Chapter 204
Xing Nuo hadn’t been feeling well lately.
This planet wasn’t habitable, abandoned by humans.
But it was teeming with raw energy, perfect for quickly gaining power.
Xing Nuo was bundled up in protective gear, his face covered, only his bright, clear eyes visible.
067, having regained some energy, liked to appear as a small orb of light, flitting around Xing Nuo’s face and hair, enjoying their closeness.
Xing Nuo walked through a dense jungle, watching as the little orb of light zipped around, absorbing energy from the mutated plants, its light pulsing, and smiled.
After crossing a swamp and a vast grassland, he reached a ruined city, once inhabited by humans.
He found an empty building, took out his sleeping bag, and lay down to rest.
067, its light pulsing, hovered near Xing Nuo’s face, its mechanical voice strangely warm and comforting.
“Sleep, Xing Nuo. I’ll keep watch.”
Xing Nuo, his nerves frayed, nodded, his eyes half-closed.
“I think…we have enough energy soon.”
This planet was rich in resources, but its hostile environment was taking its toll. He had reached his limit.
After this rest, they would confront the main system.
067 agreed.
But that night, Xing Nuo developed a high fever.
He rarely got sick since binding with Lu Qi, his face usually rosy and healthy, his smile bright.
But this planet was too harsh, and even his resilient body couldn’t withstand it. He lost consciousness, his body burning.
Lu Qi, the little orb of light, frantic, circled him, adjusting his energy output, his light turning icy cold as he pressed against Xing Nuo’s forehead, trying to lower his temperature.
But the fever was too high, his efforts futile.
Lu Qi, bodiless, a small, helpless orb of light, flickered anxiously.
I’m so useless!
If I had a body, I could do more. I can’t even lift his hand.
He didn’t dare leave to find medicine. This world was dangerous, and he was afraid a mutated monster would find Xing Nuo while he was gone.
So useless.
He berated himself, his light dimming, and, pressing against Xing Nuo’s cheek, saw his eyelids flutter and his heart leaped with hope.
But Xing Nuo, exhausted, just turned over and continued sleeping.
Lu Qi circled him, listening to the roars of unseen creatures echoing through the night, and knew he couldn’t stay here.
He had to get Xing Nuo out.
He calmed down, remembering his abilities, quickly calculated a solution, and retreated into Xing Nuo’s mind.
The next moment, they were gone.
A mutated plant, sensing the human’s weakened state, its vines slithering towards him, ready to strike, found only an empty space.
Where did he go?
Lu Qi, carrying the unconscious Xing Nuo, had jumped through dimensions, returning to the desert world where they had been hunted.
They materialized, Xing Nuo collapsing onto the sand. Lu Qi looked up and saw that the barren desert had become a small oasis.
His light pulsing, he saw machines working in the distance, planting vegetation.
And further away, a familiar group of people.
The SIA patrol unit that had chased them!
Lu Qi, overjoyed, quickly took control of a small robot and sent it towards them.
The patrol unit captain was supervising the desert reclamation project.
Their world was technologically advanced, but its environment was severely damaged. After much deliberation, they had decided to reclaim the desert, now free from the shelled creatures, by planting vegetation.
The captain had been tasked with eliminating any remaining shelled creatures.
He was studying a map, monitoring the progress,
when a small, round robot, its head glowing, waddled towards him, its mechanical voice repeating:
“Follow me. Follow me.”
The captain, puzzled, but also feeling a pang of sympathy for the malfunctioning robot, sighed.
“Alright, alright, what’s wrong with your programming? What do you want?”
He followed the robot, planning to have it repaired later.
He left the temporary shelter and, his metal eye, part of his cybernetic enhancements, spotted a flickering blue light in the distance.
That’s…that outsider system?!
Their world had been plagued by these energy-stealing outsiders.
But they had been easily dealt with, one by one, over twenty systems deleted, their hosts sent to labor camps.
The only exception had been the one who had helped them eliminate the shelled creatures.
Xing Nuo, was it?
But hadn’t they left this world?
The captain, who had a favorable impression of the curly-haired boy, even a sense of gratitude, hurried towards the flickering blue light.
It was him!
Lu Qi, his light pulsing, said:
“You have human medicine? Xing Nuo has a fever! And maybe infection. Can you help him?”
Afraid the captain wouldn’t agree, he added:
“I can help you kill monsters!”
The captain, seeing the system’s frantic light, its desperation almost palpable, chuckled, amused.
“Are you sure you’re a mechanical being?”
That anxious, worried tone seemed too emotional for a machine.
Lu Qi, ignoring him, circling Xing Nuo, his light pulsing rapidly, said:
“I am. Help Xing Nuo, please! He’s sick! I’m useful! I can help you kill your enemies!”
The captain, knowing he was indeed useful, nodded and, picking up the unconscious Xing Nuo, carried him back to the shelter.
Xing Nuo, after taking the special fever-reducing medicine the captain gave him, woke up an hour later.
“Lu Qi?” he asked weakly.
Lu Qi, who had been waiting by his side, his light pulsing, rushed over and pressed against his face.
“I’m here.”
Xing Nuo, seeing his dim light, his exhaustion evident, smiled faintly.
“I’m okay now. Thanks to you.”
Lu Qi’s circuits buzzed, generating error messages. He had no eyes to cry with, no way to express his relief and worry.
After a long silence, he suddenly said:
“Xing Nuo, I want to be human.”
He wanted to protect Xing Nuo, not just watch helplessly from the sidelines.
Xing Nuo smiled and nodded.
“Okay.”
Lu Qi, his light pulsing softly, stayed by Xing Nuo’s side, monitoring his condition.
Xing Nuo, after regaining some strength, thanked the captain, who had entered the room.
“Good thing 067 smart…brought me here. Otherwise…”
The captain, a just and honorable man, shook his head and offered him a bowl of bread porridge.
“You helped us before. This is nothing. You did much more for us.”
Xing Nuo shook his head, drinking the porridge, and, after regaining some strength, said:
“Your medicine…saved my life.”
Lying on the cot, remembering what he had said when he left this world, he smiled faintly.
“Guess I can’t say ‘farewell’ this time.”
The captain chuckled and took the empty bowl.
“If you want, I can help you get citizenship. You don’t have to wander anymore.”
Xing Nuo, holding the small, warm orb of light, shook his head.
“I still have things to do. And…I’ll have a family…someday.”
He had a premonition, a vision of a future where he was loved and cherished, a child growing up in a happy home.
And he couldn’t wait for that future to arrive.
The captain, seeing his determination, didn’t press further, just told him to rest and recover before leaving.
Xing Nuo nodded, but two days later, he and Lu Qi were gone.
He couldn’t wait any longer. Using Lu Qi’s tracking ability, they had gone to the system space, where the main system resided.
001, the usurper main system, seeing 067 and his host suddenly appear, was stunned.
“What? You’re here already?”
According to his calculations, they should still be in that dangerous world, gathering energy.
Xing Nuo smiled, his eyes cold.
“It’s over. You’re done.”
The next moment, 067 lunged, his light flaring, a wave of energy engulfing 001.
001, although having absorbed the energy of two high-level monsters and countless humans, his damaged core programming still hadn’t fully recovered, and he was no match for 067 in a direct confrontation.
But he had anticipated this and dodged, waiting for the corrupted energy 067 had absorbed to backfire.
But as his own energy drained, his core flickering, the cracks spreading, the expected backlash didn’t happen.
“Impossible!”
Xing Nuo explained:
“You’re wondering why the corrupted energy didn’t affect him? Simple. We knew about it. We returned it.”
067 had secretly returned all the corrupted energy 001 had given him!
No wonder 001’s recovery had been so slow!
“No! You’re lying! You lost your memories! How could you know?!”
Xing Nuo knew this system was behind his time loop.
“Why not? Memories can fade, but humans are complex. Emotions, instincts, feelings, muscle memory…these things can’t be predicted.”
“So, even without my memories, I knew…you would die.”
