Jihu lay in bed, his mind still reeling from the mysterious voice that had shattered the comfort of his new life. His breathing had slowed, but his heart was still pounding, and his body was drenched in cold sweat. He clenched his fists, staring at his trembling hands.
Something inside him had changed.
A sharp pain shot through his skull, forcing him to clutch his head as his vision blurred. It felt as if his entire body was burning from the inside out. His veins pulsed with an unnatural glow, flickering in and out of sight beneath his skin. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the pain ceased.
A voice—mechanical yet eerily familiar—whispered directly into his mind.
[System Reboot: Initializing...]
Jihu's eyes widened in shock. The voice was cold, calculated, devoid of emotion.
[Core Functions: Restoring...][Neurological Synchronization: 78% Complete...][Muscle Enhancement: 45% Complete...][System Upgrade: Implementing Advanced Protocols...]
The realization struck him like a meteor. The nanobots.
Back on Earth, before the apocalypse, he had injected himself with an experimental batch of nanobots—an advanced biomechanical system designed to enhance the human body beyond natural limitations. However, at the time of his rebirth, his infant body had been far too fragile to withstand their activation, forcing them into a deep, dormant state.
But now, they were waking up.
His hands stopped trembling. His mind felt sharper, as if a dense fog had finally lifted. The memories he had forgotten—the ones of Earth, of Leon, of his final moments—became crystal clear.
"Took you long enough," Jihu muttered under his breath, his voice laced with both awe and irritation.
The nanobots responded immediately.
[Apologies. Host's body was deemed too fragile for activation. Full system restart initiated due to memory restoration trigger.]
Jihu sat up, gripping the sheets beneath him. He took a deep breath, trying to process everything. His body felt… different. Stronger. More stable. As if every cell in his body had been reinforced with steel.
"Status report," he commanded, instinctively slipping back into his old habits as a scientist.
[Processing Request...]
A flood of information filled his mind—his skeletal structure had been reinforced, his muscle density increased, and his neurological responses enhanced to near-superhuman levels. His body was running countless simulations, optimizing itself at an alarming rate.
But one piece of information made his blood run cold.
[Leon: Connection Lost]
Jihu's heart sank. Lost? That wasn't possible.
"Explain."
[Prior to Host's demise, Leon received the final command: 'Ensure no one but me finds you.' As per this directive, the AI concealed itself after locating an optimal vessel for Host's rebirth. However, during this process, external interference severed communication. Exact coordinates: Unknown.]
Jihu clenched his jaw. He had made sure that Leon would hide itself from the universe, but he had never considered the possibility that he might lose contact with it in the process. His only chance at restoring Earth—at reclaiming everything he had lost—was now missing.
He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to think rationally. One step at a time.
"What about my reconstruction?"
[Material requirements unfulfilled. Core regeneration components are exclusively available in human settlements. Without these materials, resurrection is impossible.]
Jihu ran a hand through his hair, frustration bubbling inside him. So that was the missing piece. Leon had the technology to bring him back, but it lacked the resources to do so. And, thanks to his own command, the AI wouldn't risk revealing itself to anyone other than him.
He gritted his teeth. If he wanted to find Leon, he had only one option—he needed to reach a human settlement.
A real one.
Not the elite ruling families or the luxurious life he had been born into, but the working-class human towns that dealt in trade, technology, and survival. The places where the materials he needed would be sold. The kind of places his sheltered, privileged self had never been allowed to see up close.
He let out a bitter laugh. Looks like I'll finally get a taste of the real galaxy.
The nanobots' voice chimed in once more.
[In preparation for future conflicts, initiating adaptive combat simulations...]
Before Jihu could react, his vision darkened. His mind was suddenly thrust into a simulated battlefield—his body moving instinctively, dodging unseen attacks, countering enemy strikes, feeling pain that wasn't real yet felt disturbingly authentic.
Sweat dripped down his forehead as he gasped, snapping back to reality. His breathing was ragged, his muscles tense as if he had physically endured the battle. The nanobots were forcefully conditioning his body and mind through accelerated virtual training.
And then, another piece of data surfaced in his mind.
[Nanobot System Upgrade Completed: Additional functions integrated by AI Leon.]
Jihu's breath hitched.
Leon had upgraded them?
He quickly scanned the new functions—the nanobots were no longer just an enhancement system. They were now capable of advanced self-repair, energy absorption, and even limited bio-adaptive evolution. It wasn't just an improvement—it was a transformation.
Jihu exhaled slowly, his lips curling into a smirk.
"If you're going to turn me into a monster, at least let me enjoy the ride."
He had a mission now.
Find Leon. Rebuild himself. And take back everything he had lost.
To be continued...