Chapter 209: The Notification
Kai tilted his head in confusion before repeating his words.
"The Virgo Faction? What about them?"
Cornelio’s earlier statement echoed in his mind. He had said that as long as Survivors reached Level 30 and joined any faction or became part of the allied forces, it would be fine. But now, he was singling out one faction in particular.
Cornelio hesitated and his expression darkened.
He then took a deep breath before answering.
"The Virgo Faction... they’re not like the others. On the surface, they fight against Anima just as we do. They recruit Survivors, they build defenses, they even contribute to the allied forces. But the truth is, they’ve gone too far with their Gene Enhancements. Their obsession with power has pushed them beyond the limits of humanity."
Kai frowned, listening carefully.
Cornelio continued...
"Most factions use Gene Enhancement Serums sparingly, balancing strength with the risk of losing control. But Virgo? They embrace extreme body modification. They alter themselves until they’re barely recognizable as human. Their soldiers are covered in grafted armor plates, they could have added limbs, even monstrous-like body parts..."
He couldn’t help but sigh while recalling something.
"Some even replace their organs with synthetic cores. They call it evolution... but to me, it’s mutilation."
The survivors behind Kai shifted uneasily as they started whispering among themselves.
Cornelio’s gaze hardened.
"I’ve seen their warriors... Many of them had four arms grafted onto their bodies, each capable of wielding a weapon. Another squad had eyes replaced with mechanical lenses... And no, these aren’t just replacing human parts, even those perfectly working body parts would be removed. If you’re under their Faction, even your body might not be yours anymore."
"I will keep that in mind, Sir Cornelio." Kai muttered. To be honest, he couldn’t really blame the Virgo Faction. After all, the world had already changed after the Anima Civilization took over.
If the only sure-fire method to eliminate the higher-ranking A.I. Units was the modification, then it wouldn’t be surprising if many people would just follow this Faction.
This would be especially true if the modification expenses were covered by the Faction as well.
"Once again, don’t abandon your humanity just yet. You can become strong quickly with the permanent modifications... but they’ve sacrificed everything for it. Your growth potential will also be limited. And once you lose your identity as a human, just what separates you from the machines we’re fighting?"
Kai’s grip tightened on the token. He understood now why Cornelio’s warning carried such weight.
Still, he wasn’t against the Body Modifications at all. After all, it could be very useful for the Survivors who had lost their limbs or got injured while fighting the Army.
"I guess you really don’t like their principles, huh..." Kai muttered as Cornelio continued badmouthing the Faction.
Cornelio sighed and nodded.
"Virgo claims their methods are necessary to survive. They say the A.I. Civilization will eventually overwhelm us unless we adapt. But their path leads to ruin.... Their soldiers are could become unstable and their minds fractured. Some have turned violent against their own allies. And worst of all, they don’t care. As long as they gain strength, they’ll keep pushing further, no matter the cost."
Kai exhaled slowly, his thoughts racing.
Cornelio’s voice softened, but his words were firm. "If you join Virgo, you’ll be dragged into their madness. This is my advice for your sake, and for the sake of your people."
Kai nodded firmly. "Understood. I’ll remember your warning."
Cornelio’s expression eased slightly, though the seriousness in his eyes remained.
"Good. Then I’ll see you in Cameron. And when you arrive, you’ll understand why this warning matters."
With that, Cornelio turned away, leaving Kai and the survivors with both a gift and a caution that could shape their future.
***
Soon, the fifth day finally arrived, marking the last date of the Global Event.
From the moment dawn broke, the Freedom Shelter was swarmed.
Whom~
Drones buzzed overhead with their scanners flashing red as they searched for openings of their building...
Swarmers, the insect‑like flying machines, poured in from every direction, breaking and cutting through their barricade...
Thankfully, the Portable Disruptor Field Devices Kai had prepared were effective.
Each device emitted a pulse that scrambled the drones’ signals, preventing many of them from calling for reinforcements and disrupting their movements, essentially making them easy targets...
Soon, the Survivors stopped hiding!
"Hold steady! This is the last day. We can win this!"
For days, he had restricted the use of their heavier weapons since he was avoiding unnecessary risks. But now, with the final assault upon them, he finally gave the order.
"Deploy the grenade launchers!"
The survivors cheered as the long‑awaited weapons were brought forward.
The grenade launchers, part of Kai’s Weapon Gift pack, were equipped with smoke rounds and fragmentation rounds.
The smoke rounds were immediately put to use, blanketing the battlefield in thick cover that disrupted the drones’ targeting systems.
The fragmentation rounds, however, were withheld. Kai knew they were too dangerous against flying enemies, the shrapnel could easily ricochet and harm his own people.
Still, it didn’t take long before they were put to use as Hounds started coming from all directions!
The battle raged on, and then the ground trembled as new enemies arrived.
Hunter Units emerged from the smoke...
They still had bladed hands and two mechanical tentacles on their backs...
"Grenade launchers! Target the Hunters!" Kai shouted...
The survivors obeyed instantly. Smoke rounds burst around the Hunters, disorienting them, while fragmentation grenades followed, detonating with thunderous force!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The explosions tore through their armored frames, shredding their tentacles and destabilizing their balance.
One by one, the Hunters collapsed, their mechanical shrieks drowned out by the roar of battle.
Just like that, on the final day of the event, numerous Drones, Hounds, Swarmers, and Hunter Units came to attack their shelter.
Thankfully, there were no longer Dominion or Impulse Ships being deployed...
"Use everything! Destroy them all!"
Several hours passed, and soon, the notification that everyone was waiting for finally arrived.
[ Congratulations! You have endured and survived the Global Event: Surveillance Sweep! ]