Chapter 1

Prologue

Deus Ex Machina

A term referring to a cliché in ancient Greek theater where an absolute being or supernatural force appears out of nowhere and ends everything, without any proper causality or inevitable consequence.

The more incomprehensible by common sense, the more logically impossible, and the more it ignores causality, the closer it gets to the essence of deus ex machina.

An overpowered character or miraculous event that appears without any foreshadowing or logical progression.

Like when an ordinary protagonist suddenly gains SSS-rank skills and becomes invincible, or trips and discovers the world’s greatest martial arts manual and elixir, or when a beautiful woman randomly approaches while walking down the street – all of these can be considered deus ex machina.

“There he is! He’s over there!”

“You deviant who defies fate and disturbs the heavenly order! We shall punish you here today!”

Hundreds of martial artists wielding swords imbued with ki that can cut through steel, and dozens of Taoist masters who can twist the laws of nature to manifest desired phenomena, reveal their hostility.

Only a single finger can move.

According to this world’s common sense, if thinking logically, following the causality of this body, there is no way to survive here.

But what if we ignore all common sense, logic, and causality?

Click!

As I pull back my only moveable finger, there’s a cold metallic sensation followed by the sound of a trigger mechanism.

And then…

Zzzzing!

The optical weapon spews out 30 laser rounds per second, sweeping through the martial artists, while the approaching Taoist arts are split in half and vanish under a high-powered plasma axe enhanced by magic.

The mechanical god that destroys all common sense and causality.

To survive, only to survive, I was embodying deus ex machina with my whole being today as well.