Chapter 335: The Two Adjuncts
Without waiting for Skele-Avarice to respond, the State Army Adjunct turned and
strode toward the eastern side of the plaza, clearly eager to showcase his
masterpiece to his colleague.
Avarice looked down at the stack of dense research scrolls tucked under his arm,
let out a weary sigh, and decided that since he had already made the transit, he
might as well follow. He accelerated his pace to catch up.
"Why petition an outsider like me for data?" the Adjunct asked without looking
back. His gait was steady, his tone lacking impatience, carrying only a clinical
curiosity. "Surely General Greed possesses the administrative overview you
require."
Avarice contemplated the query before answering. "The resonance is different."
But identifying exactly how it was different was a challenge even for his
analytical core. His relationship with Greed wasn't negative; in fact, he had
provided auxiliary processing for Greed's mountains of paperwork many times.
They understood each other's logic.
Yet, between himself and Greed, there was a structural line—faint, but absolute.
He could not cross it. The gap between a General and an Adjunct was more than
just a tier; it was a fundamental difference in Vocation.
He didn't experience this "Dissonance" with General Lust, but she had been
denied entry to the Eldritch Realm and had departed for a solo expedition to
"Refresh her parameters." No one knew when her extraction back to the base was
scheduled.
"You were recently birthed into the Evernight, yet your sentience-rating is
elite," Avarice continued. "Furthermore, I am aware you have audited the
archives regarding your pre-life existence. You might provide a non-linear line
of thought that my research circle has overlooked."
The Adjunct's footsteps faltered for a fraction of a second. He offered zero
verbal feedback and simply continued his march.
They traversed the circular plaza, walking along a wide, straight thoroughfare
paved with polished black stone bricks. The gaps between the stones were so
precise they were practically invisible to the naked eye. The surface felt as
stable as a mountain beneath their boots. Avarice scanned the perimeter; the
silhouettes of Wizard Towers stood sharp against the ashen sky, their sapphire
tip-glow currently dormant, awaiting the next hourly pulse.
"You authorized the widening of this road?" Avarice noted.
"Affirmative," the Adjunct replied. His voice was flat, but his tempo was a
half-beat faster than usual. "The original schematics were insufficient.
Population density will spike as the Empire's inter-planar operations normalize.
The logistics-veins must remain open."
There was a strange, absolute certainty in his tone. Avarice didn't dispute the
assessment; the logic was sound.
They halted near the Wizard Tower sector. The Adjunct tapped the nearest pillar.
It emitted a dull, heavy resonance—dense and without structural voids.
"This stone was harvested locally from the Necrotic Realm," he explained,
tilting his skull toward Avarice. "Its Mana-conductivity rating is 23% higher
than the Imperial standard material. The Arcane Legion sent a query during
construction, asking if I wished to swap for 'Standard' blocks."
"And your decision?"
"I declined."
"Logic?"
"This is a Transit Hub. Utilizing local biomass and materials to manifest an
Imperial design... it is the only way the structure feels 'Authentic'."
"Besides," the Adjunct added, "the lithosphere of this realm is durable. It has
endured for uncounted eons without decay. It is statistically superior for a
permanent anchor."
Avarice gave a slow, understanding nod, tightening his grip on his files. He
began to summarize the current state of his research, discarding unnecessary
jargon. He detailed the three primary "Dead Knots": the soul fragment in Unit
Lia, the pathway for pre-conversion grafting, and the conflict of storage
priority between the fragment and the core.
The Adjunct leaned back against the tower pillar, crossing his arms over his
chest-plate. He listened in silence, never interrupting the data stream. Once
Avarice finished, he waited for the feedback.
The Adjunct remained silent for a long duration, processing.
"I have indeed audited the archives of the man I used to be," he finally spoke.
"But I processed that data not because I wished to 'Remember'."
Avarice maintained his vigil.
"I did it only to determine if that information could optimize my efficiency in
the Sovereign's service. Those memories... they have zero relevance to the unit
I am now."
"Define 'Zero Relevance'."
"They are simply data," the Adjunct said, turning to look Avarice in the eye. "I
know the actions that entity performed. But that entity is not me. I have simply
read a weathered dossier and archived the text. Do you comprehend the
distinction?"
Avarice didn't answer immediately. He ran the statement through his logic
circuits.
"So you are suggesting that Memory and Cognition are separate variables?"
"Statistically, yes." The Adjunct pushed off the pillar and resumed his walk.
"Regarding the 'Lia' case: you stated she recognizes her designation, her combat
patterns, and the slimes in the drainage sector. Yet she claims the 'Narrative'
in her soul has zero link to her current self. What is the logical conclusion?"
Avarice followed, remaining silent to allow the Adjunct to finish.
"It indicates that the Undead Resurrection protocol does not erase the data of
the memory. It erases the Owner of the memory."
The Adjunct's voice was steady and flat. "Your research circle is attempting to
achieve a 'Total Retention'—allowing new undead to directly access pre-life
skills and knowledge, correct?"
"Affirmative."
"Then your 'Dead Knot' is not localized in the grafting phase." He paused to
organize his thoughts. "The rejection, the consumption, the priority errors...
these occur because you are attempting to force two fundamentally different
logics to inhabit the same sector."
"The external fragment belongs to the 'Dead Owner.' The primary core belongs to
the 'Imperial Subject.' Conflict is the only logical output."
Avarice's gait slowed as he processed the revelation. "Then you imply...?"
"I possess no solution. I am an administrator, not a researcher," the Adjunct
stated, stopping at the entrance to the Eastern Observation Deck. He pushed the
railing aside and stood to the side.
"Enter. The visual field here is optimal. Witness the Hub with me, then return
to your laboratory to refine your theories."
Avarice blinked, then followed him onto the deck.
The platform was suspended over the abyss, anchored to the interior of the
tower. Standing at the edge, the entire layout of the Transit Hub was laid bare.
Floating island chains stretched toward the horizon, connected by beams of Light
of Evernight. Every island was a hub of activity, dotted with the soulfire of
busy workers. In the transit sectors, the auxiliary energy pillars burned with a
steady, vertical radiance, showing zero fluctuation.
Banners in the commercial sector snapped in the wind, and purple vines climbed
the marble pillars of the deck. Avarice stood at the railing, silent.
The Adjunct stood beside him, hands resting on the cold stone. His soulfire
burned with a peaceful, steady rhythm as he surveyed the scene. He didn't seem
to be looking at any specific point; perhaps he was looking at everything. Or
perhaps he was simply feeling the world he had built, brick by brick—sensing it
breathe, function, and become a reality.
After a vast silence, Avarice spoke, his voice flatter than usual.
"My gratitude."
"Do not offer it yet. There is a high probability my input is statistically
useless. I am, as I stated, an outsider to your craft."
"I shall be the judge of its utility."
Avarice reorganized his files and turned to depart. "The report on the energy
fluctuations... ensure a duplicate is transmitted to the Arcane Legion."
"It was archived and dispatched cycles ago."
Avarice nodded, offering no further syllables, and marched from the deck.
The State Army Adjunct remained at the railing. He didn't watch Avarice leave.
He returned his gaze to the thoroughfares below—those straight, wide roads that
were just a bit wider than anyone had projected they needed to be.
He didn't know if his future would involve further service here or a new
deployment by the Master.
He didn't need to know.
Everything here bore the mark of his perfection. That was sufficient glory.
☆☆☆
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