In a pure white space, twelve phantoms sit at the front of the circular conference table.

They were clothed in a dusty white robe, and the milky white light shone on them and exuded a holy aura.

If you look closely, there are actually 13 chairs in front of the table, but one is empty.

This is the sanctuary of the Torch Church.

To put it simply, it was the place where the forerunners of the Sanctuary met.

In the center of the circular conference table stood an old man in a gray robe.

His face was wrinkled, his eyes cloudy, and neither his dull skin nor his robes were incompatible with this sacred conference room.

His name was Arzu, and he had just returned from Geumhe City.

Facing the forerunners sitting at the conference table, his face was pious and his tone was solemn, telling the story like a prayer in a service.

"The Diocese of Geumhashi has fallen, and we have lost contact with the old department of Singularity City."

"In the resistance they fought valiantly to the end, but our enemies did not spare them, cutting off their heads, burning them to charcoal, and their corpses filled the underground transportation network of Kinhe City......"

The voice ended with a hint of pain.

And when his words fell, the forerunners who were sitting around with expressionless faces couldn't help but feel a little commotion.

Everyone exchanged glances, whispered lips, and conveyed each other's surprise and uneasiness with their eyes and expressions.

"What barbarism!"

“…… There was not a single one left. ”

It is really embarrassing that the settlement that once sheltered thousands of survivors came to an end in such a way.

Those inhabitants were "pioneers" who embraced evolution, and although they took different paths from the pioneers here, they were all progressives who bravely took the first step.

But the ignorant barbarians burned it to the ground!

A precursor with a dignified face slowly clenched his fists and said with a serious expression.

"We will carry their memories forward, and those who stand in our way will pay the price!"

The rest of the forerunners nodded slowly.

"Colleges and businesses, those scum ......"

"And the Alliance."

"It's not just them."

Looking at the precursors with gloomy faces, Arzu slowly spoke, and pointed the finger at Luo Gan, the apostate forerunner.

"The threats we face are not only external, but also from ourselves. That guy named Luo Gan, his slackness and hesitation cost us the best fighter, and we lost a large number of excellent apostles and executioners for this, and paid a heavy price. ”

"This is our worst defeat in 20 years, and an unprecedented betrayal! If it weren't for that traitor, everything wouldn't be so bad! ”

The Precursors seated at the conference table stared at him with blank expressions, including the man at the top.

Arzu didn't stop, and continued to say what he had been saying for a long time.

"There are many drawbacks to the existing model, the Forerunners can guarantee that the faith of the apostles will not waver, but no one can guarantee that the faith of the Forerunners will not be the first to waver—"

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a Precursor.

"Nonsense! How can our faith be shaken! ”

The other Precursor continued with a serious expression.

"Our minds have become one with the Sanctuary, our minds are superior to all things, and you should be clear about how the Sanctuary works."

Arzu looked at him with a blank expression.

"Then how do you explain Luo Gan?"

The forerunner's expression froze slightly.

The Precursor sitting next to him pondered for a moment, then slowly opened his mouth to explain.

"Luo Gan's condition is indeed confusing...... But it's not that it's incomprehensible. He was too old before he stepped into the Sanctuary, and it was difficult for a person to accept new things once he was old. We advised him to retire, but he was unwilling to accept his old age, and insisted on uploading his thoughts to the Sanctuary. ”

"I understand his aging, but his betrayal is unacceptable."

Arzu smiled faintly and continued.

"I don't think it's a matter of age, it's inherently unreliable in the way technology works, we scatter our minds on everyone, our enemies can't destroy it, and yet, on the other hand, the cornerstone of this edifice is torn down into countless parts. They can easily shake us as long as they shake our foundations. ”

He had witnessed the collapse of the entire kingdom of heaven, and he knew very well how the "impossible to kill" guy had died.

That guy dismantled himself into countless people, distributed them to countless people, and made each one his eyes and the cells that made him up.

It is true that the Alliance does not have the ability to kill him who is not even on the ground, but it has the ability to influence "every him".

As every cell in his body began to shake, the seemingly intricate edifice collapsed systematically.

Finally, don't talk about demagoguery -

Even the guy himself began to doubt the correctness of Heaven.

And that's the deadliest thing!

The Sanctuary can affect every believer, but the believer will in turn affect the Sanctuary, after all, the Sanctuary that does not exist on earth is made of them in the first place.

It was for this reason that Arzu became more and more convinced of his belief that the Sanctuary was an unreliable existence.

The kingdom of heaven envisioned by man must be accomplished by man, and no hope should be placed on the sacred realm of earth or the man of heaven.

The Church's current first-mover model has a serious loophole that will fail the next time it doesn't close.

"How do they shake our foundations, just the barbarians?" One of the forerunners retorted dismissively to his words.

Arzu looked at him and said with a blank face.

"They take advantage of the ignorance and short-sightedness of the general public, as well as their ignorance of the great interests and the sources of suffering."

The forerunner stared at him intently, but could not refute it.

Because the precursor model itself is a denial of the wisdom of mortals, it is precisely because they recognize the unreliability of human beings that they want to completely eradicate all human attributes and become gods.

Arzu does not disagree with the first half of the sentence, only the second half.

"To outmaneuver them in earthly wars, we must turn abstract forerunners into concrete beings on earth."

He was well aware that his views were counterproductive.

The whole church was in an uproar as expected.

The forerunner sitting at the conference table refuted him almost without hesitation.

"And what is the difference between us and the apostles?"

"We set foot on this path precisely to abandon human desires and all selfishness, and you actually suggest that we change back?"

"You're creating weakness for us! What kind of heart do you have? ”

Faced with a pair of suspicious and angry eyes, Arzu continued calmly.

"I didn't say that, but I suggested that we could set up another Sanctuary and promote a group of Precursors who would have sufficient authority to govern everything on earth in the diocese without giving up their bodies and embracing the Sanctuary. In this way, even if the Alliance bewitches our believers, and even destroys our Sanctuary with a virus in the mind, it will not allow the defeat of Geumhe City to happen again. ”

As soon as his words fell, he was refuted by one of the Precursors.

"Nonsense! How do you guarantee the purity of the Second Church? ”

Arzu looked at him and continued.

"The Second Church doesn't have to be as pure as the First, it just needs to be able to lead the believers on earth to defeat our opponents."

At that moment, the man sitting at the head of the conference table suddenly spoke.

"Let me say a few words."

When he spoke, the sanctuary fell silent.

His name is Wang Yi.

He is the Son chosen by the torch.

It is also the common choice of all present.

His faith is the purest and the most steadfast of all.

“…… This problem does not exist in Haiya Province, the Kingdom of Heaven has reached the fourth stage irreversible, our psychic interference devices can ensure the unity of the believers, and the existence of the Second Sanctuary is superfluous. ”

Arzu did not speak.

Because this statement really cannot be refuted.

Unless their enemies can destroy all psychic interference devices in the entire land in an instant, crack their brainwashing bands and replace their own, it is theoretically impossible to make the brainwashed believers doubt the correctness of the kingdom of heaven in a simple way.

In the case of the erasure of their original consciousness, the Sanctuary is their only consciousness, and the evolution to a higher life form is their only ideal.

However, the situation is different in the wilderness of the dioceses, or in the dioceses that are still in the mission.

The utopia they believe in must compete with the sludge on the ground, but the ignorant ones value short-sighted interests more.

Therefore, they have to be cleverly disguised.

It's like Nago.

Before releasing the spores, the prey is lured with a beautiful cyclamate, paralyzing the prey, and finally immersing it in it and becoming the nourishment of the kingdom of heaven.

"For the diocese of Haiya, we need to strengthen communication between the forerunners to ensure that our faith remains firm so that we do not have to create a second church like this again. But—"

After a pause, the Son continued to speak, saying the words as Arzu had expected.

“…… For the unexplored wilderness and the diocese that is still being explored, the existence of the Second Church is necessary. ”

"Even if we don't consider that the self-depraved Wasteland is not suitable for our advanced concept, we must consider that there are limits to the Black Box."

"We have been producing bionics chip black boxes for more than 20 years, and after all, it is an emergency production equipment, not a universal wishing machine."

Hearing this, the eyes of everyone sitting at the table were filled with apprehension and uneasiness, and their eyes also drifted.

This is indeed a problem that cannot be ignored.

Their biotechnology is strong, but there is no substitute for the biomimetic chips produced in the black box, which is the foundation of the Sanctuary.

People are always getting old.

The chips produced in the black box will always run out one day, and their time is not unlimited until the final plan is completed.

Although he knew that no one liked to hear it, the Son finally said it.

"It's almost reaching its limit."

……

Anything that knows what it is but doesn't know why it is is not sustainable is unsustainable.

The black box is probably the most typical example.

The Guards found a batch of defunct black boxes in the warehouse at the former site of Singularity City.

These black boxes are mainly used for the production of some pharmaceuticals, seeds for high-yielding crops, and some key components of equipment.

Before they were scrapped, the inhabitants of Singularity City had squeezed out the last bit of their value before they were forgotten in the warehouse.

The failed black boxes have been sent to Vault 404 and are currently being studied by Yin Fang, who is the head of the scientific expedition.

Iron Heart Infirmary.

Chu Guang, who had learned about the progress of the reconstruction of Singularity City from Frost, visited the little girl named Yin Yin again.

Perhaps out of guilt for Singularity City, or perhaps out of sympathy for herself, the Board of Directors specifically approved the company's coverage of her treatment and promised to replace her with a free-walking biomimetic body.

She can customize her look or choose to be exactly the same as before.

After telling Yin Yin the news, Chu Guang paused for a moment before asking about her future plans.

"Our strategic goal in the area of Geumho City has been achieved, the torch has been removed from this land, there will be no more mutants and Nago in this land in the future, and the focus of work in this area will be shifted to the reconstruction of Singularity City."

Yin Yin, who was sitting in the corner of the pure white room, looked up at him blankly.

"Singularity City is ......"

"The settlement that once stood on this land," Chu Guang said succinctly, "although it contains some bad past, forgetting history is tantamount to betrayal, and we intend to continue to use this name." ”

Yin Yin nodded as if she didn't understand.

Chu Guang continued when she understood.

"The Iron Heart will soon return to the Vale Province, and you can choose to stay or go back with us."

Yin Yin asked after a moment of silence.

"Is there still my home here?"

Chu Guang said.

"The inhabitants of Pinecone Farm want you to go back, and the manor is still yours except for the annex and the basement."

A nerve-wracking expression appeared on Yin Yin's face, and she finally asked pleadingly.

"Can you give me some advice?"

"I'm sorry I can't give you advice, I don't know much about you, maybe you should be close to you...... Friends discuss. Chu Guang suddenly thought that her parents had died, so he changed his words.

Then he thought of Frost's request again, and continued.

"Of course, the representatives on the corporate side want you to stay and help calm the emotions of the survivors...... You've probably met that one before, and it's called Frost. ”

Yin Yin looked at him a little confused.

"But I've become like this...... I'm afraid it won't help much. ”

Chu Guang shook his head.

"You don't have to do anything, you just have to be there."

Yin Yin looked at him stunned.

"It's ...... to be there"

Chu Guang thought for a while, and said patiently as much as she could.

"A lot of people, although they are getting older, are not really mature, they are more like incapacitated children than fully capable adults. They need someone to take the decision for them, to take on their own responsibilities and the risks of their choices, so that they can enjoy a period of stability. ”

Is Nago good? Whatever he wants, the master said that it was a good thing, and the planting would be over. Mutants eat people and don't spit out bones? Jokes, the lord of brocade clothes and food is not afraid, are you afraid of a hammer? They just eat the wastelanders.

Singularity's problems are very different from Boulder City's, not because of one person's fault, but because of many factors, just like this wasteland.

Perhaps because she felt that the responsibility on her shoulders was too heavy, Yin Yin's expression was still a little apprehensive.

"But I don't have the power to ......"

Chu Guang said comfortingly.

"You don't need to have it, you just need to stay where they can see it, and the rest can be left to the frost, it has been watching us for a long time, and I believe it should have some abilities that I don't understand."

“…… I understand. Yin Yin pondered for a long time, nodded heavily, looked at him and said seriously, "I...... Going to stay! ”

Looking at the child's serious expression, Chu Guang was slightly surprised.

"Have you thought about it?"

"Well, I figured it out, it was my father who made them like that, right? Whether it's the lamb or everyone on the farm...... If that's what you say, I'll take responsibility for watching them for a while before they're willing to go out. ”

Yin Yin smiled a little lonely.

"And...... My time has stopped anyway, and it's the only thing I can do that still makes a little sense. ”

“…… I'll tell Frost about your decision, and it should be happy with your choice. Chu Guang looked at her, nodded silently, and turned around and left from this pure white space.

……

Leaving the infirmary and returning to the corridor, Chu Guang was about to return to the captain's room, when Xiao Qi's pleasant voice suddenly came from his ears.

"Master, there's news from Yin Fang looking for you."

It should be the results of the black box research.

Thinking so, Chu Guang stopped next to the porthole in the corridor.

"Connect for me."

"Okay!"

As soon as Xiao Qi's words fell, a light blue holographic window appeared in front of him.

Looking at Chu Guang, who was unharmed, Yin Fang's eyebrows fluttered and said.

"Those black boxes you gave me are interesting! Although it was completely broken, through those old antiques, I was able to dig up some unrecorded history about Singularity City! ”

"In the early days of the Wasteland Era, they should have used 'synthetic nutrients' to solve their food needs, which is probably the predecessor of the paste, but perhaps due to the faster recovery of the local climate, the synthesis technology of the nutrient paste was not carried forward in the local area, but was inherited by the Boulder City, 800 kilometers away."

"Then Singularity City replaced the algae petri dishes, which were more efficient in nutrient production and less energy-intensive, and then insects...... These foods all have a characteristic that is not so easy for people to accept. In particular, algae and insects, although the yield is higher than that of glucose and protein synthesis, the products often need to undergo secondary transformation and processing before they can be served on people's tables. ”

"I think that's probably their motivation for seeking mutant technology, at least one of them. A stomach that can digest everything does help increase their chances of survival in the wasteland, but unfortunately, other problems that arise from this overwhelm them. ”

He was more interested in the history of Singularity City than in the loot of the Iron Heart, though he didn't dig into the coffee machine he was most interested in.

And Chu Guang was interested in another matter.

"Can those black boxes be repaired?"

The excited expression faded instantly, and Yin Fang shook his head in embarrassment.

"It's almost impossible...... The difficulty of making a black box is not in the technology, but in the industrial conditions, which are not something that can be repaired with a wrench and a screwdriver, it only belongs to the era of two hundred years ago. ”

Chu Guang nodded.

He had expected this, but he was not very disappointed.

"Then send it to the museum."

"Hmmm......"

Maybe it was because he thought that he didn't come in handy at all, Yin Fang felt a little uncomfortable, so he added a sentence later.

"But even though the black box can't be repaired, the nutrient synthesis technology and algae cultivation technology that Singularity City used to use are still interesting, and I'll try to recycle the part that can be recovered...... If you're going to build a space station in the sky in the future, you'll be able to use these technologies. ”

I don't know how long that happened.

Chu Guang said with a smile.

"Please."

Yin Fang smiled and scratched the back of his head.

"You're welcome...... By the way, what's your voice over there? Why is it so noisy? ”

Chu Guang glanced in the direction of the infirmary and saw a few familiar faces, so he said casually.

"Your juniors are more noisy."

Yin Fang was stunned for a moment and didn't react.

"My junior?"

Chu Guang continued.

"The D-class researcher sent by the academy to help us is a little girl."

The night before was paraplegic in order to pull the falling viper transport plane, his good brother was going to help him unplug the power of the ICU, but he was guarded by the girl and didn't find a chance to start.

Later, the girl applied for the use of the operating table in the infirmary and the equipment recovered from the research institute, and asked for some bionic prosthetics from the research ship, as if she was planning to bring back the boy's milk from the night ten.

Because he thought it was funny, Chu Guang readily agreed.

Now it seems that the surgery is done?

Yin Fang's eyebrows raised after hearing this.

"Wait, why am I a senior? I'm also D-class, so I'm not old! ”

Chu Guang smiled when he heard this, and happened to see a pop-up window pop up in the lower right corner of the holographic screen, so he said with a smile.

"I'm calling, we'll talk later."

"See you later, you're busy."

Yin Fang originally wanted to argue about this issue, but he was worried that he would delay the guy's business, so he ended the communication.

As Chu Guang pressed the button again, a fiery red hair appeared on the other side of the hologram.

The heroic eyebrows were stirring up and down with a little uneasiness, and seeing the video window that was suddenly connected, Xia Yan hurriedly stopped fiddling with his bangs, coughed and said.

"Over there...... Busy or not? ”

Looking at Xia Yan with a nervous face, Chu Guang couldn't help but wonder.

"Just finished, what's the matter?"

This guy occasionally talks to him on the phone, and his usual behavior is normal, but this time he is nervous for some reason.

Hearing that he was not busy, Xia Yan breathed a sigh of relief, cleared his throat and said.

“…… Didn't you say last time that if only I could build you a power armor? I don't remember the original words, but that's what it meant anyway! Surely you said it! I just used my spare time to get it, anyway...... I tried to make one. ”

The moment Chu Guang heard this, the whole person was stunned.

it?

Really?!

Looking at Chu Guang's stunned expression, Xia Yan thought he didn't believe it, and hurriedly explained.

"Originally, it wasn't a particularly mysterious thing, and the most high-tech was the miniaturized cold fusion reactor...... Isn't the black box in Vault 79 capable of producing that? I used the 'Hippo-2' portable reactor as the power core, and designed a similar heavy armor modeled after the power system and armor layout of the T-10 Champion Power Armor of the People's United States Army...... Specialists at Camp 101 were also helpful. ”

"No, but after all, it was made in his spare time, and the performance in all aspects is definitely not as good as the equipment before the war, but it is still not a big problem to use it for a while. Let's see if you can use it when you have time, it doesn't matter if you can't use it and leave it in the warehouse, I didn't spend much time anyway-"

Chu Guang, who came back to his senses, immediately interrupted her words and said happily.

"Great! Thank you! This is the best news I heard today! ”

Startled by his sudden reaction, Xia Yan was stunned and whispered.

"Really?"

Chu Guang nodded with a happy smile on his face.

"Do I have to lie to you? But I'm a little surprised, I didn't expect you to have this ability! ”

Being a little embarrassed to be praised, Xia Yan's face appeared with a shy smile, and the right hand holding the welding torch rubbed the back of his head.

“…… What do you say, I'm very capable, don't forget, my equipment has always been self-repaired. ”

Chu Guang said with a smile.

"I know, you've helped us fix a lot, and there's still a bunch of bullets in the vault warehouse that you were rubbing in your hands."

"Hey, hey." Xia Yan's expression became even more embarrassed, and her smile became more and more exaggerated, gradually out of shape.

"Because I can't play it, I keep it."

Seeing this guy's smug look, Chu Guang couldn't help but tease her, but he didn't expect her reaction to be bigger than he imagined.

“！！ Can't get out?! How could it not be played! Where are the bullets? ”

"Just kidding, don't get excited," looking at Xia Yan, who was blushing anxiously, Chu Guang coughed lightly, put away his smile and said solemnly, "On behalf of Vault 404, I thank you for your research results!" I'll arrange for someone to help you test it right away. ”

“…… Don't do this, it makes me nervous, and this is an experimental machine, which has not been tested on the battlefield. Xia Yan muttered quietly, rubbing his index finger against the welding torch in his hand, and suddenly regretted telling him in such a hurry.

What do you mean by that?

The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

Although she learned some knowledge of the Age of Prosperity in Vault 101, she had been enrolled for less than a year after all.

Even if the virtual reality learning device helps her extend the actual learning time, even if she has some experience in mechanics, it still can't change the fact that she is still a half-ass.

But Chu Guang didn't care.

Half a bottle of water is also water, and the alliance has a lot of equipment, and players don't care about such an extra piece.

Even if it is not as good as the "Champion" and "Dragoon", it is also nuclear-powered individual armor, and it is excellent to be a mobile power bank.

"The experimental machine is also very good! It is not easy to break from 0 to 1 than from 1 to 10, it just so happens that I got a batch of nuclear fuel here, and I will be able to verify your design right away, just change the inappropriate places, we can afford to wait! ”

Looking at the surprised Xia Yan, Chu Guang smiled and continued.

"Anyway, I'm actually more surprised by your changes than the power armor itself."

Xia Yan asked a little crampedly.

"Have I changed a lot?"

Chu Guang sighed with emotion.

"That's just too big! In the past, you had to be coaxed to do a little bit of work. ”

Perhaps remembering what happened before, Xia Yan's face turned red for a moment, but he quickly gritted his teeth unconvinced.

"What do you call that coaxing? No, throw me out if you don't work...... Do you hear what people say? ”

Chu Guang smiled when he heard this, and he didn't care at all.

"Each other, aren't you also there to make up for it, I carried you to the shelter because I planned to have a monkey with you?"

"Ahhh!!h

Xia Yan's face instantly turned into a lantern, his ears seemed to spew hot air, and he let out a strange cry and reached out to turn off the holographic screen.

When she thought of the troubles she had when they first met, embarrassment crawled all over her body. She held her head in her hands, her fingers digging into her hair, eager to find a crack in time on the table full of tools, parts, and drawings, and go back in time and start over.

"This guy ......"

That was a long time ago!

Is it interesting to be so entangled?!

But......

If he really is that kind of person.

The ten fingers sunk into the hair bent unconsciously, and the fiery red color did not change at all, but the embarrassment that crawled all over the body turned into an uncomfortable numbness.

Feel......

It's kind of weird.

"Work ...... work"

Xia Yan, who realized that something was wrong, hurriedly shook his head, and decided to stop that weird thought and not continue to think about it.

At the same time, looking at the holographic screen that turned off with a snap, Chu Guangzheng delicately scratched his cheek with his index finger.

"Isn't it a bit bad to joke like that?"

He reflected a little, and the act of turning over old accounts was really not good.

And that guy had just lost a leg, and was unloaded and carried back by a group of strange wasters, so it was understandable to be afraid.

Xiao Qi's voice came from the side.

"Xiao Qi thinks that the key to the problem may not be a joke......

It's not that he is completely unaware of this, Chu Guang sighed.

"That's right."

Just as he was about to put the matter down for now, a terrible howl came from the direction of the infirmary.

"Gaia !!"

Gaia?

Chu Guang was slightly stunned, he didn't understand what the wolf crying brother was calling, he only understood that it was the player's call.

But soon, the voice that came from the other side immediately answered the confusion in his heart.

"You guy...... I don't know what to do! It took so much effort to get you back to life! Is that how you thank me??? ”

(End of chapter)