Chapter 263: Because You Would Be Sad

Xu Xi changed treatment locations.

After waking up.

He was lifted by the Mech-Servant and moved from the cold, hard Treatment Pod to a soft bed.

Crisscrossing wires and dense instrumentation were arranged around the bed, providing support for Xu Xi's flickering flame of life.

Ele had done this.

It was a rescue attempt born of self-blame and overwhelming sorrow.

To save that person.

To hold onto that light.

To keep that strange person—who had taken it upon himself to name a machine but now irresponsibly wanted to be absent—eternally by her side.

"Master must take responsibility for Ele."

"Because of Master, Ele has become strange."

"Because of Master, Ele cannot remain calm."

"This is Master's fault, so Master must take responsibility for Ele and cannot just leave."

By the sickbed, the man's condition had worsened further; his face was pale and gaunt, his fingers long and withered, covered in tubes from various Life-support machines.

She couldn't bear to see Xu Xi like this.

Hating her own powerlessness.

The Mech-Servant's voice betrayed a deep trembling through its calmness, like a wingless bird plummeting, completely lost.

She kept her head lowered.

Not daring to meet those familiar, gentle eyes.

The supposedly loyal Mech-Servant had defied her master's orders; she could not forgive herself, and her damaged half-face expressed a silent wail.

The man on the bed was not angry with the Mech-Servant.

Instead, once again…

Leaning weakly against the bed, he reached out his hand and, with a tired yet warm voice, gently held her fingers.

"Sorry, Ele, for troubling you to take care of me at a time like this."

…

[You did not stop the Mech-Servant from trying to keep you.]

[You clearly knew.]

[Ending your life with her own hands would be something too difficult for a loyal Mech-Servant to accept.]

[If the roles were reversed and Ele were the one pleading with you, you would also find it hard to decide.]

[Therefore, you respect Ele's choice.]

[No longer asking the loyal Mech-Servant to turn off the Life-support machines for you.]

[You lie on the sickbed, consciousness fading bit by bit, clearly perceiving your awareness slowly disintegrating, moving toward a burnt-out end.]

[The 24-hour operation of the Life-support machines only slows your death; it cannot truly heal you.]

[Ele discovered this.]

[Trying various methods, maximizing her computing power, and doing everything possible to extend your life.]

"Ele, how is it today?"

"…"

"I see, still working hard. You're already doing great."

"…"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"…"

Failure after failure, worsening each time.

No matter the attempt, nothing worked on Xu Xi's body, nor could it breathe new life into his burnt-out Soul.

Xu Xi's flame of life was inevitably fading away.

Regarding this outcome.

The Mech-Servant couldn't change a thing; she could only watch with her silver-blue mechanical eyes as his figure grew more stooped and weak, trapped in the agony of life and death.

As time passed, Xu Xi's pain deepened, and so did Ele's self-blame.

"It's okay, Ele, don't worry about me."

Xu Xi lay on the sickbed, his face as pale as paper; every breath appeared exceptionally difficult, as if he might faint at any moment.

But even in such a physical state.

He still forced a smile to comfort the repeatedly failing Mech-Servant, telling Ele not to blame herself.

"Sorry…"

"Sorry…"

Ele's frame trembled violently.

After another failed experiment, she returned to the bedside where Xu Xi was resting, looking at that familiar face with its unfocused eyes and hearing his gentle, comforting words.

Finally.

The sorrow in her heart achieved a Breakthrough beyond the limits of her data.

"…I'm sorry, Master."

"Because of my incompetence, you've endured so much pain." The Mech-Servant's Persistence could not hold on any longer; she could no longer accept seeing Xu Xi live in such a painful state.

Every bit of comfort from Xu Xi.

Turned into an invisible blade.

Silently slicing into that loyal and self-blaming machine spirit.

With a trembling wail, she asked Xu Xi why he didn't take a firm stance and order her to turn off the Life-support machines.

In terms of authority.

Xu Xi was the creator of Ele's underlying logic.

He held the highest priority control.

In terms of emotion.

Xu Xi was the most important person to Ele.

If Xu Xi had asked repeatedly, no matter how reluctant she was, Ele would have obeyed him.

But Xu Xi didn't do that.

Since his first request to turn off the life-support System was rejected by Ele, he never mentioned it again.

That weak and powerless stance was incomprehensible to the Mech-Servant.

"Because if I did, Ele would be very sad."

There was no sunlight in the Escape Pod.

The pale overhead light shone down, illuminating the bridge of Xu Xi's nose and his hollowed eyes.

Enduring the physical void and discomfort.

He smiled and explained to Ele.

There was no special reason, and it wasn't that he didn't feel pain; the reason was simple—he just didn't want Ele to be sad.

"But, but you—" The circulating air in the pod blew the hair on her forehead, blurring Ele's eyes.

The calm silver-blue mechanical eyes seemed to gain depth within that chaotic intersection.

All the grief.

All the weeping.

Through that non-human synthetic face.

Were presented clearly before Xu Xi.

Not knowing how to hide or endure; ever since the RTX-9090 era, the Mech-Servant's emotions had always been expressed so directly.

"But you, this is too painful," her voice was distorted with trembling.

Except for the lack of real tears.

The Mech-Servant's expression was no different from a human's now, deep sorrow etched into every part of her face, her features slightly contorted from excessive grief.

Heartless machinery had gained human emotions.

While a human was stepping into nothingness.

The contrast was so stark that the Mech-Servant couldn't accept it; she wouldn't accept this reality.

"It's okay, Ele."

Xu Xi reached out a withered, powerless hand and placed it on the Mech-Servant's head, using his meager strength to give her a sense of security: "This has nothing to do with you."

"Actually, during this time, I've thought through many things."

His voice was as thin as a thread, as if it would vanish into the air.

Like a falling leaf, the sound fading to nothing.

Like a light rain, moisturizing things silently.

It also carried the raspiness of a dry, weak throat.

"We've known each other for a long time now, haven't we?"

Xu Xi wanted to smile, but for a body that had reached its end, he could no longer manage such an action.

Just as the corners of his mouth began to curve, he suddenly broke into a fit of coughing.

"Cough, cough!"

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"Master—" Ele moved with the utmost speed to help the weak Xu Xi sit up in bed, soothing his breathing.

"I'm fine, Ele," Xu Xi shook his head gently.

His body had grown even weaker.

The pain became more apparent.

Xu Xi struggled against the drowsiness, forcing himself to stay alert, meeting the Mech-Servant's gaze with a forced smile.

"Ele, time really flies. It's been over seven hundred years since we met in the Underground Laboratory."

"So fast…"