Apocalypse Lord-Chapter 74 - 72: Holographic Dream Dive

Gradually, some insects have begun to notice the strange situation.

Their kind is disappearing one by one, as if something is erasing them, an indescribable presence is gradually invading the paradise they rely on for survival.

Lin Lan was chopping with renewed vigor, his blade movements becoming increasingly skillful.

The Doragon People walked alongside him.

Eleanor leisurely adjusted the bullet chamber blessed by the Philosopher’s Stone, each bullet capable of shattering the shell of a fully-grown insect.

She continually observed the colorful fluids and ubiquitous fungal mats around her.

Facts show that the mental pollution brought by the stars still persists.

Even if she shoots and kills the mature insects, the burst fluids would still re-coalesce into the embryonic form of cocoons; further shooting only increases the number of cocoons.

The terrifying nature of the Celestial Calamity is evident.

The swarm is bound to be reborn under the Starlight, every individual is a cocoon chamber nurturing insect eggs.

But this time, it was they who fell into fear and despair...

Eleanor noticed that the mature insects shattered by Roland would never resurrect, the fluids dried behind him, the fungal mats withered in front of him, and strands of Starlight dimmed in the boy’s sight, leaving only pale traces.

But all this was ’reasonable’.

Eleanor curled her lips into a smile, her mood becoming increasingly joyous, she swiped her tail, allowing her reason to plunge into that reasonable madness.

Lin Lan continued to raise and lower his blade.

Even for insects blasted into two by bullets, he still had to go up and give them a swift stab.

Previously, this group of insects relied on their numbers to chase him around the replica; now with strong teammates, he would naturally pay them back without any courtesy!

The passage was quickly cleaned up by the two.

[Replica exploration time remaining: 72 minutes]

Lin Lan glanced at the system panel, and stepped forward, Eleanor and Lucia followed closely behind him, and after a while, the hall of mechanical servants manufacturing appeared before them.

"We’ve arrived."

Lin Lan let out a joyful laugh: "Next comes the beautiful harvest time!"

At this moment, Eleanor widened her eyes, staring intently at the dazzling Deep Sea Treasures on the assembly line, the Pirate Leader couldn’t help blurting out a curse.

"Haha, Captain, so many treasures..."

Lucia was protected in the middle of the team, she raised her head, a goofy smile on her face: "All ours... all ours..."

Lin Lan: ...

"Do you need a break?"

He turned back and studied the Witch’s expression, noticing her state seemed a bit off.

"No worries, Lucia just needs some time to adapt to the environment."

Eleanor pinched the Witch’s innocent face, awkwardly changing the topic with an excited tone: "What’s our plan now?"

"Gather as much as you can! But first, clear out the insects sleeping on the parts."

Lin Lan rubbed his hands, wearing a wicked smile: "My idea is to collect as many different parts of the mechanical servants, single parts are useless on their own."

"Leave the collection to me."

Eleanor nodded, a pair of menacing black wings already outlined on her back, the Doragon People soared into the air.

The ensuing scene was like a whirlwind sweeping through, leaving no grass, resulting in insectal devastation...

Across various workshops, the Pirate Leader drew circles, stacking one heavy treasure after another in the center of the hall’s open space.

Lin Lan expertly stabbed the larva curled in the parts, then packed the heavy mechanical limbs into Bai’s storage bag.

The cooperation among the crew was remarkably smooth.

[Identifying the picked items!]

[Item: Seventh Generation Domestic Robot Components (Arm) *18]

[Quality: White]

·

[Item: Seventh Generation Domestic Robot Components (Leg) *19]

[Quality: White]

·

[Item: Bionic Robot Torso *6]

[Quality: Blue]

Lin Lan happily organized the replica props.

Lucia sat blankly beside the boy, trying to maintain the changing stream of light.

Ever since Roland killed the insects, she felt her once agile mind turning foggy, as if something was blocking it.

But the Captain said... everything was normal and reasonable...

Watching Eleanor and Roland’s busy figures, the blond Witch gradually calmed down, her attention soon drawn by the holographic projection flickering in the center of the hall.

"Dear citizens of Celestial Principle, welcome to the latest edition of the Intelligence Bulletin!"

The camera showed a well-dressed male host raising a microphone:

"Today, we’re privileged to have invited the renowned Martina, I’m sure every citizen has heard of this iconic company leader!"

The lens shifted, revealing a woman wearing an ornate mask and a white dress sitting across the sofa, her long legs crossed, her bearing was proud yet mysterious.

The audience erupted into applause.

"Currently, the Space Ladder project led by Martina is nearing completion."

The host continued: "However, the Exploration Department has denied citizens access to the top of the ladder, stating that the pioneering of space will be fully undertaken by bionic intelligence machinery."

He asked, "Martina, as the head of the Exploration Department, why did you make this decision?"

"It’s simple, the intelligent machinery produced by the company will never make mistakes."

The masked woman spoke lightly: "The Exploration Department never needs the cumbersome hindrance of flesh and blood."

"Uh... indeed, as the head of the Celestial Principle company, you possess a unique perspective..."

The host, somewhat embarrassed, continued: "But some stargazing scholars suggest that completely abandoning humanity in favor of intelligence machinery might sow the seeds of crisis for ’Celestial Principle civilization,’ how do you view this?"

"Utterly foolish worry."

The masked woman shook her head: "That’s precisely why I despise those mediocrities, they constantly drag down the pace of civilization’s development."

"Uh, actually, many citizens are intrigued by the original intent behind the Space Ladder’s construction."

The host wiped his sweat, quickly changing the subject: "Regarding this, would you be willing to share some information?"

Martina fell silent for a moment.

A moment later, she spoke softly: "We discovered color in space."

"Color?"

The host appeared surprised: "Do you mean resources in space?"

"Yes, it’s a resource beyond imagination, it’s... a presence more perfect than Celestial Principle..."

The masked woman’s voice carried a hint of enchantment: "The first batch of bionic machinery will become vessels for color, soon our civilization will completely break free from Earth’s gravity, all beings will gain the qualification to ascend..."

The woman’s slightly fanatical words echoed in her ears.

In a daze, Lucia’s consciousness sank into the environment woven by the holographic image.

The blond Witch blinked, looking around bewilderedly, the woman on stage spoke eloquently, she sat in the empty auditorium, her companions were nowhere to be found.

Where is this place?

Suddenly, someone behind Lucia made a distasteful comment.

——"That woman is the source of all chaos."

Lucia was startled, hastily stood up, and turned her gaze to the rear.

Immediately, she saw the appearance of another audience member.

It was a tall black-haired woman, clad in a dark Imperial Commander uniform with double-breasted buttons and a cloak.

Her expression was somber, her demeanor stern, and her deep eyes resembled ocean depths buried in extreme cold.