Chapter 227: Future Market (10)

Meanwhile, Topa and Shiwalo over there.

Topa was taken to an open area, a huge venue where only a few lights barely provided visibility.

"I never expected it to be here… but I haven't seen any mechs or weapons? All around are solid mountain rocks—could it be that…"

"Exactly. Those weapons are hidden within the towering cliffs," Shiwalo affirmed Topa's thought.

"No wonder! No wonder we can't find any so‑called armories anywhere—" Topa suddenly recalled something, snapped his head up, "Wait! You just said these weapons have always been hidden here? So when the Yalilo‑VI builders fought the legion, they never used these weapons at all?"

"These mecha have never left this place since they were built. When the corporation evacuated the planet over seven hundred years ago, no one has known how to activate these weapons since."

"According to the design schematics left by the corporation, the builders created the first batch of replica mecha. Yet in the resistance led by Alisa Land, the main force remained flesh‑and‑blood humans."

"…Oh, I see. The legends of this world are becoming ever more fascinating."

——

Demon Slayer.

"Huh? The corporation is being way unfair, aren't they? They don't even tell the Beloberg people how to activate the mecha?"

Busi Chuan Shimi, just by imagining it, was already getting angry, feeling like they spent a fortune to forge a Sun‑Blade for killing demons, only to be told the blade can be looked at but not used, that demon‑killing must be done with fists, yet the money still has to be paid.

"In this case, shouldn't the corporation's debt also be reduced?"

Hudie Ren also thought this was terribly unfair; for the Beloberg people, it's as if both money and lives were spent, and the juniors unknowingly have to bear seven hundred years of interest, maximizing the loss.

"Reduce what? Ren, can you still not see the corporation's true face at this point?" Busi Chuan Shimi sneered, "All the corporation cares about is money and that… Amber King, and beyond that they're no different from the man‑eating demons."

"The demon kills your flesh, but the corporation wants to squeeze every ounce of value from you; these bastards don't care about 'sacrifice' or 'resistance,' they only care about money. They love to bully people under the rules they set, relying on their big fists."

"..."

Hudie Ren lowered her head silently; at first she had thought that if the corporation ever expanded to Earth, its technology could help eradicate demons completely… but now she realized she had ignored a crucial question from the start—what is the price?

The corporation's oppression is probably scarier than the demons, right? They have no fangs, yet they invisibly display their "fangs." Facing fellow humans, Ren feels utterly powerless.

——

"After speaking, Shiwalo posed a question to Topa: 'If the corporation never intervened, this world would head for ruin—do you firmly believe this conclusion?'"

"..." Topa lowered his head, thought for a moment, then nodded, "I believe."

"Before coming here, I examined countless cases and reached a unanimous conclusion: any world that has been invaded by a Star Core ultimately cannot escape the fate of annihilation."

"Even with the aid of the Star Dome Train, even if everything seems to improve on the surface… these are merely temporary breathing windows."

"Long‑term crises usually lurk beneath the surface of prosperity, and ordinary people have no way to detect them."

Shiwalo nodded, "Understood."

"Understood? That's it? Aren't you going to voice your own opinion?" Topa's tone hinted at a faint expectation.

"Shiwalo said it does have some opinions that differ sharply from Topa's, but that doesn't matter. It is merely a tool, not a decision‑maker; it only wants to confirm whether Topa's answer is sincere."

——

The Burial of Fleurine.

"…Extinction, haha, it seems this little girl didn't consult the Luofu Xianzhou case."

Saili Ai's fingertips lightly tapped the throne's armrest, nails striking marble with a crisp sound: "The Xianzhou coexists with 'Calamity' civilization; over long ages, they have likely become accustomed to crises of the Star Core level."

"Luofu's Star Core eruption— the real killing move isn't the Star Core but Huanlong… a single Star Core can't stir much trouble for the Secret Medicine King's legacy."

"But Lord Saili Ai…" Jian Ze suddenly said from beside, "Because of this, Luofu Xianzhou has completely offended Huanlong, has offended the Destruction Force; in the long run, this is also a massive hidden crisis, right?"

"If in the future that Extinction Sovereign returns and teams up with the Abundant People, then perhaps…"

Now Luofu has just emerged from the crisis; the surface appears calm, but because the Destruction and Abundant People forces are eyeing each other, it matches Topa's description of a 'long‑term crisis.'

"Hmph, then there's even less reason for anyone to worry. The Star Dome Train won't stand by idly; if Luofu is in trouble, the other Xianzhou won't remain indifferent. And Aili O of the Star Core Hunters, as the mastermind of the whole scheme, has a vision farther than anyone's; if Luofu truly has a problem, it will be pre‑arranged."

——

After Topa left Rivet Town, her whereabouts were unknown; she deployed many subordinates to occupy the place and conduct asset appraisal.

Jizi suggested avoiding direct conflict with the corporation's people, and Jiepa De strongly approved; he decided to deploy a covert‑explosion mecha that would silently stun a batch of the corporation's personnel.

The mecha worked excellently; soon everyone arrived at a high platform and met Shiwalo.

It did not clash with the corporation's people and informed everyone that Topa was ahead. Regarding Topa's viewpoint, it also reported faithfully: "From her perspective, integrating the Beloberg into the corporation is the only path of Preservation. I hold a different view, but with current computational power it's hard to find evidence to refute it."

Nevertheless, Shiwalo still hopes both sides can avoid armed conflict as much as possible.

"Of course, the Train Group never advocates conflict, but once the situation quickly escalates to blades and spears clashing, we never flinch. We've come this way all the way, haven't we?" Jizi said with a faint smile.

The group rode the elevator to the nearest plaza, where Topa had been waiting there for them for a long time.

"Finally you're here~ I thought you might not make it in time," Topa turned around, looked at the three approaching, let out a curious "huh," and said, "San Yue Xiaojie's lady beside her… looks somehow familiar?"