Chapter 227: The Federation Welcomes Its Loyal Master

“Warning! Warning!”

“A large number of unknown units have appeared in the Federation Administrative District. First warning, second warning, warning ineffective. Activating automatic defenses.”

“Anomaly detected. Laser array damage at 99%.”

“Anomaly detected. Anti-gravity airship fleet damage at 99%.”

“Anomaly detected. Suborbital Airport damage at 99%.”

“Anomaly detected. The First Administrative District has fallen. Defensive forces in the Second and Third Administrative Districts are reaching critical levels.”

“Initiating final contingency plan. Deploying space-based firepower. First Starship Fleet unresponsive. Second Starship Fleet unresponsive. Orbital Platform unresponsive.”

“Repeating call… Repeating call…!”

The iron-blooded sky has completely replaced the old Federation’s heavens.

Gigantic steel warships descend from beyond the sky, slowly pressing down on the clouds, casting dark shadows, only to be instantly engulfed by an endless tide of intelligent machines.

In the past, Xu Xi would have had to personally take to the battlefield.

Relying on the dual amplification of Mechanical Force and Machine Soul, he could barely manage to shoot down these advanced intelligent machines that had rebelled against the old Federation.

But now, Xu Xi has developed enough intelligent machines.

People often use grains of sand to describe vast quantities.

Yet such descriptions, such magnitudes, still fall short of capturing the current tidal wave of intelligent machines.

Even without the amplification of Mechanical Force, the seemingly infinite swarm of suborbital fighters has overwhelmed and shot down the much larger cosmic warships.

“Fire control radar locked on target.”

“Target confirmed. Fusion missile loading. TCK-08 Fusion missile ready.”

Xu Xi steps out from the rear base.

He looks up at the sky.

Even from such a great distance, he can clearly see the dazzling “flower of light” blooming in the air.

Layer upon layer of shockwaves form beautiful petals, rapidly expanding outward, evaporating everything with indescribable heat.

The clouds in the sky, the ruins on the ground, the remnants of the Federation’s past—all vanish in that searing heat.

“Truly spectacular,” Xu Xi remarks.

Having seen so much destruction wrought by extraordinary powers, witnessing this display of technology now feels uniquely intriguing.

…

[Your action plan is proceeding exceptionally smoothly]

[You deployed suborbital fighters and anti-gravity starships, prioritizing attacks on the Federation fleet in near-Earth orbit, destroying their air-to-ground capabilities]

[Your ground forces are endless, occupying every area and setting up intelligent machine production lines, ensuring that their numbers not only remain stable but continue to grow]

[The sky, the land, the oceans]

[Every region of the planet now bears traces of your intelligent machines]

[Soon, your forces have eliminated most of the rebellious intelligent machines, entering the final countdown to victory]

[Five days before the end, you emerged from the rear, amplifying your mechanical forces with Mechanical Force to expedite the final stages]

[Four days before the end, you arrived at the Federation’s Capital Administrative District. Rebellious intelligent machines attempted a decapitation strike, only to be torn apart by the loyal Machine Souls]

[Three days before the end, your forces successfully breached the Federation capital. The city is filled with the warning sirens of intelligent machines, programmed to alert the long-gone Federation to take shelter]

[Two days before the end, you eradicated all rebellious intelligent machines]

[On the final day, the腐朽的联邦迎来它的主人，你终结了智械末日，成为真正意义上的救世主]

A new era has dawned.

Fresh sprouts struggle to grow from the ruins of the past.

Xu Xi strolls across the scorched earth of the Federation capital, taking in the desolate scenery on either side. He removes his power helmet, lightly sniffing the faint scent of burning in the air.

Flames surge, shadows twist.

The all-too-familiar scene reminds Xu Xi of the wasteland he saw on the first day of the simulation.

A similar scene.

But a different mood.

Now, Xu Xi has completely resolved the intelligent machine rebellion, becoming the supreme ruler of this wasteland world, where no danger remains.

“Looking back, it’s quite a unique feeling.”

The sky begins to darken, the evening breeze slightly cool.

A strong wind blows away the thick black smoke, swirling and twisting, forming a roaring, winding column of smoke reaching towards the heavens.

Xu Xi gazes at this sight, reflecting on the past twelve years, feeling how time has flown by in an instant.

Resolving the intelligent machine crisis, the three traits of the simulator were invaluable, but when it comes to who he is most grateful for… Xu Xi turns to look at the mechanical servant closely following him.

“You’ve worked hard all this time, Ailei.”

In Ailei’s bewildered eyes, Xu Xi smiles and expresses his gratitude.

The sudden thanks leave the mechanical servant puzzled.

“Why… are you thanking me?”

The wind tousles the hair on her forehead, and the少女 reaches out to tuck it behind her ear, revealing a cute, confused expression.

Her black and gold hair blends perfectly into the night sky, as if invisible.

Xu Xi smiles: “Because all this time, Ailei, you’ve helped me a lot, haven’t you?”

“This is what I should do, Master.”

The mechanical servant denies her own merits, claiming that in the past, she only played a supporting role, and that the true decisions leading to victory were made by Xu Xi himself.

Whether it was the damage boost provided by Machine Soul’s Joy.

Or the blueprints for intelligent machines obtained through Mechanical Resonance.

All were Xu Xi’s own achievements.

“It’s different, Ailei,” Xu Xi meets her silver-blue eyes, calm and dazzling, like the stars in the sky.

Choosing his words carefully.

Xu Xi speaks again: “The reason I study technology is because I have goals I want to achieve. It’s my own will.”

“Ailei, you’re different from me. You do these things because of my orders.”

“So, I want to thank you.”

“Thank you for always being by my side, helping me overcome many difficulties.”

Xu Xi smiles.

Expressing genuine gratitude.

The night is cold, the evening breeze chilling, yet Xu Xi does not make physical contact with the mechanical servant.

But somehow, amidst the dim ruins, in the gentle and delicate words, the mechanical servant suddenly feels an unusual stirring within her cold body.

A warmth.

A tremble.

“This is… what I should do.”

The mechanical servant doesn’t know how to respond. She shakes her head blankly, indicating that Xu Xi need not thank her, as it was all her duty.

Faced with such an Ailei, Xu Xi feels a slight helplessness.

The mechanical servant is absolutely loyal.

But this loyalty also无形中限制住什么，使得机仆难以表达心绪。

Xu Xi slightly raises his head, looking towards the starry sky that stands out in the darkness: “The stars tonight are brighter than usual…”

“By the way, Ailei.”

Xu Xi收回目光，再次看向机仆。

“Do you remember a question I asked you a long time ago? About why we look at the stars.”

Ailei remembers.

She remembers clearly.

It was before she received her name, when she was still RTX-9090, autonomously gazing at the stars.

The answer she gave at that time was a standard template from the Federation’s database.

Xu Xi is curious about how Ailei would answer now.