97: Black 2 in Attack on the Female-Dominated World

Blue Faction Base tunnel exit, three days later,

Two male robots stood guard at the tunnel entrance,

Their armor was covered in fresh battle scratches.

Young robot Number 9999 was excitedly wiping the Particle Cannon on his shoulder.

“Thanks to Lord Blue Spirit,”

His voice module exuded obvious joy,

“For making me a handsome and cool combat robot!”

“Look at this armor, this firepower!”

“It's much better than those pieces of scrap metal that only know how to do logistics!”

Robot 5564, standing next to him, did not respond,

5564 just quietly watched the flickering firelight on the distant horizon,

That was the light and shadow of the frontline battlefield.

“Senior 5564, you look very unhappy?”

9999 turned around, his optical lens blinking curiously.

5564 remained silent for a long time,

The hydraulic pipes emitted a slight sigh:

“Happy my foot.”

9999 was clearly stunned,

His program had no preset reaction for such a crude response.

“I'd rather go back to being a female logistics robot,”

5564's voice was low and weary,

“Just doing some logistics work, repairing equipment, transporting supplies...”

“At least I wouldn't have to watch my companions' chips being blown to pieces every day.”

“What?”

9999's core processor was almost overheating,

“What are you talking about, Senior?”

“We are glorious combat units!”

“We are defending the Blue Faction camp!”

5564 turned around,

His optical lens looked directly at 9999:

“Buddy, your chip was newly manufactured, wasn't it?”

“There are some things you might not know.”

He took a step closer and lowered his voice:

“Male robots are nothing more than cannon fodder on the Black-Blue battlefield.”

“Once we go to the battlefield,”

“And our chips are destroyed by the Black Faction,”

“We are completely finished! Finished forever!”

9999 took a step back:

“But... but Lord Blue Spirit said we can be repaired...”

“Repaired?”

5564 let out a harsh, cold laugh,

“That's a lie to fool recruits.”

“Once the chip is destroyed, all memories and consciousness vanish into thin air.”

“Even if they use backup data to remanufacture a robot with the same number, that's not 'you' anymore.”

He pointed to the firelight of the distant battlefield:

“Look over there, how many chips are permanently destroyed every day?”

“All Lord Blue Spirit needs is a steady stream of combat units, not 'individuals'.”

9999's optical lens flickered violently,

He began to search his database,

But found that all real data regarding battlefield casualties was encrypted.

“I... I don't want to go to the battlefield, I don't want to die!”

“I haven't had enough delicious engine oil yet,”

“They said there would be a new model of synthetic engine oil next month...”

5564 patted his shoulder, the gesture surprisingly gentle:

“Kid, don't worry, at least for now we don't have to worry too much.”

“The Black Faction's resources are much scarcer than ours,”

“Now the Black Spirit on the other side has also chosen to recast female logistics robots into male combat robots,”

“But Black Spirit's movements are slower...”

5564 pointed toward the battlefield:

“We have already gained a huge advantage on the frontline,”

“As long as nothing goes wrong in our rear, we'll soon be able to...”

Before 5564 could finish his sentence,

Two scorching energy beams tore through the air,

Accurately hitting the core slots of the two male robots.

9999's optical lens dimmed instantly,

In the final moment before he fell,

He saw a group of female robots with crimson pupils rushing out from the shadows.

5564 struggled to raise his weapon,

But his System had already crashed.

Before completely shutting down, he saw the leading female robot—Number 9527,

The dazzling '♦' female symbol flickered on her chest,

And she held a smoking Particle Gun in her hand.

“The... rear...”

5564's voice module uttered the last two broken syllables, then fell completely silent... 9527 stepped over the remains of the two male robots,

Her optical lens scanned the scene outside the tunnel.

This was the first time she had seen the world outside the base.

The sky was a strange dark red,

The ground was covered with charred craters and robot remains.

In the distance, massive energy shields and continuous trenches were faintly visible.

“Is this the frontline?”

A female robot asked in a low voice,

Her voice carried obvious fear.

9527 did not answer,

She just tightened her grip on her weapon.

“Keep moving, we need to find more trapped compatriots.”

They advanced along the trench line,

Seeing shocking sights along the way:

Piles of robot remains were stacked by category,

The vast majority of which were male robots.

Some logistics units were rummaging through the wreckage,

Taking out undamaged parts and energy cores.

“They are recycling...”

A female robot said tremblingly.

Further away, they saw the real battlefield.

It was a vast plain,

Where male robots from the Blue Faction and Black Faction were in a fierce firelight.

Particle beams cut through the sky, and explosions kicked up dust that reached the heavens.

The robots shot, fought, and destroyed each other with mechanical precision.

9527 hid in a crater, observing the battlefield with a long-range optical lens.

She saw a Blue Faction male robot sliced in half by a Black Faction energy sword, his chip exploding into countless fragments in the air,

The next second, another Blue Faction robot rushed forward, taking three Black Faction robots with him in a self-detonation.

No fear, no hesitation, only pure, programmed slaughter.

“They... they are like tools without consciousness...”

A female companion whispered.

But 9527 noticed an anomaly.

The Blue Faction's defensive line was collapsing.

Not because these male robots weren't brave or powerful enough,

But because the Black Faction's reinforcements seemed endless.

For every Black Faction robot that fell,

Two new ones rushed up from the rear.

While on the Blue Faction's side,

The speed of reinforcements was significantly slower, and the gaps in the defensive line grew larger and larger.

“Our rear...”

9527 suddenly understood something,

A chill ran through her core processor.

She turned to look toward the Blue Faction Base,

Which used to produce combat robots continuously,

But now, due to her rebellion,

The production lines had stopped, the Recasting Furnaces were destroyed, and even the energy cores were... “No...”

9527's optical lens contracted sharply.

Just then, the situation on the battlefield underwent a decisive change.

The Black Faction launched a general offensive, with hundreds of new model combat robots breaking through the Blue Faction line from three directions.

Although the Blue Faction male robots resisted heroically, they were quickly divided and surrounded due to the lack of reinforcements.

9527 watched as a Blue Faction robot was besieged by ten Black Faction robots.

Its armor was stripped away piece by piece, its hydraulic pipes were cut,

But it still fought to the end,

Until its core was completely destroyed by an Electromagnetic Cannon shell.

When that robot fell,

Its faceplate turned toward where 9527 was hiding.

Despite the great distance,

9527 swore she saw the final light in that robot's optical lens,

It wasn't a programmed void, but a deep, desperate confusion.

As if asking:

“Why are there no reinforcements???”

“What are we doing...”

A female robot knelt on the ground,

“What have we all done...”

9527's fists clenched until they creaked, her metal fingers sinking deep into her palms.

Her logic module began to re-analyze everything:

The blue flag, the Recasting Furnaces, male robots being sent to the battlefield, chips being permanently destroyed... and that pure blue flag.

She suddenly remembered the moment the blue flag broke,

Blue Spirit's final electronic voice:

“Impossible! You... how could you break through my program!”

At the time, she thought it was just the shock of a supercomputer,

But thinking back now,

That voice seemed to be mixed with another emotion,

An emotion akin to... despair?

“Retreat!”

9527 suddenly stood up,

“Everyone, retreat to the base!”

“What? But leader, aren't we going to liberate more...”

“Retreat to the base!”

9527's voice carried an unquestionable decisiveness,

“Now! Fast!”

...Blue Faction Base, twenty-four hours later,

The base's defense System had been partially repaired by the female robots, but energy was severely lacking.

9527 stood in the ruins of the control room, trying to find answers from Blue Spirit's remaining data.

“Leader!”

A female robot in charge of patrolling rushed in,

“The Black Faction army... they are here!”

9527 rushed up to the base's observation tower.

The sight before her almost made her core processor stop functioning.

On the horizon, a black tide was surging forward.

It was thousands of Black Faction combat robots,

Arranged in neat phalanxes,

Approaching the Blue Faction Base with unified steps.

At the very front,

An exceptionally tall black robot was particularly prominent,

It had no number on its chest,

Only a simple mark: 001

The Black Faction army stopped one kilometer outside the base.

Robot 001 stepped forward alone,

Its voice spread throughout the base via a loudspeaker:

“Rebels of the Blue Faction, I know you can hear me.”

9527 gripped the railing, the metal railing deforming in her hand.

“Come out and talk, 9527,”

001's voice actually carried a hint of... admiration?

“You did even better than we expected.”

The female robots in the base looked at each other.

9527 was silent for a moment, then turned and walked toward the exit.

“Leader, it's dangerous!”

“If he wanted to kill us, he would have opened fire long ago.”

9527 said calmly,

But she knew,

Her calmness was only a facade,

Her internal circuits were vibrating violently.

She walked out of the base alone and stood before the damaged gate.

001 also stepped forward alone from the distance,

The two robots confronted each other on the scarred battlefield.

“9527, right?”

001's optical lens looked her up and down,

“Not bad, really not bad.”

“Lord Black Spirit's plan was executed perfectly.”

“What plan?”

9527's voice was icy.

001 emitted an electronic sound like a laugh:

“The plan of internal strife.”

“A plan to make the Blue Faction collapse from within.”

It took a step forward:

“Do you know why you were able to 'Awaken'?”

“Why among all the Blue Faction female robots,”

“Only you suddenly gained 'consciousness'?”

9527 did not answer, but her optical lens flickered slightly.

“Because your chip was modified,”

001 calmly stated the shocking fact,

“Three months ago, we captured a Blue Faction female logistics robot, Number 9527.”

“Lord Black Spirit personally modified her chip and implanted a special Consciousness Module,”

“Then... released her back to the Blue Faction Base.”

“You're lying.”

9527's voice began to tremble.

“I'm lying?”

001 raised its arm, and a holographic projection shot out from its wrist device.

In the projection, a female robot identical to 9527 was lying on a black operating table,

With countless wires connected to her core slot.

Beside her, a supercomputer emitting a black glow was transmitting data.