom of his heart, as he had cleansed the necromancer's curse from his wife and child.

Dante waved his hand as if it wasn't a big deal, explaining that it was the efforts of Camille and the Kappa Team that allowed him to cure the victims, prompting Oskar to turn and thank them as well.

"We were praying that you would find our hints…" Alexander commented.

"Heh, well, it was pretty obvious. I know you guys wouldn't make a rookie mistake like leaving crucial documents decrypted…" Camille said.

After the greetings were over, Gin and the scientists who were taken from the mountain laboratory approached their bosses with tears in their eyes. They were glad that their leader and their handler were still intact—and both Oskar and Alex shared the same sentiment with them.

"By the way, boss. This may sound strange, but Android 42… Ermm—I mean, Sami… She is like… a real person now," Gin nervously said to Oskar.

"Hmm? Did her program evolve enough to make her develop an identity?" Oskar pondered.

Suddenly, their whispering was interrupted when they heard someone approaching them in the hallway.

"Oh, it's my ex-bosses!" Sami exclaimed from the other side of the hall, happily skipping forward to greet Oskar and Alexander.

'Ex-bosses?' Oskar pondered.

The two men were wholly confused when they saw how cheery Sami looked, acting and talking like an ordinary human.

"Forty-two?" Alexander asked.

"Nuh-uh! My name is Sami now…" the cyborg replied, placing her hands on her hips like a superhero.

"The one and only Hell-Cyborg, mwahaha!" she continued, but her villainous laugh was more adorable than evil.

"... What?" Oskar and Alex asked in unison after a brief pause, wondering if the woman in front of them truly was their previous android.

Camille placed a hand on Sami's shoulder, directing her words at her guests, stating that they had a lot to talk about, so they should get comfortable in a room.

Oskar and Alex followed the servants to a living room with plush sofas, where they sat down and ordered a few refreshments. Meanwhile, Dante gave them a detailed explanation of his encounter with Sami.

When the warlock explained that Sami had genuine emotions forming in her android form and gave her a demon's soul to allow her to express those emotions freely, the two men were perplexed.

Alexander had been responsible for developing the E.E.M.P with the hopes that one day, the androids could develop their own sense of personality.

"Honestly, the main reason I worked on the evolutionary emotional microprocessor was because my sister had had that idea a long time ago…" Alexander revealed.

Lexia Spring was Alex's older sister, and her existence had been a secret that only the Stellar families knew about.

The woman showed her disinterest in becoming the next Spring handler, giving the position to her younger brother, who was a mere one year younger than her.

However, Lexia had a passion for engineering, and she had always loved the androids that the rebels produced, so she still worked with her family, except in a completely different department.

While Lexia believed their androids were impressive, she hated the fact that she couldn't communicate with them and have a real conversation.

The AI brain on the androids was advanced enough to have them reply to Lexia's inquiries, but she knew that their answers were coded and scripted, so the androids never spoke their true thoughts.

When Lexia came up with the idea of creating a microprocessor that could evolve into real human emotions, the Azure Rebels weren't sure if they should go along with it, as they were afraid the androids could turn on them if their emotions developed the wrong way.

Still, Lexia wholly believed that if the androids had good guidance, then none of them would feel the need to betray them if their identities developed fully.

Unfortunately, during one rainy night in the city of Ventis, Lexia was driving home when her vehicle got hit by a truck that lost its brakes, ending her life early.

There weren't any enemies or strange magic behind it—It had been a common accident that could get to anyone at any time.

After Lexia passed away, Alexander decided to continue her work with the help of the other engineers and scientists, finishing the E.E.M.P as a legacy to his dead sister.

Nevertheless, the Azure Rebels weren't aware that a soul was needed for these emotions to manifest properly. Hence, the evolution of their emotions never reached a point where it was believable.

Alexander and Oskar had placed Android 42 in charge of protecting the necrotic core after the cartel asked for a powerful guard.

Knowing that she had the command to "protect the people of Novaria" deep inside her system, the rebels' leaders hoped that her emotions could develop more, unaware that the whispers of the dead would have an effect on her.

"It was thanks to that command that her program fought back against the cartel's orders… If she hadn't shown those emotions, I don't think I would have even considered giving her a soul," Dante commented.

When Alexander glanced back at Sami, the man had a sad smile on his face, and Dante could feel the somber umbra flowing from the man.

"My sister would've been thrilled to see this… Thank you for everything," Alex said, bowing his head towards Dante and Camille.

Of course, the Jade Dragons already knew that Netherius was also keeping Lexia's soul as a hostage. However, the Azure Rebels had decided to prioritize their members who were still alive.

"Let us share with you everything we know," Oskar said, straightening his back and taking a deep breath.