Chapter 474: Advance Base Machine Service 'Self' Manufacturing

The sky was dim.

The orange-yellow sunset shone through the polluted clouds, a sparse scattering over a vast desert.

The yellowish hue of drought and lifelessness dominated, the city lay buried, and underground networks like subways, sewage ducts, and vehicle garages likewise lay paralyzed, never to see daylight.

However, a subway tunnel at the city's southernmost point, under the covert operation and management of the local surviving troops, became the area's sole "utopia," a refuge for over forty thousand people to hide and live.

Initially, the troops carried ample living supplies.

But as time passed, the surviving troops had to organize scavenger squads, using the underground network to infiltrate beneath the city, then attempt to reach the surface through the yellow sands to scavenge the scarce canned food and bottled water.

Yet when the scavengers could no longer retrieve anything useful, the refuge was already doomed; even without the Doom Demon's arrival, it would soon "self-collapse".

However, when the scavenger team unintentionally rescued the daughter of Zeus and Hippolyta from the third floor of a city building, and then a Space Gate linking two universes appeared above the refuge, it unexpectedly altered the fate of doom.

Now.

Centered on the Space Gate, the Advance Base, covering an area equal to twenty stadiums, rose to stand firm in the wasteland thanks to the technology of the main universe.

Office zones, barracks dormitories, mess halls, water stations, airport warehouses—all kinds of living and military facilities were complete.

Inside the base, numerous ground armored vehicles, armed boats, and transport aircraft were docked.

Like the fourteen Mammoth Armored Fortresses capable of overcoming any extreme environment—able to traverse sand as if on flat ground even under immense weight—these carried the 13th Battalion HQ, over a hundred elite terminators and a company champion from the 1st Company, plus over three thousand auxiliary troops of the 1st Assault Regiment attached to the HQ, each heading toward other cities to rescue as many fellow citizens of Lingqi Earth as possible.

Armored transport vehicles and siege tanks employing hover technology likewise followed the path‑clearing Mammoths, forming a mighty ground convoy.

An aviation squadron of assault craft, transport aircraft, and airborne gunboats accompanied the convoy, providing fire support and reconnaissance early warning.

One cannot say that the mobilized 13th Battalion could rescue all of Lingqi Earth's humanity, but at least, refugees near the Space Gate and those inside the refuge would have a chance at salvation.

There is a chance…

This is because the 1st Company cannot yet determine how many Doom Demons lurk nearby.

Even if they were human traitors or demons forged by brutal means to transform humans, against any veteran or auxiliary force they would still be utterly overwhelmed.

Now.

Pulling the "view" closer to the east side of the Advance Base,

One sees neatly arranged, clean‑painted, well‑lit three‑story "simple" barracks here.

Judging by the specifications alone, it's clear these barracks are intended for auxiliary personnel and normal‑sized crew, logistics, or medical staff.

As for technicians and engineers whose bodies are almost fully prosthetic, they each have their own dedicated quarters.

Perhaps these mechanized folks prefer to stay inside transport aircraft, transport vehicles, or laboratories, working around the clock.

Anyway, being highly mechanized, they might not need sleep at all.

However, the first occupants to move into the barracks area were not the 13th Battalion's auxiliary staff, but over forty thousand survivors of the refuge.

Moreover, since more survivors may move in soon, the Engineering Department continues to expand the barracks area.

At this moment…

"Mom~ Is this hot water? It feels so nice… Lying in it is truly warm—I'm never cold again."

"Hehe, yes."

In a standard double‑occupant living room, one can clearly hear the mother and daughter's warm conversation while bathing together in the washroom, and faintly hear the "splash~ splash~" of water spilling from the tub.

Carefully observing this modest yet exquisite living room, there is a sofa that looks very comfortable at a glance, a coffee table "floating" with a holographic control panel, and it also lets residents switch programs for viewing, adjust air‑conditioner temperature, air‑filter devices, and so on.

Moreover, the living room's northernmost side connects to an outdoor balcony…

Although called "simple" barracks, the "simple" standard is measured against the main universe's military garrisons, permanent bases, or carrier‑class quarters.

No matter how "simple," it is still thousands, even tens of thousands of times more luxurious than the refuge where the mother and daughter lived—let alone a shack with a broken bed and a car door for a gate.

Not long after.

The mother and daughter then dried themselves with towels, put on the prepared white pajamas, left the washroom, and sat down on the sofa.

"Mom!" the girl, her hair still slightly damp, pointed at the holographic control panel above the coffee table and asked, "How do you use this thing?"

"This…" the woman also felt a bit apprehensive.

Lingqi Earth had holographic tech even before the apocalypse, but only big corporations, government, and military used it—she was just an ordinary person.

After observing for a moment, the woman prepared to first try the labeled buttons on the control panel.

?

Suddenly, she noticed among the many virtual buttons one labeled "Order Food".

Out of curiosity, and with the biscuits and water from the aid not having fully relieved their hunger and thirst, the woman unhesitatingly extended her right index finger and lightly pressed the tangible "Order Food" button.

As she acted, a huge holographic screen swooped into view before her and the girl.

"Wow~!"

The girl's face lit up with surprise and excitement—after all, at her age she's interested in everything novel.

Moreover, the screen was piled with a dazzling array of foods and drinks—such as the main universe's best‑selling fried dough cakes, fried dough sticks, baozi, or cheeseburgers—too many to count.

"…"

Even the woman stared blankly.

Mainly because, after two years of underground life filled with fear and hunger, suddenly seeing so many familiar yet unfamiliar items plunged her mind into a kind of "crash".

"I'll eat this… this… and this!"

But the girl, uncaring of what her mother thought, directly tapped "meat bun", "meat patty", and "orange juice" in succession on the screen.

"Hehe."

After being brought back to her senses by her daughter's flurry of operations, the woman merely smiled, gave her daughter's back a light pat, hesitated a moment, then chose a "double‑cheese burger" and an "iced cola".

Now, she just wants to eat what pre‑apocalypse society commonly labeled "junk food".

After finally clicking confirm, the mother and daughter began to study how to watch TV.

"Ding‑dong~."

But before a few minutes had passed, they heard the doorbell ring.

？

So fast?

The woman stood up, doubtful, because before the apocalypse, their country's food delivery service took at least fifty minutes, and at most two or three hours.

Pressing the conspicuous button beside the door caused the door to automatically slide open to the right.

!!

The moment she saw outside the door, she instinctively stepped back a few steps out of fear.

Because standing—no, should say floating—outside the door was a small octopus sentinel belonging to the Engineering Department.

And the sentinel's mechanical tentacles were laden with many disposable food boxes; it, indifferent to the woman's thoughts and gaze, placed one of the boxes inside the room and then drifted off on its own to the next room.

When the door automatically closed and the woman picked up the food box and returned to the sofa, she still hadn't recovered her composure.

Just now…

Isn't that a bit too strange?

"Mom! That scene just now was so cool!"

But the girl, who has lived in the shelter since she gained consciousness, actually thought the delivery guy was too cool.

Actually, that octopus sentinel, which normally specializes in welding, was temporarily pulled in to do food delivery.

If the Advance Base were fully constructed, the Fenris side would dispatch more service-type machines to improve the quality of life for the Astate, auxiliary forces, and all survivors.

Because the human military of the main universe, influenced by the ideology of the Human Sovereign, places the greatest emphasis on logistics and food supply.

Moreover, setting aside the main universe's human military, in civilian life, ever since the Red Queen and White Queen, due to the upgrade of Universe 01 (The Matrix), various machines have begun to flow into society.

Among them, engineering-type machines are used the most widely, with the octopus-type sentinel being a typical example.

Under the supervision of the Human Sovereign and the Red and White Queens, after completely eliminating the possibility of AI rebellion, machines have flourished in every industry.

The most accepted and welcomed by society are service-type robots.

Although UEG law stipulates that many positions can only be held by humans, industries such as food delivery and catering services have no explicit restrictions.

Machines never become outdated or delayed, they are unhindered by wind or rain, can calculate the safest, most reasonable, and quickest routes; machines taking on restaurant service duties are also unemotional, thus avoiding disputes as much as possible.

Of course, many employers still prefer to hire humans, or students for part-time work; these are personal free choices.

Furthermore, certain gray-market service industries have become even more prosperous due to the use of bioproduction technology, prosthetic technology, and low-level intelligence.

Even though officials often organize raids, it usually amounts to fines and detention; most of the time they turn a blind eye to the 'red-light' and 'pink' districts.

There's no way around it, as the saying goes, 'clear water holds no fish.'

But!

The gray zone does not include any prohibited drugs, because such despised and hated underground industries were eradicated by the Human Sovereign upon taking power, using the harshest and most brutal means.

Setting aside users, dealers will definitely be 'regularized' into Umbrella, becoming the most 'crucial' employees—

D-class personnel.

At that moment, glancing at the high-tech items in the living room and watching her daughter open the food box, pulling out steaming, fragrant food, the woman's eyes instantly welled up.

"Awoo… Mom… Mom, it's so delicious~! Hey… why are you crying?"

The girl had just taken a bite of the bun, and when she turned to share, she saw the woman already in tears, leaving her unsure what to do.

"It's fine…" the woman pulled her daughter into an embrace, saying, "Mom is just so happy, because… you can finally have a bright future."

"Huh?" the girl, bewildered, couldn't quite understand the woman's words yet, but she obediently…

"Awoo~!" eating the bun.

———————

…

"You mean…"

At the same time, in an interrogation room of the forward base, Foglrim, seated in a specially sized metal chair, was looking at Diana before him, who had changed into a blue hospital gown and lacked her right arm, questioning:

"Krypton Meteorite can easily pierce the skin of Doom Demons and even kill them, right?"

"Yes." Diana nodded, giving Foglrim an affirmative reply, and continued:

"Not long ago, I led a resistance force of no less than thirty thousand, attempting to raid a laboratory guarded by human traitors and demon-like beings, aiming to seize the Krypton Meteorite inside."

"But…"

As she said this, Diana's expression grew sorrowful, her nasal tone heavy as she said: "But aside from me, everyone… everyone was brutally killed by the two Doom Demons lying in ambush."

"If I had known… I should have been more patient; if I had realized it was a trap, alas… it's too late to say anything now."

Having said that, Diana fell into endless self-blame.

「…」

Out of courtesy, Foglrim did not rush to speak, but first let Diana vent her emotions.

After waiting a moment.

Diana then composed herself, lifted her remaining left hand to wipe her eye corner, and then countered: "I recall you calling yourself the offspring of the Human Sovereign, and there's that Space Gate in the center of the base; if I'm not mistaken…"

you, and your father, should be deities from another universe.

"God?"

Foglrim tried his best to conceal his disdain for gods, not rushing to deny, but said:

"This, someone will come later to explain it to you; also, I'd like to know more about that laboratory, or rather, can you confirm that there truly is a meteorite inside that lab?"

"Certainly." Diana nodded without hesitation, "It's precisely because they used genuine Krypton as bait that I acted impulsively."

"Good, that's enough." Saying that, Foglrim prepared to rise and leave.

Seeing this, Diana hurriedly reminded: "But even if you could successfully seize the Krypton, there's only one; frankly speaking, our previous action was merely seeking a sliver of hope in desperation, or rather, just a impulsive act for revenge, with no chance of winning."

"One is enough."

Having risen from his seat and waiting for the automatic gate to open, Foglrim turned sideways, looking at Diana, who had also risen from her seat and hurried to the gate, and explained:

As long as we obtain the Krypton Meteorite, then let Umbrella's technical personnel conduct analysis, and after obtaining data about Krypton…

Can't say it's infinite, but we can produce enough quantity of Krypton stone to deal with those emotionless guys.

(End of chapter)