“Ailei, you are not something that can be casually discarded.”
“You are like me.”
“An independent life.”
His palm rested on the android's cheek, his thumb gently wiping across the synthetic skin.
This act of wiping.
Xu Xi used to do it often.
Back in the cramped, dim underground base, wiping the camera at Ailei's door.
After Ailei gained her own body, such actions were no longer necessary—until today, when the familiar motion once again soothed the restless machine spirit.
【In the cold, desolate depths of winter, you gaze at the snow controlled by the climate system and the dark expanse of space beyond the ship's bridge, lost in memories of the past】
【You think, perhaps this is the common ailment of those who have lived long】
【Though your body is full of vitality, at the age of three hundred, you still occasionally reminisce about the distant scenes of the early simulations】
【Recalling your former weakness, recalling the frantic escapes, recalling the activation of 9090, recalling those easily understood microexpressions】
【Recalling Ailei's smile, recalling Ailei's meals, recalling Ailei's worries, recalling Ailei's growth】
【The once household android, influenced by you, has long since transformed into a unique life form, a truly unprecedented existence】
【You feel a sense of pride in this】
【Witnessing the android's growth, an idea takes root in your mind】
【In time, perhaps Ailei could truly surpass all, even the shadowy manipulators behind the neutron warstars】
【Provided she can escape this cage, lest she be discovered and erased by those manipulators】
【As you ponder the future and finalize your next steps, you feel a weight settle in your arms】
“Master, Ailei is out of power.”
“Huh?”
The loyal android, at times, is not so loyal.
……
【Simulation year 330, you are 349 years old, and Ailei has been by your side for 327 years】
【The passage of such long years has dulled your sensitivity to the flow of time, and you have grown accustomed to the eternal silence of the universe】
【Your life is not without change】
【You have held the android's hand, traversing the glittering stars, witnessing the rotation of endless star rings】
【You have plucked shimmering stardust, presenting Ailei with a special gift—a dreamlike crystal resembling a gemstone】
【You have passed by civilizations, watching their development alongside Ailei, who comments that these new civilizations are not as clever as you】
【In the eyes of 9090, in the eyes of the android, in Ailei's eyes, only you are acknowledged】
【All else is heresy】
【Lost in thought, you reaffirm that you are not suited to teaching others】
【The universe is lonely, and encounters with new civilizations are rare. Most of the time, only Ailei accompanies you, along with the occasional appearance of interstellar insectoids】
【Your life follows a strict routine】
Researching technology.
Accompanying Ailei.
Blasting insectoid heads.
This is Xu Xi's new daily rhythm.
As the technological systems were perfected, the fleet's speed had long surpassed one-third the speed of light, venturing into even more distant reaches of space.
The current range is still within the confines of the manipulators' hunting grounds.
From time to time, the gravitational waves of neutron warstars can be detected.
But the most significant change is the endless waves of insectoids, emerging in droves, relentlessly assaulting the fleet.
Naturally.
They all end up as biomass for the fleet.
“Filthy bugs, I won’t allow you to get near my master,” Ailei says with a calm tone, laced with disdain.
Ailei's soft power continues to shine.
……
【Simulation year 355, you are 364 years old, and Ailei has been by your side for 342 years】
【The predicted time of attack arrives, but you wait in vain】
【Four years pass】
【Simulation year 359, you are 368 years old, and the strike from the neutron warstar finally comes】
【Your new experiment fails, and once again, you are precisely killed by the neutron warstar】
【You feel no regret, as this was expected, and you have not come away empty-handed】
【The two consecutive “delays” prove that the neutron warstar's attack timing is not exactly one hundred years as you had guessed, but has a margin of error】
【This is good news】
【It means your final death will be delayed a bit longer】
【After reviving, you appear before Ailei in perfect condition, and the sight of your unharmed form finally puts the worried android at ease】
【“Welcome home, Master.”】
【Ailei, with graceful poise, lightly lifts the hem of her maid dress to welcome your return】
【To celebrate your rebirth, Ailei prepares a lavish feast, with ingredients including the ancient leviathan of planet 4546B, the luminous mushrooms of planet M996, and the space behemoth of planet Golden Horn】
【You stare at the ingredients, each dozens of times larger than yourself, and remain silent for a long time】
【Your experiments continue】
【Prolonged resonance with the machine spirit and the overuse of mechanical energy have accelerated your technological advancements, but changes in your body have disrupted your plans】
Simulation year 377.
Xu Xi is 386 years old, and Ailei has been by his side for 364 years.
Everything is proceeding according to plan.
Progress has been made in the research of the grand unified theory, encompassing gravity, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force.
Gravitational technology is the core of the curvature drive.
With sufficient energy, it may be possible to bend space, achieving faster-than-light propulsion.
All this time.
Xu Xi has yearned to perfect this research, to bring this miracle to life and lead Ailei out of this cosmic prison.
But now, Xu Xi notices something—he is becoming slower.
“When did it start?”
“Ten years ago…”
“Fifty years ago…”
“Or perhaps, from the moment I decided that I must develop the curvature drive.”
A thin mist blankets the sky above.
The orange sunlight, like the last flickering embers of a dying fire, casts a cold glow over Xu Xi's shoulders.
Illuminating half of his furrowed face.
Xu Xi is becoming slower—not in the sense of physical aging, but in a deeper, intangible way.
He can still feel the cold, still feel the heat.
His body is strong, his steps swift.
Yet, in the unnoticed details of daily life, Xu Xi gradually loses his emotional intensity.
That overly rational mind.
It’s almost—
“Like a cold machine,” Xu Xi mutters to himself.
Is it the result of a long lifespan, leading to a weariness that dulls emotional sensitivity?
Xu Xi doesn’t think so.
The signs of this slowness had appeared long ago, but back then, Xu Xi dismissed them as part of the stress.
“This familiar sense of slowness…”
“If it’s not a natural phenomenon…”
“Then it must be the result of frequent resonance with the machine spirit.”
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.
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?"
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.”
