Her voice was a bit rough, like a thirsty traveler in the desert after days without water, yet it was still clear and captivating.

“Hu... hu…”

Yushi felt his face flush as his dizzy mind desperately commanded his body to breathe deeply.

His heart raced wildly, and even as he stroked his arms to soothe himself, it wouldn’t calm down.

“Okay, okay... you...”

He shook his head, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

“Who... who am I?”

“You are the master.”

“What’s my name?”

“Your name is Yushi.”

“And who are you?”

“I am…”

She lowered her head, seemingly deep in thought, but quickly lifted it again.

“Delena.”

“Good good... very good...”

An indescribable excitement surged within Yushi, as if he were channeling the boundless power of a creator, stirring something deep inside him.

He couldn’t hold back the energy rushing up his throat.

His pupils dilated as he sprang to his feet, his legs tense as he stepped forward, arms slowly spreading wide like a loving deity.

“I... I am your master, I am Yu…”

But in an instant, everything around him became black.

His limbs felt disconnected, like a marionette with severed strings. He collapsed, and soon, everything went dark.

Just before he fell, Yushi thought maybe he was a bit low on sugar and could just take a moment to stand back up.

But he didn’t wake up.

Rolling hills stretched out, lined with majestic pine trees.

The ground was covered in lush, juicy grass, dotted here and there with tiny white wildflowers.

The scenery in the distance was much the same, but it grew hazier the further away it got, becoming indistinct.

“Boom!!”

A sharp gunshot shattered the tranquility of the forest. A gray rabbit nearby didn’t have time to react before a hole exploded in its chest, killing it instantly.

Bits of fur and blood splattered across the grass.

A wisp of foul-smelling smoke drifted toward it, followed by a gnarled hand reaching down to grab the rabbit.

The rabbit’s brain had only half a second left before it officially shut down.

In that fleeting moment, it reflected the image of an old upright ape wearing a white hat and sporting pale hair.

But the face was unclear, just a blur, except for that distinctive hooked nose.

“Lucky day! A rare little catch.”

The old man snorted with satisfaction, shrugging his shoulders as he stuffed the rabbit into a cloth bag slung over one shoulder.

As age took its toll, his throat always sounded like it had phlegm stuck in it, making his speech come out in raspy bursts.

“A fat rabbit, indeed!”

The young man beside him couldn’t help but exclaim, his face beaming with delight.

“Tonight’s meal will be roasted rabbit with potatoes! But we’re running low on natural butter, so we’ll have to mix in some artificial stuff. It’s not delicious enough, but it’ll do. Still, nothing beats the natural flavor…”

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The old man took a deep drag from his cigarette, the ember flaring up and sending ash flying, which he quickly flicked away with his middle finger.

He paused for a moment, teasingly offering the cigarette to the young man, who immediately scrunched up his face in disgust.

“No way, young man? Still cannot smoke? How can you stand the stressful life after running to the big city in Usah tomorrow?

The stress won’t just vanish with a couple of cigarettes.”

The old man chuckled, taking another puff.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it... Besides, my skills aren’t too shabby, right? Who will know how my future life is?”

The young man sighed, his lips curling into a frown.

“Home.”

The old man didn’t say anything more, but turned to stroll leisurely away.

The young man hurried to catch up, but suddenly stumbled.

In an instant, everything spun, head throbbing painfully.

Feeling like being caught in a thunderstorm, electric shocks coursing through his body, limbs twitching uncontrollably, his expression twisted in agony, his vocal cords producing strange, unearthly howls.

The pain was akin to the worst tortures imaginable in hell.

Amidst the electric chaos, it felt like the signals were jumbled, a cacophony of static filling his ears. Even in that spiraling confusion, he could faintly hear a rhythmic sound…

No! Not rhythmic! It was chaotic, wild, and erratic! A kind of music…

Jazz…

“Ugh… ah! Ah! Ah…”

Yushi stumbled, his body jolting awake, eyes flying open.

“... Huh…”

His heart raced, driven by adrenaline as it pounded in his chest.

His forehead felt itchy, and eyes uncomfortable. It took him a moment to realize he was sweating—sticky, clammy sweat.

He tried to lift his arm to wipe it away, but fatigue and soreness swept over him, leaving him powerless.

And worse still was the parched dryness in his mouth.

Finally, his thoughts began to clear, and he remembered—this was his home, and the only water in the house came from the bathroom faucet, which was right in front of his bed.

But he didn’t have the strength to crawl over there…

Not just crawl! He couldn’t even sit up, let alone reach out… No, even thinking felt like an enormous challenge!

“Master?”

A soft voice broke through his haze. Yushi suddenly recalled the half-paralyzed robot he had intended to sell.

Her name was… Delena.

“... Water…”

But now, he couldn’t think about anything else. Instinct urged him to muster every ounce of strength to mumble the one thing he desperately needed.

His blurred vision couldn’t make out anything clearly, but he felt something hard brush against his lips, followed by a cool sensation.

“Gulp…”

His instincts kicked in, and he began to suck eagerly.

At first, it was just a small sip, but then he gulped down larger mouthfuls, the rhythm matching the frantic beating of his heart.

Finally, his throat grew weary from keeping up with the pace, and naturally, he choked.

His lungs convulsed violently, forcing his brain to stop its frantic swallowing.

“Cough cough! Ugh, ugh…”

He finally regained some strength, and his vision started to clear.

The first thing he saw was the dirty ceiling he had stared at for countless days and nights.

In the corner, cobwebs and dust gathered, illuminated by the central yellow light bulb, unmoving.

“How does the master feel now?”

The gentle voice returned.

Yushi strained to turn his head to the left and saw Delena’s calm, mirror-like face, momentarily lost in thought.

“I…”

“Seems like master are still a bit out of sorts. But don’t worry, this is a normal reaction after a high fever. Master’ll recover soon.”

Her mouth never stopped moving, her head bowed as if she were wringing out a towel. Yushi could hear the sound of water being squeezed out.

As he expected, two very different hands lifted up, holding a neatly folded, damp towel.

The towel approached his face, soaking up the sweat and leaving behind warmth.

“Delena…”

Yushi closed his eyes, unable to hold back his murmuring.

“What can I do for master?”

Delena paused her movements, waiting for his command.

“Did I... have a fever these past two days?”

“Yes, master. Due to prolonged exposure to the heavy rain, master's body became hypothermic. Coupled with overexertion and an imbalanced diet, master ended up with a fever.”

She spoke while continuing her task.

“But thankfully, there were still plenty of compounds at home, so Delena made some ibuprofen from isobutylene and other items and fed it to master mixed with crushed canned food. But master still ended up unconscious for two days.”

Yushi, regaining some strength, glanced toward the balcony.

The room was neat and tidy, the blue digital clock on the wall reading “April 17, 8:14 AM.” Outside, the rain had long stopped, and the usual gray light returned.

“... As long as I’m okay.”

Yushi sighed, waving his left hand dismissively.

Delena nodded, placing the towel back in the basin, then her body rose slightly.

But just a little.

Then, right before Yushi’s eyes, she used her hands to push against the floor, her waist tilting forward as she moved her torso onto a small wheeled metal board.

She scooted along the floor with a “grrr” sound.

This state… reminded him of the “Usah Old Soldiers” begging on the streets.

Both were half-paralyzed, their broken bodies moving awkwardly, their movements not far apart.

The only difference was, she was a robot, not a beggar.

But the robot had a home, while soldiers didn’t.

Her clothes were still ragged, but since Yushi had draped an apron over her, she appeared somewhat decent—poor but not disgraceful.

“…”

Yushi watched her, a smile almost creeping onto his face.

A guy who nearly died from illness was being cared for by a half-paralyzed robot at home…

What a match made in heaven!

But just as he pulled the blanket off and tried to stand up, the smile faded.

He suddenly realized he was completely naked! Not even wearing underwear!

For the past two days, he had been completely naked while Delena was taking care of him!

“... Wait, why am I feeling shy?! She’s just a robot!”

His face flushed as he shook his head, trying to shake off the embarrassment.

But his body wrapped itself in the blanket even faster, cocooning him like a silkworm.

“... Bring me some clothes. Delena?”

With a helpless, awkward glance around, Yushi sighed, mustering up the courage to give a quiet command