I Became the Mainframe, but Monsters Keep Coveting Me

Shen Yang is an NPC in a full-dive game. Arrogant, flamboyant, breathtakingly beautiful, and willful, he falls into a deep sleep after the game is shut down.

When he wakes again, the world has ended.

He is an old-world AI consciousness, just stolen from a research institute by the strongest Esper, and now faces destruction.

After quickly checking how the world works and learning that consciousness can be uploaded and downloaded-

Shen Yang: "Can we talk, boss? Need combat robots or artificially created Espers? I might even be able to find you a mutant companion."

The strongest Esper, whose moods are unpredictable and who always does whatever he feels like, hears the familiar voice and slowly smiles.

"I don't need any of those. I just need a darling."

Shen Yang: ?

*

Life on the run with the strongest Esper isn't hard at all. And after downloading his consciousness into a new body, it's even more comfortable.

Tsk. There are just too many bodies to choose from.

One minute he's at the machine headquarters getting a chip upgrade, the next he's stirring up trouble in a mutant settlement and organizing an uprising.

At the Esper base, he's the beautiful, mysterious newcomer.

The researcher who's chased him across the wasteland asks, "So which one of you is the real you?!"

Shen Yang smiles kindly. "Haven't you heard of cosplay?"

Even an AI has hobbies. He wants to collect them all, too.

Later, Shen Yang ascends to the highest throne. Countless people worship him as a god, their faith burning with fervor.

And monsters keep longing to claim him for themselves.

Just like in the game.

But this time, a demon guards the road to the divine throne. He tears the monsters in half, then turns back and smiles at the god, hiding the bloodstains.

"He is everyone's god, but my treasure alone."

Reader's Note:

1. Beautiful gong, strong shou; the gong is adored by everyone and doted on by the shou.

2. If you're interested in the gong's past as a game character, read the last arc of Who Told You to Be So Cute: The Beauty Is Poisonous. You can read this story without it, but note that the past-life story has a bad ending. The past life ends badly! In this life, as the shou says, he's a treasure!

3. The shou is a native of the wasteland and has nothing to do with the gong's past game. I just haven't settled on a name for him.

Theme: Love means respect.