The two brothers, their hearts ignited with hope, immediately expended their last ounce of strength, vigorously paddling the raft toward the small island.
Half an hour later, utterly exhausted, they finally managed to beach the raft on a rocky shore.
Perhaps fortune had turned in their favor; upon reaching the island, they discovered a precious freshwater pool not far off!
After drinking their fill, the two regained some strength and began foraging for food on the island.
"Boss, something feels off about this place!" The third brother, a seasoned underground fighter with a keen sense for danger, hesitated outside a grove on the island.
"Stop talking nonsense! Even if there are wild beasts, are we vegetarians? Even if a tyrannosaurus jumped out, I'd eat it raw for you!" The boss, with a fierce expression, drew his pistol, eyes gleaming with intensity.
With that, he led the way into the woods. The third brother scratched his head and followed.
As they traversed through dense forest, the surroundings began to change. Even the boss, who had boasted about eating a tyrannosaurus raw, started to sense something amiss.
The trees thinned, revealing expanses of green camouflage-covered solar panels stretching as far as the eye could see.
Though hard to discern from afar, it became obvious upon closer inspection.
"There are people on this island! This island has been developed!" The artificial traces became increasingly apparent, making it clear to both.
"Boss, there are people! We're saved!" The third brother exclaimed with joy.
"Fool, let's assess the situation first. Does a normal person need to go to such lengths for camouflage?"
"Uh… maybe it's a green environmentalist?"
The boss: "…"
Suppressing the urge to deal with the idiot, the boss moved with greater caution. Yet, aside from the solar panels, there were no signs of human activity.
Suddenly, rustling sounds came from the nearby grass, as if something was moving within.
The two looked on nervously, the boss's lone pistol immediately aimed in that direction.
To their astonishment, a toy robot, about 20 centimeters tall, emerged from the grass. Dressed in a tiny vest and jeans, with a comically large head and pointed antennae, it trudged forward with a damaged solar panel on its back.
To liberate the mechanical insects' labor force, the solar collection devices in this area had been entirely converted to regular material products.
These artificial items, naturally inferior in quality to the mechanical insects, would occasionally break down due to wild animal interference. Little wolf robots like this one were responsible for retrieving and replacing damaged parts.
Under Nie Yun's design, this entire process was fully automated, requiring no further intervention from him, as the little wolf robots efficiently completed their tasks.
The small robot completely ignored the two, heading straight toward a particular direction.
The two exchanged glances.
"Boss, do you think we've stumbled into a land of toy people? Like in fairy tales?"
The boss: "…"
He looked at the third brother with a strange expression.
Who would have thought that beneath your wild exterior, you still had a heart of a young girl?
…
"Let's follow and see where it leads!" The boss finally made up his mind.
The two followed the small robot for about ten minutes.
After passing through another dense forest, their view suddenly opened up, revealing a scene that left them stunned.
A nearly hundred-meter-long silver-white battleship stood imposingly not far off.
This oddly shaped vessel, entirely silver and metallic, exuded a high-tech aura, yet its hull and side cannons seemed reminiscent of medieval warships from movies, evoking a peculiar sense of strangeness.
It lay docked at a makeshift pier, its size imposing despite its relatively small stature, exuding an intangible pressure.
Around the dock were several warehouse-like buildings, bustling with numerous little robots entering and exiting, making the two feel a shiver down their spines.
The little robot that had followed them tossed the damaged solar panel onto a pile of debris and retrieved a new panel from a nearby warehouse, passing by the two with an indifferent air and returning the same way.
"Boss… boss! We've really entered a land of toy people!" The third brother's voice was tinged with excitement, his volume rising.
"Be quiet!" The boss growled, his face darkening as he whispered.
He felt a chill; if he was right, they had inadvertently ventured into a formidable and mysterious zone!
If discovered, who could guarantee that these bizarre toy robots would be as friendly as depicted in fairy tales?
What if they were aliens preparing to invade Earth?
Would they be silenced or dissected after capture? That's how it always goes in movies, isn't it?
However, his warnings came too late; their presence had already attracted attention.
Several distinctly different silver female robots turned to look at them. The bustling activity around the area suddenly paused, as all the robots stopped and focused their gaze on the two.
At the same time, Nie Yun, who had been sleeping, slowly opened his eyes…
Seeing this, the two brothers felt their scalps nearly explode.
Being stared at by thousands of either adorably robotic or coldly mechanical figures was an experience they thoroughly understood.
"Boss… boss! I… I have a phobia of clusters!" The third brother gulped, stammering.
Forget your phobia! Where have you been all this time?
"Let's retreat slowly!" The boss said cautiously, observing the robots' movements while quietly backing away.
Before they could retreat into the forest, a lazy yawn resonated.
"Ah~ Who is it? Disturbing this king's slumber!"
As the voice echoed, a human figure appeared on the deck of the silver battleship, squinting down at the two.
Draped in a silver cloak, with a youthful face and somewhat dark skin, his gaze towards the two was unfriendly.
The brothers stared at each other in astonishment. "This king?" There was so much to take in!
"Oh, it's still an old acquaintance! Apologies, just woke up and haven't had the chance to change scenes. Ahem! Let's start over. So, you're the ones who disturbed my nap?"
Nie Yun said, casting a mischievous glance at the two.
"Run!" The boss, sensing the malice from Nie Yun despite not understanding why he was referred to as an old acquaintance, shouted and turned to flee.
But before they had run far, they found themselves drawn back.
Behind them, a horde of watchful little robots, armed with explosive rounds, kept a vigilant eye on them.
As the saying goes, those who are reckless fear the unyielding, and the unyielding fear the fearless. Fighting to the death when standing at the pinnacle of mental fortitude is indeed the highest state of being.
However, their adversaries were equally reckless and in numbers!
Two reckless individuals versus hundreds of reckless robots? Do they think their lives are too long?