Chapter 14: Chapter Fourteen
"Alright Artificia, what happened back there? Loving sacrifice never did that in the game." Kaede asked, still resting beside the tree.
Kaede groaned, leaning her head back against the tree bark. "So you're saying it's my fault for overloading it?"
Kaede rubbed her temples. "Great. So, my feelings turned a manageable skill into a near-death experience." Sigh. "Is there a way to avoid that?"
"Yeah, you're like some kind of super computer, makes sense that you can navigate that. Is all my skills going to be like this? Because I have a lot." She groaned. "Hey Artificia, multitasking is your forte isn't it," she muttered, a smile on her face. "And I'd rather not gamble my life every time I use a skill. Can you connect to all my skills?"
Kaede exhaled, her hand sliding down her face. "Thirty-six hours? That's not exactly reassuring if we run into trouble again. But I get it, better to tweak everything now than to blow myself up later."
"Partial, huh?" Kaede crossed her arms, frowning. "Alright, prioritize [Loving Sacrifice] and [Absolute Defense] first. If I'm going to keep everyone alive, I can't afford another... incident like that."
Kaede closed her eyes, letting the cool breeze carry away some of her tension. "You know, Artificia, you're starting to sound like my safety net. I almost feel bad for relying on you so much."
She snorted softly. "Sure, make it sound all clinical why don't you?"
Opening her eyes, she caught sight of the sprawling landscape before her—the dense forest giving way to rolling hills in the distance. A sharp reminder that danger wasn't just a hypothetical; it was everywhere. And she had barely scraped through the last time.
"Alright, next question: can you track my vitals or something? I'd rather know if I'm about to keel over before it actually happens."
"Figures." Kaede winced, stretching her legs out. "Guess I don't have much choice but to sit tight."
She turned her gaze toward the horizon, thoughts swirling. "Artificia, do you think I'm cut out for this? This world—it's not a game anymore. People, lives... everything feels so heavy."
She leaned back, letting her body relax against the rough bark. "Of course, of course. I get it. I just have to try my best." She sighed. "I've been meaning to ask. What are the full functions of [Lord of Machines]"
Instant Analysis:Instantaneous calculations and probability analysis, enabling real-time decision-making under optimal conditions.
Mechanomancy: The ability to create, manipulate, and control mechanical constructs.
Armament Creation: Allows users to shape materials into weapons, armor, or tools by manipulating their intrinsic properties."
Magicule Integration: The capacity to interface with and absorb magic networks, extracting, storing, or distributing data as necessary.
Adaptive Evolution: Allows self-modification of constructs or even biological enhancements for the user through nano-engineering principles, optimizing performance and survival
Energy Manipulation: Direct conversion, storage, and use of energy forms. {Current known energies, kinetic, thermal, and electrical energy}
Break Core: "Transforms heart into a volatile core. Upon activation, it triggers a powerful fission explosion.
Machine God: Transform into a mechanical deity with a magicule generator core. [Usable once every thirty days.]
Kaede raised an eyebrow. "You're saying I could literally build stuff out of nowhere?"
Kaede smirked faintly, the corners of her mouth tugging upward despite the exhaustion weighing on her body. "So, I really could go full-on machine overlord if I wanted to."
"Yeah, let's not go that far." She rubbed the back of her neck, glancing toward the fading sunlight. Her thoughts shifted as an idea began to form.
Basic constructs can be synthesized using raw materials in the surrounding environment. Estimated setup time for a basic defensive weapon: 8 minutes.>
Kaede tapped her fingers on her knee, thinking. "That might be handy, especially if we don't get another chance to rest properly." Her gaze shifted to the forest around her, the shadows deepening as night crept closer.
"Alright, let's try it. Can you scan the area for resources? I'll need whatever we can scrape together for a quick defense line."
"Sounds... wow." She stood, legs shaky but holding steady. "Alright, let's do this. Show me how to—"
The process took less than five minutes.
"Okay, that's... a little terrifying." Kaede stepped back, holding the very dangerous guns with a mix of awe and unease. "You weren't kidding about the whole machine overlord thing."
Kaede exhaled, the weight of her exhaustion settling in once more. "Good enough for now. Thanks, Artificia. Looks like I'll actually get that rest after all." she looked at the guns. "Where do I keep this?"
"Huh. Neat." She sank back down against the tree, the soft hum of the constructs lulling her into a strange sense of security. Her lips quirked into a faint smile.
"Maybe this world isn't ready for me." she muttered before falling into a rythmic sleep
Artificia's voice whispered