221 Everyone Needs a Hobby

Holidays are meant to be relaxing and enjoyable.

Every morning, she woke up lazily, rolling around in bed for over half an hour before finally, after countless moments of hesitation, reluctantly sitting up and rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Ah! Another new day begins!

A shower, a quick wash-up, then casually throwing on the bare minimum of comfortable loungewear before aimlessly wandering around the enormous mansion...alone.

Breakfast consisted of milk and sashimi, followed by a satisfying clean-up. And then? A glorious collapse onto the couch!

Cola, chips, and chilled watermelon!

Games, anime, TV shows!

Mmm! Pure bliss!

The great me has returned!

Alright, let's set sail in Ark of... wait, wrong game.

If possible, Kagura wished she could spend her entire life in this lazy, carefree manner.

In a way, being an automaton had made her life in this world significantly better than her previous one.

Putting aside the bizarre abilities her android body granted her, she had already established a solid footing in this world, arguably a successful individual.

Now, with Rhodes Island Industries being one of the world's leading corporations, money was never an issue for her.

Financial freedom? Achieved long ago. Even if she resigned from all her positions, she would never have to worry about daily expenses again.

However...

Unfortunately, this wasn't a peaceful, slice-of-life world.

The past, present, and future of this world were riddled with crises of all kinds.

Kagura had countless times entertained the thought of withdrawing from it all, minding her own business, and living in her own little world.

That way, she could slack off every day, play games, and watch anime.

To be blissfully unaware of the outside world, devoting herself entirely to ACG.

But...

She just couldn't do it!

Even if she cast aside all responsibility and compassion, Kagura still couldn't ignore the wish she made when she first arrived in this world.

To ensure a happy ending for the great heroes and all the kind-hearted people.

Ten years of the MCU, beginning with "I am Iron Man" and ending with "I am Iron Man."

She didn't know if she could stop Thanos' snap when the time came, but no matter what, she would prevent Tony Stark from making that fatal snap!

Not for any grand reason, but simply because Tony Stark deserved a chance at a happy life.

In other words, she outright rejected the Russo brothers' script!

And Natasha, who had sacrificed herself seeking redemption, her tragic end was something Kagura was determined to prevent.

Vision, who explored the boundless possibilities between humanity and machines, he was a monument to civilization's pursuit of intelligent life.

His death must also be undone.

As for whether Vision would even exist in this world, given his foundation in J.A.R.V.I.S. and the Mind Stone, that remained uncertain.

But regardless, Kagura would never accept the downfall of heroes.

Thor had sacrificed so much for the universe; he did not deserve to lose his entire family and end up a disheveled recluse.

The King of Asgard should enjoy glorious and peaceful days with his brothers and loved ones.

Hmm...

Thinking about it, this ideal was quite ambitious, wasn't it?

But so what?

Everyone needs a hobby.

And maybe, for Kagura, changing these tragic and unjust fates was hers.

Had she done well so far?

Could she do even better in the future?

A silver-haired girl smiled.

Let's find out.

After a few rounds of gaming, Kagura put down the controller and stretched lazily on the sofa.

Her slender waist, long legs, and fair skin were fully exposed under her minimalistic loungewear.

"Ahh—! A life of slacking off is so comfortable that even work feels like a spice to the routine!"

As she spoke, she waved her hand, summoning a holographic projection window.

"Cortana, give me an update on all ongoing research projects."

"Master, I don't recommend focusing on research progress while you're supposed to be resting."

"It's fine, work is just another form of slacking off!"

Kagura smiled. "Tell me about NERV's YoRHa Project, the deployment of CTOS, and the restoration progress of the Macross Project at Rhodes Island."

"A1 prototype has been fully constructed."

"External power testing on its organs and components is underway."

"The Absolute Calamity Virus has been successfully integrated, granting A1 complete self-repair capabilities."

"So the critical issue is still the energy source, right?" Kagura immediately identified the key point. "Recreating the 'Black Box' core of the YoRHa androids is proving to be this difficult?"

"Master, theoretically, we can generate the energy needed for YoRHa units to function. However, we lack a crucial theoretical material, a dark matter."

Cortana explained, "Currently, we are actively researching Asgardian knowledge in hopes of synthesizing dark matter."

"Alright, do your best. I'll also find an opportunity to ask Thor—maybe he has some insights."

"Additionally, CTOS 1.0's official rollout has begun worldwide."

"In about two weeks, drones, electronic surveillance systems, and the Argus satellite network will be capable of real-time psychological evaluations and behavioral analysis."

"In emergency situations, we will be able to temporarily commandeer any electronic device under international protocols."

Cortana was referring to the second phase of Rhodes Island Industries' global defense system, CTOS.

It was a next-generation intelligence and surveillance network that, while ensuring minimal intrusion into daily life, gathered and processed massive amounts of global data through infiltrative CTOS algorithms, drones, satellites, and various surveillance technologies.

Of course, such a system raised significant privacy concerns, and Kagura was careful about its implementation.

Strict confidentiality measures were in place, and collected private data would only be analyzed in emergencies. Similarly, commandeering any device would be a last resort.

"Lastly, the restoration of the Rhodes Island base in Greece is 86% complete."

"However, regarding the repair and continued construction of the 'Planetary Interstellar Defense Fortress,' I recommend using this opportunity to upgrade our technology."

"Oh? Upgrade how?"

Kagura's curiosity was piqued.

"Our research on dark matter suggests the possibility of synthesizing a new non-metallic material."

"This material would be suitable for large-scale spaceship construction and could rival vibranium and uru in structural integrity."

"If we use this material alongside vibranium, our ships' adaptability, durability, and armor strength would see significant improvements."

"So it all comes back to solving the dark matter issue, huh?" Kagura tapped her chin. "If we can master its synthesis, we'll gain a lot more than just spaceship materials."

"As always, your insight is spot on, Master."

"Mmm, then let's keep pushing forward!"

She smiled. "We have time. Given enough of it, I believe we can accomplish anything we set our minds to!"

After all, I am the adorable, intelligent, and kind-hearted automaton girl!

So, oh great omnipotent system—

How about just giving me dark matter technology outright?

I mean, I have 35QP now, so I should be able to afford it, right?!

...No response?

Kagura scratched her head.

Where's my loving system when I need it?

Looks like I'll have to figure it out the hard way.

'Bzzz—'

The surrounding space rippled slightly, barely noticeable.

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