Cyber ​​God: Abyss Walker

The residents of the abandoned city had very limited knowledge of the metropolis that was vastly different from their own, and Wang Yu, for certain reasons, was even less knowledgeable about it. However, even he couldn't possibly be unaware of the four pillar companies.

The four behemoths—the Colossus, the World Tree, the Great Wall, and the Celestial Axis—are the true top level of the entire safe zone. Regardless of how the existing order and rules operate, they have the ability to make these things migrate and change according to their will.

Correspondingly, the products of these four companies, supported by their technological prowess, are at the very top of all products and should not appear in the abandoned city at all. Even if they do, they should only be scrapped items that were already obsolete several years ago.

"I don't understand it, but its value is undeniable, given its completeness..."

His voice trembled slightly. Wang Yu, lacking the corresponding understanding, couldn't judge what the products of the four giant companies could be exchanged for in a place like a ruined city. But one thing he was sure of was that it was a huge sum of money that could change his fate.

"Phew, calm down. I don't seem to have the ability to deal with this thing yet. Whether it's the way to open it or a way to take it out without being intercepted by the guards, even if all of those are met, I still can't find a channel, a channel to deal with this thing."

Clenching his fists, Wang Yu forced himself to calm down. This was not the end of the matter; it was only the beginning. He had to deal with the series of troubles that followed before he could obtain the huge sum of money that would change his situation.

"It seems I have to go back and ask Old Fish Head for help. He came from that city, but he probably hasn't reached the level where he can contact the Big Four companies. But I don't really have any other choice."

While continuing to inspect the box from Tianzhou Group, Wang Yu confirmed the subsequent plan: first, to…

"Crack, pfft!"

Luck seemed to have run out when he found the box. Just as Wang Yu was about to move the heavy metal box, the sound of sharp teeth digging into flesh reached his ears from afar, as if an invisible hammer had struck his heart.

The little animal used to lure the mechanical dog was caught in such a short time—a minute, or even less.

Wang Yu's expression was grim. He knew very well how agile that little animal was, and the fact that it was caught so quickly indicated a rather unfortunate fact: the mechanical dog's speed and strength far exceeded his expectations. With the current prey dealt with, the next target was already clear.

"roar!"

A frenzied, metallic growl echoed in the distance, accompanied by barks that lacked distinct canine characteristics and were filled with excitement. This mechanical dog had never seen prey this size before; it would be enough to keep it full for a while.

"Bang! Clang! Crash!"

He stomped on the metal box, pushing it back to its original position. With lightning speed, he shoveled away the debris on the ground to bury and cover the box. Without hesitation, Wang Yu turned and ran, rushing towards the tunnel he had come down from. He wouldn't hesitate when faced with a choice between life and wealth.

The protective suit he was wearing was quite heavy, but Wang Yu's physical condition was sufficient to support him to move forward at high speed while carrying it. Within his limited field of vision, the darkness on the side near the tunnel was quickly cleared away as he ran, and the opening on the rock wall should appear soon.

"Thump thump thump bang bang...!"

However, the footsteps behind him grew louder and louder, and the clanging of metal against metal made cold sweat bead on Wang Yu's forehead. The mechanical dog was much faster than him, and the distance of about two hundred meters between him and the cave entrance was more than enough for the mechanical dog to catch up and kill its prey.

He forcibly stabilized his consciousness under high pressure, making a simple choice in an instant. He hated gambling, but at this moment it seemed that if he didn't take the gamble, he would surely die here.

"Please don't... use force... *crack*, *bang*!"

With a swift swing of his arm, he grabbed the firefly scanner hanging on his chest. With a forceful squeeze of his five fingers, he crushed the ancient relic amidst a distorted warning sound. Sparks and arcs of electricity danced among the scanner's wreckage on his glove, but they couldn't penetrate Wang Yu's only piece of protective clothing that had any semblance of quality.

His vision was plunged into complete darkness after he destroyed the scanner himself. Only the approaching footsteps behind him indicated the impending threat of death. Ignoring everything else, Wang Yu aimed the scanner debris at his back and threw it away. He continued to rush forward, desperately running towards the rock wall where the cave entrance was located.

"Sizzle!"

The energy storage element inside the waste exploded with an electric arc the moment it touched the ground, illuminating a tiny patch of darkness. This light, barely perceptible to humans, was like lightning piercing the sky for the mechanical dog.

The pursuit of Wang Yu stopped abruptly. The last remaining biological part of its body craved flesh and blood, but this craving was instantly overwhelmed by the mechanical part's desire for electrical energy, even if it was just a tiny amount of energy that could not provide much replenishment.

The mechanical dog was attracted by the scanner debris that Wang Yu threw out. He finally managed to return to the rock wall where the cave entrance was located. Without the scanner, the pure darkness made it impossible for him to see anything. He suddenly crashed into the wall, the impact causing his arms and torso to ache.

But all of this was within Wang Yu's expectations. Ignoring the pain in his body, he grabbed the depressions in the rock wall and began to climb. He needed to find the tunnel leading to the ground.

Soon, his hands, which had been groping along the rock wall, touched a void—the cave entrance above. Clinging to the lower edge of the entrance, Wang Yu flipped over and scrambled inside. He then crawled for quite a distance into the tunnel before stopping, leaning against the cave wall and panting heavily. He was safe. Although the reason was unknown, these mechanical creatures would not stray too far from the underground "cemetery".

"Trading a scanner for a life, haha, it's a win-win situation."

With a wry smile, Wang Yu got up and groped his way forward through the pit in the darkness. This was not the tunnel he had taken when he went down to the "cemetery". He couldn't see anything just now, so how could he be sure which path he had taken when he went down?

He was betting that he could find another entrance to the cemetery by feeling along the cave wall. There were many such tunnels, but most of them had been abandoned due to various dangers.

The darkness made walking in complete darkness extremely oppressive, but the miners working in Pit 13 had become accustomed to this unsettling environment that went against their instincts. They had no time to complain; simply surviving was their best effort, and earning some money by mining ore was a pleasant surprise.

After ascending a distance, some of the lights that had been completely destroyed on both sides of the cave wall below began to be restored and connected to the power grid of the work space above. The endless darkness was dispelled by the dim light, and Wang Yu was finally able to move faster without bumping into anything.

These tunnels are actually mine tunnels, dug out by the miners working in the No. 13 pit mine. So there are no rules to follow. After digging to the bottom, you will naturally arrive at the "graveyard". The only thing that can be confirmed about these tunnels is that they will definitely lead to the exit of the gathering point at the top.

"Um?"

After ascending rapidly for a while, Wang Yu estimated that he had reached the middle area of ​​the mine. He stopped in his tracks with a soft "hmm" in his mind. At the corner of the winding tunnel, there was a body wearing protective clothing lying there, motionless.

"There are no visible wounds. Did he die from an unusual cause, or was he... a hunter?"

Bending down to carefully observe, Wang Yu confirmed that the body suspected to be a corpse had no external injuries, which put him at ease. This at least confirmed that the person did not die from any dangerous predator, but from an "abnormal" death in the mine below Pit 13.

The technological level within the relatively large safe zone is quite high, at least several levels higher than Earth in the early 2020s. Cyberpunk is a good description. In theory, there is no need for manual mining in the mines; automated machines are obviously a better choice.

The reason is simple: this world or era can indeed be described as cyberpunk. However, the phenomena called "anomalies" mixed in with this world, as well as those great beings that Wang Yu neither understands nor wants to understand, mean that only a small part of the world is occupied by order and stability.

The reason it's called a safe zone is because there is no safety outside of it. Beyond the boundary lies the wasteland, a chaotic and unknown land. Once humans leave the safe zone and enter the wasteland, the unspeakable things hidden deep beneath the dark sea can crush their minds and devour their bodies at any time.

The interior of the safe zone is not entirely peaceful; anomalies can occur at any time, sometimes even occupying an entire area. This is especially true for abandoned cities, which are different from the city. In addition to oppression from their fellow citizens, the residents of abandoned cities also have to face these "anomalies."

Pit 13 is one of the many anomalous areas in the abandoned city. The more complex the electronic devices, the less effective they become. If they are covered by the anomalies in this area for too long, they may even experience structural distortions and become completely unusable.

Therefore, the mine employs miners to mine a unique type of ore found in the anomaly zone of Pit 13—Zalois ore. Of course, these miners are just manual laborers on another level, since the origins of these workers are hardly legitimate.

"His chest was no longer rising and falling, and there was no noticeable sound of air passing through the gas mask. It shouldn't be a trap. What killed him? A black monster, a Riftman, or mental pollution...?"

After carefully confirming the deceased's vital signs, Wang Yu needed to make sure that the person wasn't pretending to be a corpse to lure other miners over. Such people who hunted down "colleagues" and stole their harvest were not uncommon in this chaotic mine.

Stepping forward, Wang Yu began to feel along the corpse's arm, searching for the device that had established the unique rule in the mine.

Locked to the other's right wrist, the metal dial-like object was touched by Wang Yu. Without hesitation, he pressed the start button located in the center of the dial. The mechanical gear structure, which was not affected by abnormalities, moved and engaged, while simultaneously striking the heart, which was connected to this device through a thin wire, and injecting Zalois ore concentrate into the artery.

"Bang!"

The powerful stimulation caused the corpse to violently jerk its limbs despite Wang Yu's deliberate pressing, making a sound as it collided with the cave wall.

Zalois ore is the main ingredient in a stimulant used in the Wasteland. If injected directly into the body, it can act as an adrenaline. However, the real reason for its huge demand among the residents of the Wasteland is the extreme pleasure it produces when inhaled by conscious residents, which is no different from having an erection.

"Crunch!"

The corpse, which jolted violently under the dual stimulation of a strong electric current and a cardiac stimulant, did not move further after that. Neither its breathing nor its heartbeat was successfully restored. At this moment, the dial-like device spat out a chip-like object from its interior.

After removing the chip from the watch face on the other person's wrist, Wang Yu felt its thickness and a smile appeared on his face. This unexpected gain was enough to make up for the loss of the scanner and even make up for it.

The dial-shaped device is an emergency rescue device worn by all miners. Once activated, it strongly stimulates the body in an attempt to awaken miners who have lost vital signs and consciousness due to abnormalities. For them, this is tantamount to a second chance at life.

However, the existence of the anomaly zone prevents complex instruments capable of detecting vital signs from being brought into Pit 13. Therefore, this device can only be activated by others, whether it is a companion or a stranger like Wang Yu who happens to pass by and discovers it.

The guarantee that these people would activate the device to try to save the other person's life, rather than stripping them of their equipment for money, is also inside the device—the chip that is ejected after activation. Inside is all the "points" the other person has earned in the mine by exchanging Zalois ore. These points can be used to exchange for currency outside the mine.

These chips, which serve as proof of points, are stored in the device and are automatically released when the emergency rescue function is activated. In other words, even if the wearer is found to be a dried-up corpse, an emergency rescue attempt must be initiated to try to wake the wearer before the watch will pay the price as a second chance at life.

Unfortunately, the relatively fresh and intact corpse did not revive. Wang Yu took all of its points and the Zalois ore placed in the pit.

"BK21 type—heavy industrial crane arm... even in the ruins of this city, it's considered a top-tier cybernetic modification, yet it died so easily?"

Muttering to himself, his gaze swept over the other person's other arm. Without protective clothing, the mechanical structure was combined and connected in a powerful and beautiful way to form this enhanced and modified prosthetic arm. Wang Yu had no doubt that once this thing was activated, it could smash his skull to pieces with just one punch.

Even such a "powerful" individual cannot have their cause of death confirmed in the anomaly zone. Does this mean that anomalies truly treat everyone equally...?

A chill crept up Wang Yu's spine. He squinted at the deep darkness below the tunnel, feeling the illusion that something was watching him. Experience told him that at this moment, it was best to trust this unreliable intuition and get away from here before the atmosphere around him became even more eerie.

With all his spoils, Wang Yu headed towards the top of the tunnel without looking back, leaving behind only the lights that suddenly went dark and the faint, dense sounds of chewing flesh.

……

Standing in front of the metal gate leading to the mine surface, Wang Yu skillfully took half of the ore from the basket on his back and handed it to the four guards who isolated the underground miners from the mine surface.

These guards wore protective suits far thicker than the miners', and on the outer layer of their black suits were slightly worn exoskeletons. The prototypes of these exoskeletons were probably products of the Colossus Corporation, and their deterioration could only be described as tragic. However, it was still very simple to make a hole in the miners' mortal bodies and protect them from bullets.

These burly mine guards, clad in black armor, not only had their bodies modified with cybernetic implants, but the large-caliber kinetic energy shotguns they carried at their waists were also designed to blast any miner who dared to charge at them into a mangled mess.

Once miners enter Pit 13, they must complete certain criteria before returning to the surface. The protective suits are provided by the mine, and they are not to be used by the miners for free.

The minimum ore quota corresponds to the price of a complete set of protective clothing. As for the fact that the protective clothing is only temporarily rented, the mine doesn't care. These unlucky miners of unknown origin don't have anyone who can truly control their own destiny.

"all."

The guard's somewhat hoarse voice reached Wang Yu's ears. The guard pointed at Wang Yu's basket with the kinetic shotgun in his hand, making it clear that he was demanding that Wang Yu hand over all his spoils this time.

"What...?"

Wang Yu was taken aback. Although the mine never considered the human rights of the miners, the rule of taking half of the miners' earnings had not been broken. It was a rare act of mercy, or a wise move to avoid depleting the mine's resources. He didn't know why they were suddenly taking all of it this time.

"Time is up?"

However, Wang Yu quickly realized something, his face turned slightly pale, and he questioned the guards in front of him, ignoring the fact that these guards never paid attention to the miners' words.

"Yes, if you come back alive this time, we will not take any more of your spoils in the future."

The guards answered Wang Yu's question in an illogical way, revealing their obvious idea that they believed Wang Yu was unlikely to return alive, and if he did, he would no longer share the same identity as the miners below.

"Is it time...?"

As Wang Yu handed over all his spoils, he touched the back of his neck, where there was a hideous scar, and the skin around the scar was slightly raised.

Yes, the explosive collar they forcibly implanted made his life not truly his own, and the arrival of that date seemed to foreshadow that Wang Yu, this insignificant guy like a stray dog, would die silently in some corner.