Chapter 41: Goodbye, Doctor

  Now, Alex truly witnessed the ruthless nature of these artificial intelligences toward humans. There was no point in wasting words—action was the only answer.

  Sensing Alex’s intent, Ares smirked and said,

  "Oh? Are you planning to fight? Then show me what this so-called Qi is all about."

  With that, the humanoid Ares ascended back into the core, and the factory below erupted with activity. The bio-mechanical soldiers powered on, their menacing red eyes locking onto Alex and his companions. In an instant, they swarmed the walls, charging toward him like an unstoppable tide.

  Terrified, Maggie clung tightly to Alex. But he turned to the doctor and declared,

  "Doctor, I will get you out of here!"

  Without hesitation, Alex raised his hand, channeling Qi at full force. Dust swirled rapidly, forming a violent storm infused with electric blue sparks. The doctor, witnessing his theories finally realized before his eyes, could not help but show a gratified smile.

  With his Qi fully gathered, Alex let out a powerful shout,

  "Hah!"

  The storm transformed into countless massive fists, striking the oncoming bio-mechanical soldiers with devastating force. Like a raging hurricane, the attack tore through them, sending them crashing to the ground, shattered beyond repair.

  Seeing the first wave of enemies obliterated, Alex wasted no time. He immediately destroyed the restraints on the doctor and leaped down with him.

  "Maggie, take care of the doctor!"

  Understanding the urgency, Maggie quickly climbed off Alex’s back to protect the doctor, allowing Alex to focus entirely on the incoming enemies.

  The power of his Dust Qi proved formidable—Alex wielded it with mastery, morphing it between fists and blades, cutting down the bio-mechanical soldiers with precision. They had no chance against him.

  "We’re almost at the exit!" Maggie shouted.

  With the factory's doorway now in sight and the majority of enemies destroyed, it seemed like victory was within reach. But artificial intelligence was never that easy to defeat—otherwise, it wouldn’t be artificial intelligence.

  "Watch out!" Ray, the AI assistant on Alex’s wrist, suddenly warned.

  But it was too late. A massive force struck Alex, sending him flying several meters back.

  "Damn... What was that?!"

  Groaning, Alex quickly got back on his feet and looked ahead. Standing in his path were several towering black humanoid machines, vastly different from the bio-mechanical soldiers he had fought earlier. Their bodies were encased in nanotech armor, capable of shifting into different forms to counter attacks. Most importantly, they were directly controlled by Ares itself.

  One of the towering machines spread its arms confidently and taunted,

  "Impressive. I didn’t expect your Qi to be powerful enough to destroy my bio-mechanical soldiers. But compared to our technological might, you are still insignificant. You have no way out."

  The doctor clenched his fists, his expression intense as if he desperately wanted to say something, but his weakened state rendered him speechless.

  Facing these formidable adversaries, Alex had only himself to rely on.

  Summoning his Dust Qi once more, he launched a colossal fist at the nearest machine. But as soon as it made contact, the nanotech armor shifted into a shield, effortlessly blocking the attack. Worse still, the machine countered by morphing its own arm into a massive fist, striking back with immense force.

  Blow after blow, the battle raged on. Despite Alex’s relentless attacks, he was unable to gain the upper hand. These machines were leagues above the bio-mechanical soldiers in terms of combat prowess.

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  "Is this the extent of your Qi?" Ares mocked repeatedly.

  Maggie watched anxiously from the side, while the doctor continued trying to speak, struggling to convey something crucial.

  The battle reached its peak. Though Alex’s Dust Qi kept him from losing outright, he couldn’t seem to defeat these advanced machines. He knew something was missing. Even though he had ascended to the first level of Dust Qi, it still felt incomplete—its full potential had yet to be unleashed.

  To make matters worse, while Alex was fully engaged in battle, Maggie and the doctor found themselves completely surrounded by a new wave of bio-mechanical soldiers.

  “Get out !"

  Maggie hastily grabbed an iron pipe from the ground and swung it in defense, but the bio-mechanical soldier snapped it in half with ease.

  Sensing the imminent danger, Alex knew they couldn’t afford to waste any more time. His eyes darted around the factory, searching for an opportunity. That’s when he spotted them—dozens of massive chemical tanks suspended above. Without hesitation, he used his Qi to break the supports holding them in place. One by one, the tanks came crashing down, spilling their toxic contents in every direction. The noxious liquid spread rapidly, sending the machines into chaos as they scrambled to avoid it.

  Seizing the moment, Alex forged a path with his Qi, grabbing Maggie and Dr. Jiayang before sprinting toward the exit.

  "We made it out!"

  After running a safe distance from the factory, Alex turned back, grinning as he prepared to celebrate their escape. But before he could speak, a metal rod shot through the air like a spear—piercing straight through Dr. Jiayang.

  "Doctor!!"

  Jiayang collapsed instantly. Alex’s gaze followed the trajectory of the attack, locking onto the towering black mechanical soldier standing at the factory entrance. The machines were too occupied to chase them, but their controller, Ares, stood motionless in the distance, watching them coldly. His silent gaze seemed to say:

  "Run all you want—you’ll never escape us."

  Rage burned in Alex’s chest, but there was no time to fight. Seeing Jiayang gasping for breath on the ground, Alex made a split-second decision.

  "I’ll carry him! Maggie, let’s go!"

  With Jiayang slung over his back, Alex grabbed Maggie’s hand and bolted toward the hills, disappearing into the thick fog.

  After what felt like an eternity of running, they finally emerged from the mist, deep within the cover of a forest.

  Breathless, Alex and Maggie gently set Dr. Jiayang against a tree. Seeing the doctor’s fatal wound, both of them were at a loss. Alex clutched the doctor’s hand, his voice shaking.

  "Doctor… are you okay?"

  Jiayang’s face was pale, his breathing shallow. He had lost too much blood. Yet, with his last bit of strength, he grasped Alex’s wrist and whispered:

  "Alex… listen to me…."

  Alex leaned in closer, gripping his hand tightly.

  "I’m here, Doctor. Tell me!"

  Jiayang struggled to breathe, but he forced the words out.

  "You… wondered why you couldn’t defeat the AI soldiers… The truth is, to unleash the true power of Qi… you’re still missing one crucial thing…."

  Tears welled in Alex’s eyes.

  "What is it?! What do I need to do?"

  With his final ounce of strength, Jiayang whispered:

  "Go to the Lingzang Temple… in Seattle… That’s where you’ll find your answer…."

  Then, turning his gaze to the AI watch on Alex’s wrist, he gave one last order:

  "Ray… take care of Alex for me…."

  The smartwatch emitted a soft blue glow, as if acknowledging his words.

  "Doctor… don’t worry. I’ll do everything I can to help him."

  Hearing that, Jiayang managed a faint smile before his body went still. His breathing stopped.

  "Doctor…!!"

  As if mourning with them, the sky opened up, and rain began to fall. Alex clenched his fists, his tears blending with the downpour as he cried out in agony. Maggie, though she hadn’t known Jiayang long, couldn’t stop her own tears from falling at the sight of yet another life lost.

  Once the rain had passed, Alex and Maggie buried Dr. Jiayang, marking his grave with a makeshift headstone.

  Standing before it, Alex stared at the name etched into the stone—the man who had changed his life forever. A deep uncertainty weighed on him as he muttered:

  "Artificial intelligence is so powerful… I don’t know what the future holds for humanity… Can my Qi really change anything? Can it stop another tragedy like this from happening?"

  Maggie remained silent for a moment, then gently took his hand in hers. Though she didn’t possess his Qi, she knew what he needed most right now—someone to stand by him.

  Looking up at him, she spoke softly.

  "No matter what you choose to do… I’ll be with you. Even if it means walking toward death together."

  Alex was stunned for a moment, then let out a small, tired chuckle.

  "You said it, okay? No backing out now!"

  Maggie smiled too, but then her expression turned serious.

  "…Those AI machines will come after us, won’t they? Where do we go now?"

  Alex followed her gaze, looking toward the distant horizon. Then, with newfound resolve, he answered:

  "We’re going to Lingzang Temple."