Chapter 50

Yuan Chu's statement left Fei Xiu deep in thought.

Two hours later, Yuan Chu broke the silence. 

"Master, I want to go out for a bit."

Fei Xiu raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

Yuan Chu responded, "To scavenge."

Fei Xiu: ...

About thirty minutes later, Fei Xiu and Yuan Chu returned to the site of their recent battle to collect the wreckage of the mutated mechanical beasts.

A total of 26 mutated mechanical beasts had attacked the human transport convoy, Fei Xiu had taken down 13, the convoy managed to handle 10, and the rest had been recalled by the virus controlled AI of the Iron Ruins.

The ground was a mess, littered with scattered metal fragments, craters left by energy blasts, chaotic tire tracks, and dried bloodstains, all evidence of the intense battle that had just taken place.

Fei Xiu watched as Yuan Chu efficiently gathered the relatively intact mechanical beast remains and metal parts into a cart, her movements skilled and precise, much like a professional scavenger.

Fei Xiu was reminded that he had found his robot in a scrap heap, which explained Yuan Chu's fondness for picking up junk.

"All done." Yuan Chu scanned the area with her electronic eyes to ensure nothing was left behind, satisfied with her work.

Back at the manor, Yuan Chu immediately began sorting through the spoils, identifying three mechanical beasts whose cores had not been destroyed. 

With some core programming modifications and body repairs, they could be repurposed as obedient mechanical beasts for guarding the premises.

Upon hearing her plan, Fei Xiu promptly refused.

"No way. Modifying the core program is dangerous. One mistake, and the virus could infect everything." He wasn’t about to let his loyal robot turn into a human hating renegade.

"As long as we cut off the signal and prevent the virus AI from infiltrating, I can easily clean out the virus." Yuan Chu said confidently, but Fei Xiu remained unmoved.

Finally, Yuan Chu shifted her approach. 

"How about I fix their bodies, and you handle the core modifications?"

Fei Xiu agreed.

The two split the work and got busy in the 60 square-meter garage.

The mechanical beasts Yuan Chu had brought back were heavily damaged and required extensive reconstruction. 

These mechanical creatures had mutated due to the virus implanted by the virus AI, an entity with self-awareness that lurked within the network, hostile toward humans. 

The virus AI primarily crafted mechanical beasts in the form of animals, with canine forms being the most common, hence the general term mutated mechanical beasts.

To bring them under control, Fei Xiu needed to clean out the virus and reprogram their core systems.

Although Fei Xiu had been a mecha warrior, giving him some knowledge of AI systems, he was not as proficient as a professional programmer, so he had to refresh his knowledge. 

Back when his mental capacity was at its peak, his vision, reflexes, memory, and physical coordination were top-notch, allowing him to easily grasp complex tasks and perform high-level operations. 

But now, with only B-grade mental strength and a body far from its prime, his learning efficiency had drastically decreased, requiring far more effort to achieve his goals.

Lines of dense data flashed across the screen rapidly. Fei Xiu concentrated intently, analyzing and decoding the information. 

Ten minutes, twenty minutes, fifty minutes... His brain raced, his mental focus gradually waning, and his fingers stiffened.

Fei Xiu’s face turned pale, his eyes dulled, and his movements faltered repeatedly.

An hour and a half later, he pressed his lips together tightly, his fingers paused as he stared blankly at the rapidly scrolling data on the screen. 

A sense of helplessness welled up inside him.

"Master, I’ve finished repairing one of the mechanical beasts." Yuan Chu’s electronic voice suddenly broke the silence in the garage.

Fei Xiu looked up and saw the odd creation beside Yuan Chu. It had a dog’s head, cat ears, a cat’s body, and two dog-like hind legs, with one eye larger than the other. 

The entire thing looked bizarre and grotesque.

Fei Xiu: "…What is this thing?"

"The improved version of a mechanical beast."

"Are you sure this is improved?"

Yuan Chu nodded affirmatively. 

"Although the design is a bit strange, I guarantee the performance is fine."

Fei Xiu glanced at the mechanical beast's uneven limbs, clearly skeptical.

"Once you modify the core and install it, you'll see for yourself."

When it came to the core, Fei Xiu's enthusiasm waned. "I've only completed 11% so far."

"Based on my calculations, if Master’s B-level mental power could reach 89% control, your efficiency would at least triple."

Feixiu was taken aback and asked, "Do you know what my control level is right now?"

"58%."

Fei Xiu had never realized his control level was so poor.

After a moment’s thought, he stood up and said, "Unit One, come with me."

Fei Xiu led Yuan Chu to his room and played a recording from his AI system.

It was footage from before his injury, showing him fighting against dozens of A-level mecha warriors. The battle lasted thirty minutes, and he achieved victory with only 32% damage.

"Can you analyze what my control level was back then?" Feixiu asked.

Yuan Chu’s eyes lit up, data seemingly flowing within them. After a moment, she replied, "Approximately 74%."

Feixiu was shaken to the core. Even with S-level mental power, he had only been using 74% of his potential?

Yuan Chu continued, "With S-level mental power, once control exceeds 95%, you would enter a personal absolute domain. Airflow, sound, frequencies, breathing, heartbeat, temperature, every surrounding factor would be under your control. Battling dozens of A-level mecha warriors wouldn’t take more than ten minutes."

Fei Xiu’s heart raced. He hadn’t even come close to reaching his limit in the past, there was so much more room for growth. 

But... he looked down at his hands. The chance to feel that strength again had slipped away.

"Master, mental power isn’t the only measure of strength; Control is what truly matters." Yuan Chu tried to comfort him as she saw his mood sink. 

"Even an E-level mental warrior could potentially develop a special skill, like heightened hearing or extraordinary speed, if their control exceeds 99%. Mental power represents potential, but control represents limitless possibilities."

"Limitless possibilities..." Fei Xiu murmured to himself. Then he raised his head, eyes bright with resolve. 

"Unit One, how can I improve my control?"

Yuan Chu’s electronic eyes gleamed with excitement, she had been waiting for this question for a long time.

"It’s simple. Start by modifying the program."

The core program contained a massive amount of data. Without additional software, it was difficult to crack it using only one’s mind. 

But for those with A-level or higher mental power, their processing ability was comparable to a computer. 

As long as they had the necessary knowledge, cracking and rewriting data wasn’t an impossible task.

Fei Xiu’s current mental power was stuck in a frustrating in-between level, and breaking through the data required extremely high control. 

The stronger the control, the more focused the mental power, and the higher the brain's efficiency. However, maintaining this for a long time tested a person's willpower. 

Overexertion could lead to dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. It required intense training and mastering techniques to maximize every bit of mental power.

Fei Xiu calmed his mind and immersed his mental power back into the overwhelming data stream.

Meanwhile, Yuan Chu continued assembling the mechanical beast, occasionally checking on Fei Xiu.

Most people wouldn’t last an hour, but Fei Xiu persisted for two and a half hours on his first attempt, collapsing from exhaustion only when his mental power was completely drained.

Yuan Chu carried him to his room, cleaned him up, changed him into fresh sleepwear, and let him rest comfortably through the night.

The next morning, Fei Xiu woke up with a pounding headache.

Rubbing his temples, he felt as if he had aged a dozen years overnight, his limbs weak.

He rolled out of bed, glanced down, and noticed that his clothes had been changed and his body was clean and dry.

"Good morning, Master." Yuan Chu appeared at the door. 

"Breakfast is ready. Would you like to eat in the dining room or here in your room?"

"Unit One."

Yuan Chu glided over. 

"What are your orders, Master?"

"Did you carry me back to my room yesterday?"

"Yes."

"How did you carry me?"

Yuan Chu demonstrated a princess carry. "Like this."

Imagining his 1.9-meter frame being carried in a princess hold by his 1.3-meter-tall robot, Fei Xiu was speechless: ...

"...Did you also change my clothes?"

"Yes! @^_^@~~"

Fei Xiu could almost hear a hint of pride in the robot's electronic voice.

Since the age of six, he had never let anyone bathe or change him, but yesterday, his own robot broke that streak.

Suddenly, Fei Xiu thought of something. "Unit One, do you have a gender?"

Due to some individuals' personal preferences, some robots are programmed with a gender, and their behavior tends to reflect that setting.

Yuan Chu replied, "My initial gender is female."

Fei Xiu: "Change it to male."

Yuan Chu: "Does Master prefer males?"

Fei Xiu: "No!"

Yuan Chu: "Then why change it to male?"

Fei Xiu: "You’re my robot. If I want you to be male, you’ll be male. If I want you to be female, you’ll be female. Just follow the command. Why so many questions?"

Yuan Chu: "Very well. As you wish, gender updated to... male."

Fei Xiu nodded in satisfaction and got up to wash up in the bathroom.

"Unit One, bring the food up. I’ll eat in my room." Fei Xiu called from the bathroom. However, there was no response.

He peeked his head out and realized his robot had already left the room. 

Typically, Yuan Chu would wait on him until he finished eating before attending to other tasks.

Fei Xiu didn’t think much of it, went downstairs to eat breakfast, and then headed out for a morning run.

After his run, drenched in sweat, he returned but didn't see his robot greet him or hand him his slippers.

Fei Xiu put on his slippers himself and, while passing through the dining room, noticed the breakfast dishes were still on the table, untouched.

Feeling puzzled, Fei Xiu searched around and eventually found his robot in the garage.

"Master, you're back." Yuan Chu glanced at him briefly before returning to assembling the mechanical beast.

Fei Xiu: ... Is my robot getting distant? It's one thing not to fuss over him, but even speaking less now?

Feeling perplexed, Fei Xiu sat down at his workstation and began his daily training, focusing on cracking the program's data.

Two hours later, Fei Xiu collapsed again from exhaustion. This time, he didn’t completely lose consciousness and was still somewhat aware. 

In a daze, he felt himself being lifted horizontally and carried to his room, laid gently on the bed, his whole body sticky and uncomfortable.

Fei Xiu thought to himself that his robot would probably come to clean him up soon. Should he force himself to wake up and firmly refuse?

Lost in his thoughts, time passed, and the room remained silent.

Where was his robot? Why wasn't it cleaning him or changing his clothes?

Fei Xiu opened his sore eyes and looked around. He was alone in the room; the robot had left long ago.

Feeling oddly slighted, Fei Xiu croaked with a dry voice, "Unit One!"

In the garage, Yuan Chu was fully engrossed in work. As a career-focused male now, chores like cleaning and tending to someone’s daily needs could wait until later.

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Fei Xiu: I was wrong! I still prefer the female version of Unit One! Please switch back!!

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