Tonight, Alice joins the hunt.

—Of course, the honeymoon wasn't all that easy. This part of the plot is quite important... after all, I'm following the "Dawn of the Future" formula. Although I've censored the positive and negative aspects, I still need to write about the rest.

The Second Stop: Transformation Apocalypse - Human Rise

Section 1: Let's pretend nothing happened.

【————————————————】

The teleportation began and ended... In the blink of an eye, Alice was back in the place deep in her memory.

That seaside town.

The sky was overcast, and the distant sounds of police sirens and the clamor of pedestrians drifted in. But amidst the noise, Alice could only discern surprise, lingering fear, and curiosity. Fear, however, was an extremely rare emotion.

[It's been resolved? It doesn't seem like a very serious disaster...]

[The ending of the first Transformers movie... So in my past life, I was just a nobody caught in the crossfire. Well, if it really was the end of the world, how could I not have noticed any warning signs? Even if I was an idiot back then, at least I still had the habit of watching the news every day.]

"Alice?" Patchouli looked at her with some confusion.

"It's alright, I'm fine." Alice shook her head gently. "It's just that things didn't go as I expected, but it doesn't matter. At most, we'll just revise the plan and complete some secondary objectives first."

“This is the United States, a small seaside town on the West Coast. Patty, I think I told you before that I was an international student in my past life. Although my memories of this land are a bit blurry, I still remember at least one thing…” She pointed to a coffee shop across the street.

"The coffee there is the best."

......................................................

Since they were prepared to return to the real world, they naturally prepared the necessary currency. And Americans are known for their thick skin; a minor incident like an 'alien robot attack on town' wouldn't affect the business of a coffee shop outside the event location. Furthermore, Alice and Patchouli are both typical Western beauties, so when they entered the coffee shop, ordered coffee, and found a booth by the window, the manager and a few other customers merely glanced at them with admiration, without doing anything else.

Alice also casually bought a laptop with a network card at the electronics store next to the coffee shop. As Patchouli leaned against the booth, absentmindedly waiting for her coffee and gazing at Alice's focused face, she quickly uploaded a computer virus she had written in the main divine space, specifically designed to deal with this era, to the network. A few minutes later, she successfully gained access to some important national databases.

She raised an eyebrow slightly.

"The protagonist of this world is dead... This is going to be a bit tricky."

"That guy named Sam Witwicky?"

"That's right, it was him. He died about an hour ago in the conflict at Hoover Dam. Just like in the original story, he tried to put the AllSpark directly into Megatron's chest to end the war. Unfortunately, his chosen spot might have been a bit off. Both Megatron and the AllSpark were only injured but not killed. And Megatron left with fragments of the AllSpark."

She turned the computer over, and playing on it was a silent video, seemingly recorded by a fixed camera on a tank. In the video, a boy tried to stuff a cube into the chest of a giant robot lunging at him, but the cube, after splitting in half, was ripped apart by the robot's chest armor. The boy died the next second, while the severely wounded robot snatched the dim, broken cube, transformed into a flying machine billowing black smoke and sparks, and sped away.

“Ah…oh.” Patchouli opened her mouth slightly. “You mean we’re about to face an apocalyptic army of Transformers?”

“Not entirely.” Alice shook her head. “The AllSpark should be damaged and deactivated. Otherwise, we would be facing such a large army right now. But we still need to hurry, because the AllSpark contains a route to the Energy Matrix. This was originally the plot of the second part. The Energy Matrix can activate the Star Extraction Tower in Egypt, and at that time the sun will be extinguished, and the AllSpark may be reactivated.”

“But we know where the energy matrix is.” Patchouli fiddled with a strand of her long hair that had fallen down.

“Yes, we know. It’s nothing more than the tip of the dagger, the Three Kings… Ah, thank you.”

The waiter carrying the coffee came over, put the coffee down, and couldn't help but glance at the two of them. When Alice thanked him and placed a tip equal to the price of the coffee on the waiter's plate, the young man felt almost overwhelmed with gratitude.

"The two ladies are absolutely gorgeous," he exclaimed sincerely, his gaze unconsciously glancing at the interrupted video on his laptop. But he didn't pay much attention to it, simply bowing and quietly retreating.

"Looks like I'm quite charming, huh?" Alice pouted. "Back in the Central Plains team, I thought the outside world's aesthetic standards had changed. Is it really just because of regional differences?"

“Alice, you’ve always been so charming. I’m really… hard to control myself.” Patchouli pursed her lips and gave her a knowing look.

“Darling, now is not the time for that kind of thing,” Alice sighed. “We’ll have plenty of time once we achieve our main objective here, or once we’re back in the Main God Space. There’s no need to rush.”

"Alright, let's get back to the main point. The AllSpark has been deactivated, but Optimus Prime, as the super-leader of Cybertron, should still be alive. If he's alive, the Fallen won't come down from outer space. If the Fallen doesn't come down, even if Megatron deciphers the information and finds the Energy Matrix, it will be useless—it contains the wills of several Cybertronian super-leaders from thousands of years ago. If they disagree, Megatron probably won't be able to get the Energy Matrix. Besides, he might not even be able to get it."

Alice pointed to her head. "In the second part, the AllSpark sent its location information to Sam's brain when it collapsed. Now that the AllSpark is deactivated, the energy and information should have been transferred as well. So, our first priority is to find Sam's remains and contact the Autobot Cybertronians. After all... the Energy Matrix isn't very useful to us; it's just unlimited energy, and we don't have that much output. We could achieve a similar effect by connecting a few magic reactors. But the Cybertronians' technology, heritage, and history... are very precious treasures to us. I'd also like to try and see if we can cast magic using alien civilization."

"Shall we go now?"

"Wait a moment." Alice flipped the computer back and quickly typed out a bunch of code. She took a USB drive out of her pocket, plugged it into the computer, and soon the message "Data transfer in progress" appeared.

"Let's settle things with our past lives. I sent some advanced technology, concepts, and some magical knowledge to a country across the ocean. With these, they should be able to surpass the United States soon and regain their position as the world's superpower. And if our trip doesn't go well, those things will be enough for them to protect themselves."

"So be it, the cause and effect are severed. I owe this world nothing more, nor am I obligated to do anything extra for it. Before this data transmission is complete, let's finish this cup of coffee, and then..."

"Let's do what a reincarnator should do."

Section Two: So, how about giving out a few Saint Quartz...?

Sam Witwicky, the promised savior of this world. He was supposed to create a glorious future, achieve great things, have a beautiful girlfriend, and a group of loyal alien friends. But now... everything has slipped away from him.

The dead gain nothing. They have nothing but the weeping and remembrance of their friends. The same was true of Sam Witwicky, who died. When the battle ended and the Autobots carried Optimus Prime, who was just as badly wounded as Megatron, away, even Bumblebee, who cherished this human friend most, could only sadly hand over the body to the Americans who had deactivated the alert. Let the professional burial staff handle the funeral arrangements.

In the original comics, Optimus Prime will cooperate with the Americans in the second movie to fight against more Decepticons descending on Earth. This has nothing to do with Sam's life or death; naturally, he will lead his companions to make the same decision. And since there is a living alien ally, the Americans will naturally not do anything unnecessary at Sam's grave.

He was buried at dusk, and apart from Bumblebee, his parents, his girlfriend Mikaela, and a few friends, no one else attended his funeral. He was just an ordinary person who didn't save the world, nor did he destroy the AllSpark as Optimus Prime had instructed during the final battle. And precisely because of this, neither Americans nor the Transformers hold him in high regard.

The mortician played funeral music, and a bulldozer piled up sand. After the lawn was leveled and the people dressed in black left bouquets as a sign of their condolences, Alice and Patchouli appeared at the entrance of the cemetery.

"Don't you think we're going a bit too far? Raising someone from the ground so soon after they've been laid to rest?" Alice walked into the cemetery, carefully avoiding the small white wildflowers growing everywhere on the grass. She always had great respect for the dead… provided these skeletons were of no use to her.

Those huge mummy horde in Cairo are still crying in the world of legends—if they still have tear ducts.

"You talk as if you know nothing about necromancy. Your specialty is curses, isn't it?" Patchouli glanced at her companion. "High-level necromancy can certainly be cast in a very 'clean,' 'natural,' and 'unpolluted' way. But how many corpses need to be dissected and studied in the early stages of learning is another matter entirely."

“I’m sorry, I was working at the medical school run by my mentor Paracelsus at the time, and dissecting corpses was part of my job—I’ve never done anything as tasteless as digging up cemeteries before.” Alice made a ‘whatever’ gesture. She walked to Sam’s tombstone, staring at the black-and-white portrait, her eyes slightly lost in thought.

Witwicky… this surname has an inextricable connection to the Cybertronians. Sam’s ancestors came into contact with Megatron, who descended to Earth, and Sam’s ancestors’ ancestors may have been the founders of the Witwicky Monastery—a monastery that has hidden the secrets of the Cybertronians for thousands of years, and whose history can even be traced back to the time of King Arthur.

People with the surname Witwick are naturally inclined to gain the trust of the Cybertronians. Perhaps their ancestors made a pact with the ancient Cybertronians, or perhaps in even more ancient times they fought side by side under the same banner.

“…I suddenly have a better plan.” Alice gently tapped her forehead. “But before that…Shanghai, optical shielding.”

The small doll hidden in the girl's shadow activated a shielding barrier. The twilight light shining on the two within a ten-meter radius was unilaterally copied and distorted. Adjusted to a suitable optical array, it was as if a video recording from a camera was being played repeatedly; from ten meters away, anyone looking over could only see an empty, lonely grave.

Gravity began to shift, the compacted soil softened, and began to writhe, spreading out to either side of the tombstone. A black coffin slowly emerged, the nails along its edges popping out one by one, revealing a snow-white skeleton.

“Sam, Witwicky.” Alice reached out and touched the dead man’s forehead. “Give me your knowledge.”

Countless fragments of memory flashed through Alice's senses. Her dead brain was reactivated, and stagnant cells began to repair themselves under high-energy stimulation. The information hidden within neurons was rapidly organized, categorized, and then processed into viewable data.

Sam Witwicky's entire life unfolded before her. She could clearly see any part she wanted to know; she quickly adjusted the timeline, selecting the most recent period, and then…

Stopped abruptly.

“Unreadable?” Alice frowned. She was certain she had seen something—a complex message, symbols, fascinating fragments. But…

She couldn't see what those things were. It was as if she were looking through frosted glass; she knew there was treasure hidden there, but she couldn't touch the actual treasure.

"This is really interesting."

"Alice, do you need help?"

Alice shook her head. "It's no use. This information is encrypted and can only be deciphered in a specific way. It could be some kind of code, some way of thinking... something we can't analyze."

"We have to take another approach." Her gaze shifted, and she began to examine the injuries on the corpse. She quickly spotted her target.

Six ribs were shattered, and his heart and lungs were necrotic. This was likely a fatal blunt force injury; it seems Megatron delivered a punch that wasn't too heavy. Aside from that, there were only normal signs of death, such as bodily fluid decomposition.

"Penglai, energy supply."

For ordinary people, the cessation of bodily functions is death. However, for a true witch, the mere destruction of the body is not utterly irredeemable. Just as a dead Transformer can be resurrected at will by injecting AllSpark radiation into an extinguished spark, Alice has a similar way to resurrect these healthy humans whose lives are short-lived and who have ceased to function simply due to physical damage.

So the first step is to... repair the damaged body to its original state.

This is an incredibly simple procedure: use a force field to restrain and repair the damaged bones. Discard the dead cells and control the proliferation and growth of healthy cells that haven't completely lost their activity. The brain is a much more complicated part, but even Americans in this world have a way to revive a brain that has only been dead for a few hours.

But it only restores its activity.

A few minutes later, his bodily functions resumed, but the boy, whose mind had ceased to function, floated silently in front of the witches.

"You intend to resurrect him?"

“Yes, I plan to resurrect him.” Alice nodded. “The Super-Leaders’ script is encrypted, like a code. Even if I learn their script through the Supreme God, I can’t decipher the code. And an unextractable code can’t be used as leverage in a deal with the Cybertronians. So we have to settle for second best… a living Sam Witwicky can also help us achieve our goal.”

"Moreover, this will save us the time of building trust with the Cybertronians. I want their technology, their culture, their history... but these things can't be obtained without a deep enough relationship. So we need a medium, a bridge, and that bridge is this guy named Sam Witwicky."

She looked at Patchouli.

“Patch, this is America. I can only use Christian resurrection rituals. Or I can risk using the Celestial Sand Resurrection Scripture again—just like I did in the underwater ruins two hundred years ago.”

"I know you really dislike anything related to Christians. So... could you go and buy me some apples from the nearby fruit shop?"

Section 3: I think three pyroxenes are enough.

Patchouli dislikes people or things related to the Vatican... Alice knows this very well, and she knows why.

Because her academic lineage traces back to the ancient Greek scholar Hypatia. And that reason alone is enough—she hates the Papacy because it has taken countless important things from her. This hatred only slightly subsided upon entering Gensokyo, but it doesn't mean that the emotion has disappeared completely.

The saying "to hate someone because of their house" probably means this.

"Sorry, Patchouli, this will be resolved soon." Alice sighed softly as she watched Patchouli's figure disappear on the other side of the street. She raised her hand, and the magic in the sky above the town began to stir, turning into a swirling breeze.

"You were the savior of the world, but your work was not yet complete; now you lie eternally beneath the cross."

The cross-shaped tombstone trembled slightly, and the inscription on the stone began to dissolve, turning into flowing sewage.

"He suffered greatly, his ribs pierced by a spear..."

She summoned a tree branch and a piece of rusty iron, and under the influence of her stance, these two inconspicuous little objects quickly transformed into a spear. The spear pierced the boy's ribs, leaving a trail of intertwined blood.

"And then buried in the ground..."

The turned earth churned up, burying Sam's body once more. Meanwhile, the magic gathering above the town was so intense it could almost manifest as a visible aurora borealis.

Magic is an information wave, and information waves carry energy. Where energy is abundant, the weather changes accordingly. Alice was then able to glimpse the special waveform hidden within this endless information—the human soul.

The soul is thought, an aggregation of brainwaves. Once a person dies, these brainwaves detach from the body and quietly dissipate in the complex natural environment. People with strong willpower can maintain their integrity for a period of time even after death. If they can capture free energy to replenish themselves, there is even a possibility of possession and rebirth.

Of course, Sam Witwicky is probably not included.

The passing of a soul takes time, and that time won't be long. But for now, it's enough.

The ritual has been performed. Now, this living body, as the 'deceased savior,' will attract those scattered information waves, then re-integrate and coalesce them into a complete mind. And at that time, the dead will return from hell.

When the first fragment fell and Sam's brain began to function, Alice knew she had succeeded. She casually set up a few more magic circles to sustain Sam's life, and then controlled Shanghai to restore the ground to its original state as the cemetery.

The mythological account of the savior's resurrection taking three days is partly an artistic embellishment, and partly because reuniting scattered souls naturally takes that long. While Sam's resurrection is somewhat accelerated by Alice's magic circle, it still takes at least ten hours.

So, there are still many things to do before that.

..................................................................

"If the plot unfolds as it should, at the beginning of the second movie, the Decepticons' 'Soundwave' has already taken control of a US satellite and is able to monitor communications across the entire Earth through that satellite. The first movie doesn't explain its whereabouts, but based on the Decepticons' actions in the film, it should have been there from the beginning."

While Alice was performing her resurrection ceremony, Patchouli went to buy apples and also booked a room at a hotel overlooking the apartments. She knew very well that Alice's resurrection ceremony would take much longer than a few minutes, so she made preparations beforehand.