Gluttonous Warlock

Chapter 338 Titan Network
In the 13 years since the disaster broke out, in order to adapt to the harsh environment, the human survivors living in the shelter have changed their eating habits, economic system and social system.

In this day and age, the air, water and soil are contaminated by Titan cells.

Seeds sown on farmland can only grow mutant plants, like giant piranha flowers, that attack farmers crazily.

Poultry and livestock also mutated into Titan beasts.

Initially, people were afraid to eat these mutant animals and plants.

However, due to the extreme lack of resources, in order to fill their stomachs, they had to bite the bullet and hunt mutant animals and plants for food.

Over time, people have concluded two rules.

Long-term consumption of mutated animals and plants can enhance physical fitness, become stronger, and move more quickly.

The crystal nuclei in mutated animals and plants can be ground into powder and eaten as seasonings, which can be absorbed by the human body and strengthen mental power.

The crystal core containing magic power is not limited to food.

One of the two most important raw materials in the formula of the cancer inhibitor developed by Salomon Company is the crystal nucleus.

Traditional fossil energy and nuclear energy are contaminated by Titan cells and become unstable and cannot be used as fuel.

In recent years, Solomon Company has launched a new invention in the modern era, which can extract the magic power from the crystal core and convert it into electrical energy.

With the advent of crystal core generators, various vehicles including cars have been given a new lease of life.

After some modifications, the power can be restored under the drive of the crystal core.

In this way, the crystal core, which has a wide range of uses, has become the most precious resource in the Cataclysm Era, and it is also the most trusted universal currency for people.

In the old days, the combat effectiveness gap between human individuals mainly depended on the weapons used.

They are both mortals, fragile bodies of flesh and blood, and there is no essential difference in physical, agility and mental attributes.

However, in the Catastrophic Era, stimulated by Titan cells and long-term consumption of mutated organisms and crystal nuclei, human beings have evolved completely in just 13 years.

The gap between individuals is greater than the gap between elephants and ants.

Solomon Corporation, conducts regular censuses of the residents under its jurisdiction.

The census items include physical, mental and superpowers, etc.

Based on the overall score, residents are divided into four levels.

In fact, not only humans, but also Titan beasts and mutant plants are subject to this set of grading standards.

Level C: After being infected with Titan cells, ordinary people who can maintain sound sanity generally have telepathic abilities, and a few have evolved not too strong superpowers.

In the ruins of Kang Town, the African-American giantess killed by Phoenix, as well as the mutated carp and mutated peach blossom jellyfish in the lake, are all C-level mutant creatures.

Level B: Mutated creatures with powerful supernatural skills, including but not limited to mind reading, hypnosis, illusions, telekinesis, and superpowers that use various elemental energies, are collectively called "awakened ones".

Phoenix, who spit out "shock waves", barely crossed the threshold of "Awakened One".

Cato's "Spirit Gun" and Annie's "Jet Engine" that uses wind magic to assist flight and combat are all standard B-level superpowers.

Allen's atavistic transformation was initially mistaken by Cato as a B-class superpower.

Later, it was discovered that Allen could transform back into human form while in stone giant form, and he realized that his strength was more than that.

Anne saw better than Cato.

She has begun to suspect that the hierarchy of mutants does not apply to Allen, who calls himself a "prophet"!

The common feature of stronger A-level mutants is that they can use their thoughts to break down their own bodies into discrete material particles, transport them to a certain distance, and then reorganize their bodies.

The distance and accuracy of teleportation depend on the mental attributes.

Because of this characteristic, Class A mutants are also called "Wanderers."

Cato and Anne knew no more than ten "wanderers."

The strongest one among them is their adoptive father, Professor Butler.

Allen feels that according to this standard, he can be regarded as a "wanderer".

After all, he can teleport using magic.

The S-class beings who sit at the top of the mutant social pyramid are called "reincarnators".

It is said that the "reincarnated person" can forcibly inject part of his own Titan cells, along with his spiritual imprint, into other people's bodies.

Giving instructions to it through the spiritual imprint is like operating a puppet.

There is an even scarier legend...

When the "reincarnated person" dies unexpectedly, the soul will automatically be transferred to the body of the person being sealed, swallowing the latter's soul, occupying this body, and being reborn.

This is where the title "Reincarnated One" comes from.

Cato and Annie have not yet come into contact with real "reincarnators".

Professor Butler seems to be the person closest to this state, but he himself has repeatedly denied that he has the ability to reincarnate.

Dr. Solomon publicly admitted that he was the first human being to be promoted to a "reincarnated person" since the outbreak of the disaster.

As for whether there are other reincarnations in Solomon Company?
The jury is still out.

In Allen's view, the superpower of the "reincarnated person" is equivalent to the combination of the "Magic Soul Pot" and the "Clone Technique".

If the rumors are true, "reincarnators" can also use similar means to control inanimate objects, such as firearms and vehicles.

Then, we have to add "item activation".

All of these methods can be simulated by Allen using the wish technique.

But taken together, it would be difficult for even him to do it.

I have to admit that the "reincarnator" does have some abilities.

Corresponding to the power system of the warlock world, it is almost equivalent to an 8th to 9th level warlock.

However, not long after making this judgment, Allen realized that he still underestimated the mutants in the wasteland world.

Many years ago, Dr. Solomon and Professor Butler collaborated to try to use Titan cells as carriers to rebuild the wireless Internet of the old era.

The scientific research team led by these two people finally achieved success.

This spiritual network built with human beings as hardware is the first generation of "Titan Network".

Through the Titan Network, people can understand their own status, share information, and form online communities in a data-based and intuitive way.

The Internet ecosystem of the old era seems to be back, and it does not rely on hardware facilities, making it more convenient and flexible!
However, it wasn’t long before people realized that Titan Network was a double-edged sword.

From C-level to S-level superpowers, with the assistance of the Titan Network, they have become more powerful and more versatile than before.

For example, C-level "telepathy" can only sense life signals within the field of vision.

Now with the help of Titan Network, you can conduct remote telepathic communication with friends hundreds of miles away.

The B-level superpower "mind reading" could only detect the thoughts of living creatures in front of you.

Now with the help of Titan Network, by locking a real-name registered ID, you can "follow the network cable" to peek into what the other person is thinking.

The A-class "Wanderer" relies on the Titan Network to greatly expand the transmission radius.Anyone can come and go freely within the radiation area of ​​the Titan Network!

The most terrifying ones are the S-class "reincarnators".

It is said that you can back up your own soul and upload it to a network server!
The spiritual mark of the "reincarnated person" is uploaded to the Titan network, which is equivalent to a Trojan horse virus.

Internet users who are implanted with "Trojan horses" unknowingly become the spare bodies of "reincarnators".

The reincarnated person can achieve "reincarnation" by downloading the soul backup into the spare body.

To be precise, it is to invade and plagiarize other people's lives.

The sparks caused by the collision of superpowers and the Titan network bring huge security risks.

If you want to eliminate these hidden dangers, you must either refuse to access the Internet or improve network regulations.

The first path, a metropolitan shelter under the control of Salomon Corporation, would not work.

Residents of metropolitan shelters must register for a network ID with their real names, which is equivalent to an ID card in the era of disaster.

Residents with legal network IDs can receive free housing, cancer inhibitors, and security.

As a price, people must accept a network agreement, also known as the "Solomon Agreement."

Those who sign the agreement voluntarily accept real-time physical sign monitoring. If the cancer warning value exceeds 10%, they will be forced to receive treatment.

This agreement, which was nominally aimed at improving network regulations, caused huge controversy once it was launched.

Those in favor believe that accepting network monitoring can first better prevent criminal activities and help maintain a safe and orderly environment in shelters.

What is more important is to promptly detect those infected with severe cancer and prevent patients from losing mental control and self-explosion and injuring others.

In the Age of Catastrophe, newborns infected with Titan cells had an average life expectancy of only 20 years.

With online monitoring and timely treatment, the average life expectancy can be extended to 40 years.

Most people feel that sacrificing some privacy in order to prevent crime and double their lifespan is not intolerable.

Opponents believe that the "Solomon Agreement" is a bad start. Once people accept this unfair agreement, they will be forced to give up more privacy and freedom in the future until they become outright slaves.

From birth to death, everything they say, do, and think is completely under the control of the chaebol group.

The debate ended with the majority in favor of the Solomon Accords.

However, when the "Solomon Accords" were passed and implemented several years later, people were horrified to find that the original concerns of the opponents were being fulfilled step by step!

This network agreement continues to add clauses, depriving ordinary residents of their freedoms and granting those in power more privileges.

If you only look at the legal provisions, it seems that all residents’ criminal behavior is treated equally.

However, in the actual implementation process, the superiors can always escape punishment, or pay a small price to get away with it.

For example, a certain "wanderer" broke into a girl's bedroom late at night and sexually assaulted her.

The victim later called the police and demanded severe punishment for the thugs.

This man claimed that he suffered from "cybersomnambulism", carried out an unconscious teleportation, and mistook the girl's boudoir as the bedroom of himself and his wife, and then committed the mistakes that every man would make in that situation. .

The online circuit court heard the case in public.

From jury to judge, the lowest rank is also Class B.

In the end, the defendant was ordered to pay nominal compensation, plus half a year of community service, and the case was concluded.

There are countless similar cases.

Even if the person in power has committed a felony and has irrefutable evidence and is thrown into a prison cell, he can still get a reduced sentence or a chance for parole through a plea bargain. After the limelight is over, he can still live happily.

To this day, it is more appropriate to use an old joke to describe the "Solomon Agreement" and its related legal provisions:

"The law, with its solemn equality, prohibits the poor as well as the millionaires from sleeping in bridges, begging in the streets, and stealing bread."

……

Cato and Anne's accusations against the "Solomon Agreement" reminded Allen of the aristocratic rule of the warlock world based on the theory of blood.

In the human society of the Cataclysm Era, not only do strict class barriers still exist, but the oppression of the upper class on the lower class is even more cruel than the warlock world in some aspects.

People who cannot stand the "Solomon Agreement" would rather give up all benefits, including free housing and medical care, and live in abandoned subway stations or sewers, struggling to survive.

What's more, they take the initiative to leave the shelter and seek survival in the wilderness where there is no safety guarantee.

These people who have no online identity call themselves "escapists".

Professor Butler was once the staunchest supporter of the Solomon Accords.

However, as time went by, he found that this agreement had deteriorated and became a shackles on the lower class people.

Professor Butler deeply regretted this and repeatedly advocated the abolition of unreasonable network protocols, but was rejected by the board of directors.

The change of position caused the complete breakdown of his long-standing friendship with Dr. Solomon, and he was eventually squeezed out.

Professor Butler, who lost his power and status, recognized the cruel reality.

In anger, he left the metropolis with his relatives, friends and students, and created a shelter called "Free City" in the ruins of the city thousands of miles away to take in escapists who fled the metropolis.

Although he left the metropolis, Professor Butler did not completely abandon everything in the past, especially those new technologies that have been proven to be beneficial to human society.

After all, technology itself is neither good nor evil.

In Liberty City, Professor Butler led the construction of a crystalline nuclear power plant and a pharmaceutical factory for copying cancer inhibitors.

The greatest achievement is the creation of the Titan Network, which is open to the escapists.

Compared with Metropolis's "Solomon Network", Liberty City's "Escape Network" is actually a low-quality pirated product, with all functions lacking compared to the former.

The biggest advantage of the latter is that the network protocol is more relaxed.

Apart from monitoring cancer symptoms, there are no restrictions on Internet users in the city.

In service areas outside the city, network users even have the right to refuse surveillance. Anyway, self-destruction outside the city will not hurt innocent people.

After more than ten years of development, the number of residents in Liberty City has exceeded [-].

In order to better manage the city and resist the mercenary invasion of Titans and Solomon Company, Professor Butler created a escapist militia called "Wings of Freedom".

Cato and Annie are both members of "Wings of Freedom".

Even the two of them had to admit that the combat effectiveness of the "Wings of Freedom", a loose militia organization, was far inferior to that of the well-armed mercenary group under the Solomon Company.

"Wings of Freedom" is good at guerrilla warfare. If it confronts the Solomon Mercenary Group head-on, the chance of winning is almost zero.

Over the years, Salomon Corporation has repeatedly attacked the "Wings of Freedom", but it has not completely eliminated the organization.

Cato believes that this is because Salomon Corporation is unwilling to make excessive sacrifices in order to eliminate the "Wings of Freedom".

Anne had a different view.

She felt that Dr. Solomon was not a completely cold-blooded capitalist. At least he still had some friendship with his old friend Butler and could not bear to kill him.

……

Ask for a recommended monthly ticket
(End of this chapter)