Chapter 253:

“Ailei, you are not an object that can be discarded at will.”

“You are like me.”

“You are an independent lifeform.”

Xu Xi gently stroked Ailei’s cheek, his thumb brushing over the synthetic skin with a soft touch.

This action—wiping—was something Xu Xi used to do frequently in the past, back in the narrow and dark underground base, when he would wipe the surveillance camera at the entrance for Ailei.

Ever since Ailei obtained a physical body, this habit was no longer necessary. Yet today, the familiar motion once again served to calm the anxious machine soul.

[In the cold and desolate winter, you watched the simulated snowfall controlled by the climate system and gazed at the dark expanse beyond the bridge, sinking into memories of the past.]

[You thought—perhaps this is the common ailment of aging.]

[Although your body remains as vigorous as ever, at the age of 300, you still occasionally reminisce about the distant days of the first simulation.]

[You recall your former weakness, the desperate escapes, the activation of 9090, and those easy-to-read microexpressions.]

[You remember Ailei’s smile, Ailei’s cooking, Ailei’s worries, and Ailei’s growth.]

[The once-simple housekeeping robot has long since transformed, under your influence, into a unique lifeform—an unprecedented existence.]

[You feel gratified by this.]

[Witnessing Ailei’s growth, a thought emerges in your mind.]

[Perhaps one day, Ailei can surpass everything and stand above the masterminds behind the Neutron Battle Star.]

[That is, if she can escape this prison before being discovered and erased by them.]

[While planning for the future, you suddenly feel a weight in your arms.]

“Master, Ailei is out of power.”

“…Huh?”

At certain times, the ever-loyal machine servant wasn’t so loyal after all.

…

[Simulation Year 330: You are 349 years old, and Ailei has been with you for 327 years.]

[The excessively long years have dulled your sensitivity to the passage of time. You’ve begun to grow accustomed to the eternal silence of the universe.]

[Your life, however, is not without changes.]

[You have walked the galaxy with Ailei, witnessing the rotation of infinite star rings.]

[You once plucked shimmering star fragments and presented them to Ailei as a special gift—dreamlike crystals that resembled precious gems.]

[You have passed through civilizations, observing their development with Ailei, who judged them inferior to you.]

[In the eyes of 9090, the eyes of the intelligent machine servant, and the eyes of Ailei, only you are recognized.]

[Everything else is considered an anomaly.]

[You pondered deeply and once again confirmed that you are not suited to teaching others.]

[The universe is lonely, and encounters with new civilizations are rare. Most of the time, it is just you, Ailei, and the occasional emergence of interstellar insect swarms.]

[Your life now follows a simple routine.]

Research technology.

Spend time with Ailei.

Eliminate insect swarms.

This has become Xu Xi’s new lifestyle pattern.

With the advancement of technology, the fleet’s speed has now surpassed one-third of the speed of light, venturing further into the unknown reaches of space.

Yet, it remained within the hunting grounds of the masterminds.

Occasionally, the gravitational waves from the Neutron Battle Star could still be detected.

But the most significant change was the increasing number of insect swarms, appearing every few intervals and launching endless assaults on the fleet.

Naturally, they all end up as biomass materials for the fleet.

“Despicable insects, I will never allow you to approach the Master,” Ailei stated calmly, yet with clear disdain.

Ailei’s care and dedication continued without fail.

…

[Simulation Year 355: You are 364 years old, and Ailei has been with you for 342 years.]

[The anticipated attack did not arrive.]

[Four years passed in silence.]

[Simulation Year 359: You are 368 years old. The attack from the Neutron Battle Star finally came.]

[Your new experiment failed, and once again, you were precisely killed by the Neutron Battle Star.]

[However, you did not feel regret. This was expected, and you still gained valuable information.]

[The consecutive delays in the attacks proved that their timing was not exactly 100 years as you had previously assumed, but rather had a margin of error.]

[This was good news.]

[It meant that your final death might be delayed slightly.]

[Upon your resurrection, you appeared before Ailei in perfect condition, relieving her worried heart.]

[“Welcome home, Master.”]

[Ailei gracefully lifted the hem of her maid outfit and welcomed your return.]

[To celebrate your rebirth, Ailei prepared a lavish feast with ingredients such as the ancient Leviathan from planet 4546B, the luminous mushrooms from M996, and the space behemoth from Gold Horn planet.]

[You stared at the enormous ingredients, each dozens of times larger than yourself, and remained silent for a long time.]

…

[Your experiments continued.]

[Prolonged resonance with Ailei’s machine soul and excessive use of mechanical force had drastically accelerated your technological advancements, but unexpected changes in your body disrupted your plans.]

Simulation Year 377.

Xu Xi was now 386 years old, and Ailei had been by his side for 364 years.

Everything was progressing according to plan.

His research on the Grand Unified Theory—gravitational force, electromagnetic force, strong and weak interactions—had made significant progress.

Gravity technology was the key to curvature engines.

With enough energy, bending space and achieving faster-than-light travel was becoming a possibility.

For the longest time, Xu Xi had dreamed of perfecting this technology to lead Ailei out of their cosmic prison.

But now, he realized something—he was slowing down.

“When did this start?”

“Ten years ago…”

“Fifty years ago…”

“Or was it from the moment I decided that I must develop the curvature engine?”

A hazy mist covered the sky above him.

The orange sunlight fell weakly, like dying embers, casting a cold glow on Xu Xi’s shoulders.

It illuminated half of his furrowed face.

Xu Xi was slowing down—not in physical strength, but something deeper, an invisible dullness.

He could still feel cold, still feel heat.

His body remained strong, able to run and move swiftly.

Yet, in the unnoticed moments of daily life, Xu Xi realized he no longer experienced strong emotional fluctuations.

His overly rational thinking…

It was almost—

“Like an emotionless machine,” Xu Xi murmured.

Was it his long lifespan causing fatigue and dulling his emotional perception?

He felt that wasn’t the case.

The signs of dullness had been present for a long time, but Xu Xi had previously dismissed them as mere stress.

“This feeling of numbness…”

“If it’s not a natural phenomenon…”

“Then… is it caused by the high-frequency resonance with Ailei’s machine soul?”