Chapter 205: Federal Supercomputer

The glory of the old era no longer exists.

Only mechanical wreckage remains.

And silent dust.

Together, they bear witness to the former prosperity.

The yellow sand roars with the rising wind, crashing against the walls of the energy company’s buildings, shattering into pale whirlwinds that dissipate into the air.

Xu Xi had once seen some records, where Saiking Energy was quite impressive.

It was a military-industrial enterprise ranked among the top hundred in the Federation.

Its strength and depth were beyond Xu Xi’s imagination, but judging from the anti-gravity airships in the city center, Saiking Energy was indeed formidable.

However, even the Federation itself has perished, let alone an energy company.

A century of devastation has turned Saiking Energy into ruins, a garbage dump where intelligent machines roam.

“Beep—”

“Beep—”

An intelligent machine detected Xu Xi’s presence and was about to attack, but the electromagnetic cannons on the shoulders of his power armor emerged, blasting it to pieces.

“Master, the threat has been eliminated. We may proceed.”

“Well done, Ailei.”

Xu Xi praised his mechanical servant.

He strode forward.

His hands rummaged.

Through the shattered remains of the intelligent machine.

He collected a few intact parts and stored them in his portable device.

Then, Xu Xi took out the main weapon of his power armor, a massive Gauss electromagnetic cannon, and fired a shot at the ruins of the energy company.

Forcing open a path forward.

“Oh ho, jackpot.”

Xu Xi stopped in his tracks.

In the darkness ahead, pairs of red eyes suddenly lit up, the external signs of electronic eyes flickering.

…

[You worked hard and diligently, and over the years, you’ve analyzed and learned most of the items in the laboratory.]

[You realized that if you want to continue improving yourself, you need to acquire more mechanical items and generate more Mechanical Resonance.]

[Before you lie only two paths.]

[One, explore the ruins of the Federation, seeking the brilliance of the past in the wasteland.]

[Two, defeat different intelligent machines, gaining knowledge from their mechanical remains.]

[You chose to pursue both paths simultaneously.]

[You suited up in your power armor and, with Ailei’s assistance, left the laboratory. Along the way, you cleared out weaker intelligent machines, collecting valuable remains, while heading toward significant ruins for exploration.]

[Your luck is a bit peculiar.]

[Upon entering the energy company, you encountered a large pack of mechanical hounds, the security intelligent machines of Saiking Energy, and also the main cause of Saiking Energy’s downfall.]

[You used Mechanical Force Enhancement on your power armor and, with the help of your mechanical servant’s AI, barely achieved victory.]

“Crack!”

The cannon loaded.

As Xu Xi pulled the trigger, the massive electromagnetic shell pierced through several mechanical hounds.

Then, he swung the sturdy gun barrel, smashing it against the wall, flattening more hounds on the spot.

More weapons.

More aiming.

All assisted by Ailei’s control.

When the battle ended, the noisy battlefield fell silent. Xu Xi looked at the scattered mechanical remains and couldn’t help but frown.

“This won’t do…”

“With just this power armor, it’s still too weak.”

Xu Xi clenched his fist, feeling the enhanced strength of the armor, and shook his head in disappointment.

This sci-fi simulation was different from the previous three, where individual might could secure an advantage.

In the world of technology.

The individual is but a tiny part of civilization.

The tide of machines is endless.

Xu Xi alone could hardly handle so many intelligent machines.

“As the old saying goes, you need magic to defeat magic. This time, I should follow local customs and use human wave tactics to defeat human wave tactics,” Xu Xi pondered, continuing to push forward.

The most impressive aspect of technology is its astonishing productivity.

Xu Xi wasn’t sure.

Whether the rebellious intelligent machines had the ability to produce themselves.

But even the existing number of intelligent machines was an astronomical figure he couldn’t contend with, unless Xu Xi also had an endless army of intelligent machines.

Or, he truly achieved personal might in this world, ascending through machinery.

“Tsk, neither is easy…”

Xu Xi chuckled, entering the energy company in an even more violent manner.

He had no solid plan.

The apocalyptic world was full of enemies, with no reinforcements or resources. He could only take it one step at a time.

Thud.

Thud.

Accompanied by the rumbling footsteps.

Xu Xi swaggered into the core of Saiking Energy.

“Master, I have scanned the nearby terrain and generated a visual map. Please review it.”

“Thanks, Ailei.”

A calm voice echoed continuously, keeping Xu Xi alert to his surroundings.

Xu Xi nodded, reviewed the internal structure of the energy company, and after orienting himself, headed toward the more central areas.

The path was dark and dusty, obscuring his vision.

But the high armor of the power armor.

Made Xu Xi fearless of danger.

He charged forward recklessly, crushing bones and machinery, and finally blasted open an alloy door.

“Ailei.”

“What is it, Master?”

“I think I can give you a new home.”

Xu Xi said, tapping the right side of his helmet to activate the power armor’s headlight.

The light shone brightly, illuminating the metal object buried under layers of debris in the ruins. It was pale and exquisitely crafted.

Xu Xi recognized it.

It was the crystallization of human Federation’s wisdom.

An excellent supercomputer.

However, Xu Xi couldn’t yet determine if this computer could still function.

The erosion of time and the previous intelligent machine incidents might have severely damaged it, rendering it unusable or impairing its performance.

“Ailei, chec…”

Xu Xi spoke, wanting his mechanical servant to inspect it.

But he realized.

This was a ruined building, lacking the necessary tools. Even if Ailei was an awakened AI, she couldn’t perform diagnostics on the computer.