178: Chapter 178 Choosing the Golden Blind Box...

Shen Wanbing pushed the Radar projection forward.

Gray-white energy points expanded on the map, and the strange flag next to it also became clear.

A bone gear.

An inverted cross.

The two overlapped, with gray-white pulses still being emitted from the edges.

Blood Rose, wrapped in the black coat Chen Chen had tossed to her, leaned against the panoramic window, her legs still feeling a bit weak.

She glanced at the projection, her voice raspy.

"Where did this unlucky thing come from? Trying to sneak an attack while we just finished fighting a Tier 5?"

Shen Wanbing ignored her and zoomed in on the energy frequency band.

"It's not a player faction."

"Nor is it a remnant of the Sakurajima war zone."

"And it doesn't look like the Blood Origin Royal Court either."

Mio's projection popped out from the Sea Scale's main control interface, her electronic pupils flickering rapidly.

"Give me the frequency band."

Shen Wanbing swiped her fingertip.

The data was transmitted.

Mio only looked at it for three seconds before her expression changed.

"The Gray-White Mechanical Holy Court."

Jiang Jiuyou had just come down from the fourth-level sub-command deck, her cape not yet fastened, but she paused upon hearing the name.

"Explain."

Mio pulled up old data from the Sea Scale's black box.

In the image, several gray-white warships were dismantling an ancient ruin, with the same flag hanging from their hulls.

"A cross-map wandering NPC faction."

"They have no fixed war zone and specialize in searching for ancient ruins, core weapons, and pseudo-artifact fragments."

"They don't occupy cities, nor do they save people; they take the items and leave."

Shen Wanbing continued.

"They have now opened the outer gate of the Deep Sea Royal Court treasury."

"They are dismantling the outer seal of the sea-stabilizing needle."

The High Priestess stood at the doorway clutching a bronze bell, her face pale.

"We cannot let them dismantle it."

Chen Chen turned to look at her.

"Get to the point."

The High Priestess took a deep breath.

"The sea-stabilizing needle is not an ordinary pseudo-artifact fragment."

"It is an ancient anchor pin that pins down the rift of the Deep Sea Royal Court."

"If it is taken away, the black mist on the seabed will surge back."

"Your Floating City has the Deep Sea Tyrant's divine heart, so it can hold out for at most six hours."

The first-floor hall went quiet for two seconds.

Su Xiaoqi, holding a piece of meat, stopped mid-bite.

"What happens after six hours?"

Mio spread her hands.

"The bottom of the city will be filled with black mist first."

"Then upwards, the bottom hold, the maintenance level, the old ammunition depot."

"The hundreds of thousands of people you just stuffed in will be the first to suffer."

Chen Chen picked up his coat and put it on.

"Shen Wanbing, calculate the pressure limit."

Shen Wanbing had already started tapping on the panel.

"The lower hold population is 167,000."

"The life support system has already reached the edge of the red zone."

"If the black mist compresses by another three kilometers, the oxygen circulation in the bottom hold will drop first."

"The worst-case scenario: hypoxia, panic, and riots will all erupt at once."

Iron Wall cursed over the comms.

"Damn it, they just got moved in and it's already about to blow up?"

Jiang Jiuyou walked to the sub-command deck and placed her fingers on the control panel.

She had just finished leveling up, and her physical signs were much more stable than before, her entire demeanor suppressing her sharp edge.

"We can't drag this out."

"We won't take the main army."

"The Ghost Fortress, the Sea Scale's submersible module, and the core combat forces will go underwater."

"There is only one goal: decapitation strike, and retrieve the sea-stabilizing needle."

Yi Chang walked over from the other side.

Her newly changed black uniform was neatly buttoned, and the silver scales on the side of her legs had faded significantly.

She slammed the data pad onto the table.

"I oppose sending everyone out."

Jiang Jiuyou turned her head.

"You have an opinion again?"

Yi Chang did not back down.

"The city just swallowed over a hundred thousand people, and the remnants of the The Three Major Alliances haven't been screened yet."

"If you take all the main forces away, once the bottom hold is in chaos, the fire will burn from within."

Jiang Jiuyou chuckled.

"In the end, you want to take over the city defense authority."

Yi Chang raised her hand and projected a series of building self-repair data.

"After the Miracle Creator affix took effect, the self-repair rate of the outer dock increased by 32 percent."

"There are 376 weak points in the lower life support pipelines."

"If I stay behind, the benefits are maximized."

Jiang Jiuyou stepped forward.

"City defense is not about fixing water pipes."

Yi Chang also stepped forward.

"If the bottom hold explodes, can your turrets fire on your own people?"

The two faced each other across the console.

No one in the hall interjected.

Blood Rose leaned against the sofa and clicked her tongue softly.

"If these two keep arguing, the sea-stabilizing needle will be carried away by someone else."

Chen Chen raised his hand and tapped the table.

"Enough."

Jiang Jiuyou stopped.

Yi Chang also retracted the data pad.

Chen Chen made the assignments directly.

"Jiang Jiuyou will accompany me."

"Deep-sea combat cannot function without Fleet Link and Firepower Overload."

Jiang Jiuyou flicked her cape and sat back at the sub-command deck.

"Understood."

Chen Chen looked at Yi Chang.

"You will stay behind."

"Territory buildings, bottom hold management, and outer dock maintenance are all yours."

Yi Chang took a light breath.

"Permission level?"

"Highest."

Jiang Jiuyou's fingers paused.

Yi Chang glanced at her without speaking, but that competitive Spirit was already written on her face.

Chen Chen continued the arrangements.

"Jiang Yanxue will stay behind to guard the bottom hold."

"Anyone who causes trouble, kill them."

Jiang Yanxue stood up, shouldering her blade.

"I like this job."

"Qin Hongye will stay in the high tower."

"If there is a threat outside the city, take the lead."

Qin Hongye checked her magazine.

"Just give me a clear field of fire."

"Iron Wall will assist Yi Chang."

Iron Wall responded immediately over the comms.

"Received! Whoever dares to charge the gate, I'll make them drop!"

Su Xiaoqi raised her hand, grease still on her lips.

"Brother, what about me? I want to go eat the big deep-sea monster!"

Chen Chen looked at the three large bags of roast meat in her hands.

"You will accompany me."

Su Xiaoqi jumped up immediately.

"Yay!"

Shen Wanxing shrank behind Shen Wanbing, holding a blanket and revealing half of her face.

"Then can I stay behind?"

Chen Chen looked at her.

"Tier 5 treasury."

Shen Wanxing's little face fell.

"I knew it."

Shen Wanbing gently patted her hand.

"Let's go."

Shen Wanxing followed them out, feeling aggrieved, muttering softly.

"I'm just a resource laborer."

Su Xiaoqi comforted her very seriously.

"Sister Wanxing, after you finish looting, I'll share a piece of roast meat with you."

Shen Wanxing almost cried.

"Thank you."

Chen Chen didn't delay and turned to Shen Wanbing.

"Blind box."

Shen Wanbing opened today's output.

Lv.6 All-Seeing Eye refreshed.

A golden light screen unfolded.

[Golden Tier Directional Blind Box, choose one of five.]

[A: Deep-sea anti-pressure potion production line.]

[B: S-tier territory riot control drone nest.]

[C: S-tier space anchor chain.]

[D: Golden-tier Spirit purification tower.]

[E: High-tier energy compression furnace.]

Shen Wanbing only looked at it once before tapping on C.

"Select Space Anchor Chain."

"Fighting in the deep-sea rift, the biggest risk is not the enemy, but being swept away by spatial turbulence."

"The anchor chain can fix the Ghost Fortress and the Sea Scale at the same coordinate."

"Even if a swallowing phenomenon occurs while snatching the sea-stabilizing needle, there will be a buffer."

Jiang Jiuyou also agreed.

"The riot control drone nest is very good, but not right now."

Yi Chang added.

"The riots inside the city will be handled by me and Jiang Yanxue."

Chen Chen did not hesitate.

"Select C."

Shen Wanxing was pushed in front of the blind box.

She reached out and touched it.

The golden light lit up first.

The next second, the golden light exploded into purple-gold.