Chapter 605 - Ji Dezhu’s Past

[BD-02 Jumen]

[Automaton Rating: EX]

[Function: Spatial Storage]

[Additional Function: Multi-Chip (0/20, Can equip chips up to Level 10)]

Han Wu was ecstatic as he read Jumen’s data. He had finally obtained a function that he needed: Spatial Storage. Due to the Lawless Civilization that is cut off from the other spaces, he couldn’t connect to his Divine Realm, so he had to carry everything on him in a backpack, which had grown tiresome.

Now everything had changed. He could store his belongings inside Jumen’s interior space, which would make the rest of his journey easier. Even so, he faced a dilemma over which chip to equip on Jumen.

Han Wu took out the Level 10 Black Mamba and Level 10 Pika chips. Both were excellent choices. Equipping either one on Jumen would grant it the ability to change into a mechanical beast. It would also turn Jumen into a mechanical mount for travel. The benefits were undeniable.

Yet he couldn’t decide between them. As he hesitated, he noticed Ji Dezhu staring intently at the chips in his hand. Ji Dezhu’s initial surprise soon gave way to helplessness, mixed with a trace of hope.

“Young man, this may sound improper, but I would like to ask whether you would sell the chip in your hand. I am willing to exchange it for other powerful chips,” Ji Dezhu said.

Han Wu could tell that Ji Dezhu didn’t want to part with the Mouse King Pika chip.

“This is the Mouse King chip, and it’s special,” Han Wu said. “Once equipped and as long as sufficient raw materials are available, it can create mechanical mice with different functions, and even control them. With this chip, I could create an army of mechanical mice. Can you really put a price on something like that?”

Ji Dezhu felt a surge of bitterness. He understood the chip’s value better than anyone, since the Mechmouse King had been his mechanical beast. If his son hadn’t stolen it, the chip wouldn’t have fallen into Han Wu’s hands.

“I am willing to pay any price, no matter how steep,” Ji Dezhu said.

Han Wu nodded. “Fine. Show me how much you are willing to part with. If your offer satisfies me, I will exchange it with you.”

Ji Dezhu returned to his room and soon emerged with an intricately crafted box. A conflicted expression crossed his face as he opened it. Inside lay five chips, each one extremely powerful.

[Level 10 chip: Adaptive Arsenal. Contains a structure with 100 different barrels recorded in it. When equipped to an automaton, it can transform to match the required weapon configuration.]

[Level 10 chip: Bullet Time. When equipped to an automaton, it can activate Bullet Time, increasing reaction speed by a factor of 100.]

[Level 10 chip: Explosive Ape King. When equipped to an automaton, it enables transformation into the Explosive Ape King, granting powerful explosive power.]

[Level 10 chip: Weapon Manufacture. When equipped to an automaton, it can manufacture various weapons, provided sufficient materials are available.]

[Level 10 chip: Gaia Hammer. When equipped to an automaton, it can transform into the Gaia Hammer, unleashing absolute destructive power.]

Han Wu immediately recognized that none of the five chips were inferior to the Mouse King Pika. Yet Ji Dezhu was willing to exchange these chips for Pika. The offer stirred Han Wu’s curiosity, and he assumed that there was a secret to it. What had happened to Ji Zhongyi only sharpened his interest in Ji Dezhu’s identity. He didn’t believe that an ordinary shop owner could possess such a powerful mechanical beast.

The Lightless Sewers teemed with mechanical mice. Could they truly be unrelated to the Mechmouse King? I don’t think so,

Han Wu thought.

“Boss Ji, I understand your intentions after you showed willingness to exchange so many powerful chips,” Han Wu said. “But I’m quite greedy. I want to exchange all five chips for the Mechmouse King.”

Ji Dezhu’s face flushed with anger. He would have attacked him if he hadn’t been holding onto the Pika chip.

“However!” Han Wu suddenly shouted. “I’m more interested in your past. If you tell me your story, I might lower my demands and settle for a single chip.”

A strange light flickered in Ji Dezhu’s eyes. “I’m just an old man. What kind of story could I have? You must be joking.”

Han Wu chuckled. “In that case, I won’t change my mind. You should carefully consider your options.”

Ji Dezhu remained silent for an entire minute before speaking again. “Since you are so interested in the past of an old man, I don’t mind sharing some of it. Also, it’s technically connected to the information you need about the Nanite Mythril.”

Both Han Wu and Kerry immediately focused their attention on him. Han Wu quickly told Kerry to build a lie detector on the spot, so they could detect any falsehoods in Ji Dezhu’s story.

Ji Dezhu put on the lie detector calmly and recounted his past. In his youth, he hadn’t been an old shop owner but a powerful hunter who ventured into the restricted zones.

He served as the leader, with five members under his command. As he spoke of them, his gaze dropped to the small, intricately crafted chest.

Han Wu realized that the five chips inside were once owned by those five companions, which sharpened his interest even further.

Ji Dezhu continued, “I was still young, and the six of us were full of ambition. We wanted to become stronger and leave the Lawless Civilization to explore the world beyond. The seven restricted zones were our goals.

“In one of them, the Weeping Mines, we discovered a vein of Nanite Mythril and managed to mine a single unit. We were celebrating our success when another hunter group found us. They were strong. They defeated us and nearly wiped us out so they could seize the mine.

“I used the Mechmouse King to control millions of mechanical mice and bought my team a chance to escape. Afterward, we learned that those hunters were from the Machine God Cult, a fanatical group that worships the Machine God. Their goal is to revive the Machine God and turn every life form here into machines.

“The Machine God Cult had infiltrated every corner of that place. Through slander and manipulation, they branded us as evil bandits who had stolen their treasure. That made it increasingly difficult for us to operate.

“We had no choice but to hide in this small city. We were waiting for the situation to calm down before resuming our exploration. To survive, we usually hunted the automatons in the Lightless Sewers.

“Back then, the automatons infesting the Lightless Sewers weren’t mechanical mice. They were mechanical snakes!”

The revelation surprised Han Wu.