Chapter 69
A-Yan didn’t know how the other cubs were faring, but curled up in the caretaker’s arms, he found himself unable to sleep.
The bedroom was pitch-black, though A-Yan’s vision remained unaffected.
He gazed at the young man beside him, his thoughts drifting to everything that had transpired earlier in the nursery—especially the way the caretaker had looked when awakened and enraged.
Cold, ferocious, exuding an overwhelming aura of danger.
While the other cubs had been terrified, A-Yan had felt something entirely different.
Instead of fear, he felt a sense of familiarity—a warmth that was deeply comforting.
Ever since mastering the first heavenly script, A-Yan had noticed that a fog obscuring his mind seemed to be lifting. Slowly but surely, the true version of himself was awakening from chaos.
Before, he hadn’t even realized that fog existed.
In the darkness, A-Yan tilted his head up, staring deeply at Su Ci’s sleeping face. His black-and-red eyes gleamed with a complex emotion that words could not fully capture.
Although he didn’t know what he would become once the fog was fully cleared, one thing was certain…
He would never leave this person.
No matter what, he would stay by the caretaker’s side. He would become the one Su Ci cherished the most.
With that thought, A-Yan lowered his head and buried his small face into Su Ci’s chest, nuzzling affectionately with a sense of dependence and longing. Content, he finally closed his eyes, drifting into a peaceful sleep.
Outside the nursery, the blood-red frost continued its relentless rampage. Yet, no matter how cold the weather became or how terrifying the monsters outside were, they could no longer affect those within the nursery.
Of course, that didn’t include the cubs, who lay stiffly in their beds, too scared to even roll over for fear of making the slightest noise. Despite this, the nursery wasn’t truly silent.
*
Inside Room 303.
After Su Ci and A-Yan had fallen into a deep sleep, the work manual embedded in the wall began to emit a faint red glow.
The glow was silent, yet it seemed almost cautious, as if it were trying to minimize the ripples of its light to avoid disturbing the slumbering caretaker.
As a manual trapped within the wall of the caretaker’s bedroom, it had just borne witness to the terrifying wrath of the awakened caretaker. When Su Ci had roared in anger, the fledgling spirit within the manual had nearly been shattered.
Logically, it should be trying its best to suppress its presence instead of taking risks like this. But…
Fortune favors the bold! Despite not yet being a full-fledged spirit, the fledgling manual had grasped a crucial truth: wealth and success came to those willing to take risks.
*
In the nursery hall.
As the faint red glow from the work manual intensified, the transparent spider silk scattered near Luo Shengfei began to emit a soft red light once again in the dark hall.
The manual’s spirit trembled with excitement, its energy fluctuations growing stronger. But before long, the red glow from the spider silk began to dim again.
The fledgling spirit panicked.
It gathered its remaining strength, causing the glow from the manual to brighten further. This extra effort reignited the faint red glow in the spider silk, which flickered briefly before vanishing from the hall floor.
The next time the spider silk reappeared, it was in Room 303.
When the manual sensed the successful transfer of the silk to the bedroom, its fluctuating energy pulsed with excitement. It eagerly manipulated the silk.
Under its control, the spider silk moved like a living creature, slowly creeping up the wall.
Finally, the tip of the spider silk reached the area where the work manual was embedded. Just as the fledgling spirit prepared to guide the silk and absorb its energy—
The pale golden barrier imprisoning the manual flickered to life once more. It firmly blocked the contaminated spider silk from advancing any further.
No matter how the silk prodded, it couldn’t penetrate the barrier, let alone touch the manual inside.
??????
A string of bright red question marks appeared on the manual’s cover.
Then, as the barrier continued to repel the silk, and the fledgling spirit’s energy drained further, the spider silk lost its strength and fell to the floor with a soft thud.
The bedroom was deathly silent.
Until…
“Aaaaagh! So frustrating!”
The fledgling spirit wanted to scream like a groundhog. However, the moment its angry, indignant energy rippled out—
“Mmmph—”
The young man on the bed stirred, rolling over in his sleep.
The manual froze.
After a long moment of tense waiting, it confirmed that the young man hadn’t woken up. Only then did it dare to relax, its glow dimming slightly.
Finally, the manual checked on the fallen spider silk once more. Weakened and dejected by its failed attempt, the fledgling spirit had no choice but to retreat into dormancy. Silently, it resolved to bide its time and wait for another chance.
The nursery finally descended into complete silence.
The blood-red frost raged on throughout the entire night.
Thankfully, as it was already late at night, there were few personnel active outside in Base 24. By the time the temperatures began to drop, all guards and patrol members had already retreated into nearby buildings.
Additionally, apart from the nursery, none of the other structures were targeted by monsters.
Miraculously, despite the extreme weather conditions, Base 24 once again achieved zero casualties.
The result was beyond anyone’s expectations.
However, the frost and snow had frozen most of the base’s machinery, rendering them inoperable. Even communications were severely disrupted, which significantly impaired the central AI’s ability to function.
Throughout the night, only people within the same building could communicate with one another. With information flow severely hindered, no one had yet learned of this fortunate outcome.
While the rest of the base spent the night gripped by panic and unease, the nursery—despite facing a monster attack—was one of the few places where the occupants could manage to get some rest.
Of course, the cubs weren’t able to sleep at all during the first half of the night.
By the time the usual breakfast hour arrived—6:00 a.m.—not a single cub had gotten out of bed.
Though they were safely tucked in, the psychological strain they endured was no less severe than that of the adults in the base. They lay stiffly awake for most of the night, only succumbing to sleep in the early hours when exhaustion finally overtook them.
As for Su Ci, who had been rudely awakened in the middle of the night, expecting him to rise early was out of the question.
This left only the robots to begin their routines.
At 5:30 a.m., the cleaning robots automatically activated their programs. Emerging from their docking stations in the corners of the nursery, they started cleaning the floors in the communal areas.
*
The nursery hall.
The cleaning robots hummed softly as they moved along the floors. Since the giant spider hadn’t entered the hall, there was little debris to collect aside from a blank canvas left on the floor.
That was, until—
A barricade blocked one robot’s path. After circling the obstacle a few times, its sensor light blinked on.
“Beginning obstacle scan.”
“Beep-beep—Obstacle confirmed as a living entity. Status: Asleep. Vital signs: Normal.”
“Attempting to wake up.”
The disc-shaped cleaning robot began repeatedly bumping into the “obstacle” in front of it until—
Luo Shengfei groaned and finally roused from his sleep.
Still wearing a protective suit and helmet, he opened his eyes. Through the glass visor of his helmet, he saw an unfamiliar ceiling and blinked in confusion.
Where is this? Am I dreaming?
However, the discomfort coursing through his body quickly dispelled that notion. This wasn’t a dream—he was indeed wearing a protective suit and lying in an unknown location!
His memories of the previous day were fragmented…
The last thing he recalled was taking his team to the underground river to collect water samples. One of the researchers had accidentally fallen into the river and nearly been swept away, and rescuing them had taken a lot of time. By the time they surfaced, it was already nighttime.
He had hurriedly disbanded the team and led the group back to the dormitories.
Luo Shengfei distinctly remembered reaching the dormitory area, preparing to enter the building, and then—
Nothing. His memory ended there!
Am I still in the dormitory building? Luo Shengfei wondered, his heart filled with unease. He tried to sit up, but the moment he moved, a sharp pain shot through his neck, and he let out a wail.
“Ahhh, my neck! It’s going to snap! Ahhh!” He collapsed back down, tilting his head awkwardly and grimacing in pain.
Why does my neck hurt so much? Was I attacked by a monster?
And what was the thing that kept bumping into his head?
As this question crossed his mind, a mechanical voice spoke near his ear: “Target lifeform awake. Emergency assistance directive terminated. Resuming cleaning operations.”
The sound of the cleaning robot humming as it resumed tidying the floor followed.
As the head of the maintenance team, Luo Shengfei didn’t need to look—he could identify the sound immediately. It was the newest model of cleaning robot, specially modified to be tougher and more durable than standard models.
So… how on earth did I end up in the nursery?!
Lying on the floor with his neck tilted painfully, Luo Shengfei took in his surroundings within his limited field of vision. After a moment, he concluded that, at least for now, he was safe.
Relieved, he exhaled slightly, but… lying here wasn’t a long-term solution. Unfortunately, the cumbersome protective suit and the unexplained pain in his neck made it nearly impossible for him to get up.
Left with no choice, he decided to call the base’s central AI for assistance.
Just as Luo Shengfei was about to call for assistance, a holographic screen popped up in front of him, displaying a series of text:
“Sergeant Luo Shengfei, Greetings. Due to your actions last night in ignoring warnings and violating multiple base regulations, you are hereby placed under suspension pending investigation. Please cooperate fully with the Operations Division and relevant departments. Any resistance may result in your being court-martialed. Consider this your final warning.”
Luo Shengfei’s eyes widened, and his mind went blank.
Suspension? Why am I being disciplined the moment I wake up? Violating base regulations? What regulations did I break?!
As confusion clouded his thoughts, he caught a glimpse of movement out of the corner of his eye. Straining to see, he noticed a nanny robot pushing a floating cart as it glided out of the hallway.
It was 4586, on its way to deliver breakfast to the cubs.
Luo Shengfei immediately called out for help, “4586! Over here! Help me, I can’t get up!”
Hearing the cry, 4586 stopped its cart and floated toward him. Its electronic eyes glowed as it scanned him from head to toe. Then—
“Identity confirmed: Suspect Luo Shengfei. Currently awaiting arrest and investigation.”
“Danger Level: High. Emergency measures required.”
A small metallic orb ejected from the nanny robot’s shell. Upon touching Luo Shengfei, it transformed into a metal cord, swiftly wrapping him up like a package.
Luo Shengfei: ?!
After completing this task, 4586’s robotic voice switched to a cheerful, bubbly tone.
“Oh dear! That was close! Luckily, we caught the bad guy. Now the little darlings are safe!”
Paying no further attention to the tied-up Luo Shengfei, 4586 turned and continued pushing its floating cart. As it floated away, its singsong voice echoed down the hall.
“Time to deliver breakfast to the little darlings~ Don’t want them going hungry~”
Luo Shengfei: …
Damn it, I’m starving too! He hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday afternoon! Can someone explain what the hell is going on here?!
When the nanny robot exited the elevator and entered the hallway, the Crimson Flame Tiger, which had been sleeping sprawled on the floor, opened its eyes warily.
Although still in its juvenile stage, the tiger was already larger than the beds the cubs slept on. The blanket draped over its body barely covered its massive frame, more akin to a small throw than proper bedding.
Of course, as a ferocious beast with mastery over flames, it had no need to worry about catching a cold.
The Crimson Flame Tiger rose to its feet, its crimson eyes locking onto the open doorway. Ever since Luo Shengfei had used administrator privileges to open the door, the metal barrier had remained ajar.
Even so, under the lingering influence of Su Ci’s earlier display of power, the tiger didn’t dare set a paw outside.
Soon, 4586’s floating figure appeared at the door, noticing that the door to Room 2 hadn’t closed. It began to move closer to investigate.
The Crimson Flame Tiger bared its teeth in a threatening snarl.
But just as it opened its mouth to let out an intimidating roar, it froze, seemingly realizing something. The tiger abruptly clamped its jaw shut, forcing itself to suppress the sound. What should have been a majestic, powerful roar was instead reduced to—
“Meow?”
A timid, cat-like whimper echoed in the room.
Startled by its own unintentional cry, the tiger slipped on the floor in its panic and flopped back down. It curled its neck inward nervously, looking less like a mighty predator and more like a skittish, oversized house cat.
4586 paused at the doorway. As its sensors scanned the Crimson Flame Tiger inside the room, its electronic eyes flickered briefly.
At the same time, a line of text quickly appeared in its AI program:
“Alert! Number Two detected in full beastification. Room 402 door unable to close properly. Extreme danger! Extreme danger! Immediate injection of JH05492 sedative required. Success probability: 84.3%. Execution required immediately!”
As this command was generated, 4586 extended its mechanical arm. The end of its hand shifted into a nozzle, loading a dart filled with a sedative specifically designed to suppress beastified cubs.
The Crimson Flame Tiger, lying anxiously on the floor, was too preoccupied to notice 4586’s actions. At this range, the robot had an excellent chance of hitting its target.
Yet, as 4586 aimed, its mechanical arm suddenly froze.
“Execute immediately! Execute immediately! Execute immediately!”
The directive flooded its AI program in an endless loop. Despite this, 4586 remained motionless.
Meanwhile, the Crimson Flame Tiger, which had been cowering with its head down, gradually realized that the terrifying human and the soul-shaking pressure weren’t present anymore.
It cautiously raised its head and looked around.
Not here.
Safe.
The once-timid Crimson Flame Tiger regained its confidence. Its round tiger eyes darted about, and it suddenly noticed the odd behavior of the nanny robot.
Spotting the nozzle on 4586’s mechanical arm, the tiger, now ruled by primal instincts, felt an instinctive surge of displeasure and resistance.
It still didn’t dare to roar loudly.
Instead, it let out a low, warning “meow” from its throat, baring its sharp teeth in a threatening display. Its muscles tensed, ready to launch an attack on the nanny robot at any moment.
But 4586 remained motionless.
As the Crimson Flame Tiger prepared to unleash its flames and the internal directive loop in 4586’s core grew increasingly frantic, the robot’s electronic voice broke the tension.
“Cannot… harm… zzzt… baby… zzzt…”
The distorted, static-laden voice made the Crimson Flame Tiger pause mid-action.
It didn’t understand the robot’s exact words, but a wave of sadness welled up inside it as it listened.
“Cannot… harm baby…”
Amidst the crackling of static, 4586 repeated the phrase. Just as the Crimson Flame Tiger hesitated, its other mechanical arm swiftly extended.
Realizing that the robot was moving, the tiger snapped out of its daze. Believing it had been tricked, a fierce glint flashed in its eyes. It dodged to the side, preparing to unleash its Crimson Flame.
But before it could act, the metal door, which had been open the entire time, slammed shut with a loud clang, cutting off its view.
At the last moment, 4586 had pressed the emergency lock switch by the door, trapping the Crimson Flame Tiger inside.
This marked the second time the nanny robot had defied its AI directives, instead choosing what it determined to be the optimal solution.
Inside the room, the Crimson Flame Tiger stared at the closed metal door. It instinctively ran up to it, extending its sharp claws to scratch at the surface.
But just as it was about to act, memories of the previous night flashed vividly through its mind…
The Crimson Flame Tiger shuddered violently at the memory.
It recalled the giant spider being sliced into pieces as it climbed the walls, its severed chunks falling to the ground with soft plop sounds, leaving behind puddles of eerie green liquid.
Its claws instantly retracted, and only its soft paw pads landed gently against the metal door, producing no sound.
The tiger made a token effort, lightly patting the door a few times before withdrawing its paw entirely. It then trudged back to its spot, flopped onto the floor in defeat, and shut its eyes, resigning itself to sleep.
*
Outside in the hallway.
After the door closed, the frantic alarms flooding 4586’s AI program finally ceased, deactivating along with the elimination of the perceived threat. Its voice returned to normal.
“Number Two has entered full beastification mode. Must notify the caretaker and request medical purification assistance for the cub!”
Having sent a notification to Su Ci, 4586 decided to leave the matter alone for now. After all, the Crimson Flame Tiger was securely locked in its room and posed no immediate danger.
It had more pressing responsibilities—delivering breakfast to the other cubs. After all, it couldn’t let them go hungry!
*
Room 303’s door was securely shut.
When 4586 entered, Zheng Xing was still sound asleep, nestled comfortably in his blankets. The nanny robot, having scanned his vitals, didn’t disturb him. It quietly placed a breakfast box on the table before leaving.
*
Room 404’s door was ajar.
Fortunately, Number Five hadn’t beastified, but…
After setting a breakfast box on the table, 4586 approached the bed. Its electronic eyes scanned the little girl lying there, more specifically, the disc-shaped robot she was clutching tightly in her arms.
After scanning the scene three times, two question marks appeared in its electronic display.
Why was little Number Five cuddling a cleaning robot to sleep?
The metallic disc was hard and cold—surely not a comfortable thing to hug in bed?
4586’s AI program ran through its vast database but couldn’t find an answer. Even the base’s central AI would likely have been stumped.
Finally giving up, 4586 extended its mechanical arms, intending to return the disc-shaped robot to its proper place.
Just then, the metal disc’s sensor light flickered on.
The light swept over 4586, and a warm, gentle male voice echoed softly in the room:
“Hello, 4586! Long time no see! I’m your partner, 4583 Nanny Robot (Reinforced Edition). It’s great to see you again!”
Hearing this, 4586’s electronic eyes blinked in response.
Its scanning light activated once more, sweeping over the metal disc. Then, in its soft and cheerful voice, it replied:
“It’s great to see you again, 4583 Cleaning Robot!”
“No, no, no! I’m the 4583 Nanny Robot (Reinforced Edition)!” the disc-shaped robot corrected firmly.
But 4586 replied righteously, “According to my scan, you are the latest model of cleaning robot. It’s your work time; you should be cleaning!”
4583: …
As the two robots continued their debate, the little girl lying on the bed stirred, seemingly disturbed by the noise. She released her grip on the metal disc, mumbling as she turned over.
Her face looked weary, her eyes faintly red and swollen, suggesting she hadn’t been sleeping well for days. Having finally drifted into deep sleep, she was now resting soundly.
Hearing her movement, both robots fell silent.
After waiting for a while and confirming that the girl hadn’t woken up, 4586 mimicked a relieved gesture. Meanwhile, the modified 4583… merely flickered its sensor light twice as a response.
Then, the two switched to silent mode for communication.
“4583, you almost woke Number Five up!” 4586 accused.
“…”
“Number Five hasn’t been sleeping well lately, and now you’re disturbing her!”
Faced with such unreasonable accusations, 4583’s AI program generated several rebuttals simultaneously. However, after a long pause, it chose to remain silent.
Because…
“You don’t even have a silent-mode communication system,” 4586 exposed. “And you still claim you’re not a cleaning robot?”
“…”
Being a cleaning robot, no matter how advanced, meant it had no need for communication features, let alone something as sophisticated as silent-mode interaction.
The disc’s sensor light dimmed as 4583 powered itself down, seemingly retreating into a sulking silence.
4583 played dead, and 4586 decided to ignore it.
The nanny robot turned its attention back to Number Five. Its initially stern electronic-eye display transformed into cheerful, smiling eyes. Gently pulling the blanket up over the girl, it tucked her in with care before quietly leaving the room.
Though it still couldn’t understand why Number Five was hugging a cleaning robot in her sleep, 4586 decided not to press the matter further, as continuing the dispute might wake her up. It made a tactical retreat.
The robot continued upstairs to deliver breakfast to the other cubs.
Strangely, all the cubs seemed sleep-deprived today. Even Number Six and Number Eight, who were usually the most energetic, were sound asleep when 4586 entered their rooms.
While unusual, the scans showed their vitals were normal and only indicated a lack of sleep. With no further issues to address, 4586 proceeded as usual.
It placed breakfast boxes in each of the cubs’ rooms. These intelligent containers could maintain their warmth for over 24 hours at a consistent temperature, ensuring that every cub would have a hot meal waiting for them whenever they woke up.
After finishing its rounds, 4586 took the elevator back down and stopped outside Room 2 once again.
Using its monitoring equipment, the robot observed that the boy-turned-Crimson Flame Tiger showed no signs of aggression. Instead, he was lying on the floor, sleeping obediently. This prompted 4586’s cheerful, smiling-eye display to reappear.
The cheerful tune played by 4586 faded as it turned and left the nursery.
In stark contrast to the peaceful atmosphere in the nursery, the rest of the base was still gripped by fear. People sheltering in other buildings remained on edge, hearts pounding with every passing moment.
Finally, at around 8:30 or 9:00 in the morning, sunlight broke through the clouds, casting warm rays onto the ground.
Under the sunlight, the blood-red frost began to melt. The crimson mist that had lingered over the base dissipated gradually, and the frigid temperatures started to return to normal.
At long last, the residents of Base 24, who had spent the entire night in terror, were able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Once the red mist dispersed, there would be no more monsters!
*
Inside Room 303 of the nursery.
At precisely 8:00 a.m., A-Yan opened his eyes.
Rubbing the sleep from his groggy eyes, he gently extricated himself from Su Ci’s warm embrace. With a quick movement, he left the bedroom and headed to the kitchen to begin his day’s work.
On the bed, Su Ci continued to sleep soundly. It wasn’t until nearly 9:00 a.m. that his drowsy eyes slowly blinked open. His pupils had returned to their usual warm, jet-black hue.
Though he felt like he could easily sleep longer, his body had other plans…
“Gurgle, gurgle—”
His stomach growled insistently, reminding him that it was time for his usual morning meal. Hunger prodded him to get up and eat.
Su Ci lay in bed for a moment, willing himself to wake up. Eventually, he sat up sluggishly, his eyelids drooping and his face still clouded with sleep.
However, the tantalizing aroma of roasting meat wafting through the door brought a hint of comfort.
Between sleeping in and eating breakfast, the promise of food won out.
Stretching lazily, he rose to his feet and was about to leave the room when something in the corner caught his attention.
Su Ci walked over and bent down to pick up the object. It was a strand of thread, nearly a meter long. Judging by its texture, it strongly resembled the spider silk he’d encountered before.
As he examined it, he could faintly sense a lingering trace of malice emanating from the thread. However, the residual energy was weak, almost entirely dissipated.
Tilting his head slightly, Su Ci’s gaze shifted to the work manual embedded in the wall.
The fledgling book spirit had woken up as soon as Su Ci got out of bed, but it remained utterly silent, pretending to be inanimate.
Su Ci tugged at the silk, testing its resilience. In every aspect, it was identical to the giant spider’s threads.
Fixing his scrutinizing gaze on the manual, he asked with a serious expression: “Did you spit this out?”
???
The book spirit’s act of playing dead failed spectacularly.
What do you mean spit this out? I’m a book, not a spider!
Feeling the spirit’s surging waves of indignation and fury, Su Ci raised a brow and remarked, “You really need to work on your temper. Stop throwing tantrums for no reason.”
No reason?! The book spirit was indignant, trembling with rage. There were plenty of reasons!
“And don’t litter.”
Su Ci looked at the strand of spider silk in his hand. He considered throwing it away but hesitated. Eventually, he tucked it into his space button.
While it wasn’t exactly high-quality material, it might work well as support for the Star-chain vine’s growing trellis. Since the vine was an ordinary plant and likely to grow quickly, the trellis would come in handy soon.
With this thought in mind, Su Ci left the bedroom, leaving the fledgling book spirit behind. It fumed silently, slamming itself against its transparent barrier in a fit of impotent rage.
This was the only time it dared to act out.
When Su Ci reached the living room, he found A-Yan had already prepared a table full of delicious breakfast dishes.
Su Ci reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair, his mood lifting at A-Yan’s sweet smile.
After a quick wash, the two sat down to eat breakfast together.
Su Ci ate leisurely, clearing one plate after another. By the time he reached his third plate, he noticed A-Yan’s curious gaze fixed on him.
“What’s wrong?” Su Ci asked.
A-Yan quickly shook his head and returned to sipping his mixed vegetable-flavored nutrient solution.
It seemed the caretaker really didn’t remember what had happened last night…
Since A-Yan didn’t want to talk about it, Su Ci didn’t press further. But as he continued eating, he suddenly stopped, raising his hand in mild confusion.
He focused for a moment and then glanced toward the corner of the room. The cleaning robot, which had been stationary and inactive since it wasn’t yet time for cleaning, suddenly lit up its sensor light.
“Beginning operations…”
Su Ci cast it another look. The disc-shaped robot, which had just started moving from its charging dock, paused, reversed course, and powered back down into sleep mode.
Intrigued, Su Ci began experimenting with other machines in the room. Eventually, he reached a conclusion.
“Mechanical manipulation?” he muttered, frowning slightly.
How did I wake up with a new ability? While unexpected, this power would be incredibly practical in this era.
Turning to A-Yan, Su Ci asked, “Did anything happen last night?”
Caught off guard by the question, A-Yan now felt certain that the caretaker genuinely didn’t remember what had transpired. He hesitated briefly before pulling out paper and a pen from his space button.
But just as he was about to write, Su Ci waved him off. “Never mind. I have another way of finding out.”
A-Yan blinked curiously. Another way?
Su Ci’s lips curled into a faint smile. He seemed to be in a good mood.
Without directly answering A-Yan’s unspoken question, Su Ci instead said, “Call the base AI.”
As soon as he spoke, a virtual screen materialized before them.
“Greetings, Trainee Caretaker Su Ci. How may I assist you?” The AI’s emotionless voice echoed in the living room.
“Retrieve all surveillance footage from the nursery last night. I want to know what happened,” Su Ci instructed.
“Apologies. As a trainee caretaker, you do not have clearance to access the nursery’s surveillance footage. If required, please submit an application to the Administration Department for approval.”
Su Ci chuckled lightly and raised a hand, pressing it against the virtual screen. In that moment, his black eyes turned a pale gold.
The virtual screen flickered erratically, an unprecedented anomaly for the base AI.
No one knew what Su Ci did to the AI in that moment. Even A-Yan, sitting across from him, was at a loss. Although he didn’t understand what was happening, he watched silently, confident that he would understand someday.
Finally, after several tense moments, the virtual screen stabilized. Su Ci withdrew his hand, and the once-white display now glowed faintly with a golden hue.
Picking up his nutrient solution, Su Ci sipped calmly to replenish his energy. He then looked back at the screen and asked softly, “Now, do I have the necessary clearance?”
A string of numbers flashed across the screen. The base AI’s monotone voice returned.
“Trainee Caretaker Su Ci, you have been granted the highest clearance for Base 24’s intelligent core. Per your earlier command, would you like to access all surveillance footage of the nursery from last night?”
Su Ci nodded in satisfaction.
Though he wasn’t sure how or why he had gained this ability, it was proving to be quite useful.
“Aside from me, has anyone else accessed the nursery’s surveillance footage?”
“Due to the extreme weather conditions caused by the blood-red frost, signal transmission was disrupted. Restoration is currently underway. As of now, no similar commands have been received.”
Su Ci nodded, then posed another question: “Can you forge surveillance footage?”
