"Half-finished?!"
Lin Mo's heart jolted, and a chill ran up his spine.
A half-finished Demon-level powerhouse?
Didn't this mean that once this mysterious organization perfected its technology, they would be able to mass-produce Demon-level, or even... Dragon-level robot armies, like an assembly line, endlessly?
If that were truly the case, it would be a devastating catastrophe for all of human society.
The Hero Association would be submerged by an endless legion of steel.
As if sensing Lin Mo's apprehension, Child Emperor added,
"However, what's temporarily a relief is that, according to our material analysis, several special alloy materials required to produce the 'Machine God' series robots are extremely scarce, so mass production isn't possible."
This statement somewhat put Lin Mo at ease, but the taut string in his mind hadn't completely relaxed.
Not finding the mastermind meant the threat always remained.
Child Emperor hesitated for a moment, seemingly mulling over something difficult to say.
He frowned deeply, and finally decided to tell the person in front of him, whom he could trust, his biggest lingering doubt.
"Uncle KING, actually... when I was analyzing these robot remains and blueprints, I always had a very familiar feeling."
His voice was very low, as if he was revealing a huge secret.
"Many of their design concepts, and even some of the underlying control codes, gave me a feeling... very similar to the robots made by the Doctor... no, by Metal Knight."
"Metal Knight?" Lin Mo's brows also furrowed.
The S-Class Hero ranked 6th, the mysterious, morally ambiguous scientist—Dr. Bofoy.
"Yes." Child Emperor nodded affirmatively, but the confusion on his face deepened.
"But I always feel a bit strange about it, yet I can't quite pinpoint what exactly is strange..."
Lin Mo nodded thoughtfully and said in a deep voice,
"Is it possible that someone stole Metal Knight's core data? If so, the similarity in the robots' design would make sense."
"I can't rule out that possibility." Child Emperor admitted, "But I once worked as the Doctor's assistant for a period, and I'm very clear about how terrifying his security system is."
"To steal data from him would be no less difficult than directly challenging the entire Hero Association. Moreover... the Hero Association Headquarters' defense system was also entirely designed by him."
Child Emperor seemed to recall something, his expression becoming somewhat hesitant and complex. He murmured in a voice only he could hear,
"Should I... ask the Doctor himself...?"
Lin Mo didn't hear Child Emperor's muttering. He had already achieved his purpose for this visit by informing the other party of the information he knew.
He glanced at the clock on the laboratory wall and said to Child Emperor,
"Well, that's all the information I have for now. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave."
"Ah?"
Child Emperor finally snapped out of his thoughts.
He looked at Uncle KING, who was already preparing to turn and leave, and the huge doubt in his heart finally couldn't be suppressed and blurted out.
"Why... tell me all this?"
He suddenly looked up, his intelligent eyes, for the first time, directly met Uncle KING's without reservation, trying to find an answer within them.
These two secrets, whether the "Machine God" organization or the [God], were too significant; their heavy weight was enough to crush any informed person with immense pressure, or even cause a mental breakdown.
Uncle KING's choice to tell him all this was definitely not to show off or share fear.
"Because I need an ally." Lin Mo's answer was concise and direct, without any prevarication.
"Ally?" Child Emperor repeated the word, a hint of bewilderment flashing in his eyes.
"An ally who can understand all of this and has the ability to prepare for it."
Lin Mo surveyed the laboratory, which represented the pinnacle of human technology, and finally fixed his gaze on Child Emperor.
"Looking across all the S-Class Heroes, Blast's whereabouts are uncertain, Metal Knight's character is unknown and untrustworthy, Drive Knight's identity is a mystery, Terrible Tornado has power but is too arrogant, and the others..."
"They are either pure combat personnel or their minds are not mature enough to bear this secret."
"Only you, Child Emperor." Lin Mo's tone was incredibly serious.
"You possess humanity's most advanced intelligence and command the most cutting-edge technology. Against the [God], brute force alone is useless."
"What we need is knowledge, analysis, and to find a way to crack this game before it truly descends."
Child Emperor's heart pounded fiercely at that moment.
This was no longer fear, but an unprecedented sense of mission, of being entrusted with a great responsibility.
An ineffable warmth surged from his chest, instantly flowing through his limbs.
He understood. Uncle KING coming to him today was not just to reveal a truth, but an invitation, a form of recognition.
Immediately, Child Emperor felt a rush of blood to his head. The fatigue and drowsiness accumulated from days of research were swept away, replaced by exhilaration and high fighting spirit.
His eyes became incredibly resolute, as if flames burned within them.
At this moment, Lin Mo had already reached the laboratory exit. He didn't look back, merely waved his hand, bidding farewell to Child Emperor:
"Goodbye, Child Emperor. I hope next time we meet, we will both have made some progress."
— — — — — —
Walking back, the evening sunset painted the sky a brilliant orange-red, and the soft light gilded the city with a warm golden hue.
Lin Mo looked at the setting sun, about to dip below the horizon, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.
Immediately, he felt much more relaxed.
He admitted that his words to Child Emperor contained an element of manipulation. His main purpose was to use Child Emperor to inform the Association of the existence of the [God], a crisis that would arrive sooner or later.
But that wasn't entirely false.
He truly needed Child Emperor's help.
Facing the unfathomable [God], sheer strength alone was far from enough.
After all, no one knew what unknown methods the enemy truly possessed.
They needed more information, more in-depth analysis, and ideally, to find a way to counter them before the final battle arrived.
Fortunately, Lin Mo was never fighting alone.
Humanity's most powerful weapon was never the fist of a single hero, but the combined wisdom, courage, and unyielding hope.
Lin Mo looked up at the last wisp of evening glow in the sky, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
He was, after all, human.