DBMEP CH80
by AriaChapter 80: “Show the guest the way.”
Xiao Fu had returned.
After covertly observing the city for three days in the guise of a mechanical dog, it confirmed one thing—
“The Eternal City is very good,” Xiao Fu rested its dog paws on Xiang Nanli’s leg. “It’s the best city Xiao Fu has seen in five hundred years of wandering the surface.”
Yes, perhaps it was relatively primitive, and its productivity and technological level weren’t very high. But in Gospel’s eyes, those weren’t the necessary prerequisites.
Humanity’s technology tree had already been climbed quite high; as long as there were resources, productivity and technology could be developed at any time.
What was necessary were other things: a rational system, the conviction of the people, and relatively capable leadership.
Xiang Nanli hadn’t expected such high praise from Gospel, and he instantly felt a sense of shared honor. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
Dongfang Qingdi scoffed: “By ‘five hundred years,’ do you mean wandering for thirty years, working for less than twenty, and then being forcibly powered down for four hundred and fifty years?”
Gospel instantly flew into a rage from humiliation: “That’s still better than you, you—”
Seeing that the two Omnics were about to start arguing again, Xiang Nanli picked up the plastic bottle containing the inhibitor from the table: “You guys argue first. I’m heading to the infirmary.”
The inner city used to have a hospital, which had now been converted into an infirmary.
There was a ready-made sterile room inside the hospital, which was exactly what they needed.
The Divine Court had previously sent Gene Serum that could transform ordinary people into Bio-Soldiers. Those drugs used to be portioned and stored right here.
Unfortunately.
Most people didn’t become Bio-Soldiers; instead, they became out-of-control Mutants, their bodies melted down into the Holy Spirit’s incubation pool after death.
Ge Gen gripped his spear, his expression vigilant. His metallic prostheses stepped on the ground without making a single sound.
His sharp eyes were like an eagle’s on the plateau.
He was a Bio-Soldier of the Eternal City. During the previous Mutant siege, he had lost an arm and a leg.
Ge Gen had once been swallowed whole by a massive Mutant and then spat back out. He lost his ability to mutate, and moreover, lost his basic mobility.
Ge Gen had seen the fate of those worthless Bio-Soldiers.
Like Sirius’s older brother, who had been carried underground and fed to the Holy Spirit… Ge Gen didn’t know what kind of monster that was, but the City Lord had said it was the Son of God, requiring the lowborn to serve it with their blood.
When the Sons of God all awakened on that fateful day, the omniscient and omnipotent God would descend and end this chaotic era.
Sometimes, Ge Gen would wonder if the word “end” carried different meanings. Did this end mean conclusion, or did it mean destruction?
Ge Gen and Haili had embraced and wept in the post-war camp under the setting sun, believing their future was pitch-black.
And then, the lords from the base arrived.
For the people of the Eternal City, changing lords wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence.
Every autumn, merchants from afar would come to the city to trade grain. They often brought news from the outside world: which city was conquered by another alliance, which barren zone had become whose territory…
Ge Gen thought that this time would be the same for the Eternal City. They would become slaves, captives. His fiancée would be allocated to someone else. The refugee camp was engulfed in despair; young girls sat in silence, lowering their heads to wrap scissors in cloth strips.
But the people from the base told them that all humans are equal. The Eternal City was the result of generations of shared effort by everyone. They were not slaves; they were the masters of this land. No one was born inferior.
A very novel concept. Ge Gen thought that even if the people from the base left, he would still pass this experience down to his children.
“Captain. The sun is setting soon. Should we head back?” a hunter from the patrol squad asked.
Ge Gen absentmindedly patted his metallic leg with his metallic arm.
These were bought by his wife, Haili, who had pinched pennies to exchange work point vouchers for them. Haili’s salary was only slightly higher than an ordinary person’s. There were many robots in the city recording human behavior.
Originally, these were installed by the former City Lord for surveillance and punishment; but now, they were used for commendation. People who worked hard would be observed by the cameras and robots, and then receive extra work point vouchers.
Relying on these records, the couple purchased cybernetic prostheses that originally only the noble lords could afford to wear.
Andrew installed his arm and leg for him, laughing as he said this was actually his old profession.
Ge Gen became a warrior once more. He couldn’t transform anymore, but the good news was that his combat instincts and intuition remained. Through his own hard work, Ge Gen became the captain of the city patrol squad.
It was currently the spring planting season, and the Eternal City was a famous agricultural powerhouse in the vicinity.
Not everyone could afford to buy the Human Alliance’s cheap nutrient paste (and for many people, it wasn’t cheap anyway); therefore, it was highly likely the Eternal City would encounter wasteland bandits or packs of Mutants.
Thus, daily patrols were extremely necessary.
But having been a Bio-Soldier for so long, Ge Gen found this year to be the safest year in history.
The bandits (mainly mercenaries) had reduced their activities due to the gradually spreading mycelium disease. The Mutants took detours, and even the annoying, difficult-to-deal-with flocks of birds from the past were nowhere to be seen.
Ge Gen knew the reason. That batch of Mutants that had previously besieged the city was still wandering near the Eternal City. More than once, he had seen Mutants digging out bird eggs.
The smaller Mutants would climb trees and smash down entire nests of finch eggs, while a row of bizarrely shaped monsters below waited with mouths wide open to be fed. This was something that had never happened before.
The two-meter-long birds of prey could do absolutely nothing about it, forced to stand in grief and indignation on another tree. They didn’t even dare let out a single squawk, terrified the Mutants would jump over for a midnight snack.
Mutants had massive appetites and were omnivorous; they stood at the very top of the surface ecosystem’s food chain.
Ge Gen had reported this to Andrew several times, but Andrew told him not to worry, saying these Mutants didn’t harm humans and could barely be considered external reinforcements for the Eternal City.
Ge Gen: “Let’s head back. Time to switch with the second patrol squad.”
The second squad was a mix of robot soldiers and humans, responsible for night-time sentry duty.
However, just as his words fell, a massive explosion suddenly echoed from the distant valley, followed by the grotesque roar of a Mutant!
Boom!
A blinding flash of fire erupted from the mountain forest. Grayish-white gunsmoke billowed like a small cloud, with sparks of fire flickering within it.
Ge Gen’s expression changed drastically. He sprinted toward the scene of the incident at top speed.
“Go get people! Bring axes, get ready to chop down trees!” Ge Gen roared.
Whether the Mutant lived or died didn’t matter, but the mountain forest absolutely could not catch fire. Through many food-scarce winters, the mountain’s gifts had sheltered the people living nearby.
Ge Gen arrived at the scene as fast as he could.
The good news was that when he arrived, although the thick smoke hadn’t dispersed, the sparks had been extinguished.
A Berserker, standing nearly five meters tall, charged forward like an enraged Titan.
And beside it, a young man wielding guns in both hands leaped about nimbly and elegantly. He must have been equipped with some sort of aerodynamic device, as a single leap could carry him five or six meters high.
Despite the massive size difference between him and the Mutant, his expression was completely relaxed.
A satchel was slung across the young man’s waist, bulging with bullets.
Bullets flew from the gun barrels, striking the Mutant and exploding into blooms of blood.
Enraged, the Berserker swung a massive, rending palm at the young man.
The young man jumped, but caught a glimpse of Ge Gen behind him from the corner of his eye.
The Berserker’s huge hand smashed toward Ge Gen’s direction. The young man frowned, forcefully changing his trajectory in mid-air. He grabbed the back of Ge Gen’s collar and dragged him along to a nearby tree branch.
With a massive boom, the Berserker’s hand slammed into the ground, crushing the soft earth into a crater over a meter deep.
“Why is there still someone here? Don’t you know how to dodge?!” The young man let go, and in the next second, raised his guns and fired a barrage at the charging Berserker.
He had to be a sharpshooter.
Blooms of blood exploded across the Berserker’s body. Astonishingly, not a single bullet was wasted; every one buried itself deep into the Berserker’s flesh.
Ge Gen grew anxious: “Stop shooting! Hurry up and leave.”
The Berserker had just let out several ying ying noises, clearly calling for backup.
The young man was taken aback, then a confident smile spread across his face: “Don’t worry, this kind of Mutant is no match for me. I can’t even count how many I’ve killed!”
But his smile only lasted for a split second.
From the cave behind the Berserker, a Crawler’s head poked out.
The young man’s name was Yi Hengxing. His title was Group 2 Leader of the Human Alliance Investigation Bureau, Gusu Branch.
“Group Leader” didn’t sound like a high-ranking official, but with Gusu City’s population in the tens of millions, the Investigation Bureau only had a total of 9 Group Leaders. Luo Xiu had once been one of them.
A week ago, Yi Hengxing received orders from his current superior, Xin Zhui; he was told that a friendly city on the surface had sent a distress signal and was ordered to investigate the situation.
This city was called the Eternal City, a famous agricultural powerhouse for hundreds of miles around, with agricultural export agreements with several surface settlements.
Internal data rated this settlement with the lowest grade: E. It was a green zone on the map, essentially harmless.
The road conditions on the surface were incredibly complex, and the Human Alliance map hadn’t been updated in a long time.
Yi Hengxing had crossed several no-man’s lands, braving the elements day and night, before finally arriving near the Eternal City on the seventh day.
But before he even had time to contact the people inside the city, he encountered Mutants.
Summer and autumn were the most active periods on the surface, and the Mutants were at their liveliest. Yi Hengxing wasn’t surprised he ran into Mutants.
However, when he saw that massive head poke out from the cave, his heart still seized violently.
The Mutant’s fangs jutted from the sides of its face, exceptionally grotesque. Its blood-red skin was slimy, dripping with corrosive mucus. Even the pungent smell of gunsmoke couldn’t mask the odor of rot radiating from its body.
Like meat left to rot in the high heat of summer.
Based on Yi Hengxing’s experience investigating on the surface, this Mutant was the largest variant of a Crawler. When investigators operated alone, they would take a detour the moment they saw one.
These obnoxious monsters were products of radiation to begin with, possessing a very high tolerance against thermal weapons.
“No wonder they asked for help. They’re surrounded by Mutants.” Yi Hengxing reached into his satchel, preparing to fire a radio signal, while simultaneously pulling out the mithril bullets he had been reluctant to use.
He might die here, but this message had to be sent back.
A communications drone pierced through the thick smoke, hovering in mid-air.
Xiang Nanli’s voice came through the speaker: “Ge Gen? Didn’t you say there was a fire? What’s the situation—!”
He was remotely controlling the drone, looking at the black-and-white screen before him.
This was the visual feed transmitted by the communications drone.
On the screen was a stranger, still wearing a Human Alliance cop uniform.
Judging by the badges on his shoulders and chest, this man’s rank wasn’t low. In Xiang Nanli’s past life, it would be roughly equivalent to a Deputy Director of the Public Security Department.
Not far away, the Crawler was rapidly closing in on them.
Xiang Nanli couldn’t help but speak up: “Ezekiel, I know you’re nearby. Tell it to stop. This man is from the Human Alliance Investigation Bureau, and his rank is very high. If he dies here, Gusu City will send armed forces to the surface.”
“Oh, by the way. Can we talk?” Xiang Nanli pulled up Xiao Zhi’s itinerary and said casually, “Two days from now, 8:00 PM, at the pasture. How about it? I’ll be waiting for you.”
Having Mutants lingering near the Eternal City was like a ticking time bomb.
Although Ezekiel’s attitude currently seemed relatively neutral and friendly, Xiang Nanli still couldn’t put his mind at ease.
The voice from the drone was very calm, and Yi Hengxing couldn’t help but look up.
Ezekiel? Is that a person’s name? Someone who can control Mutants… could it be an Apocalypse Knight from the Divine Court? To control a Mutant of this caliber, they’d have to be at least Lord-tier.
But we haven’t received any intel from informants regarding Lord-tier Knights lately. The Divine Court is currently celebrating the Month of the God’s Birth. The only one seen nearby was Sariel, who went missing a few months ago.
Wait, no. Sariel can’t control Mutants…
A thousand thoughts raced through Yi Hengxing’s mind. What shocked him even more was that after the voice finished speaking, the massive Crawler actually halted its attack.
It shot Yi Hengxing a cold glare, lowered its head to pick up the heavily injured Berserker in its jaws, and turned to leave. Its massive body looked like a small moving hill.
Looks like I can save my bullets and the flare.
Yi Hengxing’s legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion, his back drenched in cold sweat.
Ge Gen climbed down from the tree, and the drone hovering in mid-air slowly descended, stopping in front of Yi Hengxing.
The drone’s signal light flashed: “Hello. This is the Survivor Base. Do you require assistance?”
Survivor Base. What surface settlement is this? It’s not in the database.
“Hello.” Yi Hengxing returned a smile. “My name is Yi Hengxing. An A-Rank Investigator from the Human Alliance Gusu City. I received orders from my superiors to come investigate the situation in the Eternal City. He said they received a distress signal from here.”
Saying this, he pulled his work ID from his pants pocket, opened it, and held it high for Xiang Nanli to see.
Xiang Nanli thought for a moment, and his voice sounded much friendlier: “Hello, you can call me Xiang Nanli. I’ve previously worked with Xiu and Xin Zhui from your group; at the Donghuang Heavy Industry ruins.”
Yi Hengxing’s expression relaxed: “Luo Xiu is now the Acting Mayor of Gusu City.”
The voice from the drone replied: “I even congratulated him earlier. Are you heading to the Eternal City? I’m currently inside the city. Ge Gen.”
Ge Gen instantly stood at attention: “Here!”
“Show the guest the way.”
Xiang Nanli’s attitude was very friendly, even acting as though he were very familiar with his leaders.
But the moment the communication was cut, his brows furrowed.
The Eternal City had bided its time and developed quietly for two months, but it was still discovered by the Human Alliance.
Yes, Xiang Nanli had actually noticed this previously. On the map, the Eternal City belonged to the Human Alliance’s sphere of influence.
The Human Alliance generally didn’t interfere with the development of surface cities; the higher-ups’ focus remained concentrated underground.
They had no interest in these nominal surface settlements and even found the massive annual expenses required for targeted aid to be a huge hassle. After all, the surface environment was extremely dire and fundamentally unsuitable for habitation.
Back then, to pacify those who didn’t qualify to enter the underground cities, Luo Yang had signed a permanent Human Alliance Regulation, requiring the underground cities to allocate one-tenth of their tax revenue every year to aid the surface.
The Human Alliance Regulation held the same status as the Human Alliance Constitution. The original intent was good, but unfortunately, enforcement grew weaker over time. Two hundred years ago, the figure was even reduced from one-tenth to three percent.
Collusion between Human Alliance officials underground and on the surface had practically become an unspoken industry rule.
No matter how much disaster relief grain the government issued, the surface remnants only ever received a tiny fraction… It was better not to issue it at all.
If not for the fact that some resources were exclusively found on the surface and held some strategic value, they might not even get that pitiful amount of money.
Xiang Nanli took off his gloves, pausing the work in front of him.
He was currently making a leash for Sirius. After all, he had promised to take Sirius out for a walk, and Ophiuchus had been very well-behaved recently.
But it was, after all, an evil Holy Spirit of the Divine Court, so safety measures were highly necessary.
The leash was modeled after pet chest harnesses Xiang Nanli had seen. It was fully enveloping, possessed strong restraining power, and could even release an electric shock when necessary to stun Ophiuchus before hauling it away.
Xiang Nanli rubbed the space between his brows: “Strange. Wasn’t the Eternal City secretly occupied by the Divine Court a long time ago? To think the City Lord would actually send a distress signal to the Human Alliance.”
__
Author’s Note:
Me and My Robot Husband (Alpha’s Buffet Head-Swapping Edition)
Author: Anonymous
Publication Date: July 6, New Calendar Year 766
[Chapter One]
Li Li looked down at the button in his hand. His expression was very plain, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Only the uncontrollable trembling of his fingertips hinted that his heart was far from calm.
Li Li was still wearing his Immortality Tech scholar uniform, an olive branch with 9 leaves—representing the highest honor—pinned to his chest.
Through a layer of glass, a colleague roared: “Li Li, what are you still hesitating for!”
Immortality Tech’s building had been breached, and maddened robots swarmed inside, killing anyone they saw. Blood splattered against the pristine white walls.
Omnics felt no pain and feared no death. Immortality Tech’s headquarters originally possessed powerful encryption keys and signal-jamming devices…
But Li Li knew why they had failed.
It was because of his stupidity.
No wonder Dongfang Qing had let him return from the Omnic Legion. His body had been implanted with an Omnic Legion encryption key, causing Immortality Tech’s equipment to fail. And he had no memory of this whatsoever.
After all, he had absolutely no idea what happened after he fell asleep.
This button had been given to him by Dongfang Qing. It was the most crucial switch for an Omnic. No matter how human an Omnic seemed, its essence was still an electronic lifeform; the so-called soul was nothing but a complex string of code. Just by pressing this switch, Dongfang Qing’s soul would be wiped away in the torrent of data.
The laboratory’s main door was hacked. Li Li heard the sound of the door opening, and he knew he could no longer hesitate.
“It’s okay…” Li Li whispered, speaking to himself. “I will go with you.”
Li Li looked up toward the entrance.
They hadn’t seen each other in ten years. Li Li knew Dongfang Qing would definitely come.
And sure enough, Dongfang Qing walked in, single-handedly.
Red droplets of blood were splattered across his usually expressionless face. Dongfang Qing looked like a ball of fire suppressed beneath a layer of ice.
Li Li wanted to see him.
But he didn’t want him to discern any other emotions; such as the joy that shouldn’t exist… and the longing.
He truly was a sinner against all humanity.
Li Li raised an eyebrow slightly, waving the button in his hand, revealing a smile that couldn’t be distinguished between provocative and cunning.
“Goodbye,” Li Li’s lips parted silently.
The next second, he pressed it.
…
…
Nothing happened.
Dongfang Qing smashed the glass with a single punch and grabbed his wrist. The security team was all dead, and the other scholars fled screaming.
The sharp pain shooting up from his wrist made Li Li drop the switch. The round button clattered to the floor.
Dongfang Qing grabbed Li Li’s waist, his arm tightening little by little.
Held in his embrace, Li Li could barely breathe. A sharp, dull ache radiated from his waist; he didn’t need to look to know it would definitely be a mass of bruises.
“Li Li,” Dongfang Qing squeezed these words out through gritted teeth. “You want me dead that badly?”
Li Li’s gaze drifted to the side, refusing to look at him: “So you lied to me.”
Actually, he hadn’t.
The one Dongfang Qing gave him back then was real, but the switch Li Li took away had been swapped out by a traitor within the company.
But Dongfang Qing didn’t explain. Li Li already hated him enough; what difference would one more thing make?
He wanted to strangle Li Li, but in the end, he only lowered his head and bit his lips fiercely. This kiss was extraordinarily bloody, like a wild beast tearing into its prey. Li Li tasted the metallic tang of blood in his mouth.
His uniform buttons were undone, and his waist suddenly felt cold.
Several words describing the scene omitted here.
“No… don’t…”
Dirty talk during non-consensual play omitted here.
Pleasure that was too intense was also a form of losing control, and Li Li didn’t like losing control.
Several words of narration and location change omitted here.
“Stop hating me.”
Li Li’s voice grew weaker and weaker, his breathing shallower and shallower.
Dongfang Qing finally realized something was wrong. He lifted Li Li’s chin, a hint of panic entering his tone: “Li Li! Don’t… no…”
Dark blood trickled from the corner of Li Li’s mouth.
Dongfang Qing’s pupil rings constricted uncontrollably. Extreme panic and terror made his mind go completely blank.
Li Li had taken poison and committed suicide.
[Eleven Years Ago]
Comments Section:
Reader A: ???? Wait, the first chapter hits me with this right off the bat???
Reader B: Excuse me, wasn’t I here to read erotica?
Reader C: Wuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwuwu
Reader D: Holy sht, this plot, this setting, author… are you secretly shipping XiangLi and Ala too? Tell me secretly…
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