I created the Bureau of Anomaly Control

The floating pod glided past the bustling city, slowly approaching the side of a towering building in the city center. As the pod drew closer, the seemingly flat wall of the building's side began to push outward, revealing intricate mechanical structures within, quickly transforming into a platform large enough to accommodate seven or eight floating pods.

The door of the floating pod also rapidly began to transform, with exposed mechanical structures directly connecting to the platform, then converting into steps for passengers to disembark.

Maen followed Zhasna down, observing the mechanical platform's transformation in just a few seconds:

"It seems your civilization favors the kind of technology we're familiar with over magic."

The city's various buildings indeed resembled advanced modern structures, rather than some ancient magical creations incomprehensible to modern people. Moreover, the city's planning, along with the ubiquitous transportation and channels, closely resembled a modern city.

Zhasna said:

"The magic you're referring to is likely the technological system invented and mastered by the Gurama Empire. After the Gurama Empire's destruction, that technology became difficult to use. So, although they mastered more advanced technology than us, our application of magic is actually not much different from our application of Titan technology.

"After all, Titan technology is what we truly control. However, if you could return to the Titan era before the split with the gods, you would see that we used far more magical technology than exists in this city.

"The main reason you don't see many traces of magic here is that both we, the Flesh Titans, and the Mechanical Titans, aren't particularly adept at it. Nevertheless, we do use Gurama magic, mostly to compensate for areas that Titan technology can't address.

"After all, we must admit that the ancient empire was far more prosperous than our civilization. We still can't understand the principles behind many of their spells, nor can we integrate them into our own knowledge system.

"So, many things that magic can do seem like miracles to us. For example, they even mastered the ability to resurrect people who haven't been dead for long. This seems almost divine to us, but in the Gurama Empire, it wasn't even considered a particularly great spell. Perhaps a slightly advanced mage could perform such incredible feats, which proves that their complete system was definitely more advanced than ours.

"Of course, I think it's not just that the technological systems we created happen to be similar to yours. The causal relationship may be the opposite. The actual situation may be that your current technological system is built on the knowledge left behind by the ancient Titans. You are actually our imitators and followers."

Maen asked this because he had already obtained this information from the Titan Spider. However, he still feigned ignorance and curiosity:

"You mean the scientific system that we now know and make public to all humans actually originated from you?"

Zhasna nodded:

"Accurately speaking, the core ideas of the system you mastered are related to us.

"If I remember correctly, a long time ago, when we were fighting the gods, we had a special plan. We created many knowledge storage devices that could withstand the test of time, in an attempt to allow future humans to master a special theoretical system called 'Manadjiton'—this was actually the mainstream view of various technological systems in our Titan civilization at the time.

"It was a way of understanding the world based on verifiability and predictability. If you only use this method to master various technologies, you can effectively weaken the power of those gods.

"In the late Titan civilization, we completely banned the use of Gurama magic among the common people, because ordinary people who didn't understand the Gurama civilization would often mystify those spells that current technology couldn't reasonably explain in their hearts, which would give the gods a chance to invade the human mind.

"The essence of the gods is human imagination about the universe and reality. If the current world can be explained by a complete theory in the eyes of all humans, then the gods naturally have no room to survive.

"You need to know that the gods only exist in human thoughts."

As she said this, she raised her finger and pointed to her head.

Maen revealed a look of understanding:

"I see. So, if we can make all humans understand nature and the universe, we can effectively weaken these gods. No wonder they deliberately keep the Southern Federation in a backward state and prevent most young children from freely choosing to receive modern scientific education.

"They are deliberately making humans ignorant and backward."

Maen had already learned this, but hearing Zhasna's words, he also remembered that this was indeed a way to effectively suppress and deal with the gods. It was just a pity that this method was not fast, and it was not something that an independent ability user like him could accomplish.

In fact, only the Federal Government could do something similar, and as far as he knew, the Federal Government had always been trying to improve the education level of the Southern Federation, but the resources they invested were not enough to compete with the gods.

Moreover, thinking this way, this trick might be more difficult to implement on Seran, after all, stars are considered to be among the least understood entities represented by many gods, and there is still much room for imagination.

Seeing that he understood, Zhasna also smiled:

"That's right, and in fact, long before the Titan civilization went to war with the gods, many scholars advocated the scientific model of Manadjiton. In fact, it was precisely because we adopted this method that the contradictions between the gods and us were completely ignited. This should be the most fundamental reason for this war.

"This is not only because the gods would deliberately prevent us from thinking this way, but also because when we think this way, we will doubt the rationality of the gods' existence and begin to challenge their authority.

"If you think about it from another perspective, this war can also be said to have been provoked by us. It was Manadjiton that gave us the courage and motivation to question the gods, making the friction between us increasingly intense.

"So, your current rulers' decision to isolate the abnormal world is still very smart. It seems that they are not the kind of fools who would ignore the dangers of the gods."

As she said this, Zhasna also walked towards the wall that had been re-erected after the platform extended, and then reached out and pushed open a wall that Maen couldn't distinguish, revealing a door large enough for them to walk through.

Behind the "door" was a room that looked more modern than the building. It had familiar tables and chairs, and it didn't lack any basic furniture compared to a modern house in the Federation. However, it had some electrical equipment that he didn't understand.

"You'll have to make do with staying here for a while," Zhasna said. "Although you're not a prisoner, this can only be considered a relatively familiar prison. Of course, we're taking these measures to protect you and the civilians in our city. After all, you're still a person of unknown origin to us."

Maen nodded:

"I understand. I didn't expect to be able to move freely here. As long as I can eventually return to the dimension I was originally in, that's all I ask."

His cooperation also made Zhasna feel a little relieved. Maen's behavior was neither like a spy of the gods, and as an ability user who had strayed into the Titan dimension, his behavior wasn't stupid either.

In fact, she was quite worried that Maen was the kind of fool who would think they wanted to harm him secretly, which would cause a lot of trouble for her next actions. Now, his attitude was just right for Zhasna.

Zhasna walked to a door and pushed it open:

"This is the study. There are some discussions about our history and the existence of the gods."

Maen suddenly asked as he looked at the study:

"If we can know what the gods are, can we weaken them?"

He was deliberately enticing Zhasna to reveal more information about the gods.

Zhasna nodded:

"That's right. In fact, this is also the method we used to research for a long time in the past, and in fact, we have already learned the essence and origin of the gods. In fact, this is not a secret…"

Since Maen had mentioned it, she didn't intend to hide it. Even if Maen was a spy of the gods, letting him know the essence of the gods wasn't a bad thing. On the contrary, it might shake his faith.

Zhasna specially walked inside and picked out a few books and handed them to Maen:

"These books seriously prove the essence of the gods' existence, and according to our past research, the essence of the gods is actually a little funny, because we found that these so-called gods worshiped by humans…"

"Were actually created by humans."

Maen slightly raised his eyelids:

"You mean we created the gods."

Zhasna said with a smile:

"That's right, and I'm not talking about the process of consciousness creating the gods. I mean the gods as a race were created by humans in a certain era. Don't you think this is the only reasonable explanation?

"It's impossible for there to be a natural phenomenon called gods that turns our imagination of nature and the universe into a special creature with self-awareness, right? Think about it carefully…

"Why do these creatures only exist in the human brain and are not affected by other creatures? And why do the creatures you see now have a consciousness structure that is extremely similar to humans?

"The reason is simple, because the gods were created by humans. At that time, humans would naturally decide to create a race with a personality similar to their own, but capable of communication.

"It's hard to imagine how obsessed humans are with creating new races with consciousness structures similar to their own, but that's their nature. Even I standing in front of you am a new race created by humans.

"And the gods are no exception. If our research is correct, the initial positioning of these gods when they were created was as a special weapon. At that time, humans should have faced an extremely difficult war.

"And at that time, humans' opponents were not our kind. In fact, the existence of the gods also determined that when humans launched a life-and-death battle with foreign races, they would inevitably become our allies.

"Because they will also die if humans become extinct.

"Now you should understand, right? Why can human consciousness determine their existence? Why are they a survival form that parasitizes human consciousness?

"Because they are a biological weapon that will inevitably maintain human survival.

"In the final analysis, humans are the creators of gods."

Maen revealed a look of surprise:

"After hearing what you said, I do feel that many doubts about the existence of gods are explained."

Although Maen's purpose was to seek information about the gods, he didn't expect to hear such words. However, after really thinking about it, this is indeed the most reasonable answer.

That's right, gods are originally creations of human imagination, how could they exist naturally.

Zhasna nodded:

"That's right, but as time passed, humans gradually forgot that gods were actually a species they created, and they slowly climbed to higher positions in the dark ages of humanity and became the so-called gods.

"But if you think about it carefully, gods are just your creations, no different from us."

Maen also cooperatively revealed a puzzled expression:

"You?"

Zhasna replied:

"That's right, we Flesh Titans and Mechanical Titans are actually new species created by humans through research on biological and mechanical technologies. The difference from gods is that we have the exact same consciousness structure as you.

"But we don't have souls. We simulate the operation of the soul through biological or mechanical brains and their corresponding nervous systems, which makes it impossible for us to be parasitized by the gods in our brains.

"The gods always think that they are creatures superior to humans. In fact, their ideas are not unreasonable. If they can't surpass humans in certain fields, they have no value to be created.

"Therefore, the human Titans, in order to defeat their former excellent creations, once again created us based on themselves like creators, and hoped to let us, a new kind of human, defeat the gods."

Maen revealed a somewhat dazed expression, as if his head was overwhelmed by such a huge amount of information:

"Wait, so you don't have souls."

Zhasna said with a smile:

"That's right, neither we nor the Mechanical Titans have souls, but we all have consciousness. The gods actually don't have souls like you either.

"The soul is just a way to carry consciousness, but it's not the only way.

"Not only souls can think—cells, metals, or intelligent algorithms that simulate souls can all perform behaviors that you call thinking.

"Maybe the flesh in our heads doesn't have a soul, but it can also be called consciousness.

"I know very well that I am alive."

Maen blinked:

"Although I'm not a soul scholar, you certainly look alive to me."

Zhasna smiled:

"It's okay, it doesn't matter even if you don't understand our form of existence. This may also be a problem of challenging concepts for some scholars, and these are not important at all.

"You can rest here first, and take a look at the books that record our existence, and by the way, accept the examination of professional Titans. Then we can slowly discuss what the gods and we are."

When I wrote this part, I actually wanted to use the relationship between "souled beings and flesh titans" to metaphorically represent the relationship between real humans (flesh-and-blood life without souls) and non-human consciousness (artificial intelligence). I didn't expect this story to become non-science fiction so quickly.