Soul Infuses Iron Body

Ning Chuan withdrew his focus from the dormant robot and refocused on the endless Junk Ocean before him.

He swung the reinforced Four-Meter Long Rake, Soul Power flowing through it, and found it even easier to wield.

This time, he targeted a pile of wreckage farther away, crackling with faint blue arcs of electricity.

It looked like a damaged energy core, surrounded by many scorched metal fragments etched with intricate patterns.

"Looks like a relic from some high-tech world. Hopefully it doesn't explode again..." Ning Chuan muttered to himself as he cautiously extended the rake's teeth toward it.

Just as the rake was about to touch the arc-sparking wreckage...

"Warning! High-concentration disordered spatial energy fluctuations detected! Immediate evacuation is advised!"

A piercing alert suddenly rang out in his mind. Ning Chuan froze, cold sweat instantly breaking out across his back.

Almost instinctively, he pulled back the rake and hurried two steps away.

Almost the very next second after he withdrew it!

The energy core at the center of the wreckage suddenly flared with blinding white light, followed by a muffled blast!

Boom!

It was not a violent explosion, but more like a collapse of space itself!

Centered on the energy core, a small patch of surrounding junk twisted and compressed inward in a bizarre manner, forming a fleeting miniature black hole that swallowed every metal fragment, speck of dust, and even ray of light within its range!

The entire process was silent and terrifying. It lasted less than a second before the singularity abruptly vanished, leaving behind only an absolutely smooth circular crater, as though all matter there had been erased from existence.

Ning Chuan stared dumbfoundedly at the instantly cleared area, his heart pounding wildly.

That had been close!

If the Recycling Station had not warned him in time and he had touched it rashly, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

Even within the Platform Safe Zone, no one could say what consequences that bizarre spatial force might trigger!

"This damned place... really is full of traps!" Still shaken, he completely discarded the trace of carelessness that had arisen from his first two successful recoveries.

Ning Chuan became even more cautious. He no longer casually touched objects with obvious yet unknown energy fluctuations, instead setting his sights on the most "lifeless"-looking chunks of relatively ordinary metal or mineral wreckage.

Relying on the reinforced rake's reach and the strength granted by Soul Power, he successfully recovered several massive, unknown dark metal ingots, some fractured giant skeletal fossils, and even a small pile of crystal fragments containing faint earth-element energy.

The Decomposition Beam lit up again and again.

"Obtained: High-Density Tungsten Steel Ingot x 2"

"Obtained: Ancient Earth Dragon Lizard Vertebra Fossil x 1"

"Obtained: Fragmented Earth Crystal x 5"

"Reward Points: 28"

His total points slowly yet steadily rose to 43.

Although the materials he had gained did not seem particularly valuable, they were safe and reliable.

Just as Ning Chuan prepared to swing the rake again, the corner of his eye inadvertently swept over the robot wreckage lying in the center of the platform.

A thought suddenly came to him.

There was still a faint abnormal fluctuation in this robot's Intelligence Core, and it could even convey fragments of emotion. That meant it was not completely "dead."

Yet its energy core had been entirely depleted and shattered, while its power system had completely failed...

Energy... did Soul Power count as a form of energy?

Could his Soul Power... activate it? Even if it only made it react a little?

Once that thought appeared, he could no longer suppress it.

Ning Chuan knew this was risky. The Station had even warned him of "unknown risks."

But whenever he thought of that pure sadness, as well as the robot's possible high intelligence, he could not help wanting to try.

What if? What if he could repair it, even just a little?

An intelligent robot from an advanced technological world—even as wreckage—was worth far more than those metal ingots!

Taking a deep breath, Ning Chuan walked over to the robot.

First, he carefully poked its arm with the rake. There was no response.

He then tried sending a thread of Soul Power through the rake handle. It vanished like a stone sinking into the sea, completely blocked by the cold metal shell.

It seemed he needed more direct contact.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally crouched down and carefully pressed his right hand against the relatively intact metal casing on the robot's back.

It felt icy cold and utterly lifeless beneath his hand.

Ning Chuan tried to slowly inject the pure Soul Power of a level-twenty Soul Master from his palm into the robot's body, thread by thread.

At first, his Soul Power was like a trickle flowing into a dried-up riverbed. It was instantly absorbed and dispersed by the cold metal, stirring not the slightest ripple.

Ning Chuan did not give up and continued maintaining a low-level output of Soul Power.

One minute, two minutes...

Just as he was about to conclude that Soul Power had no effect on it and prepare to give up—

Suddenly!

The metal casing beneath his palm became, ever so slightly and almost imperceptibly... a little warmer!

At the same time, from deep within the robot's chest came a faint click, like gears sealed away for ten thousand years trying to mesh, only to fail.

There was a response!

Ning Chuan's spirits lifted, and he immediately increased the intensity of his Soul Power output!

More Soul Power surged into the robot, like reviving spring rain flowing through severed conduits, depleted circuits, and rusted joints...

Hum...

A low hum came from within the robot. It was no longer completely silent.

Its lowered head seemed to twitch slightly.

A small patch of thick grime covering its optical sensor suddenly fell away.

Beneath it, a faint, dim red point of light—like a candle flame in the wind—struggled as it flickered unsteadily... then lit up!

That red glow was extremely weak, yet it carried a tenacious will to survive!

It worked!

It really reacted to Soul Power!

Ning Chuan was overjoyed, and his Soul Power poured forth even more fiercely.

However, at the instant that red light lit up...

"Warning! Unknown Intelligence Core activity is rapidly increasing! Attempting to establish a high-privilege connection!"

"Warning! Intelligence Core Defense Protocol partially activated! Hostile behavior pattern detected!"

"High risk! It is recommended that you immediately cut off the energy supply! Immediately cut it off!"

The Station's alarm abruptly became rapid and shrill!

Ning Chuan's heart tightened!

A hostile behavior pattern?

Before he could react, a sudden change occurred!

The robot wreckage, which had been curled up and motionless, suddenly snapped its right arm upward!

Though the movement was stiff and twisted, filled with the sluggishness of mechanical failure, it was astonishingly fast!

Its right hand was not a palm, but a badly damaged weapon port that still retained sharp structures. It stabbed straight toward Ning Chuan's throat at point-blank range!

Cold killing intent mixed with mechanical precision bore down on him!

"Not good!" Ning Chuan was terrified. He instinctively tried to lean back and dodge, but the distance was too short, and the mechanical arm was far faster than his reaction limit!

Just as that sharp metal point was about to pierce his throat, at the critical moment!

Hummm!!!

The complex silver patterns on the platform floor suddenly erupted with unprecedented brilliant light!

An incomparably solid azure barrier instantly appeared before Ning Chuan, like the sturdiest shield!

Clang!!!

A piercing clash of metal rang out!

The robot's mechanical arm slammed fiercely into the barrier, bursting into a spray of dazzling sparks!

The tremendous impact seemed to make the entire platform tremble slightly!

The barrier did not budge in the slightest, perfectly blocking that sudden lethal strike.

The mechanical arm was firmly blocked by the barrier and could not advance another inch. Yet its joints continued to emit teeth-grinding creaks as it frantically pressed forward. That faint red light flickered rapidly, revealing a mad determination to fight to the death!

Ning Chuan collapsed onto the platform, his face deathly pale and his heart nearly leaping out of his throat!

He had been just a step too late!

If not for the platform's absolute safety rules, that "ungrateful" robot would have killed him just now!

"Threat confirmed! Initiating Forced Suppression Program!"

Several silver light-cables shot out from the platform floor like agile metal tentacles, instantly wrapping around the robot's limbs, torso, and head before tightening fiercely!

Creak... Crack!

A harsh sound of twisting metal rang out. The robot wreckage was completely restrained. The red point of light that had just ignited flashed madly several times before rapidly dimming in unwillingness and going out completely.

Its entire body went limp once more, returning to a motionless pile of scrap metal, even more damaged than before.

Several joints had clearly suffered new deformities under the pull of the light-cables.

The platform's radiance slowly subsided and returned to normal.

Everything fell silent again.

Only Ning Chuan's heavy breathing echoed across the empty platform.

Still shaken, he looked at the lifeless robot on the ground, sweat streaming down his back and soaking his clothes.

Risk... truly came with enormous danger!

This steel creation from an unknown world, even in such a ruined state, hid something within it that was anything but a docile lamb.

(P.S. Thanks to Zhang Fantasy Bookworm for yesterday's recommendation vote! Your recommendation vote is the boost behind a newbie's inspiration! Shamelessly asking for bookmarks and recommendations!)