As Max stepped out of the portal, he saw his sister lounging on the couch, watching TV along with Rize and Quresha. As he entered, they turned to look at him, then at Malaika, who followed after him.
"Another girl?" Lumia asked as she shot a look at Max. "How are you even going to manage this?" she questioned.
"Once again, she was an alien who was attacking the planet. I just stopped her and made her my servant rather than killing her," Max said, waving his hand dismissively.
At this, Lumia sighed. "At this rate, just get me an infinite room house," she said.
Max chuckled. "I'll let you know when I find one."
Max then returned to his room, leaving Malaika with his sister and the others. He went back to looking at the world through his system.
"Hmm… System, why don't you suggest something entirely new?" Max asked.
[Oh, I have something new!] the system replied.
Max raised an eyebrow. "What?"
[How about, instead of just going to different worlds, you enter an apocalypse world and fix it? You know, bring back civilization, undo the apocalypse, and such,] the system suggested.
"That sounds fun… Will I have my powers?" Max asked.
[Where's the fun in that?] the system responded.
"So, what will I have to do to fix the apocalypse?" he asked.
[The system will give you a lucky draw of random categories. You might obtain things that will help you either survive, defeat the apocalyptic world, or rebuild a remnant civilization and restore it.]
"That indeed sounds fun, but not for me," Max said, shaking his head.
The system urged him, [So, have you decided where you want to go?]
Max nodded. "Yes, I have. Let's go."
He then pressed the travel button after selecting the world he was going to.
The world he entered was indeed an apocalyptic one, but it was a world after the apocalypse—where civilization was being restored with the help of an AI.
Max had entered the world of Horizon.
As Max opened his eyes, he found himself standing in a vast, breathtaking landscape. The world of Horizon was unlike any post-apocalyptic setting he had imagined. Instead of crumbling ruins and lifeless wastelands, nature had reclaimed the Earth. Towering mountains stretched into the sky, their peaks dusted with snow. Lush forests teemed with life, rivers carved through the valleys, and the remnants of the old world lay buried beneath layers of vegetation.
But what truly set this world apart were the machines.
In the distance, Max spotted massive, mechanical creatures roaming the land. A towering Tallneck, shaped like a robotic brontosaurus, moved gracefully across the plains, its dish-like head scanning the horizon. Further away, a pack of Watchers—small, raptor-like machines with glowing blue eyes—prowled through the grass, their movements eerily lifelike.
This was a world where humanity was no longer the dominant species. The old world, with its cities and advanced technology, had collapsed long ago. Civilization was now a patchwork of tribal societies, each struggling to survive amidst the ruins of the past. Some worshipped the machines as divine beings, while others hunted them for resources. And behind it all, a powerful AI, GAIA, had once worked to restore the planet after a devastating catastrophe.
Max looked at himself. He had chosen the option of transmigration, arriving in this world with his powers. However, there was a limit—if he used too much power, his body would burst apart.
"First, thank goodness this is a primitive tribe, so it's a somewhat trained body," he muttered, sighing in relief.
He then made a quick assessment of his surroundings.
Spotting a nearby water pool, he walked over to check his reflection. His appearance was that of a pale-skinned man with red hair and a few tattoos on his face. Wait! He immediately recognized the character—he had been given Teb's body!
"I'm… Teb?" he mumbled, staring at his skinny build.
Realizing that he had been assigned a Craftmaster character, he let out a resigned sigh. "Well, I don't care. At least it's not the worst option," he murmured, trying to reassure himself.
The reason for him coming here was simple—he needed the AI. This world had some of the best artificial intelligence, and it was also the easiest world where he could obtain one without too much hassle.
In this world, multiple AIs existed, each with incredible capabilities. And Max? He was going to get them all.
"Though… what timeline is this?" he mumbled, glancing at his reflection. He looked young, which meant it wasn't too far into the future.
"Perhaps this is around the time when the game starts… or when Aloy's journey begins," he speculated, rubbing his chin.
Max needed to confirm the exact timeline, so he decided to gather information. Since he was in Teb's body, he knew he was in the Nora tribe's territory. That meant the safest way to learn more was to visit Mother's Heart, the central settlement of the Nora.
He moved cautiously, adjusting to his new body. He felt weaker than he was used to—Teb wasn't a warrior, after all. He was a skilled craftsman, but that wouldn't help if he ran into trouble.
After walking for a while, he spotted a few Nora Braves patrolling the area. From their traditional blue war paint and handmade weapons, he could tell they were regular guards, not Seekers or high-ranking warriors. He approached one of them carefully, making sure not to appear suspicious.
"Hey, uh… can you tell me if there's been any news lately?" Max asked, doing his best to sound like a normal tribesman.
One of the Braves looked at him, slightly confused. "You haven't heard? A girl completed the Proving recently. She was made a Seeker by the Matriarchs."
Max's eyes widened slightly. That means Aloy has already started her journey!
He needed to act fast. If the game's events were already in motion, that meant some of the AIs he wanted—like HADES and GAIA's subordinate functions—were already becoming active. And if he wanted to collect them all, he had to get ahead of Sylens, the enigmatic mastermind who was also after the AI secrets.
***
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It's 22 chaps ahead