Chapter 421
Chapter 421
During the last several days, Catalina had significantly upgraded her stronghold. Every single automated turret lining its perimeter and guarding the base had been upgraded to Rank V, which was currently the highest tier available.
Later on, the System would likely elevate their region, the city they all resided in, to the next stage, a shift that essentially meant a harsher level of difficulty. It had happened once before, and it would surely occur again. Only then would possibly more advanced ranks be introduced. But for now, Rank V was the maximum tier survivors could upgrade their equipment to, marking the upper limit of human engineering.
The same restrictions applied to him, of course. While each of his lairs could be upgraded to Rank X, raising the Mana Cores from one rank to the next simply unlocked new structures for him to build. However, as for him, he could currently evolve to a maximum of Rank V, a peak he had yet to reach.
As Jake jogged through the expanse of Base Catalina, his keen gaze swept over its new defenses, noticing that upgrading all the turrets to their final rank wasn’t the only improvement the survivors had made. Above, a fleet of drones drifted through the air, their vigilant sensors scanning far beyond the base’s borders. Down at the motor pool, rows of towering mechs stood in disciplined formation, each one refined to Rank V. The mechs varied in size, armament, and specialized equipment.
Apparently, every model was specifically engineered for a distinct role in combat. Even without checking their rank and stats, their appearance alone made it clear they were powerful combat machines, far superior to the mech Miller had piloted when Jake encountered him upon emerging from the dungeon, and even to the mechs his arachnids had destroyed in the mines of Los Demonios’ main base. Their very presence radiated power.
Each mech model differed in appearance from the others. One towered above the rest, broad, reinforced, and sturdy. It exuded an unshakable might, and it was likely that even a freight train impact would barely cause it to bulge. Another was compact and streamlined, its polished frame sporting a thruster unit mounted on the back, likely allowing it to perform high jumps or even temporarily levitate.
Then there was a mech that abandoned humanoid design entirely, taking on the form of an immense mechanical spider. The segmented legs were fitted with suction-pad devices, which allowed it to scale vertical surfaces. The spider-like mech was sleek and appeared highly agile, likely designed for speed and maneuverability, a mechanical predator built for swift strikes.
There were several different models, over two dozen mechs in total, with even more in continuous development. Throughout the facility, various machines were constantly producing different mech components before passing them off to specialized assembly units.
By that point, every machine and contraption in the base had been upgraded to the final Rank V. Apparently, with Los Demonios gone, the team could fully focus on development without the distractions of fighting enemies. Freed from the bandit threat, the team could pour all their energy into innovation.
Although all the mechs were large, each was designed to accommodate only a single pilot. It seemed Catalina’s team had either never invented mechs capable of carrying additional passengers or simply hadn’t bothered to create larger models for whatever reason.
Jake couldn’t help but wonder how difficult those mechs would be to defeat in battle if he ever found himself in conflict with humans. All of the mechs had been upgraded to the final Rank V, but so had every creature type he had created so far. In truth, he was somewhat eager to see his creatures pitted against the mechs, if only to discover the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, showing him exactly how his monstrosities measured up against the mechanical titans. Such a clash would highlight flaws of his creations, guiding him in crafting new predators specifically tailored to dispatch different models of mechs.
Sure enough, he was already aware of all those developments, as his invisible lurkers always clung to the walls of human strongholds, monitoring everything occurring inside. However, this was the very first time he had witnessed these new advancements with his own eyes. The level humans had achieved was undeniably impressive. Still, it was interesting that despite all this progress, humanity had yet to invent anything capable of inflicting permanent damage on the Ravage Contamination. The same, of course, applied to him.
Catalina stood at the HQ’s entrance, having stepped outside moments after catching sight of his obsidian-like form vaulting effortlessly over the perimeter walls on a security monitor.
“Jake,” she greeted warmly as he stopped in front of her. “It’s been a while. How have you been?”
Despite her friendly words, however, he couldn’t help but notice the slight wince that flickered across her face as he trotted up to her, coming to a gentle stop in front of her. It was understandable. He was well aware of how horrifying his appearance was. Even though she had interacted with him numerous times in the past, it was clear she still hadn’t fully accustomed herself to the sight of him.
And truly, he couldn’t blame her. His elongated snout bristling with jagged, razor-edged teeth and large, unblinking blue eyes that betrayed no hint of emotion made it impossible to discern what he might be thinking, his thoughts locked away behind a predator’s stare. At first glance, anyone would assume he was a fully fledged, mindless monster, driven solely by the instinct to kill.
And their first impression wouldn’t be far from the truth.
In his peripheral vision, he could see that all the survivors had paused whatever they had been doing before his arrival. They now watched him intently, their eyes wide with a mixture of fear and awe. Their hands gripped their weapons with white-knuckled intensity, betraying their nervousness despite knowing he posed no threat to them. The tension in the air was palpable, each person holding their breath, ready for any sudden movement from the creature before them.
From his inventory, Jake produced his electrolarynx and pressed the device against his mandible.
“Heard you wanted to see me,” he said, getting straight to the point.
“Yes,” she said with a small nod, a hint of the tightness in her shoulders melting away. His voice served as a reminder that beneath the monstrous exterior of the figure standing before her still lingered a fragment of the human he had once been. “I need your help with something.”
Jake’s eyes locked on hers as he asked, “What sort of help?”
The thought crossed his mind to use Mind Reader on her. However, this ability couldn’t pluck thoughts directly from someone’s mind, only replay fragments of their recent memories. Digging through those would take more time than he cared to spend, so he dismissed the idea almost immediately.
“We’ve discovered the city Los Demonios originated from,” Catalina announced. “And I intend to pay it a visit.”
“What for?” Jake asked, tilting his head slightly.
“I think I should start from the very beginning. Let’s come inside.”
Before moving, however, Catalina glanced past Jake at her people, who were still watching them. Her voice rose, clear and commanding yet warm. “Relax, y’all. Everything’s fine. Jake’s a friend. You’ve got nothing to worry about. Get back to your duties.”
Her attention shifted back to Jake. She gave him a faint gentle smile before turning toward the HQ. Without a single word, he fell into step behind her and followed her inside the building.