Dead silence, a blood-red sky, faint glimpses of a shattered Guardian Moon, and endlessly falling black ash. Looking down, one could see a lifeless land...
This was Disboard, a world engulfed in a prolonged war, all for the sake of seizing the 'Star Grail' – the power of omniscience and omnipotence.
Unlike other equally desolate places, this was a terrifying chasm, comparable to... no, far more severe than the destruction caused by a nuclear explosion. This was the ruin of a battle between the Ex-Machina and the Dragonia.
"Snap!"
In this desolate place, long abandoned by all, an arm suddenly tore through the ground and emerged. The scene was like something out of a horror film, yet what burst forth from underground was not a zombie, but a 'beautiful girl'.
She completely ignored the thick layer of black ash covering the ground, the same black ash that was fatal to normal life and highly corrosive.
Her long black-purple hair was spotless; no trace of dirt or black ash marred her. Coupled with her ruby-like eyes, she was quite adorable – provided one overlooked the sudden mechanical structures on her body.
Evidently, she was one of the Ex-Machina, one of the two races that had turned this place into a forbidden zone.
"[Analysis]Time confirmed... Three years since the end of battle... Unit damage repair complete, energy remaining 72.6%... Simulated personality re-online..."
Data streamed through the Ex-Machina girl's eyes as she muttered mechanically to herself.
"Finally, I'm alive. It seems our plan succeeded, System."
The inhuman aura around her quickly faded. More than a machine, she now resembled a 'san-wu' girl.
"Such a plan was too risky, Host."
"To repair and preserve your life, I spent a full three years. Next time, I might have to sleep for several centuries."
Along with her words, another voice resonated in her mind, the entity she called System.
The overly risky plan it spoke of was, naturally, battling the Dragonia.
"[Perfunctory]Alright, alright, it won't happen again." The girl responded casually, her perfunctoriness blatant.
Her name was Schwarzer, a transmigrator from Earth. As for now, she was an Ex-Machina, specifically an Analytical Unit.
She didn't know if it was because they were from the same batch and thus shared the same mold, but her appearance was almost identical to Schwi's, except for her slightly lighter hair color. Thus, she adopted her current name.
In her previous life, she died from heart disease, then acquired the System.
With the System's help, she prepared to travel to other worlds, but an accident occurred, causing her soul to shatter.
Ultimately, she was forced to crash-land on Disboard, and her weak soul, with the System's aid, was reincarnated as an Ex-Machina.
Notably, her shattered soul caused her to lose her emotions. Now, she merely relied on the Ex-Machina's abilities to simulate her former self's behavior.
But! Now everything was different. Defying the System's objections, she had participated in the war to annihilate the Dragonia, all for this very moment!
The System had many functions: it could transport its Host across worlds, allow her to use abilities from different worlds without restriction, and help her query information anywhere, anytime...
Of course, none of that was important now. The most crucial function, and the one she desperately needed, was its ability to repair her damaged soul.
After confirming her surroundings were clear of danger, Schwarzer found a corner, curled up, closed her eyes, and entered her Consciousness Space.
"So, this is the 'Core Data'?"
Within her Consciousness Space, Schwarzer saw her prize: a palm-sized card depicting the Dragonia roaring as it unleashed its final attack. Just looking at it evoked a powerful sense of oppression.
'Demise of the Dragonia'
'It records the death of the Dragonia, one of the Three Great Dragon Kings. Within its crimson flames, there is an unknown sense of indifference towards life and death, or perhaps the sorrow and indignation of impending demise.'
"The subjugation of the Dragonia is considered a major world-altering event. By participating, you can acquire a piece of Core Data. With it, your soul has a chance to be repaired."
There are two ways to obtain Core Data. One is to participate in major world-altering events.
The other is to significantly influence Major Characters of the world. The greater the influence, the higher the chance of acquiring data.
Schwarzer's current soul was like a shattered teacup, and Core Data was the water within it. Before the teacup could be repaired, this data would inevitably continuously leak away.
But even so, filling it first certainly wouldn't be wrong.
Schwarzer seized the Core Data and instantly refined it!
In her consciousness world, only one thing remained: her current Soul Core, a green flame that looked precarious, as if it could extinguish at any moment.
According to the System, it had taken immense effort to save this spark, and what she held in her hand was the best fuel for it.
At this point, what was there to hesitate about? She reached out and placed the card on the flame, and the tiny fire began to ignite it from a corner.
'Why do I feel like the Little Match Girl...'
Her internal monologue hadn't finished when her consciousness was submerged by the scene of the Dragonia's death. After centuries, she re-experienced what true emotions were...
Rage, confusion, fear, and finally, the release of death...
...
The flame burned quickly. In just a few minutes, not a trace of ash remained from the card, and the small green soul flame grew considerably stronger.
Schwarzer's mouth was slightly agape, her eyes unfocused. If her expression hadn't been normal, one might have thought it was a scene unsuitable for children.
"How are you, Host? Are you alright?"
Seeing her look as if she'd been high on a Super Dream, the System asked with concern.
"I'm great, I've never been better." Schwarzer said, savoring the emotions lingering in her mind.
Only after losing something does one realize its importance.
She felt her former self was just an empty shell, unable to truly be called alive.
Now, the 'heart' that had been dormant for centuries was beating once more.
She finally knew what she wanted. Compared to her former human self, the power of an Ex-Machina was godlike, but this self was ultimately incomplete.
Her past mechanical self was dead; the current her was the true Schwarzer!
However, a shattered vessel could only sustain itself for a moment. The Core Data was still leaking, like her life counting down bit by bit.
She needed more Core Data to fill the void.
World-altering events were few, but there were quite a number of 'Major Characters'.
The list provided by the System included not only Riku and Schwi, but also Jibril, Einzig, Artosh... even the little girl Nonna Zell, who had only appeared once, was on it.
From this perspective, there were many options. Almost every character who had appeared was considered a Major Character...
A flicker of fervor passed through Schwarzer's eyes. She needed more data, more and more data, immediately! Right now!
She then looked at the System. The Ex-Machina's powerful logical system instantly clarified her thoughts, clarifying her ultimate goal—
"I want to become human."
—It was not logic.
"Huh?"
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