The Artifact Awakens: A Chatty Artificial Spirit

The artifact's true identity?!?! The usual flickering light and the familiar game development space. In the blink of an eye, the upheaval of everyday life erupted between them. Whoosh—whoosh, whoosh—! Boom, kablooey—bang bang!!! A massive fireball sliced through the air. A man with his robe pulled low over his eyes dodged the fireballs with artistic flair, weaving through them in a dazzling display. Fireballs embroidered the scene around him like a living painting. Then, the view shifted right before my eyes.

"The left flank is on the verge of collapse!"

"Ice-armored behemoth charging in!"

On a blizzard-swept plain, hundreds—maybe thousands—of monsters surged toward the walls behind a lead ice-armored behemoth.

"Form up! Brace for impact!"

"Yes!!!"

"Magic Corps! Prepare fire-element spells!"

"Understood!!!"

Plain-looking soldiers desperately raised their shields, while knights in ornate armor leaped into the fray among the monsters. Mages hovering in the air unleashed a barrage of spells, and priests in robes desperately healed the soldiers in a brutal, desperate battle.

"...Whoa."

Before confusion could even set in amid this unfamiliar scene, what hit me first was pure awe. This wasn't just some clip from my game slapped together into a video. Even someone who hadn't played my games... no, even players who had would think this was a full-blown movie.

"The scene transitions are smooth... and even though the BGM feels recycled, the timing is perfect?"

It was my own game, but it still gave me chills. The quality rivaled the cinematic I'd seen when I first awakened.

"Status window, you. Good job. Keep it up."

"Whoa!"

"...?!"

A voice that shouldn't have been there made me whirl around in startled confusion. Right in the middle of the game dev space, where no one should be, stood a girl I'd never seen before.

Black hair and black eyes, a rarity in this isekai world. And what she was wearing... just an oversized shirt?

"Seeing it like this, it's totally awesome!"

"..."

Who?

"More importantly, what you're wearing right now—"

"Anyway, putting stuff like this in the games would make them even more fun. Especially Northern Defense! Aside from the lack of Valkar folks, Wave 5 is a total thrill ride? Everything before that—"

I could only blink in stunned silence as the barely-dressed girl chattered nonstop.

"Hey, let me get a word in—"

"But have you actually been to the North? Are these monsters real? And—"

The artifact from the treasury... a plugin. The updated status window. And now this talkative girl. My head was spinning too fast to keep up, so I cut her off first.

"Hold on, just a sec."

I raised my hand, and she finally shut her mouth. But those sparkling eyes said she was just pausing—she'd unleash a torrent any second.

"Let's start with introductions?"

The girl pointed at herself with a finger.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you."

"Um... oh! I'm the Artificial Spirit Adel."

"...That's it?"

At my words, Adel gave me a look like what more do you want?

"Sigh—don't you realize how suspicious you are?"

Adel puffed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out her cheeks at that.

"Getting told that on first meeting hurts my feelings."

"A total stranger—a spirit—pops into someone else's mental space out of nowhere. Of course it's suspicious."

I stated it flatly with a deadpan look, and Adel slumped, radiating full-on sulk mode. But only for a moment. She bounced back to high energy and started chattering again.

"But seriously, did you really make all this? How did you even think to—"

"Sigh. Back to square one... Anyway, bottom line: it was fun, right?"

"Yeah! But 'fun' doesn't even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠cover the thrill I felt—it falls short of expressing the—"

Round and round we go. I rubbed my face repeatedly in exasperation.

'At this rate, I'll be listening to her ramble till morning.'

I was surprised, sure, but she seemed harmless for now. Time to sort this out.

"Alright, alright. One thing at a time. Nice and easy."

"Huh? Oh, okay!"

"You've played the games I made, right?"

"Yep."

"How?"

"No idea?"

"..."

Oh lord. Thankfully, Adel kept explaining after that.

"I just did."

Not helpful, unfortunately.

"So... from the moment I opened my eyes here, I could interact with a few."

Her words narrowed my eyes. Could this Adel spirit manipulate the status window?

"The ones here?"

"Kinda... weirdly, only the Project Load thing...?"

Not quite. Project Load right now only had Dodge the Fireball and Northern Defense, so it didn't quite fit.

"Then... can you see outside, or talk to me when I'm not here? You know—"

"No... I don't know how..."

Adel's voice trailed off small. Her sparkling eyes misted up as she looked up at me.

"I woke up suddenly in this weird all-white space... nothing else to touch..."

"..."

"S-So I just played the games you made... was I a bother?"

"Do you remember when you first appeared?"

She shook her head no. Now I got the picture.

The artifact had been dormant, and the status window mistook it for a plugin.

'My fault?'

I didn't know the exact mechanics, but one thing was clear: I'd unwittingly awakened her.

"Um—do you remember an artifact that looked like this?"

I even opened the game dev functions to describe the artifact in detail. And it worked—Adel's eyes widened, and she spilled her past.

"Yes! My friend made me with that exact thing!"

"Friend? Made?"

"Ugh—you weren't listening?! Like I said, I'm an arti-fic-ial spir-it!"

"...Different from a regular spirit?"

"..."

The question slipped out, but her ominous expression made me pivot fast. From a modern perspective, artificial spirit + artifact was pure cliché.

'Later for that.'

The key was whether Adel could leave. But she shook her head weakly.

"Dunno why, but still can't."

"...Sorry. Feels like I dragged that artifact here for nothing."

"No! If not for you, I'd still be asleep forever..."

Adel trailed off, lips twitching. She glanced at me, then added softly,

"...All alone."

I looked away at that. I'm terrible with melancholic vibes. Especially after her nonstop chatter—this tugged harder.

"So... I can stay here?"

Adel asked cautiously.

"Here?"

Her question baffled me.

'Even if I wanted her gone, no way to make it happen. Just roll with it.'

"You might hate it."

"Fair... but as long as no harm done, it's fine."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Phew... suddenly invading your mental space, being too loud, talking too much, suspicious origins, artificial spirit and—"

Where does this list end? I rubbed my stinging eyes.

Ignoring that face felt wrong.

"Anyway, I woke you, so I'll take responsibility—at minimum."

My firm tone finally stopped her self-deprecation.

"Then..."

"Then?"

"Come visit often. Talk to me..."

"...I'll try."

"Specifically, three times a day, one hour each."

"Too long, no?"

"Three times, thirty minutes?"

She halved it reluctantly, but still too much?

"Morning after waking, once before bed?"

"...Can you tell me when we got so close?"

I stared incredulously, and she held up two fingers on one hand, folding one halfway with the other.

"One long, one short."

"Twice a day still vague."

"Once...?"

"..."

"Please...?"

"No—not that I won't."

As her face fell again, I trailed off, and she shoved her face close.

"So that's a yes?"

"Not done talking."

"...!"

Her energy swings were wild. Barely talked, and I was as drained as during game dev marathons.

In the brief moment I rubbed my face, Adel stared wide-eyed, waiting for me to speak.

...Makes it harder.

"I'll try to come daily. No guarantees."

"Mhm."

"Coming here is only when I have time—can't live here."

"Got it."

"Plus explaining you to others, uh—"

"...Yeah."

"I'll try, but not as much as you want."

"......"

I thought that was generous, but Adel's face darkened instantly. That expression again. Poised to cry, pitiful.

'Ugh...'

Only me to talk to, and post-awakening, just two games. Guilt stabbed.

"Sigh."

She flinched at my sigh, but my wordsmanship lacked confidence. So—

"Wait ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠here a sec."

"Huh?"

"You're bored, right? Fix that."

Adel blinked blankly. No need for long explanations.

'Not cool.'

Snap. I pulled up the status panel and tinkered.

Click.

Finishing Northern Defense had expanded save slots plenty. Way more than the one from Dodge the Fireball.

'Gotta keep her hooked for at least a month.'

Needed addiction, not volume or depth. Not releasing publicly—just needs to run. Nothing beats simple games for zoning out.

First up: a runner game.

'Back in flip-phone days, I was obsessed with runners.'

Just character, coins, obstacles. Plenty charming. Flatten Northern Defense backgrounds, scatter pits and hurdles—map done.

'2D runner protag? Stickman is canon. Duh.'

Black circle head, five lines for body and limbs.

"...Um, what's that?"

"Done. One finished."

"???"

"Status window, save the game. Name it... Running Man 1."

"H-Huh...? That thing you just made—is a game?"

"Yep."

"How can you whip up something so fun that fast—"

"Nah. And—not done ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠yet."

Click. Click. Click.

As I started making games, Adel sat quietly beside me, watching intently. I noticed after the third mini-game.

"Phew—for now, this should do."

Splaaash—

"What? Why stare like that?"

"Can I... play the games you just made?"

Her eyes looked ready to laser me if I said no. I chuckled.

"Like I said, can't come three times a day."

"..."

"Games while I'm gone—less lonely, right?"

Didn't expect her eyes to widen more. Adel beamed and hit Project Load on the status panel.

"Sweet! Starting with this!"

Seeing her prime game addict potential warmed my heart.

'Rushed and rough... but I can polish over time.'

Practice pieces, no release. Just keep her entertained for now.

"Chase! Come tomorrow too—no excuses!"

Adel yelled without looking back, already glued to the stickman sprinting.