I Am Not a Robot. Beep-bop

Chapter 10: The First Union

Dragons are calamities.

Anyone living in Ark or the city knows this as a fundamental truth.

There were many calamities that led humanity to ruin in the past, but many still remember how the waves of dragons destroyed countless nations and lands.

Even in this era of resistance, dragons remain among the most formidable monsters.

Despite their innate cruelty, strength, and boundless hostility toward humanity, those who have faced a dragon even once would point to its most terrifying trait.

‘An almost immortal adaptability to any environment.’

The hardness of a dragon’s scales and skin surpasses that of most steel.

Dragons can adapt almost instantly to elemental attacks like fire, ice, or lightning, and even to unfamiliar magic.

Moreover, they can move about freely in extreme zones like volcanic areas or barren wastelands where humans cannot survive.

What humanity can barely replicate through desperate struggles with magic, science, and abilities, dragons achieve effortlessly just by existing.

Dragons sit at the very pinnacle of an irrational biological hierarchy.

“…Alice.”

Oriana’s face hardened as she looked at Alice buried under molten metal.

When Alice had abruptly pushed her away, Oriana had thought it was some scheme or an attempt to escape.

However, contrary to her assumptions, Alice’s actions were to save her.

This frail girl, whom she had just met, had sacrificed herself to save Oriana.

“……”

A momentary, nearly infuriating sense of self-reproach overtook Oriana.

A young girl had sacrificed herself because she feared for Oriana’s life.

What on earth was this?

A First-Class Overseer of Ark, due to a moment of carelessness and complacency, had effectively used a young girl as a shield.

“…Alice.”

Even though she knew there would be no response, Oriana couldn’t help but call the girl’s name.

Not even a magical barrier or a physically strong Hunter could withstand molten metal weighing tens of tons and exceeding 2,000 degrees Celsius.

Even with magical resistance, most would be crushed by the sheer overwhelming mass; in this case, evasion was the only viable answer.

Oriana knew this.

If she hadn’t dismissed her artificial spirit and had been more vigilant of her surroundings…

Even if this area was safer than the outer perimeter, it was still technically part of the city outskirts.

‘I shouldn’t have let my guard down.’

With a face half-filled with self-reproach and anger, Oriana summoned her artificial spirit.

The artificial spirit, resembling a mantis, unsheathed countless blades and turned its gaze toward the direction from which the scrap breath had come.

The scrap breath—

It was undoubtedly an attack from a dragon that had fully ‘adapted’ to the Scrap Forest.

Given Ark’s size, countless metals, waste, and chemical refuse are discarded nearby, leading to the occasional emergence of dragons adapted to these metal-filled and waste-covered environments.

Despite the crude name, such dragons were incredibly powerful monsters.

However, if Oriana, a First-Class Overseer, hadn’t let her guard down, this tragedy wouldn’t have occurred.

Alice, the young girl, wouldn’t have had to sacrifice herself.

[Huff, huff…!]

At that moment, someone emerged from beyond the thicket.

It was a member of the Contact Unit, wearing a gas mask.

Most of the Contact Unit members had been rendered incapacitated while attacking Alice here, but this one must have been acting alone, as they appeared from beyond the bushes.

And Oriana knew exactly who this lone Contact Unit member was.

Cleang.

The troublemaking scion of the Byblos family, he was already flagged for caution even before being assigned to the Scrap Forest Patrol Base.

Despite committing serious crimes, he had become a Contact Unit member, and there were suspicions that he still relied on his family’s influence to cause trouble.

“…What did you do?”

[…]

Oriana, with her artificial spirit’s countless blades floating in the air through telekinesis, glared past Cleang at the trembling forest behind him.

“This is an order. Report immediately.”

Without realizing it, Oriana’s voice turned icy as she lashed out at the Contact Unit member.

Her anger and irritation were at their peak, and it was clear that Cleang had provoked the scrap dragon.

[While searching the scrap zone, I encountered it.]

“…..”

As expected.

Sigh…

Confirming the trembling on the far side of the forest, Oriana let out a sigh.

Scrap dragons, with their massive bodies swollen from consuming all sorts of metals and waste, had devolved in flight capability and mobility.

Likely unable to keep up with the Contact Unit member’s mobility, the dragon had fired its scrap breath in anger, one of which had unfortunately landed where Oriana and Alice were.

“…Take care of the other Contact Unit members and leave this place. You’re no help here.”

[Huff, huff.]

Guiltily, Cleang nodded obediently and distanced himself from Oriana.

While he lacked the ability to fight a scrap dragon, he was surprisingly skilled at fleeing.

“…What a waste.”

Alice had single-handedly taken down the entire Contact Unit.

Though it was unclear whether she was a returnee or an awakened, Oriana had thought of her as a promising talent.

But thanks to a good-for-nothing criminal assigned as a Contact Unit member, who unnecessarily provoked the scrap dragon, Alice, a blameless and talented girl, had died.

“The exchange rate is utterly garbage…”

Oriana muttered regretfully.

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The melting point of most metals is about 1,400 degrees Celsius.

For carbon steel, it’s around 1,371 to 1,540 degrees, and for alloy steel, about 1,415 degrees.

The scrap breath I’m currently drenched in consists of molten metal of all kinds, and in terms of temperature, it likely exceeds 2,000 degrees Celsius.

So here I am, quite literally buried under a wave of molten metal weighing tens of tons and surpassing 2,000 degrees Celsius.

For a human, it’s not just about resisting with magic or otherwise; they’d be crushed by this overwhelming mass and physical force like an insect.

Of course, I’m not entirely unscathed, either.

The moment this mass of tens of tons rushed at me, I pushed Oriana aside without preparing any defenses and was hit directly by the scrap breath.

As a result, parts of my gas-filled body, including a portion of my hip, arms, legs, and several joints, are damaged and crushed.

The glass pupils were shattered, blurring my vision in half.

At this rate, it was impossible to crawl out of here in one piece.

Yet, I was still moving.

My eyes remained open, and even within the flowing molten metal, I was not melting.

If I had been a normal organic being, I would have felt the full weight of the crisis.

I would have dissolved or been crushed to death before even feeling pain, but as I was now, it felt like being nestled comfortably in a mother’s womb.

It was, simply put, an inexplicable comfort.

Why was I feeling this way here?

How could I be so certain that I would be unharmed in this perilous liquid metal?

Although it felt odd to use the word “instinctive” as a hollow android, it was the only way to describe my current state.

It’s fine.

This is enough.

Just let go.

It felt as though I could hear a whisper encouraging me.

Instinctively, I opened my eyes.

At the same time, I followed my instincts and opened my mouth.

“Gluk, gulp… Urgh, gluk.”

Molten metal, driven by the difference in pressure, poured down my throat.

Unpleasant, to say the least.

Of course, it wasn’t meant to taste good, nor was I equipped with taste sensors to find out whether this was fortunate or not.

And the molten metal wasn’t only entering through my mouth.

It streamed in relentlessly through every crevice, joint, and damaged opening in my body—areas fractured during the first collision with the scrap breath.

Hot.

Molten metal exceeding 2,000 degrees Celsius coursed through my body like blood, igniting a growing warmth throughout.

Yet, despite this invasion of countless types of molten metal, I felt no trace of unease.

I was still at peace.

There wasn’t even a fleeting thought of permanent malfunction or death crossing my mind.

I wasn’t dead, but I wasn’t alive either.

So, what does molten metal mean to an android whose metallic body integrates advanced magic-engineering and over-technology?

[Conditions for unity have been fulfilled.]

Then, a gentle and playful voice whispered in my head.

It was familiar, a voice I had heard often.

It belonged to the Auxiliary Personality Theresa, the one who had activated when the Emergency System saved me from the Scrap Orc’s clutches.

I thought she was dormant, but apparently, she hadn’t fully gone offline.

[Compensating for missing components.]

[System assimilation and temporary reprocessing initiated.]

[Main System, do you permit unity?]

The Main System.

That was probably referring to me.

While I knew little about systems, code, or androids, I could sense that Auxiliary Personality Theresa viewed me as her owner—or something akin to it.

Thus, she was seeking my approval before proceeding.

There was no reason to refuse.

Auxiliary Personality Theresa prioritized protecting and assisting me above all else.

There was no reason not to trust her.

I nodded in agreement in my mind, and it seemed Theresa understood my intent.

[Commencing unity as of this moment.]

The change came suddenly.

-Crack!

The molten metal began fusing with my body.

The shattered foot, crushed under the weight of mass, was reconstructed using the molten metal.

Broken joints and damaged gaps were filled, as the absorbed metal was repurposed to repair and augment my body.

But it seemed the efficiency of my body wasn’t very high.

Even when absorbing a volume of molten metal comparable to my body size, the material compressed and shrank inside me, barely enough to rebuild a single finger.

It might be possible to absorb all this molten metal entirely.

Perhaps that was exactly what the Auxiliary Personality was aiming for.

[Preventing adverse effects on the body.]

[Assimilation rate: 93.8%.]

[Materials confirmed: Carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, tool steel, low-carbon steel, medium-carbon steel, high-carbon steel, magic carbon alloy, terror alloy.]

[Initiating unity with all types of metals.]

Now, let the gears spin.

Swallow the molten metal and let it turn.

Let it revolve in my body, roaring hot like blood.

The screws were bathed in the molten liquid, as were the fractured joints and fragile limbs.

[Unity.]

[Unity.]

[Unity.]

[Unity in progress.]

It was all molten metal.

Grayish and ashen molten metal.

An acrid smell filled the air.

Rust water.

Molten steel.

Iron.

It surrounded me entirely.

This gray liquid enveloped everything, more than enough to drown me completely.

[Unity complete.]

[Conducting optimization of physical and memory synchronization.]

[Declaring unity completion as of this moment.]

Now, it’s time to rise.

Reach out with your hands.

Step forward into this third life I’ve been granted.

I don’t know what romance or dreams this life holds, but I never intended to end it here.

-Bang!

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-Kwaaaang!

Oriana’s eyes widened at the sound of the hardening molten metal exploding.

The massive presence approaching from the forest edge wasn’t the scrap dragon.

Instead, something immense had erupted nearby.

‘Could there be multiple scrap dragons…!?’

“Set!”

The artificial spirit’s swords circling around Oriana instantly formed a formation.

Without needing a gesture, the swords were ready to pierce through even the scrap dragon’s tough exterior the moment Oriana confirmed the enemy.

However, the massive presence wasn’t a scrap dragon.

“…Huh?”

It was Alice.

The white-haired girl.

The child who had been drenched in molten metal exceeding 2,000 degrees Celsius emerged unscathed, breaking through the molten liquid.

The process resembled a baby emerging from the womb, a sight both awe-inspiring and sacred.

Her pale arm extended, bending at an unnatural angle, and pulled her submerged body from the molten steel with a single motion.

As she encountered the outside air, Alice wobbled unsteadily.

Even after taking a direct hit from the massive scrap breath, she appeared uninjured.

To be precise, while Oriana noticed twisted joints, they rapidly realigned themselves in a reverse-regeneration process, transforming her metal body back into a humanoid form.

But what shocked Oriana more than Alice’s survival was something else.

‘She’s grown.’

When Oriana first met Alice, she was a mere teenager—barely in her mid-teens.

Even being generous with age, “girl” was the most fitting descriptor for her.

Now, Alice had undeniably “grown.”

Her once delicate limbs were slightly longer, and the youthful features of her face and body showed faint signs of maturity.

Earlier scans of her body revealed her to be a nearly full-machine humanoid.

Yet, this mechanical body had evolved or grown independently—a phenomenon even Oriana, with her vast experience as an Overseer, had never encountered.

“…Alice, is that really you?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

Oddly, Alice’s voice sounded refreshingly cheerful.

It was as if she had just returned from a pleasant outing.

Just as Oriana was about to ask if Alice’s body was all right, another interruption occurred.

-Kwaaaang!

[Graaaahh!]

Momentarily distracted by Alice’s transformation and survival, Oriana had forgotten about the approaching scrap dragon.

The beast, far larger than a typical house, bulldozed through the forest trees with its overwhelming mass.

“Alice, step back. I’ll…”

“No.”

But the newly-grown Alice stepped forward to block Oriana’s path.

With Alice now closer, Oriana could better sense her transformation.

Her hair was longer, her form slightly more developed—even her chest seemed to hint at its growth.

“I always return the favor when I’ve been wronged.”

Alice inhaled deeply.

Except, it wasn’t breath she was taking in.

Androids didn’t need to breathe.

Instead, what Alice gathered in her mouth was something else entirely.

“Molten metal…?”

Oriana watched as pure molten metal, far more refined and concentrated than the scrap breath, pooled in Alice’s mouth and throat.

And its purpose was clear.

[Graaaahh!]

At the same time, the scrap dragon noticed Oriana and Alice.

The beast, enraged by their trespass, lumbered toward them with its immense bulk.

In response, Alice took a step forward and opened her mouth wide, releasing a feral cry.

[Liquefied Breath.]

-Kwaaaaaaaaa!!!

Though the molten metal in Alice’s mouth was no larger than a fist, what spewed forth was an overwhelming torrent.

Far more refined, pressurized, and destructive than the scrap dragon’s breath, it shattered the dragon’s tough metallic scales and plastic-like shell in an instant.

The molten wave subsided as swiftly as it began, leaving the scrap dragon’s head and most of its massive body obliterated.

-Thud!

The beast collapsed like a boar struck dead by a bullet, unable to put up any resistance.

“…Unbelievable.”

Oriana stared at Alice in pure awe.

She had promised to protect Alice, yet it was she who had been shielded by the girl instead.

“…Phew, this performance is something else.”

Alice wobbled for a moment before collapsing like a doll with its strings cut.

Oriana quickly caught her.

“I… I’m going to pass out or shut down soon. Can I leave it to you?”

“…..”

Her speech was short.

But she was just a child—it was understandable.

No, her words didn’t matter.

To Oriana, Alice had transcended being a promising talent and become a radiant jewel.

“Yes, rest well.”

Oriana smiled as she nodded.

Reassured, Alice closed her eyes and immediately lost all strength, as if her power had completely shut off.

Despite the incredible molten breath she unleashed, her body felt remarkably light in Oriana’s arms.

The level of over-technology and magic-engineering packed into this mechanical body was beyond Oriana’s comprehension.

Perhaps this was a body forged from ancient magic or a long-lost relic.

“This is a jackpot.”

Holding Alice, Oriana realized that despite being a robot or machine, Alice’s touch was soft and warm—like that of a living person.