The Missing Person

For the next period, the defensive line positions continued to receive a steady stream of weapons and equipment, and Duncan and Albert also received enough power armor to equip everyone.

However, power armor and other weapons and equipment were still being sent in continuously.

Outside the fortress, Albert sat on a piece of metal, silently watching the logistical machinery searching for materials on the defensive positions.

The materials they searched for were the old weapons and equipment previously replaced by the soldiers.

The black spherical creations floated to the weapons and equipment. After scanning them to confirm they did not belong to weapons or equipment improved or independently manufactured by Qin Mo, they projected beams to decompose these weapons and equipment.

The weapons and equipment on the ground gradually disappeared. Albert couldn't see where the decomposed materials went. He speculated they might have entered the bellies of these black spheres.

This was because these black spheres immediately gathered together, lined up, projected beams onto the empty ground, and then a brand-new weapon and piece of equipment gradually emerged from the beams.

"Creation printing technology," Albert murmured, observing and analyzing. He tried to determine how the materials were decomposed and how they were then reassembled into reality through projected beams.

But he couldn't guess at all, as there was no basis for even guessing. The decomposition and manufacturing process of the logistical machinery seemed so abstract, like witchcraft or magic.

"Sitting here spacing out again?"

A friend's voice came from behind him. Albert turned his head and saw Duncan.

"This is two hundred meters from the fortress, and the rebels could appear nearby at any time. It's dangerous for you to be spacing out here so often," Duncan said, sitting beside Albert and reminding him with a frown.

Albert looked up at the sky. He could only see an endless darkness and the winding, twisted giant pipes. He said, "If the rebels appear, I will fight them until I am freed from this gloomy, dark cesspool."

Duncan remained silent.

He knew his friend had always had a slight self-destructive tendency, and this tendency worsened in their desperate situation, only suppressed by the Regimental Commander's responsibility to his subordinates.

Now, no one on the entire defensive line yearned for Qin Mo to launch a counteroffensive as much as Albert did, because he could legitimately die once the counteroffensive began.

"While you were spacing out, I contacted the 47th Regiment via communicator," Duncan changed the subject.

Albert's deep, numb pupils became lively, and he immediately asked, "Has the counteroffensive started?"

"No, it's about expanding the troop numbers of us survivors," Duncan continued, relaying what he had heard from the communicator.

The existing regiments would all be expanded to ten thousand men, with each regiment requiring ten thousand combat-ready soldiers.

Furthermore, all our regiments would be reorganized into a single Legion, with Qin Mo naturally being the Legion Commander.

Duncan also reminded Albert that he had directly addressed Qin Mo by name before because he had no military rank. Now that he had declared himself Legion Commander and was recognized by everyone, his military rank must be used.

Hearing this decision, Albert felt confused. "Weapons and equipment can be easily manufactured, but how can we create people? Our two regiments combined don't even have ten thousand men. Where are we going to find the troop source?"

Just as Duncan was about to reply, Albert suddenly remembered the more than 300,000 people in Kato City. "I know, we're definitely going to Kato to recruit, right?"

"Yes," Duncan nodded. "I just learned that the new city construction plan for Kato is being formulated. The civilians, upon learning of the New Kato construction plan, decided to contribute personally to repay the Legion Commander. They have already been conscripted and are about to head to various positions."

"I see," Albert nodded thoughtfully.

He had never been to Kato, nor had he participated in the defense of Kato City. However, the Underhive civilians definitely had combat capability. They had food and weapons and equipment, but gaining their loyalty was not easy. However, as long as their loyalty could be gained, it would be equivalent to having a troop that supplied its own provisions.

"That's great," Albert's gaze turned to the distance. "I have a premonition that all of this is preparation for the counteroffensive. After months of preparation, we are finally going to start the counteroffensive!"

"Yes," Duncan thought the same.

The two remained silent for a while, merely gazing at the metal wilderness ahead.

Until Albert suddenly turned to look at the logistical machinery, pointing at it, he said, "If I'm turned into a pile of ashes by that thing, can you tell Qin... the Legion Commander to throw my ashes to the world outside the Hive City?"

"But we're in the Underhive, what can he do..."

"He knows creation magic and all sorts of advanced technology. Can't he just make a slingshot to fling my ashes out?"

"Alright. If you die in battle, I will."

Duncan agreed to his friend's request.

Late at night.

Duncan, who was fast asleep, was shaken awake. He looked blankly at the two soldiers standing by his bed.

One soldier was his guard, and the other was Albert's guard.

"Do you know where our Regimental Commander went?" Albert's guard asked.

Duncan rubbed his face to wake himself up, then asked back, "I remember Albert was spacing out outside the fortress at dinner. Didn't you go look for him?"

"I did, but I couldn't find him. All the soldiers in our regiment, wearing power armor, searched within a five-hundred-meter radius around the fortress, but we didn't find a trace," the guard replied, trembling.

Duncan instantly woke up. He quickly put on his clothes and rushed out of the room, heading straight for the armory where the power armor was stored.

Seeing him so nervous, Albert's guard had already guessed the likely outcome, but he couldn't believe it. "You don't think our Regimental Commander was abducted by the enemy, do you?"

"Of course not. The fortress's firing positions are manned at all times. If the rebels appeared nearby, they would definitely be seen," Duncan said as he walked.

The guard breathed a sigh of relief, but Duncan's next words made him even more worried.

"Albert must have left the position on his own."

"As for the reason... the rebels have psychics. Within the range not covered by the psychic suppressors inside the fortress, anything can happen."

"I've warned that bastard long ago not to go spacing out in secluded places. Damn it..."

Saying this, Duncan entered the armory and walked to the rack where the power armor was hung, beginning to put on the power armor himself.

"I'll go with you," the guard said.

"Are you a scout by origin?" Duncan asked. "Following me will only be a burden."

After suiting up in his power armor, Duncan immediately walked out of the armory and charged out of the fortress alone. He released a Bio-Scan as he moved through the shadows.

The Bio-Scan had a radius of five hundred meters. After the scan, he could only see a large number of dense red dots within the fortress.

Duncan continued forward, changing direction from time to time and scanning constantly during this period.