'I need to understand how a tiny bot like me ended up on this planet… buried deep beneath the surface.'
Keon's soul core pulsed softly, emitting a faint hum. He raised a needle-thin spider leg and studied its rusted tip with mechanical curiosity. Around him, ancient fossils and sediment-locked stones lined the cavern walls, as if lifeless and undisturbed for ages. The air, thin and dry, carried the faint, metallic scent of rust and the deeper, earthy smell of ancient rock.
'No metal, no ruins and no signs of civilization. I must've burrowed down through the sand... or maybe it was some other reason.'
Keon's internal processors ran countless scenarios, simulating possibilities and direction vectors in order to find the cause behind his presence in this cave. A cold logic dictated his movements, yet beneath it, a human curiosity gnawed at his core. He yearned for answers, for a narrative to explain this bizarre rebirth.
Just then, something blinked in his vision, a glimmering icon hovering in the center of his HUD. It wasn't part of the environment, but an overlay, a digital ghost in his mechanical eye.
'Is that… a system panel?'
A thought twisted in his mind while focusing on it. Instantly, a soft chime echoed in his mind as an interface unfolded before him, a translucent blue screen shimmering against the cavern's dimness.
...
[System Interface]
[System Menu] - Manage all functions and monitor universe-relevant progress.
[Status Panel] - View personal details and current stats.
[Storage Panel] - Access unlimited internal inventory.
[Communication] - Universal communication.
[Trading Platform] (Locked - unlocks at Level 1)
[Map & Navigation] (Locked - unlocks after planetary exploration)
...
Keon flinched slightly, surprised. His eight mechanical eyes rotated, scanning the blue interface line by line. The implications rippled through his consciousness. 'Status… that's probably a physical report. Storage and trading I get it. But communication? Does that mean I can talk to others, across universes?' The thought was both thrilling and terrifying. He was not alone.
He locked focus on the [Status Panel]. The icon expanded outward, and detailed status windows shimmered into view, each line of text a revelation.
...
[Status Panel]
Name: Keon
Level: 0
Race: Mechanical Species
Form: Spider Bot
...
Primary Attributes
Health: 80 / 100%
(Health: Total representation of component and health structure)
Energy: 40 / 50Wh (10W × 5h)
(Energy: Total representation of energy storage and consumption over time.)
Core: CC-1 (Carbon Cell)
Structure: Iron Alloy
Size: 1 Inch
Force: 5 gram (Limited)
Mass: 10 gram
Mobility: Low
Durability: Low
Agility: Low
...
Racial Talent - Assimilation & Transformation
Sub-Talent 1: Material Recognition
Automatically identifies properties of scanned substances.
Sub-Talent 2: Material Assimilation
Assimilate materials to create, modify, upgrade, and process the machines.
Sub-Talent 3: Reforge
Repair or reconfigure damaged components using assimilated matter.
Sub-Talent 4: Core Optimization
(Requires Level 5)
Sub-Talent 5: Material Gathering
(Requires Level 10)
...
Growth Statistics
Free Attribute Points: 0
Next Level Requirement: Force > 10 gram
Assimilation Capacity: 1 gram/min
Load Capacity: 1 gram
...
'Interesting talent for a mechanical species, assimilation and transformation… a perfect fit for survival. With the technical data in my memory banks, I should be able to push this racial talent to its full potential.'
A flicker of grim determination ignited within his core. He observed the status panel, energy, racial talent and sub-talents and then turned his attention to his health indicator.
'Health at 80% limit. That means my body is functional... or is it?' A nagging doubt persisted.
The next moment a diagram of his spider form appeared on the panel in front of him, a stark, wireframe representation of his new body.
Warning!!!
Red warning marks pulsed across four leg joints and several leg tips on the virtual image of his structure beside the status. As if triggered by focus, more data streamed into his mind, a torrent of diagnostic information.
[Warning: Six tool limbs are inaccessible due to rust. Four joint actuators are nonfunctional.]
[Tip: Health reads 80% due to core stability, but actual operational efficiency is 60%. Restoration recommended.]
'So I'm a repair spider bot… But my main tools are broken? Seriously? Just my luck.'
He thought to himself speechlessly, a wave of mechanical frustration buzzing through his core. He then checked the energy stat on his panel.
[Energy: Tied to core performance. Energy drains faster with damaged parts. Faulty components increase the chance of energy compromise.]
'That explains it; bad parts waste energy. I'm already down to 60%; no wonder.'
A sigh, or the mechanical equivalent of one, resonated within him. He looked over the remaining stats one by one, absorbing the information with a cold, calculating efficiency.
[Force: Represents total mechanical output, derived from strength, energy, size, mass, mobility, and more. Affects interaction with the physical environment.]
Keon nodded mentally. 'Got it. My force output is also reduced and limited because of damage components, but I can restore it. First priority, repair the body. Otherwise, I'll be crawling at 10% efficiency.' The path forward, though challenging, was clear.
His gaze shifted to the Communication option. Out of curiosity, he activated it. Suddenly a message panel popped up, styled like a basic chat interface. A flurry of titles and messages scrolled across the screen, a chaotic symphony of desperation and triumph from across the multiverse.
...
[Universe 6236799]
"I turned into a female fire lizard on a lava planet! I used to be a supermodel, now these other ugly male lizards keep staring at me…
Please HELP!"
[Universe 67876]
"I'm just a tiny worm on a massive leaf… Forget conquering universes, I might not even get off this planet."
[Universe 9876]
"Hahaha! You all sound pathetic. I got lucky. I'm a water dragon, my racial talent lets me control the ocean!"
[Universe 1457]
"@9876, You're a dragon? Wow. I'm a cat, and I've got an upgradable talent: tenfold speed and reaction! All of us have weird talents, guess that's how we evolve."
...
Keon skimmed through the chaotic messages. A strange mix of relief and unease settled within him.
'So I'm really not alone. Others are out there… and most are worse off than I am. At least I'm not a worm or a lizard.' The thought, though tinged with a dark humor, was a small comfort.
A thought flashed through his core while closing the panel, and then he turned his gaze toward the crystalline walls nearby. Data flickered again, identifying the material with cold, scientific precision.
[Material: Concentrated quartz. Denser and stronger than common metal, but extremely brittle.]
'Too dense and brittle, not useful for now.'
He dismissed it, his optical lenses sweeping the cavern, searching for something more promising. He turned around and started scanning the area. His vision zoomed in on a sandy mound. Microscopic analysis kicked in automatically.
[Sand composition: quartz crystals, trace particles (gold, black iron, titanium, magnetite)]
'Perfect, although it'll be slow, but I can extract those iron particles with a technique and then assimilate them.' A spark of mechanical ingenuity ignited.
Keon crawled over to the mound, eight legs tapping inside the sand below. He raised two legs and rubbed them together. Suddenly a faint spark flickered, a tiny discharge of energy.
[Energy - 5Wh]
He planted his feet into the sand. Instantly, a layer of dark metallic particles clung to his limbs, drawn by the static charge.
'Static charge helps attract the metal more efficiently.' He thought and activated his sub-talents.
Material Assimilation!
Reforge!!
As minutes passed the notification of assimilated materials mass flickered in his vision.
+1 gram
+1 gram
+1 gram
Dark metal particles began melting into his structure, each gram in a minute, fusing with his damaged limbs. The rust was overwritten with fresh material, a slow, deliberate process of self-repair. His core buzzed, a low thrum of growing power as his body expanded.
His size also increased from one inch to two inches, immediately warning and other notifications followed on the panel that reappeared in front of his vision.
[Warning: Current size has reached the structure endurance limit.]
[Force has reached 10 gram]
[Force ≥ 10 - Level Up!]
[Free Attribute Point +1]
[Health Restored, All systems functional]
...
Keon's sensors brightened. All eight legs twitched with perfect control. He could feel the weight of new metal in his limbs, a newfound strength coursing through his mechanical frame.
Attributes
Size: 1 inch > 2 inches
Mass: 10 grams > 20 grams
Force: 5 grams > 10 grams
Health: 100 / 100%
Energy: 4.5W / 10W
Mobility: Low
Durability: Low > Moderate
Agility: Low
'Bigger… stronger. Agility and mobility are still low, but that's a fair trade. Early sacrifices mean smoother upgrades later. Also, assimilation consumed one Wh of energy per gram.' He analyzed the changes after leveling up while observing the energy attribute and then glanced back at the sand mound. There were still plenty of metal particles to harvest, a silent promise of further evolution.
…