The Gray Storm had all but ended.
Only a few turbulent currents remained near the ground.
The sky alone was still veiled in a layer of gray dust.
Cheng Qi left the underground shelter and stood on the surface.
He looked around. Endless garbage still surrounded him.
But the terrain had changed beyond recognition. Some areas rose much higher than before, while many once-flat stretches had become depressions.
The land itself seemed to have been shuffled like a deck of cards.
Foolish Boy and Xiao Qiong had decided to stay here. They wanted to fix up their new home properly, and there was plenty of work to do.
Before leaving, Cheng Qi gave them some specific instructions.
They were not to stray too far from the shelter, and whenever they went out, they had to take a Miniature Directional Stargate.
Foolish Boy also had to stay by Xiao Qiong's side at all times.
After all, Foolish Boy was now a brand-new A24 Environment-Adaptive Nanny Robot. By Garbage Earth's standards, its combat capabilities were quite respectable.
From overhead...
A deep, powerful rumble suddenly sounded.
Cheng Qi looked up, his brows drawn together.
Two massive transport Starships slowly appeared above the atmosphere, their presence imposing.
"Didn't Mo say the Milky Way Human Alliance had banned garbage dumping?"
"Why are there still Starships here?"
Cheng Qi's pupils contracted. He suddenly realized that his eyesight had improved dramatically, too.
He could make out the insignias on the Starships.
Each depicted the Milky Way, slowly revolving like a colorful vortex, with a sharp sword hovering above it.
"The Milky Way Interstellar Alliance Combat Squad?"
Cheng Qi's expression grew serious. "Is this a routine inspection?"
In the Great Cosmic Era, humanity's reach extended across multiple galaxies.
The Milky Way Interstellar Alliance Combat Squad was the equivalent of a regional military command from the old era.
In other words, they were regular troops. Soldiers.
Although Garbage Earth was desolate and remote, it was still territory of the Human Alliance and had to undergo a routine inspection every year.
"When I, Crow, fly a plane, it's always steady as a rock!"
Cheng Qi boarded the battered Ground Effect Aircraft.
Up front, Crow piloted with swaggering confidence. "You're seriously badass, kid. Treating Kyoto like a tourist spot, going whenever you feel like it? There's nobody else like you on all of Garbage Earth!"
Cheng Qi smiled faintly.
Crow was always brimming with enthusiasm.
Before leaving...
Cheng Qi had unlocked another innate ability of silicon-based life.
As the "inheritance" had explained, they could adjust their skin color according to the surrounding light.
Cheng Qi had used that ability to alter his pupils.
His eyes now appeared an ordinary black.
In reality, that black was made up of countless tiny triangular structures packed tightly together.
An ordinary person would notice nothing unusual at a glance.
Cheng Qi had also perfectly concealed the three luminous rings that signified advanced C-Level genes.
Now...
Cheng Qi was still watching the two enormous Starships hovering silently in the sky.
"Kid, I've got some inside information about this visit from the Interstellar Alliance squad."
Crow suddenly tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
Cheng Qi turned his gaze toward him. "What inside information?"
Crow said conspiratorially, "They're looking for something."
"Looking for something?"
Cheng Qi was puzzled. "How could you possibly know inside information like that?"
Crow grinned. "Sure, I don't have any connections with the Interstellar Alliance. But I've been in the transport business for years. I've met all kinds of passengers, including quite a few members of the Scavenger Alliance."
Cheng Qi nodded. "What are they looking for?"
"That, I don't know."
Crow shook his head. "You must've noticed they brought two Starships this time. They've multiplied their manpower several times over, so whatever they're looking for must be important-and valuable."
Cheng Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.
"But, you know..."
Crow sighed. "Whether in the old era or now, nobodies like us have to follow the rules. Even if some scavenger gets insanely lucky and finds that item, they'll still have to hand it over obediently. At best, they'll get a certificate of merit!"
"Ah, forget that!"
"Something seems to be wrong with the aircraft!"
"Engine three has left us!"
"Shit!"
"Engine six has left us, too!"
"Shit!"
"My Nanny Robot just fell out, too!"
"Minor problem! Minor problem!"
"..."
After a jolting journey of dips and climbs...
Cheng Qi finally reached Kyoto.
The place was still saturated with chemical fog and excessive radiation.
Everything was bleak and deserted.
Standing aboard the aircraft, Crow watched Cheng Qi walk step by step into the dark haze.
His mouth twitched, and he clicked his tongue. "He just went in without any protection? What a badass!"
From his vantage point, he could not see that the Extreme Warrior Armor had already flipped out a faceplate to protect Cheng Qi's face. Its life-support system had activated, filtering out every harmful gas.
There was still some distance to go before he reached Muon Research's location.
Cheng Qi set off on foot, his steps producing faint crunches as he trod over the garbage.
Once he had confirmed that no one was around, a glint passed through his eyes.
The Ultimate Warrior Powered Armor suddenly came apart and stood silently to one side.
At that same instant, Cheng Qi's body began to shine like a diamond.
He wanted to test just how well a silicon-based lifeform could adapt to such a hostile environment.
Strange gusts swirled around him, carrying clouds of green toxic gas. The gases coiled and billowed like spirits coming to claim his life.
The Extreme Warrior Armor was sounding an alarm, too.
The surrounding radiation was sixteen times the normal level, reaching 2.3 microsieverts per hour.
That was the reading recorded in the old era after the explosion at Chernobyl, when fires had broken out as well.
Cheng Qi frowned.
He felt nothing.
Silicon-based lifeforms had no need to breathe in the human sense.
Nor did these hostile surroundings even qualify as dangerous to a silicon-based lifeform.
Cheng Qi pursed his lips, extended a finger, and scratched his arm.
Even the itch was more noticeable than the threat posed by the environment.
This was already one of the harshest environments on Earth.
Apparently, nowhere on Garbage Earth could test the upper limits of a silicon-based lifeform's endurance.
Low growls sounded around him.
Cheng Qi spotted pairs of scarlet eyes gleaming within a nearby garbage heap.
Killer Rats.
Although Cheng Qi had thoroughly intimidated them last time, their territorial instincts and vicious nature still drove them to cast aside their misgivings and watch for an opening, ready to attack him at any moment.
With a thought, Cheng Qi switched his DNA, and the diamond radiance slowly faded from his body.
At the same time, he stepped backward, and the Ultimate Warrior Powered Armor swiftly enclosed him.
The silicon-based lifeform test had failed.
Cheng Qi still had a carbon-based form.
He set the armor's speed assistance to zero.
He had already sensed a marked increase in his speed after evolving to C-Level genes.
Cheng Qi wanted to use the Killer Rats to test the change in his speed while in his carbon-based form. Ideally, he could obtain a precise measurement.
As the saying went...
Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win every battle.
And since ancient times, "know yourself" had always come before "know your enemy."
Before you continue