"Originium... If it weren't for Oripathy, it would be an incredibly convenient resource."
In a high-end hotel near the Dagu Plaza, Daniel leaned back on the sofa, casually tossing a fist-sized black crystalline cube in his left hand. This was a refined Originium crystal he had purchased from Lungmen's underground black market to use as a car energy source. The entire technological foundation of Terra was built on Originium. Whether in daily life or industrial production, Originium was indispensable.
Originium was a crystal that contained immense energy. The piece in his hand, if used in a car, could power a journey from Lungmen to Victoria without issue. Given the distance between Lungmen and Victoria, this meant the Originium could sustain a car for over a month of continuous driving. Such a powerful energy source was naturally highly sought after, which was why, despite its ability to spread the incurable disease known as Oripathy, few could resist its allure.
Of course, under normal circumstances, no one would use such high-grade refined Originium to power a car. Typically, cars were powered by ordinary Originium, while refined Originium was reserved for higher-level industrial equipment or mobile cities.
The ability to build such massive mobile cities in this world was entirely due to refined Originium. The technology to purify Originium was a closely guarded secret of nations and corporations. Under normal circumstances, obtaining it was extremely difficult—not only did you need money, but you also needed the right connections.
Given that Daniel had just arrived in Lungmen, he clearly didn't have the qualifications to purchase refined Originium. As for asking Swire to buy it for him, that was out of the question. Private transactions of refined Originium were strictly prohibited by all nations. Swire, as a senior superintendent of the Lungmen Guard Bureau, would likely have Daniel arrested if he even suggested such a thing. The infamous "pork chop rice" of the Lungmen Guard Bureau would be waiting for him.
However, precisely because of this, the underground trade of refined Originium was rampant.
"I remember in my past life, there were many theories about Originium, one of which suggested it was the remains of a fallen evil god. If that's true, then things are going to get complicated."
Daniel's purpose for purchasing refined Originium was simple: research. Although he had only just begun, he had already uncovered some things. Originium had consciousness, which was somewhat similar to the Honkai.
If this were true, it reminded Daniel of a term: "whale fall"—where the death of one creature gives life to many others. But if this were the case, it would signify a massive problem. Even with his current strength, Daniel had no confidence in facing a fallen evil god.
"Forget it. It's too early to think about this. Let's take it one step at a time. The most important thing right now is to find a way to save that white rabbit."
Daniel temporarily set aside the question of Originium's origin. Terra's problems weren't limited to Originium; there were also demons, sea creatures, and giant beasts.
Moreover, it was unclear whether disasters would emerge from underground or the sky in the future. Based on existing information, the disasters from these places would undoubtedly be significant.
The technology developed from Originium in Terra was incredibly advanced, but records about the sky were scarce. Even aircraft were rare, which was somewhat abnormal.
For ordinary people, this might not be a big deal, as they couldn't do much about it anyway. But what about scientists? In such a vast world, it was hard to believe there were no scientists exploring the skies.
"Let's watch a movie first. What's this? *Mystic Legends: The Battle for Supremacy 2*? Huh, isn't that Beanstalk?"
As Daniel browsed Lungmen's internet, he chose the top-ranked movie to watch. To his surprise, he recognized one of the characters. If Hoshiguma was the first 6-star operator Daniel had pulled in his past life, Beanstalk was the first 5-star.
"Producer runs off with the money, male lead arrested for theft, famous martial arts star Wan Shengshen in crisis."
After discovering Beanstalk, Daniel looked up news about her. Surprisingly, most of it was negative.
"It seems she's not an Infected yet. I remember she contracted Oripathy due to an accident. Was she framed?"
The entertainment industry was never easy to navigate, especially for those with simple personalities. Beanstalk was undoubtedly one of those people. To maintain one's independence in the entertainment industry, one needed a certain level of strength.
Take Zhuge Qing from *The Outcast* for example. When a director tried to pressure him into a compromising situation and threatened to ruin his reputation, the director simply disappeared. But that was because he was Zhuge Qing. If it were an ordinary person, the outcome would have been very different.
"Let's play with them for a bit. It's been a while since I've done something like this myself."
As Daniel spoke, a tablet appeared in his hand. After connecting to the internet, his fingers flew across the virtual keyboard.
Since acquiring Red Queen, Daniel had rarely engaged in hacking himself. However, his skills hadn't rusted. Besides, infiltrating some entertainment websites was child's play compared to hacking into Rhine Lab's database.
Soon, three entertainment websites and a tabloid had their data completely wiped.
"Top 100 Local Food Guide. I remember this was compiled by Courier from Penguin Logistics. I should try some of these. Let's go to this fish ball shop."
Flipping through a booklet Ansel had given him, Daniel spotted a familiar location.
Ansel had always dreamed of trying every dish listed in the Top 100 Local Food Guide. However, due to financial constraints, she had only managed to try a few so far.
It was nighttime in Lungmen, but the streets were still bustling with people under the glow of neon lights.
In contrast, the slums were shrouded in darkness. Since the Nearl Guard Bureau was restricted from entering, public facilities like streetlights were nonexistent there. Moreover, with Lungmen currently at war with the Reunion Movement, the slums were particularly affected.
The Reunion Movement was already attacking the outskirts of Lungmen, but the fighting hadn't disrupted daily life in the city. People went about their business as usual.
The only area affected was the slums, where the majority of the Infected lived.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
As Daniel and Ansel made their way toward Lungmen's port, the sound of intense gunfire erupted ahead. A car came speeding toward them, pursued by six black vehicles.
The people on the street, seemingly accustomed to such sudden chaos, quickly took cover.
"Penguin Logistics... How does Exusiai's halo just float above her head like that?" Daniel mused as he watched the red-haired 6-star sniper operator firing from the car window.
"Only two people? That must be Texas. Her driving skills are on par with a professional racer." Through the car window, Daniel could see the situation inside.
At the same time, Exusiai noticed Daniel. She seemed momentarily stunned, but the car sped past and disappeared around the corner.
"Penguin Logistics again. Can't the Nearl Guard Bureau do something about them?" After the cars had passed, the pedestrians returned to the streets, some expressing their dissatisfaction.
However, others seemed pleased. The shops on both sides of the street were already assessing the damage. Even if some of the destruction wasn't caused by Exusiai but by her pursuers, it was still being tallied.
"Rubber bullets."
"Metal bullets."
Daniel picked up two bullet casings from the ground. Exusiai's bullets were rubber, likely due to Wei Yenwu's influence. Penguin Logistics couldn't use live ammunition in Lungmen. However, the pursuers clearly didn't care about Wei Yenwu's rules. Their future prospects were likely bleak.
Guns—or rather, "guns" in this world—were originally the exclusive weapons of the Laterano Sankta. However, over the years, people had replicated the Sankta's guns to create universal firearms.
Of course, these replicated guns were nowhere near as powerful as those used by the Sankta. The Sankta's guns were more than just firearms; they were tied to their Originium Arts, making them far more powerful than conventional guns.
For example, in Chapter 9, the Laterano known as "Grandma" fired six shots that emitted a blinding light. This was something no ordinary gun could achieve.
Because of this, even with universal guns, bows and crossbows remained the weapons of choice for most people. With their Originium Arts, bows and crossbows could be just as effective as guns.
"Wow, it's really lively here today."
Arriving at the fish ball shop in the port, Daniel couldn't help but smile as he saw the figures sitting at the tables outside. He and Ansel took a seat at an empty table.
"Ansel, you're here. Are you with a friend today?" The young man grilling fish balls greeted Ansel with a smile.
"I heard this place is delicious, so I came to try it."
As Daniel spoke, his gaze shifted to the two tables on the right. One table was occupied by an old man with a rat's head, wearing a white coat—Rat King, Lin Gooru, who ruled Lungmen alongside Wei Yenwu, one in the light and the other in the shadows.
However, his true identity was known to very few in Lungmen. Most people probably just saw him as an old man who liked to take walks.
"Speaking of which, even within the same race, males and females can look very different."
Lin Gooru retained his beast-like features, but his daughter, Lin Yushia, showed no such traits. The same was true for Wei Yenwu and Ch'en. There was also Gavial from Rhodes Island, the famous physical medic.
Aside from Rat King, the other familiar face was an elderly man in a black and gold robe, with partial dragon features—Old Lee from the Lee's Detective Agency in Lungmen.
Sitting across from him was a young girl with golden fur, likely Hibiscus, a martial arts enthusiast.
"Hello, old man." Ansel greeted Lin Gooru with a smile. Having spent much of her time in the slums, Ansel naturally knew this old man who often took walks, though she was unaware of his true identity.
"Little Ansel, I haven't seen you in a while." Lin Gooru greeted her warmly.
"My luck's been good lately. I found a great employer."
"Congratulations."
"Boss, a serving of fish balls, please."
"Shengshen, are you okay?"
As Ansel chatted with Lin Gooru, Hibiscus suddenly leapt from her seat and rushed to the side of a woman with short gray hair and a pair of sunglasses perched on her head.
"I'm fine. It's just starting over." The woman seemed familiar with Hibiscus.
"Wan Shengshen, Beanstalk. What a coincidence. If Wei Yenwu shows up, things will get even more interesting." Daniel immediately recognized her, especially since he had just taught some people a lesson on her behalf that afternoon.
"Do you need help, Miss Shengshen?" Old Lee finally spoke up as Hibiscus pulled Beanstalk to their table.
"Thank you, Mr. Lee. As long as I have fish balls to eat, I'll be fine."
"You might be fine, but those people won't give you a chance to make a comeback." Seeing Beanstalk dismiss her bankruptcy as mere bad luck, Daniel couldn't help but interject.
"What do you mean?" Daniel's sudden comment surprised everyone at the table. Beanstalk finally spoke up after noticing Daniel's gaze.
"It's simple. You don't really think this was just bad luck, do you? This was clearly a setup by certain people."
"What? Why would they do this to Shengshen?" Hibiscus exclaimed. She and Beanstalk had met through a martial arts match at this very fish ball shop and had become friends.
"Because she was blocking someone's profits. I'm sure after you became famous, many people approached you for various reasons, but you turned them all down, right?"
"Shengshen?" Hibiscus looked at Beanstalk, seeking confirmation.
"Yes." Beanstalk nodded after a moment of silence.
"Lungmen profanity!" Hibiscus couldn't help but curse. As a martial artist who valued justice, she couldn't stand such underhanded tactics.
"If they just wanted to ruin your career in the film industry, I might not have said anything. But what they're planning next is downright malicious, and I can't stand by and watch."
"Malicious?" Old Lee looked thoughtfully at Daniel, as did Lin Gooru.
"What are they planning to do to Shengshen?" Hibiscus demanded.
"It's simple. A martial arts star with no backing is bound to get injured on set. All it takes is a little push, and a new Infected is born. And afterward, you won't be able to prove a thing."
"Lungmen profanity!"
Hibiscus couldn't contain her anger. After a string of classic Lungmen curses, she kicked a nearby stool to pieces.
In this world, deliberately infecting someone with Oripathy was one of the most heinous acts.
"Uncle Lee, is he telling the truth?" After venting her frustration, Hibiscus turned to Old Lee.
"Very likely." Old Lee sighed. Even he had to admit that Daniel's reasoning was sound.
"Miss Wan Shengshen, I'm planning to start a film company. Would you be interested in working for me? I can guarantee you'll face no injustice here, and I can recover the money you lost."
______
(≧◡≦) ♡ Support me and read 20 chapters ahead – patreon.com/Mutter
For every 50 Power Stones, one extra chapter will be released on Saturday.