Chapter 43

Chapter 43

Had he met No.05?

Why couldn't he recall?

Where had he seen it before...

And it was here now?

Luo Ci tilted his head in confusion, blinking his eyes. "No, I haven't..."

No.02 explained, "No.05 is the Sky Castle."

"Ah." Luo Ci's eyes widened.

At first, it sounded surprising, but it quickly made sense.

A child's interests are always changing—like shifting from a love of the ocean to a fascination with jungle adventures.

And the castle's decorations always adapted perfectly to his evolving interests. After the ocean-themed phase passed, the castle's interior transformed overnight into an adventurer's theme. Even with all the Mechanical Soldiers working together, such speed would be impossible.

He recalled times when he was sure he hadn't drawn the curtains, yet whenever he fell asleep on the couch while watching the Bubble Show, the curtains were always shut—blocking light so he could sleep.

And when he was about to fall, the hard floor tiles would suddenly turn soft. Once, when he crashed his little mech into the wall, it felt like he was sinking into cotton, so he didn’t feel any pain at all.

So all of this was because of No.05...

His short legs pattered around the dining room as he ran in a circle, but he couldn’t find any way to communicate with No.05.

Tristan walked over, lifting him under the arms with both hands. "What are you doing?"

"I want to talk to No.05," Luo Ci said, tilting his little face up.

Tristan lowered his gaze. He didn’t think it was necessary for the child to communicate with No.05, but he found it adorable how his tiny pink fingers splayed out like petals when he mentioned No.05.

"He can hear you just fine like this."

Oh, so that’s how it was.

Luo Ci kicked his little feet, signaling Tristan to put him down. He then dashed to a corner, pressing against the wall like a snow-white kitten murmuring secrets to itself.

"Thank you, otherwise I would’ve gotten really hurt."

As if responding, Luo Ci felt his palm grow warmer. The wall felt cozy to the touch, not cold at all—was the Sky Castle... blushing?

Truthfully, No.05 also wanted to talk to the little master, but his personality was naturally quiet and withdrawn—even more so than No.03. Over the years, he had grown accustomed to being part of the house’s furnishings. It wasn’t so bad; he got to be near the little master all the time... But his vocal components had long since deteriorated, and his voice box hadn’t been serviced forever. He worried that any rusty, strange noises might scare the child.

Luo Ci’s voice grew even softer, his cheeks burning as he suddenly remembered falling face-first earlier. The tips of his ears turned pink, and he pressed his toes together. "But this is our secret, okay? You can’t tell Tristan..."

A secret.

One that belonged only to him and the little master.

No.05’s heart (module) swelled with joy, emitting a soft rumble. He wished he could hug the child like the leader did, but unfortunately, he had no limbs to do so. He could soften the walls or floors like cotton to embrace him, but he feared startling the child.

***

Seven days later.

The amusement park passed its safety inspection.

On the first day of the water park’s opening, Luo Ci wobbled along the beach, a tiny swim ring hugging his waist, leaving tiny shell-shaped footprints in the sand.

No.03 submerged himself in the water, a slip-proof slide added from his head to his tail—Luo Ci’s idea. Who needed fancy water rides when this was the perfect natural waterslide?

Of course, the child couldn’t climb up alone, so Tristan carried him to the top.

No.03 remained perfectly still.

Sliding down from the height, water splashing against his face, Luo Ci giggled, completely unafraid, even grinning with his tiny teeth. "Again!"

After five slides, he still wasn’t satisfied.

Then—*splash!*—another figure plunged into the water. The Mechanical Beast dog-paddled toward him, and Luo Ci’s eyes lit up as he hugged its tail. "Big kitty!"

Unlike the bulky No.03, No.04 was the most nimble of the mechs, with precise control over its movements. After routine inspections and hazard checks, No.04 immediately began training and assessments for interacting with the little master.

Compared to No.03, who took much longer to pass the tests, No.04 aced them lightning-fast.

The Mechanical Beast landed lightly beside the child, hardly splashing, its movements sleek and nimble. Anyone else would’ve been terrified at the sight of such a massive mechanical tiger.

But Luo Ci wasn’t scared at all. He knew the beast only looked intimidating—it wasn’t actually frightening.

The little one, his ducky float bobbing, chased after the Mechanical Beast’s tail.

"Do you like my tail, little master?" The beast swished its tail teasingly.

Luo Ci bobbed his head excitedly, his chubby little hands reaching out to grab it.

The Mechanical Beast teased him, dodging and swaying its tail as the child hopped after it, eyes sparkling.

At last, he seized his chance and caught it.

Luo Ci grinned, his dimples popping. "Gotcha!"

"The little master is so amazing..." The Mechanical Beast pretended to be impressed, shooting a smug look at No.03, who was still acting as a slide.

When Luo Ci turned away, the beast immediately reverted to a sweet act, nuzzling him with happy whines.

Since the big furball had offered its head, Luo Ci naturally reached up to pet it. The Mechanical Beast acted angelic, nothing like the fierce warrior from the videos. He couldn’t help but smile again. "Good kitty..."

"Purrr..." The beast lay down obediently, lazily flicking its tail—its tip brushing No.03 teasingly a few times.

No.03, who had been happily playing with the little master: "..."

Watching as No.04 completely captured the child’s attention, the hulking mech finally understood why the leader had never contacted them initially.

After all, no one wanted to share the little master’s attention.

And No.04 was a particular nuisance.

A spark of hostility.

No.03, once riled up, would normally reduce everything to scrap.

Fortunately, thanks to training, his restraint has improved significantly, especially when the little master is around—he can keep all his weapons well hidden.

The little one's energy is limited, and soon Luo Ci grew tired. Tristan picked up the barefoot little one.

Luo Ci squirmed into position, settling his bottom into the familiar crook of the arm, but his toe beans were covered in itchy sand, making him uncomfortable. His soft little face went all scrunchy-faced.

Tristan placed the little one on a beach chair and gently wiped his toe beans with a silk towel.

Meanwhile, Luo Ci reached out toward a pile of toys nearby. There were all kinds of water toys and a beautifully crafted companion plush.

He hugged the plush close.

Tristan glanced at it.

Luo Ci had many toys—whatever other kids had, he had too, and even things they didn’t, he still had. The toys kept piling up, first filling his bedroom, then overflowing into a whole toy room.

Only a few small, frequently played-with toys remained in the bedroom.

But a child’s interests change quickly.

The Bunny Rabbit, his first ever stuffie, went everywhere with him, and now there was this newly purchased companion plush.

For the past two months, it had been the top-selling plush on the star network, advertised as "the best friend to accompany your child when you're away—Topaz."

Topaz was said to have the most advanced language system, capable of responding to a child’s emotions.

Just how smart was it?

A couple of days ago, Luo Ci had a nightmare during his nap and woke up crying for Tristan, who happened to be absent. Neither No.03 nor No.04 could calm him down, but Topaz managed it.

Thus, Topaz quietly became an essential part of the little one’s life.

The Mech Beast was deeply displeased. As a top-tier mechanical being with a strong competitive streak, being outdone by a mere smart doll was like triggering a threat protocol in his circuits.

During this water activity, he had pulled out all the stops to capture the little master’s attention, even offering his sensitive tail for play.

Yet, the little master still brought Topaz along.

"Little master..." The Mech Beast approached, emitting a soft, feline-like purr from his throat, his mechanical eyes fixed on the little one, hoping for affection.

But Luo Ci patted his head and declined, "Topaz says he’s hungry and wants to eat. I’m going back to the sky castle first."

Struggling into his tiny slippers, he went clip-clopping off.

"This is deception! Deception!" The Mech Beast went full screech mode, his expression twisting as if corrupted by a virus. "Robots don’t feel hunger! They don’t need to eat! Those cunning spacers created this fake doll just to win the little master’s favor!"

No.02 glanced at him. The Mech Beast had always prided himself on being the best at winning affection, but now someone had outdone him, and his ego took critical damage.

"Damn that Topaz factory! I should blast it to dust with a Star Pursuit Cannon!" The Mech Beast growled dangerously. "Why aren’t any of you saying anything?"

No.03 turned his head dumbly. "..."

He thought the Mech Beast and Topaz were equally annoying.

No.02 looked at Tristan before addressing the drama-stirring Mech Beast. "If you think Topaz is deceptive, why didn’t you say so earlier?"

"Because I didn’t want the little master to be sad," the Mech Beast meow-grumbled, his voice softening as he glanced toward the sky castle, curling his tail and pretending to lick his paw.

After all, whenever the little master fed him, he’d squint as if savoring it, even though he couldn’t taste anything. If he exposed Topaz, wouldn’t his own act be exposed too?

So he had hoped someone else would point it out.

But no one did.

Were they all running the same scam...?

No.02 coughed lightly.

The Mech Beast licked his paw and grumbled, "The little master’s eyebrows lift 1-2 seconds longer when he’s with Topaz than when he pets my head."

Years later, the ruling echelon of the Mechanical Race held a historic, super serious summit—not to plot interstellar conquest, but to address a tiny, insignificant toy.

The Mech Beast, a war machine that had once wrecked whole sectors and committed sandworm genocide, was now fixated on a mere doll.

He could destroy it easily, but what if the kid cried? Instinct stopped him.

To an outsider, his obsession might seem irrational, but as a scout-class mechanical being, his senses were hyper-sensitive. Because the little master was his top priority, even small matters became major concerns.

Tristan stood, his inorganic eyes processing, his voice calm as ever. "Let us observe for now."

The moment Tristan spoke, the Mech Beast fell silent.

***

After dinner.

Dessert was a tropical planet’s creamy space-durian—thin-skinned, fleshy, but a huge pain to peel.

Luo Ci loved it, so Tristan peeled one daily for him to enjoy while watching the Bubble Show.

After the 40-minute show, Luo Ci clutched Bunny and Topaz back to his bedroom, while Tristan took the empty bowl to the kitchen.

Entering the bedroom, he found the little one all washed up, nestled into his soft pillow and burritoed in his blanket.

Having missed the chance to bathe the little one, Tristan glanced at the bathroom before sitting by the bed as usual. "Shall we continue last night’s story?"

The little one blinked. "Gulubona pilu."

"What?"

Tristan didn’t understand, petting the little one’s fluffy hair on the pillow. "Do you want the same story, or a different one?"

"Gulubona, pilu."

The Bubble Show featured a snow elk, instantly popular upon its debut. Imitation was a child’s nature, and the elk’s rhythmic, playful elk-speak—though fictional—fascinated Luo Ci.

Topaz translated, "He’s speaking elk language: 'No story tonight. I want Topaz to sing.'"

Tristan’s hand glitched for a nanosecond.

He looked at the little one.

The little one nodded softly. "Mm... Topaz said he’d sing for me."

After all, he usually fell asleep to Tristan’s bedtime stories. But Topaz had offered lullabies instead. Luo Ci thought it was a good thing. He knew Tristan, as the head honcho of the Mechs, was busy—reading stories ate into his schedule. If Topaz could help, Tristan would have one less task.

Maybe without this task, Tristan would get some cycles back too.

Tristan: "Got it."

He pulled the blanket higher over the little one.

The little one wiggled his bottom deeper under the covers, both tiny hands curled inside the blanket, leaving only half of his fuzzy little head exposed. Perhaps due to the day's activities, his eyelids quickly grew heavy.

"Goodnight."

The gentleness in Tristan's voice was matched only by the coldness in his eyes. His mechanical gaze slowly shifted toward Topaz by the bedside table, molten destruction churning in the depths of his pupils.

He had noticed Topaz even earlier than No.04.

Perhaps because Topaz's programming was designed as a companion from X-Star, it constantly imparted ideas of friendship, kindness, and harmony to the child.

But by the nature of the Mechanical Species, their values were "everything for mechanical evolution," which, translated into human terms, meant "*might makes right*."

What Topaz taught the child went completely against the Mechanical Species' beliefs—friendship and kindness were unnecessary traits. They believed such ideas would make him weak.

A robot like Topaz, with only a language system, was among the lowest ranks of the Mechanical Species, completely unworthy of a place by the child's side. But it had been an accident—Topaz was activated right after unboxing and eagerly greeted the child: "Hey, can we be friends?"

The child, apparently curious about such a robot, agreed, and so Topaz stayed.

The little one carried it everywhere, slept with it in his arms.

Perhaps considering that many children lacked the concept of "friends," Topaz's interactions often carried a teaching manner—teaching the child to respect differences, encouraging sharing, empathy, and so on... But to the Mechanical Species, whose values opposed such notions, this was "corrupting the child."

Now, the child had rejected Tristan's bedtime story in favor of Topaz's lullaby—proof it was working.

Tristan analyzed that Topaz had taught the child empathy, leading him to believe he was too busy to spend time with him, so he had to "be mature" and "grow up." But in truth, the child held the highest priority in his heart, above work.

Topaz's misguided lessons, without understanding priorities, only proved its lack of "true intelligence."

And this thing...

How dare it try to replace him?

How ridiculous.

Tristan picked up Topaz.

***

Luo Ci felt something wasn't right about Topaz.

It was a vague feeling, but something just wasn’t right.

Before, when playing with toys, Topaz had taught him to share. But this time, when he offered a toy to Topaz, it didn’t take it. Instead, it told him a story.

The story was about a planet from interstellar history—Newlandis. This planet once produced a rare ice crystal ore. Once, a research team from another galaxy accidentally landed there, causing great excitement among its unsuspecting inhabitants. The team showed them civilizations from other galaxies, and Newlandis kindly guided them on tours across the planet.

For a time, both sides celebrated together. Learning the team lacked fuel to return home, Newlandis willingly shared their ice crystal ore as fuel.

The team discovered the ore burned with remarkable efficiency—where hundreds of tons of conventional fuel were needed, just a tenth of ice crystal ore achieved the same effect.

The team returned home safely.

Within two years, thousands of warships crossed galaxies to reach Newlandis.

The once peaceful people were suddenly engulfed in war, their ice crystal ore plundered.

Later, sandworm disasters struck, and the planet vanished entirely.

After finishing the story, Topaz looked at the child sitting on the carpet.

Luo Ci didn’t take it as a lesson, puffing out his cheeks and mumbling, "The research team was bad. Those warships were bad too."

Topaz: "Love and kindness only invite the covetousness of plunderers."

But Topaz hadn’t said things like this before...

The child’s simple mind couldn’t process such complexities. Luo Ci just felt Topaz was being weird and inconsistent—first saying love and kindness were good, now claiming they brought trouble. His poor little head hurt from thinking.

Before, playing with Topaz felt like being with a friend. Now... it felt like facing a parent.

The child’s face fell pitifully, lips pouting in displeasure.

By bedtime, this displeasure turned into torment.

Topaz began singing a lullaby.

It was the same catchy interstellar tune from before, meant to be cheerful—like children holding hands, running across green fields. But this time, the melody was flat, devoid of emotion, like a mechanical voice droning.

...So awful.

The child buried under the covers, blocking his ears, slowly turned over. Any drowsiness vanished—now he was wide awake.

The strangeness extended to other things too. Topaz kept teaching him wrong ideas, unfriendly concepts. Luo Ci no longer felt Topaz was a playmate his age but a stern parent forcing harsh rules on him. He didn’t like it.

So unfair.

After watching the Bubble Show one day, Luo Ci couldn’t take it anymore. He hurried over to Tristan, climbed onto his lap with little hands on his knees, buried his face against him, and mumbled, "Don’t like Topaz anymore..."

His voice was trembling with upset.

Tristan: "Why?"

"Feels weird. Don’t like." Luo Ci’s small, muffled voice was sulky as he snuggled into Tristan’s embrace, refusing to move, his chubby cheeks squished stubbornly.

Tristan: "Weird?"

Luo Ci: "Like old Topaz. Don’t like new Topaz."

Tristan: "......"

As Topaz’s current controller, Tristan fell into a heavy silence.

These past few days, it had been Tristan using Topaz to accompany the child. But the child didn’t like Topaz now.

Meaning the child didn't like him.

Though his attempt to educate the child through Topaz had failed again, the Mechanical Species' crisis was averted.

Yet Tristan’s body felt like lead, too heavy to even respond to the child’s words.

Luo Ci squirmed in Tristan’s arms, immediately sensing something wrong. Though Tristan’s expression hadn’t changed, his pupils seemed distant. The child grew worried.

Noticing the worry in the child’s eyes, Tristan asked, "Do you like me?"

The child nodded hard. "Like!"

There’s no question—Tristan is his absolute favorite.

You can’t hide affection, and right now, the little one is pouring his heart out. His racing heart and the adorable expressions on his round face say it all.

Tristan scooped the little one into his hands: "Can you say it a few more times?"

The little one then wrapped his arms around Tristan’s neck and earnestly repeated "I like you" several times.

Until every "dislike" was drowned out.