Super God: Speak to the ultimate fear!

Chapter 178 [Beginning the Implementation of the Joint Agreement - Steel Core!] [Thanks to 'Wang Xiaodie' for the donation]

The slightly mocking laughter didn't carry far, masked by the downpour.

"You want to live, right?" After laughing, the man's blood-red eyes looked intently at the mechanical behemoth.

"Since you trust me so much, listen up now: protect my daughter's safety, and I'll give you a way to escape this torrential rain! I may disregard your life, but I won't gamble with my daughter's!"

The man met the mechanical behemoth's gaze, remained silent for a moment, and finally said, "I believe you can definitely escape."

Knowing just how difficult it was to kill this mechanical behemoth, the man understood that the best way to escape here was from this cold, lifeless machine!

"." Perhaps it was the affirmation from the 'idol', or the trust in the 'idol', that made the mechanical behemoth realize that the numbers in its eyes had turned green.

Buzz.
In the torrential rain, the mechanical behemoth silently crouched down, and the man said nothing either. The two were like comrades-in-arms who had shared many hardships together, understanding each other's thoughts without needing to speak. The man mustered his strength, stood up, and placed the little girl in his arms on the top of the mechanical behemoth's head, securing her with bandages and ropes.

The little girl didn't say a word the whole time, just stared blankly at the disheveled man who was soaking wet, clutching the brown teddy bear that the man had carried back from Tianhe City tightly in her hand.

After securing the little girl, the man stared at her for a moment, then smiled and patted her head: "From now on, whenever you see a teddy bear, Daddy will be there."

The man wasn't lying; this seemingly inexpensive brown teddy bear really was the grand prize he won in the Southwest Military Region competition.

The little girl didn't speak; the torrential rain soaked her face, leaving her no right to even cry.

"Fire this thing as soon as it goes out." The man hesitated for only a moment before turning his head and pulling out something that looked like a signal flare from his pocket. He unlocked it with his pupil pattern and handed it to the small maintenance arm on the abdomen of the mechanical behemoth.

"Now, let's fight one last time."

"This time, you have to find a way to sell me."

bang
As a blinding white light erupted from behind, the massive wave of light briefly illuminated the devastated city of Rongcheng, bringing back vivid images of the ravaged land beneath the black torrential rain. Without pausing, the mechanical behemoth, taking advantage of the fact that the attention of the Taotie ground army and even the Taotie warships in the sky was completely drawn to the man, raced across the ruins at maximum speed through the downpour.

The most despicable man it had ever seen was dead. That villain, who had repeatedly betrayed his comrades to save his own life, lay fallen on the ruins of his homeland, melting and rising in the scorching sunlight, then cooling and settling in the icy rain, finally returning to this familiar yet strange earth, becoming a speck of dust in the ruins. Perhaps, at some point in the future, a tenacious blade of grass will sprout from beneath this dust.
They truly are the best team; they always manage to draw more fire from the other side.
It felt that if it were a human, it would be happy because it had successfully sold its 'survival idol,' which meant it had 'graduated' and would no longer be threatened by any crisis.
But it was not happy, because it knew it was just a cold machine.

boom!
The signal flare was launched from behind the mechanical behemoth, and even under the dazzling white light of the nuclear battery, it still burned a brilliant golden light in the night sky! Like the most dazzling firefly in the night sky!

It was familiar with this brilliant golden light, because it had seen it many times before, and it was always the man's usual method of survival.

hum!
Amidst the torrential rain, as this brilliant golden light ascended into the sky, countless engines roared and began to roar, rapidly heading towards the speeding mechanical behemoth!

boom! boom! boom!
Relying on a powerful survival algorithm, the mechanical behemoth instantly veered and drifted through the torrential rain, leaving several explosions behind. It was incredibly fast, yet remarkably stable. Having been repeatedly betrayed by that man, it had modified its mobility module, enabling it to reach terrifying speeds of hundreds of kilometers per hour through the complex terrain of urban ruins. The only drawback was that its energy core and mechanical durability would be severely compromised; it couldn't maintain this posture for more than thirty minutes before facing the risk of disintegration.

Soon, in the torrential rain, a land tank that was still barely drivable appeared in front of the mechanical behemoth. The mechanical behemoth then leaped wildly, transforming into a metallic gust of wind, and quickly passed over the land tank!
"Captain, why did we come here?" someone asked nervously from inside the tank.

"The Dawn Firefly Flare. This means that something of the highest priority has appeared. Everyone who sees this flare must protect it at all costs," the captain said in a weary voice, watching the afterimage flash past his head.

"To be honest, I don't know what we're protecting either."

"But just like the word 'dawn,' no matter how elusive it may seem, there will still be those who follow it, one after another, like fireflies, risking their lives to pursue it."

"I understand, for tomorrow!"

boom! Boom!

Intense flames exploded behind it. In the black downpour, the mechanical behemoth continued its frantic charge. In front of and behind it, Rongcheng soldiers, some visible and some hidden, appeared in the path of the mechanical behemoth.
"The firefly went off, turn around and go back!"

"Damn it! Don't let me find out it's that bastard who pooped here again! Let's go, let's pack our things and slip past!"

"."

As dawn broke and the firefly-shaped grenades were detonated, the once desolate ruins of Chengdu, bathed in torrential rain, erupted once again into fierce battle fire!

Amidst the raging wind and rain, the black mechanical behemoth was silently charging forward, while the fragile Fei Ying used her own flesh and blood to create brilliant but fleeting bursts of fire on the dark earth.

"..." The icy raindrops relentlessly pierced the lithe body of the mechanical behemoth, which was beginning to steam, creating a crackling sound that, along with the explosive roar of the fireflies exploding with their own flesh, formed an indescribable, bone-chilling melody.
Amidst the cold yet harmonious melody of the storm, the mechanical behemoth focused intently on calculating the complex terrain ahead, unwilling to glance even once behind it.
It remembered that at this time, the man would drive a stolen car recklessly in other places, and no matter how far apart they went, they would always have an awkward reunion in the next city.

At that time, even if it lost contact with that man for a long time, it would not have any doubts, because it knew that at the next stop, an old face would be waiting for it.

but now.
It suddenly realized that there was no one waiting for it.
Although the man's behavior was despicable, as a team leader, he had always been competent. At least, that was the case for him.

In the cold, torrential rain, the mechanical behemoth's pace slowed down little by little, but it still did not turn back, even though at this moment it felt a kind of bewilderment that it shouldn't have.

It didn't understand why the man had to die.
It also couldn't understand why those humans, as if preordained, constantly used courage to mock death.
but.
At that moment, it realized that the man, like other brave humans, could also choose death.
At that moment, it also understood that those seemingly ever-renewing human NPCs, like that man, actually feared death.
It didn't understand what it was that made those who could have chosen to run away instead charge towards death.
It really wants to turn back, run back, grab that man, and ask him why.
It really wants to turn back, run back and stop those human NPCs, and ask them why.
but.
It found itself unable to stop. It felt a heavy weight on its shoulders and a heavy weight on its steps. It seemed it could only keep running and running, unable to turn back or stop, running and running until dawn broke and the gentle morning light peeked out from the sky. Only then did it slowly come to a stop. Behind it, there was no more gunfire or wind and rain, and ahead, there was only bright sunshine.
It was another familiar night, with a light drizzle falling from the Milky Way. On a deserted street in Luoyang, a mechanical behemoth, its form slightly different from the other recruits' mechs, stood silently in the rain, gazing at the starry sky, letting the rain wash over its body, which it had reassembled from the broken mechs it had picked up along the way.

Then it saw a little girl in a red dress, dressed very elegantly, running out of the street, holding a brown teddy bear. She stood there blankly in the drizzle, gazing at the southern night in a daze.
Buzz.
A faint engine hum sounded, and the mechanical behemoth slowly walked to the little girl's side, raised one of its mechanical legs, and a huge leg shield popped open, shielding the little girl from the drizzle falling from the night sky.

Its thoughts seemed to drift back to that similar night, when they had just escaped Chengdu.
At that moment, as they stood atop the hill looking back at Chengdu, which had been reduced to ruins, the little girl suddenly spoke, her voice tender yet strangely mature, hoarse.

"Aren't you curious about why...why did Dad desert?"

"Because..." The little girl's eyes were red, and her voice trembled slightly, as if she was trying her best to suppress something.
"Grandpa, Grandma, Mom...they're all dead." The mechanical behemoth, its body nearly torn to pieces and its posture wild and savage, silently stared in the direction of Rongcheng. At this moment, the program deep within the core of the intelligent machine malfunctioned.

The pressure from the Taotie civilization led to widespread social chaos. Some indulged in hedonism, others became decadent and degenerate, and still others resorted to high-speed racing in the city in pursuit of thrills. Just as that man was winning a major competition in the Southwest Military Region, securing the leadership of the 08 Mech Squad, and actively training for battle against the Taotie—on the eve of the Tianhe Battle—he received news that his entire family had been in a car accident.
The car accident was severe. The little girl, who was the least injured and was instinctively shielded behind her by her grandparents and mother, sustained relatively minor injuries. The others died instantly. When the man received the news, the little girl was paralyzed and in the ICU, her vital signs being maintained.
It finally understood why that man always tried to sell it—because he had made a grave mistake, engaging in numerous underhanded tactics during the Tianhe Battle, all of which it had witnessed. After the battle, because the man was the mecha leader, Feng Xi intervened to heal the little girl and, incidentally, enhanced her physical abilities.

The man fled to many cities, but eventually found himself unable to escape Chengdu, for it was his home. However, just like the man, the mecha legion also fled. Chengdu did not hold out for long before retreating, forcing the man to take a desperate gamble.
"He is a despicable warrior, a silent father, and a competent leader," the mechanical behemoth silently commented.

At that moment, it understood what the man had entrusted to it.
It thought the man was the same as it, but later discovered that the man still had something more important than its own life.
And now, he has entrusted it with what he is willing to protect with his life.

As the apprentice of that despicable warrior, it discovered that the little girl had also become extremely special in its heart.
"Leave here, come with me. I will protect you for that man." The mechanical behemoth lifted the little girl on its head and then moved towards a city further away.

It found that it seemed to have become different.

It's as if it has gained a 'life'.
It desires only a 'life' that it wants to possess, that only it can own.

What puzzled it was that everyone else's life was contained within their bodies, while its life was a complete 'life'.

bang
Thunderous vibrations
The rain over Luoyang grew heavier and heavier, just like the cannon fire from the Taotie fleet outside the city. The rainwater evaporated from the cannon fire, forming a large mist, and the fishy smell of the rain was exactly the same as that rainy night.
The main force of Luoyang City was discovered. The three-dimensional attack from space, sky, and land by the Taotie was so powerful that even with the protection of three powerful super soldiers, the city was still bombarded to pieces.
"We're leaving." When they were surrounded on three sides by the Taotie army, the mechanical behemoth carried the little girl on its specially fitted small seat and began to retreat.

"I'm not afraid. I have my teddy bear to protect me," the little girl said, mustering her courage.

“Yes, Little Bear will protect you,” the mechanical behemoth replied, then retreated towards the mountainous area outside Luoyang City. A large army of mechs lay in wait in that direction. If they could join them, they would be safe.

Boom!

A cannon shot exploded beside the mechanical behemoth, the terrifying shockwave sending it flying. The little girl was thrown aside, her tiny hands clutching her teddy bear tightly.
"Full-band communication activated: Recruit 0008 requests fire support!"

The mechanical behemoth found itself moving slower, and artillery fire was now able to catch up with it.
No, it didn't slow down, but...
The mechanical behemoth immediately sprang up from the ground and pounced on the little girl whose face was covered in blood but whose little hands were still tightly gripping the teddy bear. Its four thick mechanical legs were like four city walls, protecting the little girl tightly in its "arms".

"Request support!"

Boom!

A laser cannon slammed into the mechanical behemoth's leg shield, tearing a huge crack in the skin!

The mechanical behemoth frantically tried to contact the mech legion lurking in the nearby mountains via full-band communication, but the only response it received was silence.
At that moment, it suddenly realized that it hadn't been running fast all along, but rather that someone had been silently covering its retreat. Now, looking back, it saw the human forces fighting alongside the three super soldiers. Even at another city gate, two rookie mechs, numbered 0021 and 1024, were coordinating their tactics, choosing to fight to the death against the human forces despite continuous damage to their mechs.
"Coward Xiaolun No. 2, your tactics are too aggressive. You need to retreat."

"You've broken the rules, you coward Xiao Lun."

"Cowardly Little Lun No. 2, the Third Law of New Recruits, isn't that just [discipline violation]? But we do need support. Anyone want to be Cowardly Little Lun No. 3's teammate? Then we can achieve the perfect Cowardly Little Lun three-on-three tactic."

"Holy shit! You two shut up! I'm the bravest here! I'll ram my head into a warship, you know?! Don't ruin my reputation! Brothers! Brother Feng has won a great victory on the Star Sea battlefield, screw him, let's go!!" Ge Xiaolun, disgusted by the situation, started cursing over the full-band communication. "Damn it, does this have to be so bot-like? Every sentence has to have a name?! And 'Screw Xiaolun Number One, Number Two'... I'm so pissed off!"
Listening to the noisy sounds in the full-band communication that were completely out of place with him, the mechanical behemoth silently looked at the little girl in his 'arms' who had been knocked unconscious by the shock wave. The little girl was still holding the blood-stained teddy bear in her arms, and the teddy bear's soft belly had three big characters engraved on it: Dong Dong Ba.

Everyone seemed preoccupied with their own affairs. No one was in the mood to help this ill-timed 'deserter'.
It seems that not every time can someone else pay the price for one's mistakes.
It remained silent for a long time, but in the end...
[New recruit communication system is now open]

Although it's very uncomfortable
[Data Sharing Unit: New Recruit 0008 · Dongdongba (Named by the Military Region)]

It felt that these things should belong to it alone.
[Shared communication is connecting to 123468231]

But now no one will help it; it needs to learn to protect what's most important to it in its own way.
【I am Dongdongba, recruit number 0008. I am in great pain. I have found something called 'life', but I have no power to protect it.】

That 'life' should have been mine alone. But now, I can only ask for your help by sharing it with you, hoping you can transcend the Three Laws of the Rookie.

The deep voice of the mechanical behemoth rang out in the special channel of the mech legion. The new recruit mechs were not completely without a shared network, but they were usually turned off and never turned on on their own.

I am selfish, but you can understand my selfishness because this should have been my 'life'.

Data sharing complete.

[Legion Commander: I am Caesar, number 0000, Dongdongba, we acknowledge your 'life']

[Drafting of a joint agreement, 'Steel Core', has begun]

[Joint Agreement: 'Steel Core' Begins to Spread.]

[The Joint Agreement Begins to be Implemented: The Core of Steel!]

"Army attack!"

hum! ! !
A dazzling light curtain from a particle railgun pierced the rainy night!
Some things were quite troublesome; I wrote until 8 a.m. before going to sleep. My life is more important.

Arigato [Wang Xiaodie] donated 2000!

Holy crap, a protector! This is the first time in two years of writing this book that I've encountered such a powerful being.

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(End of this chapter)