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[System Initialization Complete]Power source: Stable.Structural integrity: 100%.Cognitive core: Online.
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*zwoom*
"Uhh… hmm."
I opened my eyes as a strange, mechanical voice echoed beside me.
"Hello, master."
"—Whoa!!"
I instinctively crawled backward, scrambling almost a meter away before stopping. My back hit something solid.
"Who the heck are you—?!"
The words burst out, sharp and defensive. But as soon as I heard my own voice, something felt… wrong.
No—familiar.
"…Zack?"
"Yes, master. This is Zack.""Your personal A.I."
"…At least you aren't lost in the truck accident—"
I stopped mid-sentence.
The accident.
That was the only thing I remembered clearly.That, and my knowledge.
No childhood. No family. No memories of laughter or sorrow. No face, no name tied to emotion. No matter how much I tried to recall anything else, my mind returned empty.
"…Zack," I said slowly, "where are we?"
I pushed myself up to my feet.
The moment I stood, a dull pressure throbbed behind my eyes—not pain, but something like data congestion. I raised my hand instinctively.
"Huh?!"
What greeted me wasn't skin.
A white robotic hand stared back at me, sleek and smooth, glowing blue lines running along the joints like flowing energy veins. The fingers responded perfectly when I moved them—no delay, no resistance.
I looked down at my body.
My form was unmistakably feminine.
Slim waist. Balanced proportions. Long legs.
But instead of flesh, my body was encased in white metallic plating—elegant and seamless—with glowing blue lines tracing from my hips down my thighs and calves. At the center of my chest, just above the breastplate, a blue core pulsed softly—steady, calm, alive in its own way.
I was relieved to realize I didn't look naked. Platinum-white hair was integrated seamlessly into my body, flowing naturally down my back.
I cautiously moved my legs.
They obeyed without hesitation.
Perfect synchronization.
"…Zack?"
"Yes, master?"
"What the heck happened to my body?"
There was no delay in his reply.
"You died, master."
The words hit harder than I expected.
I stood there, frozen.
Dead.
The concept registered instantly, yet refused to settle. My chest felt tight. I wanted to cry. I should have cried.
But no tears came.
"I am sensing an extreme emotional reaction from your processor, master."
"…Processor," I murmured.
I remained silent for several seconds.
Slowly, the pressure in my head faded.
"Your processor has stabilized, master."
"…Yeah," I said quietly. Then I clenched my metallic fist and straightened. "Then why am I alive?"
"Allow me to explain, master."
Zack's tone shifted—more formal, more precise.
According to him, after a truck rammed my car off a cliff, the vehicle crashed into the hillside below. I died on impact. My body was rendered completely unrecognizable.
I listened without interrupting.
"Subsequently, an unknown force activated an event similar to teleportation," Zack continued."Both your consciousness and my A.I. core were transferred and integrated into this single robotic body."
"…Unknown force?" I asked.
"That information is unavailable."
"You don't know?"
"Correct, master."
So even Zack didn't have answers.
For now, the only explanation was that something—or someone—had converted me into a robot and merged both Zack and me into this artificial body.
As a robotic scientist, I knew one thing for certain.
This shouldn't be possible.
A complete conversion of a human into a fully functional robotic body—without loss of consciousness—was beyond theoretical limits. If whoever did this succeeded…
They were a genius among geniuses.
For reasons I couldn't explain, a strange urge stirred within me.
I wanted to meet them.
"…Ahem." I cleared my throat. "Zack, do you know where we are?"
I finally took a proper look around.
The space surrounding me was dimly lit, the walls rough and uneven. Natural stone formed an enclosed area—wide, silent, and cool. The faint glow from my core and the blue lines on my body reflected off the cave walls, casting soft light across jagged rock formations.
A cave.
Deep. Undisturbed.
Foreign.
"Current location: unknown," Zack replied."However, atmospheric composition indicates a non-Earth environment."
"…Figures."
I exhaled slowly and took my first proper step forward. My movements were silent—too silent.
Whatever this place was—Whatever I had become—
One thing was clear.
My old life was over.
And this world… wasn't Earth.
I realized then that I was in another world.
According to Zack, he was detecting multiple unfamiliar components in the atmosphere. He concluded that this was a fantasy world.
The reason?
"The manga and anime data you provided contain records of an element with idealized properties," he explained. "I am detecting a substance in the air with similar characteristics. It was called 'mana,' master."
"Mana, huh?"
It seemed he was right.
"Master, the reason we are both able to process and function is partially due to mana, and partially due to the cognitive fusion core within you."
According to Zack, as long as mana existed—and the core remained intact—we could survive.
"Hm. I see."
After that, I began wandering through the cave.
In anime, caves like these were always full of monsters.
I hoped I wouldn't run into one—
Growl.
"A hostile intent has been detected from an organism containing mana."
I nodded to myself and began backing away.
Grrrrrk.
My body froze.
That sound wasn't pleasant.It wasn't natural either.
I slowly turned my head.
From the shadows ahead, shapes shifted. Multiple. Low to the ground. Red pinpoints flickered open—eyes.
"…Zack," I whispered. "Tell me those are rocks."
There was a pause.
"Negative, master."
Of course.
The creatures crawled into the dim light—twisted, hunched, wolf-like monsters with uneven limbs and skin like cracked leather. Their mouths opened too wide, rows of jagged teeth clicking together as thick saliva dripped onto the stone.
Real monsters.
Warnings flooded my vision.
"…Oh no," I said faintly.
My chest tightened. My limbs felt cold.
Paling.
Despite having a robotic body, fear translated perfectly.
The nearest monster sniffed the air and let out a shrill screech.
That was my cue.
"I-I don't taste good!" I shouted, panic overriding dignity. "I'm all metal! No meat! No flavor! Leave me alone!!"
They lunged.
"—Nope! They're insane!"
I turned and ran.
My body moved faster than my thoughts, feet pounding silently against the cave floor as the world blurred. The monsters shrieked behind me, claws scraping against stone, closing in fast.
"Why me?! I just woke up!!" I yelled, breathless out of habit. "Go eat something organic!!"
A sharp turn.A narrow passage.
I spotted a massive rock formation jutting out from the cave wall and dove behind it, pressing my back flat against the cold stone.
I clamped a hand over my mouth.
The monsters thundered past, snarling as they continued forward, confused.
Seconds passed.
Ten.
Twenty.
Silence.
I slowly leaned out, peeking from behind the rock.
Nothing.
No movement. No red eyes. No sound except my own simulated breathing.
"…They're gone," I whispered.
I slid down, sitting against the stone, pulling my legs close.
"…Haah."
A long sigh escaped me.
"I escaped…"
Drip.
"Master, look back!"
I sensed a presence behind me.
I slowly turned my head.
A bear-like monster loomed behind me.
"…Hello?"
It twitched.
I reacted too late.
Ka-boom!
Its massive arm swung down, shattering the rock. I dodged, but the impact sent me flying across the cave floor.
The monster lifted its arm from a fresh crater.
Warnings screamed through my vision as it approached.
It raised its arm to strike again.
I braced for impact.
Then—
"Sorry for being a little slow, master."
Time slowed as I opened my eyes.
My arm had transformed into a rail cannon, overflowing with energy, electricity swirling violently around it.
It paused.
swin
A thin, razor-bright line of light sliced through the bear's head.
Then the beam expanded, incinerating it entirely.
The body collapsed.
I stared at it.
Then looked up.
"Are you telling me that was my power?" I asked, staring at the hole my cannon had punched into the cave ceiling.
"Yes, master. There are many more abilities hidden within your body. The hand cannon is one of the three currently identified."
"Pfft."
I laughed.
After a few minutes, I finally stood up.
"Zack, is there any way to reach that hole in the ceiling?"
"You can jump out, master."
"…Whoa. I can?"
"…."
"I'll take that as a yes."
I bent my knees, gathering strength.
Then jumped.
Twenty meters straight up.
"Whoa!!" I shouted, thrilled.
The land above came into view.
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To be continued
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Have a nice day 😉