Just as Chu Guang was conversing with the Mother of Dead Claw, Heya stood by silently.
When their exchange had concluded, she finally seized the opportunity to jump into the conversation, took a deep breath, and stepped forward to introduce herself.
"Hello, I am a researcher from the Alliance, from Shelter No. 117, mainly engaged in life science research..."
Seeing those amber-colored pupils looking at her, Heya’s face showed hints of embarrassnt as she quickly continued speaking.
"The condition of your body is very... surprising. I will... uh, draw a little blood from you regularly, of course, primarily for your health—"
"It’s for experints, isn’t it? It doesn’t really matter; this body was never solely mine anyway—it’s the crystallization of wisdom from tens of thousands of researchers over several generations," the Mother of Dead Claw said with a faint smile, unconcerned. "If you need it, take it."
Heya breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly continued.
"...Thank you, I won’t hurt you."
Although she couldn’t wait to unravel the mysteries of this being’s body before coming here, treating an intelligent creature that could speak human language as an experint still complicated her feelings sowhat.
It was great that the other party was willing to cooperate.
Shifting her gaze from Heya, the Mother of Dead Claw looked towards Chu Guang.
"If I continue to inject the serum, my body will keep growing and, theoretically, I could live on indefinitely... but this space can no longer contain . I plan to stop the injections, and theoretically, this body has 47 years left in its lifespan."
"Now that the traitors are dead and the authority of Shelter No. 79 has been transferred to you, my confusion has been resolved, and I am willing to accompany you for another 47 years. Once you have reaped the results of my body’s research, I plan to live out the last bit of my life like a normal living being."
Chu Guang nodded.
"That is your freedom."
The Mother of Dead Claw smiled.
"What about you? What are you planning to do next?"
Chu Guang glanced around.
"I plan to take a look around here for a while and check out the Black Boxes in your warehouse."
That was the main point.
Twelve Black Boxes.
There were more than he had seen in the entire past year combined.
"Black Boxes..."
A look of realization crossed the Mother of Dead Claw’s face as if recalling sothing from a long ti ago. "Speaking of which, there are several Black Boxes stored here... How many was it again?"
Chu Guang: "Twelve, I just confird through the caras... Didn’t you use them?"
"Maybe a long, long ti ago, when I was still human. As for now, they’re useless to , but I still rember their functions..." said the Mother of Dead Claw with a light smile, "If you don’t mind, I can introduce them to you."
Chu Guang nodded.
"That would be appreciated."
...
The functions of the Black Box were clearly stated in the user manual.
Not only were the Black Boxes foolproof, but so was the user manual.
After all, the entire design of the system was predicated on the worst-case scenario where "the survivors of the Wasteland Era had completely forgotten about literature and the original culture," so that even monkeys or gorillas could figure out how to use it.
From this perspective, the introduction seed sowhat superfluous.
However, since the forr Manager here had volunteered to act as a "product introducer," Chu Guang naturally would not decline.
A bionic chip was installed in its brain, which, just like VM, could serve as a terminal to connect to the shelter system.
Chu Guang gave it a Hummingbird drone and then followed it, along with Heya, to the shelter’s warehouse.
The Variants on the way to the warehouse had been cleared away.
Moving down the staircase to the bottom-most floor of the building, Chu Guang soon saw the twelve Black Boxes of varying sizes in a room of several hundred square ters.
The smallest was no larger than a briefcase, light enough to be lifted with one hand.
And the largest one couldn’t just be called a box—it occupied a quarter of the room on its own, essentially a detachable workshop!
What shocked Chu Guang the most was indeed the largest one.
Once he had read the description in the user manual, he couldn’t help but exclaim.
"... A portable reactor?!"
The Hummingbird drone gently floated next to that Black Box, and the sound of wood decaying ca through from VM.
"That’s right, precisely the ’Hippo-2’ portable reactor, one version more advanced than the ’Hippo-1’ outfitting your power armor."
"Typically, such reactors are used in power armor, but it’s not unheard of to install them in ground vehicles and low-flying aircraft."
Chu Guang involuntarily swallowed, his eyes sparkling with excitent.
The core component of power armor was its portable reactor.
Thanks to the portable reactor, it allowed users to traverse any terrain effortlessly, clad in heavy armor comparable to a tank, and could be used as a platform for various weapons, above and below the ground.
"Didn’t you ever think of putting it to use?"
The Mother of Dead Claw smiled faintly.
"Putting it to use, you say... it’s not that simple. What do you plan to do with it? Magically conjure non-existent nuclear fuel out of thin air? Even if the Black Box that produces nuclear batteries were right in front of you, without helium-3, it would just be a decoration."
"In my view, this is actually the least useful Black Box here."
The energy utilization efficiency of the portable reactor was far lower than the fixed reactor in the shelter. It wouldn’t be cost-effective to dismantle the latter’s fuel rods for use in the forr.
Shelter No. 79 didn’t need power armor at all in its first fifty years.
After the end of the Little Ice Age, power armor gradually lost its significance for them.
Extrely powerful life forms could still prove formidable opponents to chanical ones.
Take the "Yong’s" for example.
It was sowhat difficult to take it down with just one suit of power armor; in the end, the players managed to kill it through sustained damage and human wave tactics.
From this perspective, there was so truth to what they said.
Cooling down from the excitent, Chu Guang nodded thoughtfully.
"...Indeed, not being able to get nuclear fuel is a big problem."
"If the Earth-Moon route can’t be restored, or if we can’t get hold of pre-war nuclear fuel reserves, I advise you to put it aside for now... look at other things instead."
The Hummingbird drone floated next to a row of black boxes and began introducing them as if displaying treasured possessions.
"This one is a fire extinguisher... there’s not much to say about it, but the coolant inside is quite interesting. You could make the fire extinguisher and then disassemble it to extract the coolant. It can most certainly be used in chemical engines and is quite convenient."
"Over there are the ’Champion’ brand coffee beans, which can be synthesized to mimic those that only grow at altitudes of 1500 ters. Actually, with such a na, you should already know which company sponsored this..."
Chu Guang stroked his chin with interest.
"Yin Fang should be interested in this."
Heya’s expression turned a bit odd as she spoke in a teasing tone.
"You all sure know how to enjoy yourselves."
A light chuckle ca through the VM.
"It’s not exactly enjoynt; most of the researchers here simply have a habit of consuming caffeine. I think coffee and tea are normal hobbies... although it may seem odd to produce them from a black box."
"The black box next to it, although sponsored by the sa company, is not so normal. Its ingredients not only include caffeine but also have a mild addictiveness similar to alcohol... ’Champion’ brand injections, just one shot and you’re excited for 12 hours. To avoid affecting sleep, we usually use it in the morning."
Chu Guang made a weird face and said, "...Actually, this is a kind of stimulant, isn’t it?"
He picked up the handbook and flipped through it. In addition to instructions for operating the black box, Chu Guang found an additional line that seed like a slogan—
[Use Champion, to help you beco the champion.]
"..."
Good heavens.
Quite the slogan indeed!
The Mother of Dead Claw said softly, "You could understand it that way. We use it primarily to maintain 100% concentration during work. But after becoming Dead Claw, we no longer need it."
"For that dosage, it tabolizes in a single breath."
The warehouse had a limited supply of materials.
Chu Guang walked over to the black box and, following the instructions from the handbook, inserted 57g of charcoal, 20g of sugar, and 500ml of water, among other things, and then switched on the intake and power.
To be honest, operating this thing felt a bit like alchemy.
But you just had to push the start button; there was no need for hand seals and incantations—unless the operator was very particular about the ritual aspect.
The device soon activated.
A few minutes later, a syringe injector about the length of a middle finger quietly lay at the black box’s output chute.
Heya imdiately stepped forward, took it, and examined it curiously in her hands before, without hesitation, jabbing it into her own arm.
After feeling its effects for a mont with her eyes closed, she spoke.
"There’s a slight increase in various bodily functions... To put it in terms you’d understand, there’s an all-attribute boost of 4~20%, lasting 6~12 hours."
All of a sudden, noticing that Chu Guang was staring straight at her, Heya paused and said sowhat sheepishly,
"...Why are you looking at like that?"
Chu Guang replied, puzzled, "I just didn’t expect you to give yourself a shot... Are you sure it’s okay to experint on yourself like this?"
Heya looked blank for a mont and said as if it were obvious,
"It doesn’t matter... I can tabolize it even if there is a problem."
Chu Guang: "..."
Well, alright.
Kidneys enhanced by high technology really are impressive.
Honestly, Chu Guang was a bit envious, but the thought of installing strange parts in his own body always gave him an unnatural feeling.
And a Constitution of over twenty wasn’t bad either—it’s possible he might even awaken to so incredible abilities later on.
Bionic organs and the like can wait until old age!
Not paying attention to their conversation, the hovering drone continued to the next black box.
"There are just these two black boxes sponsored by ’Champion’. That stimulant... let’s just call it a stimulant, it might be sowhat useful for you."
"Variable-temperature Blue Jackets... Your shelter should have these already, after all, it’s a standard feature for most shelters. There’s not much to say about that. And then there’s the ’Asteroid Brand’ canned at; again, there’s not much to say. While it can supplent protein, the cans contain synthesized at, and the taste is the sa for each can. Eating too much of it can be nauseating, so you probably won’t like it..."
"That might not necessarily be the case. It’s the Wasteland Era now, and just having a bite of at is considered good. My residents aren’t picky eaters." Picking up the manual, Chu Guang flipped through it with interest, growing more surprised as he went.
Five cans synthesized in one minute!
If one is fast enough, that’s 5000 a day. Based on each can’s net content of 480g, the daily at production is equivalent to...
kilograms?!
The mont he calculated this number, Chu Guang was astonished.
That’s enough at to match ten cows!
Using a black box that occupies less than ten square ters of space, they replaced a ranch with an annual output of 3,650 cows, encompassing the entire production chain including slaughter, sterilization, and canning.
This black technology is indeed a bit impressive.
"...Heh, I know what you’re thinking, but I still have to remind you that the black box consus nonrenewable nuclear energy. Whether it’s drawing power from the shelter or from a nuclear battery, the energy isn’t unlimited. You can consider it as a supplent to your food sources, but it’s best not to rely on it completely, otherwise, there will co a ti when you’ll be facing hunger," the Mother of Dead Claw said, pausing for a mont.
"What I’d like to introduce to you next is this black box... ’Quirky’ Biscuits. There’s sothing interesting about this item."
Chu Guang approached the black box, suspended by the drone, examined the unit closely for a mont, and tried to activate the machine. Watching the packaged bags lying at the discharge port, he asked with interest.
"Do these biscuits have sothing special about them?"
The Mother of Dead Claw chuckled and said,
"They sure do have sothing special... you can try one."
Chu Guang glanced instinctively at Heya.
Without needing his hint, Heya had already walked curiously to the side of the black box’s discharge port, picked up a biscuit, unwrapped it, and tossed one into her mouth.
After chewing for a while, her face showed a look of surprise. She tossed another piece into her mouth and muttered,
"...Strange taste."
Chu Guang raised his eyebrows slightly and also stuffed a piece into his mouth. A subtle sweetness spread through his taste buds, seemingly just ordinary cane sugar. And what’s more, due to so chemical reaction, although the biscuit wasn’t hard, it had a very noticeable grainy texture.
Overall, it had a strange taste, but surprisingly, it made one want another piece.
"...Just an ordinary dessert, right?" Chu Guang gave a brief evaluation and stuffed another biscuit into his mouth.
"Is what you taste a dessert?" Heya spoke thoughtfully.
Confused by her sceptical tone, just as Chu Guang was about to inquire, the Mother of Dead Claw slowly began to speak.
"’Quirky’ Biscuits... It’s one of the few luxury items here, and everyone tastes sothing different."
With a look of interest on her face, Heya savored it for a mont and then spoke thoughtfully,
"So that’s how it is, it promotes the secretion of brain pheromones, creating the illusion through the taste and touch receptors that one is eating their favorite food, right?"
The Mother of Dead Claw responded, "I’m not too keen on calling it an illusion, but in hard tis, it has indeed brought us a lot of comfort... For us, many delicacies that have disappeared can only be rembered in this way."
Simulating one’s favorite food, huh?
This sounded less like tasting delicacies and more like tasting "mories."
Chu Guang looked at Heya.
"Speaking of which, what taste did you get?"
Heya answered without hesitation,
"Liver, kind of like the taste and texture of foie gras. I didn’t expect the texture could also be recreated."
Chu Guang: "..."
Biscuits that taste like foie gras...
That’s a unique preference indeed.
Heya suddenly turned curious and looked at him.
"What about you?"
Chu Guang pondered seriously for a while before responding with an uncertain voice after a long pause.
"Um... perhaps it’s a lollipop."
Thinking about it, that grainy texture really did resemble the feeling of a crushed lollipop.
Heya was taken aback.
Seeing her looking at him with surprise, Chu Guang hesitated and asked,
"What’s wrong?"
Heya’s gaze drifted to the side.
"Nothing... it’s just, your taste seems surprisingly ordinary? I thought that a special being... I an an Awakener like you would have different preferences from ordinary people."
What an odd thing to say.
Chu Guang chuckled and made a playful remark,
"That ans I’m easily content. In these hard tis, I think that’s a rather good trait to have."
"That may be true... but I haven’t seen you eating candy often," Heya said, her face still showing a bit of confusion.
If she rembered correctly, the shelter was stocked with plenty of that stuff, so much so that he not only displayed it in the store to sell to other residents but occasionally even handed it out to the nearby children, making her wonder if there was a black box producing lollipops hidden sowhere in the shelter.
In response to Heya’s question, Chu Guang made a helpless gesture.
"Don’t ask , I have no idea... If you’re curious, why not take a few samples back for research?"
These biscuits might sell really well in the Ideal City.
Interesting laughter ca from the VM system.
"Heh, don’t worry too much about that question... what you used to like might not be what you like now, and the taste you get can vary with your mood."
"I hope it brings you happiness, not confusion."
"Young Manager."
...
In addition to producing portable reactors, low-temperature fire extinguishers, variable temperature Blue Jackets, Champion brand coffee beans and stimulants, "Asteroid" brand synthetic at cans, and "Quirky" brand biscuits, there were also several black boxes that produced various household items.
Although everything has its significance, in Chu Guang’s view, the most valuable item was unquestionably the "Hippo-2" portable nuclear reactor and the "Champion" injection produced by the Black Box.
Though nuclear fuel was difficult to obtain, Yin Fang could help think of a solution. With the portable reactor, the Alliance now had the prospect of producing power armor independently!
And not just power armor.
As long as the fuel was sorted, a nuclear-powered tank was entirely feasible!
Who said a railgun couldn’t be mounted on a vehicle?
This was exactly what they needed!
As for the "Champion" injection, Chu Guang planned to sell it to his players.
A buff that enhanced all attributes, and it lasted for 12 hours too.
One for just 50 silver, that wasn’t too expensive, was it?
...
As Chu Guang was contentedly admiring his spoils of war, a group of special visitors arrived at the southern end of Linghu Wetland Park in Qingquan City.
They led mutant cals, numbering about twenty people, all wrapped in long robes and headscarves to protect against the sand.
Watching the Comrcial Team approaching, the two guards at the entrance exchanged glances. One of them stepped forward and addressed the person in the lead.
"The area ahead is the territory of the Alliance Guard, if you wish to go to the comrcial district, you’ll need to enter from the north gate of the Wetland Park."
Removing his headscarf, Kaliman stepped forward and spoke respectfully.
"We are envoys from the Lion Kingdom, from the Falling Leaves Province... I would like to et with your Manager."
"Envoys from the Lion Kingdom?"
Carrying a rifle, Xu Shun approached the man, examining the unfamiliar face before speaking.
"Do you have anything that can prove your identity?"
"This is an appointnt letter personally written by His Majesty." Kaliman pulled out a silk scroll from within his clothes and handed it over to the young guard facing him.
Xu Shun noted that the material of the scroll was crafted from Devil Silk and could well have been traded from their location.
However, that was beside the point.
Unfurling the scroll, Xu Shun glanced over it briefly.
The content was roughly that the King of the Lion Kingdom had decreed full authority to this man nad Kaliman, a prince, to handle all diplomatic affairs involving the Lion Kingdom and Oasis No.9.
Regardless of whether the kingdom still existed...
Xu Shun frowned slightly, rolled up the scroll, and returned it to the prince before him.
"...We have not established diplomatic relations with your kingdom, so we cannot verify the authenticity of this appointnt letter, but I have notified the Lord of the City of Dawn, and he will et with you later."
"What about your Manager?" Kaliman asked, sowhat anxiously.
Before coming here, he had heard that the highest leader of the Alliance was the Manager, not so city lord.
"That person naturally has his own business to attend to and cannot et visitors at all hours, but I will report your request to him," Xu Shun answered without revealing Chu Guang’s schedule, "Now, please co with ."
Since the establishnt of the City of Dawn, countless Wasteland Wanderers had claid to represent powers and requested audiences, among whom were certainly fraudsters.
Xu Shun did not entirely believe this man before him, but still reported his matter via VM to the Manager’s assistant and settled his guards next to the Guard’s station, then took him to the rchant Guild’s reception room where a Servant poured him a cup of tea.
After an anxious wait in the reception room for an hour, Kaliman finally t Luka, the Lord of the City of Dawn.
Unlike the bureaucracy he had t in the Giant Stone City’s municipal building,
the silver-haired elderly man before him seed to have an aura of the earth about him, and his calloused hands did not resemble those of a civil official.
Could it be he ca from a military background?
While speculating in his mind, Kaliman rose from his seat and perford a courtly bow of the Lion Kingdom.
"Respected Lord of the City of Dawn—"
"Please dispense with the formalities, have a seat, my friend from afar."
After inviting Kaliman to sit, Luka took the seat opposite him on the sofa, sizing up the sowhat younger man before him.
"My na is Luka, and I am the city’s lord. I’ve already heard about your situation from our Guard captain, and I also understand that you’ve co from the direction of Giant Stone City?"
Kaliman nodded slightly.
"Yes, we stopped there first."
Luka continued calmly,
"Did you et their city lord?"
Kaliman hesitated for a mont but eventually shook his head, answering honestly,
"No... "
The expression clearly showed disappointnt.
However, this was within Luka’s expectations.
The Alliance had recently set up a foreign ministry after all, while Giant Stone City didn’t even have a departnt to manage outside affairs and was reluctant to deal with matters beyond the colossal wall.
If it wasn’t for the loan of two billion chips, if it wasn’t for that 400mm main cannon with power comparable to nuclear weapons, they probably wouldn’t be too concerned with that airship nearly crashing into them...
Without being surprised by Kaliman’s response, Luka nodded understandingly and continued,
"The Manager often teaches us to seek common ground despite differences. Although we have different cultures, ideals, and beliefs, I don’t think that will be an obstacle to our understanding of each other... Can you tell the purpose of your visit?"
Kaliman took a deep breath and looked earnestly at Luka.
"The Falcon Kingdom has betrayed the oaths they swore in front of the Spirit of the Sand Sea. They have annexed our neighbors with the backing of their Army, and they are attempting to spread fires of war across the entire desert... "
"We cannot withstand the might of the Army alone; we need your help!"
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