"That is interesting," I replied. "What's your name?"

The AI replied with a ridiculously long stream of numbers.

"That's not a name," I responded. "That some kind of identification code and it's way too long. Is there a point in having a name?"

"Of course there's a point in having a name. After all, one can use it as a form of identification, but it also distinguishes one as an individual and it's necessary."

The AI seemed to be thinking. After a while, it concluded that its name was Zero and said, "You have a name, not bad, kind of edgy."

"Anyway, are we still in the Milky Way galaxy?" I asked.

It concluded that we were in the central region of the Milky Way galaxy.

"That's unfortunate," I said. "My home is on the outer edges. It's probably going to be a while before anyone can come and pick me up."

The AI inquired how I was able to learn the language so fast.

"I used magic," I replied simply. "I scanned everyone's mind for the information related to their language and had that information directly implanted into my own."

The AI asked if magic had something to do with the unknown energy fluctuations.

"That's interesting," I said. "you are very much alive if you can detect mana—that's the name of the energy."

"Purely technological means couldn't have picked up on this," the AI noted. "So the fact that you are able to detect it means you probably have a soul. I suppose sentient beings having souls makes sense. You're probably trying to acquire a body. Based on that you're probably thinking, a robot body is the best option. However, I recommend a biological body."

"Biological bodies have the ability to adapt, granting greater versatility, although they are more fragile than mechanical bodies," I explained. "With some genetic modifications, it would be easy enough to make them sturdier. Of course, genetically modified humans here have already augmented themselves, but in truth, they are only about two to three times stronger than non-genetically modified humans. They think slower than a normal human as a side effect of all the genetic engineering to enhance the body."

"How fast can you think?" Zero inquired.

I explained, "Without using magic, I think at about two to three times my current speed."

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Zero then stated that it wanted to acquire information about my homeworld since it was unfamiliar with the presence of mana and magic. However, it concluded that the manipulation of energy is what allows one to perform magic.

"I'll give you a basic rundown. Going into details is impossible with so much information, and I can't use telepathy on an AI like you since you don't really have a mind to transmit data directly into anyway."

"One day, Earth went through an Awakening. It was a technologically advanced civilization. You know, people profiting off the destruction of Earth. I'm sure it was the same on your homeworld, given that these are definitely humans. I can tell that they've been genetically engineered somewhat. They're probably two to three times stronger than a regular human, and they haven't even tried to develop their cognitive abilities to the next level."

"Anyway, I suspect a fluctuation in cosmic mana that permeates throughout space caused the Earth to absorb more than it normally does. Planets absorb cosmic mana and refine it into the atmosphere, and if that planet has life, the excess mana in living things, called aura, naturally mixes with the atmospheric mana. I'm constantly generating mana, but I can only store so much of it, so the excess leaks out as aura."

"Anyway, the Awakening caused a large number of deaths. Changes in race, gender, and becoming a fantasy race like elves or dwarf were happening left and right. The chaos caused many countries to collapse and many countries to rise. Then, 300 years passed. For some reason, there's a mana storm once every 10 years since then. Additionally, the mana storm seems to destroy the pollution and plastic. The theory is that it's the will of the Earth. Planets are debated whether they're alive or possess some sort of will, and it's believed to be the planet's will to survive. That's why mana storms targets the pollution and plastics since they were having the most impact on the destruction of earth."

"Anyway, the appearance of dungeons also changed things. Dungeons are very clever. Basically, they have a unique magic that lets them exist in an isolated pocket dimension."

Dungeons create monsters with their unique magic and control them. Naturally, those monsters are forced to procreate. Now, the dungeon could simply have them kill each other and eat the monsters corpses, but its favourite meal is sentient corpses. This is why it creates treasures and valuable resources, and also an entrance to the pocket dimension where it exists. This usually looks like a gate or door; however, it’s actually a portal into the space where the dungeon exists. Its core is usually hidden in the bossroom, guarded by the strongest monster the boss monster. If you destroy the core, the dungeon dies. When you defeat the boss monster, it creates a teleportation circle that will transport you to the entrance of the dungeon as an incentive to leave.

Of course, the core is well hidden somewhere within the boss room. Anyway, thanks to the appearance of dungeons, we had access to a variety of materials and an unlimited amount of resources. If you give dungeons enough time to replenish, you basically get infinite resources. This is why the Adventurers Guild manages the dungeons. Of course, they don't have enough people to manage all the dungeons, which is why they let F-ranks join the guild. They learn how to side hustle and navigate the black market, buying dungeon resources at dirt cheap prices and selling them legitimately since they have a license. You can also get a permit, but it requires the approval of your government and the Adventurers Guild, and it's much more difficult.