Names are the origin of emotions.
Things with names are no longer mere consumables.
Each time a name is called, the accumulation of habits will gradually carve that name into the hearts of people, almost imperceptibly.
Xu Xi couldn't read the thoughts of machines.
He didn't know what kind of emotions Ailei held towards naming.
But Xu Xi guessed that Ailei must enjoy it.
Since being named, Ailei has become increasingly human-like, displaying more smiles during the tranquil alternation of days and nights.
On the slightly worn-out screen.
The small pixel squares jigsaw together,
forming a distinctly curved smile in an unattractive manner.
The feeling was quite subtle, like a ray of sunshine passing by the fingertips in winter, bringing warmth from the hollow coldness.
Although Ailei doesn't have a heart that throbs.
Nor can they hug like humans.
But through that screen, Xu Xi could faintly see, a newborn soul inside smiling at him, purely.
"Ailei, release the weapon system restrictions."
"Yes, all weapon system limitations have been lifted. Energy lines are functioning normally. External feed synchronized."
"Ailei, report remaining energy."
"Yes, current energy storage is 100%."
Several more days passed, and Xu Xi's long-awaited power armor finally finished testing and was fully charged to 100%.
The machine glistened, gears meshing.
Levers pushed and pulled, intricately intertwined.
The gray armor's broad shoulders were thick and solid, multiple composite materials providing astonishing protection, with various offensive weapons slung on metal frames at the sides.
Xu Xi nodded slightly upon seeing the full view of the power armor.
Understanding power armor wasn't complicated.
Faster speed.
Greater strength.
Tougher body.
And more formidable firepower.
All design concepts were aimed at enhancing individual combat capabilities.
Xu Xi didn't think that just a single power armor would be enough to take on the tide of sentient machines. But at least, it would significantly boost his current combat power.
"Ailei, get me suited up."
"Yes, master."
Following Xu Xi's command, the loyal machine servant began operating mechanical arms, gradually opening the power armor and suiting Xu Xi up starting from the limbs.
Torque danced, components embedded.
Each piece attached perfectly.
[Weapon module loaded, primary weapon charged, secondary weapon charged]
[Anti-gravity module loaded, back thrusters 50% pre-energized]
[Visual module loaded, visual map generation complete]
[Radar module loaded, automatic reconnaissance activated]
The cold robotic voice sounded beside Xu Xi.
It was Ailei's voice.
Not coming from the external lab core, but appearing inside the power armor.
This was Xu Xi's intention. He had Ailei enter the power armor to assist with matters, coordinating combat thoroughly.
The power armor had too many functions.
Operating it alone, Xu Xi was prone to delays and mistakes.
The addition of an intelligent AI could help Xu Xi handle every battle more comprehensively.
"Master, suit-up complete. Lab door opened, ready to depart at any time."
"Alright, let's go."
Xu Xi took steps, the heavy alloy armor following his movements, each step thudding heavily on the floor, shaking dust.
Feeling the overly noisy sounds,
Xu Xi slightly lightened his steps.
This time, the noises made by the armor were significantly quieter.
Quickening his pace.
Mechanical power surged.
Xu Xi exited the underground space, once again setting foot on the dangerous surface.
The endless sands and desolate ruins stretched endlessly. Everything on the surface was the same as Xu Xi's first sighting.
"Whoosh——"
"Whoosh——"
Strong winds howled, carrying sand to pound against the armor.
Normally, these sands would sting painfully on the cheeks. But this time, with the power armor, Xu Xi didn't feel that at all.
"Power armor is great," Xu Xi praised internally.
[Ding——]
[Your compliment makes the power armor very pleased, it has grown closer to you]
[You accidentally found that the power armor's stats have universally risen by 1%, be it strength or speed, your power armor has become more formidable]
[Somehow, you understand the blueprint of the power armor]
...
Xu Xi started moving forward.
With the power armor on, he completely ignored the harsh environment of the city ruins. His steps crushed those sharp remnants of the apocalypse.
This outing, Xu Xi had made plans in advance.
Seek new energy sources.
Seek new technology.
These were his two main objectives.
The power armor was excellent, but its energy consumption was intense, far from what the solar panels in the lab could sustain.
Thus, finding new energy was urgent.
As for new technology, it could provide Xu Xi with more knowledge, which was equally crucial.
"Ailei, having your first glimpse of the outside world, any thoughts?"
During the walk,
Xu Xi conversed with his machine servant.
"Feels strange..." The electronically synthesized voice sounded calm with slight confusion. At the same time, a small dazed expression appeared in Xu Xi's helmet display.
"According to the Federal database, the latest 'Sixth Satellite City Report', Sixth Satellite City should have extensive greenery, but I don't see any."
Ailei knew about the sentient machine crisis.
But it had never truly witnessed it.
Before, its understanding of the world only resided in the information in the lab and Xu Xi's spoken narratives.
This outing was a first for Ailei.
Xu Xi chuckled: "Data and reality inevitably differ. Ailei, you need to learn to observe the world yourself."
"I will, master."
The pixel-constructed expression showed a serious look.
In the sands,
Xu Xi controlled the power armor to walk farther.
Occasionally, the thoughtless machine would ask him questions it couldn't find in its database.
"Master, do you feel lonely?"
"Why would you say that?"
"Federal biology mentions that humans are social beings, unable to live without a community, all values stem from the community."
"Haha, I'm fine. I'm quite content with my current life."
"So the master doesn't get lonely by yourself?"
"Well... no, not really. After all, I have you with me."
In the loop of questions and answers.
Xu Xi maneuvered the power armor, successfully passing through multiple ruins to reach a district on the other side.
Here, like Xu Xi's lab,
was dedicated to developing federal technology.
Multiple high-tech companies were located here.
"Teo Security, Mercury Tech, Saiqing Energy..." Xu Xi's gaze scanned, eventually settling on the buildings of the energy company.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
