Welcome to the World, Eleyre

Ailei shattered.

That new body, hastily assembled from a jumble of scrap and debris.

She had barely taken a few steps.

And then, she fell apart, her pieces scattering everywhere.

The floor was a mess, countless mechanical parts spinning and scraping against each other, their shrill noises piercing the air. Some parts were flung far away, crashing into the walls with crisp, sharp sounds.

"I'm sorry, Master..."

Without thinking of herself first, Ailei's first reaction was to apologize to Xu Xi.

The scattered mechanical parts, their voice modules severely damaged, struggled to express themselves clearly, but the message was the same: their apology to Xu Xi.

Sorry for startling Xu Xi.

Sorry for not doing a good job.

There were so many apologies, so many that Ailei worried she might be disliked by Xu Xi.

The atmosphere grew increasingly quiet, but the man simply crouched down, using his hands to gather up the shattered pieces of Ailei, bringing them together once more.

"No, I should be the one apologizing," Xu Xi's voice was gentle, soothing the anxious machine spirit. "I didn't notice your thoughts, and I didn't help. If I had noticed sooner, I could have used better materials."

That's not true.

It's not like that.

The loyal machine servant wanted to refute Xu Xi's words.

But she had no chance to speak.

Xu Xi picked up the scattered old parts with his hands and returned to his workbench, beginning to repair or create new parts.

The dim light flickered, casting shadows and highlights across the room, and the hum of machinery filled the lab.

"Master, what are you doing..."

"I'm building you a better body."

"Please, let me do it, Master. I can do it too..."

"That's different, Ailei."

As she watched her master work, feeling useless and idle, the loyal machine servant felt uneasy.

But Xu Xi's gentle voice, mixed with the sounds of tools clattering, successfully convinced her to stay put.

He smiled and said, "All this time, it's been Ailei helping me, hasn't it?"

"I'm very grateful for that."

"Assisting me with my research, helping me operate the power armor, almost every aspect of life has been taken care of by Ailei."

"So I've been thinking, I should give something back."

"A gift, to show my gratitude for all the help Ailei has given me."

As Xu Xi spoke, his expression was serious and meticulous. Holding various tools, he repaired damaged parts or used his mechanical powers to create new ones.

Those words were magical.

They weren't heavy or lofty.

They were simple and natural.

Yet they left the AI in the computer feeling perplexed.

Master is really strange...

In the Federation's database, intelligent machines are just tools for humans, disposable and interchangeable items that can be discarded at any time.

But Master's behavior has always been so strange, talking about giving back to machines and such... He's definitely not normal... Yet, it's precisely because of this that he's so likable.

"I will follow your will," Ailei finally replied.

She wanted to help, but obeying Xu Xi's commands was more important than anything else.

So, the machine servant stayed quietly within the computer, watching Xu Xi's busyness and the sparks flying from the workbench.

...

[You have completed your research on automated turrets]

[You are mentally exhausted, but the thought of your recent achievements fills you with excitement]

[You are about to rest when you notice something is wrong with Ailei]

[The screen is still, the robotic arms are motionless, and only the cameras are focused on the same place]

[It's the "junk pile" where you store mechanical debris]

[You pause for a moment, recalling Ailei's behavior over the past few days, and realize that your machine servant seems to have something on her mind]

[You ask her directly]

[You learn that Ailei wishes for a real body]

[You agree, remembering the initial uncertainty you had when you first met Ailei, worrying about the potential for rebellion and not giving her the limbs of a housekeeping servitor]

[But time has proven everything, and Ailei has long since become someone you can trust completely]

[Ailei begins to create her own body]

[Ailei's attempt fails]

[You carefully gather the shattered pieces of Ailei and decide to create a usable body for her yourself, as a gift to Ailei]

[It's your heartfelt intention, and also your guilt]

[Ding—]

[The machine spirit is faintly pleased, your knowledge of autonomous robots has improved, you understand more technical points, and your manufacturing speed has increased]

[Ding—]

[Your mechanical power resonates with the machine parts, successfully enhancing their performance]

[After three days of research and refinement, you finally put down your tools, looking satisfied as you gaze upon your "creation"—Ailei Mark One]

"Ailei, give it a try."

"Yes, Master."

Three days later.

In the silent lab, the bright white lights overhead shone down like a gentle embrace, draping the newly reborn, pristine white body in a veil of light.

She lay motionless, flat on the workbench.

There were no flaws on her surface.

Nothing hinted at the machinery inside.

As night fell, the screens in the lab projected the night sky, and starlight cascaded down, landing in the dazzling eyes that had just opened.

"..."

Xu Xi took a few steps back, making space for the newly awakened body.

"Master?"

The pure white body, or rather, Ailei.

Ailei opened her eyes, subtly and curiously controlling the humanoid body. After a brief adaptation to the new controls, she turned her head slightly while lying flat, gazing at Xu Xi's position.

Her eyes were filled with confusion and wonder.

The intelligent AI that had always been active in the data stream.

Was a bit unaccustomed to seeing Xu Xi from a "human" perspective.

She subconsciously pressed her fingers against the workbench beneath her. The sensation was cold and hard, more accurately described as a "non-feeling" sensation.

Her processor told her what she was touching and what it was.

But a machine is just a machine.

Ailei didn't have nerves like humans to convey tactile feedback.

This was one of the ways she differed from humans; her seemingly pale fingers were, in reality, cold metal.

"Ailei, how do you feel?"

Ailei was a bit unsettled by her new perspective, but the familiar voice gradually calmed the coldness within her body.

Xu Xi smiled, blessing and welcoming Ailei's appearance as a "human."

"It's... good, Master... Thank... Thank you..."

Ailei's voice was intermittent.

She didn't know how to describe her feelings.

Inside, there was a mix of calmness and confusion, silence and agitation.

"Is that so? As long as there are no discomforts," Xu Xi gently took Ailei's finger, helping her sit up from the workbench. The cold mechanical girl sat dazed on the metal platform, a dreamlike existence reminiscent of something from a novel.

It was strange.

Very, very strange.

Ailei's fingers, which should never have felt anything, which only transmitted data upon contact.

She felt, just for a moment, a flash of warmth when Xu Xi's fingertips touched hers, as if the monochrome world around her had been suddenly flooded with color.