Chapter 264: It Is I Who Have Become Your Cage

Recalling the past.

Xu Xi narrates the experiences unique to him and Ailei.

It was a struggle for survival in the Wasteland World, a mutual reliance in the apocalypse, and an intertwined dependence in the vast Starry Sea. Hundreds of years condensed into a moment, creating a fantastical and beautiful dream.

The memories are beautiful.

And precious.

They are irreplaceable treasures.

“Ailei, I am very happy to have met you.”

Xu Xi’s breathing gradually weakens, he finds it hard to breathe, the weakness and silence from his soul make him rely entirely on oxygen equipment to survive.

This painful appearance makes Ailei tremble even more.

Whether it’s the steel body or the elusive machine soul, they resonate with sorrow simultaneously.

“Master, please rest…”

Ailei’s voice is no longer pleasant.

It seems to have reverted to the initial electronic synthesis, noisy and chaotic.

It’s the echo of a heart’s lament.

But Xu Xi shakes his head, gently holding Ailei’s hand, facing the terrifying damaged face closely: “Ailei, let me finish first.”

“Can I?”

A request from Xu Xi, the mechanical servant simply cannot refuse.

“If it’s you, then yes,” the sorrowful emotion completely breaks through the cold machinery, echoing everywhere in the escape pod.

Then.

Xu Xi’s voice gently rises.

“Ailei, all along, my idea was to nurture you, to make you grow more outstanding.”

“Although you always deny it, I think, with emotions, you are no different from humans.”

“I want to see you grow.”

“I want you to live safely.”

“Maybe I am a dictator? Because I am too self-righteous, always thinking of taking you out of the cage.”

“Out of the cage called machinery, out of the cage that destroyed civilization.”

“Until now, I, who always wanted to set you free, unknowingly became a new cage, binding your future.”

“I really… am not very good at teaching others.”

Xu Xi looks at Ailei tenderly, holding the mechanical hand that has lost its synthetic skin, exposing the alloy essence.

Guilt.

Regret.

The voice is filled with so many emotions, enough to tear the mechanical servant’s heart.

It’s not like this, it’s really not like this.

“You are not binding my future,” Ailei denies with a trembling voice, all the sadness flowing out through those eyes, trembling and dim.

“My birth, my existence, everything about me.”

“It’s all because of you…”

“Master, you are my future.”

“I don’t need freedom, I only need you.”

The surging sadness in the heart is like a tide, unstoppable, flooding the absolute mind of the mechanical servant.

Nothing is needed.

Everything is meaningless.

Only you, only want you.

“You have not become my cage… it’s me, I have bound you,” the mechanical servant trembles uncontrollably, like a drowning person struggling in water, only able to tightly grasp the support in front.

That is Xu Xi’s hand.

The familiar warmth no longer exists.

What is felt is only cold ashes.

The mechanical servant realizes, compared to Xu Xi who has always worried about her and thought for her, her actions are the real bindings, imprisoning the increasingly suffering Xu Xi.

The string of despair breaks at this moment.

The cabin is silent, the lights are bright, clearly illuminating Xu Xi’s exhausted and haggard face.

The mechanical servant can no longer convince herself, believe in that false hope, watch Xu Xi’s pain, and perform meaningless treatments again and again.

“Master…”

“Please… command me.”

In Xu Xi’s stunned surprise, Ailei slowly raises her face, with a forced smile of sadness, making the request.

Not directly saying what to command.

But Xu Xi can understand the underlying meaning.

First stunned, then surprised, followed by a soft, comforting gaze.

“Can I, Ailei?”

“…Yes.”

The voice module is completely damaged, although there is no external attack, the inside is burning hot, some parts emitting scorching smoke.

Ailei’s voice is hoarse and distorted, affirming her answer again.

“Then, I leave it to you, Ailei.”

Not a command, nor a request.

But an entrustment.

In that gentle gaze, the mechanical servant, trembling even more, gets up and walks towards those treatment machines.

Turning off the program, pressing the buttons, extinguishing everything.

What should have been turned off with a single thought.

The mechanical servant chooses to do it manually, one by one, turning off all the machines in order, like performing a delayed farewell.

“Thud—”

Soon.

As all the machines turn off, the tubes on Xu Xi automatically detach.

The last bit of fuel maintaining the flame no longer exists.

Life begins to approach its destined end.

But Xu Xi’s expression is unprecedentedly relaxed, the body that has been tired and desolate for many days finally takes the next step.

“I never thought…”

“There would be a day when I consider death a good thing.”

A surge of drowsiness strongly attacks.

Without the treatment machines, the sense of nothingness becomes more apparent, Xu Xi feels his vision blurring, even starting to turn black.

The burnt-out torch.

About to fall into eternal sleep.

“Ailei…”

“Yes, I am here.”

After turning off all the machines, Ailei returns to the bedside, with sorrowful silver-blue mechanical eyes, watching Xu Xi who is about to leave her.

He is the first light in her life.

And the only light.

Ending the continuation of the light with her own hands, the mechanical servant can no longer speak.

“Don’t be sad for me, Ailei.”

“This time is the same as before, I will still revive after death, just… the revival time will be longer.”

On the bed,

Xu Xi gradually loses strength.

The blinking of eyes, the parting of lips, the movement of fingers.

Things that were once easily done are now as heavy as a thousand pounds, hard to perform.

He shows a smile to the mechanical servant by the bed.

That is the last smile.

The burnt-out torch, wanting to use its last warmth to do something for the loyal mechanical servant, to make that light and heat useful.

So, he softly requests: “Ailei, can I touch your face?”

“…Yes.”

In the quiet escape pod, surrounded by silver-white walls, Ailei nods with a lament, gently lifting Xu Xi’s right hand, letting the weak palm touch the damaged cheek.

The next second.

A faint glow bursts from the palm.

It’s Mechanical Force.

Xu Xi mobilizes his body, using Mechanical Force for the last time.

Using the surrounding turned-off treatment machines as materials, repairing Ailei’s damaged body, restoring the delicate face, and the shattered body.

“This way, it looks much better…”

The arm weakly falls.

【You have died】

【Simulation ended】

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