Fantasy Game: Infinite City

A chilling wind, carrying the stench of Pljevlja city, swept across Han Zu's face, accompanied by a faint, almost imperceptible, energy tremor. He hovered hundreds of meters below the clouds, his gaze sweeping over the city swallowed by the black markings, his pupils reflecting the mutated creatures continuously emerging from the underground tunnels. These creatures differed slightly from those encountered in the city; their bodies were much larger, a pale blue glow faintly flowing beneath their scales, and their roars were laced with a chaotic, buzzing energy—clearly, they had been deeply altered by the violent energy released from the disintegrating meteorite—and the culprit behind all this was the sudden disintegration force field ray device in the hands of the Griffin Faction soldiers.

Han Zu crossed his arms, his right index finger tapping his biceps, his mind replaying the moment the ray struck the meteorite. The afterimage left by the pale purple ray as it pierced the air, the bizarre disintegration of the meteorite upon contact, and the energy fluctuation far exceeding that of ordinary weapons—all magnified in his memory. "Familiar..." he muttered to himself, his brow furrowed, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his palm—where the lingering warmth of the violent energy he felt when touching the meteorite remained, mixed with an indescribable, peculiar aura belonging to the disintegrating force field ray. This aura wasn't entirely unfamiliar; it was as if, long ago, he had sensed a similar fluctuation in another setting—perhaps during a dangerous mission, or perhaps in some forgotten ancient ruin—but the specific memory was shrouded in a thick fog, blurry and indistinct.

What intrigued him even more was the strange fluctuation mixed within the violent energy at the moment the meteorite disintegrated. It was extremely faint, almost completely masked by the energy torrent of the meteorite's explosion. Had his internal energy not briefly established a connection with the meteorite, and his mental energy not been in a highly concentrated state, he would have been completely unable to detect this anomaly. The fluctuation was neither a characteristic of the meteorite's own energy nor the disintegrating energy of the disintegrating force field rays. Instead, it carried an ancient, silent, and even somewhat cold quality, like some kind of signal that transcended time and space, flashing by in the instant of the energy explosion.

"What... exactly is this fluctuation?" Han Zu's gaze deepened. He could vaguely sense that this fluctuation might be even more crucial than the disintegrating force field ray device, and might even uncover the secrets hidden behind the meteorite. Why did Infinite Corporation seal this meteorite in its underground experimental base back then? From which corner of the universe did this meteorite originate? And is that strange fluctuation related to the meteorite's origin? Countless questions swirled in his mind, and it was clear that he alone could not unravel these mysteries.

Then he remembered Gamma4. As a core member of the contractors, Gamma4 possessed a vast cosmic database, state-of-the-art detection and analysis technologies, and a deep understanding of various cosmic forces and ancient civilizations. Perhaps only Gamma4 could find clues in this contaminated area, decipher the nature of that strange fluctuation, and uncover the origin of the disintegrating force field ray device.

With these thoughts in mind, Han Zu sent the brief but unequivocal communication he had sent earlier. After sending it, he focused his attention back on the ground, closely monitoring the movements of the mutants. At this moment, the number of mutants in the city had exceeded one hundred. Like wild beasts devoid of reason, they roamed the streets, occasionally tearing at each other, black blood splattering onto the building walls, instantly swallowed by the writhing black marks. Meanwhile, new mutants continued to emerge from the underground passages, their pale blue glow creating eerie accents in the black city.

Han Zu could clearly sense that the energy within these mutants was extremely unstable, and could erupt at any moment. Their presence undoubtedly made this city, already reduced to ruins, even more dangerous. However, he didn't immediately begin clearing out the mutants. Firstly, they posed no immediate threat to him, and secondly, he needed to preserve the evidence at the scene while awaiting the arrival of Gamma4 for analysis. He slowly descended, landing on the top floor of a relatively intact office building, where he sat on the edge, continuing to survey the chaos below.

Time passed slowly in the silent wait, the stench and chaotic energy in the air growing stronger. Han Zu glanced down at the time on the virtual panel; only forty-odd seconds had passed when a faint spatial fluctuation quietly arose not far from him. He immediately turned his head alertly, and saw the space ripple like water after a pebble had been thrown in. A tall mechanical figure slowly emerged from the ripples, surrounded by a faint aura of energy—it was γ4.

This time, the γ4 was noticeably different from the one Han Zu had seen before. Its already towering three-meter-tall mechanical body, after another upgrade, had even smoother lines. Its silver-white alloy shell gleamed with a cold luster, its surface smooth as a mirror, without any unnecessary protrusions, clearly reflecting the surrounding polluted environment. The alloy material of the shell had also been clearly strengthened; under the faint sunlight, a layer of fine energy patterns could be seen flowing on its surface, exuding a calm and solid aura, indicating that its defensive capabilities had increased by more than one level. The optical sensor on its head, from Contractor Technology, flickered with a pale blue light, its scanning range and accuracy seemingly enhanced. As soon as it appeared, it immediately began a comprehensive survey of the surrounding area.

"The speed is as fast as ever." Han Zu stood up and said calmly, his gaze falling on the new body of the γ4, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes. The contractor's technical strength was indeed not to be underestimated. In just a short time, the γ4 had been able to complete such a thorough upgrade, with a qualitative leap in both appearance and performance.

Gamma4's optical sensors turned towards Han Zu, flashing a pale blue light twice. His tone remained that emotionless, mechanical voice, yet carried a subtle precision: "Upon receiving your message, I immediately abandoned my secondary mission and arrived here via the interplanetary teleportation node. According to your description, an energy source decomposition accident has occurred here, and a special weapon from an unknown force has appeared?"

γ4 seems to have been doing something important before, and his emotional module seems to have been turned off again.

“That’s right.” Han Zu nodded, raising his hand to indicate the area below that was being swallowed by the black mark. “Take a look at the situation here. A meteorite sealed by the Infinite Corporation was hit and disintegrated by a disintegrating force field ray device used by Griffin Faction soldiers. The released energy polluted most of the city. Those mutants are Griffin Faction soldiers who have been contaminated by the energy… at least those in the center.” He paused, then added, “The key is that I feel like I’ve seen that disintegrating force field ray device before, and when the meteorite was disintegrating, I sensed an extremely faint, strange fluctuation that didn’t belong to the meteorite itself, nor to that weapon.”

Without asking further questions, γ4's massive mechanical body slowly rotated, and the optical sensors on its head instantly switched to high-precision detection mode. A pale blue scanning beam shot towards the ground like a sharp sword, covering the entire contaminated area. Several slender strands of energy condensed into threads, spreading out like a spider web, penetrating underground passages, building crevices, and even seeping into those black markings, collecting various types of data.

Han Zu stood quietly to the side, not disturbing γ4's work. He could clearly see the energy patterns around γ4 flashing continuously, a virtual panel unfolding in front of it, and dense streams of data flowing rapidly like a waterfall, constantly generating various complex calculation formulas and energy maps. The contractor's detection technology was indeed as good as its reputation; in just a short time, γ4 had collected a massive amount of information, gaining a preliminary understanding of the energy state, pollution level, and mutant characteristics of this area.

Time ticked by, and the γ4 probe continued for nearly ten minutes. During this time, the mutants on the ground seemed to sense the energy fluctuations high above, raising their heads and roaring at the top of the office building, but due to the vast difference in strength, they were unable to get close. Han Zu casually swung his hand a few times, crushing several mutants attempting to climb the office building from a distance. Black blood and bits of flesh fell, instantly swallowed up by the black markings on the ground.

Finally, γ4 retracted its probe wire and scanning beam, and the virtual panel in front of it stopped scrolling, freezing on several analysis reports. It turned to Han Zu, the light from its optical sensors dimming slightly, its tone still cold: "Detection complete. First, report the analysis results on the meteorite."

Han Zu nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the virtual panel.

"After a comprehensive examination of the residual energy, black markings, and energy within the mutant, I found no information related to this meteorite in the contractor's cosmic database." γ4's mechanical voice slowly rang out, interpreting the report's contents one by one. "The energy characteristics of this meteorite are extremely unique, violent and unstable, and possess a strong ability to interfere with mental processes. It does not match any cosmic meteorite or energy source known to the contractor. The patterns on its surface are not naturally formed, nor do they belong to the Infinite Corporation's technological system, nor are they rune sequences from any known civilization; they resemble a primordial energy carrier pattern."

"Natural energy carrier patterns?" Han Zu frowned. "You mean, these patterns are inherent to the meteorite itself, and not artificially added later?"

“Yes,” γ4 affirmed. “Through microscopic analysis of the residual patterns, their structure is completely integrated with the meteorite’s material composition, forming a unified whole, with no trace of post-processing. These original patterns can spontaneously gather and store energy, while emitting mental interference waves, which is extremely rare among known celestial bodies in the universe... but not non-existent.”

Han Zu fell silent. Even the γ4 database had no record of it; the origin of this meteorite was likely more mysterious than he had imagined. From which unknown region of the universe did it come? And how did it end up in the hands of Infinite Corporation?

"Regarding the strange fluctuation you mentioned," γ4 continued, "I did indeed detect an extremely faint signal in the residual energy trail at the scene. The frequency of this fluctuation was very peculiar, falling into the blind zone of known energy frequencies, and possessed strong spatiotemporal stability, forming a stark contrast to the meteorite's violent energy. Unfortunately, this fluctuation was too weak and was severely disrupted during the energy burst; I could only detect scattered fragments, unable to reconstruct its complete characteristics, let alone determine its origin."

"Not even a single clue?" Han Zu pressed.

γ4 shook its head, and the mechanical head made a slight "click" sound: "No. This fluctuation does not belong to any known civilization, power, or celestial body. It is neither weapon energy, nor natural energy, nor biological energy. It is more like a... signal, a signal that has been transmitted across a long period of time and space, but the content of the signal is completely incomplete and cannot be interpreted."

Han Zu's brows furrowed even more. The mystery surrounding this fluctuation far exceeded his expectations. If even γ4 couldn't yield any clues, then unraveling this mystery would undoubtedly be even more difficult.

“However, I have a hypothesis about this fluctuation.” γ4 changed the subject. “Combined with your feeling of ‘familiarity,’ I think you may not have seen or sensed similar energy or objects in the Contractor’s sector.”

"Oh?" Han Zu raised his head, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes. "You mean?"

"While the Contractor's sector covers a vast area and contains information on countless civilizations and forces over thousands of years, the vastness of the universe far exceeds imagination. Many unknown regions and ancient civilizations remain buried in spacetime." The γ4's optical sensors flickered. "The fluctuations you sensed, and the familiarity with the disintegrating force field ray device, likely originate from a region outside the Contractor's sector, or from an ancient force that vanished thousands of years ago. This information is not included in the Contractor's database. I believe your sense of familiarity might be related to the creation engine you mentioned."

Han Zu nodded silently. γ4's speculation wasn't without merit. The Creation Engine and related situations and clues were shrouded in mystery. Perhaps during the time he had contact with the previous Creation Engines, he had unconsciously come into contact with these hidden things from the depths of the universe. And that strange fluctuation might be a key to unlocking the mysteries of the Creation Engine and its related things, but whether it was primary or secondary, Han Zu currently had no clue.

"Next, here are the analysis results regarding the disintegrating force field ray device." γ4 switched the report on the virtual panel, its mechanical voice becoming slightly more serious. "After examining the residual ray energy trajectory and weapon fragments at the scene, I have found the suspected source of this weapon."

Han Zu immediately focused his attention, his eyes fixed on the virtual panel. The origin of this weapon might be the only clue he could currently grasp.

"This disintegrating force field ray device belongs to a rebellious Tigran faction." γ4's mechanical voice slowly resonated, carrying a weight of history, as if it had reopened its emotional module. "You should know that the Tigrans and the Contractors have a deep-rooted connection. We originate from the same ancient civilization, the Tigran forces of thousands of years ago. During the 'separation' era thousands of years ago, differing ideologies led us down different paths. Most Tigrans chose to remain in their homeland, while the Contractors chose to establish their own independent force, roaming various star sectors of the universe."

Han Zu nodded. He had learned some of this history of the Tig people from γ4. The "Divide" era was a significant turning point in the history of the Tig people and the contractors, as many ancient Tig factions split apart, giving rise to countless new forces, of which the contractors and the modern Tig people were representative.

“But this rebel force is different from us and the Tig people,” γ4 continued. “During the ‘splitting’ era, this force did not choose to establish its own independent entity, nor did it rejoin the Tig people. Instead, it vanished immediately after the split, disappearing from the universe as if it had evaporated into thin air. Records about them exist only in the oldest confidential archives of the contractors and the Tig people. The records are extremely limited, and it is only known that they possess unique disintegration force field technology and that their weaponry style is completely different from other forces.”

"Disintegration field technology isn't exactly a core technology in the tech tree of the Tigris and yours, is it? Can you really pinpoint the origin of that disintegration field ray device just based on that?"

“That’s right,” γ4 affirmed. “The decomposition field technology used by that rebel force is different from the technology used by the contractors and the Tig people now. To put it simply, you can understand it as follows: our decomposition field technology and the Tig people’s decomposition field technology are still absolutely within the realm of science, but the technology used by that rebel force… strictly speaking, is not simply a technological product. After all, as you know, in the history of the Tig people, including now, mystical forces, like magic, also exist. Moreover, through the analysis of the residual energy, the core principle of this weapon is precisely the decomposition field technology that the Tig rebel forces possessed back then. Although this weapon’s model is not the original model from back then, and its appearance and power are also different, its internal energy circuitry and core structure completely match the rebel forces’ weapons recorded in the archives. It can be confirmed that this weapon was modified later based on the rebel forces’ technology.”

Countless thoughts flashed through Han Zu's mind in an instant. The Griffin Faction soldiers actually possessed weapons originating from the Tig rebellion? There must be some unknown secret hidden behind this.

“Based on this discovery, I have a bold hypothesis.” The light from γ4’s optical sensor sharpened. “The Tigran rebels from back then may not have perished somewhere in the universe, as contractors and Tigrans generally believe. They may have continued to exist in some unknown region, passing on their technology. The appearance of this weapon is the most powerful proof.”