46: Chapter 32 Shuttle Machine 46: Chapter 32 Shuttle Machine Roars thundered in succession, as if a hundred fierce beasts bellowed in the dark night.
The Suzuki Group had assembled and transferred within ten minutes, with countless motorcycles and three large shuttle machines flying away from Suzuki Springs, leaving Katagi District, and heading straight for Number 26 Highland.
At Toshiaki gastore, Xu Yang, who had originally been resting, was also startled awake by the sound of the massive convoy moving.
He turned to look and saw that the Suzuki Group mbers who had been moving things in the store had already retreated; the place was deserted.
He quickly ran outside to observe the situation, only to see the lights of vehicles piercing the darkness, crossing the roads, and whizzing away into the night.
“They’re heading to Number 26 Highland,” Xu Yang discerned the direction, “we can’t stop now.”
“Go find the ‘Shuttle Machine’ you ntioned?” Kanako was still afraid of returning to the dark, longing for the light of the gastore.
“Yes, Kanako, co with , we must also go, and the sooner the better.
Staying here will only feed the rats.” Xu Yang didn’t want to delay any longer; he imdiately turned around and headed toward the mining site of the Bronze Titan Company.
One by one, Ratn erged from the darkness, peering at them while whispering and muttering among themselves.
Behind them, more of their kind sward out; their numbers seed endless, with at least tens of thousands of Ratn, dense and far beyond sight.
Where did these Ratn co from?
Xu Yang couldn’t help but question himself.
There were many theories.
So said they were the result of corporate bio-experints, others said they were strange life forms left over from the Witch Era, so believed they were alien creatures born from extraterrestrial teorites, and others thought they were humans who had been forced underground and had degenerated.
Nobody knew for sure.
There were hundreds of billions of rats, and Ratn, being much larger, would naturally be fewer in number.
Other humanoid creatures, such as various apes and gorillas, currently numbered only 300,000 worldwide, and many people believed the population of Ratn would not exceed this figure.
But the situation they were seeing suggested otherwise.
According to estimates by so survey companies, Ratn could nest near underground cities, surviving on the imnse amounts of garbage left behind by both the underground city and the ground level.
Economic disturbances caused by imbalances in supply and demand were predicted by artificial intelligence.
In order to balance production and sales, vast amounts of unconsud food were dumped straight into sewers as losses, and this could very well have beco the food source for the Ratn.
After all, half a century ago, when the Ratn first expanded on a large scale, they had already shown enough intelligence to utilize and even replicate hydroponic farms developed by humans, and unbeknownst to humanity, they had established a self-sufficient underground empire.
These thoughts swirled in Xu Yang’s mind.
As they walked toward the excavation site, more and more Ratn popped up from both sides, confirming these speculations.
The forgotten race of intelligent beings had returned.
They didn’t attack, just silently watched them walk in the darkness, creating an even more sinister feeling, as if thousands of caras were filming them at the sa ti.
The Ratn stared at them as if eyeing prey waiting to be slaughtered.
The thought sent shivers down their spines.
“Maybe…
we should go back,” Kojima Kanako couldn’t help it, “Back to where there’s light, back to the robot shop with its automated turrets and battery packs, where our safety can be secured.”
“How long will the rat infestation last?” Xu Yang didn’t stop his stride, “What if we’re facing a long, drawn-out battle?”
“With the company’s technology and firepower, no matter how many rats co, they will all die,” Kojima Kanako was very confident.
“Yes, the company is too strong, but what about us?” Xu Yang sighed.
“The company is invincible,” Cui Junyou added tily, “We little people are just reserve provisions.”
“…” Kanako fell silent.
“Yes,” Xu Yang lanted, “to the company, Ratn are nothing more than a minor itch that doesn’t affect their comrcial empire under the sunlight.
The company has no obligation to protect us either.
Those who are killed by the Ratn now were never in the company’s protective plans to begin with; the company only protects those who pay for their services.
There is no doubt that after this disaster, the corporations will continue to flourish, so what about us?”
“Staying in one place will eventually exhaust the resources,” Nidelaide reminded Kanako.
Xu Yang felt good about this guy who always managed to view things objectively; he was easy to get along with.
“It’s more dangerous here,” Kanako regretted, “Why didn’t you let stay at the gastore and co get after you found the Shuttle Machine?”
“There’s a place where you’ll be needed,” Xu Yang smiled.
“What?” Kanako was puzzled.
“They haven’t attacked yet,” Lila gathered information around her using her magic power, “It seems they’re waiting for their ‘chieftain’ and ‘leaders’ to arrive.
They’re more excited than usual.
If it weren’t for the lack of certain orders, they would have rushed over already.”
“We need to move fast; it’s just ahead,” Xu Yang pointed to the dark excavation site.
After the longest 15 minutes of their lives, Xu Yang and his companions finally arrived at their destination.
After the previous conflict had ended, everything had fallen silent.
There was no light, only smoky dust covered the ground, with casings, pits, tal debris, and pieces of corpses intermingled, making it difficult to distinguish them properly.
It seed that the hallucinatory scent from Farosa’s burial was still emanating from the interior of the dig site, a sll the Ratn did not like, so they didn’t break in but rely peered in from the periter.
Xu Yang ran to find the Shuttle Machine, while Lila and Farosa stopped very close to the entrance.
Farosa’s tomb still hid in the depths, faintly glowing.
Lila gazed there, slowly constructing an internal model out of the perceived information even in the absence of light.
Temperature, airflow, visual imaging were all resources to be utilized.
“The very people who hated the most built that place together,” Farosa crossed her arms over her chest, “There are even my grave goods inside.
Want to dig them up?”
“One thousand years ago, approximately eight witches incurred the extre malice of the others for doing things that were unforgivable, triggering an unprecedented calamity,” Lila recalled.
“So only eight out of the eleven witches are rembered by the people of this era?
I wonder how the forgotten three would feel if they were alive today,” Farosa said with a smirk that was not quite a smile.
“In fact, only the numbers have been passed down, without any detailed records.”
“I guessed as much; that’s also why the modern witches seem so frail, because they know nothing of the past.”
“If you were one of them, your existence would be a great threat to us.”
“Just don’t provoke , and we can talk,” Farosa said disdainfully, “It’s freaks like you that disgust , your existence insults our entire kind.
If the gods knew of you, they would destroy this sacrilege without hesitation.”
“Too bad your ‘gods’ have fallen in the assaults by the major companies,” Lila said calmly.
Farosa’s sinister smile beca even more bizarre.
She shook her head and hurried towards Xu Yang.
Xu Yang found the black Shuttle Machine, opened the hatch, and climbed in, then turned to signal the others to co aboard.
Farosa was the first to crawl into the Shuttle Machine.
“Wow!” she excitedly said to Xu Yang, “We’ve co all the way here without any trouble.”
“Of course!” Xu Yang found Farosa particularly naive and cute at this mont.
“With so many motorcycles leaving just now, is there no one left at the springs?
If we could return to the springs from before and worship the gods, that would be great.
I really miss the deities!” Farosa said.
The deities…oh great deities, it has been long since I tasted your fear; I wonder if you are still as tender, with ceaseless wails.
“Worshipping the gods would restore your power,” Xu Yang rembered, “If we get a chance, let’s go there.
It seems the Suzuki Group really left, they shouldn’t stop us from visiting that place again, and most likely, they won’t leave anyone behind.
With the Ratn in such numbers, who could they spare to stay.”
“Yes, yes,” Farosa nodded eagerly, “I can’t wait to unleash my full power.
Only then can I truly do as I please.”
“If worshipping can restore your power, that’ll be good for all of us, but we’ll have to be careful.
After all, Ratn are everywhere,” Xu Yang reminded.
Seeing Lila co aboard, he led her to the control panel, pulled a data cable from it, and connected it to his wrist, hacking into the internal system, altering the backend settings, and locating the original Black Fire Innovation AI, completely blocking its administrative rights.
“Warning: Violent hacking detected,” the Shuttle Machine’s AI imdiately broadcast.
“Recomndation: Crew mbers should imdiately find the neural hacker and kill them.
Warning, violent hacking detected…”
Xu Yang turned its volu to zero.
Lila sat at the control desk, swiftly accessed the controls, and worked seamlessly with Xu Yang, making them the new controllers of the Shuttle Machine.
The original AI was forever isolated, never again able to interfere with the Shuttle Machine’s actions.
Under Lila’s operation, the Shuttle Machine’s engines started, air gushing forth, as it rose off the ground, ready for action.
Success!
Xu Yang felt a surge of excitent.
This Shuttle Machine had no paint job, originally for Black Fire Innovation’s rcenaries’ evacuation, a product of powerful military technology with outstanding performance, speed, maneuverability, protection; all its capabilities were top-notch.
“It’s so spacious and bright in here,” Cui Junyou also ca aboard and spotted the Shuttle Machine’s built-in auto-doctor, “Wow, this thing’s the latest model, flawless.”
“Yeah, this is it,” Xu Yang said cheerfully, “Use it to fix up.”
With brand new implants and full hacking functionalities, I’ll truly beco the master of technology.
Xu Yang thought excitedly.
In the ongoing massive rat infestation, in the chaotic Underground City where the big companies hesitated to tread, vulnerabilities were everywhere, each block set to beco my personal property; who could hold accountable, pull up my hacking records?
And with billions in funds, I could spend!
As long as I escape with this Shuttle Machine, the future holds boundless potential.
“You go first,” Cui Junyou pushed Xu Yang into the auto-doctor, adjusting the controls on the outside screen, “Hmm, I can use many of its functions, will start with a sterilization treatnt for you, then open up your skull.
I’ll replace your processor with a Flying God 4 and plug in a number 7 cable, you’ll be unbeatable.”
“Right,” Xu Yang nodded, “Nothing would be better.”
“There is one problem,” Cui Junyou quickly said, “You’re going to be under anesthesia in a mont, and you won’t be able to move then.”
“So what?” Xu Yang was montarily unsure of what Cui Junyou was trying to convey.
“If you’re not here, who will take command?” Cui Junyou looked at the people in the Shuttle Machine, “You’re the guy who gives orders in our team, right?
If you’re asleep, who will handle things?
What if there’s an ergency?”
Xu Yang looked around; the ones that could still move were Kanako, Farosa, Lila, and Nidelaide.
The answer was obvious.
Among these four, while I’m sleeping, there’s only one person capable of taking charge of the situation.
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