“Computer, initialise the Dungeon Maker system.” Jin pretended as if the System was some sort of AI. Though it technically could be considered such… just more omnipotent than the one Yang Ling should know about.
The System understood what Jin was playing at and changed the way it titled itself to “Computer” to tag along with Jin’s plan. The usual futuristic interfaces appeared right in front of him and Yang Ling, which left the latter amazed even though she had just been held at knifepoint only a few minutes ago.
“Is this more, than just a dungeon instance?” Yang Ling wondered, but as she tried the interface, she realised how easy it was it for her to design a blueprint of the Poison Isolation Core (which she aptly named after creating a basic layout of it) for her father.
Unlike Jin, who was granted access to all sorts of metals, most that were not even known in this world, the System made sure that she only had access to the earthly materials such as steel, iron, copper etc. for her design. The System even aided her in calculating the efficiency of the design and Yang Ling instantly understood based on her knowledge that this computer AI was the best assistive technology she had ever encountered.
“I have obtained the copies of your father’s body scan, his current chi circuits and the routes that the poison had been moving so far, as well as the routes it will most likely move to next.” Jin told her as he swiped his interface sending all the information over. Yang Ling was yet again bewildered by the powers of this particular technology that Jin was wielding.
“How…did you obtain this artificial intelligence? No…. Could you please introduce me to whoever was able to design it?” Yang Ling tried to strike a conversation, but Jin ignored her.
“Concentrate! We do not have any time to waste. Milk is getting more and more exhausted from treating your father-” Jin replied with a slightly condescending tone hoping that Yang Ling would not get any ideas from working with the System.
“If you want, I can alter their memories.” Kraft sniggered as he was observing the whole thing unfold.
“No need. I want her to be in my debt. I cannot let her be suspicious of mind manipulation. Besides, isn’t she a master in that field too?” Jin replied, but Kraft laughed heartily instead.
“All the more fun it will be.” Kraft answered before returning into his darkness…working on the prisoner Jin just caught for him.
“Well, well, well. It looks like you are finally awake? No?” Kraft had left the enemy assassin by the name of Ban De on his favourite bloodied table. “To think I’d get to use you again so soon. Oh Jin, you ARE spoiling me so much~. At this rate, you’ll probably become the best master I ever served since decades, with Ming in second place of course.” Kraft smiled as he once again slid his fingers lovingly along the bloodied table and slowly on the partially naked assassin.
“You will not break me.” Ban De said with confidence. “I have been through sufficient interrogations and came out alive.”
“Of course I am not going to break you. Silly boy.” Kraft took out a scalpel from the drawer of bloodied table and pointed at his abdomen. He poked repeatedly at the same point until blood slowly started oozing out of him. Oddly enough Ban De screamed as the pain he was expecting was not coming from the same place he was seeing. It felt like thousands of blades were poking at one point. Each time he was about to pinpoint where the pain originated, it seemed to jump to another random place. He was so distracted by this new experience that he did not notice that four foxes had surrounded him, one at each of his extremities. Evon, Ixel, Ixa and Tsu.
“Relax, after all I won’t kill you~. No, Death is a luxury you will wish you could obtain, but it will forever stay outside your reach. I am going to dismantle you. It will be a slow process, with extreme prejudice. It will be bone by bone. Organ by organ. Piece by piece. I guarantee you will be surprised just how much a human body can withstand, before breaking -” Kraft stopped for a moment and thought.
“However, your kind does not deserve such preferential treatment, no. Not at all, Servant of the Banned Emperor. I just remembered the authorities from your world would be taking you in. How about I do them a favour and let them get to know you much easily?” Kraft frowned at the word he had spoken as he moved his scalpel to another point and did the exact same thing again. And again. And again. The more Ban De became distracted from the ecstasy of pain, the easier for Kai, the second black fox of Kraft, to get into the depths of his brain and retrieve information.
——————
“I’ve completed the design, but the resource composition is not easy to find in Shenzhen. I might need to contact some foreign companies to bring in the materials. The quickest will still be at least three full days. I can port them with some strings, so I was hoping if Milk cou-” Jin stopped Yang Ling from continuing.
“You can go back to your father, he needs you right now. Let me deal with the resources part.” Jin finished his sentence as he shook his head in dismay while a Panda Nurse was waiting at the door to escort Yang Ling back to her father.
“Oh Jin Jin, why are you so cold to her?” Yun who suddenly appeared out of nowhere asked Jin as he started the manufacturing of the Poison Isolation Core.
“Shouldn’t it be considered the System’s wish? Wanting to take revenge against the rest of the Zodiac families? Since they also played a major role in the downfall of our ancestors…” Jin asked, while still being a bit irritated due to the lack of sleep he had been tolerating. The adrenaline rush had long since passed after the fight, and he felt that he could topple any second again.
“User is not wrong. Revenge against the Zodiac families is a high priority in order to earn our rightful place back, but converting them to our cause is a different issue. The more capable workforce we obtain, the easier the restoration of the Panda Clan is going to be. A possibility of using her as a spy is high.” System concluded, but Jin shook his head.
“To be honest I have no idea how you are going to upset the entire political system that was deeply root in our lives for the Panda Clan to resurface and claim our supposed glory. Also right now, I am just a dungeon supplier, not a general or a tactical commander as Moloch had pointed out not too long ago. Do not give me this kind of infiltration nonsense.” Jin replied.
“The System will reveil its plan when time is riped. ” The System stated and Yun interrupted Jin.
“Back in the days, shop managers often lead a double life. During the day they were a friendly helper, but at night they were important members of secret organisations or at least managers of such organisations. There were some that were guild leaders too. Just saying, you know since you own a shop that is primarily used for training a group of cultivators.” Yun hinted with a wink.
“Ha ha ha, very funny. As if I had time for that.” Jin yawned as the System had already started 3D printing the Poison Isolation Core out for usage.
“The repercussions of showing Yang Ling the System…Sigh, I really don’t know what to expect in the future.” Jin thought about it. What would have happened if he had introduced Yang Ling formally to the System? On second thought, was gifting her a customised Gearbox exosuit a good idea? As his head hurts from all the thinking, he thought to himself that only time could tell.
“By the way, does Yuan Ba know you? He said he knew gramps.” Jin casually asked Yun since he had to wait for the 3D printing to be done.
“Nope, never seen him in my life, nor did I know him before the incident-” Yun answered as she fiddled around the dungeon maker interface a little.
“Will anyone in the past ever recognise you?” Jin had that thought when Yun answered him.
“Highly unlikely. Besides I did not even reveal my real name to you, even though I am supposed to be your mother.” Yun replied, and it suddenly made Jin realised that “Yun” was supposed to be his Ming’s nickname for his mother. But somehow he was unable to remember his mother’s real name.
“Aren’t you ..wait…a minute… Why do I feel that there is a gap in my memory?” Jin felt like his brain was playing tricks with him.
“It’s a skill that Kraft taught the System, which later on, it taught me along with some other abilities. I have the ability to erase my past so that everyone who knew me is unable to recall specific pieces of information. It’s like an instinctive reaction when I see that particular person. The downside, if you want to call it that, is that I do not remember that person either. It’s a two way trade off thing though its a good thing to me in my opinion. Sometimes being too hung up with the past could make things difficult.” Yun justified herself as she idled around, waiting for the 3D printing to be completed.
Jin had his own thoughts about the magic Yun had for herself but he figured it could be beneficial especially when people like Yuan Ba could possibly interlink Yun’s resurrection to Jin’s System. “Speaking of that, I do need a cover story and alibi eventually. Yuan Ba or Yang Ling would probably order people to research more about me and my other companions.” Jin said as he yawned once more.
After fifteen minutes, the System had finished 3D printing the first Poison Isolation Core which Jin decided to use on Yuan Ba and obtain more tangible results before returning to the System and optimising it even further before giving it to the other victims.
“Let’s hope this works as intended.” Jin sighed as he picked up the core and walked towards the recovery instance with the aid of the System.
