it needs an operating system to run omg not dependency free

LOL, and an internet connection, too!

But, seriously, of course "web" requires internet and a computer and an operating system. But since when "web" also means Node.js?

If a web component is advertized as dependency free, I expect something that I can include in a <script> tag and it works. Am I wrong?

i mean fwiw can prolly include direct script tag using something like https://esm.sh

Does this operating system also depend on an underlying computer?

You're free to just step through the assembly manually. You might need some paper and a pen.

It ain't dependency free, if you need pen and paper.