Rust - Chapter 700



Only Krnovel

RUST -700

Empire. New York City.

New York’s sewers began to overflow as thick layers of snow and ice melted away.

“All those little rats are going to drown.”

“It looks great. I wish I could just sweep them all away now.”

The emptiness left by the departure of the Holy Kingdom’s field mice was filled by the Confederate psychic generator. Since it was a psychic generator manufactured in Langley, Virginia, if replication failed, this would be the end.

“Damn it. Why are those defense guys like that?”

“Those crazy kids are calling for a coup.”

“It’s not like anything will change even if you succeed.”

“I don’t know. Maybe he’s possessed by a vampire.”

Soldiers wearing psychic shielding helmets were guarding the psychic generator.

“Isn’t this a sewer backflow?”

“It would be dangerous if it overlaps with high tide.”

“Tell the kids to clean up the mess.”

“Why is it like this?”

[Pokgurururuk-]

Bubbles began to rise from the brainwave generator.

“What? You used to do that every once in a while.”

“Is that so?”

[Pugururururuk-]

The bubbles continued. Small bubbles began to appear, as if the temperature was gradually overheating.

Beep—eeee-

A high-pitched warning sound accompanied by a flashing red warning light.

“FUCK!!!”

Bubbles began to rise as if water was boiling.

‧

‧

‧

The President’s Residence.

Dan Brown shook his head involuntarily as he read the climate change report.

“That’s serious.”

The temperature change was so drastic. It was only a few days ago that temperatures were dropping below minus 40 degrees, but the average temperature suddenly returned to above zero, according to reports.

Last year, climate change was unpredictable, but this year it was even worse. We are in a situation where we have to completely change the plans based on last year.

“The average temperature is expected to be above freezing starting today. The high temperature is expected to reach 20 degrees.”

“The high temperature during the day is going to go up to 20 degrees? It was minus 40 degrees a few days ago?”

“Yes. If the temperature continues to rise like this, the highest temperature will likely exceed 30 degrees in about three weeks.”

That means that in just 3 to 4 weeks, temperatures will change from -40 degrees to over 30 degrees. If this continues, realistically, spring and fall will disappear, leaving only winter and summer.

Six months of winter, four months of summer, and one month each of spring and fall. I guess it wasn’t something that could be passed like that.

Last year, temperatures rose to 40 degrees. And of all places, New York. If New York, which borders the Atlantic Ocean, reached 40 degrees, cities inland could have reached 50 degrees or more.

It is natural that as the temperature rises, the amount of water vapor evaporates increases. When water turns into vapor, it means that it has stored that much energy.

Where will all that accumulated energy go? It will become clouds, rain, and circulate as wind. As the energy increases and the amount of water vapor evaporates, the wind will blow stronger and the heavy rain will continue.

‘This is difficult.’

Last year was hard enough, but if we add on heat waves, heavy rain, strong winds, and tornadoes, then farming is over.

A deep furrow formed between Dan Brown’s eyebrows.

How can things get this messed up?

Last year, we had put out the fire by opening up grain trade with France. But this winter, the Holy Kingdom blew up Paris with a hydrogen bomb, and France virtually entered civil war.

What’s more, in the aftermath of the destruction of London, England, the British raiders who had been sweeping through the granary of western France did not return to England but instead made camp in western France.

This meant that the western granary of France was in ruins for the time being, and with London gone, the production and supply of Brent crude oil from the North Sea could no longer be guaranteed.

‘The Holy Kingdom’s production capacity alone is not enough to meet the Empire’s demands.’

Even if the Holy Kingdom with a population of 4 million produces three times as much agricultural produce, it can only meet the needs of about 12 million people.

With a population of over 50 million across nine states, 20 million people have died from mutant viruses, mutant monsters, and climate change, but there are still close to 30 million people left.

‘I should send climate change data to the Holy Kingdom. I can pass on the information while raising the issue of increasing grain production. But for the remaining issues, I have no choice but to look into it with Spain.’

If Spain is difficult too…

Dan Brown stared at the ampoule on one side of the desk drawer. The red ampoule that seemed to tempt people and the clear ampoule that was as clear as water were reflected in his eyes.

An ampoule containing Joseph Meyer’s memories and an ampoule that would turn him into a vampire would have been a trade item that would be popular even in the Confederacy.

‘If I could successfully clone even just one of the two, it would be a product that would make the cannibals and vampires of the South go crazy.’

Of course, the important part of Joseph Meyer’s information will be the story that is obtained first.

[Your Majesty, I have a report that the psychic generator is overloaded.]

Overloading the psychic generator?

That meant that there was a swarm of rats that exceeded the capacity.

‘how?’

There’s no way that’s going to happen, because the rats would go berserk the moment they come within range of the psychic generator.

“Issue an immediate general mobilization order. Mobilize everyone except the bare minimum for border defense.”

If the situation was beyond the capacity of the psychic generator, then everything had to be mobilized.

======

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The Holy Kingdom was preparing for an all-out operation to capture the Ant Queen. They were running a simulation using virtual reality to establish an effective operation.

In this situation, the probability of success of the operation was bound to vary depending on whether or not training had been conducted according to a proper scenario.

“The ant kingdom is a more sophisticated society than is generally thought.”

Na Ju-yeon explains the Ant Kingdom update status and what you need to know in general.

“Not only do they wage war like humans and plunder food stockpiled by enemies, but they also kidnap enemy larvae and eggs and turn them into slaves.”

Those ants were not easy opponents, as they had mutated.

“If you look at the combat footage taken by Ki-sun and Kim Yang, there are parts where the ants read the opponent’s numbers and responded, rather than just ambush and counterattack. I updated that part in the simulation. Please take note. And···.”

“Let’s stop there and run a simulation on the necessary issues before discussing them further.”

Maru interrupted Na Ju-yeon and said that they should start first.

“···Yes. Up to 4 people can connect at the same time. Are you going to connect at the same time as other people?”

“No. Go alone at first. The situation is a solo search. Keep friendly forces to a minimum.”

“I adjusted it. However, the implementation of the Vampiric suit is not accurate. Is that okay?”

“doesn’t care.”

It was a room that connected directly to a virtual reality simulation.

‧

after—

When I opened my eyes, I saw new shoots sprouting between the collapsed buildings here and there.

after—

The air felt heavy and humid from somewhere.

It was a cold winter last time, and seeing the background change completely seemed to reflect reality properly.

The starting area was near Toledo, Ohio, south of Detroit. Maru quickly scanned the information displayed on the HUD.

‘Are the friendly forces company-sized?’

A force of about 100 men was moving along the road.

The direction is a short hill.

It was the hill where Ki-sun and Kim Yang had fought fiercely with the ants.

‘Since it’s the first time, it would be good to try as many different situations as possible.’

The vampire suit was thin and too revealing, so Maru wore a ripper suit over it.

“Set up positions on the high ground. Move.”

Even if it was a small hill, a high ground was a high ground. It was advantageous for the friendly forces to take up position first. The NPC company commander led the company members up the hill. Maru retreated without making contact with them.

Although it was only a company-sized unit, it was heavily armed with exosuits, so the ants’ attention would be focused on that side. Maru, who had erased the smell, spun around and arrived at the back of the hill.

Chijijik-

A sensor error message appeared on the HUD screen and the augmented screen shook.

‘That means there are a ton of ants gathered together.’

Once the settings are set, the quantum computer, grape cluster, and Mayonnaise simulation will create the situation based on the given conditions. So, it is possible that a malfunction like the one we are seeing now occurs.

[Sensor errors also cause the operation to stop.]

[Augmented screen noise is severe, so pause.]

The assistant AI attached to the Ripper suit said.

‘The sensor was removed and the HUD was disabled, so it was a mess from the start.’

[Can you communicate with the company that is setting up the base?]

[Unable to connect due to radio interference.]

With this level of interference and device strength, there was a risk that the Ripper suit’s stealth module would be damaged. The stealth module was also an external device.

As Maru had expected, the assistant AI’s voice continued.

[Stealth module functionality is reduced. There is a risk of your stealth being broken. Please find a safe location and move.]

I haven’t seen a single baby ant, but it looks like this.

‘If I had just encountered it without running the simulation, I would have seen a dirty sight.’

Even if he himself had avoided it and somehow managed to avoid it, it was clear that the troops that had gone into the operation together would have been torn apart. Both Kim Yang and Ki-sun were lucky.

When he heard that the cover was broken, Maru slowly stepped back. He planned to look for the queen while the company and ants on the hill fought.

[The Ripper Suit’s stealth module is malfunctioning. Please move to a safe place.]

You’re retreating and suddenly your cover is broken?

The ant density suddenly increased?

That meant the ants had made a detour underground and surrounded the floor.

[Ha- This is really-]

Maru was amazed.

The biggest problem was that they surrounded without any intention of killing. It was dangerous to surround them naturally without being affected by Maru’s sensitive senses.

[Device interference is increasing. Stealth module is stopped.]

As if the sky were made of dots, the distorted and broken dots here and there gradually formed the shape of a floor.

The floor remained still, like a statue. When the floor stopped moving, ant antennae rose like a periscope through the damp earth.

Antennae checking the surroundings. Normal ants don’t have good eyesight, but I didn’t know what to do with these mutated ants.

When the feeler touched Maru’s shoe, it quickly stepped back, then carefully poked at the shoe again before climbing up his calf.

At the same time, the feel of the ground Maru was stepping on changed subtly. It felt like he was stepping on Styrofoam rather than solid ground.

It was clear that he was digging down, but the peculiar sensation was not occurring. The sensation that had been working even when he fought the NP Maru continued to remain silent.

Tsk-

Since it was only the first time and we couldn’t just stand off like this forever, I cut off the tentacles that were rubbing Maru’s calf.

!!!

The cockroaches made a chitinous sound with their wings, but the ants squirmed silently.

Shake- shake- squeak-

The floor, which felt like Styrofoam, gave way and the floor was sucked into a round hole. The narrow hole quickly grew larger, revealing a semicircular dome structure.

What Maru saw was the sight of soldier ants densely packed inside the dome. They were all pointing their butts in this direction.

[Fuck-]

The senses that had been quiet until I fell into the hole began to flutter fiercely.

At the same time, the densely packed ants’ butts spurted a mountain toward the floor.

Chooooooow!

‧

‧

‧

Maru, who had melted into formic acid and seen the half-soup ending, came out of the connector and shouted.

“What are these little ants? They surround you and set traps without any chance of survival?”

There was news waiting for Maru, who was already furious.

“New York is half-empty. Mr. Den sent out an emergency rescue request.”

“Why there?”

Ki-soon turned her head to the status board and said.

The map gradually turns red, starting from the New York Harbor area.

“They say that the psychic generator that was blocking the rats exploded, and all the rats in the New York underground came rushing out at once.”

“······.”