Chapter 555: Spider
It was a huge machine that reached up to almost seven meters. It was shaped like a spider, but with legs that reached up to 10 meters long. The proportion of the main body was larger than that of a normal spider. That was where the pilot cabin was. Eight long mechanical legs supported the pilot cabin body above the ground. Xi Yan and Kristen were completely hidden under the machine's shadow.
An adult human looked so weak and tiny before this gigantic object. Kristen and Xi Yan looked up at the staggering machine that reached up to two storeys tall. They had never seen such a strange machine. This completely overhauled their perception of machinery.
"What … What is this?" Kristen muttered under her breath, completely taken aback by this machine! Xi Yan had a blank expression that showed how completely surprised he was.
The thing was obviously a machine. Its eight slim but powerful legs could move with great flexibility. There were no decorations of any kind on the machine. All the mechanical parts were in plain sight. The machine was a combination of technology and nature that gave it a quality of strength and power.
"This is only a shell. There are many other things to work on." Ye Chong explained to them both. He was their teacher, and it was only right for him to provide some explanation.
Ye Chong abruptly grabbed onto Kristen and Xi Yan and hopped onto the back of the huge spider. His sudden movement startled the two students, but they soon became preoccupied with their immediate surroundings. They had never seen such a strange and massive machine.
"This is the pilot cabin." Ye Chong lifted a hatch door and gestured inside, then slipped into the cabin. Kristen and Xi Yan followed.
The pilot cabin was large enough to fit eight people.
"There's still a lot to add onto this machine. There is the engine, and weapons system. Hmm, we should also add extra armor around the crucial parts." Ye Chong stood calmly inside the pilot cabin.
His two students were completely won over by his skills.
"Teacher, this … What do you call this? Can it move?" Xi Yan asked haltingly.
"A name. Hmm, let's call it Spider." Ye Chong said, "It can walk and move on hilly terrain, but it's a lot slower than an aircraft." In fact, the Spider was probably the first ever mech built entirely of plant materials that mimicked a terrestrial animal.
Kristen and Xi Yan were of course unimpressed by Ye Chong's casual naming for the machine. Such a magnificent being should at least be given an equally impressive name, like Destroyer of Worlds or something.
"What's it used for?" Kristen was curious about this. She had spent more time with Ye Chong than most, and knew that her teacher would not spend so much effort on a useless piece of furniture. Nevertheless, she did think that this huge spider would make an excellent centerpiece.
"Transport for people or resources." Ye Chong provided the explanation after some careful thought. He had designed this huge pilot cabin with the intention of entering Darkniss stocked with enough water and supplies. Ye Chong added, "Hmm, and also for accommodation." The huge spider will of course be properly armed later, but Ye Chong thought that Sha Ya and Xuan Ning would be his main defense line.
Kristen and Xi Yan exchanged a look of disbelief. This magnificent thing was only used for transport, while also doubling as a mobile outdoors camp. Xi Yan thought it was more than excessive.
In the next few days, Ye Chong continued to improve the Spider.
Engine, holographic scanning system, air circulation system, weapons system …
The Spider's exterior also received a makeover, since Kristen and Xi Yan thought that the exposed mechanical gears and parts were simply unaesthetic. Hence, they added a layer of armor on the Spider's legs to hide the gears at the joints. This addition made the Spider looked even more like the real thing from afar.
Ye Chong also made extensive modifications to some crucial aspects, such as building the entry to the pilot cabin under the Spider's belly. This was because Sha Ya and Xuan Ning were not good climbers. Ye Chong also calibrated the center of gravity of the Spider until he was satisfied that the pilot cabin did not shake too much when the Spider moved on hilly terrain.
It was truly a marvel to see the seven-metre tall Spider ran across the mountains. Kristen and Xi Yan were both shocked when they first saw the Spider burst into a run.
Ye Chong left Xi Yan and Kristen with some basic learning material inside a mini projector that could fit into one's hand. This was basically what Ye Chong was teaching them so far. He did not hesitate to share all his knowledge with them. During his time at Aurora, the elders there never shied away from talking about their expertise. They always answered his questions patiently and with great detail. Thus, Ye Chong came to recognize them as necessary qualities in a teacher.
The two students received the mini projectors like it was treasure. They had never seen anything like it. Studying the object brought them no closer to understanding how it worked. They were intrigued by the device, but also captivated by the new and deep knowledge inside it.
…
Sha Ya finally emerged from her room.
Ye Chong gave her a lookover, and then asked, "You're done?"
"Yes." Sha Ya nodded. After so many days of thinking without much rest, her low and hoarse voice now sounded dry and tired as well. "Thank you."
Ye Chong frowned when he noticed how pale Sha Ya was. "You need a good rest." Sha Ya's fatigue was apparent. She looked weak. Her days of contemplation were exhausting.
Sha Ya nodded and returned to her room once more. She knew that she was in bad condition.
After three days of resting, Sha Ya emerged looking sharp and energetic. She agreed readily when asked to accompany Ye Chong to Darkniss.
Xuan Ning received Ye Chong's notice as well, and arrived early at his manor.
When Xuan Ning saw Sha Ya, he remarked in surprise, "You have improved by a lot."
Sha Ya smiled and did not comment further.
Xuan Ning turned to Ye Chong and said, "His Majesty hopes that you will bring a few more people with you. He has a few Level 8 shooters in his service, and suggests that you bring them along. You are, after all, Chief Weaponsmith of Eastern Cloud. If anything were to happen to you, I cannot possibly explain myself to the King." By now, everyone in Su Cit knew how important Ye Chong was to their King, Sun Sieha.
Ye Chong shook his head. "This is only a simple expedition. It would be inconvenient to have too many people. Besides, I have only made preparations for three of us."
"Oh, what sort of preparations?" Xuan Ning was intrigued. What would a Master weaponsmith do as preparation?
Sha Ya was also curious. Having shut herself in for so long, she did not know what Ye Chong had been up to.
"Come with me." Ye Chong led the two shooters into the warehouse. The shooters exchanged a look, and then followed him.
When the door of the warehouse slid open, Ye Ching could hear both of them inhale sharply behind him.
"What is this thing?" As expected of a Level 9 shooter, Xuan Ning recovered quickly from his surprise. He moved closer to the huge spider and looked up, still in a daze.
"It's called Spider, and it is our main means of transport. The speed is lacking, but otherwise it's quite serviceable." Ye Chong briefly introduced his creation.
Since the two shooters were crucial to his mission, he must let them get familiar with the Spider as soon as possible.
Ye Chong led them to the belly of the Spider. Hiss! A door slip open, and then a rope ladder was let down.
Ye Chong went up first. The two shooters quickly followed him up the rope ladder.
The pilot cabin was no longer empty. There were now three chairs that could spin freely, with six huge screens that covered 180 degrees of vision. Each chair came with a firearms control lever for shooting. The seat at the center had a control panel. That was Ye Chong's seat.
The wall of the pilot cabin was lined with a thick layer of bushy lilac colored plant. It could produce enough oxygen for three people.
At the rear were two big rooms that function as storage space. This would be where they store drinking water and energy crystals, and even some repair tools and extra parts.
When Ye Chong began to demonstrate how to pilot the Spider to run around the manor, both Xuan Ning and Sha Ya had already fallen in love with the machine.
"Can you build one for me? Just name the price." Xuan Ning asked hesitantly. The machine was awesome, it was practically a moving castle. Besides, the huge storage space could carry plenty of water and food. It was very useful for shooters who liked to explore the wilderness. Moreover, the machine could move very quickly even on hilly terrain. Xuan Ning would very much like to own a Spider.
Sha Ya was quiet, but her keen eyes betrayed a similar interest.
Ye Chong looked at them. "After we come back from Darkniss, I'll build one for each of you." As long as Xi Yan and Kristen prepared the gears and parts beforehand, the actual construction would not take too much of his time.
"Oh, wonderful!" Xuan Ning was overjoyed. Sha Ya caressed the firearms control lever like a lover.
"Shall we leave now?" Xuan Ning lost all his composure as a Level 9 shooter. He was like a child eager to try out his latest toy.
"Wait. We still need to bring these." Ye Chong pointed at a huge pile of supplies in a corner of the warehouse.
These were the supplies they had to bring with them for this expedition. Ye Chong made full preparations for his trip to Darkniss.
With all three of them working, the supplies disappeared onboard quickly. It helped that Ye Chong was practically a weightlifting machine.
Sha Ya pointed at a box, filled with bottles of liquid. "What are these?"
Ye Chong threw a quick glance at them. "Testing solutions." From the blank looks he got from the shooters, Ye Chong knew that explaining to them would be a hassle. He said, "You'll find out soon enough." He then continued with moving the box onto the Spider.
Soon, everything was moved onto the Spider. The storage rooms were now packed.
Xuan Ning looked at the packed storage rooms and commented, "That's enough to last us for months. If only I have one of these long ago, I would have explored every corner of Darkniss by now."
Sha Ya was quiet throughout, occupied with her thoughts.
Of course, Ye Chong was not planning on piloting the Spider from his manor. They were still some distance away from Dual Forest. At the speed the Spider was moving, it would take them God knew how long to reach Darkniss.
Ye Chong called Liao San and asked for a transport aircraft. The transport aircraft, nicknamed Big Mushroom, could manage a heavy load. A Spider was no trouble for it at all.
When the transport aircraft docked in Yedda City's landing field, it attracted a lot of attention. The transport aircraft was of an expensive model. Only selected elite military troops would have them. Besides, the symbol of the Royal Guards on the aircraft was simply eye-catching.
The Spider, carrying Ye Chong and the two shooters, emerged into the open from the transport aircraft.
This ignited a commotion in Yedda City's landing field. "Heavens, what is that monster?" The huge spider ignored the onlookers and left.
The landing field was situated outside Yedda City, so Ye Chong and his crew did not have to go through Yedda City itself to enter Dual Forest.
It was common for shooters looking for an adventure to hang around in the outskirts of Dual Forest. The sudden appearance of this massive thing was shocking. Fortunately, the mechanical nature of the Spider was easily recognized. Once the shooters realized that it was man made, they did not feel so frightened anymore. Some of the bolder shooters even trailed behind the machine out of curiosity.
Dual Forest was largely made up of gigantic trees. These trees had a thick canopy that blocked most of the sunlight to the ground. Trees below the canopy were stunted and weak from the lack of sunlight. This was the law of nature. The strong grew stronger by commanding most of the resources; the weak turned weaker, with no hope of ever absorbing enough sunlight to become just as gigantic, not unless the huge trees around it fell and give way.
The forest did not hinder the Spider's advance. It weaved its way easily through the scattered trees on the forest floor. The weaker trees were simply bulldozed over. The shooters who followed the Spider were jealous of the pilot behind the machine. How nice it would be to own a Spider too.
Xuan Ning and Sha Ya could tell that Ye Chong was experienced in controlling this kind of machine.
They were full of anticipation for their expedition to Darkniss.
Comments