Fantasy Game: Infinite City

Holding the little mouse, Han Zu began walking along the passageways between the production lines. He intended to head towards the central area of ​​the space, where the energy fluctuations were strongest, presumably the core of the entire bio-engine. These passageways crisscrossed like city streets, connecting the various production lines and processing plants into a complete network. The width of the passageways varied, with the widest exceeding twenty meters, enough for two giant transport vehicles to pass side by side, while the narrowest was only about one meter wide, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

The passageway was also made of flesh and blood. The floor was a layer of highly elastic muscle tissue; stepping on it would cause a slight indentation, followed by a slow rebound due to the elasticity of the muscles. Footprints left behind would be completely smoothed out by the peristalsis of the tissue within ten seconds, as if no one had ever walked on it. The walls on both sides of the passageway were made of thick skin tissue, covered with a layer of fine, pale yellow fuzz that could absorb impurities from the air, keeping the air inside the passageway relatively clean.

Every five meters along the wall, a small, fleshy tentacle extends, each tipped with a fist-sized orb of light. These orbs, composed of concentrated energy, emit a soft, pale yellow glow, illuminating the path ahead. Their brightness automatically adjusts according to the surrounding light; they dim when other light sources are present and brighten when light is insufficient. The ceiling of the passage is covered with a spiderweb of nerve fibers, so fine they are almost invisible to the naked eye. However, Han Zu can clearly sense the faint electrical currents flowing within them. These fibers form the "information network" of the entire bio-engine, responsible for transmitting status information and control commands from each production line, ensuring the coordinated operation of the entire system.

Along the way, Han Zu saw many different types of production lines, such as one dedicated to manufacturing "sensor nodes." These nodes were spherical, composed of brain tissue and nerve fibers, and covered with sensory tentacles that could monitor surrounding energy fluctuations and structural states in real time. These nodes were installed at key locations on various production lines, like "sensors" for engines. There was also a "defense servant" production line, producing servants that were tall and resembled giant lizards, covered in thick bony armor, and capable of spewing high-temperature liquid from their mouths. They were clearly designed to deal with external intrusions or internal malfunctions. However, this production line was currently in a semi-dormant state, with only a few servants patrolling the sides of the passage. Similarly, these servants remained oblivious to Han Zu's passage.

Transport servants passed by intermittently in the passageway, their massive bodies trembling slightly. Their cargo holds were filled with various basic materials and semi-finished products. When they encountered Han Zu, they automatically detoured around him via the avoidance tracks on either side of the passage, demonstrating a high degree of intelligence. A little mouse perched on Han Zu's wrist, watching these giant servants pass by. Its small body shrank slightly, clearly showing some fear of these enormous creatures, but curiosity quickly overcame its fear. It poked its little head out, watching the servants disappear into the distance, before turning to other production lines to continue observing the novel structures.

The scenery along the way became increasingly complex, and the types of production lines became more diverse. Han Zu's gaze was like a precise scanner, taking in the operational processes and characteristics of each production line. He saw that some production lines had produced creatures that were already taking shape. These creatures had torsos and limbs similar to humans, but their heads lacked facial features. Instead, they had fleshy growths covered with sensory tentacles. These tentacles could sense the surrounding energy fluctuations and environmental changes, and were more sensitive than ordinary facial features. After emerging from their fleshy sacs, they would first receive simple instruction training in a "training area." The training area was covered by a grid of nerve fibers, which transmitted basic action instructions to them, such as how to identify tracks, how to avoid obstacles, and how to perform transport tasks. After ten minutes of training, they would move along specialized fleshy tracks to designated areas, forming neat queues, awaiting further task assignments.

Han Zu noticed that these faceless creatures varied in size and muscle strength, clearly manufactured according to different mission requirements. The taller, more muscular ones were assigned to handling and heavy-duty positions, while the smaller, more agile ones were assigned to precision maintenance and reconnaissance positions. Some production lines produced purely tool-like structures; although these structures lacked autonomous consciousness, they were an indispensable part of the engine's operation.

For example, there is a "telescopic conveyor belt" made of bones and tendons. This conveyor belt can be freely adjusted in length and height as needed, extending up to 100 meters or as short as about one meter. It is very suitable for transporting materials in complex environments. There is also a "buffer pad" made of muscles and cartilage. This buffer pad has excellent elasticity and can withstand the impact of several tons of weight. It is installed in key parts of the production line to prevent products from being damaged when they fall. There is also a "precision cutter" made of sharp bone blades and flexible tentacles. It can cut flesh and blood tissue into various precise shapes according to preset parameters, with an error of no more than one millimeter.

After these tool-like structures are transported to the location requiring replacement by the tentacles, they connect with the original structure through a special "fusion technology." The tentacles secrete a liquid that promotes cell fusion, allowing the new structure to grow rapidly with the old one, forming an organic whole. The entire replacement process is as smooth as assembling a precision instrument, taking no more than five minutes. On a production line specifically designed to manufacture "liquid delivery tubes," Han Zu witnessed an even more refined operational process: First, tiny tentacles weave hollow tendon-like tubes. Then, a leak-proof layer composed of special cells is applied to the inner wall of the tube. Next, a layer of heat-insulating fatty tissue is wrapped around the outer layer of the tube. Finally, energy irradiation fuses the various layers together, forming a complete delivery tube.

These delivery pipes, ranging in diameter from a few centimeters to several meters, are used to transport different types of liquids, such as nutrient solutions, energy slurries, and coolants. Han Zu also discovered an "information transmission line" production line, where "wires" made of nerve fibers are manufactured. These wires can transmit nerve signals at extremely high speeds and are key to connecting control nodes and various production lines, equivalent to the "neural network" of a biological engine. It is thanks to these wires that the various production lines can operate collaboratively and avoid chaos.

The little mouse was completely captivated by these novel things. One moment it would perch on Han Zu's wrist, staring at the faceless creatures lining up for training, its little head turning left and right following their movements, making soft "squeak" sounds as if imitating their rhythm. The next moment it would climb onto Han Zu's shoulder, watching the tentacles constructed from the replacement tools, its little paws waving in the air, mimicking the tentacles' movements. When it saw the tentacles precisely install the cushioning pads, it excitedly clapped its little paws. As they passed a "beehive" manufacturing bone beetles, a newly hatched bone beetle happened to crawl to the edge of the passage. This bone beetle was even smaller than the ones they had seen before, only the size of a fingernail, its body a pale white, and not yet fully hardened.

The little mouse's eyes lit up, its bright black pupils fixed on the small bone beetle. Leaning slightly forward, it suddenly stretched out its paw to touch it, but Han Zu stopped it in time with his finger. It squeaked twice in dissatisfaction, rubbing its little head against Han Zu's finger as if pleading for mercy. Han Zu simply shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the area ahead. He could sense a more complex production line not far ahead, with even stronger energy fluctuations. Although curious, the little mouse knew Han Zu's intention and reluctantly withdrew its paw. Instead, it sniffed the small bone beetle, a faint smell of blood making it wrinkle its nose. The small bone beetle seemed oblivious to the danger, continuing to crawl slowly along the edge of the passage, its antennae twitching as if familiarizing itself with its surroundings.

Just then, a thin transport track passed overhead, carrying a single drop of crystalline nutrient solution. Perhaps due to a minor tear in the track, the solution suddenly dripped down, landing right next to the little bone beetle. The little mouse's attention was immediately drawn to the drop. It licked its lips with its tiny tongue, its eyes filled with longing, but it didn't leave Han Zu's shoulder, simply staring intently at the drop. Han Zu noticed the mouse's reaction, hesitated for a moment, then dipped his fingertip into the nutrient solution and offered it to the mouse's mouth. The little mouse immediately moved closer, quickly licking the solution from Han Zu's fingertip, a satisfied expression on its face. After finishing, it affectionately rubbed against Han Zu's finger, as if expressing gratitude. Han Zu watched the little mouse's actions, his lips twitching slightly. This little creature's vitality was indeed tenacious; even in such a bizarre environment, it could maintain such a strong curiosity and appetite. No wonder it could withstand the evolutionary pressures of its own flesh and blood.

Han Zu didn't stop. He could sense that the core area of ​​this bio-engine should be at the very center of the space, where the energy fluctuations were much stronger than elsewhere. Even from a great distance, he could clearly perceive that the fluctuations carried a pure and powerful life force, completely different from the energy fluctuations of the surrounding production lines. He continued deeper into the passage, where the surrounding production lines became increasingly dense and their structures increasingly massive. Some of the giant flesh-and-blood furnaces even required dozens of tentacles to operate simultaneously to maintain production. The furnaces were over a hundred meters high, like mountains of flesh and blood. Black smoke constantly billowed from the openings at the top of the furnaces, merging with the dark red mist in the air as it rose, forming a peculiar mixed mist.

The molten slurry in the furnace changed color from dark red to a deeper purplish-black, emanating a more intense energy aura. Han Zu could sense that the energy density of this purplish-black slurry was more than ten times that of the ordinary dark red slurry, suggesting it was a high-grade raw material used to manufacture core components. Between these giant furnaces stood an even larger "core creation production line." The main body of this line was a ring-shaped structure composed of hundreds of giant vertebrae and muscle tissue, with a diameter exceeding five hundred meters. Suspended in the center was a gigantic fleshy sac, approximately fifty meters in diameter—a hundred times the size of an ordinary fleshy sac. Its walls were composed of dozens of layers of tough fibers, and its interior was filled with a purplish-black nutrient solution, within which the vague outline of a gigantic creation could be seen writhing.

Han Zu stopped and observed for a long time, discovering that this production line had an extremely long operating cycle. Unlike other production lines that could create a creature in minutes, this one required a long period of cultivation. Around the ring-shaped structure were dozens of small control nodes, each composed of complex brain tissue, its surface covered with shimmering light spots. These nodes seemed to be working collaboratively, jointly regulating the cultivation process of the giant fleshy sac. Above the ring-shaped structure hung a huge silver-white crystal sphere, radiating intense shaping energy. The light focused on the giant fleshy sac, providing the energy needed for the creation inside to take shape. Han Zu could sense that the creation within this giant fleshy sac contained extremely powerful energy, its intensity even surpassing all the creatures and servants he had encountered before; it was likely the "guardian" or "core controller" of the entire bio-engine.

Beside the core creation production line was an "energy conversion production line." This line manufactured a "converter" that could convert bio-energy into electrical energy. The converter, composed of special muscle tissue and crystals, was cylindrical in shape and absorbed bio-energy from the surrounding environment, converting it into electrical energy that could be used by the production line to further supplement the engine's energy supply. As they ventured deeper, Han Zu noticed the surrounding air temperature was rising, and the energy concentration in the air was increasing. He could clearly feel a warm sensation on his skin, and the mist above his head was thickening. The silvery-white light penetrating the mist became softer, casting more dappled shadows on the ground. The little mouse seemed to sense the change in environment as well. It shrank back, burying its head on Han Zu's shoulder, only its bright black eyes peeking out as it curiously observed the giant structures around it.

After penetrating several kilometers, Han Zu encountered a "sorting area" made of flesh and blood. This area, covering more than 10,000 square meters, served as the "logistics hub" of the entire bioengine. All manufactured products had to be sorted here before being sent to designated areas. The ground here was covered with crisscrossing trenches, which resembled a city's traffic network, crisscrossing yet orderly. The trenches ranged in width from tens of centimeters to several meters and were about half a meter deep. The inner walls of the trenches were covered with a smooth mucous membrane, which reduced the resistance when the products moved.

A pale green liquid flowed in the channel, providing a slight buoyancy and propulsion that allowed the product to move smoothly within it. The liquid also contained nutrients that provided temporary energy replenishment. Han Zu dipped his fingertip into the liquid, smelled it, and found no noticeable odor. A cool sensation spread across his fingertip; he could sense a faint life energy within the liquid—weak, but sufficient to sustain the creation's basic activity during transport.

The manufactured products are guided into different channels by specialized "guide tentacles." The tips of these tentacles are equipped with sensors that identify the type and destination of the product based on energy fluctuations on its surface. The products are then precisely pushed into the corresponding channels, allowing them to flow in different directions along the liquid. At the confluence of the channels, "diversion valves" are installed. These valves, composed of muscle and cartilage, automatically open or close according to the type of product, guiding the product to the correct branch channel and preventing confusion.

Above the trenches hangs a network of nerve fibers, approximately five meters high, covering the entire sorting area. The size of the mesh varies depending on the width of the trenches below; wider trenches have larger meshes, while narrower trenches have smaller meshes. These meshes constantly flash with a weak blue electric current. The magnetic field generated by this current scans and sorts the products below, transmitting information to the "control center" in the center of the sorting area—a spherical structure about ten meters in diameter composed of enormous brain tissue, its surface covered with neural pathways connecting all the guide tentacles, diversion valves, and sensor networks in the sorting area. Based on the received information, the control center adjusts the operational status of each component in real time, ensuring the efficiency and accuracy of the sorting process.