Love and passion, cutting up the wasteland.

Chapter 607: Wishes (Combined Chapter)
The auditorium was empty and quiet. The young man's words were extremely clear, and every word was pronounced clearly, echoing in everyone's ears. No one could misunderstand.

However, they all felt as if they had heard it wrong.

Or maybe, it was as if he didn't hear it at all.

The eyes of all technology hunters were drawn to the light blue sphere on the rising stone pillar.

It is the size of a human head, with a smooth spherical surface and inlaid with various synaptic interfaces, creating a unified shape amidst the chaos.

Like a fine work of art.

Artificial intelligence core!

"Lu, Mr. Lu...what are you talking about...this, this is, a person..." Among the technology hunters present, the one who was most shocked was the team leader Liu Si. However, the reason why he was able to speak first was not because he had gotten rid of the shock, but because he had completely lost the ability to control his language, so he blurted out these words.

What a joke!
Among all the open forces in the world, only the Mechanics claimed to possess three artificial intelligence cores. It was they who told the world that such treasures existed in ancient times - outsiders had never even seen them.

But they all know it.

The reason why the technological level of the Mechanics is so far ahead of other forces on the continent is that it is not enough to rely solely on blue-covered ancient science books - although the hired technology hunters are the most diligent in searching, there may be outsiders who possess and are able to decipher these books and restore the technology contained therein by themselves.

For example, Dr. Zhong from the swamp had helped the Double Blade Group solve the problem of organ transplantation.

For example, the scrap masters in Kaiton City are said to have obtained some of the Blade Walker's forging notes.

This does not create a substantial gap.

The role of technology hunters is more to collect knowledge and preserve the spark of civilization - of course, they will also enrich themselves, such as restoring the Old World crossbow, which is considered a top-notch long-range weapon on the continent today.

But what can truly be considered a dimensionality reduction attack and the ability to create black technology that is incomprehensible to humans today... is only the artificial intelligence core.

Rapid repair and neural connection of mechanical prostheses, design and splicing of species traits, production and proportioning of medical modules, large-scale automated mining and smelting equipment... For example, new materials produced based on the results of the interpretation of the intelligent core only need to be applied in a thin layer, and they can even make an ordinary linen cloth withstand the impact and burning of high-temperature lasers.

In this world where cold weapons and labor production are still the main theme, this is a miracle that transcends the times, and in the eyes of the world, it is no less than the manifestation of God.

It is these technologies that allow mechanics to maintain their aloof and uncontested status amidst many fearful and greedy eyes.

At the same time, he also fed and developed the Tech Hunters from scratch, a mercenary force that played an important role in the entire continent.

And they all come from just three AI cores... only three.

But now you say...

"Is it really an AI core?" This time it was Romi who reacted. Even though he was not that interested in ancient technology, he became excited and said in a trembling voice: "Is it, is it a... 'new' AI core?"

There was a sting in his question.

Or rather, hope that is like a thorn.

The Mechanic's latest artificial intelligence core was discovered about fifteen years ago...and its recipient was none other than the now popular Sword Saint Alc, who was just emerging at the time.

It was this intelligent core that allowed the Sword Master to obtain the Sequence 6 Silver Watcher Card and quickly brought him into the inner circle of Tech Hunters. He still has one of the most influential voices to this day.

The nameless person in front of him was also a recipient of the Overwatch Silver Card... Perhaps he had borrowed or temporarily preserved one of the old intelligent cores through some relationship.

Although this idea is fantastic, the thinking of the inner ring is difficult to grasp and can only be speculated. Maybe it is possible... After all, no one knows whether the three intelligent cores are stored at the end of the world, rather than being a smoke screen.

"Yes, it's a brand new one." Lu Meng opened the compartment and took out the intelligent core from the transparent baffle. In an instant, the sphere, which was only the size of a human head, sank in his hand. "——I don't know what the mechanics have, but this one should have never been seen before."

The moonlight shines through the quartz focused light spots onto the intelligent core, emitting soft colors.

Romi took a step back.

As a crossbowman, he did not step back even when the orangutan had already pounced in front of him. Instead, he calmly drew the bowstring and shot the iron arrow into the opponent's pupil at the last moment.

But now he seemed to be forced back by the light that was not dazzling.

Unlike the ignorant masses, or the skeletons who have long seen through the changes, any true technology hunter should know how much progress the emergence of each intelligent core will bring to this continent.

Even though the intelligent core is quite difficult to decipher.

It may take a generation to see some slight changes... but even these "slight" changes, viewed in the context of history, may be a turning point for the entire civilization.

Now that he got a positive answer from Lu Meng, he was surprised and happy.

"Wait, Mr. Lu, where did you get it from... and how did you get it?" At this time, a technology hunter from Lake Town who was standing behind the two team leaders, Romi and Lius, pushed them aside and said.

His name is Wen Jin. He has a long sword on his waist and is tightly covered with straps from fingers to neck. This clothing is made of special materials and can not only reduce wind resistance during movement, but also prevent extreme situations such as corrosion, radiation, and puncture.

And now Wen Jin asked the question that everyone was also concerned about.

"In the swamp." Lu Meng said bluntly: "It came from an ancient lost swamp laboratory... Of course, I was the 'first' person to discover it. The books you saw in the Beakbeast Tower were just unexpected gains, or in other words, a foil, when searching for it."

That shelf full of ancient science books... just a backdrop?
If an ordinary person said this, it would be regarded as ignorant nonsense - however, the person who spoke was holding the intelligence core in his hand.

Compared to it.

That whole bookshelf is really nothing.

This is just an objective description.

No wonder the other party so brazenly placed the ancient science books in the attic as decorations...that's because they haven't revealed the real treasure yet!
Complex expressions emerged on the faces of all the technology hunters: If they had felt envy and jealousy when they first saw that the other party had been able to collect so many ancient science books with the power of the unified swamp... then at this moment their hearts were numb.

The former is benefit, such as the reward for several years of hard work, or the bounty for a few dangerous missions... Although it is tempting, it is not enough to make people lose their mind, and it can be obtained with hard work.

The latter, however, may never be touched in your lifetime... no, forever!

Some people who were more open-minded began to gloat over the misfortune: it was okay for those of them who didn't go to the swamp, but if the tech hunters who had been to or were planning to go to the dense forest knew what an opportunity they had missed... they would probably regret it. Even if they were asked to look for it, they wouldn't necessarily find it without any clues, so it would be better to expect to dig oil out of their own backyard with a shovel.

"You...you discovered it." Wen Jin, who asked the question, also had a complicated expression. The corners of his mouth twitched, and in the end he could only squeeze out a compliment: "This is a great achievement..."

And he said no more.

"Back to the point - I took it out not to open the eyes of you friends. If the cooperation is pleasant, it may end up in your own hands." Unlike the restlessness of the technology hunters, Lu Meng's tone was calm, but it exploded like thunder in the crowd: "This is my bargaining chip... Use a brand new artificial intelligence core in exchange for Black Scratches to set up a relay station in Flash. In this process, we also need the full support of the technology hunters in the north and south... including the depression drain lake..."

"And the town of Mine Mine."

He looked towards the Mine Hunters led by Deng Li. His hood blocked the bright eyes that belonged only to the Sons of the Scorched Earth, but the words that came out of his mouth made them feel cold in their hearts.

“So that’s how it is…” Liu Si instantly understood Lu Beiyou’s intention.

In his opinion, the value of a relay station, even a large relay station located in the two major countries of United Cities and Shek Kingdom, may not be comparable to that of an intelligent core.

There was no need for the other party to take it out.

At least you can ask for a higher price.

——The premise is that there is no conflict between rebuilding the Ai Mine and setting up a station in Shandi.

Their demand for resources.

They just happened to collide with each other.

No matter which side you lean towards, the other side will inevitably be favored over the other. Even if the projects are launched at the same time, the completion progress will be delayed indefinitely.

The needs of both sides are equally urgent - not to mention the Red King's side, if the reconstruction of Ai Mine Town is delayed for ten or twenty years... or even longer, the people still living in it, their relatives and friends who cannot leave, and their parents who are injured, sick, or old and cannot walk... will they be trapped for the rest of their lives?
Even the walls of Ai Mine Town were beginning to collapse - who knows, the next beast disaster, southern bee attack, banditry, or some other random monster might just break into the city, wander around, and massacre people.

Taking this factor into consideration, it is indeed possible that Black Scratch will shelve the request to set up a station in Flash in order to take into account the interests of the Mine Hunters.

——But now it’s different.

Romi on the other side thought.

Lu Beiyou took out the artificial intelligence core.

The value of this thing needs no further elaboration... Just by analogy with the Sword Master, if the other party gave the intelligent core to the Tech Hunter, he could be directly promoted to the inner ring like Alk, and get a Sequence 8 or even Sequence 7 Watch number, instead of the current symbol of an ordinary non-staff member.

Romi and Liu Si once lamented that the value of the other party's Overwatch Silver Card was not high enough and could not compare to the official inner ring members.

Unexpectedly, once the intelligent core came out, Lu Beiyou could even reach a level comparable to the original Sword Master.

Leaping beyond most of the inner circle members.

This is just a discussion of status.

Looking back at the time when they entered the Land of Flash, even though their inherent cognition had been broken again and again... in the end they realized that they still underestimated this nameless person.

Liu Si looked silently at the Mine Hunters standing on the opposite side. The joy he had just felt after witnessing the announcement of the AI ​​core was suddenly dashed away as if by a bucket of cold water, and was replaced by an inexplicable sadness.

The problems in Mine Town have not been solved yet.

But from the moment Lu Beiyou took out the intelligent core...Shandi had already won.

Of course, the vast majority of hunters in the South who came from the Sorrow Mine would be dissatisfied and protest... In serious cases, there might even be riots against the organization. In short, everything they had ever worried about would happen.

But this cannot change the ending.

Just imagine: Lu Beiyou, who dug out the intelligent core and presented it to the public, has the same authority as a member of the inner ring, the person who actually makes decisions.

Even in the future, other affairs of the Tech Hunters may be under his command... not to mention setting up a relay station in the Land of Flash.

Moreover, even if there are "aliens" in the Black Scratches headquarters who sympathize with the plight of Ai Mining Town... it is rumored that there are also members in the inner circle who come from that mining capital. As an industrial center, Ai Mining Town's education level was ahead of the entire continent before it declined. It is normal for some people to choose to join the Tech Hunters... but when it comes to the core of artificial intelligence, this is not even something that Black Scratches can decide.

Their nominal collaborators, their actual superiors... the mechanics from the end of the world, will exert direct pressure.

Don't be fooled by the fact that these scholars usually don't fight with the world - their interests are limited to worldly power. Once it comes to ancient lost technology, the mechanics will become crazier than anyone else.

If it weren't for this group of crazy people gathering together... they wouldn't have established a strange organization in this broken world.

In comparison, the number of the Mine Hunters is large... but what does it matter?
Lu Beiyou was wearing a teaching robe, holding the intelligent core in his hand as if he was playing with it or reluctant to let it go... But he was just standing there alone, standing in the center of the Blackstone Auditorium, surrounded by people... His weight had already overwhelmed nearly half of the total number of technology hunters in the south, and overwhelmed all the remaining residents of the abandoned mining city.

At the proceedings the day before, their representatives had won the issue of opposing the establishment of a station in Shandi and insisting on rebuilding the Mine of Sorrow... by a narrow margin of one vote, and without resolving the dispute.

But at this moment, the "one vote" in Lu Beiyou's hand was overwhelming.

There is no room for reversal.

Once again, they were beaten into aliens.

Liu Si sighed... Of course, Lu Beiyou did pay a price, and it could even be said that the price was even heavier: from the perspective of benefits alone, this meant that he lost the opportunity to decipher the intelligent core - those mechanics would not let such an important thing fall into his hands, and there was another secret involved.

Exclusive possession of the intelligent core must be a prerequisite for cooperation... You know, even Alk, who made a name for himself in the war class, was unable to keep the one he found.

It can be said to be a lose-lose situation.

"I know your dreams..." Looking at the Mine Hunters whose faces were flushed red, some even blue and purple, the young man sighed softly, but his tone was as firm as iron: "But, if I don't step on your dreams..."

"How can I realize my wish?"

(End of this chapter)