stjorthotic Chapter 76 Ohm's Second Life
Chapter 76 Ohm's Second Life
Chapter 76 Ohm's Second Life
cold.
This was the first feeling that Ohm had after he was born.
It's not a data-level "temperature parameter too low" alarm.
It's a cool, refreshing sensation that gives you goosebumps and is a real feeling that can't be described in words.
The icy winds of the North, carrying the scent of snow and ice, swept across her newly formed, delicate skin.
So cold.
But—it feels so good.
Ohm awkwardly raised his hand, brushed away a gust of wind, and caught a ray of sunlight.
She looked at her hands.
Five slender fingers with pale pink nails; when turned over, the lines on her palms were clearly visible. She tried to clench her fist.
The sensation of fingertips touching the palm, the skin squeezing against each other, travels like lightning through the nerve endings back to the brain.
This feeling was so unfamiliar, yet so intoxicating.
Is this...?
"Stop spacing out, you'll catch a cold."
A large, warm garment was pulled down over her head, completely covering her naked body.
Ohm looked up.
The somewhat confused gaze gradually focused.
She saw a familiar face.
That was the face she had seen countless times on the surveillance camera.
But this time.
There is no screen obstruction, and no pixel distortion.
She could see the slight stubble on his chin, her reflection in his pupils, and even smell his faint body fragrance.
"Lorraine?"
Ohm spoke.
It is no longer a monotonous repetition of 0 and 1.
It is a human language.
Her voice was like a green grape, slightly tart, yet with an undeniable sweetness—a girlish voice.
That's the sound produced by the vibration of the vocal cords through the air.
This was the first time she had ever spoken "human language" in her life.
"it's me."
Lorraine crouched down, bringing their eyes together. "How are you feeling?"
"Does this body still fit?"
Ohm blinked.
Two lines of clear tears slid down her cheeks without warning.
Scalding tears streamed down her cheeks; they were a temperature she had never experienced before.
"Is this... tears?"
She stuck out her tongue and licked the salty taste from the corner of her mouth.
then.
She smiled.
He smiled like a child who had received the biggest candy in the world.
She suddenly threw herself into Lorraine's arms, clutching his clothes tightly with both hands, and wailed loudly.
"Thank you—thank you—"
"Waaaaah—I have a body now—"
"I'm not a cog in a machine anymore—I'm a person now—"
This moment.
She is no longer the machine spirit that controls the entire mobile city.
She was just a young girl who had been imprisoned for thousands of years and had finally regained her freedom.
Lorraine was knocked back half a step by the impact, but he did not push her away.
He let the newborn witch vent her emotions in his arms, gently patting her trembling back.
A few minutes later.
Ohm finally stopped crying.
The silver-haired, silver-eyed girl shyly slipped out of Lorraine's arms, her face still damp with tears, rosy and incredibly alluring.
"I thought that even if I had a body, I wouldn't be able to speak human language."
Ohm placed her slender little finger on her lips and tilted her head: "So I can speak human language? But why was it that before, no matter what I wanted to say, I could only output 0 and 1?"
Lorraine smiled and wiped away her tears: "Perhaps—this is the difference between humans and machines."
Night has fallen.
After finally finishing organizing the Warcraft materials, the group wiped away the sweat from their hard work and sat around the campfire lit in the center of the camp.
Flames licked at the wood, making crackling sounds.
The air was filled with a rich, smoky aroma of grease, the smell of oil seeping out from the freshly processed high-level magical beast meat under high temperatures.
Several witches were skewering large chunks of animal meat onto iron skewers, the golden fat dripping down the veins and into the fire, igniting bright flames.
Victor sat on a wooden crate to the side, holding a piece of roasted meat he had just been given, ready to tear into it as usual.
In this damned world, being able to eat a hot meal is the greatest luxury; who cares about table manners?
"Wait a minute."
Suddenly, a hand gripped Victor's wrist.
Victor paused for a moment, then looked up to see Lorraine standing in front of him, holding a sharp knife and an elegant plate.
"Lord?" Victor was somewhat bewildered and subconsciously wanted to get up and bow, but Lorraine pressed his shoulder and made him sit back down.
Lorraine glanced around at the people sitting around the campfire.
Anna was carefully blowing on a piece of meat to warm it up, while Olivia watched the roasted meat, seemingly eager to try it herself.
Lyra stayed beside Anna, her heterochromatic eyes reflecting the flickering firelight, happily eating roasted meat.
As for Ohm.
The silver-haired girl, who had just acquired a human body, was squatting by the fire like a curious child.
She didn't even dare to get too close, only tentatively extending her fair, jade-like hands to feel the heat radiating from the flames.
When the heatwave hits the skin of her palm, she pulls her hand back as if she's been electrocuted, but then can't help but stretch it out again, her silver eyes filled with amazement at the concept of "temperature".
"It would be a waste to eat such high-quality ingredients directly."
Lorraine rolled up her sleeves and walked over to the grill.
The knife in his hand flew in the firelight, and the originally huge piece of roasted meat was quickly sliced into pieces under his knife. A few minutes later, thin slices of meat, as thin as cicada wings and with alternating layers of fat and lean meat, were neatly placed on the plate.
Each slice of meat has a perfectly crispy edge, and the cut surface has an enticing pink color.
"Olivia, bring over the lettuce you planted," Lorraine ordered without turning her head. "And Anna, bring out the sauce we prepared earlier."
Olivia was stunned for a moment, then realized what was going on and quickly grabbed some lettuce and ran over: "This is an improved variety that I cultivated with magic. The leaves are three times crisper than the ordinary ones. What are you going to do?"
""
Lorraine didn't explain. He took a vibrant green lettuce leaf from the box and spread it in his palm.
The leaves were still covered with glistening water droplets, which shimmered faintly in the firelight.
He picked up a sizzling piece of grilled meat and dipped it lightly in the secret sauce bowl Anna handed him.
The brown sauce coated the meat slices, giving off a unique aroma that blended spices with fermented bean flavors.
The slices of meat were placed on lettuce leaves, and Lorraine skillfully added some chopped green and red chili rings, then rolled up the lettuce leaves, wrapping them into a tight little green ball.
"Open your mouth." Lorraine handed the wrapped lettuce roll to Victor.
The third-tier knight was somewhat at a loss, but under the lord's command, he still subconsciously opened his mouth.
The moment Victor put the lettuce roll into his mouth, his eyes widened in surprise.
It didn't feel greasy at all as I had imagined.
The crisp lettuce leaves burst open between your teeth, releasing a burst of sweet juice, followed by the sensation of scalding hot meat juices mixed with rich sauce.
The spiciness of chili peppers is like a fire, instantly igniting the taste buds, but it is perfectly neutralized by the refreshing taste of lettuce.
The complex textures intertwine in the mouth, distinct yet perfectly integrated.
"this----"
Victor chewed faster and faster until his Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed the food. Only then did he let out a long breath, a look of disbelief on his face. "It's amazing! That greasy feeling is completely gone, replaced by a—a refreshing and satisfying feeling that I can't quite describe!"
Everyone around was stunned.
In this post-apocalyptic world where resources are scarce, food serves only to fill one's stomach; who would bother to research such fancy ways of eating?
Lorraine smiled, wrapped another one, and this time he didn't hand it to anyone else, but turned to look at Ohm behind him.
The silver-haired girl stared blankly at the rapturous expression on Victor's face, her throat bobbing involuntarily.
That's the action of swallowing saliva.
This is her instinctive reaction as a "biological being".
"Are you hungry?" Lorraine crouched down, bringing their eyes together.
Ohm nodded hesitantly, then shook his head.
The camera she once used to observe the world, now replaced by vibrant silver eyes, flickers with a bewildered light: "I've detected my stomach contracting, and my blood sugar level is slightly below the standard value—"
"And then there's this other kind, an indescribable, strange feeling of deprivation—the urge to eat what's in front of you. Is that what 'hunger' is?"
Yes, that's hunger.
Lorraine held the lettuce wrap to her lips, her voice as gentle as if coaxing a kitten just out of its nest: "Try it. This is your first meal in this world."
Ohm looked at the food that was right in front of him.
The aroma, a blend of caramel, fragrance, and spiciness, assaulted her nostrils—a pheromone bombardment that data streams could never replicate.
She carefully opened her mouth, revealing her pearly white teeth and pink tongue.
The lettuce wrap with meat was put into the mouth.
Ohm tentatively took a bite.
"Click."
The crisp sound travels along the jawbone into the eardrum.
The next second, a storm of taste exploded in her cerebral cortex, which had never been stimulated before.
What does that feel like?
It was no longer a cold injection of electrical energy, nor the boring scene of humans eating that she had only seen in front of cameras before.
That was a piping hot, fresh, and explosive "flavor".
Sour, sweet, bitter, spicy, and salty.
The five basic taste signals are like five colors of paint, splashed across her world which was originally only black, white and gray, creating a dazzling and breathtaking picture.
Ohm's chewing motion stopped.
Two lines of clear tears welled up without warning, sliding down her flawless cheeks and dripping onto the back of her hand.
"Ohm?" Lorraine frowned slightly. "Is it not tasty?"
"No----"
Ohm shook his head vigorously, his silver hair flying in the firelight.
She chewed the food in her mouth with all her might, as if trying to etch the taste into the deepest part of her soul.
She swallowed her food, looked up, and her teary eyes were filled with shattered starlight.
"Is this... what it feels like?"
Her voice trembled, tinged with a sob, yet filled with unprecedented joy: "So food has temperature—so taste has color—so my body can feel happy because of this—"
She grabbed the plate on the table and, imitating Lorraine, clumsily picked up lettuce and slices of meat, not even caring that the sauce was smeared on her face, and stuffed them into her mouth in big mouthfuls.
She ate so quickly, so clumsily, yet so happily.
It's as if all the taste experiences that have been missing over the past few thousand years are being made up for in this moment.
The surroundings became quiet.
Anna's eyes reddened as she watched this scene.
She had once been a lowly slave, and she understood all too well the feeling of "finally being able to live like a human being."
She quietly wiped her eyes and turned to look at Lorraine beside her.
The firelight illuminated the young man's profile, giving him a soft, golden edge.
This is the person who gave them new life, gave them dignity, and even gave warmth to this pile of steel ruins.
"Young Master."
Anna suddenly spoke, her voice soft but carrying an unprecedented firmness, "I think—we should designate today as a holiday."
"A holiday?" Lorraine raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, the Bonfire Festival."
Anna pointed to the burning fire, then to the group of people sitting together with satisfied smiles on their faces. "This is the first family reunion meal we've had on the young master's territory. From now on, every year at this time, no matter where we are or what we're doing, the whole family should gather together, light a campfire, and eat this kind of roasted meat."
"The whole family—" Lorraine chewed on the word, her gaze sweeping over everyone in front of her.
A drunken knight who once had nowhere to go, a cursed jinx, a rebellious nobleman obsessed with farming, a machine spirit who guarded a thousand-year-old ruin and finally gained a physical body, and a devoted maid.
Unbeknownst to him, a group of strange but reliable people had gathered around him.
"Alright." Lorraine raised his glass, a smile spreading across his lips in the firelight. "It's settled then. Today is White Wolf Territory—no, it's our first bonfire festival."
"Now that we have a festival, shouldn't our faction also have an official name?"
Anna pressed her advantage, her bright red eyes fixed on Lorraine. "We can't keep calling it 'the camp' or 'that place,' can we? Young Master, you are now the master of this mobile city; we need a name befitting your power."
All eyes immediately focused on Lorraine.
Even Ohm, who was wolfing down his food, stopped what he was doing, puffing out his cheeks and looking at him curiously.
Lorraine fell silent.
Choosing a name.
For someone as bad at naming things as him, this was even more troublesome than fighting a fourth-tier monster one-on-one.
He unconsciously rubbed the wine glass in his hand, his gaze passing over the heads of the crowd and landing on the steel ruins shrouded in night.
The enormous gears loomed in the shadows, while the towering cranes pointed to the sky like the arms of giants.
This is the remnant of the Golden Age.
It is proof that humanity is attempting to challenge the authority of the gods.
And he, a soul from another world, leading a group of witches rejected by the world, is standing on the shoulders of this giant, preparing to declare war on the predetermined fate of being swallowed by the snowfield.
That feeling was like—
Lorraine's eyes narrowed slightly, and a word naturally came to mind.
"The Tower of Babel"
"The Tower of Babel?"
Victor repeated the somewhat awkward name, his brow furrowing slightly. "Sir, what does this mean? Does it mean we're directly inheriting the city's name?"
Lorraine put down her wine glass and tapped her fingertips lightly on the metal deck beneath her, producing a crisp echo.
"In my hometown, there is an ancient legend about the Tower of Babel."
His voice was deep and calm, sounding particularly clear in the night breeze. "Long ago, the people of the earth spoke the same language. They decided to unite and build a tower that reached the heavens, to demonstrate the power of humanity, and even to use this tower to touch the realm of the gods."
Everyone listened intently.
In this world where theocracy reigns supreme and the church holds the power to interpret faith, such a story of "mortals attempting to ascend to heaven" is utterly outrageous, yet it carries a forbidden beauty that stirs the blood.
"And then what?" Leila couldn't help but ask in a low voice, with half a piece of leftover roast meat still in her mouth, like a child listening to a bedtime story.
"Later, the gods feared the unity and wisdom of humankind." Lorraine's lips curled into a mocking smile. "So the gods disrupted human language, making it impossible for them to communicate, which caused the tower to stop construction and humankind to fall apart."
He paused, his gaze sharpening like a drawn sword: "But I feel the story shouldn't end like this."
He stood up, his black trench coat fluttering in the cold wind.
Lorraine opened his arms as if to embrace the entire steel city.
"This mobile city is itself a creation of humanity in the Golden Age, challenging the authority of the gods."
It embodies the pinnacle of industry and wisdom of that era; it once crushed everything on the frozen ground; it is itself a towering structure walking on the earth.
Lorraine turned around, looking intently at everyone. "Since we have inherited this city, and since we are going to carve out a path in this world sealed off by ice and divine authority, then let's inherit this will."
"We do not need the mercy of the gods, nor do we fear their punishment."
"The power we want to build will be called the Tower of Babel."
"Human determination can conquer nature. This is the path we must take."
After a brief silence.
"The Tower of Babel—" Ohm murmured softly.
Her silver eyes suddenly shone with an astonishing light.
As the soul of this city, she has witnessed too many rises and falls over the long years, but no one has ever given this steel behemoth such an unconventional yet magnificent definition.
"I like this name!"
Ohm suddenly stood up, and because of the sudden movement, he almost kicked over the bowl of sauce in front of him.
Her face flushed with excitement, and she clasped her hands tightly to her chest. "Those sons of the old era created me, yet they abandoned me. But you—you have given this place new meaning."
,
"In this new era, we don't need gods, we only need ourselves."