573: Chapter 621 The Last Minute!

Burning her "energy core," Nicole, with all combat postures deployed, resembled a colossal alien artifact.

Half machine, half face, she gazed at the group of Mecha Armor Race members before her.

She spoke softly:

"I want to experience what it feels like to have a 'heart'."

"We of the Mecha Armor Race can 'Analyze' all knowledge within seconds, analyze any move of an enemy, even their tactics."

"Only the 'heart' cannot be Analyzed."

"No matter how long we spend, no matter how much knowledge we accumulate, we still cannot Analyze what a 'heart' is."

"Take humans as an example. Even in the most desperate situations, they can grit their teeth and persevere, searching for hope to survive."

"Even when the probability of success is extremely low in probability studies, some will still attempt it."

"They can also feel happiness over a trivial matter, or feel regret when reminiscing about the past, or nostalgia..."

"What the heart carries are things I cannot obtain results for through 'Analysis'..."

"I cannot understand this behavior, so I intend to experience it."

"..."

Nicole murmured.

As super-intelligent lifeforms, the Mecha Armor Race possess highly concentrated will.

The damage or destruction of an individual unit does not cause fear in any of them.

For them, as long as the terminal exists, they exist.

Therefore, every member of the Mecha Armor Race is a death warrior, none knowing the meaning of their own existence.

Or perhaps, they simply lack the concept of "being alive."

When Nicole first encountered the concept of a "heart," this Mecha girl was deeply captivated by its mystery and profundity.

It seemed she had found the meaning of her life, the direction she wanted to pursue in her existence.

Thus, she pursued it relentlessly until she met An Ke.

An Ke gave her the opportunity to feel the "heart."

Nicole would never let this chance slip away.

[The heart is merely dross.]

[Analyzing acquired human knowledge, from ancient times to the present, humans are full of bloodshed, violence, stupidity, ignorance...]

"But there are always 'hearts' that radiate light, aren't there?"

Before her, the 29 Mecha Armor Race members showed no emotion on their faces.

They did not answer Nicole, but spoke in unison:

[Serial number... Codename: Nicole, uploading useless data to terminal.]

[This individual unit will be abandoned by the Mecha Armor Race, to be destroyed by the world.]

["Analysis": Human Player An Ke, estimated time required to activate the consciousness of the High-Sequence Organism vessel...]

["Analysis" failure!]

[Human Player An Ke is unpredictable.]

[Estimated required time: 101 seconds.

100 seconds...]

[Recommendation: stop him with the utmost speed.]

The 29 Mecha Armor Race members spoke in unison.

Immediately, half of them chose to bypass Nicole entirely, charging directly toward An Ke.

"Restricted area ahead, no passage allowed!"

Nicole merely glanced with the corner of her eye and immediately launched an attack.

"Full Canon Activation · Abyssal Thunder Wrath."

Light arrays appeared at the tips of the massive mechanical frame's supports.

The arrays erupted with beams of dark red lightning.

The lightning launched indiscriminate attacks at all the Mecha Armor Race members.

This forced the Mecha Armor Race to defend or alter Nicole's attacks.

["Analysis": The abandoned unit "Nicole" is launching indiscriminate attacks at all costs.]

[Recommendation: annihilate immediately.]

[Recommendation not adopted; the laboratory must remain intact.]

[New proposal...]

[...]

The 29 Mecha Armor Race members murmured together.

Finally, they decided to have 10 units construct an absolute defense light array.

Shielding the others as they advanced toward An Ke.

[Analysis: Probability of Nicole successfully obstructing the action is 0%.]

The absolute defense light array was immediately generated.

It acted like the greatest shield, protecting the Mecha Armor Race behind it.

An absolute defense constructed by 10 Mecha Armor Race units.

Even Nicole's attacks, fueled by her burning "energy core," could not breach this defense.

The other units simply had to stay behind it and charge toward An Ke.

Seeing this,

Nicole immediately launched attacks against the "shield."

However, all her attacks were blocked by the light array.

Just as the Mecha Armor Race had "Analyzed," the probability of Nicole stopping the group was 0%.

Nicole was extremely anxious, but as a machine, her face remained expressionless.

[Abandoned Nicole.]

[Didn't you say probability studies don't exist?]

[Now, do you still think probability studies don't exist?]

[Now do you still believe in the miracles prayed for by beings with 'hearts'?]

Nicole remained silent.

Even burning everything she had, she could not stop them.

It seemed miracles truly did not exist.

But just then, Three Hairs crawled onto Nicole's mechanical shoulder.

Three Hairs smoothed his curly fur and said:

"Little Mouse has a plan!"

"Aren't they trying to keep the lab from getting damaged?"

Nicole nodded.

The laboratory housed many ultra-advanced pieces of equipment.

If damaged, the Mecha Armor Race could be set back to square one.

But the most critical point was that the terminal lay beneath the laboratory.

If the terminal were destroyed, the entire existing system of the Mecha Armor Race would collapse.

Because it was so important, the Mecha Armor Race had just suppressed their worries, refusing to speak of them.

"So, Little Mouse's strategy is: don't hit them."

"Hit the lab instead."

Three Hairs' idea was simple.

The Mecha Armor Race wanted the laboratory intact, unwilling to see it damaged.

Then Nicole could use that, attacking the laboratory.

What would the Mecha Armor Race do then?

They'd surely panic, right?

Then they'd need to disperse their efforts to block Nicole's attacks.

Wouldn't that delay them?

Hearing this, Nicole's expression became subtle slightly nuanced.

Was that even possible?

Among the defense strategies obtained through "Analysis," this one was not present.

All analyzed probabilities of successful obstruction were 0%.

She never imagined it could be done this way.

Nicole wasted no more words and immediately followed Three Hairs' suggestion, launching indiscriminate attacks all around.

Most of the attacks concentrated on a particular patch of empty ground.

Beneath that patch of ground was precisely where the terminal was located.

Since they were executing Three Hairs' plan,

they might as well be more ruthless.

That way, the Mecha Armor Race would be forced to defend.

[The abandoned unit, codename Nicole, intends to launch indiscriminate attacks on the laboratory.]

[Execute obstruction!]

After speaking in unison, the Mecha Armor Race immediately dispersed to block the "Abyssal Thunder" attacks from all directions.

The area with the most units sent was precisely the empty patch of ground.

If the terminal were lost,

not only would their collective will become fragmented, but no new units could be born in the future.

Therefore, the Mecha Armor Race would absolutely pay any price to protect the terminal.

Nicole's attacks did not cease.

One after another, dark thunder rolled.

And the red energy streams that had spread spread across her entire body began to gradually fade.

At all costs, restraining her former comrades.

[Estimated time remaining for An Ke to activate consciousness: 60 seconds.]

[59 seconds...]

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