Chapter 199: Wear and Tear... or Aging?

Remaining energy: 67%

On the workshop roof, 118 was using the tiny amount of electricity harvested from the solar panels to recharge, in order to protect Yunxiao for longer; he had to find ways to extend his standby time.

The military-grade ether fuel tank, which is the energy core Yun Sheng secretly loaded onto 118, is no bigger than a soda bottle, yet it can support a mecha's combat for an entire day.

Each Iron Guard, when in combat, always keeps four battery packs ready, each pack consisting of ten ether fuel tanks; this is the standard energy configuration for every mecha.

Simply put, the ether fuel tank that can keep 118 running for over two years is merely the amount an Iron Guard uses in a single day.

Moreover, the military ether fuel tank's very designation as 'military' already reveals its identity—ordinary people would never get a chance to see one.

"The solar charging rate... is still too low."

118 pulled out the interface, and at this moment its energy finally rose by 0.01%.

At this moment, a smiley-face doodle was stuck on 118's face, with two holes poked in the paper by Xiaoyunxiao so that 118 could see the surroundings.

And he was wearing human clothing scavenged from the ruins, which at least let him look a bit more normal.

Below the workshop, Xiaoyunxiao walked out of the door, seeing no trace of 118 anywhere, and she raised her small hand to her mouth and shouted loudly.

"Oi!!! Brother!!! Where are you!!!"

Hearing the call, 118 was just about to rise when a sudden stiffness came from its mechanical joints, causing the body that had just stood up to topple straight off the upper floor.

Thud!

This gave Yunxiao a fright, and she hurried over to help 118 up.

"Brother! How are you?!"

"Response: I'm fine, Miss."

"Supplement: I just accidentally fell from above."

The joints were rusted and stiff, and the mechanical hand began to malfunction.

118 tried to stand up, but the rusted joints made him stagger again, and the Logic Core exhibited a helpless emotion.

Yunxiao kept supporting him, guiding 118 into the workshop and onto a chair, watching him with worry.

"Brother... your leg..."

"Response: Just lack of maintenance."

"Request: Miss, could you please fetch some mechanical lubricant?"

"Oh oh!"

Xiaoyunxiao darted off, and 118 watched his uncontrollable palm as he slammed it hard twice on the nearby table.

It actually worked.

The simplest human repair method really works.

Knocking twice fixes broken things—a common trick in the human world—but when he actually applied it to his own body, 118 still found it amazing.

"Is this... what humans call... aging?"

Soon, Xiaoyunxiao came over holding the lubricant, carefully squeezing it into 118's joints and helping him move his legs.

"Brother, you need to pay attention to maintenance."

The meticulous Xiaoyunxiao also went ahead and lubricated all of 118's joints, then pointed a finger to lecture him.

"Response: I will, Miss."

You feel the wear and tear on your body; even with constant maintenance, it's insignificant compared to the ever‑strengthening Insect Disaster outside.

Now, Insect Disasters in armored forms matching your strength are everywhere, and there are even higher‑tier 'keratin' forms, which greatly increase the difficulty of scavenging for supplies.

Keratin‑level Insect Disasters are the most common type on the ground battlefield; their bodies are enormous, and only mechas can fight them—without advanced weapons, facing a keratin‑level Insect Disaster is a dead end.

Fortunately, when not activated, Insect Disasters spend most of their time in their nests and do not appear out of the blue, which is why you can operate on the surface.

However, while Xiaoyunxiao has been studying mechanical knowledge lately, she keeps wanting to stick her doodled human faces on your face; although each time you look at them it's horrendous, you have never refused her requests.

This has turned you from a hideous machine into an abstract artist; every time you see those doodle‑drawn abstract smiles on your face, the Logic Core feels a pang, because it's just too ugly.

And you also can't fathom why Yunxiao is so obsessed with sticking things on your face, but you just accept it as her little hobby and let her have her way.

Days pass like this, constantly between danger and safety; to scavenge supplies you sometimes have to face swarms of Insect Disasters, but fortunately you always come out unscathed.

Two and a half months later....

Remaining energy: 63%

Energy has decreased again; with the proliferation of ether energy, it's now hard to find any power source other than solar, which also leaves 118 quite gloomy.

Although many ether fuel tanks with residual charge can be found nearby, 118 cannot use them directly—they are all civilian, and their energy density is completely different from military‑grade ones.

Without a military ether converter, privately charging with ether fuel would likely cause the remaining compressed energy to leak out entirely, making it utterly not worth the loss.

"If we had gasoline and fuel...."

He could use kinetic machinery to generate electricity, and wind power would work too, but how could he possibly build such precise facilities?

"The chance of success... is 0.81%....."

"There is absolutely no feasibility."

118 reached this conclusion in his heart: wanting to obtain energy is pure fantasy.

Looking at Xiaoyunxiao beside him, now grown to the height of his chest… no, we should drop the 'small'.

"Brother, when do you think we'll be rescued?..."

"Response: Maybe a few months, maybe a few years—it's an uncertain number."

"Oh...."

Yunxiao is no longer the pampered little princess she once was at home; her figure is now well‑proportioned, her skin still fair but not the pallor of long‑term seclusion—it's a healthy white with a hint of rosiness.

She carries a homemade longbow on her back, its bolts deliberately made with a triangular cross‑section for armor‑piercing, which poses a considerable threat to some armored Insect Disasters.

After diligently studying a great deal of mechanic knowledge, Yunxiao's hands‑on ability has become extremely strong; she even crafted a large axe for 118, giving his combat power a qualitative leap.

"A huge swarm of Insect Disasters ahead! Miss! Get ready for battle!"

"Here I come!"

(Took a deep breath!)

(I smelled the blade's aura! Hehehe!)