Hao Ren stood on the metal riverbank as he looked at the endless, viscous, and slow-moving liquid in the river . He could not help but associate it with the dangerous lifeblood . All the mercenaries were keeping their distance from the riverbank fearfully . Only Hao Ren, Ulyanov and Nolan stood in front . Ulyanov's hoarse voice then reverberated out from his helmet, "The end of the world is just a step away . "
"This is the Nanomachine Swarm?" Hao Ren looked down at the viscous liquid in the Gray River . "That's… massive . "
"Everyone knows the Gray River is made up of the Nanomachine Swarm . " Nolan looked at Hao Ren . "You should have crossed one of the Gray Rivers when you fled the city of the Naturals . Have you not seen it?"
"One of the Gray Rivers?" Hao Ren frowned and then steered away from the subject . "No . It was chaotic back then; I was separated from the group . I didn't pay attention to the surroundings . What is your plan to cross this river? By boat?"
"Waiting for it to solidify," Nolan turned and walked away, and began to issue commands . "People, we'll rest here . We will cross the river after dusk! Kim, Lorraine, make sure the armored vehicles are in standby mode, and I want all electromagnetic hibernators switched on twenty-four hours . Report if you encounter a problem with the electromagnetic hibernator . "
The mercenaries immediately acted under orders . They rested beside the armored vehicles and took out compressed food from the car to replenish their energy . Carl walked up and down among the soldiers and shouted, "Do not touch the soil directly with your hands . Look after your water tumbler, and discard it immediately if found damaged! Get another antidote in half an hour time . Those who have a burning sensation while breathing take double the dosage!"
Ulyanov swaggered to the armored vehicle and said, "I don't need the antidote for the toxic air . My lungs have long gone . "
"He was a very optimistic guy," said the ardent mercenary girl who was walking past . "But it gives people a headache whenever he jokes with his guts . Have you come out of the trauma? Are you not planning to start a new relationship in a new place?"
As she spoke, she went up to Hao Ren . Hao Ren took a step back . "Shall I throw you into the Gray River to cool yourself down?"
"That's not funny . "
Hao Ren turned and walked back to the armored vehicle . He remembered there was a computer in the vehicle . The primary search function was open to all . He had seen how Nolan used the terminal . After fiddling for a moment, he succeeded in connecting to the internet and began to search for information about the Gray River and the ruins in the north .
The ruins in the north referred to the entire area the Nanomachine Swarm had destroyed sixty-five years ago . That included three dissolved cities and the vast expanse of land between them . Hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of the area had become a dead zone . Their destination was Northern Ring Tower in the mid-south of the ruins . As for the Gray Rivers, they were remnants of the Nanomachine Swarm .
The ruins in the north referred to the entire area the Nanomachine Swarm had destroyed sixty-five years ago . That included three dissolved cities and the vast expanse of land between them . Hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of the area had become a dead zone . Their destination was Northern Ring Tower in the mid-south of the ruins . As for the Gray Rivers, they were remnants of the Nanomachine Swarm .
The Gray River was not a single river as Hao Ren had initially thought but a series of radial cracks spreading around the ruins in the North . Other than the smaller tributaries, there were hundreds of larger ones . Like a spider web, these rivers isolated the entire northern ruins from the outside world . Looking from the air, the ruins in the North seemed like a bloody eyeball, and the Gray Rivers were bloodshot . Anyone wishing to reach the Northern Ring Tower must cross the Gray Rivers .
Looking at the simple maps found on the internet, the major routes between the Natural city and Lawless District ran across one of the Gray Rivers . No wonder Nolan thought that Hao Ren had seen the Gray River .
Although the Nanomachine Swarm had dissolved everything in the area, it did not cover every inch of the ruins in the north . The Nanomachine Swarm remnants just concentrated in the many Gray Rivers and divided the land into many 'isles . ' Debris modified by the Nanomachine Swarm littered the isles . Toxic substances created by the insane Nanomachine Swarm had polluted the soil . As the terrible, gray 'slime' was everywhere; these isles were the only safe places .
Nolan seemed to know the best route—a series of contiguous lands . They only needed to cross a few Gray Rivers to reach the ruins of the Ring Tower .
"Don't you think something is amiss?" The voice of the MDT sounded in Hao Ren's mind . "There is information about the loss of control of Nanomachine Swarm, but not a single word about how to control them . These things could have destroyed the whole world, but why did they stop in the Gray River?"
"Nothing on the internet . Probably someone erased the information," Hao Ren said, turning off the computer and left the car . "I'll talk to Nolan . How do you feel in the dimensional pocket?"
"Nothing on the internet . Probably someone erased the information," Hao Ren said, turning off the computer and left the car . "I'll talk to Nolan . How do you feel in the dimensional pocket?"
"Incidentally, I found your gravity generator . Now there is a standard ground of 1 . 0G gravity . I'm learning to walk," said the MDT, sounding very pleasant . "I think this is it; the body still feels like having cerebral thrombosis . It is not going to get better no matter how hard I try . Probably the compatibility has got a bottleneck . "
"Well, as long as you're happy, but don't touch my arsenal . "
Hao Ren found Nolan, who was standing alone on the bank of the river and gazing at the sky that was getting darker . The silhouette of the gray-haired girl looked extremely thin in the dim light . Hao Ren went up from behind . From a dozen meters away, he noticed Nolan's ears flicked slightly; the mercenary leader had a terrific auditory ability .
Hao Ren waved to her as she turned around . "Why are you not with everyone else?" Hao Ren asked .
"The Gray River is about to solidify," Nolan said, pointing at the river below with her chin . The viscous liquid was flowing slower and slower, seemingly solidifying . "After dusk, the Nanomachine Swarm will stop temporarily like an alloy platform, hard enough to allow the armored vehicles to cross . Of course, do not switch off the electromagnetic hibernators, or else these things will wake up in a flash . That was how men of my team died . "
Nolan seemed to be in a good mood, or rather excitement . She was not so cold and alienated as before, but patiently answering Hao Ren's questions . Hao Ren also thought that this was an excellent time to ask questions . "How did humans stop these out-of-control Nanomachine Swarm sixty-five years ago?"
"Stop?" Nolan shook her head slowly . "No one had stopped them . The swarm stopped spreading on its own . At that time, many people thought that the world was going to end as all countermeasures and safety devices failed . Everyone here was waiting for the final moment . But the sudden halt of the Nanomachine Swarm saved the humans . Have you seen these riverbanks?"
Nolan seemed to be in a good mood, or rather excitement . She was not so cold and alienated as before, but patiently answering Hao Ren's questions . Hao Ren also thought that this was an excellent time to ask questions . "How did humans stop these out-of-control Nanomachine Swarm sixty-five years ago?"
"Stop?" Nolan shook her head slowly . "No one had stopped them . The swarm stopped spreading on its own . At that time, many people thought that the world was going to end as all countermeasures and safety devices failed . Everyone here was waiting for the final moment . But the sudden halt of the Nanomachine Swarm saved the humans . Have you seen these riverbanks?"
Nolan stomped on the metal surface . The shape of these 'riverbanks' was similar to the rock of nature, but it was metal .
"Humans didn't make these barriers; Nanomachine Swarm did . They confined themselves in a limited area so human beings could survive and continue to fight among themselves outside this area . The Nanomachine Swarm should have covered the entire world, continued to multiply and devoured the world until the planet become a large piece of mud . Instead, they created a complex container, and put themselves in it . "
Hao Ren blinked . "Why is that?"
"Who knows? Even scientists were scratching their heads," said Nolan, the corner of her mouth slightly twisted upward . "You should ask Ulyanov; he is an expert in this area . But I doubt he likes the topic . "
"Since we are here, I don't mind telling," Ulyanov's voice suddenly came from the side . He came up to Hao Ren and quietly watched the Gray River quieting down . "Some people guess that the Master Computers sent the last command to halt the multiplication process of the Nanomachine Swarm before they shut down . There are also people who suspect that the Master Computers are still running . The computers are deep underground and getting power from the nuclear reactor . In theory, that will allow them to run until today . If we consider that they are controlling the Nanomachine Swarm to protect themselves, perhaps they will keep running indefinitely . "
Ulyanov paused and then continued in a mocking tone of voice . "There is even more frenzied speculation; the mutants who call themselves Rangers believe that Nanomachine Swarm had become self-aware and preserved the world based on some decision beyond human wisdom and logic to observe the evolutionary process of humankind . The Rangers see the Nanomachine Swarm as the new master of this world . They demonstrated their superiority of evolution through indiscriminate attacks on other humans and thought that by doing so, they would secure a place in the New World during the Judgment Day . There are many other similar theories . "
Hao Ren stood on the metal riverbank as he looked at the endless, viscous, and slow-moving liquid in the river . He could not help but associate it with the dangerous lifeblood . All the mercenaries were keeping their distance from the riverbank fearfully . Only Hao Ren, Ulyanov and Nolan stood in front . Ulyanovs hoarse voice then reverberated out from his helmet, The end of the world is just a step away . This is the Nanomachine Swarm? Hao Ren looked down at the viscous liquid in the Gray River . Thats… massive . Everyone knows the Gray River is made up of the Nanomachine Swarm . Nolan looked at Hao Ren . You should have crossed one of the Gray Rivers when you fled the city of the Naturals . Have you not seen it? One of the Gray Rivers? Hao Ren frowned and then steered away from the subject . No . It was chaotic back then; I was separated from the group . I didnt pay attention to the surroundings . What is your plan to cross this river? By boat? Waiting for it to solidify, Nolan turned and walked away, and began to issue commands . People, well rest here . We will cross the river after dusk! Kim, Lorraine, make sure the armored vehicles are in standby mode, and I want all electromagnetic hibernators switched on twenty-four hours . Report if you encounter a problem with the electromagnetic hibernator . The mercenaries immediately acted under orders . They rested beside the armored vehicles and took out compressed food from the car to replenish their energy . Carl walked up and down among the soldiers and shouted, Do not touch the soil directly with your hands . Look after your water tumbler, and discard it immediately if found damaged! Get another antidote in half an hour time . Those who have a burning sensation while breathing take double the dosage! Ulyanov swaggered to the armored vehicle and said, I dont need the antidote for the toxic air . My lungs have long gone . He was a very optimistic guy, said the ardent mercenary girl who was walking past . But it gives people a headache whenever he jokes with his guts . Have you come out of the trauma? Are you not planning to start a new relationship in a new place? As she spoke, she went up to Hao Ren . Hao Ren took a step back . Shall I throw you into the Gray River to cool yourself down? Thats not funny . Hao Ren turned and walked back to the armored vehicle . He remembered there was a computer in the vehicle . The primary search function was open to all . He had seen how Nolan used the terminal . After fiddling for a moment, he succeeded in connecting to the internet and began to search for information about the Gray River and the ruins in the north . The ruins in the north referred to the entire area the Nanomachine Swarm had destroyed sixty-five years ago . That included three dissolved cities and the vast expanse of land between them . Hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of the area had become a dead zone . Their destination was Northern Ring Tower in the mid-south of the ruins . As for the Gray Rivers, they were remnants of the Nanomachine Swarm . The Gray River was not a single river as Hao Ren had initially thought but a series of radial cracks spreading around the ruins in the North . Other than the smaller tributaries, there were hundreds of larger ones . Like a spider web, these rivers isolated the entire northern ruins from the outside world . Looking from the air, the ruins in the North seemed like a bloody eyeball, and the Gray Rivers were bloodshot . Anyone wishing to reach the Northern Ring Tower must cross the Gray Rivers . Looking at the simple maps found on the internet, the major routes between the Natural city and Lawless District ran across one of the Gray Rivers . No wonder Nolan thought that Hao Ren had seen the Gray River . Although the Nanomachine Swarm had dissolved everything in the area, it did not cover every inch of the ruins in the north . The Nanomachine Swarm remnants just concentrated in the many Gray Rivers and divided the land into many isles . Debris modified by the Nanomachine Swarm littered the isles . Toxic substances created by the insane Nanomachine Swarm had polluted the soil . As the terrible, gray slime was everywhere; these isles were the only safe places . Nolan seemed to know the best route—a series of contiguous lands . They only needed to cross a few Gray Rivers to reach the ruins of the Ring Tower . Dont you think something is amiss? The voice of the MDT sounded in Hao Rens mind . There is information about the loss of control of Nanomachine Swarm, but not a single word about how to control them . These things could have destroyed the whole world, but why did they stop in the Gray River? Nothing on the internet . Probably someone erased the information, Hao Ren said, turning off the computer and left the car . Ill talk to Nolan . How do you feel in the dimensional pocket? Incidentally, I found your gravity generator . Now there is a standard ground of 1 . 0G gravity . Im learning to walk, said the MDT, sounding very pleasant . I think this is it; the body still feels like having cerebral thrombosis . It is not going to get better no matter how hard I try . Probably the compatibility has got a bottleneck . Well, as long as youre happy, but dont touch my arsenal . Hao Ren found Nolan, who was standing alone on the bank of the river and gazing at the sky that was getting darker . The silhouette of the gray-haired girl looked extremely thin in the dim light . Hao Ren went up from behind . From a dozen meters away, he noticed Nolans ears flicked slightly; the mercenary leader had a terrific auditory ability . Hao Ren waved to her as she turned around . Why are you not with everyone else? Hao Ren asked . The Gray River is about to solidify, Nolan said, pointing at the river below with her chin . The viscous liquid was flowing slower and slower, seemingly solidifying . After dusk, the Nanomachine Swarm will stop temporarily like an alloy platform, hard enough to allow the armored vehicles to cross . Of course, do not switch off the electromagnetic hibernators, or else these things will wake up in a flash . That was how men of my team died . Nolan seemed to be in a good mood, or rather excitement . She was not so cold and alienated as before, but patiently answering Hao Rens questions . Hao Ren also thought that this was an excellent time to ask questions . How did humans stop these out-of-control Nanomachine Swarm sixty-five years ago? Stop? Nolan shook her head slowly . No one had stopped them . The swarm stopped spreading on its own . At that time, many people thought that the world was going to end as all countermeasures and safety devices failed . Everyone here was waiting for the final moment . But the sudden halt of the Nanomachine Swarm saved the humans . Have you seen these riverbanks? Nolan stomped on the metal surface . The shape of these riverbanks was similar to the rock of nature, but it was metal . Humans didnt make these barriers; Nanomachine Swarm did . They confined themselves in a limited area so human beings could survive and continue to fight among themselves outside this area . The Nanomachine Swarm should have covered the entire world, continued to multiply and devoured the world until the planet become a large piece of mud . Instead, they created a complex container, and put themselves in it . Hao Ren blinked . Why is that? Who knows? Even scientists were scratching their heads, said Nolan, the corner of her mouth slightly twisted upward . You should ask Ulyanov; he is an expert in this area . But I doubt he likes the topic . Since we are here, I dont mind telling, Ulyanovs voice suddenly came from the side . He came up to Hao Ren and quietly watched the Gray River quieting down . Some people guess that the Master Computers sent the last command to halt the multiplication process of the Nanomachine Swarm before they shut down . There are also people who suspect that the Master Computers are still running . The computers are deep underground and getting power from the nuclear reactor . In theory, that will allow them to run until today . If we consider that they are controlling the Nanomachine Swarm to protect themselves, perhaps they will keep running indefinitely . Ulyanov paused and then continued in a mocking tone of voice . There is even more frenzied speculation; the mutants who call themselves Rangers believe that Nanomachine Swarm had become self-aware and preserved the world based on some decision beyond human wisdom and logic to observe the evolutionary process of humankind . The Rangers see the Nanomachine Swarm as the new master of this world . They demonstrated their superiority of evolution through indiscriminate attacks on other humans and thought that by doing so, they would secure a place in the New World during the Judgment Day . There are many other similar theories .
Chapter end
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