Chapter 5926 An Accident of History

Chapter 5926 An Accident of History

The Mech Designer System was clearly an artificial creation.

There was no way that the fragment of the Metal Scroll spontaneously decided to reconfigure into the present System.

Someone had to program its functions.

Ves had a pretty good clue who might be responsible.

"I have a theory, System. Would you like to listen?"

The System remained silent. It had never really been a good conversation partner.

"During the Great Betrayal when the Big Two rebelled against the Five Scrolls Compact, the Metal Scroll somehow got broken into pieces. The fragment that comprises you is one of them. It is difficult to obtain a complete and accurate recounting of what exactly took place during this battle, but I guess that the shattering of the Metal Scroll was an inside job."

Ves smirked wider.

"The Progenitors of Mechs who shaped the very foundation of the Mech Trade Association must have taken it, caused it to break and immediately reused most of the fragments to form the Kingdom of Mechs or upgrade it if it already existed. During this process, many of the Progenitors of Mechs sacrificed their lives to create the pinnacle work that would end the scourge of the Compact and consolidate the resurgence of modern human civilization."

This was where his theory got interesting.

"These days, the upper echelon of the MTA and RA all worship the Progenitors of Mechs as if they were selfless and idealistic freedom fighters. That is nice and all, but I seriously doubt that all 13 of them were as perfect and altruistic as the mechers always make them out to be. History is written by the winners, and they always have a tendency to erase plenty of unflattering details. As much as the Progenitors have contributed to the restoration of the rights of ordinary humans, I do not believe for a second that they have lost all of the selfishness and cruelty that is typical of traditional cultivators."

His eyes narrowed in suspicion."

"I bet... that not all Progenitors of Mechs perished during the Great Betrayal. At least one of them may have managed to get away... either because it was part of their greater plan or because one of them chickened out at the last minute. Perhaps this may have damaged the cause of the MTA, or maybe it wasn't necessary for all 13 Progenitors to contribute their lives to the establishment of the Kingdom. Whatever the case, I think that one of them managed to get away from the Metal Shrine with a spare fragment of the Metal Scroll."

The System still remained silent and unresponsive, but that was okay.

"The Great Betrayal was a massive battle." Ves continued his speculation. "A lot of powerful cultivators got killed, but not before doing a lot of damage in return. None of the cultivators stationed in the most sacred site of the Five Scrolls Compact is weak, as they always have to possess enough fighting power to defeat their rivals. I don't know how the Progenitors fit the hierarchy of the Metal Shrine, but it is doubtful that they managed to subvert its entire leadership."

The secret battle that ended the Age of Conquest and brought forth the Age of Mechs was shrouded in mysteries. Ves developed an increasing desire to witness this historic battle and obtain the truth of what had happened.

Too much had spun from this historic turning point. From establishing the hegemony of the Big Two to turning his mother into an interstellar fugitive, so much of his life was shaped by a huge event that took place more than 4 centuries ago.

The Great Betrayal should have been ancient history to Ves, yet the aftermath of this grand battle still affected his life on a daily basis.

They may have known each other in person and understood each other's inclinations well.

At this time, Ves grinned so widely that it almost became unhinged!

"My mother must have spoiled the plans of your maker and kept you all to herself! The leaders of the Mech Trade Association who may have known about your existence became very upset about that, and pursued her across space in order to snatch you from her possession. However, multiple centuries have passed without that happening. The MTA grew and developed into a powerful organization under a different regime. So many years went by that much of the awe and respect directed towards you has... faded, just like many other aspects of history."

True death was not the passing of one's mortal coil.

True death was the passing of one's memory and legacy.

"The old guard of the Mech Trade Association has slowly died out. The ones who are left alive such as the First Flame and the Lord of Thermodynamics have stayed in power for so long that I do not think they are as eager to welcome your revival anymore. Meanwhile, newer generations of leaders have risen up. Since they were born after the Great Betrayal and never fully understood all of the sacrifices made by the Progenitors of Mechs, they are not inclined to welcome your return. In other words, the mechers who are aware of your existence increasingly feel like my mother has done them all a favor!"

As far as Ves knew, the System never got used by anyone before it fell into his hands!

By the time he inherited the System from his parents, so much time had passed by that the survivor's original plan became ruined forever!

At this point, humanity had moved on from the Progenitors. There was no way that the survivor would have been able to assume control over the MTA, especially when enough god pilots had emerged that could beat up the powerful cultivator even when he returned to the height of his power!

Perhaps... one of the reasons why the god pilots guarded over the Kingdom of Mechs was to prevent a resurrected Progenitor from accessing it and transforming it into a seat of power!

Since all 13 Progenitors of Mechs were originally part of the conspiracy to create the Kingdom of Mechs, it stood to reason that each of them enjoyed the highest permissions!

This put the Polymath's attempted coup into a better context. Had she and her crown tried to take advantage of this backdoor to secure the position that was reserved for any surviving Progenitor?

Ves became even more glad that this hadn't happened!

"Well, System? Have I gotten close enough to the truth? Say something! I deserve at least this much for everything that I have done to further your original cause."

The System acted stupid and declined to give out any information that could confirm or deny any of his guesses.

Ves eventually shrugged. "Fine. If this is how you want to play this game, then whatever. Let me make my own stance clear to you. I do not mind it if my actions contribute to the resurrection of your original maker. Even if he or she has hostile intentions towards me, I am not without the means to defend myself. I have earned so much favor from god pilots, Star Designers and Fleet Admirals that they will not stand by and let you screw me over."

Whether they could intervene in time was another matter, but at least they could take revenge on his behalf. The threat of that should be enough to constrain any untoward behavior.

"The point I am trying to make is that as long as I do not have to sacrifice my life or my fundamental interests, you are free to work towards the resurrection of your maker. I prefer win-win agreements the most, as neither party will turn against the other. I will let you do your thing while I pursue my own ambitions. As long as we make sure that none of our goals collide against each other, we can both have what we want. Is that a good enough accord for you, System?"

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