Chapter 90: Thorns of Reconstruction

The fall of Ark Headquarters and the purification of the source of the Chaos Whisper were like a massive bomb dropped on the dead‑silent wasteland. The chain reaction it triggered far exceeded Chen Mo's original expectations.

The Echo organization's reputation was unrivaled, and hundreds to thousands of survivors streamed in from all directions to Ark Headquarters—now renamed the New Hope fortress—every day. They came with the relief of having survived the raid, and with urgent needs for food, shelter, and safety.

Running a forward base called Pure Land and running a massive military‑technology hub that originally belonged to hostile forces are completely different concepts. Chen Mo and his core team were instantly overwhelmed by a flood of tasks.

"Boss! The allocation in Warehouse Zone 3 is fighting again! Those former Ark logistics officers insist on distributing according to the old grades, while the new survivor representatives refuse, calling it discrimination!" Kaiwen, with two dark circles under his eyes, reported hoarsely, as dozens of communication request windows flickered on the console before him.

"The eastern defensive works need at least three hundred laborers! Yet everyone is crowding the core area's porridge tents!" Han Qing's concern was more practical; the defense he was responsible for was under huge pressure. Though the Ark fell, the scattered soldiers and opportunistic bandits remained a threat.

"The medical zone is overcrowded, medicines are severely scarce, especially anti‑radiation drugs. Moreover… a new feverish illness has emerged, highly contagious." Su Yu pressed her brows; her True Knowledge Vision could clearly see the intertwined anxiety, hope, and sickness among the crowd, leaving her mentally exhausted.

Even the most impatient of the petty‑task handlers, Zhang Yang, was forced to bring his band of killers to keep order, spending the whole day shouting at people fighting over a stall or half a compressed biscuit until his throat smoked: "Everyone line up, damn it! If anyone cuts in line I'll hang them on the wall as a weather‑vane!"

Wang Hu became the "Ultimate Arbiter"; when he arrived at a dispute scene, he often needed no words—his oppressive aura and axe‑like war‑blade acted like a door, forcing both sides to "calm down" and negotiate.

Chen Mo sat in the central command room, feeling as if he were playing a hundred games of chess at once, each with rules that kept changing. Only by relying on the subtle connection to the planet's order he gained after purifying the Abyss Echo, and his preliminary reading of the Luo Ya civilization's management database, could he barely keep the overall situation from collapsing.

"Order… is not just simple commands and allocations," Chen Mo told the companions gathered around him, his voice weary yet steady. "It needs rules, it needs fairness, and it needs hope. We must not become a second Ark."

He issued a series of orders:

"Kaiwen, prioritize restoring basic production and the clean‑water system, and activate the civilian‑technology blueprints in the Ark database, especially those related to agriculture and medicine."

"Han Qing, issue a recruitment order, form a new defense legion and an engineering construction corps, allocate by labor, and extend the contribution‑point system here as well."

"Su Yu, concentrate medical resources, prioritize containing the epidemic, and also form a psychological counseling team to soothe the populace."

"Zhang Yang, transform your unit into a military police force, strictly enforce the newly issued 'New Hope Basic Management Regulations,' but remember, law enforcement's purpose is to maintain order, not to sow fear."

"Wang Hu, lead a team dedicated to mediating major disputes; the principle is fairness, the bottom line is a ban on private fights."

Orders were issued one after another, and the chaotic situation began to be untangled bit by bit. Yet everyone knew this was only the beginning.

What truly proved thorny for Chen Mo was dealing with the Ark's leftover "heritage."

Ark Headquarters was not only a military fortress but also a massive technological vault. The most sensitive items were the sealed remnants and research data on genetic modification, mind‑uploading, and the… "Prometheus" equipment.

The "Evolution Faction" suffered heavy losses in the internal strife, yet its core researchers and a wealth of experimental data were retained. These people were kept under watch, and their knowledge and abilities are crucial to rebuilding civilization, though they also conceal huge risks.

That day, a meeting on how to handle these "heritage" items sparked fierce debate in the command room.

"It must be destroyed completely!" Hui Jin's voice came through the communicator, resolute. "The tragedy of the 'Prometheus' is still before our eyes! These technologies that try to alter the very source of life and play God are shortcuts to annihilation! Pure Fire doctrine tells us that only by embracing life's own form can we find true purity!"

He voiced the view of a sizable portion of former Pure Fire Cultists and conservative survivors, harboring deep wariness toward any 'unnatural' technology.

"Old man Hui Jin, you're being extreme!" Kaiwen retorted immediately, his eyes shining as he stared at the tech catalogues. "These are treasures! Genetic modification can breed crops that thrive in high‑radiation environments! Mind‑uploading… okay, that's a bit speculative, but the related brain‑machine interfaces could treat nerve damage! Even the principle of 'Prometheus,' if we strip away the Chaos contamination, is a powerful energy‑directed transmission and matter‑reconstruction technology! It could be used to quickly cleanse radiation and restore the environment!"

He represented the tech‑optimist camp, believing that tools are innocent and the key lies with the user.

"Kaiwen makes a good point, but we can't be unguarded," Han Qing said cautiously. "These technologies are too powerful; misuse would have unimaginable consequences. I propose establishing a strict oversight Committee, with all related research conducted under absolute control and supervision."

"Oversight? Who would oversee? Ourselves?" Su Yu asked anxiously. "We haven't even solved the most basic livelihood issues; do we have the capacity to control power of this magnitude? I think we should seal it for now and reconsider once our society is more stable and our systems more refined."

Zhang Yang's head was pounding, and he slammed the table: "What's all the fuss! If I may say, use what's useful, discard what's dangerous! So simple!"

Wang Hu concluded: "I'll follow the leader."

All eyes turned to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo remained silent, his fingers lightly tapping the table, as images of the Luo Ya civilization's choices when facing Chaos flashed in his mind, the split between Judges and Recorders, and the human‑heart power he sensed within the Abyss Echo.

"Technology itself is indeed neutral," Chen Mo began slowly, "'Prometheus' can be a tool of destruction or a weapon for reconstruction. The key lies in what 'will' drives it."

He looked at the crowd: "We overthrew the Ark not because they possessed powerful technology, but because they used that technology to carry out a cold 'Purification,' crushing humanity and diversity. If we wholly reject technology out of fear, how is that any different from the Ark's extreme purification? It would also be a form of 'disorder.'"

"But we must never repeat the same mistakes," he continued, "Han Qing's proposal is sound: establish a Supreme Scientific and Technological Ethics Committee composed of our core members, experts from all fields, and public representatives. All research and application of sensitive technologies must undergo strict Committee review to ensure the purpose is survival and development, the welfare of the majority, and to set up multiple safeguards and self‑destruct mechanisms."

He finally ruled: "Temporarily seal all research on mind‑uploading and large‑scale genetic modification (non‑therapeutic). Prioritize unlocking and developing environmental restoration, agricultural yield increase, and medical technology. Conduct harmless treatment and basic principle study of the 'Prometheus' wreckage, but its energy core and main control unit shall remain indefinitely sealed until an absolutely safe control method is found."

The decision balanced risk and development, temporarily quieting internal disputes. Yet Chen Mo knew that the balance between technology and ethics would remain a long‑term challenge.

Just as the New Hope fortress lay in a state of half‑finished reconstruction, its interior busy with sorting and building, the external shadows had not receded.

Han Qing's reconnaissance unit reported traces of non‑Ark, non‑bandit scouting units in the ruins surrounding the fortress. They were extremely covert, moved swiftly, striking and disappearing, apparently gathering intelligence on the fortress's defenses and internal situation.

"Are those the 'Observers'?" Su Yu guessed.

"Not really." Han Qing shook his head. "The Observers' style is more… transcendent. These guys show clear military‑infiltration traits. Moreover, I once picked up a faint communication signal; its encryption was ancient yet sophisticated, unlike anything found on the wasteland."

A new threat loomed, half‑visible.

At the same time, an unexpected group of visitors arrived outside the gates of the New Hope fortress.

They numbered about fifty, ragged in clothing, gaunt, yet their eyes were unusually resolute, the formation strictly disciplined. Leading them was an old soldier missing an arm, his weathered face hard and determined.

They claimed to come from the 'Iron Anvil' camp, a large survivor settlement that had struggled for over a decade in a fringe area far from Ark influence.

"We have heard the tales of the Echo, heard that you defeated the Ark and purified its source," the one‑armed veteran, calling himself Makusi, told Chen Mo and Su Yu, his voice hoarse yet strong. "We are not here to beg for charity. We bring the technology we have accumulated—a blueprint for an efficient water‑purification and circulation system—and… a warning."

"A warning?" Chen Mo felt a stir in his heart.

"Yes." Makusi's expression hardened. "On the way here we encountered a strange squad. They were well‑equipped, well‑trained, but they used not energy weapons but some kind of… bioweapon. They captured several of our outer‑ring members; we fought for our lives to break through."

"Bioweapon?" Kaiwen asked curiously. "What does it look…?"

"It's like… a living weapon." Makusi's eyes flickered with a shiver. "Their firearms spray corrosive slime, their armor self‑repairs… they call themselves… the 'Reapers.'"

Reapers!

Another unfamiliar name!

"They said the world's 'cleansing' is about to begin, the old order has already collapsed, and a new 'seedbed' needs fertile soil." Makusi repeated those chilling words. "We suspect their target is here, this freshly‑rebuilt 'fertile soil.'"

The command room fell silent.

Having just resolved internal disputes and the Ark's leftover issues, a new, seemingly more bizarre external threat was already closing in.

"Thank you for the information and warning, Makusi." Chen Mo said solemnly. "The technology and personnel from the Iron Anvil camp are exactly what we need."

After seeing Makusi off, Chen Mo looked at the lights gradually brightening outside the window, the hopeful glow that survivors had kindled in the new home.

Reclaiming the world does not merely mean defeating the old enemies.

It also means protecting this hard‑won glimmer, fending off assaults from unknown darkness.

"Reapers…" Chen Mo whispered, the name repeating, his gaze sharpening.

It seems the thorns on the road to reconstruction are far more numerous than imagined.