Ice Sea Lord: Starting with Intelligence Update

"Isn't that a bit inappropriate?"

His eyebrows were slightly arched, clearly indicating some difficulty.

"As for electric eels, we'll definitely oblige. I can arrange for someone to transport them for you right now."

"But... kid, to be clear, I personally suggest you give up on getting your hands on the expansion blueprints. It's better for both of us."

"So that's all? If you don't have it, why did you leave it out there?" He Feng was clearly angry upon hearing this, but he still managed to control his fist, which was about to burst out.

He set up this scheme just to get your expansion blueprints, and you're telling me the pictures are for reference only? Anyone would be furious.

The bouncy head shook and sighed, "I have something, but I'm afraid you can't handle it."

"Remember what I meant by 'expansion blueprints'? They're not exactly good for increasing the living area of ​​a city."

Qi Donglong's voice carried a hint of fear.

"That's a signal, an extermination order to awaken the thing lurking inside the fortress. Once that thing awakens, the brains of everyone in the fortress will be corrupted without them even realizing it. That's the most terrifying thing."

"That... thing, what is that thing?" He Feng asked.

"Heh heh heh, isn't that the fortress automatic machine tool that you rely on for survival?" Qi Donglong sneered, glancing at his deputy who was waiting nearby.

"Give me a hand, let this guest have a good look at me."

"Yes!" Several deputies shook the handles on the side, and with the meshing of gears, they lifted the metal sheet, which resembled a Qi Donglong slime, upwards.

Then, she was gently poured onto the cup-shaped hospital chair, like a sundae made of intertwined hair and skin tissue.

"Let's go," he ordered. "Let's take the back path, so we don't frighten anyone."

Afterwards, the group arrived at the tool machine area of ​​the Qianjiao.

Looking to the side, rivets, gears, and ligaments used for binding are all exposed. The brass casing used to cover them has been removed, and you can see that the built-in lightweight boiler is still running with a whirring sound, emitting steam.

"What did you see, child?"

"A machine tool that was dismantled beyond recognition, that's all."

Upon hearing He Feng's presumptuous statement, Qi Donglong's pores on his flowing skin suddenly enlarged, as if he were enduring unspeakable fear.

"No, it contains demons, the demons that destroyed our previous civilization!"

"The stuff inside is the same as what we all encountered." He roared, his mouth wide open.

"Second mate, get the hammer and smash that thing!"

"Yes, my lord."

Following Qi Donglong's orders, the second mate immediately pulled out a sledgehammer from a corner and smashed it down on the still-operating boiler.

A series of clanging sounds rang out as the connection point responsible for the rivets was smashed open.

Then, with a clang, the copper sheet suddenly fell off, revealing a scene that made He Feng's scalp tingle.

He saw pulsating, or rather, throbbing flesh, with blood vessels constantly quivering on it, densely covering every space inside, reflecting a unique, scarlet, viscous glow under the light of the surrounding oil lamps.

"I used to think, like you, that this couldn't possibly be true," Qi Donglong said in a deep voice. "But ever since I turned into this monstrous form, I've been able to communicate with these things. Driven by this strong desire, I defied all opposition and had people break down this thing that every fortress considers a treasure."

"I tried to get someone to dig this stuff out, but after it was emptied, this so-called machine tool became nothing more than a useless piece of broken copper."

"Let's call this thing 'breath soil' for now."

"It was only then that I realized that our development to this level was entirely due to this thing. Fortunately, the Breath of Earth needs to learn, and the more it learns, the sooner it can awaken."

"Every time the Breath of Earth awakens a little, the entire fortress will become stronger. This includes fortress upgrades, inputting technology blueprints, and even assembling city modules—all of these are ways to awaken it."

"I just sensed your fortress. If it learns a little more, it will wake up soon. However, there is a human-shaped outline on your fortress, which makes me feel strangely close to it. It's odd."

After hearing these remarks, He Feng couldn't help but shiver. His hands and feet felt as if they were in an ice cellar, powerless and cold.

Faced with irrefutable facts, any attempt at sophistry became self-deception. He Feng stared blankly at the tumor that seemed to breathe, exactly like the humanoid monster he had encountered before.

It was all that repulsive crimson.

"To be honest, kid, I'd give you this, but I know very well that it's pushing you to your doom."

He Feng became agitated, then retorted, "Since these things will wake up no matter what, what about the fortresses that can reach higher areas? Why weren't they all wiped out?!"

"Because... they can no longer be considered human," Qi Donglong said calmly. "Once you reach the outer seas, you'll see a bunch of fortresses affected by this thing."

"Some might have their entire fortress completely covered by this thing, turning into a crimson ship of flesh and blood; others might coexist with it, thereby developing new abilities for the fortress, but becoming even more deeply corrupted; the worst are the fools who worship this thing as a god, using their flesh and blood to nourish the soil in exchange for all kinds of knowledge, their consciousness and body no longer belonging to themselves."

"Do you really want to become like them, kid? At least you're still a human being."

"I...I don't know." He Feng was somewhat dazed, and suddenly felt dizzy.

What he wanted was for the Azure to live a good life, no longer the miserable, precarious existence he had endured before.

The cost of living forced him to run forward with all his might. He could clearly see the dawn reappearing before him, but this light turned into a trap that tempted him to fall into abyss.

"We've come this far, how can we give up now?" He Feng roared inwardly.

"An intelligence system! Yes, I also have an intelligence system!"

The sentence immediately popped into He Feng's mind, pulling him back from his wandering thoughts as if he were grasping at a lifeline.

"I have one more chance." He closed his eyes and sensed the situation, his mind unsettled as he transferred the borrowed mental energy to the information in the intelligence report, desperately seeking a solution.

[Report...]

The information refresh page in front of He Feng's eyes became chaotic, and gradually, noise like snowflakes appeared.

Refresh failed.

Refill.

【fail】

……

Failure was like a raging river, relentlessly eroding He Feng's inner defenses.

"Do you want more?"

He Feng composed himself, sighed, and then said, "I want it. Let's make a deal."