Deathly Dash (Part 2)

From the perspective of the drones, beneath the sky, the wreckage of buildings dozens of stories high was covered in snake-like ivy, and giant tree canopies of the same height spread out in all directions.

The dense metal leaves were like solar panels arranged in a circle; the air was filled with the smell of burnt electronics, a byproduct of mechanical bio-beasts secreting artificial protein.

The cameras rotated, the drones' vision magnified, and in the gaps between the trees, the tree roots were clearly seen burrowing into the old city's concrete ground, crushing various metal scraps like giant mixers, and then absorbing them through newly grown metal pipes.

Metal, concrete, plant roots, all miraculously and bizarrely merged into one.

As a drone flew past a communication tower, the lightning rod at the spire suddenly rotated and slowly opened, revealing a sword-shaped metal flower engraved with "Iron Tower Corporation."

"Abnormal signal access."

"Abnormal signal access."

"Signal interrupted."

"Signal interrupted."

Two of a drone's thruster nozzles suddenly lost control, causing its flight path to become erratic, and it eventually plunged into the forest.

The next moment, predators swarmed. Iron rats crawling out of the sewers moved with lightning speed, their limbs replaced by metal rollers, resembling automatic self-lacing roller skates from some high-tech brand.

Turbine Spiders followed closely. As medium-sized colonial life forms, they were three meters long and two meters tall, possessing three pairs of mechanical pincers. Their tactile appendages were like steel blades, and the radioactive spider eyes on their heads resembled large searchlights, their emitted strong beams constantly rotating, repelling fellow scavengers.

A sharp whistle sounded as Car-head Centipedes barreled down the highway, occasionally pushing aside the wreckage of cars on the road.

However, the predators in the trees were faster. A dozen bird-like semi-mechanical creatures swarmed, their drill-like beaks skillfully piercing the drones' outer shells and severing the wires on their engines, bringing the drones to a complete halt.

What followed was a feast. The metal shells were like snacks, the wires were stimulating and smooth, the chips were nutritious, the batteries were the most popular, and the motors were tough but chewy.

The camera was eventually snatched by a Bionic Gecko, which plugged it into its neck. The electronic patterns on its bionic skin lit up, as if undergoing some special pairing, and soon the camera flickered to life, finding new employment.

The other two drones, seeing this, immediately ascended. However, as one of the rear drones rounded a pair of Twin Towers, the "ivy" on the buildings' surfaces suddenly parted like snake scales, undulating rhythmically.

The "ivy" channeled biological signals into the building, which was composed of fiber optics, databases, and input devices.

"Electronic pairing in progress."

"Signal conversion in progress."

"Virtual intrusion in progress."

The Twin Towers were formerly a television station, twenty-three stories high. As the ivy connected, the long-dormant backup generators suddenly whirred to life, filling the machine room with noise; from the top to the bottom of the building, screens flickered on one after another, broadcasting not GG, but footage of the drones' flight.

Within the television station, countless transparent staff members seemed to be debugging equipment, confirming programs, and editing videos.

Finally, before a suicide victim, a screen suddenly lit up.

"...The Sky Enforcement Agency has launched a crackdown, issuing regulations to strengthen the safety management of civilian drones and other 'low, slow, and small' aircraft, establishing eight types of controlled areas, including directly administered municipalities, prohibiting... "

As the video played, the rear drone suddenly shuddered, abruptly changed direction, and slowly landed on top of the Twin Towers.

Then, the footage on the screen seemed to rewind. Starting from the Twin Towers, the "drones" flew backward from the rooftop, heading straight for some underground facility.

An underground control center in some air-raid shelter.

A staff member's face changed, his ten fingers suddenly splitting open, transforming into spider-like claws. The tips of his fingers tapped the keyboard at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

The large screen in front of him instantly turned red.

"Data anomaly, data anomaly—"

"Flight signal captured, virus intrusion in progress, first layer of defense breached—"

"What's going on? How did a virus get in? Has our operation been discovered by the mechanical mainframe?" the supervisor, a middle-aged man, exclaimed, his face changing.

"No, the monitoring stations in the city haven't detected any signs of mechanical troop deployment."

"This type of virus is also not a common corporate virus."

Another employee chimed in, a device resembling a headset attached to his head. The "earpiece" was embedded in his ear canal, and a small circle of wires inserted into it was faintly visible.

In Sleepless City, such devices were called "network access pods." The Knight Order lacked technological accumulation in this area. Old-era military technology could only access the global information network, not connect to the cyber network; what they were currently using were refurbished machines acquired from the black market.

These refurbished machines were no match for corporate viruses controlled by advanced AI.

"It seems to be some kind of wild electronic virus converted from biological signals."

The supervisor breathed a sigh of relief. After all, wild viruses were still within their processing capabilities.

More importantly, the "Hydra" plan had not been discovered and was proceeding smoothly.

"Identify the source, and find out why the drones were in that location," the supervisor said with some anger.

"Location confirmed, 213.313.511, Jiangbie City from the pre-civilization era; mission level 'Knight' class, a fugitive mission temporarily issued by higher authorities."

A staff member paused, speaking with a hint of reverence, "It's the Steel Knight - Flag!"

The last drone continued to faithfully complete its mission, but unfortunately, in this concrete jungle, there were too many of its nemeses.

Soon, a black shadow shot out from the forest, moving at extreme speed, as if tearing through the air. After a sonic boom, another explosion followed, scattering flames, and drone fragments rained down from the sky.

In a district filled with countless "Red Lanterns," a blood carpet on the ground slowly moved, climbing high-rise buildings, surging onto overpasses, engulfing every living being that invaded the district, and finally converging towards the center. The flowing blood covered the surface of the carpet, resembling a noblewoman's skirt.

The "noblewoman" in the center of the carpet was a monster nearly three meters tall, composed of bone and flesh. Countless nerve bundles formed her hair, and at the ends of her hair hung the heads of Mechanical Hunters.

If a radiation detector were activated, it would be observed that the radiation levels in this district were terrifyingly high, infinitely close to the center of a nuclear explosion.

"You even dare to trespass into the domain of an A-class Crimson Queen, that's like pissing your pants to get wet, asking for death!"

[Mission complete, awarded 1500 experience points]

Just as the Iron Sand Desert wasn't a real desert, this oasis wasn't green. It was more like a fully equipped small town with a complex mix of residents: fugitives from the Mechanical City, mercenaries from the factories, natives of the Iron Sand Desert, forbidden modified artificial synths, and Metal Missionaries of the Turing Cult.

There were no good people here, and one could even say no "people" at all. All the residents had visible implants; their weapons were organs, and their organs were mechanized. Everyone looked incredibly dangerous.

Anyone who could open a shop here was definitely a formidable character, the kind who could hold their own.

The owner of the Rose Gasoline Bar was a woman, and a very beautiful one at that. Her fiery red hair was like burning flames, and her emerald eyes habitually sized people up from behind her wavy hairstyle. Her alluring upper body was unashamedly encased in a high-stretch tight tank top, revealing a expanse of fair skin on her chest. A seductive black rose bloomed on her waist, marked by a defined set of abs.

The Rose Gasoline Bar offered all sorts of alcoholic beverages, bionic prostitutes, virtual experience machines, psychotropic drugs, minor body repair and modification services, consignment sales, and assassin services.

At this moment, Black Rose stood behind the bar, casually mixing a Margarita. She listened to the boasts and brags of various customers, as well as the occasional greedy glances cast her way.

Every year, many people came here to strike it rich, including powerful cybernetic augmenters. However, the familiar faces were becoming fewer and fewer. Ninety-nine percent of them ended up staying in this irradiated zone forever. Only a handful of lucky ones managed to earn enough Mech Coins to buy a ticket to Sleepless City, to enjoy a life of privilege.

Most of the time, Black Rose watched with cold detachment as these fools jumped from the irradiated zone into an even more dangerous urban hell.

The monsters in the city ate people without spitting out the bones!

However, some of these fools were quite endearing, and it was a shame when they died.

"Did you hear? The factory's shipment was intercepted in the Great Rift Valley."

Among the jumbled news, one piece caught her attention.

"Who dares to intercept the factory's shipment? They're asking for death!"

"I don't know, maybe some stowaways took a desperate gamble."

"Let's hope these people don't drag us down with them when they go looking for death."

A burly man with a metal arm chuckled heartily:

"It's not all bad. The factory is so loaded with cash, maybe we can earn a big bounty!"

"That's true. My exoskeleton has been needing a replacement for ages. The goods sold here from the city are marked up tenfold. Those corporate vampires!"

Black Rose's slender, long eyebrows flicked upwards. She downed the Margarita in one gulp and gestured to the bartender nearby to take over for her. Then, she strode towards the back door.

Besides serving drinks, the Gasoline Bar also offered overnight stays, as some activities were more suited for the night. Black Rose usually lived in the bar's basement, where she had plenty of alcohol.

However, few people knew that Black Rose had another hideout. The former site of this hideout was an abandoned factory, now converted into a garage filled with various models of motorcycles she had collected.

Alcohol and heavy-duty motorcycles were the two things this woman loved most.

The moment the large door opened, a thick scent of blood wafted out. Black Rose's expression remained unchanged as she flipped the circuit breaker.

The next instant, under the glare of a powerful spotlight, a strange and battered off-road vehicle appeared. Three of its four tires were blown out, and it was covered in countless scratches and bullet marks.

A man with a wild aura lay slumped in the vehicle, one eye missing, one hand severed, with half a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"You're here."

Black Rose's gaze swept over the scene, and she said calmly, "Who gave you permission to drive this piece of junk to my garage?"

Gao Gong let out a wry smile. "Sister Rose, can we not talk about the car first? Please save the person."

"If I die, won't you lose a car?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Gao Gong's neck snapped, and he completely lost consciousness.

[Mission complete, awarded 1500 experience points]