The shield machine amalgam emerged from the ground, disoriented for a moment, then its bizarre metal-and-human hybrid body suddenly twisted.
With a plop, a large amount of red soil and gravel sprayed out from its rear, sending up a cloud of dust.
Pei Ran: “….”
Did it just… relieve itself?
W said, “This model of shield machine transports the excavated soil and rock debris to the rear via a spiral conveyor during tunnel digging, where other robots are responsible for carrying it to the surface. It seems it doesn’t have any assistants to help, so it found a solution on its own.”
The shield machine amalgam suddenly appeared because it was “full” and wanted to deliver the soil to the surface.
It created a massive mound of dirt on the ground, seemingly satisfied, then wriggled like a worm, making a loop as if intending to return to the hole it had just emerged from.
The intelligent mobile combat center, stuck to its tail, was also flung around, staggering as it was dragged toward the hole.
Pei Ran immediately turned the aircraft around and dove swiftly toward the scene.
Speed was crucial.
The shield machine was pulling the intelligent mobile combat center into the ground, and who knew where it planned to go next.
Pei Ran asked W, “You said Captain Xiao Hai was originally assigned to bomb the Thinker. So how do we bomb it?”
W had mentioned that the NG_y8 bomb was loaded onto this aircraft, and pressing the red button would release it. However, the NG_y8 was remotely controlled and wouldn’t automatically detonate after being dropped.
“The remote detonator for the NG_y8 is here.”
W extended a folding arm and pressed a panel in front of the pilot’s seat. A small panel opened, revealing a black button with a red center.
He said, “The Thinker’s intelligent mobile combat center is special. Its protective shell was designed to be extremely sturdy, making it difficult to destroy.”
“To destroy it, the only thing Black Well has at its disposal is this NG_y8 bomb.”
“The NG_y8 is a special type of bomb capable of penetrating the robust protective shell of the intelligent combat center. However, its effective explosive range against the shell is limited to only ten meters.”
“This bomb was originally designed to lock onto a target, navigate automatically, and detonate upon approaching the target. However, the navigation system is temporarily unusable in its dormant state. The modifications to the navigation system weren’t completed before we actually needed to use it, so we installed a manual remote detonator as a temporary solution.”
“So, we need to drop the NG_y8 and ensure it’s within ten meters of the intelligent mobile combat center. See the red part in the middle of the button? Press it firmly, and the NG_y8 will explode.”
As he spoke, Pei Ran was piloting the aircraft at top speed, diving toward the shield machine and the intelligent mobile combat center.
The aircraft shot down like a meteor. Pei Ran grabbed the small button.
Destroying the Thinker would ensure the survival of Black Well, the only refuge on the East Manya Continent.
The problem was, based on the distance, it seemed like they wouldn’t make it in time.
A little earlier.
Underground, Black Well Base.
In the small meeting room, the discussion on the refugee reception plan had concluded. W was briefing the members of the temporary decision-making committee on the situation at the northern battlefield.
“We’ve repelled another wave of attacks and successfully pushed the front line forward. The engineers now have ample time to continue assessing the damage to the second-phase shielding layer project.”
“Consistent with their preliminary findings this morning, the good news is that the main body of the shielding layer generator can be repaired. They’ve compiled a list of components needed for the repairs.”
W’s voice remained calm: “I’ve reviewed the list item by item. Most of the components can be found within Black Well. A few may require sending out action teams to search outside Black Well. However, there’s one type of coating material that’s a bit tricky.”
Marshal Vina asked, “What do you mean by tricky? Can’t we find it?”
“This coating material was specially manufactured for the shielding layer generator by the military factory at Musa Base. Musa Base has been completely destroyed.”
The committee members were well aware that on the first day of the Silence, the Musa Base in the west had already been reduced to rubble.
Marshal Vina thought for a moment: “Black Well has a comprehensive archive of military technology. Can’t we produce it ourselves?”
“Correct. Black Well’s military technology archives are very comprehensive. The production process and technical details for this coating material are all documented,” W said. “However, I discovered that manufacturing it requires a special selective catalyst. The production process for this catalyst is also in Black Well’s technical archives, but unfortunately, Black Well doesn’t have the conditions to produce it.”
Someone asked, “Can we find this catalyst outside?”
W replied, “That’s the issue. This catalyst needs to remain active. It can’t be stored; it must be prepared and used immediately.”
It was like trying to build a house but needing a hammer first, only to find out there’s no iron to make the hammerhead.
The second-phase shielding layer project was of immense importance. If completed, it would allow the defense line to expand outward, and Black Well wouldn’t be as passive as it currently was.
In the quiet meeting room, W added, “However, after searching the archives, I found that many years ago, during the era before the First Federal Unification War, this catalyst was produced using a rather outdated method. Due to its low efficiency and yield, it was completely phased out and wasn’t included in Black Well’s technical archives.”
“But the Federal Digital Library contains a vast collection of old books from many years ago, which likely include these obsolete and outdated production methods.”
Marshal Vina understood, “The Federal Digital Library’s data is stored in your inspection robot’s memory, right?”
W confirmed, “Yes.”
Someone asked, “Can you access it now? Retrieve the information and send it back to Black Well via military signal.”
W replied, “Unfortunately, I can’t. At Tanggu Dam, my inspection robot’s interface was waterlogged, and currently, I can’t access the memory properly.”
Marshal Vina pondered for a moment: “Agent W, your inspection robot has now returned to the vicinity of Black Well, correct? I order you to immediately bring the memory storage device and enter Black Well.”
That tiny memory storage device, which no one had paid attention to before, had suddenly become critically important.
W replied calmly, “I’m temporarily unable to return to Black Well.”
General Delsa couldn’t help but interject, “Agent W, are you refusing to follow orders?”
W’s tone remained steady, as if he hadn’t heard the general’s words: “Because just now, we discovered the last missing Thinker intelligent mobile combat center.”
The small meeting room fell into sudden silence.
Even Marshal Vina, as composed as she was, felt a jolt in her heart and immediately asked, “Where is it?”
“Northwest of Black Well. While Pei Ran and my inspection robot were evading a mutated aircraft amalgam, we happened to spot it.”
New footage appeared on the screen, showing an aerial view. Dry red soil was flying everywhere as a massive shield machine amalgam was burrowing into a hole in the ground.
Marshal Vina immediately noticed the Thinker intelligent mobile combat center, which had been searched for extensively around Black Well but had remained elusive, now hanging from the tail of the shield machine.
The perspective of the footage was clearly diving toward it.
Basserway interjected, “Pei Ran? Who?”
For the first time, Marshal Vina ignored him outright and addressed W directly: “Agent W, you must follow it at all costs.”
W replied, “Our aircraft happens to be carrying an NG_y8. We hope to destroy it.”
General Song Wan leaned over past the finance minister and whispered to Basserway, “Pei Ran is the one who saved Tanggu Dam.”
Basserway still looked confused. When the incident at Tanggu Dam occurred last night, he had been asleep and wasn’t in the command center. He had only heard a brief mention of it during the day and hadn’t paid much attention during the morning discussion about commendations. He still had no idea who this Pei Ran was. However, seeing everyone else in the room, especially the military personnel, staring intently at the screen, he wisely chose not to speak further.
However, the shield machine amalgam was moving quickly. It was re-entering a hole it had already dug, and within seconds, it had completely disappeared into the black hole in the ground, dragging the black intelligent mobile combat center with it.
A collective sigh of disappointment filled the small meeting room.
“This is a shield machine that has turned into an amalgam,” Marshal Vina mused. “It’s likely to burrow all over underground.”
W responded, “Yes, I’ve already mobilized all aircraft carrying NG_y8s and ordered them to converge on this location.”
General Eugene asked, “Black Well should still have some Earthwalker intelligent tracking ground-penetrating missiles in reserve. Can we deploy those?”
Earthwalkers could automatically detect underground targets, penetrate the ground, and destroy the target directly.
Someone else chimed in, “That probably won’t work. Earthwalkers can’t handle the Thinker’s protective shell. The only thing we have that can is the NG_y8.”
“Can we equip Earthwalkers with NG_y8s?”
W replied, “Not at the moment. The Earthwalkers haven’t been fully modified yet. They can’t operate properly outside the shielding layer in the current state of Silence. The modifications are estimated to take over two days.”
The situation in the north was unpredictable. In two days, Black Well might already be overrun.
They simply couldn’t wait that long.
On the virtual screen, the shield machine had disappeared, but the aircraft’s perspective didn’t stop. It continued to dive rapidly toward the ground, slowing abruptly just before impact and landing neatly beside the hole in the ground.
The girl in the pilot’s seat appeared on the screen. Without even opening the door, she jumped directly out of the sunroof of the cockpit.
W said, “She plans to retrieve the NG_y8 and catch up to the intelligent mobile combat center.”
Marshal Vina was taken aback, “On foot?”
“On foot,” W confirmed. “Manual detonation.”
Outside Black Well, on the dry red soil.
Pei Ran didn’t bring a backpack. She only carried the metal sphere. As soon as she jumped out of the cockpit, she crouched down to inspect the underside of the aircraft.
She asked W in her mind, “You said the NG_y8 is hidden here?”
“Correct,” W replied.
Pei Ran found a small indentation on the aircraft’s belly and pressed it with her finger.
A small door popped open.
Pei Ran reached inside and pulled out an object.
It was a black, disc-shaped device, not large but heavy. Pei Ran quickly unwrapped her scarf, bundled the disc in it, slung it over her back, and tied it tightly. Then she grabbed the rope attached to the metal sphere and took off running.
She had to move fast to catch up to the shield machine amalgam.
W spoke in her ear, “I’ve already reported the situation here to Black Well.”
Pei Ran sprinted into the hole, simply responding with a “Hmm.”
W continued, “Marshal Vina originally ordered me to return to Black Well immediately, but the sudden discovery of the Thinker changes things. Destroying the Thinker is more urgent, so we’ll deal with that first.”
Pei Ran glanced at the metal sphere.
His words at this moment carried a lot of implications.
Black Well’s urgency to have him return immediately suggested they were in a hurry to get their hands on the memory storage device he carried.
From their reactions, destroying the Thinker was the top priority, but that small memory storage device he carried seemed to be of equally high importance.
Whether it was the Thinker or the memory storage device, Black Well was placing more and more chips in her hands.
The entrance led into a tunnel that sloped downward. Surprisingly, it wasn’t dark inside.
As soon as the shield machine amalgam burrowed underground, all its lighting systems, from the front to the rear, lit up. It was dazzling, like a giant insect covered in lights.
Only after entering did Pei Ran realize the staggering size of the shield machine—it was as tall as a two- or three-story building.
Correspondingly, the tunnel it had dug was equally massive, wide and high, leaving plenty of space.
The shield machine was moving quickly and had already covered a significant distance.
Pei Ran wondered, “Do all shield machines move this fast?”
“Of course not,” W said. “When a shield machine isn’t digging, it can’t move forward on its own. Even when tunneling, it relies on hydraulic propulsion. The best shield machines in the Federation can only dig about 100 to 200 meters a day.”
But now, as a frenzied amalgam, it had grown “legs” and was moving as fast as if it were flying.
Pei Ran noticed that it was randomly burrowing underground, creating a network of crisscrossing tunnels more complex than the underground passages of the bunker world, resembling a massive maze.
As soon as she grasped the layout of this underground labyrinth, she immediately accelerated, sprinting after the giant shield machine.
W also quickly realized the gravity of the situation.
This place was vast and chaotic. If they lost track of the shield machine, they might never find it again.
Pei Ran asked W, “Can you pinpoint our exact location?”
W replied immediately, “Of course.”
“Then remember the position of the entrance behind us,” Pei Ran said.
They needed to remember the entrance to find their way out later.
W assured her, “I’ll memorize the route you’re taking.”
His role was like the ball of thread in ancient myths used to navigate a maze.
Boom—
A loud rumble suddenly echoed from behind, and a cloud of dust billowed up, obscuring their vision.
Pei Ran crouched down quickly, clutching the metal sphere.
After a moment, the dust settled. Pei Ran turned around and saw that the entrance they had come through was now completely blocked.
“It’s a cave-in,” W said.
It was no surprise that the shield machine amalgam, digging haphazardly underground, would cause a cave-in.
Pei Ran didn’t look back. “There’s not much soil on the tunnel floor. If it’s transporting the soil to the surface, there must be more than just this one exit. Let’s focus on destroying the Thinker first, then figure out how to get out later.”
Fortunately, the shield machine amalgam was still ahead.
It wasn’t far in front, completely ignoring the cave-in. Its lights swayed as it rumbled noisily through the tunnel, dragging the struggling Thinker behind it. It was impossible to miss.
Pei Ran sprinted after it.
But the shield machine was moving too fast.
The NG_y8 needed to detonate within ten meters to penetrate the Thinker’s protective shell.
Pei Ran followed it relentlessly, weaving through the maze-like underground tunnels. At best, she could avoid losing sight of it, but she couldn’t close the dist