Please, Don't Let Go of Me

“What exactly caused the Neutron Star’s attack…”

Xu Xi pondered.

Was it because of Mechanic Force?

Mechanic Force was extraordinary. In the vast universe, Xu Xi had never seen a second instance of its existence.

Clearly, Mechanic Force was a unique ability tied to the system’s entries.

With sufficient Mechanic Force and materials, Xu Xi could instantly establish a complete production system on his own, which indeed posed a significant threat.

Or was it due to the joy of the Machine Soul?

Resonating with the Machine Soul, resonating with the intelligent machines—that mysterious and profound ability to communicate was the primary method by which Xu Xi advanced his technology.

“If it really is because of the Machine Soul and Mechanic Force, then there’s no way I can avoid the Neutron Star’s attack.”

Xu Xi sighed.

Since the simulation began, the effects of the system’s entries had been continuously active.

It wasn’t something Xu Xi could simply choose to discard.

Moreover, what triggered the Neutron Star’s mechanism might not necessarily be these two entries. It could be something else he had overlooked.

“Let’s keep moving forward, Ailei.”

“Yes, Master.”

…

[You had prepared for a long time, trying every method to avoid the Neutron Star, but unfortunately, your efforts were in vain.]

[You still encountered the Neutron Star’s targeted strike.]

[You were utterly baffled.]

[In the end, you gave up trying to figure it out.]

[You never believed that avoiding the Neutron Star’s attack would be easy. The current situation was simply a continuation of the past, seeking survival in the fleeting span of a few hundred years.]

[You smiled, without dwelling on it, and calmly accepted the outcome.]

[Once the fleet’s recovery was complete, you returned to the newly reconstructed ecological starship and resumed your urgent research, hoping to find a way to escape this prison within the limited time you had.]

[Ailei was your capable assistant, always by your side.]

[Whenever you finished an experiment, you would always find Ailei waiting with a prepared warm drink.]

“Master, this water has a trace amount of Seaweed Grass, which can effectively relieve your fatigue. But please be careful, it’s still a bit too hot.”

“You can let it sit for a while.”

“Or I can blow on it to cool it down before you drink it.”

Ailei’s tone was calm.

Her expression was serious and meticulous, always considering her master’s needs, flawless to the point of perfection.

Especially her silver-blue eyes, which carried both the coldness of machinery and the warmth of human loyalty.

Bent slightly at the waist.

Holding a tray.

Dressed in a black-and-white maid outfit, the mechanical servant presented a steaming cup of tea to Xu Xi after his experiment.

Xu Xi hesitated. Couldn’t he just blow on it himself?

To this.

The loyal mechanical servant responded thus:

“You need not trouble yourself with such trivial matters. Please leave it to Ailei. Ailei is happy to serve you.”

Very well, very loyal.

The mechanical servant’s voice was calm, always considering Xu Xi’s needs.

She firmly believed that all mundane daily tasks should be handled by her, so as to avoid wasting Xu Xi’s energy.

“Ailei, I’ll handle it myself.”

In the end.

Xu Xi declined the mechanical servant’s offer.

In terms of processing speed, Ailei was indeed superior. With a slight deployment of computational power, she could control countless intelligent machines to complete tasks.

But Xu Xi wasn’t so exhausted that he needed Ailei’s help just to drink a cup of water.

[You appreciated the mechanical servant’s concern.]

[Drinking the warm beverage, lying on the couch, and watching the obedient and understanding mechanical servant, you felt that the lonely journey through space had gained a warm and peaceful hue.]

[The warm drink was delicious, and you praised the mechanical servant’s skill.]

[For some reason, the girl’s face showed a complex mix of emotions—both happiness and a hint of sadness.]

[You didn’t understand why.]

…

[Simulation Year 275, you are 294 years old, and Ailei has been by your side for 272 years.]

[Another stretch of time had passed.]

[Thanks to genetic treatments and Mechanic Force, your appearance remained youthful, but your inner self had gradually begun to “cool down.”]

[It wasn’t just the mental changes brought by the passage of time, but also an indescribable stiffness, like the rusting of a machine.]

[You speculated that it might be due to the monotonous and repetitive nature of your long-term research experiments. So, you set aside some time to relieve the pressure on your mind while accompanying Ailei in her growth.]

[Simulation Year 291, you are 310 years old, and Ailei has been by your side for 288 years.]

[Your fleet encountered a massive swarm of insects.]

[Their numbers were beyond anything you had ever seen—truly a spectacle to behold.]

[This was the first time you had witnessed a swarm of interstellar insects worthy of the name “cosmic calamity.” The vast, surging tide seemed ready to engulf the stars.]

[Upon detecting the swarm, the loyal mechanical servant, concerned for you, sent an urgent warning to seek shelter.]

[Even though she knew you had the ability to resurrect, Ailei didn’t want to see you die.]

[Your reaction was swift.]

[To avoid unnecessary deaths and waste of resurrection opportunities, you immediately activated various defensive measures upon receiving Ailei’s warning, so quickly that it left the mechanical servant momentarily stunned.]

The Calamity of Machines versus the Calamity of Insects.

The former focused on productivity, with machines endlessly replicating themselves to form an unending tide of metal.

The latter focused on reproduction, with mature insect queens capable of laying countless eggs, from which lower-tier hatching units emerged, forming an interstellar sea of insects.

The clash between these two calamities was naturally brutal.

But in the end.

Ailei emerged victorious.

Xu Xi’s resonance with the Machine Soul and Mechanic Force continuously amplified his forces, and with the newly developed force field weapons in hand, victory was almost assured.

However, faced with this hard-won victory and seeing Xu Xi safe and sound.

The hollow, metal-forged heart of the mechanical servant trembled unconsciously.

Ailei clearly remembered the time when the Federation planet was struck by an orbital attack. Xu Xi, severely injured, had chosen to shoot himself to avoid further trouble.

That fearless resolve in the face of death.

Unbeknownst to her, it seemed to have started fading away.

“…Master.”

“What is it, Ailei?”

“…I will always protect you.”

“Haha, good. I believe in you, Ailei.”

After the battle, Xu Xi stepped out of the defensive measures and smiled, gently patting Ailei’s head.

Ailei lowered her head, her eyes fixed on the ground, quietly feeling the familiar warmth from Xu Xi’s hand spreading through her mechanical body.

It was warm.

Like the winter sun, rare and comforting.

“Master, could you… not let go?”

After a moment of Xu Xi’s hand resting on her head, just as he was about to withdraw it, Ailei gently grasped his wrist.

She looked up, her eyes still calm, but with an unspoken emotion breaking through her simulated expression. In a rare moment, she made a request of Xu Xi.

“Of course.”

Xu Xi’s pupils widened slightly in surprise, but then he smiled and agreed.

“…Thank you.”

And so, Ailei gently held Xu Xi’s wrist, letting his warm hand infuse light into her cold mechanical body, guiding her timid and confused soul.