Alternative 1.7
"Emm... Let me sleep for five more minutes..." a lady wrapped inside of a blanket request for five more minutes of rest. Unfortunately, there's wasn't anyone replying to her request. A moment later, the doorbell rings and wake her up from her light slumber.
"Coming! Coming!" Zhao Tianmi replied through the intercom. On the panel, itself was a monitoring panel, showing her the identity and looks of the bell ringer. Without a doubt, it was one of the building's employees, taking up the duty of cleaning, aligning the selection of breakfast, and other services.
But with only herself left inside this accommodation, Zhao Tianmi has no need for a proper breakfast. After all, she's not a documented partner of Chen Fan, neither she's allowed to stay within this accommodation too long while the tenant is not here.
"Good morning, Mr. Chen. Do you... Eh?" the building employee greets the person opening the door, but when she noticed that wasn't a male, but a female, she's somewhat startled. Luckily, Zhao Tianmi is one of the five Administration Building Employees handling this building, and they've met each other more than one occasion.
"When did you end up becoming one of the tenants here?" the building employee questioned. As the two girls are more than a close friend, it was a little awkward for both of them.
"Don't tease me, ok? Chen Fan went out. If I'm not mistaken, there's an opening for a mining operation in Guilin Capital, Guangxi, Old China." Zhao Tianmi told her friend Chen Fan is out since early morning.
Her friend glanced at Zhao Tianmi, chuckled a few times and hurried her to leave. Otherwise, based on the rules, she will be reported to the Administration Department for some disciplining process. The world is just that harsh to those that did not risk their lives for anything.
Meanwhile, Chen Fan reported himself and entered the armory earlier than everyone to inspect the weapon assigned to him. After his first experience, Chen Fan understands the importance of a sharp tool in his exploration and applied for a military blade.
Additionally, he paid 10 credits as a deposit for a Rank 2 Processing Cube and received his Wanli Support System Device. After letting the two devices to transfer their information for three minutes, Chen Fan's old unit is given back to the armory for recycling purposes.
The Wanli Handheld Device comes in a starking red body and 360 degrees hologram function. It also has a magnetic locking function that brings the unit back to its owner no matter how far it drops. Of course, the armory staff did mention that it is best within 200 meters distance.
What was so special about Wanli Support System is the ability of sight scanner. Through a distinctive communication wave to its owner, Wanli Support System can update him on minable resources surrounding him along with any danger nearby. This allows him to react right before any disadvantageous changes.
"Alright! Those departing to Guilin Capital, come to my side!" a different corporation employee leads them this time. In total, there are twenty-five miners this time for the Guilin Capital Operation. Divided into two launching shuttle, Chen Fan is assigned for a seat on the second shuttle.
After having the same briefing like his first time, Chen Fan went into the shuttle and awaits for their departure. The only differences this time is they're not restricted on a return period. This condition itself told him that he might be one of the mass numbers of miners exploring that area.
Because each capital in Old China can be said to be fit for half a billion residents, the Guilin Capital is no different. While the first shuttle is coordinated to drop their passengers in Lingchuan District, Chen Fan's shuttle will drop the at Qixiang District.
One at the Northern section of Guilin, another on the eastern side.
The trip takes a short thirty-five minutes to enter the atmosphere and pod launches. Accurately forty-minutes from departure, Chen Fan entered the city area, landed on top of the Wanda Plaza.
As his landing spot can be said as safe but inconvenience, Chen Fan hastened his steps and went down from the building before he stands in the middle of the street.
At the same time, Wanli gave him two vibration pulses.
[Three Miner's devices spotted at 16km, 18km, and 19km away from the user. Advice caution. The device recording stated the third miner 19km away from the user have a mild tendency for aggression]
[Scanner found a hint of Cultist Crystal Shards east from the user's direction. System advise the user to approach this location for collection, but practice caution for threat above 7points]
"As I expect. Wanli Support System is much better than the two other options." Chen Fan is delighted when he notices how good can his new handheld device operates in stress.
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[Toot!]
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[Green-Type Alternative Crystal Grain spotted in user's inventory. Caution advised!]
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[Searching for explanation data. Data found. Reporting]
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[Green-Type Alternative Crystal]
[Information: This crystal comes in three different variants. Grain/liquid/metal. Every ten units of a variant can be made into a specialized crystal used to attract great numbers of Mutated Alternative]
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"Holy Shit! I'm actually holding a dangerous thing like this in my bag. I'll throw this thing away before it caused my death." Chen Fan opened his backpack and searched for the grain. But before he found it, another pulse came from Wanli.
[Unless processed, the Green-Type Alternative Crystal will not carry any further function. The user is advised to keep possession of them separately and use in life and death situation. Continent Information Library stated this material as consumables]
"Now you want me to keep it. Wanli, Wanli, don't make me confused next time, ok?" Chen Fan smiled and put that grain inside a side pocket this time.
[Toot... Toot... Toot...]
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[Wanli will be better]
"Huh? Did this system develop with a different AI coding? She can actually think on her own for a reply." Chen Fan revealed a puzzled look but did not go deeper into this matter. Decided to follow Wanli's advise, Chen Fan headed to his east with his rifle's safety pin is off.
As Wanli advised him to practice caution equivalent to level 7, this made his traveling smoother. A Cultist Stonecrawler came from the second level of a building for a surprise attack, but how could it be smarter than Wanli with her sonar scanner ability?
The moment this Cultist Stonecrawler crashes through the window, Chen Fan already prepared to empty his magazine on the monster. As the rifle wasn't an automatic version, he fired the bullet one click after another with his best aim.
"Poof!" the bulge the Puppeteer hides inside exploded. Juices of a dead mutated monster flow as the Cultist Stonecrawler crumbled. While it wasn't advisable to empty a magazine on a useless monster like this, nothing is more important than keeping his own life.
Chen Fan processed the remains without trouble. Through the Rank 2 Processor Cube, the process is shortened by more than a minute. Such kill and move stance continued until he's ten meters away from the reported Cultist Crystal Shard's location.
It was actually inside an abandoned grocery store. Carefully, Chen Fan steps inside the store discreetly.
[Stack of glasses on the user's left. Practice caution]
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[Heavy debris two steps to the right. Practice caution]
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[Spotted a bunch of electronics. Please salvage]
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[We're fifteen steps to the store's inventory area. From Wanli's scanner, the door is magnetically locked. There are a 65% chances this lock operates with electricity, and 35% using high-quality neodymium magnets]
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Chen Fan smiled. Wanli's scanner and calculation are based on her system's information. As the armory staff knows that Chen Fan will join the Guilin Capital Operation, he'd downloaded all the data into the Wanli Support System in case it was needed.
Furthermore, Wanli's reply did not come from data alone, but also through the condition and practicality of the building itself. The chances of using an electric magnet lock are higher than pure neodymium lock.
"Let's see. Yup! It's an electric magnet lock. Without electricity supply, this lock is nothing more than a doorstopper." Chen Fan lightly pushes the door open and accessed their inventory area.
After twelve centuries of abandonment, everything left in this building is no longer usable. Except for something like batteries rich with a metal source, chemically made things like soap, detergent powder, baking soda, there's nothing else worth taking.
But after going through another door, Chen Fan found what he's here for.
It was the door to their delivery area. It was barely illuminated by lights from outside, and on all its walls are corpses and leftover remain belonged to the Cultist Stonewaller.
Looks like Chen Fan just delivered himself into the changing nest belonged to the Puppeteers. Inside this delivery area alone, there are more than enough material for a hundred puppeteers to made their body here!
"Jackpot!"
"Instead of stumbling into a wolf den, I'm inside a F**king treasure trove!"