As Ji An's words fell, his vision blurred.
Then He saw the world freeze.
He saw time rapidly rewind.
The underground palace swiftly disintegrated into bricks and stones, then vanished, leaving behind a barren wasteland.
The stars and moon in the sky faded; day suddenly broke, quickly darkened again, then lit up once more.
Mountains collapsed, lakes dried up, the ground caved in...
Ji An suddenly understood — he was traversing the River of Time.
Finally, the temporal reversion stopped.
His primary perspective also shifted.
This was an ancient, highly technologically advanced kingdom located underground.
But it wasn't dark here.
Its people had mastered the use of energy.
The dazzling radiance of artificial light sources was enough to illuminate the perpetual night beneath the earth.
The scene changed.
Ji An saw a pair of pale, emaciated hands.
A dim workshop, filled with all sorts of intricate machinery.
Most of his bodily organs had been replaced by machinery — not for strength, but merely to sustain life.
He hunched over his workbench; the walls and desk were covered with extremely complex blueprints.
He worked tirelessly, frantically, consumed by his research.
His daughter, worried about his health, tried to get him to rest, but he sent her away.
He told himself:
「Soon.」
He already knew what the perfect autonomous machine should be.
He would prove that Corker's so-called achievements were insignificant — too naïve and laughable.
The great godless nation should not be confined to a corner.
「The land should not be tilled with farming tools, but seized with iron and blood.」
— Based on this philosophy —
The war machines later known as the Ruin Guards were born from his hands.
But he preferred to call them [Field Tillers].
He presented the first Field Tiller to the great ruler of the ancient kingdom.
He thus received unprecedented glory.
Soon after,
Field Tillers were rapidly mass-produced under the kingdom's mobilization.
They became a terrifying steel tide, marching toward the surface to spread the seeds of civilization across the entire continent.
But he was not satisfied.
According to the war reports, while the Field Tillers were powerful, they did not demonstrate the invincible, god-defying strength he had anticipated.
He said:
「Something is still missing.」
「This is not the perfect machine.」
「The perfect machine I seek should be capable of self-evolution — rivaling gods, even the Heavenly Principles.」
He plunged back into his research.
This time, he changed his design approach.
To enhance combat performance, he abandoned the inefficient humanoid form, prioritizing maximum lethality.
Excelling in both close-quarters combat and long-range artillery.
Under his design
More and even more powerful war machines were born.
He said:
「Not enough.」
「Still far from enough.」
「Machines incapable of self-evolution are merely scrap metal — utterly incapable of possessing the power to challenge the gods.」
He requested the eye of the very first Field Tiller from the military department.
Using it as a prototype, he remade a core worthy of being the eye of the prototype machine.
Thus—
The war machine later known as the [Ruin Hunter] was born.
The Ruin Hunter was a machine created solely for slaughter, far more powerful than the Field Tiller. The displayed might shocked both the ruler and the high command of the military.
Yet he still said:
「Not enough, not enough!」
「What is the key to enabling mechanical self-evolution?」
The knowledge of pure technology could no longer satisfy his needs.
He began consulting materials on alchemy.
Finally, he reached a conclusion:
What the current machines lacked was "thought."
Or rather — mechanical "intelligence."
But he also knew very well:
Given the current technological level of the ancient kingdom, even after a thousand years, they could not grant machines self-"thought."
「If technology cannot, what about alchemy?」
「If a mechanical core is insufficient, what about a human heart?」
Once some ideas emerge, they take root like seeds — nourished by madness, sprouting within the human heart.
He began dabbling in taboos.
Attempting to use the lives of condemned prisoners to complete his experiments.
However, his actions were exposed.
He claimed it was for the future of the ancient kingdom.
「The gods will not tolerate a godless nation possessing such advanced technology and power.」
「Unless we also possess the power to threaten the gods.」
The people called him a madman.
A scoundrel.
Committing horrific human experiments for his own selfish desires.
The ancient kingdom was already strong enough, possessing the power to protect itself.
In the face of the powerful Field Tillers, even the gods would not easily make an enemy of them.
And so he was tried as a criminal, stripped of all his glory, and became a stray dog.
Even after such a blow,
He still did not abandon his research.
But in his current status, he could no longer obtain condemned prisoners as experimental subjects.
However—
He had one last chance.
That was his own life.
After completing all preparations,
He wrote a suicide note for his daughter, expressing in the letter his longing for his wife and his regrets toward his daughter.
That night, he placed the letter under his daughter's pillow and kissed her forehead for the last time.
「For the future of the ancient kingdom, my sacrifice is necessary.」
He whispered to his daughter.
But he did not know that after he fell asleep
His daughter walked toward his workshop.
The next day, when he arrived before the experimental platform his sixteen-year-old daughter sat quietly on the chair.
Like a withered flower, a sharp knife in her hand, her chest covered in blood.
In the culture vessel was a fresh, red heart.
[Ding, 'Lament from a Distant Ancient Kingdom' Part One: "The Human Heart" has concluded.]
Ji An, who had been deeply immersed in the story, was suddenly jolted awake by the system's voice.
His head jerked sharply, and he subconsciously exclaimed:
"Damn it, I knew it! There had to be a tragedy!"
[Returning to reality.]
At the last moment, a scene flashed before his eyes.
The instantly fleeting scene was very strange—
It was unclear what time it was.
In the room, the mad artisan's body had been completely mechanized. A Ruin Hunter stood quietly before him.
But this Ruin Hunter was different from those seen before.
Its exterior emitted a faint silvery glow; its frame was more slender, yet sharper and more streamlined than other Ruin Hunters.
Ji An saw that on the wall in front of the artisan were three things resembling conceptual design drawings.
But no matter how hard he tried, he could only clearly see the first one.
The title of the first design draft was three words: "The Human Heart."
Then, his consciousness plunged into darkness.
[...]
[Click to view Life Summary.]
Ji An was awakened by the system's voice.
"Huh? Why no 'Age at Death' this time?"
The system did not answer his question.
[Overall Rating: Perfect]
[Life Summary: The flesh is weak, machinery ascends.]
[You have received the simulation reward. Please check.]
Ji An felt new knowledge flooding into his mind.
Before he could carefully process it—
He suddenly heard movement behind him, like something was shedding.
Clatter! Clack!
He turned his head.
He discovered that the previously rust-covered giant machine was shedding its outer layers of rust.
Finally revealing its original form.
Its shell emitted a faint silvery glow, its body more slender than other Ruin Hunters, with gleaming, sharp blades and sophisticated cannon muzzles.
"This is...?"
Ji An looked at it in astonishment; he felt an indescribable familiarity toward it.
Which is why he didn't run away when he saw the robot activate.
Suddenly, a stream of information surfaced in his mind:
[Ruin Hunter Prototype (Princess)]
Special: The Human Heart [Upgradable Core (Lv.1)]
-------
A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
Honkai Impact 3rd, I Can Transform into a Valkyrie!
patreon.com/deadlygoober