Starting as a Mechanical Hunter

”Creak——”

A dense chill spewed out from the gate.

Gao Gong, Daisila, and the tardily arriving Huang Yuanli, each wore at least three protective suits, poking their heads inside.

”Should be fine now, right?”

”Don’t know.”

”Hey, you’re the creator of this thing, and you don’t know the exact effects of this biochemical weapon?”

”Nonsense, I haven’t tried it myself.”

Gao Gong was the first to climb down, and after a while, he waved his hand up, soon Daisila slid down with a web, with the Little Woman clinging onto her waist.

”Is there any need for Director Du to be so angry? It’s not like she was made a backup, that was the Great Knight,” Gao Gong complained.

Rich ladies might be nice, but they can’t compare to virtual girls when it comes to listening.

Director Du, after all, is a career woman who considers the big picture and didn’t turn on Gao Gong, but continued overseeing the post-war cleanup operation.

Of course, throughout, she kept a cold face and completely ignored Gao Gong.

Daisila glanced at Gao Gong, saying: ”Boss, I’m not sure about other men, but if my man got someone pregnant before marriage, I’d cut off his—you know.”

”Damn, what does that have to do with my little buddy? This is a byproduct of biological fusion, akin to a test-tube baby, and the Crimson Empress isn’t even human; she’s a Radiation Beast.”

The Little Woman said nothing, her ears perked up high, with a face full of gossip.

”Women are all fickle,” Daisila stated calmly.

”Is that why you like women?” Gao Gong squinted.

Daisila snorted, patted the Little Woman’s face, and proceeded to scout ahead on her own.

This guy missed the decisive battle, and his temper wasn’t small.

Gao Gong stroked his chin; perhaps in Director Du’s heart, there is always a plan to save a fallen man, not a fallen woman.

But if a fallen man lays an egg before marriage, that’s another story.

Forget it, no point thinking about it, virtual girls are still the best, Gao Gong really missed his Maiden Corps.

Not sure if he’d get the chance to reform the corps in this life.

Soon, the three of them arrived at a shattered iron gate, where an ice-frozen Eight-armed Mechanical Body was solidified into a snowman.

”Eight-armed Knight Wuu Ann, adept with the rapier, with a thrusting speed reaching supersonic bursts.”

A figure in thick protective clothing emerged from behind the door.

”Professor Han?”

”It’s me,” Professor Han waved, two apprentices moved the body over.

”On the first day, all Artificial Soldiers were frozen due to the ’Black Winter’; on the second day, even the knights couldn’t withstand it any longer. They attempted to break the blockade, not knowing that the most terrifying aspect of the ’Black Winter’ was not the freezing ability, but the hallucination effect.”

The four walked through an underground tunnel, seeing massive sections of the wall collapsed, with several subway carriages seemingly smashed through.

Before they died, these knights might have also been puzzled as to why these gates would shatter one after another, yet they just couldn’t break through.

Quickly, the four arrived at a frozen Corpse Mountain, assembled from countless Artificial Soldiers, and researchers were cutting off their heads for study.

Despite being the most basic product, the sheer number of these Artificial Soldiers provided great assistance in reversing Biomechanical Technology.

Professor Han introduced: ”The danger of the ’Black Winter’ is greatest when in liquid and mist form; in a ’solidified’ state, there’s no problem as long as you don’t get your skin cut and let the virus invade your bloodstream.”

Professor Han walked around the Corpse Mountain, arriving at the nutrition chamber of the Biological Factory, where seven half-human, half-mechanical bodies floated in the liquid; with the addition of the ’Eight-armed Knight,’ there were now eight bodies.

’Eight-armed Knight’, ’Split Knight’, ’Wild Dog Knight’, ’Double-Faced Knight’, ’Moonlight Knight’, ’Bat Knight’, ’Death God Knight’, ’Hippo Knight’.

”Since these Advanced Mechanical Bodies have fallen into my hands, I will surely reverse engineer their technology.”

The technology on Advanced Mechanical Bodies, according to Level 1 Civilization standards, usually corresponds to Level 3 Mechanical Blueprints.

Eight Level 3 Mechanical Blueprints. Tsk, this time I’ve struck it rich.

Professor Han turned his head to Gao Gong, ”But you didn’t ask me here for this, right?”

The Little Woman quipped: ”This guy got someone pregnant before marriage, Sister Du is very angry, so he came down here to avoid trouble.”

”Before marriage? Pregnant?” Professor Han gave Gao Gong a peculiar look, ”In bionics, the biggest technological challenge is reproductive bionics; seems like I have a successor now.”

Gao Gong coughed, ”To be fair, it wasn’t me who did it, the ’Great Knight’ was just a backup; I merely played a supporting role.”

Daisila and Huang Yuanli exchanged a look and blurted out: ”Double male action.”

Gao Gong’s face darkened, not intending to explain further, he changed the topic, ”Professor Han, remember that Pre-War Research Institute you tried exploring but failed?”

Professor Han raised an eyebrow, ”Why, you’re interested?”

”The research hub of bionics, how could I not be interested.”

These civilizational relics are hidden dungeons, at worst they have advanced equipment, if lucky, one might even gain professional knowledge.

Generally, only players proficient in ’archaeology’ can, through extensive scientific missions, spending considerable time and effort, locate these ’Spark Bases’.

Gao Gong had long maxed out Professor Han’s goodwill, directly getting to the point.

”Alright then, some unresolved issues from the past I indeed want to figure out.”

Gao Gong nodded and said, ”Two A-level Radiation Beasts died in battle, and more than half of the B-level Radiation Beasts were lost. I’ve already sent people to reclaim Scavenger City. Under the effect of the ’Radiation Annihilation Agent,’ some of the radiation ecology in Scavenger City will soon be cleaned up.”

”From now on, Scavenger City will be renamed New Hope City. According to the wishes of those old folks, their remains will be buried somewhere in the city with good feng shui.”

Professor Han was silent for a while and then asked, ”How many of them died?”

”Just ten-plus.”

Huang Yuanli also fell silent. Those old folks, there were only a dozen of them in total.

...

The counterattack went smoothly, without any resistance. With dozens of flying devices spraying a large amount of ’detergent,’ the mutated plants withered at a speed visible to the naked eye. A lot of electronic climbing vines began to retreat, and the carnivorous flowers and metal vines began to perish.

The remaining Radiation Beasts began to flee the metropolitan area.

The tomb of the Old Hunter was placed on a highland facing east, the same place where the sun used to rise.

People like Huang Yuanli and Momo, the younger generation, were all solemn, while the surviving old hunters were shoulder to shoulder, whispering about where to go for fun, with off-color jokes flowing endlessly; it was just short of dancing on the grave.

It wasn’t until Aunt Xiang stepped in, forcefully suppressing them, that their arrogance was curbed.

Huang Yuanli was unusually silent.

”Sister Lii, is something bothering you,” Momo asked worriedly.

Huang Yuanli pouted, ”What’s there to feel bad about, these old guys each shouting about dying on the battlefield, this is just what they wanted, and besides—”

She raised her chin; Mengdu and these new Biological Warriors were solemnly standing in front of the grave, saying something.

”To die a worthy death, having someone to collect their corpses, and having successors, these old folks would be thrilled if they knew.”

”Then why do you seem so heavy-hearted?”

Huang Yuanli looked around. As the large army advanced, the metropolitan area, which should have been thriving, had once again turned into a dead city, with cracked buildings, a dilapidated environment, and a great many dead leaves.

”I’m not exactly glass-hearted, and I understand if we don’t get rid of these mutated monsters, we wouldn’t survive,” Huang Yuanli paused, then suddenly whispered: ”But is it really okay for us to exterminate them completely?”

Momo looked at the other in astonishment, as if completely unprepared for such words.

”Never mind, it’s just nonsense. The sooner we kill them, the fewer people we’ll lose.”

In the distance, Gao Gong looked at the Little Woman with surprise. With his hearing, he naturally heard what she said.

The Little Woman actually has a Saint complex?

Or perhaps some Great Brain is influencing her in secret?

If it’s the latter, he needs to have a chat with that entity.

A circle of people surrounded Gao Gong.

As the undisputed figure of this Beast Tide battle, Gao Gong naturally obtained the development rights to New Oasis.

At this moment, his small circle was engaged in a heated discussion, with the theme being the location of the New Oasis.

Some suggested establishing the Oasis right here in New Hope City.

Others suggested leaving the Central Desert and exploring undeveloped desert areas in the marketplace.

Yet others suggested going to the coast, where countless near-sea Radiation Beasts could provide a lot of Biological Materials.

Gao Gong quietly listened, seemingly daydreaming.

Seeing this, Du Zhaodi quietly nudged him.

Gao Gong came back to his senses, apologetically smiled, and took out a pack of cigarettes.

”You all continue the discussion; I’m going to have a smoke to clear my mind.”

Before anyone could respond, Gao Gong walked away. He found a quiet spot, lit a cigarette, but didn’t put it to his lips.

Opening the system panel, he first activated the hard-earned ’Mechanical Module.’

[You have obtained a Level 1 Mechanical Module - Car Transformer (Sparkless Version)]

Modules and Templates are things of the same level, but ’Module’ leans towards tangible items, while ’Template’ leans towards Bloodline and Skills.

”Ah, the full-body overhaul promised to Iron Hide is finally possible.”

Gao Gong activated the directed lottery draw for enemies.

[You have obtained a Level 5 Mechanical Blueprint [Banner of Steel]]

[You have obtained a Level 5 Biological Blueprint [Flesh Power Plant]]

The former appears to be some kind of area-enhancing equipment. A Level 5 blueprint, at least in the ’Strategic Weapons’ category, but unfortunately, when the ’Banner’ was solitary, it was never used.

As for the ’Flesh Power Plant,’ it is an organ that converts Biological Energy into electrical energy. Paired with a ’Shaping Organ,’ it can create artificial lightning spears.

’Not bad, everything is usable.’

”You’re planning to leave, aren’t you?”

Gao Gong turned his head and saw Aunt Xiang.

”Are you talking about the new Oasis? Of course, we will move eventually. Automobile City has been turned into a ruin, and who knows how long it will be before it’s cleaned up?”

”Don’t change the subject, what I mean is, you’re going to leave the Iron Sand Desert, aren’t you?”