Chapter 149.2 – Fire Seed (19)
◎ Can you swim? ◎
Some smart individuals sent the situation back to the system platform. After consulting with the client, awakeners from the Alliance team received a new prompt:
“New side mission: Please restore the ecological environment of Elderly People’s Country District A5 as soon as possible. The reward for this mission will be calculated separately.”
Song Ke quietly walked to the side and gestured for Zhuang Qingyan to come over.
“T014.” Like a street secret agent, Song Ke whispered the code.
This was the serial number of the out-of-control weather simulation system in Hua City. At that time, only she and Zhuang Qingyan were part of V587, and only they knew the details.
Zhuang Qingyan immediately understood, “Elderly People’s Country’s T001 is a first-generation machine, and it’s also the only simulation system used in District A. Do you want me to shut it down?”
“Can you shut it down?”
“Yes.” Zhuang Qingyan smiled, “I know the central location of T001. If we have Lu Xiaoyu’s help, it won’t take fourteen days.”
“But the difficulty of this matter isn’t in the simulation system. I believe there are other hacker-type awakeners at the scene. The key is the radiation outside…”
As he spoke, he suddenly looked up, staring at Song Ke intensely. “Song Ke, you’re not thinking of…”
“With the current radiation, how much is the excess?” Song Ke changed the subject.
The calculation of radiation was a very complex formula, but Zhuang Qingyan quickly glanced at the environmental data and almost instantly provided an answer, “Equivalent to about 30%.”
Song Ke nodded and then pointed to herself, “I’ll go find the central hub.”
She wasn’t showing off. Although the radiation test at Ning Rong’s Laboratory had caused her pain, Song Ke now had a deeper understanding of her awakened energy. Within a radiation excess of 100%, her body wouldn’t be affected at all; instead, her awakened energy would slightly increase.
This side mission seemed tailor-made for V587!
“Your abnormal radiation and unknown genes inside your body haven’t been fully examined yet,” Zhuang Qingyan hesitated, a rare occurrence. “If you enter a strong radiation environment again, and if anything unexpected happens…”
Song Ke patted his shoulder, reassuringly saying, “Don’t worry, I know my situation.”
Recalling Ning Rong’s test report, if one analyzed the data alone, the impact of 30% excess radiation on Song Ke was practically negligible. Her real tolerance limit was above 130%.
Zhuang Qingyan remained silent for a while.
Song Ke patted him again and again, saying, “Let me go.”
“Okay, you can go. Take the communicator with you and stay in constant contact,” Zhuang Qingyan, with a slightly painful chest from the patting, helplessly held her wrist and gently scratched her palm. “Also, don’t linger. Go and come back as soon as possible.”
“I got it.” Song Ke made an OK sign with her other hand.
The two returned to the team, and Song Ke informed everyone about her decision to go outside to find the T001 central hub.
Both Tustan’s team and V587 were shocked beyond words:
“What?!”
“Captain Song, don’t act impulsively!”
Yin Xiao frowned, “Song Ke, this decision is very unwise. If you’re in a hurry, we can push Qinglan Institute again.”
Tustan’s team members also joined in persuading, “Yeah, Captain Song, you don’t need to be so sacrificial. Anyway, everyone is here, and no one can complete the mission. Hey! V587! Aren’t you stopping your captain?”
Song Ke picked up her backpack and zipped up her jacket to the top. “Don’t worry, just wait here.”
Yin Xiao wasn’t naive and quickly guessed something, “Do you have a way to resist radiation?”
Song Ke nodded vaguely. About the secrets of her body, besides Zhuang Qingyan and her teammates, she didn’t plan to tell anyone.
After the initial shock, members of V587 calmed down.
Xu Xing scratched his head, his mind in confusion. T001? T014? His inability to remember suddenly began to attack him. He instinctively looked at Zhuang Qingyan, and Lin Youyou and Fang Zhixu also turned their gazes in unison. Song Ke wasn’t one to act recklessly; even if we consider the worst-case scenario and her thoughts were immature, Zhuang Qingyan would surely intervene.
Then they noticed that Zhuang Qingyan nodded imperceptibly.
V587: “???” Look, look, these two are whispering behind their backs again.
The group quickly returned to normal. Fang Zhixu sat back on the sofa, reviewing the treatment methods for radiation sickness. Lin Youyou took out sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen gloves from her bag, putting them on Song Ke.
Zhuang Qingyan turned to Lu Xiaoyu: “After obtaining the central hub of T001, how long can you crack it?”
Lu Xiaoyu snorted, “Just a first-generation machine, half an hour is enough.”
“Pfft.” Song Ke couldn’t help but laugh. She glanced at Zhuang Qingyan and awkwardly pulled down her hat.
In a rare occurrence, Lu Xiaoyu sensed a subtle embarrassment on Zhuang Qingyan’s face.
His tea-colored pupils blinked, cleverly realizing something. “Have you tried to crack a firewall? How long did it take you?”
Zhuang Qingyan turned coldly. “Let’s get ready to move.”
Lu Xiaoyu persistently brought his head closer. “How long did you take? A day? A week?”
“Why won’t you tell me? You must have taken a long time, right?”
“Shut up.”
“I remember!” Xu Xing suddenly exclaimed. “T014, is that the one you spent fourteen days repairing?”
Lu Xiaoyu: “Pfft.”
His mood visibly improved. The mechanical arm fluctuated up and down, and he happily walked away.
Zhuang Qingyan narrowed his eyes, expressionless, staring at Xu Xing.
Xu Xing touched the back of his collar for the first time in a long time, and ran behind Song Ke to hide.
Five minutes later, Song Ke put on her hat, sunglasses, and earphones, turned around, and walked towards the broken window.
She stepped over the body on the ground, raised her hand towards her companions with her back turned, and then—right in front of everyone’s eyes—jumped outside!
Dylan, with his sea-blue eyes, flashed a mocking curve. “Idiot, adults really underestimate themselves.”
The polar bear couple exchanged a glance, and the tall man spoke heavily, “Veronica, did you sense the person who just went out?”
Veronica, an S5-level precognitive awakener, looked solemn. She shook her head slowly. “Vladimir, I can’t discern her level, but she’s a ‘Tank.'”
At Veronica’s fingertips, a tarot card suddenly appeared: The Chariot in the upright position.
The Chariot card, a symbol of strength, was closely related to power. In the upright position, it meant overcoming obstacles and achieving success.
Vladimir lowered his head and made the sign of the cross with his fingers. “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come…”
…
One hour later.
Bang! Bang!
The main entrance of the Splendid Tower was knocked, and the awakeners inside changed their expressions, instantly preparing for battle.
Yin Xiao walked casually to the center of the field, effortlessly holding a super-powered shotgun in his hand, aimed at the restless crowd.
“Everyone, don’t be nervous, relax a bit. It’s just our friend who came back.”
“Are you sure it’s your ‘friend’ who came back?” questioned Cario’s awakener with a cold tone.
“Of course,” Yin Xiao pushed and loaded the gun, revealing a sarcastically kind smile. “Didn’t she knock on the door? How polite.”
Lu Xiaoyu’s six mechanical arms extended simultaneously. Before everyone could react, he swiftly operated the control panel, opening the main door.
The sunlight was glaring, and everyone quickly retreated, moving into the shadows. Then, they suddenly looked up, exclaiming, “!!!”
They saw a machine, exceeding two meters in length, width, and height, slowly “walking” in. With a loud thud, it slammed onto the ground. Afterward, a young girl’s flushed face emerged from the front, sweat beading on her forehead, but her eyes were exceptionally clear.
“I’m back, so tired.” Song Ke gasped for breath.
Although she followed Zhuang Qingyan’s advice and dismantled the outer shell, leaving only the core components, this machine, made of an unknown material, was exceptionally heavy. She carried it all the way back, fearing any accidental bumps, and she was genuinely exhausted.
The hall fell into stunned silence, and the awakeners displayed expressions of disbelief.
No way, right? This person stayed under thirteen times the radiation for a whole hour, and nothing happened?
Song Ke calmed her breathing and then went to Tustan and V587 with a serious expression.
“Something’s not right outside.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Everyone, go outside and see; you’ll understand.”
Those knowledgeable quickly recognized it as the central control of the weather simulation system. An awakener approached voluntarily, saying, “Hey, need help? I’m an A7-level hacker and can try to break in.”
“No need, we have a faster way,” Lu Xiaoyu activated the T001 central hub, tapping on the panel, “Come on, permissions.”
Zhuang Qingyan glanced at him coldly, cooperating for fingerprint and iris recognition.
Lu Xiaoyu’s ten fingers worked rapidly, and he hummed something. On closer listening, one could hear him singing, “Fourteen days, it actually took fourteen days~”
Zhuang Qingyan’s forehead veins throbbed. “That’s enough. With one’s own strengths, attacking the opponent’s weaknesses, what are you so proud of?”
Lu Xiaoyu remained unfazed. “Fourteen days~”
After 22 minutes and 20 seconds, as Lu Xiaoyu entered the last line of code, T001 was forcibly shut down.
Rainbowhead Yang Xiaobo witnessed the entire process, covering his face in disbelief, murmuring, “Oh my God! Is my mouth cursed or something?”
The three “weaklings” he had just mocked because none of them were even at A-level, each of them gave him a slap. What was the background of this V587 team? Why did something that many people couldn’t handle become easy when it fell into their hands?
“Sister Ruoyi, do you think it’s not too late for me to apologize now?” Yang Xiaobo forced a smile with a bitter face.
Song Ke clicked “Submit Task” on the terminal, and V587’s points soared significantly, proudly entering the top 200,000 in the Alliance.
With the closing of T001, there was a noticeable change in the weather outside.
The bright sunlight disappeared, the temperature suddenly dropped, and the gloomy sea breeze roared. Even though it was midsummer, people shivered as if it were freezing.
All the awakeners stood up, leaving the Splendid Tower one by one.
Fine drizzles hit their faces, carrying the unique salty scent of the sea.
Song Ke and her team also arrived at the side of the Ribbon Bridge, overlooking the entire island from top to bottom.
The city construction of the Elderly People’s Nation lived up to being the top in the entire Alliance. Many buildings were beyond their ability to name: floating cinemas, private care centers, immersive restaurants, simulated parks changing themes, and various flying vehicles drifting through the air…
The entire city was orderly, all infrastructure operating normally, except—there was no one.
No traces of human habitation, and it didn’t look like it had been invaded by an external force. Everything was in perfect order, yet everything exuded an indescribable sense of strangeness.
This dreamlike island, this District A5, this Elderly People’s Nation.
It turned out to be an unmistakable deserted city.
Song Ke looked up at the sky, cold rain falling on her cheeks. She suddenly noticed that after T001 was shut down, all the seagulls had disappeared.
On a nearby rooftop, a perception-type awakener suddenly issued a warning, “Something is approaching us!”
Song Ke sensed something and looked towards the distance.
A speedboat was approaching from the sea, and the awakeners on it shouted across the distance, “Hey—we’re late! Has the mission been completed? Can we still get some soup?”
The awakeners on the island were silent, no one answering.
The person cursed, “Damn the Sea of Misfortune! If it weren’t for getting lost, I would’ve been here already!”
“Sister, over there!”
Xu Xing pointed sharply to a certain direction, where continuous shadows were rapidly moving, undulating waves causing the sea to shake violently.
Suddenly! A group of whale sharks covered in gray spots leaped out of the sea, their massive bodies rolling half a circle in the air, biting onto the speeding speedboat!
“Ah—!!”
The driver didn’t have time to escape; his entire body was bitten in half at the waist. The others fell into the sea in panic, hastily releasing their awakened abilities.
Unfortunately, the ocean was not a human’s domain.
Another batch of grotesque monsters burst out of the water, their decayed bodies swimming agilely, chasing and biting the awakeners who fell into the water. Blood sprayed, turning that area into a deep red in an instant.
After seeing the monsters clearly, Song Ke swallowed hard. “Do you all know how to swim?”
