Chapter 222: Aile’s Body Has Grown

“Surface normal, no wounds.”

“Internal normal, no adverse reactions.”

“Unable to comprehend, incomprehension.”

The mechanical servant’s face showed a human-like confusion.

Black sand surged.

Wind and smoke howled.

The attack from the orbital particle cannon had ended.

But the fierce aftermath still subtly affected the environment, stirring up blinding dust.

In the desolate solitude of the world, Cressa, with half her face damaged, didn’t appear terrifying. Instead, the combination of mechanical and human features made her particularly endearing.

She tilted her head, her silver-blue eyes fixed on Xu Xi.

Xu Xi was unharmed, and Ailei was naturally happy, but the miraculous resurrection that defied physical laws left her bewildered.

“Master, are you not human?”

She reached this conclusion and voiced it, leaving Xu Xi stunned.

“Please rest assured…”

“Even if you are not human, Ailei will still serve you…”

“Ailei is your dedicated mechanical servant…”

It seemed she had decided Xu Xi wasn’t human.

The mechanical servant’s expression was serious, claiming she would never betray Xu Xi because of this.

Xu Xi was both amused and exasperated.

He could only repeatedly emphasize and explain that he was indeed human, just a bit special.

“Yes, I believe you,” the mechanical servant nodded, her expression calm and indifferent, making it unclear if she truly believed or was just pretending.

…

[You truly died once and resurrected on the spot]

[You can perform many such miracles]

[You are so miraculous that even your loyal mechanical servant begins to doubt your humanity]

[She still likes you and serves only you, though occasionally she wonders what your true form is]

[The battlefield was a mess, with debris scattered everywhere]

[The orbital particle cannon attack severely damaged your mechanical forces, even Ailei’s humanoid body suffered critical injuries]

[Your offensive plan was forced to halt]

“Let’s go, Ailei, it’s time to head back.”

“Yes, Master.”

Xu Xi surveyed the battlefield; the dire scene made him feel there was no need to stay any longer.

He took a step forward, but Ailei didn’t follow.

Looking back, he noticed Ailei’s legs had malfunctioned.

Sparks of orange and red burst, arcs of electricity crisscrossed.

“Sorry for delaying you,” the mechanical servant apologized, her legs malfunctioning, trapping her in place.

She asked Xu Xi for some time to repair her legs.

“It’s fine, let’s go.”

Xu Xi crouched down, waiting for his mechanical force to recover, then reached out to perform a simple repair on Ailei’s legs, stopping the malfunction from worsening.

Then, his arms wrapped around Ailei’s body.

He picked her up in his arms.

In this manner, he carried Ailei on the journey back.

“Thank you…” Ailei’s body seemed to malfunction even more severely.

She nestled in Xu Xi’s arms, remaining still, appearing unusually weak and frail, even her usually steady eyes rippled with strange waves.

Xu Xi noticed and silently quickened his pace.

…

[You returned to the Sixth Satellite City and the Seventh Satellite City with the remaining intelligent machines]

[Due to the severe damage, you ordered an acceleration in the production of new intelligent machines to restore your forces]

[You took Ailei to the laboratory, preparing to repair her body]

[The mechanical servant made a request to you, wanting to conduct this repair herself]

[After some thought, you agreed to the mechanical servant’s request]

[Two days later]

[The mechanical servant, having completed her self-modification, emerged from the laboratory, her figure taller, her appearance more mature than before]

[You hesitated to speak, then stopped]

“Ailei.”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Didn’t you like your previous body?”

“The body you made for Ailei, Ailei liked it very much,” her cold, exquisite face revealed a stunning beauty under the sunlight.

Ailei explained that it had been a long time since Xu Xi created her body, and just as people grow, it was reasonable for her body to grow as well.

However, Xu Xi thought.

The real reason was probably this.

“According to the Federation’s database, a too youthful appearance can lead to underestimation rather than being placed on an equal emotional footing.”

He felt his mechanical servant was starting to have her own thoughts.

Xu Xi drank water.

His expression was reflective.

After all, the child had grown up.

Looking to the right, Ailei stood quietly in her maid outfit, the mechanical coldness giving her a unique charm, her skin fair, her face exquisite, her long hair golden and smooth.

“Master, what are you thinking?” the maid wondered why Xu Xi was staring at her.

“I was thinking, Ailei is indeed very beautiful,” Xu Xi honestly shared his thoughts.

“Thank you for the compliment,” the maid’s ears twitched rapidly.

She was still easy to understand.

…

[Ailei’s growth surprised you, and you were pleased because it was Ailei’s own decision]

[This meant Ailei’s autonomy was stronger, moving closer to being “human”]

[After solving her own body issues]

[Ailei suggested a detailed check-up for your body]

[The loyal mechanical servant worried your resurrection might have flaws]

[Fortunately, after the check-up, your body was found to be very healthy, and Ailei’s concerns were alleviated]

[In the following days, while focusing on Ailei’s growth, you also delved into technological research, pondering how to counter orbital weapons]

[You researched energy shield devices day and night, delighting the machine soul]

[The machine soul shared the energy crystal wall technology with you, which could enhance the performance of multiple energy shields, greatly improving defense against orbital weapons]

[This technology couldn’t protect all intelligent machines, but it was sufficient to ensure your safety]

[After Ailei’s calculations]

[You concluded that the activation of orbital weapons was likely related to the number of your intelligent machines]

[You decided to implement a dispersal strategy, hiding the produced intelligent machines across the Federation to avoid dense concentrations that might trigger the orbital weapons’ alert mechanisms]

[Your strategy was successful; when your mechanical forces grew again, you didn’t suffer attacks from orbital weapons]

[Simulation Year 8, you are 27, Ailei has been with you for six years]

[After a year of reorganization, through mechanical resonance, you learned much new knowledge]

[Your research speed was fast, but you understood your progress was built on the Federation’s remains; once you fully grasped Federation technology, your development speed would significantly decrease]

[You sighed, setting out to conquer Federation cities once more]

[Countless intelligent machines surrounded you, protecting you as you advanced, while you released mechanical force to enhance them]

[Half a year later, you captured the Fifth Satellite City and the Eighth Satellite City]