Chapter 221:

All this time, Xu Xi had always been cautious about his own safety.

After all, this simulation was unlike the previous ones—there was no extraordinary power to protect him, nor any miraculous treasures to heal his injuries.

In this barren wasteland, where resources were scarce and enemies lurked on all sides, Xu Xi adhered strictly to the principle of self-preservation. Whenever he ventured outside, he always wore his power armor.

In addition to that, he carried numerous instant-deploy energy shields and relied on special defense-oriented intelligent machines for extra protection.

Such extensive defenses were already impressive. When Xu Xi remained at the rear, continuously providing mechanical energy amplification, very few rebel machines could approach him. Even if they did, Ailei would swiftly eliminate them.

But this time was different.

It was an unexpected threat—one Xu Xi had not foreseen.

The ground trembled, sand and dust filled the air, and an ocean of metal stretched endlessly across the horizon, an unstoppable tide.

This was Xu Xi’s mechanical army—not its entirety, but definitely its main force.

The skies echoed with the constant sound of thrusters as numerous anti-gravity airships transported wave after wave of heavy equipment toward another satellite city occupied by rebel machines.

The sea of machines surged, their roars deafening.

A hundred thousand? A million? Or perhaps… ten million?

With two satellite cities under his control, the continuous production of war machines had reached an immeasurable scale—even Xu Xi himself could no longer count them.

Yet, despite such a magnificent force, Xu Xi felt no sense of security.

“So, warfare really is about control from orbit?”

“I miscalculated…”

“I thought I’d only have to deal with these orbital weapons once I reached the main base city, but here they are today.”

“Tsk… Orbital particle cannons.”

Xu Xi gazed at the distant sky.

“Stars” were falling from above—dim yet dazzling, seemingly insignificant, yet their brightness overshadowed even the sun.

As a result, the entire world dimmed, leaving only that radiant brilliance.

The scene resembled divine punishment from a god of light.

But this attack was not the work of deities; it was a technological marvel from the old Federation era—the orbital weapon platform known as the Skyborne Near-Earth Assault System.

“Is it because I produced too many machines, triggering the platform’s automatic alert?”

“Even though the rebellion wiped out the Federation’s control over the machines…”

“It seems that some of the fundamental orders buried deep in their systems are still functioning.”

Xu Xi sighed.

The world before him was soon engulfed in dazzling light, an overwhelming heat radiating across the battlefield, followed by the deafening roar of fierce winds.

He considered himself fortunate.

With Ten Deaths to Survive, he wouldn’t truly die in this attack.

Ailei’s essence was data—losing a physical body wouldn’t cause permanent harm.

His mass-produced mechanical army could always be rebuilt.

Ultimately, it was only a matter of time.

To Xu Xi, suffering these losses in exchange for intel on orbital weapons was a fair trade.

However, waiting to be obliterated wasn’t his style. He raised his hand, channeling his mechanical energy toward the “falling stars” in the sky.

“Ailei, get behind me.”

“Master, what are you saying? At a time like this, I should be—”

Ailei’s voice was urgent.

For the first time, Xu Xi saw a trace of anxiety on her usually composed face.

The sky darkened.

Highly charged particles, like molten gold, rained down onto the plains, vaporizing everything in their path.

…

[You have suffered a targeted strike from the Federation’s orbital weapon platform.]

[You exhausted all your mechanical energy, layering energy shields one after another while Ailei commanded numerous machines to shield you.]

[The moment the light descended, you lost consciousness.]

[You could no longer see, hear, or feel anything, only a sensation of floating in an endless white glow.]

[In the haze, you heard Ailei calling your name.]

[When you opened your eyes again, the scene had completely changed—charred earth covered in black smoke, broken mechanical remains scattered everywhere.]

[Thanks to Ailei’s efforts and your energy amplification, you were fortunate enough to survive, though barely.]

[You are in critical condition—your chest has caved in, and blood is continuously flowing from your nose and mouth.]

“Master…”

A trembling voice called out to him.

Xu Xi half-opened his heavy eyes and struggled to look toward the source of the voice.

As expected, Ailei, being an AI, remained intact.

However, the physical body that housed her consciousness—the once beautiful humanoid figure—had been ravaged by the particle cannon.

Half of her face had been burned away, exposing the silver-white metal beneath, revealing a crimson mechanical core and intricate wiring.

The other half of her face was in better shape, albeit marred by deep cracks.

She crouched over Xu Xi, checking his injuries.

When she saw him regain consciousness, her damaged face revealed a faint, joy-filled smile.

“M-Master…”

Despite her heavily damaged features, her expression was filled with relief.

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Ailei.”

Xu Xi wanted to reach out his hand and comfort his fragile yet loyal maid, but he realized his hands were covered in blood—filthy and unsightly.

So he stopped.

“In this condition… trying to hold on will only prolong the pain.”

Xu Xi frowned and decided to use one of his resurrection chances.

“Ailei… can you kill me?”

“Request denied. This command violates the second directive.”

His shocking request was instantly rejected before he could finish speaking.

In the past, Xu Xi had told Ailei that death wasn’t the end for him, but it was clear—his loyal maid never truly believed it.

With her clumsy yet sincere words, she tried to persuade him never to give up on life.

“Looks like I’ll have to do it myself.”

With a resigned smile, Xu Xi used his remaining mechanical energy to create a handgun and pulled the trigger.

…

[You have committed suicide.]

[You knew that no matter how much you explained, Ailei would never believe in your ability to revive.]

[Instead of wasting time on explanations, you decided to show her directly.]

[When you pulled the trigger, the gunshot echoed, and Ailei’s systems momentarily overloaded. She instinctively lunged forward, wrapping her arms around you, determined to take you back to the base.]

[However, an event beyond her comprehension occurred.]

[Your body was restored to perfect health, with no visible injuries. Even your past hidden ailments had been completely erased.]

[You revived, standing before Ailei once again in a way she could not understand.]

“Sorry, did I scare you?”

Xu Xi smiled apologetically, gently ruffling Ailei’s hair.

His voice was soft, his touch warm.

He was concerned that his earlier “suicide” might have left a psychological impact on her.

Thud!

Without saying a word, Ailei pushed Xu Xi to the ground, cupping his face and examining him with a dazed expression.

Then, she started crawling all over him, inspecting every inch of his body.

Only after confirming that he was perfectly healthy did she finally stop.