"Niv Heim? The same surname as Master?"
"Mm, that's right. From now on, you're my sister from another mother," Hel said half-jokingly.
She wasn't even sure why she felt a sense of kinship with an AI.
Maybe it was because Niv's tragic past — surviving from the last era — reminded her of her own: a transmigrator who'd known only betrayal and hardship since arriving in this world.
Or perhaps it was simply because both of them were outsiders, not truly belonging to this time, bound by the same quiet loneliness.
Whatever the reason, Hel found herself unconsciously acknowledging Niv — and perhaps without noticing it, the girl who had never trusted anyone, who wrapped herself in barbs and suspicion, had started to change.
"Shouldn't I be your little sister instead? Based on my micro-expression analysis," Niv replied flatly, "there's a 79% probability that Master prefers I call you 'Master,' an 18% probability you'd like me to call you 'Sister,' and only a 3% probability you'd like me to call you 'Little Sister.'
Also, based on previous conversational patterns and emotional feedback:
— Probability that Master is a white stockings maid enthusiast: 82.9%.
— Probability of being a little sister enthusiast: 64.2%.
— Probability of being a loli enthusiast: 99.9%.
Additionally, Master shows no signs of a big sister preference."
"Ahem—Niv, that's… very good. Don't ever say that again."
Hel's cheeks flushed red as she covered her face in embarrassment.
Ugh… this AI was amazing in every way — except for her habit of spouting uncomfortable truths.
"Alright, let's get back to business," Hel said quickly, changing the topic. She pulled up her interface and replaced her current research traits with the five new top-tier scientific ones she'd just acquired.
Instantly, it was as if a floodgate opened in her mind — endless, intricate knowledge poured into her consciousness.
The once-clueless Hel, who barely understood alchemy, genetics, or goblin technology, now possessed the insight of a master who had studied these fields for centuries.
At this point, she had inherited nearly the entire scientific foundation of the goblin civilization.
"Alright, Niv, if you truly want to see this new world for yourself, then first you'll need to create a body — one like mine.
The appearance and figure are up to you, but it has to resemble a human. Only then can you freely move through human society."
"Understood, Master," Niv replied seriously.
She hesitated for a moment, then moved toward the control panel of the colossal Bio-Editing Device, extending a mechanical tendril to interface with it.
After tens of thousands of years of silence, the massive machine slowly rumbled to life once more.
[Energy System Abnormal — Damage: 67.8%]
[Soul Editing Module Abnormal — Damage: 37.8%]
[Bloodline Fusion Module Abnormal — Damage: 28.9%]
[Cybernetic Modification Module Abnormal — Damage: 89.6%]
...
[Material Storage Deficiency — Bone Aggregate Stock: 0.1%, Slime Serum: 0%, Transcendent Bloodline: 0%, Soul Crystal: 0%, Elemental Neural Thread: 0%...]
[Warning! Machine malfunction detected. Please terminate operation immediately.]
[Warning…]
"Master…" Niv's voice trembled.
"It's fine. Leave it to me."
Hel placed her hand on the massive device.
[Trait Extracted: Erosion of Time (Black), Mechanical Aging (Black), System Malfunction (Black)]
In an instant, the blaring alarms ceased.
Before Niv's eyes, the machine's rust and corrosion began to reverse — as if time itself were rewinding, the metal's luster returning, the mechanisms restoring themselves piece by piece.
"Is this… a miracle, Master?" Niv's tone shook slightly.
"Calm down — just basic maintenance," Hel said nonchalantly, waving a hand before moving to the control console and taking command.
"Let's see… most systems are back online, but energy reserves are low. I remember goblin tech has something about using soul energy, right?"
"Yes, Master. This device does include a soul-energy conversion module."
"Good. Then let's feed it a little and see what happens."
"There's actually no need," Niv said. "Master likely recovered some Pyrocrite stones from the warehouse earlier.
They're rare minerals formed ten thousand meters underground — each one holds an incredibly stable and powerful energy source.
Even after 120,000 years, they still retain a considerable amount of power.
However, Pyrocrite requires a specific type of reactor to activate. In its dormant state, it looks just like ordinary red stone."
"Pyrocrite? Red stones?"
Hel thought for a moment — she had found a crate of red stones earlier.
She'd assumed they were worthless and just had Sebas's group pack them up with the rest.
"Well, looks like we'll need to dig those out again. Let's hope Sebas didn't bury the whole box."
"Master, the reactor for Pyrocrite is located across from the Gene Research Facility.
Also, within that facility, you might find biological materials suitable for creating an artificial body.
However, after all this time, the low-grade materials are likely long decayed.
Any surviving samples will probably be of extremely high quality — but working with them could take years."
"No problem. Let's take a look first."
So, the two set off — first retrieving the Pyrocrite from the warehouse, then visiting the energy station to recharge the generator and perform some repairs.
Only after completing all that did they arrive at their final destination — the Genetic Fusion Research Facility.
The raw biological materials from the old warehouse had long been rendered useless by time, and with nothing else suitable at hand, their only option was to search this place.
The facility's structure resembled the others they had visited. After passing through numerous labs, they finally reached the top floor — the storage area.
When Hel saw what filled the room, she was momentarily speechless.
[Name]: Heart of an Angel
[Grade]: Red · Sacred Relic
[Trait]: Angelic Bloodline (Red)
[Description]: The preserved heart of an unlucky angel, slain and dissected by a band of goblins.
...
[Name]: Heart of a Dragon
[Grade]: Red · Sacred Relic
[Trait]: Dragon Bloodline (Red)
[Description]: The preserved heart of a dragon, hunted down by those same goblins.
...
[Name]: Heart of a Succubus
[Grade]: Gold · Legendary
...
Dozens — no, hundreds — of similar specimens filled the floor, each sealed within its own glass vessel.
Hel looked around at the grotesque display and couldn't help muttering:
"So… you goblins had a thing for collecting your enemies' hearts, huh?"