"Dr. Vill-V, the Fifth Herrscher core you requested has been delivered. Please confirm receipt."
A few hours later, several logistics personnel arrived at Vill-V's Spiral Workshop with a box.
Vill-V took the box and immediately went to her latest creation—a humanoid android.
Opening the chest compartment, Vill-V inserted the Fifth Herrscher core.
After securing it, she closed the compartment.
"Prometheus, assist with the AI transfer. Activate Skadi."
"Understood, Dr. Vill-V."
With that, Prometheus used her Herrscher authority to materialize several data cables.
As the data was transferred, Skadi, the second android and second artificial Herrscher, slowly opened her eyes.
Her long hair cascaded down, and her crimson eyes shone, though her expression seemed somewhat vacant.
"Prometheus, did you mess up the AI during the transfer?"
Seeing Skadi's vacant expression, Vill-V had reason to suspect the AI was faulty.
After all, this AI was modeled after Prometheus, but with additional emotional modules.
So why did she seem so... dumb?
"I... I'm not sure. Theoretically, the process was flawless. I didn't receive any error reports, so it should be fine."
Prometheus, floating nearby, was also somewhat incredulous at Skadi's vacant stare.
"...Dr. Vill-V, and... Prometheus, sister?"
Finally coming to her senses, Skadi looked at the two with clear eyes and greeted them.
Her gaze seemed untouched by any knowledge.
"...Skadi, do you know how to use the Fifth Herrscher's authority? Show us."
The best way to prove Skadi was functioning properly was to have her demonstrate the Fifth Herrscher's powers.
This would confirm her intelligence was intact.
"...Understood."
With a wave of her hand, Skadi caused countless snowflakes to fall, and the temperature in the Spiral Workshop plummeted.
Vill-V, still in her ordinary human state, shivered from the cold.
Seeing this, Prometheus immediately materialized a down jacket and several hot water bottles, which she handed to Vill-V.
Instantly, Vill-V felt much warmer.
At this point, Vill-V had time to check the temperature gauge in her workshop.
Her workshop was usually maintained at a comfortable 26 degrees Celsius.
But now, the gauge showed -27 degrees.
"Dr. Vill-V, should I continue?"
Seeing that Vill-V was struggling to endure, Skadi thoughtfully asked.
"No, that's enough. At least you can use the Herrscher's authority, which means the data transfer wasn't faulty."
Waving her hand, Vill-V signaled Skadi to stop.
If the temperature dropped any further, Vill-V might turn into an ice sculpture.
"...? Dr. Vill-V, why did you think I was faulty?"
Skadi was clearly puzzled by Vill-V's assumption that her data was corrupted.
"It's because every time I ask you a question, you take a few seconds to think. Plus, your... uh, vacant expression made it hard not to suspect something was wrong."
Considering that these AIs had emotional modules, Vill-V chose her words carefully to avoid offending Skadi.
"...It's not that I'm faulty. During those few seconds, I was just considering the best response."
Hearing this explanation, Vill-V breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, she hadn't broken the AI. Creating a highly autonomous AI was no easy task.
Prometheus had taken a long time to develop, and even Skadi, modeled after Prometheus, had consumed a significant amount of time.
"Alright, from now on, just pick one of the top ten responses instead of searching through trillions of options. By the time you find the perfect answer, you could've killed a bunch of Honkai beasts."
"Understood, Dr. Vill-V."
Skadi was very obedient and immediately adjusted her response system as instructed.
"Hmm, compared to Prometheus, who's better suited for research, you're more suited for combat. You're also the best candidate for rescue missions."
As a Herrscher with the authority of ice, Skadi was unparalleled on the battlefield, surpassing most MANTIS soldiers. She didn't fear death, as she could upload her data to a terminal before being destroyed.
Similarly, she was ideal for rescue missions. She could put people into a state of suspended animation, stopping their bleeding and preserving their last breath of life.
They could then be sent back to Fire Moth headquarters, where Mobius's medical expertise could save them.
"Alright, from now on, you'll join the troops in clearing out Honkai beasts. But you'll only handle Honkai Emperors and above. Leave the rest to the newcomers."
For Vill-V, a highly intelligent AI with emotional modules was no different from a real person.
Thus, she didn't want Skadi to become a mere tool for combat.
"Understood, Dr. Vill-V. But I think I'm a bit hungry now."
"...Maybe I shouldn't have added the hunger module."
Hearing the word "hungry" come from an android, Vill-V's face twitched.
She had added human emotions and desires to these AIs to make them more lifelike.
Of course, their core programming ensured they would never betray her.
With this safeguard in place, Vill-V felt confident letting them act autonomously.
The hunger wasn't real—they could taste food, but anything they consumed would be converted into energy.
With the Honkai reactor, as long as there was Honkai energy in the world, they would never stop functioning.
"Whatever, go eat. I'll take this chance to register your identity."
Waving her hand, Vill-V decided not to dwell on it and began registering Skadi's identity.
Her rank would be the same as Prometheus—just below the top brass.
After all, they weren't just Herrschers on humanity's side—they were also elite combatants.