Chapter 196: Lunch, I'll prepare charcoal-grilled insect meat for you, no need to worry

The Kronos Federation—this is how this civilization refers to itself.

When they gradually expanded their influence to over thirty nearby stars, they encountered the insect disaster that chilled countless civilizations, and launched a tug-of-war war lasting several centuries.

Mecha, as this civilization's most important weapon and its cornerstone, they must not possess overly powerful computing power.

Limited and just-right computing power not only can prevent AI from self-upgrading, but also better assist humanity.

But now, this tug-of-war war with the insect disaster that has lasted several centuries finally came to an end with the Federation's internal collapse.

The territory defended by countless martyrs of the Federation ultimately ended in absurd internal strife; what defeated the Federation was never the insect disaster, but themselves.

Insect tide uprising, AI rebellion, Federation disintegration.

Any one of these three is enough to kill a thriving civilization; each would doom a civilization beyond recovery.

But.... the Federation somehow triggered all three at once, these three events gathered together, and the entire civilization is now perilously close to collapse.

And under these circumstances.... can the humans of this civilization still have hope?

And in the city ravaged by the insect tide, the once-standing buildings are already riddled with holes, replaced by ruins covering the ground.

Not a human, not a piece of organic matter can be seen—like a locust plague passing through, everything has been gnawed clean.

Not to mention the greenery of villa districts; even the tree roots underground have been dug up by the insect disaster and swallowed.

On the walls of the ruins there are still many chunks of concrete that have been nibbled; humanity's luxurious city has become dilapidated.

Such is the terror of the insect disaster: each planet invaded by its armies needs decades to barely regain a hint of vitality, and after the insect tide swiftly devours a planet's surface, it rushes on to the next.

Insect disaster, it will never have a moment of being full...

Pain....

Leg... it hurts so much...

Yunxiao gradually came to, the intense pain in her calf made her shed tears the moment she regained consciousness.

"Miss, are you alright?"

All around was darkness, yet from above came the voice of 118, instantly giving Xiaoyunxiao a great sense of safety.

"It hurts.... I hurt..."

Xiaoyunxiao blindly reached out in the dark, first touching a warm object, then the whole face of 118.

"Brother... brother... where is this?"

Yunxiao only felt that there seemed to be a small space around her, but when she reached out and touched it, it was not a smooth wall but rough, sharp stone.

"We are now trapped under the ruins."

"However, don't panic, Miss."

"We'll be able to get out soon."

"Ruins?"

Xiaoyunxiao instantly realized something: we are in the ruins, and 118 is above me—does that mean....

Thinking of this, Xiaoyunxiao panicked immensely; she reached out again and indeed felt 118's arm propped on the ground.

118 used its whole body to prop up the ruins, creating a space for Yunxiao to live.

The clever Yunxiao instantly understood this; her tears gushed forth—she, pampered from childhood, had never seen such a scene.

"Wuwuwu! Brother! Don't die!"

"I'll help you! I'll help you!"

Yunxiao's small body twisted like a pupa, arched her back, pressed against 118's chest, but her arms were too short, so she kept pushing up with her legs.

"....."

118 was momentarily speechless; propping up these debris was not as difficult as Yunxiao imagined.

In the darkness, Yunxiao only felt a large hand appear, turning her body over.

Yunxiao:???

"Miss, I'm not as weak as you imagine."

118 spoke, and Yunxiao then realized that 118 was actually propping up the ruins with just one hand, causing her clever little mind to short-circuit.

"Ah?"

Yunxiao obediently lay down, staring blankly at the darkness ahead.

She could imagine the posture 118 had just used to prop up the ruins.

118 is really strong.

Yunxiao's inner panic vanished completely, replaced by a full sense of security; as long as 118 is by her side, everything will be readily resolved.

The atmosphere fell silent for a while; the energetic Xiaoyunxiao could not tolerate this silence, so she proactively began asking 118.

"Brother... can we still survive?"

"Yes."

"Brother, when can we get out?"

"Soon."

"Brother...."

Xiaoyunxiao kept muttering, throwing out question after question, while 118 didn't miss a single one, responding to Yunxiao in full.

Just like that, ten minutes later....

At this moment Xiaoyunxiao felt a bit dizzy, her speech began to ramble, and 118 knew they could wait no longer.

She had already begun to lack oxygen; originally she wanted to wait for the residual insect disaster outside to subside a bit, but now she really could wait no longer.

"Miss, please cover your eyes, watch out for the sand."

"Ah? Oh!"

The next moment, 118 wrapped one arm around Xiaoyunxiao, holding her in its embrace, and its whole body kept rising.

Accompanied by the sound of sand and soil falling, 118's other arm, like a hydraulic drill, hammered upward; large chunks of Ruins fell from above, were stepped on by 118 beneath its feet, and the two's position kept rising....

Soon, a hand burst through the Ruins, and then the two slowly crawled out of the Ruins, with Yunxiao also slowly opening eyes at that moment.

Endless Ruins, and the land that had been plowed once by an unknown species.

Within a hundred-li radius, not even a blade of grass could be seen.

"Brother... this...."

Gazing at this apocalyptic scene, Xiaoyunxiao felt despair inside.

"Mom and Dad... will they still come back to find us?"

118 remained silent; only he knew that Yun Sheng would never return.

He lied again.

"They will come back, unless something happened to them."

"...."

Xiaoyunxiao felt the surrounding fresh air and fell silent for a moment; their stomach suddenly growled, and now they had to face the issue of how to solve food and warmth.

Especially her, Yunxiao....

The villas' surrounding areas had large tracts of houses destroyed, no longer intact; although the Insect Disaster would devour any visible organic matter and flesh, fortunately their marching speed was too fast, so in places like supermarkets and some residential buildings, there should still be plenty of useful supplies.

But no matter what, she now only wants to listen to 118.

Several wingless Insect Disasters spotted the two, screeched as they opened their mouthparts, and charged at them.

"Don't be afraid, Miss."

"Lunch, I will prepare charcoal-grilled insect meat for you; don't worry, their protein will be fifteen times that of beef."