Doomsday Spiritual Artifact Master
chapter-138

Chapter 138 – Fire Seed (7)

◎ Your team failed to enter the rankings ◎

The next morning, V587 boarded the starship arranged by the awakeners department and departed from Qianzhan City, officially heading towards the Northern Base.

The silver-white flight terminal streaked across the sky like a meteor, encountering an automatic clearance through the transparent protective shield.

Song Ke leaned against the porthole, revealing a smile of satisfaction akin to that of an old father. This time, they hadn’t relied on deception or manipulation but had entered District B through their own diligent efforts.

As soon as they reached the platform, before the starship even settled, Song Ke jumped down.

A refreshing breeze brushed their faces, the air was invigorating, and the weather mimicry system gradually dispelled the scorching heat of midsummer.

Song Ke and Xu Xing, who entered the city for the first time, excitedly ran to the railing to look ahead.

Unlike the desolate plains that extended for thousands of kilometers on the outskirts, the Northern Base was an incredibly textured city: aerial tunnels, levitating subways, stylish racing cars…

Technological creations born over the past thirty glorious years were ubiquitous here. Clusters of towering buildings, arranged in a layered spatial hierarchy, provided a tremendous visual impact. Among them, one level even featured an infinity pool the size of a football field, where several awakeners frolicked. A few hydrokinetics mischievously manipulated the water, causing fountain-like droplets to cascade down at a wave of their hand.

Song Ke’s eyes sparkled. “Wow~”

Xu Xing imitated, “Wow~~”

Overhead, an armed fleet flew by. Several men and women, clearly awakeners, stood firmly on the deck of the ship. One of them, bare-chested with scars covering his torso, held the freshly severed, still bleeding head of a giant beast, laughing and waving to the crowd on the platform before entering two cylindrical connected towers.

In the distant sky, a holographic projection appeared, numbers continuously flickering, gradually forming a massive leaderboard:

[Blue Flame eliminated Level 4 Mutant Beast: Black Forktooth Fish, real-time score update.]

Song Ke witnessed firsthand as Blue Flame’s ranking rose by two positions, now ranked 10th in the Northern Base and 122nd in the New Asia Alliance.

This was… the northern base? Unreasonably exhilarating.

Ye Zimei and her team awaited them on the platform. Gazing at their shining KPI, she laughed heartily, her teeth showing and eyes disappearing. “Your new terminals and the procedures for transferring awakener citizenship will be handled by a dedicated officer later.”

“Now, follow me to meet Commander He; she’s waiting for you at the awakener department.”

The Northern Base’s awakener department was precisely the cylindrical high-rise buildings Song Ke had just seen upon disembarking.

Ye Zimei’s red-bottomed high heels clicked crisply on the polished floor, the sound echoing.

Song Ke and the other six followed her, observing numerous images of honor on the historical wall. These included global supernatural summits, roundtable forums, genetic elite exchanges, as well as military exercises with the Cario Empire and the Luce Federation.

With the passage of time, the presence of awakeners became increasingly evident. Song Ke keenly realized that this was the disparity between different districts within the Alliance: a D-level awakening might cause immense joy in lower-tier districts, but in the Northern Base or other District Bs, especially among post-apocalyptic awakeners, supernatural abilities were commonplace long ago.

Song Ke also noticed that the people moving around were high-level awakeners, enveloped in a faint aura of awakened energy, yet they remained restrained and subdued.

Along the way, many secretly observed them, seemingly trying to figure out who among them was the rumored S7. The news about the base recruiting an S-level attack-type awakener had been widely spread, and Ye Zimei personally bringing in V587 had revealed their identities.

Amidst the attention of the crowd, the group took an automated scenic elevator up the building.

Song Ke, looking at the building without any visible security measures, had a sudden curiosity and asked, “What if there were awakener terrorists here?”

Ye Zimei smiled slowly, “Believe me, the stupidest way to die in this world is to recklessly use awakened abilities in the building beneath our feet.”

She tapped her pearl earring, and a video began playing on the elevator’s announcement screen. The top caption read—”Security Manual 014.”

“This is footage from eight months ago. At the outbreak of the apocalypse, an A7-level awakener from a lower-level district, along with twenty-three thugs, forcibly entered the awakener department, attempting to kidnap Commander He and take control of the entire Northern Base.”

In the footage, the leader, a corruption-type awakener, appeared arrogant, chin held high, spouting commands: “Everyone get down on your knees! Don’t move!” As he advanced, the floor, tables, pillars—everything he passed turned into pus.

Just as he was about to cross the midpoint, the ceiling of the awakener department vanished suddenly, revealing a deep spatial crack. Then hundreds of densely packed energy guns emerged, “Bang! Bang! Bang!” Blinding beams of light instantly turned the thugs into sieves. After the intense light dissipated, only the A7-level survived, but he didn’t have long to rejoice—he was blasted into a pulp.

Literally a pulp—bloody, sticky fragments rained down onto the smooth floor.

The scene was as if silenced by a spell, utterly still and soundless.

The surveillance footage shifted to the transparent corridor on the higher level, where two young individuals dressed in awakener department uniforms appeared. They had similar appearances, tall and slender, both with blonde hair and green eyes, exuding an effortless air of indifference.

The slender hands of the female rested on the railing, observing with interest the remains of the A7-level who had chosen his path to death. The male leaned against the wall, arms crossed, seemingly dozing off, entirely apathetic without even lifting an eyelid.

Ye Zimei cleared her throat lightly, her tone revealing profound sympathy, “Out of the total of 14 malignant incidents in the 47 years since the establishment of the base, this was the most unfortunate criminal. He happened to encounter the Ling siblings’ return for duty reports, the chance for surrender was not even given.”

Song Ke, wearing a surprised expression, asked, “The Ling siblings?”

“Ah, Ling Yan and Ling Yue, a pair of twins, one representing the dragon and the other the phoenix. They are the only two S6-level attack-type awakeners in the Northern Base,” Ye Zimei lowered her voice, slyly blinked, “They are also assimilated awakeners from the Cario Empire.”

Song Ke glanced again at the video. After the Ling siblings resolved the crisis, they left without much enthusiasm.

S-level awakeners possess absolute dominance over all ranks below S-level, especially two S6-levels. As Ye Zimei had mentioned, these criminals had indeed stumbled into a really unfortunate situation.

Guided by Ye Zimei, V587 had no hindrances and quickly reached the penultimate floor.

In a spacious conference room, they finally encountered the holographic image of the top official of the awakeners department, He Qiuhong.

The seven individuals exchanged glances without a word. The “personal” reception mentioned by He Qiuhong turned out to be in this form. However, it was understandable. Facing an attack-type S7 level and an entire A-level awakener team, even if V587 had voluntarily sought refuge, He Qiuhong didn’t let joy cloud her judgment and maintained the necessary vigilance.

He Qiuhong wore a dark blue suit, had a bridge nose supporting black-framed glasses, and a stern and dignified countenance, with two deep folds on the sides of her nose.

Song Ke inexplicably recalled the vice principal she had encountered during her brief student days.

“Song Ke, and the rest of V587 team, welcome to the Northern Base,” He Qiuhong got straight to the point. “Two weeks ago, I watched the finals of the Throne Race Competition in District C72 live. You are an exceptional team, each of you shines with unique qualities, cohesive and indispensable.”

Her appreciative gaze swept over everyone, accurately naming Su Cha, Xu Xing, Fang Zhixu, even Lin Youyou by her real name, and then… very naturally omitted the remaining two.

The two men in wheelchairs glanced at each other in silence. One of them smirked slightly, while the other yawned out of boredom.

Since their arrival at the Northern Base, Zhuang Qingyan and Lu Xiaoyu had concealed their awakened energies flawlessly, seemingly no different from ordinary people. With Song Ke as their cover, their status was openly acknowledged as “accompanying personnel.”

He Qiuhong had indeed followed the competition, but she watched the official broadcasts, not continuously monitoring V587 for 24 hours. During the Throne Race, Lu Xiaoyu consistently used his mechanical arm, never exposing his hacker abilities to the camera. Zhuang Qingyan was even more discreet; he never followed with the drone, hardly appeared in front of the camera—if he ever flashed by, Lu Xiaoyu swiftly edited him out.

In the Northern Base, strength was the only valid pass. No one intentionally concealed their identity as an awakener. Therefore, He Qiuhong naturally assumed they were just ordinary people—or rather, disabled individuals—coincidentally teamed up with V587. She didn’t bother to spare them a second glance.

He Qiuhong didn’t say anything, not even a disdainful look. Yet, Zhuang Qingyan could read between the lines, sensing her disdain toward ordinary individuals.

“I didn’t expect you to break through to S-level in such a short time after the competition and choose to come to the Northern Base,” said He Qiuhong with an expressionless face.

“…” Song Ke awkwardly scratched her head.

It was nearly impossible to leap from A-level to S7-level in such a short time, but He Qiuhong didn’t expose her. Instead, she went along with the contents of the letter Zhuang Qingyan had fabricated, which indicated that she didn’t mind Song Ke hiding her level in Ferrara.

“On behalf of the Northern Base, according to the recruitment notice, I offer you ownership of five sets of apartments in the central area, full access to District B for awakeners, along with monthly allowances and corresponding living benefits.”

He Qiuhong was generous, changing the original “free apartment stay” to “gifting five sets of apartments,” providing both housing and financial support, making V587 feel warmly welcomed. She then introduced the basics of the awakener department and the current vacant job positions, captivating her audience.

Finally, He Qiuhong turned to Song Ke. “You can make any requests, and after the probationary period, I will prioritize their implementation.”

“Probationary period?” Song Ke seized upon the keyword.

“The survival rule of the Northern Base is absolute strength,” He Qiuhong nodded slightly. “We operate on a last-place elimination system, updating the ranking points monthly. The bottom 1% of the teams, unfortunately, cannot stay here.”

“Of course, I believe you will definitely pass the probationary period. I look forward to seeing you again in a month,” He Qiuhong smiled. “By then, perhaps we can sit down for a cup of tea face to face.”

The words carried a hint of deeper meaning, suggesting that V587 might meet her in person next time.

Even in the presence of an S-level awakener, He Qiuhong didn’t exhibit an eager attitude to retain them. She perfectly embodied the calm and rational demeanor expected of someone in a high position. Yet, she showed considerable attention to Song Ke, conversing calmly and clearly invested in her thoughts.

Song Ke felt that He Qiuhong seemed like a contradictory person.

“Additionally, this is specially prepared for you,” He Qiuhong turned and quietly instructed a few words.

At that moment, there was a firm knock on the conference room door. Two staff members wheeled in a mobile desk, adorned with various colorful terminals, covering nearly all popular styles in District B.

“We were planning to purchase these collectively,” Song Ke politely declined, thinking there might be discounts for a group purchase.

He Qiuhong simply stated, “All S-level terminals are directly provided by the awakener department.”

Song Ke was taken aback, staring at her intently.

He Qiuhong didn’t mince words. “S-level awakeners carry inherent risks. We need to ensure constant contact with you 24/7. These terminals are pre-equipped with locator devices and exclusive communication channels. Once bound to you, you can use them.”

Song Ke shifted her gaze away, took a couple of steps forward, and silently selected one.

…

As they left the awakener department, Lin Youyou grumbled discontentedly, “What’s this? Surveillance?”

Fang Zhixu rubbed his chin, “I feel like this Commander He’s actions and words don’t quite align. Something’s off.”

“She’s an outright pragmatist,” Zhuang Qingyan’s calm voice echoed.

Others turned to look at him.

Zhuang Qingyan continued, “She talks about nothing but the interests of the Northern Base. In her eyes, awakeners are just the best tools to maintain those interests. When she needs you, she’ll cater to you and support you. But in case of conflict or contradiction with her pursued interests, she won’t hesitate to discard you.”

“However, at least for the Northern Base, she’s a dutiful superior,” Zhuang Qingyan sarcastically chuckled.

“That terminal, do I still need it?” Song Ke had picked a pin-shaped one, resembling a small bee.

Zhuang Qingyan shrugged it off, “Sure, why not? We haven’t done anything wrong. What’s there to fear? When the time comes for mischief, we’ll find a way to outsmart it.”

Song Ke: “…” Why does doing wrong feel justified like this?

The first activation of the terminal required binding. Song Ke lightly released her awakened energy, feeling a momentary looseness in her consciousness. Suddenly, she sensed a subtle feeling of being observed. She paused for a moment. If it weren’t for her experience with the Crime Record in the Death Prison, she might have ignored this sensation.

But the Crime Record was something Lu Xiaoyu had concocted out of boredom in prison. Why would the terminals in District B behave similarly?

Song Ke shared her discovery with her teammates.

Lu Xiaoyu’s pale fingers took the terminal, examining it with a gaze that hinted at a mechanical indifference in his icy eyes.

“A mild thought connection… indeed, ‘her’ doing,” Lu Xiaoyu spoke cryptically. But he didn’t plan to explain further. Swiftly, he input a string of anti-snooping codes. “Making too many moves might lead to detection. Just wear it for now and try to minimize using the ‘permissions.'”

“Permissions?” Song Ke was puzzled.

“Yeah, accessing information not in your mind, actively gaining knowledge you’ve never had, that’s ‘permissions.’ While it can be convenient, every use is essentially a request to ‘her’, deepening the thought connection gradually.”

“Oh,” Song Ke nodded obediently. “I won’t use it then. I’ll just ask Zhuang Qingyan.”

What information, what knowledge? The rigid terminal can’t compare to Zhuang Qingyan’s expertise. This “Encyclopedia of the Alliance” not only shares everything with her but also adjusts the language to ensure she comprehends it.

Zhuang Qingyan suddenly chuckled, a smile so genuine it could melt ice, the curvature of his lips revealing a visible sense of joy.

“Wait a moment, when you said ‘her’…” Lin Youyou asked cautiously.

“Lu’s supercomputer,” Lu Xiaoyu’s tone remained flat, devoid of ripples. “It infiltrated the terminal network in District B. She sees everyone.”

Everyone felt a shiver down their spine.

Before, they merely found the terminals in District B impressive and cool. But as Lu Xiaoyu spoke, the constant feeling of being watched became unsettling.

However, the provided terminal had its advantages, like direct access to the commission system.

The seven gathered around. Song Ke opened the interface eagerly. Even after deducting the 500,000 points for the entry threshold, they should have had a comfortable 200,000 points left. The landlord’s family was still very wealthy, and it should be more than enough to get on the ranking list.

Then came the cruel reality.

After the real-time update, the projection displayed: [V587 current points: 220,050, Monthly Ranking: 99.99%.]

“Unfortunately, your team failed to enter the rankings. Please continue to work hard.”

Song Ke stubbornly scrolled upwards. The top scorer had 448,888 points.

Twice as many as V587.

Song Ke’s expression fell.

Goodness, was the competition among the awakeners in the Northern Base this intense?