pdf-ebookys Chapter 6 Preparations for the Long Journey
Chapter 6 Preparations for the Long Journey
After some time, Liu En's abilities reached a new limit.
That day, he stood in the center of a wide transport corridor, the radius of the field stabilizing at a much larger extent than before. Everything around him—walls, pipes, rusted tracks, the wreckage of overturned transport vehicles—unfolded simultaneously in his perception, tens of thousands of material-based information streams flowing in in parallel. He tried taking two steps forward, and the field moved with him, its boundary always the same distance, like an invisible sphere centered on him, rolling wherever he went.
He spent a long time testing repeatedly. From different directions, different heights, and different environments, the conclusion was consistent: the range no longer expanded. His ability growth had temporarily stalled. From the initial one meter to the current range, after a long period of high-intensity use, the radius of his active field had finally stabilized at this value. He didn't know if he would continue to grow in the future, but at least for now, this was his limit.
A spherical region centered on his body moves with every step he takes. Everything—everyone—within this range is under his control. He can sense the heartbeat, breath, and body temperature of each person, the material and structure of every piece of equipment they wear, and can break them down into their most basic atoms the instant he gives a command.
Including bullets. Including energy beams. That is, assuming he can react in time. Energy weapons fire at speeds far exceeding the speed of sound—laser beams travel at the speed of light, and by the time he senses them, the beams have already struck him. Bullets are slightly slower, but the distance is very short, and the time is extremely brief. He didn't want to test that limit.
His wide-ranging mobile decomposition field, combined with his increasingly refined perception and reaction abilities, was sufficient to deal with most threats within the Underhive. He could decompose gang bullets, reduce mutant charges to atoms upon entering the area, and filter and purify toxic gases from geothermal activity zones before inhalation. In the Underhive environment, these abilities were more than adequate.
The most significant change was in material reserves. The larger area meant a dramatic increase in the volume swept in a single operation. Previously, he needed to make multiple trips to decompose an area; now, he could simply walk through it effortlessly. Each scavenging trip yielded far more material than before. He cleared away the remains of a large abandoned factory area, dismantled countless walls and pipes along the sides of passageways, and practically emptied the area within a large radius of the pump station.
His material reserves had surpassed a level he'd stopped calculating. If all of them were used to mold into terracotta steel, they could build a real fortress. And indeed, he had used these resources to upgrade his underground bunker time and time again.
Equipment is also being upgraded. Body armor has undergone multiple improvements, and its protection level is now close to that of Imperial Astral Army infantry. The models and quantities of laser guns are increasing, and he has begun to try to integrate information from different weapon models to design some specialized versions that meet his own needs.
Now he can set off. But before that, he needs a vehicle. The journey of hundreds of kilometers would take several days on foot, even for someone with superhuman physical abilities. A vehicle could shorten that time to one or two days, carry more supplies, and allow for faster evacuation in case of danger.
He found almost complete information on a four-wheeled all-terrain vehicle in the database. It was a standard model military reconnaissance vehicle, small and agile, powered by a large-capacity battery pack, quiet and emission-free. The chassis was low, providing good off-road capability.
The all-terrain vehicle's material composition information came from two sources. The main structure came from the wreckage of several scrapped vehicles in an abandoned garage, while the power and control systems came from another nearly intact military reconnaissance vehicle. The two samples were not the same model, but he merged the information from both and redesigned a vehicle that met his needs.
He doesn't plan to drive this car often. He'll still choose to walk most of the time, especially in areas where he needs to pass covertly. He'll only use it to travel in open, well-lit passages where there's no gang territory.
He spent some time renovating a space to use as a makeshift garage. Near the pump station above the bunker, there was a former large equipment room with a half-ruined door large enough for vehicles to pass through. He reinforced the roof and walls with terracotta steel, and then cleared an opening large enough for an all-terrain vehicle to pass through near the door.
He began shaping the vehicle. After days of continuous use, his shaping speed was several times faster than initially. Atoms were retrieved from the warehouse and assembled layer by layer under the control of his consciousness field. Chassis, suspension, steering system, battery casing… all components took shape almost simultaneously. Chassis integration was no longer a challenge.
In less than the time it takes to eat a meal, the all-terrain vehicle appeared completely on the ground. It's about three meters long and one and a half meters wide, with a small storage compartment at the front of the chassis. There's only one seat, with the driver's position slightly to the left of the center. The vehicle body is dark gray with a non-reflective finish.
He sat inside and tried it out, adjusting the seat height and steering wheel position. He pressed the start button, the instrument panel lit up, and the battery was fully charged. He had made two extra sets of spare batteries and placed them in the glove compartment.
Liu En packed his gear into the storage compartment—spare batteries, spare gas mask filters, a small bag of dried meat, several bottles of water, and a few pre-shaped camouflage panels. Then he stepped into the driver's seat, started the vehicle, and pressed the accelerator pedal. The motor released a steady torque, the wheels rolled across the ground, and it slid out through the gap in the gate.
The passageway outside the pumping station was faintly visible through the grayish-yellow smog. He retrieved the route to the 86th Outpost from the database. The total distance was approximately 100 kilometers, and the journey was expected to take several days. The first section was the edge of an abandoned factory area near the pumping station, requiring him to cross the border between several gang territories. He didn't plan to use a vehicle in this area; he intended to walk through it first and then get in the vehicle once he entered the open geothermal zone. The second section was the edge of an active geothermal zone, with higher surface temperatures and higher sulfide concentrations, but the terrain was relatively open, allowing for faster passage. The third section was an unstable zone, marked on the map as "Caution: Collapse Warning," but also marked as "No Gang Activity."
Liu En drove the all-terrain vehicle into the passage, heading southeast. The wheels rolled over the metal grille, making a soft, echoing sound. The smog dispersed and then gathered again in front of the vehicle. He gripped the steering wheel, staring ahead.
A few hours later, he arrived at the first area that required walking. Ahead lay the border between several gang territories, and driving would be too conspicuous. He stopped the vehicle, disassembled it, and stored it in the warehouse. Then, he adjusted his cloak and hood, slung the laser gun over his shoulder, and began walking.