Chapter 118: There’s Something Suspicious Behind It All

The Seven Titans were gleefully dividing their spoils, and Feren was no exception. He had acquired over a hundred energy chips from Monks, and by auctioning off three fire seeds, he gained a substantial number more, totaling over three hundred. Unfortunately, the number of high-quality energy chips he desired was far too few, yet at this point, he had no better options.

Out of these three hundred excellent-grade energy chips, Feren set aside fifty to elevate the abilities of the three sisters to level five. This marked a significant milestone for empowered individuals; once reaching level five, the enhancement offered by these high-grade energy chips became negligible.

This was the limit for most ordinary ability users across the wasteland. Unless they were fortunate enough to obtain higher-grade energy chips or acquire additional powers, the majority would be stuck at the fifth tier, destined to remain there for life. However, for many, level five sufficed to ensure survival in this harsh world.

Yet, Feren was clearly not satisfied with just that.

“So, you must learn to fight,” he said, reclining lazily on the sofa with a smile, addressing the three sisters who had just enhanced their abilities.

“Look, fighting — only through combat can you survive in this world and obtain everything you desire... Just like the energy chips you’ve used now. Am I right? With just a little maneuvering, you can instantly multiply your gains…”

“I can’t shake the feeling that something’s off...” Eluka murmured helplessly as she listened to Feren. The chips they had consumed had come from poor Monks. Initially, Feren had spent twenty million—equivalent to twenty excellent-grade chips—to buy Monks’ “Goddess of Vigilance.” Then he took the chips from Monks by force. After eliminating Monks, Eluka and the others had watched helplessly as Feren resold the “Goddess of Vigilance” to the Fortune Source Society for thirty million, or thirty energy chips.

In other words, Feren hadn’t spent a penny; in fact, he profited handsomely, and all this was built upon him beating someone to death.

So, increasing combat power was indeed the key!

Realizing this, Eluka clenched her fists tightly and nodded.

“I understand, Commander.”

“Good. Then let’s keep moving.”

As he spoke, Feren withdrew his gaze and looked at the cryogenic chamber before them. Since reclaiming this cold storage unit, Feren had developed a strong interest in it. Several times, he had almost used his abilities to cut open this iron coffin to uncover its secrets. Fortunately, Derin, the faithful and diligent cat-eared maid, was always there to promptly stop his impulsive “acts of violence.”

Otherwise, who knew what might have happened.

“Commander, aren’t we returning to District Nine?”

“No, forward. I have a place to go.”

Guided by Feren, Eluka piloted the Harmony along a narrow path through the wilderness until they arrived before a very inconspicuous shack.

“Here. Stop.”

“This place?”

Eluka was momentarily stunned as she looked at the dilapidated shack. From any angle, it looked like a makeshift shelter hastily built by wasteland residents who had nowhere else to live. Moreover, judging by its decrepit state and neglect, it had clearly been abandoned for a long time. So, why had Feren brought them here?

“All right, unload this thing... Having a vehicle sure is convenient.”

Following Feren’s orders, Eluka and Chris struggled with all their might to unload the large iron box from the vehicle and set it down on a vacant patch outside the shack. Then they watched as Feren strode directly into the grimy structure. He glanced at the dust-covered desk and the room, which looked long forsaken and decrepit, then forcefully slammed his hand onto the dusty desk surface.

“Beep—!”

At Feren’s action, the floor suddenly flipped open. The old clutter vanished, replaced by a sleek, modern laptop secured with screws and steel rods onto a concrete platform. The laptop’s black screen flickered twice before displaying a line of text.

“Long time no see, Doctor.”

“Indeed, it has been a long time. Seeing you alive truly brings me great relief.”

Feren smiled as he removed his hat and spoke to the laptop. Yet the response was curt, lacking even the slightest courtesy, diving straight to the point.

“You came to me, so you must need help. Let me warn you—my price isn’t cheap.”

“Of course.”

Feren nodded, then produced a vial filled with energy chips from his pocket, waving it at the laptop.

“Ten energy chips. That should be enough.”

“...Looks like you’ve had another big haul. Speak—what do you want me to do?”

“I need you to help me crack something.”

As he spoke, Feren stepped aside to reveal the strange large iron box not far behind him.

“What is this?”

“A cryogenic chamber, equipped with a complex password lock and apparently a self-destruct mechanism. I can’t handle it myself, so I’m relying on you.”

“Password lock? Self-destruct? You’ve gotten your hands on something serious again... Fine, let me try.”

Suddenly, a beam of light shot out from the laptop like a laser, illuminating the cryogenic chamber. The LCD screen on the chamber’s surface began flashing rapidly. Rows of perplexing codes appeared and vanished in rapid succession.

“This is... you’ve stirred up something you shouldn’t have, haven’t you…”

“What’s wrong?”

“This is a specific encryption system, meaning it’s designed for a particular person or organization to open. Considering the rarity of custom encryption pre-catastrophe, it’s likely something extremely important to a certain group... At least for now, its complexity rivals that of the Pentagon’s central firewall. I don’t want to get involved with anything too dangerous—you know my principles.”

“Fifteen chips.”

“...It’s not about money...”

“Twenty chips.”

“...Thirty chips, no bargaining.”

“No problem.”

Feren produced another vial and inserted it into a cavity beside the stone table. The light grew even brighter.

*Creak... creak creak...*

The laptop fixed to the table emitted eerie sounds as its glow flickered wildly. Soon, the LCD on the chamber displayed a series of numbers and symbols, appearing and disappearing too fast for the naked eye to follow. Nearly ten minutes later, the codes reassembled into a password.

“Beep...!”

“Done. That’s all I can do. I hope you’re prepared for what comes next.”

“Prepared?”

Feren raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

“Yes. I detected a transmitter inside. This means if you open the cryogenic chamber, it will automatically send a signal to some person or faction according to a preset program. If those people were wiped out before the catastrophe, that’s fine. But if they’re still alive, they’ll definitely notice someone’s tampered with their gold bar.”

“Can’t you stop the signal?”

“It’s controlled by the most basic program layer. Cracking it would take months, and I don’t have that patience. So this is how it is... If I were you, I’d find a cliff and toss it off to end it all.”

“Alright, thanks.”

After reading the message, Feren smiled and nodded at the laptop. Then he returned to the cryogenic chamber, scrutinizing it for a moment before signaling Eluka.

“Alright, time to say ‘Open Sesame.’” (To be continued.)