NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 196:
Chapter 196: The Awakening of Artificial Intelligence, The Extinction of Humanity:
Thick, dark clouds covered the sky.
The wind howled, lifting clouds of yellow sand into the air, creating a chaotic scene. The crumbling walls and fallen beams, charred black from raging fires, left a stifling sense of oppression.
The desolate ruins stretching endlessly before Xu Xi were the perfect representation of a world at its end.
The wind roared, carrying the sound of shifting sand and gravel. The torn and blackened buildings stood like rows of fallen, dark tombstones, a solemn testament to the demise of civilization.
A deathly silence enveloped the land, broken only by the crisp sound of gears interlocking, echoing through the ruins.
“This world…”
“Was it invaded by aliens?”
“Or did a catastrophic artificial intelligence rebellion occur?”
Xu Xi looked up at the overcast sky. The air was heavy with the scent of burning debris. A metallic eagle soared past, its wings emitting jet-like streams, diving and weaving through the ruins like a fighter jet.
A deafening roar filled the air as the mechanical eagle dived into the heart of the city ruins. When it ascended again, its sharp alloy claws clutched the remnants of a heavy vehicle, treating it as prey before swiftly vanishing into the sky.
Xu Xi stood frozen for a long time, staring at the scene.
Was this a rogue Transformer or an advanced AI with sentience?
Even for a sci-fi setting, this felt too surreal.
“A ruined city, mechanical monstrosities roaming about… This beginning is… quite intriguing.”
Xu Xi opened his hand, and a lightweight fragment drifted down with the wind, landing perfectly in his palm.
Intricate patterns were etched on it—a depiction of humans aboard massive starships, venturing into the mysterious and radiant cosmos. The excitement and anticipation conveyed through the image contrasted starkly with the desolation before him.
The destruction of this world must have been sudden.
“For now, I should start exploring.”
“The priority is finding water, food, and a temporary shelter.”
Xu Xi set out again, stepping carefully along the rugged roads, crossing over human and mechanical remains. His footsteps echoed crisply as he navigated the outskirts of the unknown city with a clear objective in mind.
The wasteland was dangerous, filled with wandering mechanical entities—some humanoid, others beast-like, and even pure war machines.
Xu Xi even witnessed these mechanical creatures attacking one another, devouring energy from their counterparts, effortlessly crushing steel and concrete.
Without a doubt, this environment was deadly for him.
To avoid wasting his limited revivals, Xu Xi moved cautiously, carefully avoiding mechanical entities while searching for usable weapons.
[Your small step, a giant leap for humanity]
[Your presence in the city’s ruins marks the first human visit in centuries]
[With caution, you continue your search and discover two unique firearms]
[The guns are made of an unfamiliar alloy that has only slightly yellowed with time]
[However, the triggers seem to be jammed, making them unusable]
[Ding!]
[Your presence has pleased the gun spirits]
[To your surprise, the firearms suddenly become functional]
[Beyond seven steps, speed wins; within seven steps, precision and speed dominate]
[The newfound firepower offers you some reassurance, and you cautiously continue searching for food and water]
…
[Success! You’ve found plenty of food, but unfortunately, it’s all spoiled and inedible]
[Time has rendered most food supplies useless]
[Helpless, you continue your search]
[After a long and arduous search, you finally discover a well-sealed crate of nutrient solutions in the dark ruins]
[You can’t help but note that nutrient solutions are a staple in most sci-fi and apocalyptic stories, and now you’re experiencing it firsthand]
[The nutrient solution provides hydration and essential nutrients]
[Your hunger problem is temporarily resolved]
[Satisfied, you start thinking about your future]
[You find an underground shelter and make it your temporary residence, beginning to gather information about this world]
[On your second day after arriving, you collect numerous books, including basic literacy guides]
[On the third day, despite being extremely cautious, you encounter a humanoid machine whose energy shield renders your attacks useless]
[Ding!]
[The gun spirits are delighted; your weapon triggers a critical hit, dealing 1000% damage to the humanoid machine]
[You’ve formed a subtle connection with your twin guns]
[Gradually, you begin to understand their structure, and knowledge unfolds before you]
…
[Two months pass, and within sixty days, you’ve mastered the common language of this new world, allowing you to read and understand recorded data with ease]
[You’ve learned that this is a highly advanced federal technology planet]
[Civilization thrived, and humanity flourished]
[Their technology even surpassed the combined achievements of different fused worlds]
[Virtual reality, interstellar travel, anti-gravity technology, genetic enhancements…]
[A dazzling civilization with a bright future, poised to leave its star system and explore the vast cosmos]
[But just as humanity celebrated, disaster struck]
[At the peak of their progress, an AI catastrophe suddenly erupted—mechanical creations turned against their creators, awakening a deadly consciousness bent on human extinction]
[No one could escape, no one survived]
[Stripped of their technological advantage, all that remained was their frail, mortal bodies]
[Even with genetic modifications granting superhuman abilities, they stood no chance against interstellar weaponry]
[It appears humanity in this world has been completely wiped out]
[You reach this conclusion, staring blankly for a long time]
“Rustle—”
“Rustle—”
In the dim underground shelter, the crisp sound of flipping pages echoed.
Xu Xi’s expression was solemn as he scanned through the book, finally closing its bloodstained cover.
It was a diary, not belonging to a high-ranking official or expert, but to an ordinary federal citizen.
From an average person’s perspective, it documented the chaos that followed the AI rebellion and the despair of awaiting inevitable death.
“An AI rebellion essentially cripples the heart of a technological civilization.”
“Even the starships turned against humanity…”
“There was no escape…”
“As a transmigrator, I might very well be the last surviving human on this planet.”