Chapter 329: Rescue and Reward
Kai knew that he was now being focused on by the A.I. soldiers.
There was no doubt about that, considering how much damage they had created.
Soon, more Adaptive Constructs surged from every wall, Sentinels also poured in, Neural Traps pulsed nonstop.
Kai fought like a man possessed, every weapon, every skill unleashed in desperate rhythm.
He could tell that his HP was getting lower and lower...
[ Health: 2,600 / 3,200 ]
...
[ Health: 2,100 / 3,200 ]
[ Health: 1,200 / 3,200 ]
Of course, at the same time, his Spirit Points were also in trouble!
480... 410... 350... 270... 230...
"Shit..." Kai wanted to curse as he realized that if not for his Great Protection and his Advanced Gear, he would have died several times already!
He could only desperately throw everything he could!
Flashbang. Smoke. Titan Step. War Lance. Gauntlet. Beretta. Decoy. Potion.
The chamber was in chaos as Kai wouldn’t let himself get killed!
’Ugh... Why am I even doing this? I should’ve just hidden with my camouflage...’
He couldn’t help but regret it a little. After all, he wasn’t even levelling up since he had to fulfill the condition to break through first!
He was still stuck a Level 39!
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Sentinel (C) ]
[ +50 Experience Points ]
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Adaptive Construct (B) ]
[ +150 Experience Points ]
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Sentinel (C) ]
[ +50 Experience Points ]
[ Enemy Unit Destroyed: Neural Trap ]
[ +15 Experience Points ]
...
[ +50 Experience Points ]
[ +50 Experience Points ]
[ +150 Experience Points ]
[ +15 Experience Points ]
[ +15 Experience Points ]
Although he was getting a lot of experience points, his level was not moving at all!
Right now, he could only pray that the excess Experience Points would be converted once again to turn into Skill Points instead!
That way, he could increase the level of his Great Protection!
’I don’t mind even if it’s 1 Skill Point in exchange for 2,000 Experience Points...’
Kai randomly thought as he heard Chamber’s progress.
[ Progress: 78%... 92%... 100%. Node compromised. Core destabilizing. ]
"I did it!"
Kai’s eyes lit up as the consoles flickered violently.
Chamber’s voice then rang with finality.
[ It is done. Citadel‑09 cannot be controlled. But its power is shutting down. The Ascendants will weaken further. The fortress will no longer release any form of Barrier. ]
Kai staggered as he started breathing hard. "Then let’s just clean them all up!"
***
Outside, the battlefield continued, but soon, everyone noticed how the Artifact Creatures barely had 50% of their previous resilience...
Even the Ascendants had retreated, allowing the Level 80 Survivors to be freed and eliminate the remaining A.I. Soldiers!
"Something happened inside..."
"Let’s investigate..."
"This is incredible... I really thought that we had a retreat."
***
At this time, Kai really felt that he had already reached his limit.
Every muscle of his was already screaming in protest.
His War Lance trembled in his grip, the Strength Gauntlet’s glow also flickering as his Spirit Points dwindled. The chamber was littered with broken constructs, shattered Sentinels, and the fading sparks of Neural Traps, but more enemies kept pouring in.
His health bar was dangerously low, and his vision blurred from exhaustion. One more strike from the Adaptive Construct advancing on him would finish it.
Kai raised his lance, but his arms felt heavy, his body sluggish.
’This is it... I can’t hold out anymore.’
The construct charged at him...
As he felt that his life was about to fall... only for it to be blasted back by a surge of radiant energy.
A figure stepped instead... his presence seemed commanding, his aura was unmistakable.
"Cornelio Arries..." Kai whispered, barely believing it. He didn’t expect that this powerful figure from the Aries Faction would be here!
Cornelio, the veteran commander of the Aries faction, stood tall... His armor looked polished as well! It felt as if he didn’t fight anyone outside this Citadel!
Then, his Gene Skill activated.
It was a blazing aura that forced the constructs to recoil.
They had to reassess the danger just like that.
With a single sweep of his weapon, he cleaved through the Adaptive Construct, its body collapsing in sparks and molten parts...
Kai collapsed to one knee, gasping.
Cornelio then finished off all the remaining A.I. Soldiers!
Everything happened so quickly!
Then, his eyes couldn’t help but notice a few things, and he felt alarmed.
"You’ve done something incredible here, Kai," Cornelio said, his voice steady but tinged with awe.
"I felt the fortress’s power vanish. The barriers are gone. The Ascendants are retreating. And you... you’re not even Level 40 yet. I can tell that you’ve really messed up with their drones... You’re incredible.""
Kai coughed, forcing a grin. "Guess I... shut it down. I got lucky..."
Of course, Chamber did most of the work... Even if he wanted to be part of the hacking system, the console was just different. He would have to find a way in order to hack these systems on his own in the future.
As for Chamber, he decided to keep its existence a secret for now.
After all, many of these people had families and relatives killed by the A.I.
If they learned that he had allied with one, he would get into trouble for sure.
Even if Chamber was a different entity, it was still part of the A.I. Civilization after all!
At this time, Cornelio’s gaze softened.
He extended a hand, pulling Kai back to his feet. "You’ve done more than most veterans could. Shutting down Citadel‑09’s main power? That’s something even our elites thought impossible. And you did it while still stuck at Level 39."
Kai shook his head, still dazed.
’I thought we could control it. Chamber tried... but the system was locked. All we could do was shut it down.’
"Ahem... If I’m a bit better, we could’ve fully controlled this place. This would be humanity’s first commercialized airship.
Cornelio nodded firmly. He wasn’t sure if Kai was joking or not. "That’s enough. Control was never the goal... You’ve given us a chance to win... In exchange, I’ll help you obtain the Soul Enhancement Serum."
Comments