Showdown on the Rooftop (2)

"No! No! The iron pot is round, but it's square!" Pei Shao quickly rejected another one of his guesses. Suddenly, the square robot about twenty meters from Pei Shao's head began flashing its electronic eyes wildly! At the same time, it emitted an extremely grating metallic synthesized voice, its sound waves fluctuating erratically. It was too dark for Pei Shao to make out its expression, but clearly, this was a sign of its agitation and fury.

At the same time, a metallic synthesized voice sounded from seven or eight meters to Pei Shao's right. "Carbon-based life on Earth has evolved very slowly. To us, they pose no lethal threat. You have no authority to terminate their lives!" The voice felt very familiar to Pei Shao. He turned his head and saw the palm-sized white Castle, its electronic eyes flashing with astonishing speed! It seemed to be losing control of its emotions as well.

The square robot replied, "I need sufficient energy!" As it spoke, it raised its mechanical arms.

Castle's electronic eyes swiftly detected the sensor devices on the other robot's mechanical arms—there were six of them. All six mechanical arms could launch attacks! While continuing to analyze the other side's weapons system, Castle said, "Energy does not equal life!"

The square robot immediately retorted, "That carbon-based life-form discovered me and may assume an attacking posture at any time!" Unlike Castle's deep, masculine voice, its voice was neutral, neither male nor female, with a slightly shrill edge.

After the square robot finished speaking, Castle continued, "You attacked a human on a carbon-based planet without authorization, violating Regulation ST20743! I have the authority to order you to immediately stop this foolish behavior."

But the square robot immediately argued back, "Order invalid. This regulation is not in my database."

As soon as it said that, the square robot swiftly raised its arms and launched the first attack!

At this point, Castle's data search was 87% complete. According to the data, the opponent's total silicon-based energy was only 8,000, while Castle's was 12,000. However, the opponent's infrared port collection rate was 160:1, while Castle's was only 40:1. Castle quickly concluded that the other side's advantage lay in rapid energy absorption and concentrated firepower, while its weakness was insufficient power. Castle was exactly the opposite.

Just then, Castle's electronic eye scanning system swiftly transmitted more images. At the tip of each of the square robot's arms, a ball of light in a different color lit up! Red, yellow, green, purple, cyan, blue... The blue one was high-temperature flame, and the red one was a laser beam... Before Castle could analyze the other colors, six streaks of light shot over like meteors!

Then came an endless barrage of crackling sounds. In an instant, sand and rocks flew across the rooftop, smoke filled the air, and blooms of gunfire in every color burst across the ground, like fireworks with a breathtaking beauty!

"Beep. All trajectories analyzed. Supersonic engine will activate in three seconds. Transformation system will engage in seven seconds. Target lock coordinates: 44, 73!"

At the exact moment Castle completed all its scans, Pei Shao's heart leaped straight into his throat!

Holy shit! Six gun barrels firing in turns with such dense coverage! Even a fly probably couldn't escape that kind of firepower net. Could Castle, with a body that "big," evade an attack like a rain of meteor fire?

Just as Pei Shao was deeply worried for Castle, a small device resembling an engine suddenly appeared behind Castle's backside, with a tiny nozzle connected to its rear. It was something Pei Shao had never seen before!

What is that? Pei Shao cried out inwardly. Could it be a thruster?

The moment the thought crossed Pei Shao's mind, a burst of flame shot out with a whoosh. Castle's body let out a hum and flew straight ahead, vanishing from Pei Shao's sight in an instant.

"Fuck! That's incredible!" Pei Shao rubbed his eyes, but all he could see in midair was a long, frozen white streak.

The sight immediately filled Pei Shao with terror. "Supersonic? Castle's speed actually reached supersonic levels?"

But Pei Shao had celebrated far too soon. Even if Castle had truly reached supersonic speed, those six differently colored firing devices were definitely not for show.

Almost at the same instant Castle shot out, Pei Shao saw the square robot nimbly aim at Castle's path of advance. This kind of leading shot made Pei Shao realize that the other side was equally skilled at calculation—just like Castle, exactly as expected! The bullets fired simultaneously from six directions were about to form an inescapable net around Castle. Pei Shao closed his eyes in agony.

No!

The next moment, when he opened his eyes again, Castle... At that very moment, it eerily retracted its tail nozzle. Then, a series of extremely familiar cracking sounds rang out in midair. Castle—

It transformed at this moment!

It turned back into a phone!

"What?" The square robot's electronic eyes widened as well.

Pei Shao cried out inwardly, What exactly is it trying to do?

As soon as the thought ended, Castle's body drifted through a jagged gap on the rooftop formed by two stones. The gap's size and position happened to be just enough for a phone-shaped body to pass through!

"Bang bang bang bang!" Every bullet struck the outside of the stones. Only then did Pei Shao realize that, under Castle's precise calculations, the angles of those bullets made it impossible for them to pass through the gap between the two stones!

Castle was so powerful, its calculations so precise!

"That's amazing!" Overjoyed, Pei Shao actually shouted aloud.

"Beep! Fixed-point search failed. Unable to complete target lock!"

"Beep! Carbon-based life detected!" At the same time, a series of search alerts sounded from within the square robot's main processor.

"Pei!" The electronic eyes of Castle, hidden in the crack between the stones, flashed rapidly once more!

"Carbon-based life!" The square robot also let out an excited shriek at that moment.

"Target locked: carbon-based life. Firing devices ready for activation!" The square robot suddenly turned both arms, its pitch-black gun barrels once more aiming at Pei Shao.

Only a fraction of a second later, all six gun barrels accurately fired bullets in six colors at once! A chaotic clatter erupted as flames scattered everywhere. Just as some of the bullets were about to hit Pei Shao!

"Pei!" At this most critical moment, an intense red light suddenly flashed from the crack between the stones!

Bang!

Following the thunderous blast, the square robot's body shuddered violently of its own accord. The laser sphere fired by Castle first pierced through the stone wall, then violently punched through the square robot's field of fire, striking the intersection of the central axis on the square robot's body with absolute precision. For a silicon-based life-form, that was its most vital location—the equivalent of a human heart.