Chapter 185: Let Me Help You

"Could it be... that I have to spend my whole life here?"

"Unyielding emotions surged forth; intense emotions that even the Logic Core could not suppress, but this situation seriously violated a certain clause within the Logic Core's agreement—you only felt your vision blur, the Crystal Core burst into brilliant sparks, and a crucial component that could probabilistically give machinery emotion was burned out."

"Originally, from this moment on, you should have bid farewell to emotions entirely; you should no longer be special, no longer capable of feeling, and should become a truly 'normal' mecha."

"But for some unknown reason, perhaps due to some mysterious force taking effect, that crucial component was not completely burned out, yet it suffered irreversible damage."

"The unwilling emotions faded, the Logic Core returned to calm; at least for this period, you no longer possessed anything called emotion."

"Year 70 of the Mechanical Age: you built a leaky little shack as your base, and your sole pastime was watching a not-yet-scrapped television set, whose news let you learn much about the outside world."

"For example, the insect-disaster battlefield you once fought on has been subdued, the Federation has developed new mecha, and the name 'Iron Cavalry' was changed to 'Iron Guard,' etc."

"If your former self had seen these, you might have been curious, but your present self is no longer the mecha that would get excited at seeing a mecha bearing the Iron Guard."

"Life passed day by day like this, and just when you thought you'd be stuck here forever, an uninvited guest appeared beside you."

"Wow! Are you an Iron Guard?"

"Standing before you was a boy dressed rather shabbily, appearing to be about eleven or twelve years old."

"Although his clothes were shabby, his garments and face were spotlessly clean, and his innocent eyes were filled with purity and foolishness."

"Answer: I once was."

"1227 replied; although his current favorability toward humanity is low, the agreement within his Logic Core prevents him from ignoring the words of the humans before him."

"Clause One: In the absence of Iron Guard, one must not harm humans, must not resist humans, must not refuse humans, and the orders of Iron Guard supersede all other agreements."

"Under this clause, 1227 answered his question."

"How long have you been staying here!"

"Answer: 10 years."

"Wow! What a coincidence! I'm also exactly ten years old this year!"

"The emotionless mechanical eye gave a speechless glance at the chattering fellow beside it; even without emotion, 1227 could still perform very human-like actions."

"Notice: Human child, there are many radiation sources here, the danger level is high; please leave as soon as possible."

"Hey! Are you the boss managing this Scrap Mountain?"

"The boy ignored 1227's words; to him this place is an important source for sustaining survival, he had never explored this area before, but today he discovered an unexpected windfall."

"Then I won't disturb you, old man; I'll go find some scrap to sell."

"The boy walked away, and not far from you he kept rummaging, occasionally pulling out some black objects, appearing very busy."

"Afterward, the boy became your regular visitor, occasionally dropping by your shack to see the television you had painstakingly repaired, and sometimes bringing the game console he had scavenged and fixed, insisting you play with him."

"You could faintly sense that the boy seemed to have some purpose, but you could not refuse humanity, so you merely accompanied him in play, and unconsciously grew accustomed to his presence."

"Year 75 of the Mechanical Age: unnoticed, another five years passed, and the boy gradually changed from his former clear-eyed foolishness into a handsome, well‑featured youth."

"He possesses a superb repair skill honed since childhood, naturally with some of your assistance."

"Relying on this skill, his life gradually improved."

"Recently he often complains to you, and you can roughly understand: he is about to enter the Mechanized Infantry Academy for further study, while his peers all own their own mecha, which he simply cannot afford."

"Without a mecha, he would completely lose his eligibility to enroll."

"When he says this, he keeps glancing at you from time to time; as a 'old-timer' who has lived this long, your Logic Core clearly discerns his little thoughts."

"'He wants to become my pilot.' This thought arose in the Logic Core, and 1227 fell silent."

"Whether to choose to trust humanity again is a good question, but 1227 does not know if it can trust the other party."

"Question: Your purpose should not be merely to complain to me."

"Supplement: You may speak freely; I am listening."

"Hearing such a human‑like reply, the boy's eyes lit up; he had never heard an Iron Guard express views so humanely, and for this reason he trusted his own judgment!"

"This machine before him not only possesses such a human‑like manner of expression, but also possesses various kinds of technology."

"He knows that this machine before him is very likely an antique from the previous century; here, it could absolutely not be mere junk!"

"He pondered for a moment, then dragged over from outside a small cart covered with a cloth, and yanked it away in front of 1227."

"Old man! I want you to be my Iron Guard! These are the mechanical legs I bought for you with all my savings these past years! Please come out of retirement!"

"Help me!!!"

"On the cart lay two brand‑new iron alloy lower limbs; they were not some top‑tier model, but to the boy they were certainly a fortune."

"1227 gazed at the cart, light flickering in its eyes."

"The Logic Core was analyzing; the mechanical limbs had already been brought over, and wanting to return them would surely incur a huge loss."

"If you refuse him now, this boy will miss the sole opportunity in his life to turn things around."

"But if you do not refuse him...."

"Within the Logic Core, data clashed left and right; the left Crystal Core attacked the right data, and 1227 momentarily fell into a deadlock."

"But outwardly, he remained silent."

"The boy stared nervously at the counterpart, his palms clenched tight."

"1227's logic was locked in left‑right struggle, and unbeknownst which clause reacted first, it came up with a sentence."

"'If we refuse him, we might spend our whole lives here.'"

"Exactly, refusing him would also make me lose this chance to emerge."

"After five years of association, his tenacious quality, optimistic attitude, and never‑complaining nature perfectly match the excellent human qualities recorded in the logic."

"Left and right brain conflict ceased, and 1227 finally lifted its head to look at the boy."

"Review passed, agreement transferred."

"I am the T301—1227 Basic Sword‑Edge Type Mecha, pleased to meet you."

"You can call me 1227; from now on, I will assist you."