Chapter 323: Deactivated
Kai realized just now that the factions within Cameron City were not as coordinated as he had once thought. It was politics, greed, and survival. Despite the fact that this battle was crucial for humanity’s future, the hunger for power and treasure could not be erased from the hearts of survivors.
Still, that wasn’t important right now.
With the barrier destroyed, the path into the fortress lay open.
Immediately, survivors surged forward. Hundreds poured through the shattered barrier!
"Charge!"
Their weapons were raised, and many of those with movement Gene Skills were immediately in front...
At least a few hundred remained outside, still locked in combat against the Ascendant Units and the towering Artifact Creatures.
This confused Kai for a bit as he thought that they should at least work together to destroy those first. However, his doubt was soon answered...
Inside the fortress, the Scorpio leader’s voice rang out... "Shut down the core!"
Kai blinked.
"The core?" he whispered.
Jackson, one of the Pisces members beside him, caught his confusion.
"The Ascendants are hard to kill if they’re near the fortress. They’re drawing invisible energy from the core. As long as it’s active, they’ll never run out of power. We either drag them far away or disable the core."
Kai’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t known this rule.
He gave Jackson a quick nod of thanks, but before he could ask more, the group reached the massive doors of the fortress.
Boom! Boom!
Explosives and brute force tore them open, and the survivors stormed inside.
The interior was a labyrinth of steel corridors and humming machinery.
The moment they crossed the threshold, alarms immediately rang!
Soon, red lights flashed across the walls, and mechanical movements echoed through the halls.
From the shadows, Spyder Units crawled down the walls, their segmented limbs clicking against metal.
Sentinel Units marched forward in formation, with their rifles glowing with plasma. Other mechanical soldiers also poured in... There were Hounds with razor‑sharp jaws, other non-human machines.
Still, several more survivors created a larger opening for easy entry...
Just like that, chaos erupted.
The survivors split instinctively, squads breaking off to hold back the tide.
Hoverboards darted through the air, motorbikes roared down the corridors, and armored cars forced their way inside!
Indeed! The gate was large enough for Tyrants and the Artifact Creatures to pass through anyway!
Kai fought alongside Trent’s squad at first, his War Lance piercing through Sentinel armor, his Strength Gauntlet smashing Spyder limbs if they got too close...
But the fortress was vast, and the battle scattered them quickly.
Boom!
A sudden explosion rocked the corridor.
The ceiling collapsed, cutting Kai off from the others. He was also chased by numerous Hounds and had to fight back while running.
He would get too overwhelmed at this rate!
Still, after running and fighting for sometime, an explosion occurred once again, shaking the whole fortress...
He was soon thrown away, but thankfully, Great Protection was triggered, allowing him to survive it.
But that was dangerous?
"Where am I?"
Dust and debris filled the air, and when it cleared, he realized he was alone.
"Jackson!" he shouted, but his voice was swallowed by the roar of combat deeper in the fortress.
He tightened his grip on his lance, scanning the dimly lit hall.
The walls had some faint energy in them, with many wires and pipes running like veins through the structure...
Kai moved cautiously, with his footsteps echoing in the corridor.
He was trying to lighten his steps, and it was certainly possible if he used his Gene Skill. However, he couldn’t sustain it that long, and it would waste a lot of energy.
’Well, I should’ve changed to Advanced Camouflage Gear if I knew this would happen.’
He was wearing some light armor that could deflect Plasma Shots a couple of times after all. If he knew that he’d get separated like this, he would have changed to a more suitable gear.
’Wait... I can actually do that.’ Kai mused as he made up his mind.
He needs to find a safer spot to change his clothes. With him being alone, he had a better chance of survival if he stayed hidden.
Still, every corner felt dangerous.
He passed broken remains of survivors who had rushed in too recklessly... scorch marks, shattered weapons, blood staining the steel.
He was following the sound of battle.
Soon, a metallic screech made him whirl around.
A Spyder Unit attacked from the ceiling, its limbs stabbing downward.
Kai reacted instantly, activating Titan Step.
His body blurred, and his lance thrust upward, piercing through the Spyder’s core.
Bam!
Sparks erupted as the machine collapsed.
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Spyder (D) ]
[ +20 Experience Points ]
"Ugh... The exp is too low now." Kai muttered.
Well, with his current stats, skill, and weapon, one-shotting a D-Grade Unit wasn’t impossible anymore.
Still, the fact that the A-Grade Artifact Creature gave him more than a thousand point, made him look forward to future battles against such high-grade enemies.
"Hmm?" Kai frowned as he realized that the deeper he went, the more he realized the fortress was alive. The walls seemed to be shifting subtly, doors sealing and opening as if the structure itself was aware of intruders.
"Tsk... This is bad..."
He passed through chambers filled with generators, their glow bathing him in eerie light...
’Wait... Did I just stumble inside an important chamber?’
As expected, another ambush came as two heavily-armored Sentinels, probably B-Grades, emerged from a side corridor.
Kai activated Spirit Dominion, chains of energy lashing out, binding two of them.
Since they were machines, this skill wasn’t that strong. Still, it should buy him a couple of seconds!
He thrust his lance three times into the closest Sentinel, triggering Perfect Thrust and shattering its armor.
Bam!
The bound Sentinels broke free moments later, but Kai’s Strength Gauntlet manifested at the same time and smashed into one with Brutal Impact, sending it flying into the wall.
This one seemed to be damaged already. Furthermore, they were slower thanks to their heavy armor... Because of that, Kai swiftly finished them off by piercing their Cores!
Thud! Thud!
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Sentinel (C) ]
[ +50 Experience Points ]
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Sentinel (C) ]
[ Experience Points distributed among all participants. ]
[ +30 Experience Points ]
"Huh? They’re only C-Grade?" Kai muttered as he really thought that they were B-Grade.
In any case, the other one was already damaged, so he only got a part of the Experience Points.
’Well... It’s not like I’m going to level up. I hope it gets converted to Skill Points if I gather enough excess.’
Breathing hard, Kai leaned against the wall.
His Spirit Energy was draining fast. Alone, every fight was riskier. Because of that, Kai immediately opened one of his Spirit-Boosting flasks.
It was a tonic designed to restore mental clarity, focus, and Spirit Energy.
As for the amount of energy, it was quite small...
[ +50 Spirit Points. ]
Of course, Kai had some items with him that helped with faster recovery.
[ Golden Horn Pendant ]
[ Effect: Increases wearer’s Spirit recovery speed by 15%. Slightly enhances resistance against mental fatigue. ]
[ Additional Effect: Emits a faint aura that calms nearby allies, reducing stress and fear during battle. ]
He also had a Stronghold Defender Title that amplifies the recovery even more. Because of that, he didn’t drink more...
Still, he pressed on.
Kai soon stumbled into a dark chamber...
He paused, listening carefully, but there were no movements, no mechanical whirs or metallic footsteps. It seemed to be some kind of storage area as he briefly saw the messy place.
Relieved, he quickly slipped inside and found cover behind a stack of broken crates. This was the perfect chance. He removed his current armor and replaced it with the Advanced Camouflage Gear.
The suit was all black, sleek, and seamless. It wouldn’t provide him true invisibility, but rather a sophisticated refraction system once activated.
It was bending and scattering light so that his outline blended with the environment. To the untrained eye, he would appear like a shadow, difficult to distinguish from the surroundings. Best of all, the activation consumed little battery, allowing him to maintain it for extended periods.
Once fitted into the gear, Kai felt lighter, more concealed.
He adjusted the visor, ensuring the systems were active, then turned his attention to the chamber itself.
At first glance, it looked like a junkyard.
Piles of broken devices, shattered plating, and discarded mechanical parts littered the floor. Some were scorched, others rusted, all seemingly useless.
He walked slowly, scanning the heaps of debris, until something caught his eye.
"Hmm?"
Near the far wall, half‑buried among scrap, was a metallic sphere the size of a human head. Unlike the other junk, this one hovered slightly!
It was floating about ten centimeters above the ground. Kai almost missed it, the faint levitation barely noticeable.
He was immediately curious...
He approached cautiously and picked it up.
Here, Kai noticed that the word ’Defective’ was stamped across its surface
Nonetheless, the sphere was cold to the touch, and just like that, he activated Appraisal.
[ You have discovered an Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Core ]
[ Description: A Standalone Intelligence device. ]
[ Status: Deactivated ]
Kai’s eyes widened. "Deactivated A.I.?" he muttered.
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