At Prison No. 7, the central area and the supervision zone were already in chaos.
Under the flickering red light of the emergency lamps, the roars of prisoners, the curses of guards, and the sound of gunfire mingled together, creating an incredibly chaotic scene.
Yuan Mei pressed down on the police cap on his head, the shadow of the brim covering most of his face.
He quickly walked through the living area, following the route on the blueprint, and headed straight for the lift platform leading to the mine area.
The source of the explosion was in the hydropower area; Mine No. 1 and Mine No. 2, which were close to it, were significantly affected. The heavy Alloy gates were twisted and deformed by the blast, revealing a gap large enough for one person to pass through, with scorched edges still showing traces of high temperature.
“It seems the Sand Field Mineral Bugs might have started to become active,” Yuan Mei thought to himself. This type of machine swarm, the Sand Field Mineral Bugs, is only attracted to two things: minerals and various forms of energy.
That’s why they attacked the energy facilities, which also explains why the generator was instantly destroyed.
He opened Greta’s terminal, pulled up the detailed map of the Prison, and confirmed the location of Mine No. 3.
That was one of the mines farthest from the power generation area. Compared to Mine No. 1 and Mine No. 2, which had already been affected by the explosion, this place was clearly safer. The cause of the explosion was still unknown, so it was better to be cautious.
Descending to the first level of the Mine, Yuan Mei walked along the abandoned iron ore tracks, making his way deeper into the mine shaft with unsteady steps, the gravel and standing water beneath his feet making clear sounds in the silence.
A mine entrance appeared before him, with a rusty, crooked sign standing beside it, on which a blurry “3” was written in red paint.
This was it.
The process of searching for minerals was much smoother than expected. When Yuan Mei finished collecting the last piece of iron ore and was about to continue exploring deeper, he suddenly noticed a light source flickering in the distant mine shaft.
His heart stirred. He lightened his steps and quietly approached.
After 繞 ing several huge fallen rocks, the sight before him made his pupils contract slightly.
He saw a mechanical construct, about half a person’s height, clinging to a rock wall rich in iron ore. Its appearance resembled a giant beetle, its dark carapace gleaming with a cold, matte finish under the spotlight, and its folded wings on its back had ice-blue metallic veins.
Sand Field Mineral Bug!
Although he had never seen its actual appearance, given the current situation, there could be no mistake.
Amidst his shock, Yuan Mei remained vigilant and did not immediately step forward. Although this type of mining robot was not actively aggressive, it had highly efficient self-defense programs built into it.
With its drill and arthropods, which could easily cut through rock, if he dared to act rashly, he would probably be turned into minced meat in the next second.
“System, scan target,” Yuan Mei silently recited.
Scanning target...
Scan complete.
Ancient Mining Drone LV.0
Type: Sand Field Mineral Bug (Hibernating)
Function: Prospecting and mining integrated drone
Structural Analysis: The shell is made of high-strength titanium-chromium Alloy, the core is a miniature fusion reactor, equipped with basic logical AI and self-defense modules.
It was indeed correct.
Yuan Mei closed the interface. He couldn't tell from historical records alone, but now that he had seen it with his own eyes, he understood that the Saint Federation absolutely could not produce technological constructs of this level.
In the previous life, they went extinct during the Saint Federation’s purges, so these Mineral Bugs did not trigger in-depth research by scientists. Reports only stated that Sand Field Mineral Bugs were a type of mechanical swarm that could prospect for and devour items, and there was no further information.
If he could make this thing his own... it would be an efficient and powerful tool.
This particular Sand Field Mineral Bug was currently in hibernation. He decided to act immediately.
Yuan Mei seized the opportunity, lunged forward, and placed his hand directly on the Sand Field Mineral Bug’s carapace!
Detectable item: Ancient Mining Drone × 1
Warning: The volume and mass of this item exceed the system warehouse LV.1 limit and cannot be stored!
Warning: This item has been detected to possess extremely high scientific research value. Do you choose to bind it to the Empire OL Tech Tree?
Cannot be stored... Yuan Mei’s heart tightened, but upon seeing the second prompt, it instantly turned to ecstasy.
New technology? This was far more valuable than simply putting it in the warehouse!
“Bind!”
Attempting to bind... Binding successful!
Successfully unlocked new tech tree: Autonomous Engineering Unit
Current Technology: Ancient Mining Drone LV.0
The moment the binding was successful, Yuan Mei saw information related to the Sand Field Mineral Bug appear on the system panel.
With a thought, Yuan Mei disabled its self-defense module, and the Sand Field Mineral Bug before him completely quieted down, like a sculpture.
It worked!
Yuan Mei let out a long breath, suppressing his excitement, and began to carefully study this new technology module.
Ancient Mining Drone LV.0
Materials required for upgrade: iron ore × 20, copper ore × 10
That much?
Yuan Mei was a bit surprised; the upgrade materials for a single Sand Field Mineral Bug were already more than the generator and water pump combined.
However, the good thing was that this bug only needed minerals for upgrades.
He suddenly remembered something, walked over to the Mineral Bug, and looked at the ore discharge port on its abdomen.
“System, extract internal minerals.”
Executing...
Acquired items: iron ore × 35, copper ore × 16
Required materials detected as collected. Proceed with upgrade?
“Upgrade!”
Just as Yuan Mei had guessed, since the Sand Field Mineral Bug was a mining robot, it definitely had some reserves inside.
As the command was issued, the ore gradually depleted, and the previously static Mineral Bug began to vibrate violently, its metallic outer shell starting to reassemble.
The entire process lasted less than ten seconds. When the light dissipated, a brand new mechanical construct appeared before Yuan Mei. Its form still retained its original appearance, but the details of some parts appeared more refined and flexible compared to before.
Upgrade complete!
Ancient Mining Drone LV.0 → Ancient Mining Drone LV.1
Please choose evolution direction:
1. Excavation Efficiency: Increase mining speed by 30%, unlock “Geological Survey” module.
2. Tool Improvement: Unlock “Repair and Construction” module, capable of executing more complex engineering commands.
3. Combat Mastery: Install light kinetic machine gun, unlock “Alert Patrol” mode.
Looking at the three options that appeared on the panel, a glint flashed in Yuan Mei’s eyes.
The “Mining Efficiency” option was very tempting to him, as a drone would certainly be more efficient than manual mining.
But after careful consideration, Yuan Mei still chose “Tool Improvement”.
Currently, repairing Prison facilities and establishing a stable base was the top priority. Only by continuously developing and expanding his territory would Empire OL increasingly demonstrate its effectiveness.
The repair, construction, and other modules of evolution direction two were invaluable skills, and could even help him complete additional work.
As for combat, a drone wasn’t needed to worry about it for now.
Selection successful. Ancient Mining Drone LV.1 has evolved into Multi-functional Engineering Drone LV.1
Looking at the completely revamped drone, Yuan Mei’s heart was ablaze.
Originally, he had planned to collect some minerals and then head to the Mine exploration center.
He didn't expect such a pleasant surprise!
This Sand Field Mineral Bug was probably a vanguard scout of the swarm. Its appearance indicated that the main force of the Sand Field Mineral Bugs was gradually approaching...
The Sand Field Mineral Bugs are attracted to two things: minerals and energy sources. They attacked the energy facilities, which explains why the generator was instantly destroyed.
