Chapter 258:

She didn’t understand.

She couldn’t understand what he meant by “nothing can be done.”

The power supply unit was overheating, causing her cold mechanical body to tremble. Her hands overlapped, pressing against her chest, and she shook her head slightly at Xu Xi.

“Sorry… I don’t understand what you’re saying…”

She didn’t understand, nor did she want to understand.

As long as he was safe, as long as he continued to live, everything else was acceptable.

So, please—don’t say anything more.

A deep sorrow had already seeped through her mechanical body, manifesting on her simulated face. For a moment, it was impossible to tell she wasn’t human.

[You realize that your teachings have failed even more.]

[Your loyal machine servant refuses to give up. She is unwilling to abandon any possibilities and tirelessly researches biological and virtual network fields.]

[She hopes to achieve physical immortality for you or eternal consciousness.]

[All paths lead to the same goal—even within the technological system, the concept of regeneration from a single drop of blood might exist.]

[Unfortunately, your previous experiments in biological evolution have been too limited, leaving Ailei powerless to explore further.]

[Leveraging her uniqueness and drawing inspiration from machine souls, Ailei has made great strides in virtual networks, creating an almost lifelike virtual world.]

[It could replicate your memories, allowing them to exist eternally in digital form.]

[But would that existence truly be considered “living”?]

[Would it still be you, or just a digital entity named “Xu Xi”?]

[Before you could say anything, Ailei deleted all programs. She refused to desecrate your existence and wouldn’t let you be trapped in a digital prison.]

[Just as you spent your life trying to lead Ailei out of the cosmic prison, she too did not want you to lose your freedom.]

[The bond of emotion is mutual.]

“…I’m sorry, Master.”

Though her body had no visible malfunctions, her delicate features carried a fragile, shattered expression—teetering on the brink of collapse.

Her silver-blue eyes were vacant, her internal core silent, and her trembling fingertips spoke volumes of sorrow.

Every part of her—

Cried out with pain.

“You don’t need to apologize, Ailei. You’ve never done anything wrong.”

Xu Xi shook his head and gently took her simulated mechanical hand.

His voice remained warm—

Even as his emotions dulled, even as his thoughts grew colder.

He still showed kindness to his machine servant.

With a barely formed smile, he reassured her, telling her not to worry. He wouldn’t die; he would simply enter a long slumber.

“Trust me, alright?”

His lifeless eyes met her trembling gaze.

“…Yes, Ailei will always believe in you.”

Ailei still couldn’t fully comprehend human emotions—there was an inherent difference in their forms of life. But she knew… her core hurt.

…

[Simulation Year 701: You are 720 years old, and Ailei has been with you for 698 years.]

[Your experiments on the curvature engine have made groundbreaking progress. Although it is far from mature, it now has operational potential.]

[You quietly calculated the time remaining.]

[Using Ailei’s observation capabilities, you tracked the Neutron Battle Star’s trajectory.]

[You decided that before the tenth attack, at the farthest moment from the Battle Star, you would officially initiate the “Farewell, Prison 2.0” plan.]

[Engines were assembled. Circuits were connected.]

[With time running out, you couldn’t afford to wait for perfection.]

[With Ailei’s assistance, the prototype curvature engine, antimatter engine, and elemental decay engine were integrated into a new starship.]

[Due to material shortages and the lack of completed components, you could only build one curvature starship.]

[But you didn’t regret it.]

[It was enough. If you could escape, Ailei’s machine soul could always build a full-scale intelligent mechanized swarm elsewhere.]

…

[Simulation Year 725: You are 744 years old, and Ailei has been with you for 722 years.]

[The curvature starship was successfully assembled.]

[The Neutron Battle Star was now outside Ailei’s observation range, meaning it was at an extremely distant location from you.]

[Without hesitation, you decided to set sail immediately.]

The universe was vast and boundless.

Stars as numerous as grains of sand.

Even the most ordinary galaxy contained hundreds of billions of stars, an endless cascade of burning light.

And now—

From the invisible wall that sealed off the cosmos, a massive, pitch-black starship slowly emerged.

It was colossal.

Enormous beyond comprehension.

Due to the immaturity of the technology, the current curvature engine and the two prototype engines were bulky, towering constructs.

Thus, as the vessel carrying these three pieces of machinery, the curvature starship was astoundingly large.

It extended slowly.

Layer upon layer of its structure unfolded.

The black ship blended into the darkness of space, yet its staggering size seemed to tear through the fabric of the universe as it roared forward.

“Powering up. Gravity generators are online. Initiating spatial curvature. Quantum communication network established.”

“Master, all systems are ready.”

Inside the starship,

Xu Xi stood at the bridge, observing the towering wall ahead.

Ailei stood quietly beside him, hands folded in front of her, calmly reporting the starship’s status.

“Alright, initiate the departure plan.”

Xu Xi issued the command, silently adding a thought to himself—

Farewell, prison.

A prolonged beep echoed through the starship as something incredible unfolded.

The entire vessel was enveloped by an invisible spatial bubble.

Gravity distortions. Space curvatures.

Distances of hundreds of thousands of kilometers were warped, twisted under the force of the activated gravity generator.

The space folded—

And folded again—

Until reaching a critical point.

Like a wave, the pitch-black starship surged forward, aimed at the invisible wall.

This wall, the culprit behind countless civilizations’ stagnation and the silence of the cosmos—

Today, Xu Xi would finally break past it.

[Ding—]

[Machine soul delight detected. The curvature engine’s power output is increasing.]

[Ding—]

[Machine soul delight detected. The antimatter engine is providing additional energy.]

[Ding—]

[Machine soul delight detected. The elemental decay engine is running faster and stronger.]

Xu Xi’s body wavered slightly.

To ensure the smooth operation of the curvature starship, he was fully resonating with the machine souls.

The immense burden caused the erosion of his body to worsen even further.

“Master…”

“I’m fine, Ailei. Continue the plan.”

Xu Xi gently held Ailei’s hand, smiling at her.

His smile grew more hollow, more forced.

His voice sounded withered and weak.

Ailei couldn’t bear it.

She desperately wanted to do something—anything—but she couldn’t.

“Yes… Master,” she finally responded.

The only thing she could do was follow Xu Xi’s words and execute the original plan—

To escape the starship prison… and transmit the data.