Large chunks of fragmented memories suddenly flooded into my mind.
It felt both familiar and strange.
This prompted BT to formulate a philosophical three-part response.
who I am?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
"Hmm~"
She couldn't help but crouch down, clutching her head in pain.
Numerous fragments of memory are still flashing through my mind.
"You are Nangong Qianrou, the only martial arts successor in the Nangong Family this generation."
"We must never slacken our efforts, no matter when or where."
Under a huge sycamore tree, a man with a stern face was instructing a little girl of about ten years old.
The little girl, dressed in a white martial arts uniform, was focused and meticulous as she continuously swung her sword.
"... Nine hundred and ninety-seven, nine hundred and ninety-eight, nine hundred and ninety-nine, one thousand!"
The girl collapsed to the ground, drenched in sweat.
Her bangs had become strands stuck to her forehead.
The man glanced at the time on his watch.
"One second early."
"Rest for two minutes, then swing the sword a thousand more times."
"This year's martial arts champion in Chuanyang City is Nangong Qianrou. At only eighteen years old, she is already Level One Martial Artist. She truly deserves the title."
The little girl from back then has grown into a graceful young woman.
Standing on the podium, she felt the thunderous cheers and applause from the audience.
But she didn't seem happy.
She always felt that something was missing from the past eighteen years of her life.
"Congratulations to Nangong Qianrou on becoming an outstanding graduate of the Haidu Academy this year. We hope you will continue your efforts after returning to your hometown to take up your post."
The young woman was welcomed back to her hometown by her fellow villagers.
The city lord's mansion held a grand banquet to celebrate the young woman's joining the workforce.
That night, she drank alcohol for the first time.
On the city wall of Chuanyang City.
The young girl, her blue robe stained with blood, stood leaning on her sword.
The area in front of the city wall was littered with countless corpses of strange beasts.
The warriors, who had just survived a fierce battle, were huddled together, taking a nap.
The girl's brows were furrowed.
She had lost count of how many times the Abyss Tide had occurred this month.
Can Chuanyang City really be defended?
"Sir, a group of Mutated Ones has appeared in the city. The Law Enforcement requests your assistance."
A soldier rushed in to report.
"Knew."
The girl gripped her longsword tightly and walked down the city wall.
"Hurry up and board, this is the last flight."
The young girl followed the middle-aged man into the spaceship.
Outside the launch site fence, countless ordinary people were protesting loudly.
What about them?
The girl's eyes were filled with confusion.
They had already defeated the monster.
Why did this happen?
The man scoffed, "Of course we'll stay here. There's no place for them on the Sky Island."
The spacecraft was launched into space.
The girl saw a fence collapse and countless people surge in.
However, what greeted them was a hail of bullets from the machine guns atop the watchtower.
" Qianrou, Dad is begging you!"
"You've passed the physical exam, so join the Weapon Project!"
In the study, the middle-aged man patiently and persistently offered his advice.
The girl bit her lip tightly. "But I... don't want to become a cyborg."
The middle-aged man retorted, "How can it be about modifying humans? This is your chance to become stronger, and it's also your hope for the revival of humanity."
"If you join the Weapon Project, I can also enter the Sky Island Council, and then our Nangong Family will return to its former glory!"
The girl opened her eyes.
I was lying in a large jar filled with a clear liquid.
His body was covered in various tubes.
It hurts so much.
who I am?
Why can't I remember anything?
Suddenly, a fat man walked up to the culture tank, his face full of excitement.
"Very good!"
"The modification of the first batch of humanoid combat weapons was a great success!"
"From today onwards, your number is BT-21."
BT-21?
Is this my name?
What a strange name.
"This is the last of the strange beasts; the Abyss is already closing!"
The surrounding Valkyrie cheered loudly.
The girl looked down at the enormous body of the strange beast at her feet.
With a gentle flick of her sword, a beautiful blue Soul Orb landed in her hand.
A rare smile appeared on the girl's lips.
"It's so beautiful."
"An unknown number of Mutated Ones have appeared in Zone A1. Proceed immediately to eliminate them."
"Receive."
Fight, fight, fight.
All that remained was endless fighting.
There are far too many Mutated Ones.
It seems like no matter how many you kill, you can't kill them all.
Where did they come from?
The girl had thought about this question more than once.
"Humanoid combat weapon, codenamed BT-21."
"I am the last of the first batch of BT Series weapons."
The boy in front of her seemed startled by his own actions.
interesting.
I haven't seen a human being in many years.
I really look like them.
"In our area, we have a custom of offering three sticks of incense after someone dies as a sign of respect and to wish them a smooth and successful next life."
"Since there's no incense here, I'll use cigarette smoke instead."
The girl was very curious about the mysterious ritual before her.
For a moment, she felt a pang of envy for her deceased companions.
She also wants to be remembered.
The girl imitated him by putting her hands together in prayer position.
She made a wish for the first time.
If there truly is an afterlife, she wants to be an ordinary girl like everyone else.
"Sir, please go quickly, don't worry about me."
The girl felt her energy being rapidly depleted.
Fortunately, the gate was closed, and he was safe.
So tired.
I really want to rest.
Is it okay to take a short nap?
I really hope he remembers to perform that mysterious ritual for himself too.
Bang--
The girl was swatted away by the advanced Mutated Ones like a sandbag.
This time, she never managed to stand up again.
"It's finally fixed."
"Although the memory module is still a little unstable, it's not a serious problem."
"Remember, your designation is BT-21. From now on, you only need to obey my commands."
"I am the Commander-in-Chief of the Sky Island Command, command code A1B4."
The girl looked at the fat man in front of her and nodded blankly.
"Your name is Nangong Qianrou, my daughter, Nangong Xingye!"
The man was roaring at the top of his lungs.
My name is Nangong Qianrou?
But aren't I the humanoid combat weapon BT-21?
Whose memories were those just now?
My head hurts so much.
Who am I?
The Dharma King looked at BT, who was squatting on the ground, and whispered, "What's wrong with her? Has she lost her mind?"
"I can shoot four at the light, I absolutely didn't mean to just now."
"You know, the main character has to have a cool and explosive entrance."
"I don't know if it's cool or not, but it's definitely explosive."
The headless Brother Devour staggered to its feet.
The Dharma King's eyes widened. "Holy crap, he didn't die even after his head exploded."
"Isn't this too buggy?"
"Why don't we drastically cut the price right away?"
With a "plop," another head popped out from Brother Devour's neck.
He then took out a handkerchief and wiped the unidentified sticky substance from his head.
"You know nothing about hooks."
Brother Devour scoffed.
"My body isn't as fragile as yours."
Qin Ze ignored the boastful remarks of the Dharma King and Brother Devour.
He is very worried about BT's current situation.
"BT, are you alright?"
A humanoid combat weapon like this shouldn't have its head short-circuited from a single electric shock, right?
BT slowly raised his head, his voice firm.
"I am Nangong Qianrou."