Chapter 200 She's still here, not a phantom.
[Day 4, Mori Garden]
This is an undeveloped primeval forest.
The enormous canopy blocked out the sun, and glowing spores floated in the air.
Try this!
Caesar sat on a thick tree branch, his long golden hair cascading down. He tossed down a strangely shaped purple fruit.
"This is a natural energy fruit, much better than those artificial energy supplements."
Ning Shuyin caught the fruit and took a bite. The sweet juice filled her mouth; the fruit was so energizing, it was no less than the fountain of life.
"Delicious!" she nodded as she took a bite.
In the afternoon, the two found a litter of newborn plush puppies on a haystack.
The fluffy little creatures weren't afraid of people and rubbed against Ning Shuyin.
"So cute." Ning Shuyin picked one up, her fingertips sinking into the soft fur of the dog-like animal's ears.
Caesar crouched beside her, his gaze fixed on her profile.
"Do you like it?" he asked tentatively.
"like."
“Then we can take them back. I can give them a large terrarium, and you can play with them whenever you want.”
Ning Shuyin looked into the distance, where the mother beast was hiding behind the bushes, peeking out, but dared not approach because of Caesar's aura.
"There's no need for that." Ning Shuyin carefully placed the little creatures back into their nest. "They belong here. Their mother will be sad if you take them away."
Caesar looked at her and suddenly smiled. He stood up and ruffled Ning Shuyin's hair.
"Little one, we all respect your choice."
His voice was carried away by the wind through the forest, drifting far away.
"It's because I truly like you that I want you to be happy."
His blue eyes gazed intently at her, while in the distance, the setting sun cast its last rays—the fourth day of sunset.
The two swayed on a swing, watching the last rays of sunlight fade away. The sky grew increasingly dark.
The four days came to an end just like that.
Caesar reached out his hand to her, though he still seemed to be smiling, his eyes were slightly red.
"Come on, little one. Tell me where you're going, and I'll take you there."
——
The poisonous fog that perpetually shrouds the swamp surrounding the K99 ruins is particularly thick tonight.
Several starships hovered in mid-air. Situ Linchen, Luo Lan, and Zhou Zhiheng were already waiting there.
In addition, a small hummingbird aircraft was parked on the perimeter.
Caesar appeared with Ning Shuyin.
In that instant, the other three men all looked at her, greedily tracing her features, as if trying to etch her image into their souls.
Ning Shuyin turned to face the quiet, black swamp.
Rumble!
The swamp mud churned wildly. A colossal object slowly rose.
The mud and vines slid off, revealing K99 in its original form. Mysterious, cold.
K99 has no doors; its depths can be seen from the outside.
Ning Shuyin walked straight in. Behind her, there were many lingering gazes.
Buzz—
Suddenly, a deafening buzzing sound came from the horizon.
At the horizon, a massive, dark mechanical army surged in like a tide.
Not only Kross's new black army, but also countless broken silver-white mechanical queens, and even those square low-level mechanical computing units.
They covered the sky and obscured the stars.
These steel creations, which once only knew how to kill, now converge in the air to form a long river of silver and black.
Kross was in the very center of them, with his pair of steel wings fully spread behind him.
Then, he transformed into a streak of light and rushed into the entrance passage of the K99 ruins.
The mechanical race behind him followed closely. Countless mechanical beings rushed into the ark, almost creating a storm in the surrounding space.
Although the K99 is quite large, it cannot accommodate that many Mechs.
Upon closer inspection, Situ Linchen discovered that the moment they rushed into the entrance, their figures were transformed into specks of light, as if they had vanished from this dimension of the universe.
The light grew brighter and brighter.
It took more than four hours until the last mechanical object disappeared into the light gate.
boom!
A deafening roar erupted from the K99 ruins. The original physical form began to blur.
In the end, the colossal object transformed into a beam of light, folded, collapsed, and finally became a single point of light, disappearing completely.
The swamp wind still stank. There's nothing left here.
it's over.
it's all over.
Suddenly, a coughing sound came from the still lingering dust and mist.
"Cough cough..." That voice was so familiar.
As the dust gradually settled in the chaotic mud, a petite figure slowly emerged.
Ning Shuyin was standing there, covering her mouth with one hand and awkwardly tidying her disheveled clothes with the other.
She's fine.
She's still here.
The four men's emotions were like a rollercoaster ride. They rushed to her side at lightning speed. Almost simultaneously, all four hands were on her shoulders.
She has a physical form, she is warm, she is not an illusion or a phantom.
Ning Shuyin was startled by the four pairs of eyes in front of her that looked like they wanted to devour her.
“I’m sorry, but because Kross is taking the entire Machine Race along with the Divine Court, this matter must be kept secret until it is completed,” she explained.
She had been lost and then found again, and four men surrounded her, fearing that she would disappear again if they relaxed their guard even slightly.
The small hummingbird aircraft that had been hovering on the perimeter suddenly flew over quickly and hovered steadily above Ning Shuyin's head.
The hatch opened, revealing Su Qianqian's pink-haired head.
"Shuyin! Come on up."
"They're here!"
Ning Shuyin nimbly grabbed the hummingbird connecting ladder. Before the four men could touch the hem of her clothes, she was lifted off the ground by the aircraft.
The aircraft whooshed away, leaving four dumbfounded men standing there, bewildered and disoriented.
A moment later.
Caesar suddenly burst into laughter: "Hahaha! We were worried for nothing. It turns out this little rascal had a plan all along."
Situ Linchen watched the small black dot disappear into the distance: "Not necessarily, she has another option."
Zhou Zhiheng looked relaxed: "As long as they haven't left, there's plenty of time in the future."
The three reacted in reverse, discovering that Loran was no longer there.
While the three of them were chatting and relaxing, the Panacea had already chased after the little hummingbird aircraft.
——
Star A, with its dazzling night view and countless lights shining from home.
Su Qianqian's home in the Cloud Apartment was lit with a warm light, an inconspicuous spot among the myriad sparks of light.
Ning Shuyin was nestled in Qianqian's soft fabric sofa, hugging a plush cushion and holding a cup of hot milk tea.
She was still somewhat dazed.
I just said my final goodbye to Klose at the K99 ruins.
After successfully seizing power, he semi-forced the entire Divine Court, along with all the Machine Race, into the Genesis Ark of the K99 Ruins.
The empty little world within the ancient wooden box becomes the core of a new universe. Once he enters that new dimension, he will be forever separated from her, and the chains binding his mind will become meaningless.
Having witnessed the magnificent explosion of the new universe, her mind is still filled with a white light.
Su Qianqian leaned on Gu Lei's shoulder, blinking her eyes and smiling as she stared at Ning Shuyin. To be precise, she was staring at Ning Shuyin and the protector in front of her.
"Don't move yet." A voice as cold as a spring rang out.
Loran knelt on the carpet in front of Ning Shuyin, holding a medical examination pen in her hand, and scanned her wrist.
“Fortunately, the residual high-dimensional radiation is within safe limits,” Loran frowned slightly, “but since you have been impacted by the energy of a cosmic explosion, I must keep you under close surveillance 24 hours a day.”
Ning Shuyin was about to say no.
The smart door access control at the entrance has already sounded.
Su Qianqian glanced at her personal terminal. Although her boss was among the visitors, she was too lazy to get up from the sofa and simply opened the door remotely.
Three men with imposing presence entered almost simultaneously. Fortunately, the apartment door was wide enough.
Situ Linchen had changed into a smart casual outfit and was holding a long, rectangular gift box in his hands.
Zhou Zhiheng followed closely behind. He had also clearly changed his clothes, wearing a striking blue Tang suit. Behind him, a robot carried an eye-catching quantum safe.
Caesar wore a navy blue trench coat, and his long hair was loosely tied at the end with a bow—a hairstyle that was anything but simple. Clearly, he had also dressed up carefully.
He held a shimmering, round ball in his hand, like a Pokémon box.
The three men stopped in front of the sofa, glanced at Luo Lan with hostility, and then turned to Ning Shuyin with smiles.
“This is Andreas red berry wine,” Situ Linchen said, opening the gift box. “It’s a limited edition across the entire star system. It’s for you to enjoy as a snack.”
"Heh, how shabby." Zhou Zhiheng chuckled, and the robot behind him had already opened the safe, the light almost blinding everyone.
"This necklace is made of deep space crystals, each crystal is worth the equivalent of a mineral planet. You can wear it for fun when you go out."
"Tch, money-grubbing." Caesar tossed the glowing sphere in his hand to Ning Shuyin: "Little cutie, this is a rare extraterrestrial star core. It can enhance your combat abilities, or you can use it as a light."
After the three men finished displaying their gifts, they all looked at Loran with eyes full of mockery.
"Looks like our chief biologist arrived in a hurry. Can't even afford a souvenir? Is he planning to freeload?" Zhou Zhiheng said sarcastically.
Loran stood up, her red eyes flashing slightly.
“I didn’t bring any extra gifts.” Loran sat down next to Ning Shuyin and looked at the other three frankly. “Because I am the gift.”
Ning Shuyin: "Huh?"
Loran said earnestly, "I have a vast amount of academic knowledge, so I can be your chat partner; my body has been genetically enhanced, so I can be your sparring partner; I have an S-level nutritionist license from the Alliance, so I can accompany you during meals; of course..."
His eyes deepened: "I am an expert in human physiology. If needed, I can provide the most perfect companionship service."
"Cough cough." Ning Shuyin almost spat out her hot milk tea. Ever since Luo Lan said those embarrassing things to her last time, she'd been acting strangely.
"Shameless!" the three men shouted in unison.
The living room was starting to smell of gunpowder.
Ning Shuyin said helplessly, "Well, let's stop this competition for now. I'm hungry."
Su Qianqian, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, grinned mischievously: "Oh, unfortunately, I messed up the logic module of my service robot, and it can't distinguish between sugar and salt. I'll have to rely on you all tonight."
Four tall, muscular men with imposing presence squeezed into Su Qianqian's kitchen.
Su Qianqian had already opened the food delivery app on her personal terminal: "What do you want to eat? How about the 'Grand Slam Platter' of land, sea, and air?"
Gu Lei covered his mouth and laughed.
Ning Shuyin sighed, already able to foresee the chaotic life that was about to unfold.
—End of text—
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