Chapter 171: Gia

"So tell me. Was Elizabeth telling the truth?"

Damian leaned forward, his entire focus on this conversation.

"Was I really being manipulated in my past life? Was everything I thought I built actually orchestrated by someone else?"

"I don’t know what specific visions Elizabeth saw. She never speaks about them to anyone, even to me despite my access to most information in the Federation."

The voice – Gia, the main consciousness of the Admin AI – continued carefully.

"But I know one thing with certainty. Elizabeth cannot lie about her visions. This is a fundamental restriction that comes with her innate skill.

She can refuse to share what she’s seen. She can remain silent about future events. But she cannot speak falsehoods about what her ability shows her."

Damian went completely still with his hands clenching unconsciously.

’So, I really was just a puppet in my past life. Everything I thought I accomplished, every decision I thought I made, was all according to that old bastard’s plan!

My entire existence was manipulated, controlled and orchestrated for purposes I still don’t understand.’

The rage that welled up was overwhelming, burning hot and acidic in his chest.

But he forced it down for now.

Then he sighed, deliberately changing his emotional tone to something more conversational.

"Then aren’t you curious about the knowledge I must have in my mind? Information from another world? Secrets that nobody else in this Federation could possibly know?"

A slight pause before Gia responded.

"If there is something I don’t lack, it’s knowledge. My existence spans the entire Federation’s information networks. I have access to nearly unlimited data. And according to Elizabeth’s testimony, your memories of that manipulation were erased anyway, so–"

"Not all memories were erased, and you know it."

Damian interrupted smoothly.

"I still remember my life. I still remember the old beggar reading me that novel in exchange for food. I remember conversations and information he shared during those sessions."

"Indeed. So what are you trying to say?"

"I know secrets about your creator. Your main creator, Gia."

Complete silence filled the communication channel for a long time.

When the voice returned, it carried something Damian had never heard in an AI before.

Obsession and desperate need!

"How do I know you aren’t lying to me?"

Gia’s perfect composure had cracked, revealing genuine emotion underneath.

Damian smiled, recognizing he’d found the leverage he needed.

"I wouldn’t lie because I need a favor from you. A very significant one. And I’m offering this information as payment."

"What is it?"

The AI’s voice had shifted to something more controlled, but the underlying hunger remained.

"I need you to hide Luna’s details from everyone in the Federation. And I mean everyone! Not a single detail about her innate skill or actual talent rank should be leaked to anyone, no matter their authority level or security clearance."

Damian’s voice was absolute.

"Just show her talent rating as SS rank and hide the third ’S.’ Falsify the records so thoroughly that even you would have trouble detecting the alteration if you didn’t know to look for it."

Silence spread again as Gia processed the request.

"...You know she’s an SSS ranked talent. If this information was given to those in power, they would protect her at all costs. They would provide resources, training and security. Everything she could possibly need to develop her–"

"And they would turn her into a controlled weapon to be used for their purposes."

Damian interrupted coldly.

"They would monitor her constantly, restrict her choices and decide her future based on what serves the Federation’s interests rather than what serves her as a person."

His voice dropped to something dangerous.

"And don’t start any bullshit with me about ’the good of humanity’ or ’greater purposes.’ I don’t care about such ideals. I only care about Luna not becoming a tool for people who see individuals as resources to be exploited."

Another pause occurred. Then Gia sighed – an AI mimicking human exasperation.

"Very well. I agree to your terms. Now tell me the information you have about my creator."

Damian took a slow breath, preparing to drop the revelation.

"Your creator isn’t from Earth. He’s from the world beyond the portals."

"BULLSHIT!"

The AI’s response was immediate and violent, her composure shattering completely.

"That’s impossible! He was human! He created me specifically for helping humanity survive and advance! Everything about his background and his motivations centered on protecting Earth!"

"I’m not lying."

Damian’s voice remained calm.

"But if you don’t believe me, use whatever methods you have to verify. You can track my vitals. Check if my physiological responses indicate any sort of deception."

Silence stretched for several long seconds.

Then Gia’s voice returned, quieter and shaken.

"You’re not lying. I know you’re not lying. My consciousness encompasses you completely right now. I’m monitoring every biological indicator. You genuinely believe what you’re saying."

Another pause.

"But this... this doesn’t make any sense. How could he be from beyond the portals? Why would someone from another world create an AI to help humanity? What purpose would that serve?"

"I don’t know the answers to those questions."

Damian shrugged, even though she couldn’t see the gesture.

"I’m just telling you what the old beggar told me during one of our conversations. He mentioned your creator’s true origin casually, like it was common knowledge."

"So then, I have kept my side of the bargain. You should keep yours as well."

"Do you have more information? Anything else about my creator? About why he created me? About where he is now?"

The desperation in Gia’s voice was palpable.

Damian smiled, recognizing the trap he’d just set.

"Indeed, I have more. But I’ll exchange that information later. For appropriate compensation, of course."

Both of them understood immediately what had just happened.

By revealing partial information and confirming he had more, Damian had essentially forced Gia to protect his own information at the highest possible level as well.

Because if something happened to him, if he died or was compromised, she would never be able to find answers about her missing creator.

He’d made himself invaluable to her. And from now on, she will have no choice but to cover his digital tracks.

"Human greed never ceases to amaze me."

Gia’s mutter carried resignation and grudging respect.

Then her presence disappeared completely, the oppressive weight that Damian hadn’t consciously noticed lifting from the room.

He hadn’t felt it while she was there, but Gia’s consciousness carried pressure similar to being observed by an S rank awakener.

Now that she was gone, the relief was noticeable.

Damian leaned back in his chair with a satisfied smile crossing his face.

’Luna’s protected now. She can attend the Academy without becoming a target or tool.

And I’ve established a relationship with Gia that gives me access to resources and protection that would otherwise be impossible to obtain.

Not bad for one conversation.’

He closed his eyes, letting the tension drain from his body.

Tomorrow would bring new problems, new challenges and new enemies.

But tonight, he’d secured one more piece of the foundation he was building.

One more advantage in a world where power was the only currency that actually mattered.