aircannonsinc Page 14
Page 14
On the ruined ground, only Chen Yuan's silver figure remained, along with an ice scorpion lying on the ground, its face streaked with tears, its eyes filled with fear and hatred.
Chen Yuan walked up to Ice Scorpion, looking down at her with a blank expression.
"Tell me, what is the Coastal Alliance? What's the deal with Mechanical City? What other forces are there on the ground? What are you looking for in Rusty Canyon?"
Chen Yuan's voice was devoid of any emotional fluctuation, as if he were interrogating an object.
Ice Scorpion coughed up blood, staring at Chen Yuan with venomous eyes, clenching his teeth.
"Did not say?"
Chen Yuan raised his foot, his combat boots covered in nano-alloys, and stomped hard on Ice Scorpion's already shattered wrist, crushing it forcefully.
"Uh ah ah!"
The ice scorpion let out a shrill, distorted scream, its body convulsing violently, and large beads of sweat mixed with blood rolled down its forehead.
"I'll make you...speak!" Chen Yuan's voice was as cold as ice.
The intense pain shattered Ice Scorpion's will, and with all her teammates dead, she too was determined to die.
"Tell me... I'll tell you, please give me a quick death."
She was on the verge of collapse, knowing there was no way out, and spoke the information in fits and starts.
"Coastal Alliance...East Coast Survivor Outpost Union...Kukai Base...Old-era military base conversion...Mechanical City...They're a bunch of lunatics...Worshipping old-era technology...Transforming themselves into cyborgs...Hidden Mountain Pure Land...Legend says there are no Devouring Beasts there...They have special methods to lower their aura...Like Dragon Bone Village...And...mysterious...Eye Tumor...Grey Forces...They...Study Mana Ecology...Very dangerous...We...Traced all the way...Raiders...Stole Alliance supplies...The clues point to the depths of the canyon...Old-era...Research Institute..."
The fragmented yet crucial information paints a more complex picture of power dynamics in the wasteland world.
After listening quietly and confirming that she had no more valuable information, Chen Yuan bent down and picked up the tactical dagger that Ice Scorpion had dropped on the ground.
The dagger was very sharp, and it was stained with her blood.
Ice Scorpion watched Chen Yuan pick up the dagger, his eyes filled with despair and pleading, but even more so with a numb resignation, and he closed his eyes.
Chen Yuan stood before her, holding a dagger, his feelings a complex mix.
This was the first time he had faced a fellow human being so clearly and closely, as an executioner.
"I'm sorry, you shouldn't have attacked me... Even if you weren't at fault, you're all part of a team..."
Chen Yuan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the uncomfortable nausea.
His gaze turned cold and resolute again.
“The end of the world…needs no pity.” He muttered to himself, more as if trying to convince himself.
The next moment, Chen Yuan suddenly raised his hand and forcefully slashed, as if moving a silk thread.
"Pfft!"
A sharp dagger, capable of killing instantly upon drawing blood.
The movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Ice Scorpion's body stiffened abruptly, then collapsed limply, her life force rapidly fading away.
[Target Kill: Coastal Squad member (Ice Scorpion), Survival Points +0.]
"vomit……"
Just after Ice Scorpion breathed its last, Chen Yuan could no longer suppress the intense physiological reaction.
Killing a Devouring Beast is like killing a chicken; there's no psychological burden. But if it were a human, Chen Yuan would feel a strange sense of guilt.
Why? Because he is kind!
"Damn, I still can't get used to it..."
Chen Yuan suddenly bent over, and the moment his mask was removed, he began to gag violently.
His stomach was empty, and he could only vomit sour bile and gastric juices. Cold sweat instantly soaked his temples, and his body trembled slightly uncontrollably.
Ending the life of a fellow human being who has lost the ability to resist with his own hands... well, that feeling... is far heavier than he imagined.
It wasn't fear, it wasn't dread, but a deep-seated, intense aversion and disgust towards one's own actions.
However, it was this feeling that made Chen Yuan feel that he was still a human being.
Ultimately, he hadn't changed his mindset. After all, a gamer's mental fortitude and resilience are still insufficient.
He leaned against the cold, broken pipe beside him, panting heavily, slowly calming himself down.
It took more than ten seconds for the churning sensation to subside slightly.
Chen Yuan straightened up and used the nano-alloy surface of his combat suit arm to wipe the grime from the corner of his mouth.
"Can Loongson help me clear away negative emotions?"
Chen Yuan tried giving orders to the Loongson chip.
[Instruction received. Suggestion: Mr. Chen, take a deep breath and focus on your survival goals and points acquisition.]
Loongson's electronic voice sounded at the right time, carrying a kind of programmed "soothing" tone.
Chen Yuan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.
When he opened his eyes again, the last trace of softness and hesitation that belonged to the ordinary young man before his transmigration seemed to have been completely severed by the dagger just now.
All that remains is the coldness, vigilance, and... ruthlessness that wasteland survivors should possess.
He stopped looking at the corpses scattered on the ground (a mixture of humans and Devouring Beasts), bent down and picked up Ice Scorpion's relatively intact large-caliber sniper rifle and several magazines. He also took two unused high-explosive grenades from the body of a coastal soldier and stuffed them into the simple storage compartment that came with his combat suit.
"This world is indeed not suitable for me. To survive better, I can only keep upgrading my battle suit and exchanging for powerful and advanced weapons. I must survive one more round and not let my mindset get too high."
Chapter 17 My Survival Base
The wind from the depths of the canyon, carrying the lingering scent of rust and blood, blew across Chen Yuan's cold nanotech mech.
He stood in a relatively open area with solid rock below, no longer wanting to think about the complex forces of the Coastal Alliance, Mechanical City, and Hidden Mountain Pure Land.
Instead, it soared into the sky and left the Rusty Canyon.
"Open the system shop and redeem items."
Chen Yuan's voice was hoarse, tinged with weariness.
As the light screen unfolded before us, a dazzling array of futuristic technology products shimmered with an alluring glow.
Individual energy cannons, the latest exoskeleton armor, high-efficiency gene repair fluid, gene mutation stabilizing agents, and even blueprints for small flying vehicles…
His gaze swept over the weapons and equipment that cost tens or hundreds of thousands of points, his consciousness sliding across the light screen.
Finally, his gaze settled on an inconspicuous corner icon.
It was a simple, cube-shaped structural diagram with a cold, metallic sheen, labeled next to it:
[Small Modular Underground Survival Base (Code Name: "Ark")]
[Price: 10000 Survival Points]
【Function Description】:
The core module can be compressed to the size of a standard shipping container, and when unfolded, it forms a two-story space of about 50 square meters.
"Deep Drilling: The bottom integrates a high-strength alloy auger bit, which can drill into the rock strata 50 to 100 meters deep and hide in the ground. During the drilling process, the entrance is automatically compacted and filled to isolate the surface from detection and life signals."
Multiple protections: The outer shell uses composite wave-absorbing and pressure-resistant armor, and has an internal independent air circulation and filtration system.
The surface entrance is covered by a high-intensity energy-protected electric grid, which allows access only to preset identities (hosts and authorized personnel) through scanning and identification.
Basic life support: Powered by an integrated high-efficiency solar thin film (top camouflage layer) and a moonlight energy converter.
Equipped with a large-scale circulating water purification and storage system (to meet the long-term needs of a single person).
It includes standard rest cabins (with heated beds), a multi-functional hall, a dining room, a training room, a basic medical station, and other facilities.
The module interface is reserved, and functional modules (such as small manufacturing stations, weapon maintenance compartments, etc.) can be expanded in the future by consuming points.
Important Note: Upgrading a small "Ark" survival base to a medium-sized survival base requires 10 survival points.
"This is it, I need a home. There's no place like home, no matter how good or bad."
“Confirm redemption… ‘Ark’,” Chen Yuan said firmly.
[Command confirmed. 10000 survival points deducted.]
[Item: The "Ark" small modular underground survival base (core module) has been delivered to the host's portable space.]
[Current remaining survival points: 10620 points.]
A faint light flashed, and Chen Yuan felt a heavy, but exceptionally dense metal cube appear in his personal space.
He flew quickly, searched carefully, and finally found a suitable location. With a thought, he deployed the communication system.
"Loongson, deploy the Ark and execute the deep-sea drilling and diving program."
[Command confirmed, deployment process has started. Please move to a safe distance.]
Chen Yuan took a few steps back.
Before him, the space distorted slightly, and a silver-gray metal cube, about two meters square, appeared out of thin air, landing heavily on the rock layer with a dull thud.
Immediately afterwards, the high-strength alloy auger bit, rotating at high speed at the bottom of the cube, suddenly protruded and quickly pierced into the rock below.
"Sizzle... Boom!"
The sharp drilling sound mixed with the roar of rocks being crushed, and dust flew everywhere.
The drill bit sliced through the hard rock layer as easily as a hot knife through butter, and the entire cube sank rapidly.
The drilled rock fragments were compacted by an invisible force, tightly filling the space around the tunnel left after the cube sank.
The entire process was efficient and orderly; the entrance was quickly covered up, leaving only a hole that continued to extend downwards and billowing smoke.
The roaring stopped in less than ten minutes.
As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, apart from an inconspicuous circular area covered with camouflage soil and gravel, almost blending into the surrounding environment, there was no trace of the base left on the ground.
Only on Chen Yuan's helmet display, the entrance location and a green dot representing the Ark were clearly marked, quietly located 100 meters underground.
Chen Yuan walked to the entrance of the disguise. On the disguise layer, several barely perceptible blue streams of light flashed by like breaths, and a soft but clear scanning beam instantly enveloped him.
[Identity confirmed: Host Chen Yuan, Authority: Highest.]
Welcome home, Mr. Chen. The entrance is now open.