CHAPTER 307: ANASTASIA (5)

Inside the workshop now, Christian had already started working, creating the smaller parts of the android meant for Anastasia.

He was pouring all his effort into it, trying to stay focused and finish the job —

but under Anastasia’s constant gaze, which followed his every move with unwavering curiosity, he couldn’t help but feel distracted.

Even when he tried not to mind it, her stare kept bothering him.

He didn’t actually plan to make everything from scratch for her android.

Instead, he was going to use some spare parts he had originally made for Alpha and Zero, after modifying them slightly.

In his mind, the most efficient route was already laid out.

And if everything went according to plan, he hoped to finish the android in under two weeks.

Like that, time passed.

The only sounds in the room were the hum of machines, his steady breathing... and hers.

Then, after more than two hours of quiet observation, Anastasia finally opened her mouth — her voice breaking the silence as she began to ask questions.

They were all about androids.

At first, the questions were simple.

But gradually, they became more and more difficult — the kind that showed she was absorbing every word.

And so, after another two hours of working and explaining nonstop, Christian finally let out a tired exhale and said, "If you really want to understand how to make this kind of puppet, these questions alone aren’t going to be enough."

"You’ll need to study things more methodically and systematically — from the very beginning."

Anastasia fell silent for a moment, clearly pondering whether it was really worth the trouble.

Then, she finally gave a nod and said, "I really should do that. But..."

Her voice turned soft, almost naive.

"Can you work and teach me at the same time?"

She asked it cutely, adorably — already assigning him the role of her teacher without a second thought.

And Christian, with veins already bulging on his temple, tried to breathe in and out slowly...

So he wouldn’t end up making a mistake.

All because of her shamelessness.

He set the tools in his hand down on the desk, then walked away from her and said,

"Follow me."

Christian told himself he was still holding back — staying calm.

But what he didn’t realize was that he had already passed the limit of patience long ago, judging by his tone and every annoyed gesture.

Luckily for him, Anastasia didn’t seem to hold it against him.

With her "big heart," she appeared to be the more accommodating one this time.

Back inside his office, Christian, now slightly more composed after the short walk, looked at her and said, "Iris, can you detect anyone besides me in the office?"

[No. You are alone.]

Hearing the answer, Christian kept his eyes on Anastasia.

Noticing the way the corner of her lips curled into a faint smile, he smiled back and said, "You heard her. Can you do something about that?"

The room fell silent.

Was it really something that serious?

Christian wondered that as he looked at the too-beautiful girl in front of him.

But then, Iris’s voice suddenly spoke again.

[Master, another person has suddenly appeared.]

What did she just do?

Christian couldn’t help but question it.

He didn’t feel anything. No change in essence, no movement. Nothing.

Still, deciding not to dwell on it, he gave the next order.

"Use the holograms and screens in the room to display all kinds of information about androids — the kind Anastasia, the short girl in the room, wants to learn."

"Start from basic knowledge, then move slowly to more advanced topics. And don’t forget to translate everything into the universal language."

[Understood.]

Iris’s reply echoed smoothly.

Christian, thinking things were finally moving in the right direction, let out a quiet breath of relief...

But that feeling didn’t last long.

A chill suddenly crept down his spine. His arms rubbed themselves instinctively.

It felt like he was standing inside an ice storehouse, not an air-conditioned room.

He moved his gaze toward Anastasia — and found her narrowed eyes locked on him.

And just like that, Christian began to wonder...

Did I make a mistake with what I said earlier...?

Was it about calling her short?

Even someone with her strength cares about that?

Christian, who suddenly felt like cursing, forced an ugly smile toward Anastasia.

Then, while still facing her, he continued addressing Iris, "Treat our elegant and beautiful guest to the best of your ability... do you understand?"

[Yes.]

As soon as he heard the reply, Christian gave a few more polite words to Anastasia before quickly taking his leave.

Now, one might wonder — Was Christian really this charitable?

Was he the kind of guy who just handed out all his knowledge for free?

Giving access to his tech to someone like Anastasia, just like that?

But that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Christian had already reached the peak of Earth’s technology.

He’d studied it all — every last piece of it — and then began advancing it on his own.

His breakthroughs were beyond anything found in the world.

And all that advanced knowledge?

It was stored only in his brain.

He had never uploaded it to the database.

That meant the core, the real knowledge required to make androids like Alpha or Zero... simply didn’t exist in Iris’s systems.

After all, the modern world hadn’t even reached that phase yet.

So, as he returned to his workshop, Christian could only hope that he’d manage to finish Anastasia’s android before she absorbed everything Iris did have.

Now that the beautiful nuisance was out of the way, he intended to pour all his focus.

No sleep. No breaks. Just work.

The sooner the android was finished, the sooner he could be free of her.

Was she not the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen?

Could he really bear not making her his woman?

One might wonder.

But Christian — even if shamefully — would admit it:

He didn’t have the balls to try and seduce her.

If she were just somewhat stronger than him — even sixth stage, the kind he was still secretly scheming how to take down — then maybe, maybe, he’d still consider it.

But she was clearly out of his league.

So for now, all he could do was quietly save her image across forty-nine servers around the world,

So he could track her down later.

When he became stronger than her...

And finally boss her around!

With that bright fantasy painted clearly in his mind, Christian got back to work — pouring everything into the android.

And time passed.

Four days later.

"Chris..." Anastasia’s voice rang out calmly.

"I’ve gone through it all. There’s nothing in Iris’s data about making your kind of android."