In the apocalypse, I hoarded goods and handed over my storage space to the government.

(Some keywords are failing the review again, so I made some modifications.)

Zhao Zhigang turned around and waved.

The special forces soldier stepped forward, placed the combination lock box on the ground, entered the combination, and unlocked the mechanical lock.

"Click".

The lid of the box was opened.

A surge of intense energy rushed towards us.

"Advisor Su, the brothers have turned the underground caverns upside down, and they've sifted all the soil through them."

Zhao Zhigang reported loudly, his tone filled with pride.

"There are a total of 342 second-tier crystal cores here, all of them are here."

Su Ran stepped forward and looked down at the box.

A massive surge of spiritual energy spread out like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing the entire isolation chamber.

one second.

two seconds.

Su Ran's brows furrowed slightly, and the temperature in her eyes plummeted to freezing.

Three hundred and forty-two.

The quantity is correct.

The energy fluctuations are also very stable.

However, they are all ordinary second-order crystal nuclei.

"These crystal cores aren't strong enough," Su Ran muttered to herself.

His mind replayed the image of that deep, purple tumor, the size of a shipping container and covered with a dense bony shell, deep underground.

It was a terrifying creature that had devoured countless nutrients and was about to transcend the level of life.

Its core could not possibly contain only energy fluctuations of this magnitude.

"Are all the crystal cores here?"

Su Ran raised her head and stared at Zhao Zhigang.

"It's all here."

Zhao Zhigang felt uneasy under that gaze, and without hesitation, straightened his back and responded loudly.

"Advisor Su, the engineering corps is implementing the highest-level cleaning regulations, and absolutely no one would dare to keep any crystal cores!"

These three hundred-plus stones are all the spoils from the underground cave!

Su Ran did not speak.

He knew Zhao Zhigang wouldn't dare lie.

The military has extremely strict control over crystal cores, and no one dares to tamper with such strategic materials.

So, where is the problem?

The size and defensive capabilities of that purple tumor have truly reached the threshold of the third tier.

It was only through Mo Yun's poison, combined with Ye Xiao's all-out strike, that it barely managed to break through its defenses.

Monsters of that strength, after they die, leave not even a trace?

"I sense that the most important crystal core isn't here. That's strange."

Su Ran secretly made plans in her mind.

"Could this core, like the previous fungal carpet, be a special mutant that failed to condense a crystal nucleus at all?"

"No, that's not right."

Fungal carpets are plant communities, while that tumor clearly possesses the characteristics of complete biological tissues and organs, and has even evolved a high-density defensive bony shell.

It must have an energy core.

Since the crystal nucleus has been condensed.

Where did it go?

Su Ran's gaze passed over Zhao Zhigang and fell upon the withered remains of a purple forest on the outskirts of the Bashu base.

"Okay, I understand. Thank you for your hard work."

Without making a sound, he closed the briefcase, put it into his spatial storage, and strode towards the helicopter.

The helicopter took off, its rotors relentlessly tearing through the cold air.

Su Ran sat in the cabin, looking down through the porthole at the lifeless, scorched earth below, her gaze growing increasingly profound.

……

3 PM.

Kunlun Base.

The third underground level houses a top-tier mecha testing ground.

The space here is ten times larger than a regular testing area, and the walls are all reinforced with half-meter-thick composite armor plates.

On the observation deck, military generals, senior academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and core members of the weapons research and development department were all present.

Several senior experts, including Wei Jianguo and Wu Jiayong, stood in the front row, whispering and discussing something.

Lu Yuan stood in front of the control panel, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he made the final system adjustments.

The gate is open.

Su Ran led the Awakened Squad into the testing ground.

The once noisy observation deck fell silent, and all eyes were on them.

On one side are flesh and blood, and on the other are steel monsters representing the pinnacle of human industry.

When Bai Lu saw the six-meter-tall mecha giant, her mouth gaped open in an "O" shape.

"My goodness..."

Zhu Jingye instinctively gasped.

Ye Xiao also stopped in his tracks.

He tilted his head back, his gaze fixed on the mecha.

His previously nonchalant gaze was now completely replaced by shock and fervor.

"Is this what 'Cheng Ying' is?"

Ye Xiao grinned, gripped the hilt of the knife tightly, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged. "That's really something!"

Above the control panel, Lu Yuan, sporting dark circles under his eyes, was rapidly typing on the keyboard, adjusting parameters.

Several senior academicians, including Wei Jianguo, gathered around the holographic projection, their debate escalating.

"Commander Su!"

Lu Yuan strode over, speaking unusually quickly, "Is this the representative who will represent the Awakened Ones in today's battle?"

His gaze fell on Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao grinned and pointed his thumb at the twin swords behind his back.

"Awakened Headquarters, Ye Xiao."

Lu Yuan nodded, turned around and pointed to the mecha.

"The first-generation tactical mech 'Cheng Ying' has an empty weight of eighteen tons and is equipped with a second-order crystal core fusion array. The pilot is Jin Long, the captain of the special forces team."

Wei Jianguo also stepped forward, his expression somewhat solemn, and said in a low voice:

"Advisor Su, the purpose of this test is to collect extreme data, not to engage in a life-or-death struggle."

I've locked the mech's weapon system to non-lethal mode, replaced the electromagnetic cannon with gel bullets, and reduced the power of the concussion blade.

Should we also stop short of touching the issue with the Awakened Ones?

Wei Jianguo was genuinely afraid.

This mech has consumed countless resources and effort. If it were to be dismantled into a pile of scrap metal during testing, his old bones would be heartbroken on the spot.

He didn't understand why the leader insisted on arranging such a test.

Regardless of which side is injured, it will be a significant loss for the Great Xia Dynasty.

"Old Wei, I agree to ensure safety, but we can't hold him back. Let him fight freely."

Su Ran looked at Wei Jianguo and refused directly.

"If we don't push the mechs to their limits, this test will be meaningless."

Wei Jianguo froze, opened his mouth, and finally let out a long sigh.

"Captain Golden Dragon!"

Lu Yuan stopped talking nonsense and shouted into the communication headset.

"arrive!"

Jinlong strode over to the preparation area at the edge of the field.

He was wearing a tight-fitting black neuro-interaction suit, his body covered with various vital sign monitoring patches.

He ran up to Su Ran and gave her a perfect military salute.

"Are you ready?" Su Ran asked, looking at him.

"Reporting to Advisor Su, preparations are complete! We are ready to board at any time!"

Jinlong's voice was as loud as a bell, and his eyes were filled with the same boiling fighting spirit.

Today, he will use this real war machine to fight the Awakened head-on.

"Go ahead." Su Ran slightly raised her chin.

Jinlong turned around and strode towards "Chengying".

"laugh!"

The heavy armor on the mech's chest slid open to the sides, and the golden dragon leaped in, quickly connecting to the neural interface.

The armor closed again, sealing perfectly.

Ye Xiao stood at the edge of the field, his figure as straight as a javelin.

Facing this steel creation that resembled an ancient behemoth, he gripped the hilts of two swords behind his back with both hands.

"Clang!"

The two swords were drawn, their blades humming.

"Come on, you iron lump!"

Ye Xiao's eyes were blazing with fighting spirit, and the muscles all over his body were taut to the extreme.

Inside the control room, Lu Yuan took a deep breath and hovered his finger over the red countdown button.

"Attention all units, live-fire combat test, ten-second countdown, prepare!"

"ten!"

"Nine!"

Just as Lu Yuan was about to read out the next number.

The red warning lights throughout the underground testing ground began flashing wildly without warning.

"Warning! Logical privileges granted!"

Lu Yuan was stunned, and Wei Jianguo also stood still.

Su Ran's eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to look at the main entrance to the test field.

"Rumble..."

The explosion-proof airlock, weighing hundreds of tons, slowly rose to both sides.

Two rows of fully armed guards wearing red armbands rushed in.

Surrounded by guards, an elderly man in a dark gray Zhongshan suit stepped into the venue.