Deviant: No Longer Human

Chapter 270: Consciousness! (1)

"What about that woman reading a book in the park?" Aurora suggested, hoping to find a match.

"Too intellectual!" Wang Xiao retorted.

"The woman jogging with headphones?"

"Too fast!" he responded, chuckling.

"How about the woman painting by the riverside?"

"Too artistic. I can't even draw a straight line!"

"The one leading the yoga class in the square?"

"Too flexible. I'd hurt myself trying to impress her!" Wang Xiao admitted, a playful smirk on his face.

Aurora, undeterred, scanned the crowd once more. "The woman with the telescope, looking at the sky?"

"Too starry-eyed. I'm afraid of heights!"

"The chef at the outdoor market?"

"Cooks better than me. My ego couldn't handle it!" he said, feigning distress.

Finally, Aurora pointed to a woman laughing with friends at a café. "What about her? She seems fun."

"Too cheerful."

Aurora couldn't suppress a grimace, her frustration evident. "At this rate, we'll never find a woman for you..."

Wang Xiao offered a pragmatic nod. "Then perhaps we shouldn't try to find one at all."

Despite his suggestion, Aurora chose to ignore his words, her gaze once again scanning the bustling scene below from their lofty perch, hopeful to spot a woman who might catch his interest.

However, Wang Xiao, seeing her unwavering determination, let his gaze wander aimlessly until it landed on a young girl, about eight years old, skipping along joyfully with her schoolbag, closely followed by her mother.

A mischievous smile played upon his lips as he seized the perfect opportunity to put an end to Aurora's relentless quest.

"That one, I want that one!" he declared boldly.

"Which one—" Aurora's voice trailed off as she followed his gaze.

??

Her expression, initially filled with confusion, shifted to surprise as she looked back at Wang Xiao. "Are you sure?" she asked, her tone laced with a mixture of surprise and skepticism.

"Absolutely sure!" Wang Xiao affirmed, his nod leaving no room for doubt.

He had thought this declaration would finally conclude their game, yet Aurora's next actions defied his expectations entirely.

With an elegance that contrasted the audacity of her intent, she leapt from the top of the clock tower.

Wang Xiao's eyes widened in disbelief. "She wouldn't really bring that girl here, would she?" he wondered, a mixture of amusement and apprehension taking hold.

As Wang Xiao waited with bated breath, Aurora returned as silently as a shadow, gently laying the unconscious body of the girl on the ground before them.

Thud!

"!"

Wang Xiao whirled around, his eyes flickering with disbelief as Aurora stood there, the young girl in tow. "You actually went and brought her here..." he muttered, astonishment lacing his voice.

Aurora simply nodded, a matter-of-fact tone in her voice. "You can proceed here."

Wang Xiao found himself at a loss for words, staring at the unconscious girl clad in a delicate yellow gown, who seemed barely eight years old.

"Is doing it in front of me uncomfortable ? Would you prefer I turn away?" Aurora inquired, noting his reluctance.

With a heavy sigh, Wang Xiao was confounded by Aurora's logic—or the lack thereof.

"Wouldn't it be fatal if I went through with it?" he questioned, the seriousness of the situation dawning on him.

Aurora considered the girl briefly, then turned her gaze back to Wang Xiao, affirming with a nod, "Indeed, it would be lethal."

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, failing to grasp the gravity Wang Xiao felt.

Shaking his head in dismay, Wang Xiao prompted Aurora to question further, her eyebrow arching in intrigue. "So, she too is unsuitable?" she probed.

Wang Xiao affirmed with a nod, "Yes, that's right."

"But you were the one who wanted her," Aurora pointed out, a hint of confusion in her voice.

"And now I've changed my mind," Wang Xiao retorted, his patience thinning.

The very idea of doing it with a child who was nowhere near puberty was beyond his 'to do list' for today.

"Understood," Aurora acquiesced, her expression shifting to one of acceptance.

With a graceful motion, she waved her hand, summoning a forceful breeze that lifted the girl, throwing her away—

Whoosh!

With the girl whisked away by the gust, Wang Xiao couldn't help but express his concern. "You killed her, huh... I thought you were supposed to be more empathetic than me."

Aurora seemed unfazed by his accusation. "After a certain period, you become desensitized to everything. Besides, killing has only recently been deemed unlawful. For millions of years, it was a common practice!"

Wang Xiao, absorbing her justification, shifted the conversation away from his earlier request. "Let's forget about finding a woman for me. Instead, can you shed light on something more interesting? Like— What existed before Pangea?"

Aurora paused, a complicated smile forming on her lips. "I wish I could satisfy your curiosity, but even if I shared what I know, it's based on mere rumors and theories. Discussing such matters might only distract you from your immediate objective. Ascend to the pinnacle of this world, and then I might reveal what I know—or you could try to extract the information from me."

Wang Xiao's gaze hardened slightly, his patience thinning. "Whatever," he muttered, eager to steer her away from her previous endeavors of finding a women for him. "Then, tell me about the Greeks. How did they achieve immortality? You've never explained on that."

Aurora appeared genuinely surprised by his assertion. "I didn't...?"

He confirmed with a shake of his head, "You got sidetracked and never finished."

Aurora nodded, a spark of realization lighting up her eyes, even as she continued her playful quest to find potential companions for him. "The Greeks," she began, "initially depended on kraken blood—a formidable creature born from the blood of Tiamat, spilled millions of years ago. However, with Zeus's ingenuity, they discovered an alternate path."

"They tapped into something more profound—consciousness!"

Wang Xiao's eyes widened in confusion as Aurora turned to him with a knowing smile. "What do you think, Wang? How close are humans to creating life?"

Wang Xiao pondered for a moment. "We're still quite far from that."

Aurora gently shook her head, her smile broadening. "If humans are but a collection of particles arranged in a specific structure and location, how different are the computers you've created?"

"Are they not also collections of particles? Consider how AI operates. It responds in a human-like manner, powered by silica chips—again, collections of particles, akin to your brain."

"So, if humans can arrange matter to mimic a real brain, could they create another human with same memories?"

"Following this logic, could AI be considered a form of living being?"

"Just as networks of neurons..."