469: Tiansuo Laser

The moment Meiling disappeared, the sound-dampening field around Fuji vanished as well.

The cacophony of the explosion flooded Fuji's ears once more.

Yet, even that ear-piercing roar could not drown out the words Meiling said before she vanished: "I love you."

Liu Yan's severed arm had already healed completely.

Holding the 2D images of Mai Xiaowen and the others, he stared with a solemn expression from afar at the mushroom cloud so dense it was almost solid.

At the same time, he raised his hand, and a military radio appeared beside him.

Liu Yan's hands trembled as he entered Cai Fuji's name into the military radio.

In reality, he didn't need to input it himself.

But at this moment, Liu Yan didn't quite dare to face the truth.

What if... the other party really didn't die?

Then he would truly have no means of resistance.

As the three names were entered, Liu Yan heard sobbing from the other side.

In that instant, Liu Yan's pupils began to tremble uncontrollably, and his free hand couldn't help but clench into a fist...

Why... could even this not kill him...

Just then, Liu Yan noticed the people who had turned into paper cutouts in his arms; their mouths were moving, as if they were shouting at him.

Lowering his head, Liu Yan saw subtitles appearing beside them.

"Run quickly!!"

"Don't just stand there like a fool! Run first!"

"Think of a way later! Don't get yourself killed too!"

Looking at everyone, each with a solemn expression, urging him to run, Liu Yan lowered his eyes and gritted his teeth.

This was his first time losing since coming here.

This feeling... was too disgusting, and too despairing.

Just the first time, and he had lost so thoroughly.

Lost until he had almost nothing left.

In an instant, Liu Yan suddenly recalled.

When he first arrived in this world... the people who got close to him died one after another.

Having stayed in this world for three years, Liu Yan had thought that the decision he made back then was correct, and that such things wouldn't happen again.

But the result...

It wasn't that it didn't come, it just arrived a little late.

Wasn't the goal of the person in front of him, himself?

So... all of this was caused by him.

"Heh... Hahaha..."

"The result is still the same..."

Bean-sized teardrops fell from Liu Yan's eyes, landing on the people in his arms.

Subtitles popped up beside Roy's picture.

"Buddy, run first! Don't cry, you're getting me all wet."

Subtitles also appeared beside Wang Yuhao's picture.

"Gurgle gurgle... Liu Yan... Gurgle gurgle..."

Liu Yan didn't look down at their subtitles; instead, he wiped his tears, raised his hand, and a ruby appeared in it.

Crack—!

After crushing it, Liu Yan's body disappeared from the surface of the sea.

On the other side.

Whoosh—!

With bloodshot eyes, Fuji shot into the sky, flying straight toward the massive interstellar battleship.

At this moment, there wasn't a trace of expression left on his face.

Anger, grievance, sadness—all these emotions that should have been there no longer existed.

Even the last glimmer of light in his eyes had completely disappeared.

Hum—!

Not long after Fuji entered the interstellar battleship, the sound of it starting up followed.

The seawater that hadn't been fully absorbed originally surged wildly into that massive interstellar spaceship again.

If one were to fly into space at this moment and observe this planet.

One would discover that this originally azure planet was now left with only vast stretches of land.

Sitting in the pilot's seat, Fuji numbly watched the progress bar on the control panel.

The only thing echoing in his mind was that sentence: "I love you."

Meiling... as an AI...

Had developed feelings.

Fuji could clearly feel that those words were not spoken by combining algorithms or an attempt to soothe his mood.

If that were the case, Meiling's last words would only have been comforting.

Rather than this sentence.

The purpose of saying these three words while knowing she was about to disappear.

Was the lingering attachment in her heart, the reluctance to part with the other person, the desire to be remembered.

These were not things an AI should have...

"Why did it have to be at this time..."

Fuji slumped over the console, tears streaming down uncontrollably.

He had spent ten years accomplishing a feat that shouldn't have been possible in this world.

That was.

To prove to the entire vast universe.

That a string of data could also fall in love with a cell.

But the destruction of all this took only ten seconds.

Beep—

Suddenly, a sound rang out from the control panel.

Fuji slowly raised his head; the progress bar was full.

After reaching full energy, all functions were completely unlocked at this moment.

The next second, the massive interstellar battleship disappeared instantly.

Immediately after, it appeared out of thin air above Santorinoya.

Seeing the interstellar battleship that completely obscured the sky, the residents of Santorinoya stared blankly.

"Holy crap! A UFO? Has Hafke technology reached this level?"

"Man, technology really does develop fast in peacetime. Damn, at this rate, we'll probably be doing interstellar travel soon, right?"

Everyone took out their phones to take pictures and record this historic moment.

The interstellar battleship hovered in the air, and three streams of data turbulence struck Future Jacob, Romisius, and Demulan with precision.

The next second, the three of them appeared behind Fuji.

Seeing the internal structure of this interstellar battleship, Future Jacob frowned.

"Fuji, what on earth have you done? Where is Liu Yan? Did you kill him?!"

Jacob's chest heaved violently.

This interstellar battleship could easily bring destruction to this civilization, which was once as underdeveloped as primitive people.

"He ran, but he can't escape." Fuji's voice was very flat.

After speaking, he turned his head to look at Romisius.

After informing Romisius of everything that had just happened, he asked him: "Meiling... can she be restored?"

Hearing this, Jacob's eyes lit up.

Liu Yan wasn't dead yet, and even if more energy from the tear of the ocean had been collected here, that amount would be of no help.

As long as he lied to Fuji now, saying Meiling could come back, calmed Fuji's mood, and then they all went back together, they could still stop Liu Yan's plan!

He frantically winked at Romisius.

Seeing Romisius lower his head in thought, Jacob even raised his hand to nudge him, while frantically winking.

Romisius looked up at Jacob, then looked toward Fuji.

"Sorry, Mr. Jacob..."

"In the field of scientific research, there are no lies... even if it brings serious consequences."

"Fuji..."

"Meiling can be restored."

Hearing this, Jacob, who had just been sweating, felt relieved.

But the next second, Romisius's words made Jacob almost curse.

"But it won't be the Meiling you know."

"An AI system with the same capabilities as it can be restored at any time."

"I can even fabricate false memories for it."

"But... you know."

"From... um... a romantic perspective, it is not it."

Romisius's voice fell.

Fuji and Jacob both looked ashen.

"Okay... I understand."

Fuji numbly turned his head and began operating the control panel.

Soon, a mechanical voice came from the battleship.

"Sky Lock Laser module loading..."

"Sky Lock Laser preheating..."

"All active targets have been locked..."

"Please operator, move away from the current planet..."

"Sky Lock Laser countdown..."

"3..."

Fuji operated the control panel continuously, and the massive interstellar battleship disappeared instantly.

"2..."

"1..."