IMC Chapter 133

Before venturing into the mechanoids’ star system, Shu Bao and the others had already anticipated that the mechanoids would learn magic once exposed to it. Naturally, they wouldn’t be so reckless as to make no preparations. Therefore, another form of energy that Shu Bao and Fu Qing mastered became their ultimate trump card. The two had agreed not to lightly use spiritual energy unless it was a last resort, relying on magic for defense and attack.

The learning ability of the mechanoids was astonishingly formidable. By the time they retreated, the mechanoids had already become comparable to them, which was likely part of the race’s calculated plan. Their computational abilities were terrifying to behold.

One could imagine the regret if Shu Bao and the others had no backup plan—joyfully obtaining what they desired, only to fall on their way out. Although they never directly clashed with the mechanoids, these scattered details combined to paint a more chilling picture.

At this moment, Shu Bao hadn’t disappeared but had burrowed underground. The hardness of the steel city was exceptional, yet it couldn’t withstand the treasure-seeking mouse’s sharp claws. Of course, the mouse hadn’t dived underground recklessly. It had already secretly dug tunnels while exploring the city, with hidden entrances and exits perfectly concealed by formations.

Shu Bao and the others dashed ahead at full speed, timing their actions precisely to store everyone into the bracelet’s space at the last moment. The mouse then activated a pre-set teleportation array with a single step. This array didn’t rely on magic energy but used spirit stones and could only be triggered with spiritual energy.

Under the array’s influence, the mouse was transported into an underground tunnel, where it continued running toward the city’s outskirts. The mechanoids on the surface found no traces and could never have imagined that the soft, fluffy creature had managed to dig such a complex network of tunnels in the hard ground, thus missing the best opportunity to capture them.

Shu Bao kept hiding and running for another five days before finally arriving at the park where they had initially set out. Tesla and the half-mechanoids had been waiting in the spiritual domain for a long time. As soon as Shu Bao arrived, they activated a large-scale teleportation array.

The array’s other end is connected to the outermost region of the mechanoids’ star system. Since this array was also a spiritual energy formation set up by Shu Bao in advance, the group bypassed the layers of defenses unnoticed and left the mechanoids’ star system without a trace.

Even after leaving, the starship maintained its vigilance, moving away from the mechanoids’ star system at top speed. Instead of returning directly to the Qing Wang star system, they used spatial warps and teleportation arrays to take a roundabout route, ultimately taking ten years to return to the Qing Wang star system.

Although the return journey was longer than the journey there, fewer people opted for hibernation. Beyond being on alert for a possible mechanoids’ pursuit, another reason was to analyze the data Shu Bao and the others had brought back.

The half-mechanoids and Tesla, who had an innate “workaholic” disposition, maintained a disciplined 9-9-6[mfn]9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week[/mfn] schedule aboard the starship.

The information retrieved from the Main Brain Building was vast. Fortunately, many half-mechanoids were part of the team and ten years were enough for them to decrypt the mechanoids’ history and technology.

As the analysis progressed, Shu Bao and the others gained a more detailed understanding of the mechanoids’ history. This lengthy history was far more intricate than what they had heard. In the countless battles between humans and the mechanoids, countless individuals—both human and mechanical—had sacrificed themselves for their respective races.

During this period, countless heroes emerged and many myths of war were born. For Shu Bao and his group, this was merely a segment of history. But for those who had lived through it, it was an integral part of their lives.

However, the mechanoids’ history did not remain glorious forever. With the emergence of the chaotic universe, the number of conscious beings among the mechanoids dwindled, and even their main city gradually fell into decline. Much like humanity in its earlier days, the “perfect” Lai Mi could maintain the city’s operations flawlessly but lacked creativity.

Fortunately, the mechanoids had accumulated vast reserves of technological knowledge, enough to ensure their position as a top-tier power in the chaotic universe. Even so, it couldn’t hide the reality that the mechanoids were slowly falling into decline.

“Shouldn’t Wei Lai have creativity?” The mechanoids’ downfall puzzled the two princes. In their understanding, the mechanoids were invincible—how could they show signs of decay?

Others shared the same doubts. While they couldn’t vouch for the other mechanoids in the main city, they were certain that Wei Lai possessed self-awareness. The mechanoids’ strength lay in the fact that as long as even one truly self-aware being existed, the fate of the entire race could be rewritten.

This question was finally answered as they prepared to return to the Qing Wang star system—they had deciphered the mechanoids’ solution to the chaos of the universe.

This was the mechanoids’ most closely guarded secret, the one Shu Bao and the others had pursued for seventeen years. Yet, when the secret was revealed, it brought a sense of despair.

After extensive research, the mechanoids had concluded that once chaos began, there was no way to reverse it. The real world and the chaotic world would ultimately merge into one. After this fusion, the universe would become dim and lifeless; plants and animals in reality would perish as they failed to adapt to the darkness, ushering in an era dominated by dark creatures.

However, this situation was not entirely hopeless. While those within the chaotic universe could not resolve the issue, they could repair the universe from a higher dimension. This concept was relatively easy to understand: the chaotic universe was akin to a two-dimensional painting. One day, a devouring monster appeared in the painting, and no matter how the inhabitants resisted, they could not stop it. But to someone outside the painting, a simple stroke of a brush could alter the painting at will, whether to save it or destroy it.

Just as beings in a three-dimensional world can freely alter a two-dimensional creation, beings in a four-dimensional world could easily manipulate the three-dimensional universe.

This was the solution the mechanoids found to save the chaotic universe. Beyond the third dimension lies a realm of pure consciousness, where powerful mechanical bodies become burdens. The mechanoids would have to learn to separate their consciousness from their physical forms, requiring extraordinary mental control.

Otherwise, they risk creating countless uncontrollable monsters with their runaway thoughts, much like the chaotic world. In the chaotic world, material constraints limit the damage caused by uncontrolled consciousness, but in a higher dimension, such loss of control could destroy the entire world.

The situation was further complicated by the fact that before ascending to a higher dimension, beings of a lower dimension were inherently incapable of comprehending what the higher dimension entailed—its appearance, its rules, or anything else. The mechanoids began their attempts at dimensional ascension in complete darkness.

Millions of years ago, the mechanoids had already been working toward this goal. Yet, judging by the current state of the chaotic universe, it seemed that no one had succeeded.

The chaotic universe remained unrescued and the number of truly self-aware mechanoids dwindled. Their daily attempts to extract their consciousness inevitably weakened it, until they became nothing more than mindless steel shells.

Of course, it’s possible they succeeded—successfully elevating their consciousness to a higher dimension. However, for some reason, even in their elevated state, they were unable to alter the chaotic universe’s fate. If this theory were true, then while they failed to save the chaotic universe, they may have at least saved their own race. Yet, those left in the lower dimension could never know which version of the truth was real.

Over time, the mechanoids’ true conscious beings dwindled to just one: Wei Lai. He had refrained from attempting ascension because he was guarding Lai Mi. To Wei Lai, the true mechanoids had already perished along with the disappearance of conscious beings. Progress or decline no longer mattered to him.

Upon learning this truth, Shu Bao felt an unprecedented sense of loneliness. A star system so vast, a main city so bustling, and countless mechanoids so busy—was it all just an illusion? How had Wei Lai, living amidst it all, endured millions of years of solitude on his own? If he once held hope for reuniting with Lai Mi, what could he look forward to now that Lai Mi had exhausted all its energy?

Even those who weren’t Wei Lai and didn’t know him were overwhelmed by a powerful sense of loneliness. How much more crushing must it have been for him?

“Why doesn’t Wei Lai just give Lai Mi a new system? It shouldn’t be hard for him,” the second prince asked. If Lai Mi was so important, why not repair it? Wei Lai seemed too rigid in his approach. If Lai Mi didn’t like the change, couldn’t he just erase its memory afterward?

“Replacing the system is easy. Respecting Lai Mi’s wishes is not. Compared to himself, Wei Lai cares more about Lai Mi’s feelings,” Fu Qing explained. At first, Wei Lai modified Lai Mi’s memories of the war because Lai Mi itself wanted to escape that part of its history. Even if it caused him immense pain, Wei Lai would never go against Lai Mi’s wishes. Fu Qing glanced at the fluffy little creature beside him, feeling as though he could somewhat understand Wei Lai’s actions.

After their sighs of regret, the group had to face an unavoidable truth: the mechanoids had also failed to solve the problem of the chaotic universe. At this point, fleeing the chaotic universe seemed to be the only viable option.

But the barrier between the universes was unbreakable and the fabled wormholes had long been sealed. Where could they escape to?

The chaos of the universe wasn’t something that would happen overnight. For the current and near-future generations of humanity, the complete descent of the universe into chaos was unlikely to be witnessed. However, as long as they remained, future generations would inevitably face the chaos of the entire universe—forever losing the sunlight and living alongside darkness.

As more people entered the chaotic world, human thoughts and consciousness would become increasingly difficult to control. This could lead to a herd effect, with panic spreading and consciousness falling into disarray. The chaotic world would spawn even more terrifying creatures. When humanity’s fear overwhelmed its rationality, the monsters they created would become undefeatable. The end result for all intelligent life would be destruction.

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