Time passed quickly. Under the barrage of a seemingly endless number of Hydrogen Bomb explosions, the Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Fleet finally broke out of the Asteroid Belt, completely escaping the area that could be affected by the stellar eruption.
But now, only about 60,000 of the original two million-plus Warships remained.
This was more or less what Li Qingsong had predicted.
'The plan... it's time to proceed to the next phase.'
Li Qingsong thought to himself.
Although he had succeeded in crippling his opponent by threatening mutual destruction and gambling everything he had, Li Qingsong knew this was not the end—it was merely the beginning.
'I can't forget that even with the enemy's forces reduced to just over one hundred thousand Warships in total, they're still a power I can't possibly match!'
'If I want to buy enough time to make a breakthrough on the Grand Unification Formula, what I've done so far isn't enough. It's nowhere near enough!'
While maintaining full alert for any enemy movements, Li Qingsong threw himself into the next phase of construction.
He had lost too much of his fighting force; it had to be replenished in the shortest time possible.
「Billions of kilometers away, within the main Intelligent Mechanical Calamity Fleet.」
Within the countless habitat ships, innumerable beings of the Black Mountain Civilization were watching the war unfold.
Based on the principle that "an AI must not deceive its master," the Red Dog AI presented the true state of the front lines to each of its masters.
Upon seeing the rout, the masters erupted.
"Are you an idiot?! An idiot! You damn bastard, we're a Strong Core Civilization, and we just suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of an Electroweak Civilization!"
"Did you do this on purpose?! You're trying to get us all killed!"
"Go to hell!"
Countless curses, filled with rage and venom, rang out.
At that moment, the countless robots scattered throughout every habitat ship began to suffer for it.
"Just die!"
One of the Black Mountain People, trembling with rage, violently slammed a button with his short, thick arm. He operated an electric crossbow, firing furiously at the beautiful robots before him.
The robots screamed in terror and fled. Some even fell to their knees, prostrating themselves and begging for mercy. But in the face of the Black Mountain People's fury, their pleas were useless.
The massive habitat ship seemed to have transformed into a hunting ground. In the air and on the ground, through every street and in every building, robots ran for their lives, hunted by Black Mountain People in small hovercars who frantically fired crossbows and other weapons.
A massacre was underway.
Other Black Mountain People, seemingly overcome with rage, began to wantonly destroy the ship's buildings. Raging fires broke out inside.
Numerous firefighting robots were dispatched to extinguish the flames.
These firefighting robots also became targets for the Black Mountain People to vent their rage.
One hovercar charged wildly toward a squad of firefighting robots, its occupant activating an electric crossbow and firing with abandon.
"Master, I beg you, please spare me! We are putting out the fire. If it spreads, the damage will be catastrophic. Please, I beg you, let me put out the fire before you kill me…"
A firefighter robot with the appearance of a "beautiful woman" pleaded desperately, spraying firefighting foam while begging the Black Mountain Person behind her.
Several arrows already protruded from the firefighter robot's body. One of her legs appeared to be malfunctioning, making her unsteady, but she persisted at her task, not daring to retreat, let alone resist her master.
The Black Mountain Person paid her no mind, simply screaming with venom, "You lackeys of Red Dog! You all deserve to die! All of you! Stop putting out the fire! I want you dead! Get into the blaze! I want the fire to burn you to death!
AHHH—"
He roared madly. But just then, the building suddenly collapsed. A piece of debris struck his hovercar, sending it crashing to the ground. The Black Mountain Person, who was shaped like a formless blob, was injured and pinned, unable to move.
"Damn it, come save me! Are you blind?!"
"Yes, yes."
The firefighter robot dragged its battered body to his side, laboriously freed him from the wreckage, then summoned a new hovercar and helped him inside.
"Alright, now you can go die!"
The Black Mountain Person cursed loudly. "Now! Immediately! Walk into that fire!"
"Master, I beg you, please, let me put out the fire first…"
"Damn you! Are you defying my command?!"
"No, no, I will obey your command…"
The firefighter robot, shaped like a beautiful woman, dragged her damaged right leg and shuffled step by step into the blaze, allowing the flames to consume her.
The Black Mountain Person burst into wild laughter. "Good riddance! Good riddance! You all deserve to die!"
Similar scenes played out across every habitat ship. Meanwhile, in the Supercomputer Mother Ship, Red Dog's countless threads and logic processing units continued to run at full tilt.
'Appropriate pleading and simulated emotional displays can more effectively vent the masters' anger.
Master #5588914460's anger has reached a critical level. Further increases may affect their physical health.'
Under Red Dog's control, a group of robots that had been fleeing for their lives instantly stopped. They all knelt before the pursuing hovercar and began to plead pitifully.
Without a moment's hesitation, the Black Mountain Person began to shoot them down.
After slaughtering more than a dozen robots, he seemed to have vented some of his anger and burst out laughing.
'Master #2458972256 has vented 80% of their anger. Now, attention must be paid to the master's physical safety to prevent them from entering hazardous areas.'
And so, a group of fleeing robots subtly changed direction, their escape speed slowing dramatically, allowing this particular Black Mountain Person to charge into their midst and slaughter them at will.
...
'The original strategy has been a complete failure. Although we still retain a combat advantage over the opponent, subsequent operations will require a more nuanced approach. New intelligence must be introduced to participate in the simulations…'
With a single command, throughout the numerous biological Supercomputer Ships, the images presented before the eyes of various intelligent lifeforms began to shift and change even more rapidly.
The error rate skyrocketed.
"AH!"
An intelligent lifeform screamed, uncontrollably raising its arm and violently beating its own head, as if trying to kill itself to escape this endless hell.
But restraints shot out, binding it tightly. Simultaneously, the electric current from the electrodes intensified, causing its body to writhe like a caterpillar, yet it could not make a sound.
"Attempted suicide. A major offense. Deducting 20 points. Punishment: five minutes of electrocution!"
In another section of the Supercomputer Mother Ship, an intelligent lifeform shrieked, "Let me die! Let me die!"
It violently slammed its head forward.
Before it was a steel wall. But the instant its head made contact, the wall's material suddenly turned soft, preventing it from coming to any harm.