The Last Life

Despite the slim hope, Xu Xi still made an attempt.

He dispatched a small fleet.

Controlled remotely.

The fleet was directed to fly toward the towering wall of the Civilization Graveyard.

They tried to cross it, to break free, to perform the heroic act of escaping the prison.

The final result was—

"!!!" A violent explosion erupted in the starry void, the radiant cross-shaped burst glaringly visible in the dark expanse, devoured and disintegrated by the wall.

Xu Xi quietly gazed at that patch of the cosmos, his expression unchanging.

"As expected, it failed..."

"That invisible barrier completely blocks all conventional means of travel. Only technology of a higher level, involving space or dimensional manipulation, can breach its blockade."

"Warp drives, dimensional leaps, or the legendary space-time teleportation."

"Without such technologies, we can only await a despairing demise."

Xu Xi turned away.

Witnessing the prison's wall with his own eyes only strengthened his resolve. He was determined to build a warp drive and take Ailei away from this lifeless starscape.

The outside world might not be safe.

But staying within the prison would inevitably lead to danger.

...

[You have reached the edge of the cosmos]

[Vast, boundless, magnificent, and dazzling, just as you imagined it would be]

[The twinkling stars resemble countless glittering eyes, witnessing the flow and rotation of nebulae, as well as the rise and fall of civilizations]

[You stand at the end of civilization, beholding that intangible wall, your wariness of the mastermind behind it rising several levels]

[You know well that the unimpeded passage of the past few centuries does not signify the mastermind's incompetence, but rather their indifference to the insects and rodents within the cage]

[This is your chance, the only opportunity to take Ailei away]

[Simulation Year 601, you are 620 years old, Ailei has been with you for 598 years]

[Under your command, the entire fleet retreats, maintaining a safe distance from the spatial wall to prevent any mishaps]

"Ailei, any thoughts?"

"Your meaning is..."

"That wall, isolating the inside from the outside, don't you find it impressive?"

"It pales in comparison to you, Master."

Ailei replied in her usual calm tone.

She had always been like this.

...

[Simulation Year 621, you are 640 years old, Ailei has been with you for 618 years]

[Your research has made a breakthrough, and you catch a glimpse of the dawn of warp travel]

[To celebrate, you take a rare day off and personally cook a meal. Ailei, staring at your glowing culinary creation, questions the meaning of her mechanical existence once more]

[Simulation Year 655, you are 674 years old, Ailei has been with you for 652 years]

[You begin to await the strike of the Neutron Battle Star]

[Simulation Year 657, you are 676 years old, Ailei has been with you for 654 years]

[Two and a half years late, the Neutron Battle Star reappears. This time, you grasp Ailei's hand beforehand, using her unique perspective to gather more information]

The starry universe abruptly twists.

The perspective rises.

From a minuscule point to an infinite expanse.

In that special view, Xu Xi sees a brilliance more intense than the sun, ravaging the cosmos at superluminal speeds, obliterating everything in its path.

Speed, direction, logic of movement, target priority, trajectory.

Everything.

Is memorized by Ailei's mechanical soul.

"Truly magnificent," Xu Xi finally faces the colossal star's impact with composure, his eyes wide open, trying to catch a glimpse of the Neutron Battle Star.

But the Neutron Battle Star moves too fast.

Xu Xi sees nothing before his body is torn apart.

...

[You died, and then you lived again]

[This is your ninth death]

[You sigh, as your trump card of ten lives now only leaves you with one remaining]

[The effect of "Ten Deaths Before True End" satisfies you greatly. It is through these repeated resurrections that you have achieved what you have today]

[You have mastered a vast array of scientific theories, the rules governing the universe, the fundamental order of all things. Even the ascension of supernatural systems can draw inspiration from them]

[Simulation Year 660, you are 679 years old, Ailei has been with you for 657 years]

[Through years of resonance with Ailei's mechanical soul and her continuous shared observations, you finally grasp the light of hope and begin crafting prototypes of the warp drive, antimatter engine, and elemental decay engine]

[The urgency of time leaves you with little room for error]

[Thus, you must cherish every experimental opportunity to create a truly feasible miracle]

[Simulation Year 662, you are 681 years old, Ailei has been with you for 659 years]

[You begin to focus on your health]

[Though you know your genetically modified body is not easily injured or sick, with only one life left, you cannot afford to take risks]

[You refuse to die before Ailei escapes the prison]

Xu Xi begins to rest.

For the past few centuries, he had been in a constant state of busyness.

To develop the warp drive, to achieve that infinitesimally small, nearly impossible miracle, he resonated with Ailei's mechanical soul until he fainted, even to the point of being corroded by it.

And now.

He begins to rest.

"Master, you are..."

"Resting," the man said, forcing his face into a familiar yet hollow standard smile.

"All this time, Ailei, haven't you always wanted me to rest? I thought about it and decided I really need to rest."

"Is there a problem with that?"

[You strive to maintain your smile. The long-term corrosion of your mechanical soul makes you feel more and more like a humanoid machine. But to keep Ailei from worrying, you do your best to express emotions]

[You reassure her that you simply want to rest]

[Ailei remains silent. In that wordless quiet, she gently takes your hand and places it on her head]

["Master... Ailei will protect you..."]

[Her trembling voice is filled with determination. You remain silent for a long time, only able to soothe the uneasy mechanical soul within her by gently stroking her hair]

[Simulation Year 682, you are 701 years old, Ailei has been with you for 679 years]

[The experiments with the warp drive have been conducted multiple times. Through the accumulation of resources and attempts, you gradually find the pattern of success]

[Ailei remains your capable assistant, and she has become even more concerned for you]

"Master, please drink the soup."

"Master, please wear your clothes."

"Master, it's time to sleep."

"Master, Ailei will eliminate the filthy insects for you."

Time and again, under Xu Xi's watchful eye, Ailei accomplishes more and more incredible feats.

She brings Xu Xi the fourth iteration of the genetic serum.

After consuming it, his physical capabilities and lifespan increase once more.

But such changes cannot halt the arrival of fate.

"That's enough, Ailei."

"...Master, lunch is ready. Shall Ailei reheat it for you?"

"I said, it's enough."

"..."

"Ailei, there's no need to waste time on what cannot be done."

"..."