Chapter 30

Chapter 30

It was an open secret across the galaxy that the Mechanical Race was originally created by humans. Over the years, the Mechanical Race had continuously evolved, now standing at the pinnacle of the evolutionary chain and dominating the entire galactic order. Countless rulers and mad scientists had attempted to cultivate humans in hopes of gaining control over them.

Most experiments were conducted in secret underground facilities, yet nearly all attempts at cultivation ended in failure. Whenever the Mechanical Race discovered these secret experiments, they would mercilessly purge and destroy them—whether it was experimental data or the cultivated subjects themselves, all would be disintegrated by the Star Pursuit Cannon, leaving not even a speck of cosmic dust behind.

These were details Dr. P had inadvertently revealed during casual conversations, and Luo Ci had quietly committed them to memory.

He lowered his small head, fingers clutching the spotless white experimental gown. The fabric was smooth and cool to the touch. By all appearances… he was an experimental subject. Yet the Robot Soldiers hadn’t eliminated him. Instead, they cradled him carefully in their palms.

Bunny was a companion robot specifically designed for young children. To better perceive a child’s emotions, it was equipped with a rich array of sensory recognition programs. Since many families purchased multiple companion robots for their children, these programs weren’t just tailored to detect a child’s emotions—they could even identify the intentions of other robots.

After recognizing the Robot Soldiers, the little rabbit spoke in a childlike voice: “They’ve disengaged combat protocols. They all want to hug their little master.”

Luo Ci tugged at the hem of his coat, hesitantly glancing over, his face full of confusion… What did “little master” mean?

But what he most wanted to confirm was: “You won’t… hurt me?”

The child’s pronunciation was unclear, a babble of sounds. To better understand their little master’s command, the Robot Soldiers formed a circle, lowering their heads to listen intently. Once they deciphered his meaning, their long-unused voice modules vibrated with slow, heavy voices:

“Yes… little master.”

The first principle ingrained in the Mechanical Species upon their creation was to never act in any way that would defy or harm their master. It was a rule learned even before they first opened their eyes.

If the Mechanical Species had a genetic code, this principle would undoubtedly occupy the very top.

It was an instinctive response, one that required no understanding or database query.

Luo Ci blinked and asked softly, “Can you take me outside?”

The Robot Soldiers began to move.

First, they surveyed the area, conducting a full recognition of the observation room. This was where their little master had lived since birth—it deserved to be photographed for commemoration. Then came the assessment:

Size: inadequate. Underground location: inadequate. Toys: insufficient. Safety measures: inadequate… For a little master’s living environment, this place was clearly below standard.

Assessment complete.

The little master was not suited to live here.

Feeling the Robot Soldiers begin to move, Luo Ci instinctively clung to one of their fingers, afraid he might fall. But he soon realized their movements were incredibly steady—the built-in gyroscopic stabilizers kept their arms perfectly still even as their feet carried them forward.

Hugging his knees, he sat in the Robot Soldier’s palm, occasionally glancing at the passing scenery. The former glass flower room was now in ruins. There was no sign of any lab personnel, and many of the instruments and facilities had been turned to dust by the Star Pursuit Cannon. Everything looked like a wasteland.

Luo Ci felt slightly sad, but his attention was quickly diverted by the world outside.

The moment he stepped out of the glass flower room, the wide view of the outside world unfolded before him—endless stretches of forest, the clean, fresh air brushing against his nose.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had breathed air so unfamiliar yet so refreshing.

The towering Robot Soldiers resembled massive steel figures, their palms cradling a tiny human child. The extreme size difference might have made anyone pause and stare.

Luo Ci’s pale blue eyes shone with excitement as he said in a soft voice, “I want to walk…”

His tone was gentle, almost requesting, but to the Robot Soldiers, it was an absolute command.

Never defy, always obey their master’s orders—this was the second principle etched into their genetic code.

The Robot Soldiers slowly knelt, carefully lowering their hands. Luo Ci slid down their fingers, landing steadily on the ground. It had been so long since he’d last felt the earth beneath his feet that he couldn’t resist bouncing a little. The summer forest was still wet from recent rains, leaving numerous puddles in its wake. Whenever Luo Ci couldn’t avoid them, the Robot Soldiers would pick him up, carry him across, and set him back down once the obstacle was cleared.

The Robot Soldiers relayed the news of finding their little master back to Yixu Star. The first response came from General No. 02: “The army will arrive in three hours. Prioritize the little master’s safety.”

The leader of the Mechanical Race, Tristan—also known as No. 01—spent most of his time in deep slumber, leaving Yixu Star primarily under the command of General No. 02.

General No. 02 had only dispatched a small squad to conduct the cleanup of Caslow Star. A team of ten Robot Soldiers was more than enough to overwhelm Caslow’s defensive forces. And indeed, it took less than an hour for the Robot Soldiers to crush Caslow’s defenses, reaching and destroying both the governor’s residence and the glass flower room.

Originally, everything and everyone on Caslow Star was meant to be wiped out. But now, the Robot Soldiers had a new top priority.

Protect the little master.

Luo Ci hadn’t walked such a long distance in a very long time. Like a baby penguin wobbling unsteadily, his short legs kicked against a small, hidden stone in the grass, sending him tumbling forward.

Through movement prediction of the child’s movements, the Robot Soldiers had already positioned themselves along his path, catching him before he could fall.

Luo Ci wrapped his chubby little hands around the Robot Soldier’s finger, tilting his head back with a happy smile. “Thank you.”

The forest was vast, stretching endlessly with dense foliage. Many of the trees were species he had never seen before.

One tree in particular caught Luo Ci’s attention—its trunk was as wide as ten people embracing, its canopy expansive and dense, its tips tinged with a faint golden hue. Beneath nearly every branch hung clusters of burgundy fruit, their rich color signaling ripeness. Several unfamiliar little creatures had gathered beneath the tree, seemingly waiting for the heavy fruits to drop.

The sound of the Robot Soldiers’ approach startled the creatures, sending them scattering in all directions.

One creature, resembling a small ferret-like creature, had climbed the tree in pursuit of the fruit. Now, too afraid to descend from its height, it clung to a branch, trembling and letting out pitiful squeaks.

Worried, Luo Ci tugged at the Robot Soldier’s arm. “Can you help him?”

The Robot Soldier paused for a moment before straightening, lifting its steel-covered arm to gently scoop up the tiny creature and place it on the ground. At first, the creature kicked and struggled, but once it realized the Robot Soldier was rescuing it, it calmed instantly. The moment its paws touched the earth, it darted away with a series of happy chirps.

“Thank you… you’re so nice.” Luo Ci hugged the steel hand, nuzzling his cheek against it in relaxation.

The Robot Soldier tilted its head in confusion. The Mechanical Species did not understand emotions. They felt no sympathy or pity for the distressed creature—in fact, their original mission to Caslow Star had been to destroy it entirely. They had simply followed their little master’s command, yet they had received praise… Was the little master commending them for obeying, or for saving the small creature?

For the first time, the Robot Soldiers found themselves desperately wanting to understand something. Their little master’s affection was the greatest reward they could imagine—it felt like their central systems were burning, their gyroscopes spinning wildly.

They longed to earn such praise again.

Unaware of the internal turmoil his casual words had sparked, Luo Ci discovered a crystal-clear lake.

As they walked, he noticed how quiet the forest was—untouched by destruction or pollution. But that made sense. After all, this was the location chosen for the glass flower room. The more secluded and undisturbed the surroundings, the better.

The lake wasn’t large, its waters a pale blue, mirroring the slowly setting sun. Beneath the surface, swaying aquatic plants and small stones were faintly visible. A breeze rippled the water, scattering golden shards of light.

Luo Ci dashed toward it.

Accustomed to swimming, his first instinct upon seeing the lake was to dive in.

He straightened the slight wrinkles in his pants, leaping forward—only to be caught mid-air by the Robot Soldier, who held him securely in its palm. “Dangerous…”

Luo Ci had complete confidence in his swimming skills. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine!”

Unable to disobey their little master’s command, the Robot Soldiers slowly released their grip. Luo Ci slipped into the water with ease. The lake wasn’t deep, so to avoid worrying them, he stayed close to the shallows near the shore. “See? No problem, right?”

The Robot Soldiers remained at the water’s edge, shifting along with the child’s movements, always maintaining a distance where they could reach him instantly—like loyal guards accompanying their master on a leisurely outing.

“Blub blub…”

The midsummer heat was unbearable. Luo Ci dipped his hot face in the water, letting streams of tiny bubbles escape.

Unnoticed, the sky began to darken, twilight creeping in. He grew a little anxious. Should they spend the night in the forest or return to the glass flower room? How many days would this forest adventure last before they found a way out? Luo Ci swam back to the shore, perching on a small rock and kicking his feet in the water as he pondered seriously.

Not far away, a pair of greedy eyes lurked in the grass.

It was a massive creature, resembling a boa or anaconda, slithering closer with an ominous sense of menace. Luo Ci turned his head and saw its gaping jaws. But before it could advance further, the Star Pursuit Cannon, blazing like fire splitting the sky, reduced the threat to a wisp of ash.

Noticing the wide, round eyes of his little master, the Robot Soldiers paused briefly. Their little master disliked the aggressive use of the Star Pursuit Cannon and seemed to care deeply for these small creatures. Apparently, they had just done two things their little master disliked at once...

Luo Ci snapped out of his daze. Even though he knew the Robot Soldiers couldn’t feel emotions, he inexplicably sensed a hint of dejection in them at that moment.

He spontaneously reached out his tiny hands, gesturing to be held.

The Robot Soldier extended its arm, its palm cradling his little master’s body as it lifted him from the lake.

Luo Ci's eyes curved into crescents, clinging to its fingers and murmuring softly, "Thank you for saving me again."

Another reward!

The Robot Soldiers once again experienced sensor-induced dizziness. Their central processors, overloaded from simultaneously processing the reward and the contradiction of receiving rewards despite doing two things their little master disliked, overheated. The result was... the Robot Soldiers completely froze.

Luo Ci tilted his small head in confusion.

What’s wrong?

Why aren’t they moving?

Fortunately, after two reboots, the Robot Soldiers finally returned to normal. The tiny little master, smaller than its palm, sat in their hands and gazed at them with an expression the database categorized as "concern"... These were experiences the war-engineered Robot Soldiers had never processed before. Their little master was worried about them—how should they respond?

Despite risking processor overload, the Robot Soldiers searched their database and quickly arrived at a conclusion—when a young one exhibited anxiety or concern, caregivers should offer comfort.

The palm cradling his little master began to sway gently, with soft, steady motions. Luo Ci felt as if he were lying in a hammock, gently rocking, as though he were back in the ocean’s waves, being rocked by the tides.

While tranquility reigned in the forest, the rest of the galaxy was in a state of tension.

As the Mechanical Race capable of dominating the galactic order, the movements of Yixu were of great concern to all planets.

It was no exaggeration to say that invading a Level 1 civilization planet required only one or two small squads from the Mechanical Race. Yet this time, they had dispatched an entire fleet of steel warships—a sight so grand that none of the planetary leaders had ever witnessed in their lifetimes.

The news sent leaders into panic—what unlucky world had angered the Mechanical Race, and would the fallout reach them?

The leaders were on edge, immediately ordering the shutdown of all planetary ports in panic.

In an instant, every inhabited world in the galaxy closed its gates simultaneously.

Bored citizens, confined to their homes, took to the StarNet, complaining about their planets’ sudden closures. Soon, discussions revealed that it wasn’t just their own planets—every single one had announced closures at the same time.

Even starships already mid-voyage received urgent messages from their home planets, ordering all vessels—tourist ships, commercial ships, military ships—to land on the nearest available planet.

This instantly sparked widespread curiosity.

What in the worlds was happening?

Every planet relied on commercial ships for cargo transport. Even during wars, operations rarely ceased—every minute of downtime lost revenue. This galaxy-wide shutdown was wasting cosmic fortunes.

Something major must have happened.

The StarNet’s hot searches erupted, with nearly every post discussing the same event.

—Help! I have urgent cargo scheduled to arrive in two days, but the page just refreshed to show "Arrival: Undetermined"!

—I saw on the news that due to the suddenness of this, even patrol warships couldn’t return in time and had to land on lesser worlds.

—Wasn’t the Super Star Singer Cup super popular these days? I already bought tickets, but now it’s postponed…

—Of course it’s postponed. All planets are closed, and all events are delayed.

—There was even a minor planet leader planning an interplanetary wedding in two days, reportedly costing hundreds of billions in credits. Now that’s forced to stop too.

Soon, all sorts of voices emerged. A secretary from a minor planet’s administration leaked that high-ranking leaders across planets were holding an emergency summit. When pressed for details, the secretary went silent.

As anxiety spread and conspiracy theories multiplied, several media outlets broke the news that the planetary closures were to clear the space lanes.

Clear the space lanes?

Why? To make way for whom?

—Hmm… wild theory—did Sanole stir up trouble again?

Sanole had recruited General No.04, becoming increasingly reckless and brutal, igniting conflicts across planets—especially lower-tier worlds—leaving many worlds in misery.

—Can’t be Sanole. His planet was among the first to close.

—I don’t get it. Are they that scared? To the point of shutting down entire planets?!

The protests were short-lived before the media exposed the truth: the Mechanical Race had mobilized its army. Some outlets even risked their lives to capture images of the Mechanical fleet in motion—an overwhelming swarm of steel warships, blotting out the sky like a dark cloud, cruising past planets as if surveying their domain.

The sheer, crushing pressure evoked the instinctive dread of prey locked in a predator’s gaze. The earlier complaints vanished instantly.

Well… making way for the Mechanical Race makes sense, actually.

Faced with such overwhelming power, the galaxy’s inhabitants had no choice but compliance. Though no one knew which planet had provoked the Mechanical Race, many now understood the shutdowns. With countless civilian and commercial ships floating in the space lanes, what if they accidentally interfered with the Mechanical fleet? The Mechanical Race might casually obliterate them like inconvenient space junk.

The StarNet comment section quickly became harmonious.

—Honestly… I’m just curious now. Which planet has the guts to provoke the Mechanical Race?

—Steel warships… Hard to imagine which unlucky planet is in for it. Just hope the fallout doesn’t reach us.

—The Mechanical Race has never made a move this big before, right?

—Are we heading for another war?!

Soon, discussions weren’t limited to the StarNet. Official military channels invited experts to speculate on the reasons behind the Mechanical Race’s massive mobilization. Over time, more details emerged—like small satellites capturing footage of General No.02, second only to the leader Tristan, personally leading the operation.

During the Great Annihilation two hundred years ago, General No.02 hadn’t even appeared.

Yet now, he was taking direct action.

—Last time, it was the sandworms that got exterminated. Who’s it this time?

—Confirmed it’s General No.02? Doesn’t he rarely leave Yixu?

—It’s all over the news. Praying for peace—no war, please!

Optimistic experts believed the Mechanical Race wouldn’t involve other planets, while pessimists feared this was the beginning of a Star Domain War.

"Regardless, we must prepare for the worst."

The Mechanical Race had no idea their simple act of retrieving their charge had been interpreted so dramatically across the galaxy.

But even if they knew, they wouldn’t care.

At this moment, nothing is more important to the Mechanical Race than bringing their Little Master home.

The dark mass of steel warships spread across the sky above Caslow Planet, nearly blotting out the heavens entirely.

A pair of deep brown Oxford boots descended the light-ribbon elevator, flanked by two rows of mechanical soldiers. This was the Mechanical Race's No.02 General. His hidden-button military shirt accentuated his broad, towering frame, while his navy trousers draped down to the first lace of his Oxford boots. His aura balanced between steadfastness and pensiveness.

Luo Ci, naturally prone to sleepiness at his age, was lulled into slumber by the mechanical soldiers' cradle-like rocking, his eyelids drooping without his noticing.

It wasn't until the deafening approach of the warships jolted him awake that he covered his mouth with a yawn, turning his head to meet those steady eyes.

As he strode toward him step by step, Luo Ci couldn't help but freeze momentarily.

He looked so remarkably human—whether in attire or demeanor, he resembled a composed and disciplined soldier. Without the uniform, he might pass for a carefree sailor who wouldn't bat an eye at tossing away fortunes. It was as if no calamity could ruffle his calm. His light brown hair was swept back, and his pale olive-green eyes regarded him with tranquil steadiness.

Only when he raised his hand did Luo Ci notice one of his arms was distinctly mechanical.

His fingers curled slightly, as if intending to brush against him gently.

After a moment's hesitation, Luo Ci shrank back, evading his fingers.

His round, aqua-blue eyes were crystal-clear and lovely, like those of a curious kitten—both adorable and timid.

The general's complexion was strikingly pale, his eyes equally light in hue. As he gazed at the little one, a gear-like pattern briefly dilated in one pupil, like a tranquil lake disturbed by a faint ripple before settling once more. Yet, his perpetually composed brow revealed a faint hint of a faint smile.

With a slight tilt of his head, he raised his arm in a formal salute:

"Authorization confirmed. No.02 of the Mechanical Race has come to escort the Little Master home."

No.02—a title Luo Ci had once heard Dr. P mention—was second only to the leader of the Mechanical Race. And now, he was bowing to him with such reverence? Because he was human? Luo Ci thought in confusion.

No.02's gaze swept over the scene, his brow gradually furrowing at the sight of the small child cradled in the mechanical soldiers' rough hands. "Give him to me."

The little one was transferred into No.02's hold, clutching Bunny nervously, even his ear tips went stiff. But soon, he relaxed.

One of No.02's arms was mechanical, but the other resembled a human's. Cradling him in that warm, sturdy embrace, he soon had the drowsy child nodding off. His large hand gently stroked his back, a silent reassurance that he was now safe.

Already fighting sleep, the child succumbed, rubbing his eyes and instinctively nuzzling into that palm before drifting off.

The hand paused almost imperceptibly, his touch growing even softer. Silently, No.02 recorded the child's heartbeat, temperature, and soft breaths. After 356,097 days and nights, the Mechanical Race had finally embraced their Little Master once more.

A mountain breeze whispered through the treetops, birds perched on dusk's shoulders, singing, and the mechanical soldiers stood as loyal, silent titans of steel.

"Let's go home."