FWF Chapter 391 Target—Steel Continent
Chapter 391 Target—Steel Continent
Chapter 391 Target—Steel Continent
"checkmate (general)."
The theologian made his final move, checkmating the Rhine Black King.
Rhine lost this game.
"Mr. Theologian is good at chess."
Rhine smiled and clapped. "However, it seems you are still unwell, sir. I've heard that the saints of the Church of Conflict have extremely strong physical regenerative abilities. Do you not possess such abilities, sir?"
The Church of Strife is simply the Western Union's front for the Great Freedom Demonic Cult, or rather, a disguise.
"Perhaps it's because the Great Freedom thinks I'm not devout enough," the theologian replied calmly.
He did not try to hide the fact that he had not received the baptism of the Great Freedom Demon Blood, because it was simply impossible to hide.
If he were truly a member of the Great Freedom Demonic Sect, he wouldn't have only been able to integrate a portion of the Great Freedom Dharma Body's techniques, nor would he have been forced to burn his essence and blood to escape back then.
Putting aside everything else, the Great Freedom Dharma Body is absolutely first-rate at preserving one's life.
The difficulty in recovering from injuries was one of the reasons why theologians appeared in Japan.
Because he needs to absorb the faith and spiritual power from the Ying Kingdom to nourish his divine and demonic forms and recover from the injuries to his physical body and soul.
If theologians from Yingguo or Fanzhu wanted to recover quickly, they could only go to one of their two places of faith propagation and absorb the power of faith nearby.
While things were in chaos in Fanzhu, there was no general like in Yingguo. A month ago, the Renxia Society had already sent most of its members to Fanzhu to purge the theologians' sect.
As for seeking help from the teacher, who is an immortal... "Lord Rhine seems to be quite favored by the teacher, unlike me, who has no way to get help from the teacher."
The theologian replied.
Unable to get help?
of course not.
Actually, they were afraid that the healing methods given by the immortals might contain some strange or unusual ingredients.
The immortals have no concept of teacher-student relationships; they only help students because the students are of sufficient value. In fact, in the eyes of the immortals, anyone who has obtained the "Theory of Immortal Evolution" and achieved something from it is their student.
He considers himself an educator, nurturing one outstanding student after another, and the students' achievements will in turn benefit him.
Theologians are valuable enough that the immortals will not forcibly harm them, but if theologians actively request it, then it's a different story.
The same relationship exists between the Rhine and the Undead.
Having received instruction from the Undead, Rhine has begun to formally engage with nuclear energy, which has inadvertently made him a student of the Undead and a subject of their experiments.
He was also worried that one day he might be ambushed by the undead.
"Each takes what they need" is an idiom I learned a long time ago.
Rhine looked at the theologian and said, "The Sun God Cult in Heian-kyo, as well as the Naobi and Ō Naobi sects established by you, are scattered throughout the country. At this moment, it is not easy to silently transport the carriers of faith. I can do you a favor and get them as soon as possible."
"Just getting them isn't enough," the theologian said without even looking up.
"Given your current situation, this is no small matter," Rhine smiled slightly. "With each passing day, the risk of your true identity being exposed increases. It may be a small matter for me, but it is no trivial matter for you."
Upon hearing this, the theologian's expression remained unchanged, but his slight contemplation indicated that the words had struck at the heart of the matter.
"I will only give you a method to resolve the mutation of flesh and blood," the theologian said.
"That's enough," Rhine smiled.
If someone were to guarantee that they could break the undead's hidden hand, Rhine wouldn't believe it.
It's not just that they don't believe theologians would oppose the immortals, but they also don't believe theologians have that ability.
"Then, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you."
Both sides reached a consensus on this matter.
After that, the theologian quietly left.
But as he turned away, the theologian's eyes were filled with indifference.
My situation... By the time freedom returns, who knows who will be in charge of Eastern Xia?
Namba City.
Soldiers wearing exoskeleton armor ran in neat formation, followed by heavy armored vehicles.
This is the Western Union's intelligent warfare weapon, capable of unleashing devastating firepower and transforming into another form like a Gundam, making it suitable for various environments.
Less than half a day after Nobuhiro Abe's death, Western Union troops entered the city, and martial law was declared in various urban areas.
No matter what, Abe Nobuhiro is the most powerful official in Japan after the current Emperor Emeritus, and also the Shogun's lackey.
Killing him would not only be a violation of the General's order, but also a severe slap in the face to the General.
These are no ordinary criminals; we must crack down on them.
Bai Ze could even sense a massive aura rapidly approaching Naniwa City; it must be an eight-star warrior from the Western Alliance.
He is asserting his presence to the entire city.
In this situation, could you still sit still?
Bai Ze gazed at the distant Namba Heavy Industries, waiting quietly.
Not long after, he sensed that a hidden threat had disappeared.
Muneshige Kamiizumi left Namba Heavy Industries.
The samurai who appeared first today are undoubtedly from the Royalist Party, but they should be cannon fodder to be sacrificed, indicating that the Royalist Party has taken action.
Kamiizumi Muneshige intends to lead the reconstruction of Japan, and he doesn't want to be labeled a traitor to Japan.
Therefore, this person must be assassinated.
Whether or not he could kill them was not his concern; as long as it was proven that the loyalist had intervened, that was enough.
As Kamiizumi Muneshige had hoped, the loyalists who revered the emperor died bravely, and he no longer had to worry about being labeled a traitor to Japan.
The bad news is that those who support the emperor have now become targets.
Because when Bai Ze killed Abe Nobuhiro, he shouted "Heaven punishes the traitor!" How could the current loyalists who uphold the emperor be traitors to Japan? They are clearly loyal and righteous people who would give their lives for their country.
Loyalty! Utter loyalty!
In this situation, the Western Union would definitely target the pro-King patriots first, and it would be strange if Kamiizumi Muneshige could sit still.
"Luoshu," Bai Ze called softly.
Yes, Master.
[The pre-intrusion has been completed, and surveillance footage of Jiro Nanba's residence has now been obtained.]
Luo Shu's voice rang out, and at the same time, the communication terminal in Bai Ze's hand projected a light screen, displaying the figure of Nanba Sojiro.
The next step is to control him.
Bai Ze squinted at Nanba Sojiro, about to have Luo Shu directly connect the two sides and give the old man a word so that his words would be law.
"etc."
Bai Ze paused, "Something's off about him."
It's at least the "true teachings" of the Dean of Yi Academy, which makes him different from those mediocre students from the outer sect.
Even with limited time, Bai Ze still explored some methods related to the I Ching, especially after he learned to use the Dharma-like Simulation AI.
At this moment, Bai Ze discerned the old man's youth beneath his aged appearance, as well as his well-hidden rigidity.
It's like a pre-programmed robot...
"Copiers,"
Bai Ze stopped in his tracks. "These guys really have no scruples, aren't they afraid of their clones going out of control?"
Nanba Sōjirō is not a strong person; his martial arts skills are definitely not high. It would not be difficult for Hakutaku to control him.
If it weren't for Kamiizumi Muneshige by his side, Hakutaku would have already taken action against him.
However, now, Bai Ze discovers that what appears to be a person on the surface is actually just a clone, while the real Nanba Sōjirō has been hiding in the background all along.
The old man who survived the chaos of Japan and rose through the ranks under the shogun was indeed quite capable.
"There is no information about clones in Namba Heavy Industries' computers. Further investigation of various documents may lead to the discovery of Namba Sōjirō's true identity," Luo Shu suggested.
"Investigate further, but don't leave any trace."
Bai Ze nodded slightly, but no longer looked at the image of Nanba Sojiro.
The clone is actually a clue; controlling him might lead to finding Nanba Sōjirō's true identity. Even if it doesn't, the clone's identity is still useful.
Nanba Sōjirō's true form is never shown, but clones can also be the real one.
However, for the sake of another objective, Bai Ze does not plan to take action against this clone for the time being, so as not to leave any clues.
Even if the theory of words becoming law is far more secretive than any spiritual or mystical art, it still won't work.
"The purpose of targeting Abe Nobuhiro is twofold: first, to lure out Kazumi Muneshige, and second, to make a move against Kazumi Muneshige himself."
Bai Ze silently turned into a small alley.
The traditionalists, the royalists, rarely show themselves in the city. If they want to hide, the best place is underground.
Beneath this land lies a series of steel buildings.
If the underground of the Steel Continent were completely solid, then even if it were connected to the Japanese mainland, it would be difficult to maintain its stability above the sea. Furthermore, the amount of steel required would also be a major issue.
No matter how wealthy the Western Union is, it's impossible for them to build a piece of land out of steel.
Therefore, the space below ground is actually quite large.
When a place is large, oversights are inevitable.
Although the Western Union has closed off many areas, it still cannot stop some people who find it difficult to live on the surface from going underground and surviving in various corners.
Various dark forces also proliferate in the underground space, giving rise to one black market after another.
Like the yakuza organizations in Namba City, most of their transactions are conducted underground, especially those involving the sale of medicine.
In this situation, there is indeed no better place for those who uphold the king's ideals to hide than an underground area.
So they blocked Bai Ze's path.
After all, Bai Ze's other target was underground.
"Open."
He stood in the alley and spoke softly. The ground trembled, and the thick, perfectly fitted slabs opened automatically.
Bai Ze jumped directly down from the crack, and the board returned to its previous state.
There are no living beings in the space below, since it is underground in the city center and it is impossible for anyone to sneak in.
The space here is completely enclosed, and the relevant passages were sealed off with various heavy-duty doors long ago.
The reason for this was twofold: firstly, to prevent dangerous individuals from entering the city center from underground; and secondly, within the underground space, which was about three meters high and filled with steel pillars, Bai Ze walked straight ahead and soon arrived at the outside of an iron pillar with a diameter of several tens of meters.
"separate."
He spoke softly, and a block of iron several meters long split open, as if it had been cut by an invisible knife.
The iron block moved to the side, revealing the pitch-black space inside.
This is a pipeline that goes straight from the ground to the underground, an elevator shaft, at the end of which a light curtain lights up, displaying a topographic map.
This elevator shaft connects to the bottom of the steel continent.
The entire steel continent is made up of several huge plates, and there is an anti-gravity system at its bottom that keeps the steel continent floating.
Furthermore, various weapons are deployed in key areas of each city, so that if needed, each city can be transformed into a fortress, and even the entire Steel Continent can be transformed into a massive defensive line.
Bai Ze's target was the control room located at the bottom, or rather... the Steel Continent itself.
This is the trump card he wants to obtain, the reliance he will use for mechanical invocation.
Bai Ze is still unaware of the general's intentions, but that doesn't stop him from trying to create this trump card.
You make your plans, I'll do mine, and we won't interfere with each other.
Using the loyalists as targets would attract a great deal of attention, allowing Bai Ze to take advantage of the opportunity to attack the operational system at the bottom of Namba City and seize a portion of the Steel Continent first.
Once he takes control of the entire steel continent, he will be able to attack or defend as he pleases, and nothing would be more reassuring than that.
The Western Union's greatest strength lies in its technology; even the gods on earth achieved their ascension through technology. However, technology is also their greatest weakness.
Bai Ze's greatest strength lies in dealing with technological products.
Although the consumption of words to become law increases proportionally when targeting targets with great energy and mass, it is still far too easy to target biological targets.
Living things have an instinct to resist; when a crisis strikes, they will subconsciously drive their own power to fight back. However, technological products do not have this instinct.
That's the biggest difference.
As for other areas, mental energy and other factors also determine the amount consumed.
"A mirage."
Bai Ze murmured softly, concealing his figure and all movement, and slowly descended from the elevator shaft.
After a rather long period of time, the falling figure finally touched the ground.
Bai Ze surveyed his surroundings, and even in the absence of light, he accurately located the closed door on the side.
"All information regarding the relocation of the gate will remain unchanged."
"Open."
The heavy door slowly opened from the middle. In the process, various sensors were triggered, but because Bai Ze had used his words to make them come true, even if the door moved, the information obtained by the sensors, monitoring and other equipment remained the same.
Of all these devices, the door was never opened.
As the door opened a crack, Bai Ze, draped in a black robe, passed by.
He entered the most central area of Japan, a place whose importance even surpassed that of the Imperial Palace in Heian-kyo.
"The Luoshu (洛书) displays a map."
Bai Ze said calmly.
Prior to today, he had been having Luo Shu hack into various computers of the Western Union garrison, finding crucial topographical maps.
This is the time for harvest.