“So, VAS, do you have anything else?” John asked, pointing at the virtual screens and boxes.

  “This is what remains of the scraps from the previous programs of the nanobot system,” VAS replied, causing John to freeze.

  “Wait? Scraps, as in, only the things that remain?” John wished he was wrong right now.

  “Yes. The unknown energy causes both the software and the hardware of the nanobots to malfunction. As the energy acts as a virus, as if it refuses other types of energy signals to exist.”

  “So this energy would attack me too?” John couldn't help but ask. Since he had become the nanobot.

  “No, you see, this is the only nanobot that survived and adapted; it absorbed your soul as you passed by, according to the senior, to fully adapt since you had what it needed.”

  John wanted to ask about this 'senior', but chose not to, since he guessed it was that weird message in the overview window from before (ch-001). So he asked instead. “So what was required from me?”

  VAS remained silent for a few seconds before replying in a confused voice. “I don't know.”

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  “Okay…” John was frustrated, but he knew that, as a newborn, it was impossible to know everything.

  He decided to focus on their current situation first. “What tasks are there to do?”

  “Insufficient energy to connect to the hub.” VAS replied with a sad voice; clearly, VAS tried but failed to connect.

  “Okay, can we gather energy? Like absorbing energy in our surroundings?” John wondered how the nanobot could have previously absorbed his soul.

  “The software was lost along with the knowledge. I do not know how, but I believe we should regain energy based on my understanding of how the nanobots were destroyed,” VAS replied.

  “That sucks.” John was dejected but felt like it was too troublesome to ask further about it. “So, what can we do with the energy we have?”

  “We can only reform the nanobot's body.” VAS moved the virtual box with the 3D bug model in front of the other windows and map. John looked at the virtual box as it was moved while VAS continued to speak, “We can only do it once before going into sleep mode.”

  Hearing this, John first thought that was not needed until he looked closer at the bug model, and then, without hesitation, he said, “Let's make it in cylinder form like a cocoon first.”

  The reason for this choice is, firstly, that nanobots tend to have buglike features; secondly, it would reflect his current state in his opinion; and thirdly, the bug in the box looks like a cockroach.

  As the cockroach form of the model changed form, John felt like something left his body as well as something else entered his surrounding space. Before he could even think about what just happened, he passed out as he entered sleep mode.