MTLNOVEL Chapter 246:
Chapter 246: Farewell, Cage 2.0:
[You have personally witnessed the power of the neutron war star.]
[You are fully aware that, whether in terms of offense or defense, you are powerless against this cosmic miracle that exists in reality.]
[The only feasible solution you can think of is to escape this starry domain entirely and leave the strike range of the neutron war star.]
[Otherwise, amidst endless cycles of destruction, your revival attempts will eventually be exhausted.]
[To escape this desolate starry cage, you have devised a dedicated plan, which you named—]
[Farewell, Cage! (2.0)]
“Master, was there ever a version 1.0 of this plan?”
“Yes, there was.”
“Questioning. There are no records of it in my database.”
“Hahaha, of course not. That was a long time ago.”
“I see. Ailei understands now.”
[Ailei carefully listened to your plan, meticulously documenting its content, direction, and core strategies in her database for future execution.]
[At the same time, she silently noted the mysterious ‘1.0 plan’ in her heart.]
[After the preparations, you asked Ailei if facing such a formidable opponent like the neutron war star caused her any stress.]
[She shook her head.]
[“As long as Master is here, Ailei will never be afraid.”]
[Ailei stood before you, controlling her facial expressions through her program, displaying a beautiful smile—a genuine blossom born from artificiality.]
[You stroked Ailei’s hair, gazing into the dark void of space, and made up your mind—before the simulation ends, you must lead Ailei out of this cage.]
[To achieve this, you decided to accelerate the starship fleet to full power, pressing forward in search of a breakthrough in the starry sea, reaching a broader universe.]
[Material sciences, computing, biology, mathematics… For the sake of potential future conflicts, you continued to invoke Machine Soul Delight, exploring the next stage of technological development.]
[Whenever you stumbled upon inspiration, Ailei would devote immense computational power, tirelessly iterating through countless calculations, enduring the desolate passage of time to further expand your technological tree.]
“Ailei, you’ve worked hard during this time.”
“You need not worry, Master. As a machine servant, I do not experience fatigue.”
Year after year passed.
Inside the starship, the technological tree of Xu Xi and Ailei developed in an orderly manner.
In addition, their exploration of ruined civilizations had reached the remnants of Civilization 06, bringing in a wealth of scientific heritage.
Corroded, aged, and fragile—
Time had long worn down these once-advanced technological artifacts, rendering them unusable.
Yet, with Machine Soul Delight, Xu Xi could still communicate with their internal systems, extracting their technological knowledge for replication and integration.
Though none of these civilizations were exceptionally advanced—most had only just begun their journey into the cosmos—
Each specialized in different fields, and their unique innovations filled the gaps in Xu Xi’s technological foundation.
“Alright, with this, the final piece of our force-field technology is now complete.”
After yet another successful synchronization, Xu Xi exhaled a long breath of relief.
With each interaction, he felt like he was becoming more like an artificial intelligence himself, not just Ailei benefiting from Machine Soul Delight.
However, the accumulated fatigue was well worth it.
Numerous technological gaps were filled, and Ailei’s processing power grew like roots deeply embedded into the starship fleet, providing various forms of support.
For example, the existing energy shields could soon be replaced with force-field defenses.
“Master, please drink some water.”
“Ah, thanks.”
Just as Xu Xi felt thirsty, Ailei handed him a cup of warm water at the perfect moment.
However—
Seeing the Red Sunflower floating on the surface, Xu Xi hesitated briefly and said, “Ailei, from now on, let’s not use Red Sunflower anymore. I’d like a change of flavor.”
“Understood. Your will shall be followed.”
Ailei nodded, memorizing his request.
After collecting the empty cup, she moved to a quiet corner, pulled out a book titled Thirty-Six Strategies for Love, and began flipping through it with a calm gaze, searching for new tactics.
Master was right.
Using the same strategy for too long was ineffective.
She needed to adapt and employ new methods.
…
[In the 100th year of the simulation, you are 119 years old, and Ailei has been with you for 98 years.]
[A century of time has finally left its mark on you. Though still youthful and strong, faint traces of age have begun to show.]
[However, with the successful development of the third-generation genetic medicine, your lifespan has once again increased significantly.]
[Genes surged, mechanical force roared, and your physical functions returned to their peak state.]
[Through medical examinations and calculations, you determined that, with the aid of cryogenic sleep, your lifespan could reach up to a thousand years.]
[It was an impressive achievement.]
[But you remained indifferent.]
[Having encountered beings with eternal lifespans in the transcendental realms, a mere thousand years felt insignificant in comparison.]
[Your fleet continued its silent journey through the deep cosmos, still far from reaching the boundaries of the sealed zone.]
[Considering the neutron war star’s ability to travel faster than light,]
[You speculated that the containment zone’s size might be far larger than previously imagined.]
[The enormous distance required stacking time upon time, so you chose to enter long-term cryogenic sleep.]
…
[In the 150th year of the simulation, you are 169 years old, and Ailei has been with you for 148 years.]
[Your fleet discovered the 14th fallen civilization.]
[Your technology advanced once again.]
[You were fortunate—this civilization specialized in quantum sciences, both at the macro and micro levels, areas you had been lacking in.]
[Your curiosity was piqued, and you eagerly delved into its technology day and night.]
[You successfully acquired knowledge in the quantum field.]
[You felt as if your thought process had sped up, blessed by Machine Soul Delight and Mechanical Resonance, leading to subtle yet incredible changes in your cognition.]
[Instead of returning to hibernation, you chose to enjoy a period of leisure aboard the ecological starship, spending time with your loyal machine servant, quietly watching the virtual cycles of the artificial sun and moon.]
[During these moments, Ailei would often ‘fall asleep,’ unintentionally leaning against your shoulder.]
…
[In the 155th year of the simulation, you are 174 years old, and Ailei has been with you for 152 years.]
[A hundred years have passed since the last celestial strike.]
[And today, after a century of peace, your fleet faces another attack.]
[Your suspicions were confirmed—using your latest detection technology, you managed to capture gravitational waves from the neutron war star, proving it was responsible for the strike.]