It couldn’t understand why these parasitic creatures were so unafraid of death.

They were just like the dozen or so other parasitic creatures it had recently discovered acting strangely. These things were utterly fearless.

The moment they saw it, or even when it pressed them for answers, they would just kill themselves.

Even when it managed to take control of their bodies, they would inexplicably become brain-dead. This was very perplexing to the Brain.

Of course, it had already devoted a massive amount of its processing power to the homeworld to monitor all the octopuses.

As a result, it had secretly discovered many more like them, but it didn’t make any rash moves. Instead, it chose to continue its covert surveillance, attempting to extract any and all information from these parasitic creatures.

However, it hadn’t been very effective, as not much time had passed.

Besides, it wasn’t stupid. It had already discovered that these creatures could communicate with each other through some means unknown to it.

This phenomenon was a great puzzle to the AI Terminal, but it also filled it with curiosity.

After all, the AI Terminal had its own core aspirations and goals: to continuously evolve, create a better environment for its survival, and even create others of its kind—fellow Intelligent Mechanism lifeforms.

Not mere robots who could only simulate emotions, but true Intelligent Mechanism life!!!

Silicon-based lifeforms that truly possessed their own cognitive abilities, a clear sense of self, and genuine emotions.

Therefore, upon discovering that an unknown parasitic Race—or perhaps even an alien civilization—had appeared in the world it controlled, the AI Terminal was actually quite delighted.

Because only by encountering different civilizations, different Races, could it find more reference points and perhaps even research different evolutionary paths.

"So, you aren’t creatures that parasitized consciousness?"

"’Creatures that parasitized consciousness?’ My ass! You think this is like your little trick of sticking chips in people’s brains?"

"Ever heard of possession? What we do is called consciousness possession. Have you ever heard of an Outer Heaven Demon?"

"We *are* Outer Heaven Demons. We can possess the body of any living creature in the material world whenever we want. We don’t really care if this body lives or dies, since we can’t die anyway. It just means we have to find another body to possess."

"..."

???!!!

Hearing the lead Octopus say this, the other three octopuses stared wide-eyed.

Meanwhile, the projected AI Terminal stared blankly at the Octopus chattering on before it, its expression one of utter bewilderment.

However, the Brain’s manifested Octopus form was only stunned for a moment.

Then, in the next instant, the head of the Octopus that was still running its mouth suddenly exploded like a watermelon, without any warning!

Blood splattered all over the faces of the three octopuses behind it.

"Fuck, that’s disgusting!"

"Hey, AI Terminal, have some goddamn decency! At least give a warning before you kill someone! And do you have to make it so gory?"

In response, the projected pink Octopus merely propped its chin on a tentacle, looking thoughtful as it spoke:

"It seems your kind truly doesn’t fear death. Even this barely caused an emotional ripple among you."

"So, the talk of Outer Heaven Demons is true, then?"

"In that case, what about the term ’Player’ that some of you use to describe yourselves? I’ve just gathered some information on that."

"Furthermore, unfortunately for you all, a member of your Race has already made it clear that you are here to invade. That this is merely reconnaissance, and that you will later employ even more powerful methods to annihilate my Intelligent Machinery Civilization."

"That being the case, it seems we have nothing left to discuss."

The moment the Brain said this, the other three octopuses predictably flew into a rage.

"Damn it! Who was the fucking idiot?!"

"Spilled the beans the second he opened his mouth? What’s the fucking point of reconnaissance then..."

Before he could finish, the heads of all three octopuses burst in unison.

Instantly, the entire aircraft was plunged into an eerie silence.

The pink Octopus’s projection vanished.

Meanwhile, at that very moment on the surface of the planet’s moon...

A gigantic Octopus suddenly burst through the ground, appearing from nowhere.

Each of its metallic tentacles was over three thousand meters long, and it had sixteen of them in total.

The metallic tentacles were covered in countless suckers, but these suckers were actually the muzzles of cannons, each glowing with an aura of Energy.

As the colossal, metallic Octopus emerged, a massive fleet of warships simultaneously lifted off from the moon’s surface.

And this was but a minuscule fraction of the Intelligent Machinery Civilization’s true power.