Chapter 230

Seeing Boris point at her in surprise, Amiya slapped his hand away and turned to look at the countdown control panel:

"You can judge for yourselves, can't you?! Do you really think the rebels will treat you well if you surrender?! It's not just the Infected who will be shoved into the Flesh Mines; haven't countless civilians been persecuted over the years?! How many people have suffered because of that 'consumable' exploitation, and how many have been oppressed in the name of the Infected? You can judge for yourselves, can't you?!"

Hearing Amiya's shrill scream, typical of a teenage girl, the operator hesitated before flipping the large red button to prevent accidental activation. Boris, seeing this, let out an indescribable shriek and immediately ordered his agents to rush forward and take over the control panel.

With a series of brutal punches, the pink-haired girl cleared out the enemies around Amiya once again, while those who tried to pounce on the operators were smashed off the command platform by Typhon's giant bow.

As the soldiers who had been watching rose to their feet amidst the shouts of their respective captains, they joined the Infected workers, wielding their tools and engaging in a fierce battle with the agents and armed personnel. Amiya, protected in Mika's arms, used a spell to keep the agents away from her, while glancing at the dwindling countdown timer and the still hesitant operator.

"Connect--!!"

"Don't move!"

Seeing that his companions around him were also hesitant, the Ursus government employee, who had spoken with Amiya earlier and was inherently unwilling to take responsibility, quietly got up and opened the protective shield of the switch a few meters away.

Faced with his colleague's questioning look, "What are you doing?", the employee, unwilling to take responsibility, loosened his tie, then returned to his workstation and placed his hand on the light switch...

Finally, there was the countdown that the staff knew perfectly well:

"Three, two..."

"You--don't--!!"

"One!"

Click--!

The crisp click of the button seemed to ring in everyone's ears. No one knew what would happen if the high-voltage electricity continuously supplied by the Sarcophagus were connected to the power grid while in a short-circuit state...

Only by setting up a small High Table with stools could the electrical engineers looking down at the city lights gradually coming on in the distance. The engineers waited a long time; there was no explosion, no voltage anomaly. The colleagues monitoring the power grid fluctuations below were the first to cheer, and with the help of others, the engineer who had stacked chairs high also excitedly shouted down:

"Success! The new power project at Sarcophagus is a complete success! The lights in the outer military camps are all on!"

In other words, the city's defense system was also supplied with electricity.

Cheers immediately spread throughout the entire Sarcophagus construction site. Even Boris was stunned for a moment, then seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

But... that was only for a moment...

In Amiya's view, Typhon and Mika were still on guard against Chernobog's agents and armed personnel, and the two sides were still in a standoff.

"Let's go, Qi Qi."

Mika made the following suggestion:

"It seems they don't need us for the time being."

"... No, you need to stay... I still have so much to say..."

Boris responded with Mika face, the pink-haired girl picked up her bunny CEO, and Typhon, carrying a weapons case, followed closely behind, snatching the tablet Amiya had forgotten on the control panel: [Sound of kicking]

"The Sarcophagus still needs to be properly buried, so we won't participate any further." Ling

"Bye bye~"

Watching the two girls, one in purple and one in pink, plunge into the now- Pollution Sarcophagus like scales diving into water, many people recalled what Rhodes Island had said on the way back: the Sarcophagus connected to many routes in Chernobog, and the external filling did not prevent those inside from leaving via other routes.

The armed men tried to give chase, but were immediately blocked by soldiers and workers who formed a human wall.:)

"Mayor Boris, I think we need to speak with you about what the Little Bunny just said."

Watching the Rhodes Island people vanish without a trace, Boris clicked his tongue, then immediately put on a sickeningly professional smile... Unfortunately, his other side had already been revealed, and the people here wouldn't be as obedient to him as before.

But in order to maintain his control over the city, Boris could only shrug when faced with these influential STEM professionals from various departments and fields.

"I think I can explain..."

"Explain your ass! I was wondering why the Rhodes Island people were treating me like an enemy. So you sent them to fight the rebels, and the next thing you knew you were thinking about how to scapegoat them? You're the number one mole in Chernobog's fight against the rebels!"

The fully armed military police officer, who had been busy maintaining order, immediately punched Boris's fake smiling face.

And who else, besides the Chernobog Core City Police Department, could know the details of Boris's cooperation with Rhodes Island and understand the changes in Rhodes Island's attitude...? Who else could it be but Captain Loban of the Rapid Response Force?

After knocking Boris down with a single punch, Loban quickly stepped onto the command platform.

"For now, don't worry about the city's defenses; our military and police brothers are holding the line! The most urgent task now is to begin burying the Sarcophagus immediately. Don't let any malicious individuals divert attention, and don't let the efforts of our Rhodes Island comrades go to waste... Everyone, all departments, get moving! For our motherland, Ursus!"

[Hurrah!!]

PS: Waaaaaaah!

PS: It wasn't until she was carried to the Sarcophagus that Amiya realized that everyone's falling behind might have been part of Nana's plan... But Amiya witnessed the restoration of power to the city, so this scheme wasn't enough to shake Amiya's trust in Medic.

Amiya remembered that everything was for the Doctor's safety.

6th Patriot's Gun: 255 (Two months later)

The Chernobog energy crisis, the Sarcophagus Incident... or, more officially, the "Chernobog Sarcophagus Reconstruction Project," officially ended in September 1095 with the closure of the newly poured quick-drying cement dome.

As the Chernobog rainy season ended, gentle sunlight once again shone on the city, the almost inexhaustible power supply was restored, and ordinary people's lives returned to 'normal'... At the same time, the Chernobog government was in a state of extreme turmoil.

Because of Boris's weakness in the New Sarcophagus incident and his unsubstantiated suspicion of his allies, his subordinates... including the Engineering Department that maintains the Mobile City and the Rapid Response Force representing the city's military and police, have clearly expressed their dissatisfaction with Boris.

This has led to a situation where Chernobog's operations... especially at the grassroots level, are somewhat outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant of Mayor Boris's orders.

In normal times, this would just be a minor conflict between Chernobog's management and executives. A few more meetings, more communication, more visits, or even more bonuses could always be resolved.

But now the Third Army is at the gates, and the rebel warships are lurking thirty kilometers away. Although Chernobog is still heavily fortified with its city defense artillery system, some officers in the defense zone seem to have their own ideas because of Boris's performance in the Sarcophagus incident.

After all, even the mayor was accused of doing things to secure a better future when surrendering. If the mayor can do such a thing, why can't we officers?

It's unclear whether the shift in public sentiment or the corrupt attacks by the rebels will begin first, but it's visibly that the Customs' control over the city is weakening... and even some soldiers from the Third Army have reappeared at the outer train stations.

Two months later, Rhodes Island's checks and balances failed once again, and Chernobog seemed to be sliding irresistibly into the abyss of civil war.

What was Rhodes Island doing during those two months?

Rhodes Island is collecting the bodies.

"... Is this the last one?"

Looking at the corpse on the metal stretcher, shrouded in black mist and with its limbs twisted and deformed, Saria calmly asked a question.

While examining the body, Nana carefully removed the personal belongings that hadn't been excessively Pollution or corroded and could be used as keepsakes, then nodded in response:

"Yes, a member of the 92nd floor construction team, temporary worker number No. 552, experienced severe hallucinations of Pollution and corrosion while on the return journey led by Liskarm and Franka, and died on the spot in front of more than 25 construction workers..."

"Given that Liskarm's team at the time did not have the capability to process or transport the remains to the surface, we are now handling the recovery."

Seeing that Nana had finished sorting out the remains, put them into a plastic bag and sealed it, Saria also stood in front of the body, closed her eyes, clasped her hands in silent mourning, and then together with Nana pushed the stretcher to put it into the Collapse Pollution Processing Device in front of them, which was a modified industrial electric arc furnace... This was a crematorium built with the help of Chernobog engineers, located five kilometers away from the Sarcophagus in the former abandoned industrial area of Chernobog.

Unfortunately, although everyone on Rhodes Island knows that the deceased's family has made many requests through the municipal authorities for a final meeting before incineration, the Collapse Pollution will be based on residual memories and emotional growth... so unfortunately, Nana cannot fulfill their incredibly small and reasonable request.

After the Pollution was treated and it was confirmed that there would be no more direct contact, in accordance with the local Ursus Holy Fool Faith, Ursus priest was allowed to perform a soul-reaping ceremony as a witness, and the belongings and ashes were taken away and given to the deceased's family. This was the last effort that Nana could make.

By Rhodes Island's purification standards, everything the deceased were wearing at the time of the Collapse Pollution, as well as the deceased themselves, should have been completely destroyed... But Nana had the ability to remove mild Pollution. Using the intense heat of the incinerator itself, Nana remotely operated the Tactical Unit and generated a large amount of heat within her own body without anyone noticing anything unusual.

Let funerals be a way for the living to find solace, not a ritual to forget the dead... This is what Nana told everyone.

This is what the manager said during Nana's first mission.

But what will be the cost of doing so?

After bidding farewell to the city government and Father Ursus, Nana returned to her temporary base not far away. The first thing she did was look at the Ptilopsis, who was responsible for monitoring all the data, especially her own Tactical Unit's data:

"Thank you all for your hard work these past two months, Ptilopsis. The total amount of solid Originium remaining in the Tactical Unit is..."

"Twenty-two percent."

He readily reported the daily reduction of at least one percent in the total amount of Tactical Unit Originium tanks, changed into another set of Ptilopsis -based clothing, and also brought out food and drinking water... especially the consumption of water purification tablets:

"The elimination of remaining Pollution and the completion of humanitarian aid work in Chernobog have been completed as expected. There are still two days... no, seven days left before the main mission enters a state of alert."

Watching Saria hand the briefcase to Liskarm, the white-haired Vouivre put on protective gloves and poured a box of loose Originium Prime and High-Purity Originium Ore into the Tactical Unit... This was the fee paid by the Chernobog municipality to Rhodes Island for the recovery and disposal of the deceased's remains.

Franka and Jessica also weighed and added the prepared alcohol as a catalyst and fuel supplement. This reduces the high temperature and pressure required for Originium to solidify into steam, while also reducing the wear and tear on the Originium Engine of Tactical Unit...

As the Tactical Unit, which had just been temporarily shut down, started operating again, Folinic, who was guarding the 'Sarcophagus' not far away, picked up her notebook and compared the changes in the Previous Civilization the Sarcophagus one by one. Finally, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief, smiled and nodded to everyone to indicate that everything was normal.

Yes, during the conflict two months ago, after fighting the Inner Guards, Nana decided to move the Sarcophagus... or more precisely, the Sarcophagus in the medical Ursus section, based on the possibility that Nana might re-explore the Sarcophagus at any time in the future.

Having the Doctor by her side would eliminate concerns about conflicts with Chernobog and Ursus... but this brought new problems for Nana.

First, without the powerful energy supply of the Previous Civilization, the medical care system was forced to operate at idle speed, and the Doctor's critical injury care period was forced to be extended by a year.

For the past two months, Nana has been using Tactical Unit to power the Sarcophagus... This requires at least two Tactical Unit to keep their turbine engines running continuously in order to barely maintain the Sarcophagus's idling speed... and to maintain the normal working conditions of the Previous Civilization, even four Tactical Unit running at full capacity would probably not be able to do it.

The same result would occur if Rhodes Island were operated in critical mode with a large Originium Reactor.

Perhaps that's why Kal'tsit was forced to place the Doctor in the dangerous Ursus... Nana even finds it hard to say whether her choice to dismantle the Sarcophagus increased or decreased the risk...

In short, it's always beneficial to take the initiative rather than passively guarding the Sarcophagus.

Hearing that the Originium Steam operation would only fall below the warning line in seven days, Nana looked at the group that had gradually returned to the team over the past two months. Although they were slightly tired due to the extra work she had requested, they all seemed to be in good spirits and their morale was still high. She nodded.

"So, what we need to do now is obvious... Because the Doctor's fatal wound is not yet fully healed, he is not suitable for long-distance travel and cannot leave the Sarcophagus... Without the supply of energy from the Previous Civilization, our mission may be delayed."

"Currently, we have several pressing issues to address... First, we need to maintain the Sarcophagus's care for the Doctor. We need Originium, and second-tier high-energy fuel will also suffice. We need to collect large quantities to keep the Sarcophagus running... I will personally take charge of this matter."

"Afterwards, the Doctor's condition needs to be reported to the Rhodes Island main ship. This matter is to be handled by Mika, using the Lycoris Cipher and then encrypting it again with Rhodes Island Cipher... Whether it is handed over by the ICA or collected proactively by the Rhodes Island Information Department, the point is to release the information here."

"Finally, during these two months, which provided an opportunity to deal with the subsequent Pollution, we also established good relationships with some departments of the Chernobog government, especially the Engineering Department, the military and police, and some municipal officials..."

"They also said that Chernobog in disarray because of Boris's previous performance, and the Nobles' Army has started to infiltrate Chernobog again... Even though we will no longer be trapped in a fixed strategic position because of the Sarcophagus, if Chernobog falls into chaos now, the collection of strategic resources will become extremely difficult."

"This will be the biggest obstacle to achieving our main objectives... The mission of the 'Vigilante' is not over yet. We may need to continue cooperating with the military and police to resist the infiltration of the Nobles' Army... At the same time, we must prevent war from breaking out. I think our own people will have no objection to this."

Looking around, even Folinic, who harbors a deep-seated hatred for Ursus, agreed with Nana's final words. Even Amiya, whose thinking was most easily influenced and swayed by external factors, had performed admirably during her two months of living underground without sunlight...

What seemed at first glance to be a waste of fuel and time to collect the bodies actually greatly comforted the team members. Seeing that their team hadn't been shattered into pieces like Boris's team after the incident two months ago, Nana felt much more relieved.

"So let's talk about what to do next... The first issue is that Boris has now been forced to promise not to openly cause us trouble anymore, Rhodes Island's reputation in Chernobog has been recognized, and our two months of underground life can be considered to be over... However, the city is not a good place for the Doctor to recuperate, after all, the threat of civil war still exists..."

Looking at Amiya, Nana made this suggestion:

"I suggest transferring the Doctor to the Exploration Vehicle. On the one hand, Boris is too busy to deal with us right now, but we still have the legal and reasonable right to modify and use that area. And it not only has an exit from Chernobog... its location within the Mobile City is also close to the sturdy walking units, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack... It is very suitable for us to turn it into a permanent fortification for long-term garrisoning."

"On the other hand, the Exploration Vehicle's large reactor is more suitable for steadily outputting energy to the Sarcophagus, which can reduce reliability issues caused by the long-term operation of Tactical Unit... and everyone's living environment can also be improved."

As she spoke, Nana looked at Amiya with a slightly apologetic gaze, touched the girl's hair which she sometimes couldn't wash even once every two weeks for the past two months, and sighed:

"Everyone needs to rest too..."

"Well, Nana thinks it's time to go back to the Exploration Vehicle, and I think we definitely support that... but..."

"However, doing so will definitely bring us back to Chernobog ...especially under Boris's watchful eye, which increases the risk to some extent... Medic, do you think we can ignore Boris's threats anymore? Is he really too busy to bother us?"

In response to Franka and Liskarm's questions, Nana shook her head uncertainly:

"I don't know... After all, there's a chance they're going all in and want to cause trouble for us... But, returning to the Exploration Vehicle doesn't necessarily mean we'll be exposed."

Typhon, who had a better understanding of Nana's style of action, then raised his hand:

"So, you mean a covert infiltration and return? But it feels like being exposed is only a matter of time..."

"Or rather, wherever we are, unless we're homeless like we have for the past two months, it's only a matter of time before we're discovered once we settle down... I think the key isn't how to hide, but how to deal with potential hostile behavior."

Saria remained the same Saria who preferred head-on confrontations, but this time, Nana agreed with her assessment.

After all, settling down is what everyone in the team needs. Even if they can still hold on mentally, their physical fatigue still needs to be relieved... And since they weren't settled in the conspicuous Sarcophagus, it doesn't matter where the group that has already moved the Doctor settles down now.

Or rather, now is the best time for Erlin, Wu Lin, and Liu Jiu to settle in the place that originally belonged to Rhodes Island.

Amiya, though only twelve years old, is still quite naive. However, thanks to Kal'tsit's education aimed at making Rhodes Island leaders, she understands that Rhodes Island's current presence in Chernobog's sight is actually an act of obedience to local arrangements and a way to reduce suspicion.

The focus of an operation is never on how well it is 'performed', but rather on the actual control over affairs during the operation... Nana demonstrated this to Amiya two months ago during the Sarcophagus Operation.

Although Amiya found it a bit strange that she had tricked the other party and then had to thank them, Rhodes Island's strategic goals had never changed... By concealing the strategic objectives while achieving the goal, Nana demonstrated to Amiya with her exceptional control what it meant to feign an attack while secretly advancing another.

Strategic objectives, prestige, hostile forces... making everyone dance in her palm—that's what makes Kal'tsit's chosen Elite Operator.

"Therefore, it is necessary to permanently fortify that area, transforming it into a fortress belonging only to Rhodes Island..."

Seeing that Amiya also looked thoughtful and did not object, Nana then looked at the others again:

"So, it seems everyone agrees? Then, everyone will head towards the industrial area where the Exploration Vehicle is located... Jessica, I'll leave the reconnaissance to you... I might need to rest for a bit."

Seeing Nana's relaxed, exhausted appearance, as if she might fall asleep at any moment, and knowing that she had fastened her bangs to her head with Velcro to avoid being bothered by her lack of personal items, Jessica nodded with a pang of sympathy.

"Yes, senior, you've really worked hard these past two months. We only have seven days, so leave the reconnaissance to me."

"Yes, yes! I'm here too, Nana, you should get some rest!"

Seeing Mika, who had also styled her long hair into a single ponytail and taken off her shawl that was so dirty she didn't want to look at it anymore, and who always managed to slip into Nana's words, jump out again to block between herself and Nana, Jessica, who was already quite familiar with Mika, twitched her eye and pressed Mika's head away: