Chapter 33: Mission Complete
The population had suddenly ballooned from a little over twenty people to more than a hundred, and that brought more than just benefits.
It brought chaos.
In the cafeteria, fear of food shortages sparked quarrels over the serving line; in the dormitory, arguments broke out over room assignments.
There were even some of the “cultured folk,” fully revived and back to their old ways, casting shifty glances as they worked and scheming about who knew what.
Noise, confusion, and a faint undercurrent of restlessness spread through the shelter like invisible dust.
Fortunately, the chaos didn’t last long.
“Mr. , smoking is prohibited here.”
, who had been puffing away, flinched. The cigarette butt nearly fell from his hand.
He looked up in terror at the camera at the end of the corridor, its cold electronic eye seeming to stare straight at him.
An icy electronic voice came from the ID card in his hand. It was .
“I’m sorry, Mr. ! I didn’t know.” He frantically stamped out the cigarette.
[It’s fine. Just don’t let it happen again.]
A man trying to pry open the door of a locked storage room froze mid-motion.
[ , what are you doing?]
[What? Surprised to discover this route has no surveillance?]
was so frightened that he dropped onto the ground, his face pale.
[All shelter supplies are allocated by me alone. Private theft is tantamount to betrayal.]
[There won’t be a second warning. Consider yourself advised.]
The cold voice carried no emotion whatsoever, yet it was more intimidating than any scolding.
And so, the shelter quickly returned to orderly operation.
Those who were anxious and unsettled were reminded of what they should be doing; those looking to cut corners received the most precise warnings.
And those smart enough to follow the rules were quietly noted and placed on the “reliable personnel” watch list.
’s will was like an invisible net, covering the entire nuclear power station and flowing through the ID cards to reach every person.
Processing the information flow of more than a hundred people was hardly a burden to him at all.
Inside the station, he could easily handle the massive torrent of operational data generated by the reactor every moment. Compared to that, these simple bits of social information were nothing.
Pretending to be an AI? never felt a pang of guilt about it. What AI could possibly be as capable as him?
Through the registration data on the ID cards and his observations over the past couple of days, he had come to know this batch of new members much better.
Among the 118 newcomers, the age composition could only be described as extremely lopsided.
The youngest was a fourteen-year-old boy named . remembered him—he was the unlucky kid had beaten up earlier.
There were three more minors: the sixteen-year-olds and , and the fifteen-year-old . All of them were quiet and reserved.
The oldest was a fifty-five-year-old veteran worker named . He was getting on in years, but his body was still hale and hearty.
The rest were mostly able-bodied young adults in their twenties and thirties, with a male-to-female ratio of roughly three to one.
That made sense. In this apocalypse, the old and the young held no advantages at all.
Especially children. The elderly might still have the advantage of experience, but children had nothing.
and his people were clearly no saints, so they would never have brought along too many elderly people or children.
In this end-times world, cases like Teacher , who had chosen at the very end to protect as many children as she could, were truly the exception.
Beyond that, the professional makeup of these survivors was a mixed bag: ex-military security guards, plumbing and electrical repairmen, truck drivers, cooks, and so on...
But the biggest surprise of all came from the addition of medical personnel.
“Brother Liu, Brother Sun, Sister Qing, Sister Li—the shelter is counting on you from now on!”
In the medical room temporarily converted inside the factory complex, gripped the hand of a middle-aged doctor in a white coat, tears of gratitude glistening in her eyes.
Among these newcomers, there were actually three doctors and one nurse!
The leading middle-aged doctor was . He wore black-rimmed glasses and carried himself with a steady, composed air.
The slightly younger female doctor beside him was , and the nurse, around thirty years old, was .
The other, younger male doctor was . At the moment, he was curiously inspecting the medical room’s equipment, which far surpassed that of an ordinary clinic.
“ , you’re too kind,” said, clearly a bit uncomfortable as he adjusted his glasses. “We’re just ordinary doctors—our skills are average, and there are many conditions we don’t even have...”
“Even average is better than me!” cut him off, patting his shoulder with tears in her eyes. “I do biological research! I don’t treat people!”
She pointed at her dark circles, wearing a look of utter despair. “As they say, everyone has their own specialty. You all have to be confident! However badly you perform, there’s no way you can do worse than me!”
Having completely shed the heavy burden of being the “part-time doctor,” radiated a whole new vitality.
Although conducted research in biology, studying organisms and professionally studying human beings were two completely different things.
These past few days, cramming medical textbooks to handle possible emergencies had made once again grateful that she had never chosen to study medicine.
It wasn’t that she found it difficult—she simply had no interest.
In her eyes, how could humans possibly be as adorable as microorganisms in all their infinite forms?
Besides, no matter how many microorganisms died in a petri dish, she wouldn’t feel a pang. But if a person died, the psychological burden would be far too heavy.
In short, with real doctors in place, the shelter’s survival-support capabilities had undoubtedly taken a big step forward.
quickly categorized the people with professional skills and assigned them to the positions that suited them best.
Electrician gained quite a few colleagues, the kitchen welcomed a real chef, and the shelter’s entire logistics system began to grow more professional and efficient.
Those survivors who had no immediately useful skills were uniformly assigned as field personnel.
At four in the afternoon.
An all-hands meeting was held in the freshly renovated main cafeteria.
didn’t bother with holographic projections. Through the big screen and the omnipresent broadcast system, he announced the new structure of the shelter’s field teams.
[To improve efficiency and meet future challenges, all combat and field personnel will be reorganized into three major teams.]
On the screen, the portraits and names of , , and appeared clearly.
[ , led by . Responsible for all long-distance field missions, including external exploration, material collection, and survivor search and rescue.]
[ , led by . Responsible for special industrial missions, including but not limited to equipment transport, production line setup, and the development of the future industrial zone.]
[ , led by . Responsible for the shelter’s core defense, the cleansing and expansion of surrounding areas, and the construction and upgrade of defensive fortifications.]
[Next are the personnel rosters for each team. Those whose names are called, please report to your respective .]
The three action teams targeted the three most critical problems at hand: material consumption, completion of the , and improvement of the shelter’s security.
With the increase in shelter personnel, the food reserves that had once been more than enough no matter how much people ate now clearly wouldn’t last as long.
Therefore, until was achieved, the search for food and other supplies could not stop. At the same time, this team also bore the task of continuing to search for survivors.
refused to believe that in a city as large as , they really were the only ones who had survived.
If could pick up more than a hundred people while fleeing, there was no reason couldn’t find even more survivors.
In addition, the relocation of the processing and production line was urgent. Without in hand, couldn’t shake a gnawing sense of anxiety.
Those 10,000 —the sooner they were secured, the better.
Finally, if a production line for food was to be built, the land outside would absolutely have to be utilized.
Which meant the scattered zombies roaming around could no longer be left to wander freely.
Expanding the shelter’s defensive perimeter outward and clearing out the wandering zombies were tasks that could begin right away.
This was the benefit of having more people—multiple tasks could be pursued at once without interfering with one another.
...
Amid the low rumble of an engine, a hovered in the air. From the pod beneath its belly, four sturdy alloy cables extended and hooked securely onto the bearing grinding machine that had already been disassembled and packed in the factory building below.
Whirr—
With its unknown level of technology, the UAV’s power surged, letting out a shriek that tore through the air.
The machine, weighing several tons, was lifted steadily and set down precisely onto the flatbed trailer of a heavy truck.
“Group One, securing complete! Repeat, Group One, securing complete!” Beside the truck, several survivors immediately stepped forward and fastened the machine firmly with thick chains and winches.
At the factory entrance, held his rifle, his eyes sharp as blades as he swept a wary gaze across the abandoned factory grounds around him.
His team of field personnel totaled forty people—the largest of the groups.
At the moment, aside from the ten people responsible for the core lifting operation, everyone else was deployed in three-person units in a linear formation along the road back to the shelter, clearing the zombies wandering along the way and ensuring the transport route stayed open.
[Attention all units. Group One’s equipment has been loaded. Prepare to move to Plant No. 2.]
’s voice came through clearly to everyone via their ID cards.
For this “ ” mission, had committed six Security Units to assist with clearing the roads and two UAVs to guarantee air superiority.
It was essentially every security asset he could currently deploy.
“Understood.” ’s reply was concise, and he made a gesture to the team members around him. “Advance according to plan. Stay alert.”
The first hour of the operation went so smoothly that it exceeded all expectations.
Under ’s unified coordination, the whole team encountered no major problems, operating as efficiently as a precisely calibrated machine.
The UAVs handled lifting and aerial surveillance, the Sentinel Robots patrolled and provided support, and the human squads dealt with scattered threats and secured the equipment.
[Report! Outpost at point C has spotted a small group, approximately thirty of them, approaching.] A survivor deployed outside came through, his voice tinged with tension.
[Received,] ’s voice remained unruffled. [Coordinate with to handle it.]
The moment he finished speaking, the surveillance feed for point C automatically popped up on the tactical tablet in front of .
A ’s arm-mounted rapid-fire machine gun spat tongues of flame.
Rat-a-tat-tat—!
The dense hail of bullets instantly shredded the zombies at the front of the group. Those behind didn’t even manage to get within fifty meters before they fell one by one under precise, aimed fire.
“Damn... that firepower!” Even though it wasn’t their first time witnessing it, some of the newcomers still couldn’t help murmuring in awe.
Incidents like this kept cropping up along the road from time to time, but thanks to the careful, thorough clearing done beforehand, no major unexpected crisis ultimately arose.
[Group Two’s equipment lift complete.]
[Group Three, stand by...]
Everything was going according to plan.
Machine after machine was lifted and carried away.
But just as they were about to hoist the final high-precision CNC lathe, something changed abruptly.
[ALERT! Sentinel-7 has detected a high-energy biological response. Please be on high alert!]
’s electronic voice carried a note of urgency for the first time.
“BANG!”
A jarring sound of metal striking and scraping followed.
’s heart tightened, and he immediately looked toward the direction Sentinel-7 was guarding.
There, the —normally impervious to blades and bullets—had the armor on its chest torn open by a massive gash, sparks flying from the internal wiring. The damage was severe.
And the entire process had happened so fast that the cameras hadn’t even captured a clear image.
“Enemy attack!” shouted. “Everyone, listen up! Tighten the defensive perimeter now!”
“ ! What was that?!” yelled into his ID card.
[One moment... analyzing the footage...]
was “drenched in sweat” at the moment too, replaying the recording from Sentinel-7 over and over in his mind.
Something that even a Sentinel couldn’t react to—that was just too absurd.
[...Found it!]
The image was instantly transmitted to everyone’s display devices.
It was a bizarre creature, bone-white all over and humanoid in form, but with extremely elongated limbs. Behind it, there seemed to be a pair of folded, wing-like structures.
It had been the one to attack Sentinel-7 at that inconceivable speed a moment ago. Not only was it fast, its destructive power was astonishing as well.
The instant the image froze, the entire comm channel fell into dead silence.
That eerie bone-white figure, those elongated limbs bursting with explosive power, and those folded, almost artistic wing-like structures sent a tremendous visual shock and psychological pressure through everyone present.
[Fall back now!]
’s cold, decisive voice exploded in everyone’s ears through their ID cards, shattering the brief paralysis.
“But... the lathe!” shouted instinctively.
If they gave up, the operation would be a failure.
[We’ll worry about that later. Lives matter more! Everyone, get in the vehicles immediately. Abandon all non-essential equipment and retreat at full speed!]
’s orders brooked no argument. [Group One, hold the rear! Groups Two and Three, cover the technical personnel into the vehicles! Move!]
He knew full well that if even Sentinel-7 couldn’t react to the creature’s attacks, ordinary people stood no chance against it at all.
This was simply not an enemy and the others could handle.
However, just as everyone began contracting their formation and preparing to board the trucks, the white figure appeared once again.
It shot out from the shadows of an abandoned factory like a bolt of white lightning—but its target wasn’t the crowd on the ground. It was the in midair.
It seemed to regard the UAV as more valuable prey.
Whoosh—!
A piercing sound of displaced air rang out.
Fortunately, had already concentrated most of his attention on that area. Almost the instant the creature moved, he sent the UAV surging upward.
The white figure’s claws raked across the UAV’s landing gear, throwing off a trail of dazzling sparks.
Missing its strike, the wings behind it suddenly snapped open!
With a beat of its wings, it executed an impossible sharp-angle turn in midair, its speed not diminishing but increasing, and lunged at the UAV again.
Seeing this through the camera feed, actually breathed a sigh of relief.
What he’d feared most was the creature ignoring all rules of engagement and carving a path straight through the crowd—that would have been a devastating loss.
The way things were now, it was actually easier to deal with.
Under ’s control, the UAV pushed its maneuverability to the absolute limit.
Climbing sharply, then diving with a sharp tail-whip, the laser weapon beneath its belly kept searching for a firing angle.
But the white monster’s speed and agility were simply too astonishing.
It was like a supreme aerial predator. Every strike and every change of direction carried a kind of cruel, elegant beauty, and it always evaded the laser’s lock by a hair’s breadth.
Inside ’s consciousness, a massive stream of data was scrolling at lightning speed.
He tried to find even a single opening in the monster before him—but instead, it was his own opening that got seized first.
Sturdy as the UAV’s power was, it couldn’t withstand being pushed to such extremes by . Within seconds, the UAV locked in combat with the creature stalled.
The monster naturally wasn’t going to miss that opportunity. A flicker of human-like greed passed through its eyes, and with a sudden burst of speed, it dove and wrapped its arms around the UAV’s fuselage.
The muscles of its arms bulged, and its claws sank deep into the UAV’s hull, producing a teeth-grinding creak.
Then it opened its mouth, revealing rows of needle-fine teeth, and bit savagely down on the UAV.
And then...
BANG!
A brilliant burst of electric sparks exploded at the corner of its mouth. High-voltage current surged through its entire body in an instant.
The white monster convulsed violently, letting out a piercing shriek.
Now!
The other UAV, long since locked on, fired a scarlet high-energy laser with perfect precision.
Hum—
The blinding beam descended precisely from the sky, punching straight through the right half of the white monster’s body.
But what hadn’t expected was that even such a high-energy laser could only burn a hole through its wing.
“SCREEEE—!!!”
The unprecedented agony tore another cry of pain from the white monster, but at the same time, a flicker of fear passed through its eyes.
It released its claws and chose to retreat without the slightest hesitation.
With a violent beat of its ruined wing, it dragged its wounded body, leaping from rooftop to rooftop across the factory complex in a sorry, desperate line before vanishing over the distant horizon.
The whole encounter had lasted less than a minute.
[Threat neutralized. Plan revised—resume and complete the equipment loading immediately.]
’s voice rang out, betraying no emotion. But could well imagine what kind of hair-raising battle this all-powerful “AI” had just been through.
“Understood!”
...
The journey back to was unusually silent.
The image of that white “angel” was like a thorn lodged in everyone’s hearts.
Such a powerful and dangerous creature had instilled a bone-deep fear in them all.
Only once they were back at the power station, with the heavy alloy doors slowly closing behind them, did everyone truly breathe a sigh of relief. A grounded sense of coming home welled up inside them.
The exhaustion of having survived by the skin of their teeth washed over them, but it wasn’t time to rest yet.
immediately organized his people and, under the guidance of a few veteran workers from the original convoy who understood machinery, began unloading and installing the hard-won equipment.
“The torque on this anchor bolt needs to be tightened to 300 newton-meters—not a bit more, not a bit less.” The old worker named , though past fifty, spoke of professional matters with sparkling energy and a booming voice.
“And this level gauge has to be aligned perfectly! If it’s off by even a hair, every bearing we make from now on will be scrap!”
Fortunately, among the newly arrived survivors, there were quite a few people who understood this kind of work.
With their help, the subsequent installation and commissioning went off without any major problems.
The next day, when the first bearing was successfully manufactured, a wave of suppressed cheers erupted in the converted temporary workshop.
And at that moment, ’s consciousness received the response he had been waiting for.
[Ding!]
[ III: —COMPLETE!]
[Mission Evaluation: Excellent (Mission completed at zero casualties while facing an threat).]
[Calculating rewards... rating upgrade... hidden blueprint...]
[ obtained: 10,000.]
[Building unlocked: x1. Please select a specific industrial type.]
[Blueprints unlocked: Blueprint x1, x1.]
[Ding! Industrial Manufacturing Center construction detected. IV: Raw Materials of Industry triggered.]
[Mission Description: The assembly line has taken shape, but the roar of the machines demands raw materials to feed it. must establish at least one stable mineral collection line and bring the Primary Industrial Manufacturing Center to full-capacity operation.]
[Mission Reward: 50,000 , unlock Mineral x1, blueprint x1.]
Watching the system notifications stream past, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
And when he saw the unexpected blueprint for the , his eyes lit up even more.