Chapter 50: Unsealing – Section 8

This is the last strength left in Huaguo. It depends on whether you deserve it…
The administrator’s voice remained as calm as ever, but to Hei Fa, it sounded like thunder.
What did this mean… was he about to give Ya Zi to him?
“Don’t misunderstand. I don’t have the authority to decide Ya Zi’s fate,” the administrator suddenly said, as if he knew what Hei Fa was thinking.
“I’m merely fulfilling my duty. Ya Zi is Huaguo’s last and strongest weapon. But here, it can never fulfill its true purpose. As the actual executor of the Super Mecha Project, I have the duty to complete the final steps for it. As for whether it will accept it… that’s another matter.”
At this point, the administrator’s voice grew dim.
“If Huaguo hadn’t been destroyed, I could have chosen from countless excellent warriors. But now… I only have you. So, I can only give you this chance to try.”
“A chance to try?”
“That’s right. Just like the Primitive Mecha you saw earlier, Ya Zi can no longer be considered a mecha. In fact, it’s vastly different from one. You may not know much about it, but let me tell you: traditional mechas are merely weapons, but Ya Zi is a living being.” After a pause, the administrator slowly replied,
“A living being?” Hearing this, Hei Fa was shocked.
“Yes. A being born for war. After extensive calculations, I granted Ya Zi a complete personality. Once activated, it will exhibit all the reactions of a living being. Though these are simulated results from calculations, they still exist in reality. It just lacks a soul. Thus, Ya Zi is no longer a weapon but an amplification device. It can grant its user the power to manipulate energy, while also drawing on the user’s soul to improve itself.”
“Drawing on the soul to improve itself?” Hearing this, Hei Fa’s expression changed instantly. “What do you mean? Does that mean the person who uses Ya Zi becomes its food?”
“More or less,” the administrator replied softly, his voice gradually returning to its formal tone. “As I’ve said before, Huaguo’s Super Mecha Project changed because of the discovery of the Theory of Eternal Energy. So, as a finished product, Ya Zi itself is a device capable of altering the structure and form of energy. A soul is also a form of energy. Drawing on the user’s soul is its instinct—something that cannot be changed.”

“What will happen after it absorbs the soul? Will the user die immediately?”
“It depends on the strength of the user’s soul.” At these words, the manager suddenly laughed. “If the soul is strong enough, it might hold out for a while; otherwise, they probably won’t live beyond a few years. That’s why I said we need to select carefully. You see, as Huaguo’s last strength, Yazi isn’t something ordinary people can control. The most ferocious dragon—do you think it’s just a story?”
The manager’s voice was calm, as if discussing something unimportant. Yet upon hearing this, Hei Fa felt a shiver deep in his heart.
A weapon that can absorb a user’s soul—what kind of existence is that? Could it be that Huaguo’s last strength truly resembles an ancient demon? To achieve their goals, users must sacrifice their souls. Who could bear such a price?
On the other hand, if such a weapon emerged in Huaguo on Earth, it certainly wouldn’t lack users. Huaguo’s loyal soldiers would never back down from such a cost. Hei Fa was sure that countless loyal guards would be willing to give everything—including their souls—to protect their country!
“I… I can give it a try.” With his head slightly lowered, Hei Fa’s voice was hoarse, like steel grinding together, yet it carried a sense of determination. As he answered, the lights above the warehouse suddenly brightened, casting a clear light over everything like countless suns. A series of rhythmic clicks echoed, and all the large iron balls began to shake. Cracks appeared on their surfaces.
The cracks appeared so rapidly—within just a few seconds—they spread across the entire surface of the iron balls. Then, with a series of crisp sounds, all of them shattered.
Figures that Hei Fa had seen before stepped out.
“Primal Power Armor…” Hei Fa frowned, not understanding what the manager meant. But soon, he figured it out.
The Primal Power Armor that had emerged from their shells quickly gathered together and then split into two groups. Like loyal guards, they lined up beside the large iron ball enclosing Yazi, stretching all the way to Hei Fa’s feet. Then they turned together and knelt before him.
“What’s this?”

“That’s the courtesy of the guardians. During the lengthy calculations, I organized many cultures on Earth. So I added some elements when designing them. These Primal Power Armor units have been guardians of Ya Zi from the moment they were created. Thus, even if you’re just a tester, they will still show you respect,” the administrator replied calmly.

“You mean? They also have self-awareness?” Black Hair raised his eyebrows and asked softly.

“Of course not.” Hearing Black Hair’s question, the administrator suddenly burst into laughter. “Black Hair, do you really think intelligent life is that worthless? Something you can encounter easily? These Primal Power Armor units only possess low-level intelligence, most of which was set by me when creating them. Otherwise, they’re no different from inanimate objects. And in terms of function, they’re actually similar to mechs. Without a controller, they can only exert 60% of their strength.”

“60% of their strength…” Hearing the administrator’s explanation, a bitter smile appeared on Black Hair’s lips. “So you mean I was defeated by those 60% of strength?”

“I’ve already answered that question. Although Primal Power Armor units are just by-products, they’re still part of the Super Mech Project. They share some of Ya Zi’s abilities. If you judge them merely as mechs, I’m sorry, but their strength rating standards are fundamentally different from those of mechs.”

“I get it.” Black Hair shrugged. “Then let me experience this standard now. Tell me, how can I get Ya Zi to choose me?”

“Just walk over and place your hand on it,” the administrator replied cheerfully. “But I must warn you first, Black Hair. Once you place your hand on it, you’ll have only two choices: either be chosen by Ya Zi and become its user, or become its food and be swallowed whole. I can assure you, no one can save you.”

“Aren’t they the same?” Black Hair shook his head and smiled indifferently. “If I’m chosen, my soul will eventually be eaten by it. What’s the difference from giving it to it now? You’re really overthinking it.”

“At least if you’re chosen, you’ll live a little longer,” the administrator replied with a smile.

Shrugging his shoulders, Black Hair didn’t respond to the administrator’s rare sense of humor. Instead, he started moving, heading toward the large iron ball in the center. In the silent space, his footsteps were very loud, as if striking people’s hearts. His thin figure appeared very lonely.

This warehouse was neither small nor large. So quickly, Hei Fa arrived in front of the huge iron ball enclosing Ya Zi, protected by the Primal Power Armor. Looking back, he saw that the Primal Power Armor figures had already filled his surroundings—there was no way back anymore.
No turning back, was that it?
A hint of a sad smile appeared on Hei Fa’s lips. Then he stretched out his hand…
“Boom!!!”
The moment his palm made contact with the iron ball, Hei Fa felt as if a deafening thunderclap erupted beside his ear. All the scenery before his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by endless darkness. His heart pounded violently; for a moment, it felt as though he had fallen into an bottomless abyss.
It seemed like just an instant, yet also like eternity. He didn’t know how much time had passed. In the vast darkness, a pair of eyes finally appeared. After taking a quick glance at Hei Fa, they disappeared without a trace. At the same time, Hei Fa felt as though all his strength had been drained in an instant, accompanied by a strong sense of suffocation.
“Cough… cough…”
Coughing violently, Hei Fa struggled to sit up. When he suddenly opened his eyes, he found himself back in the small room where it all began. He was still on that cold iron bed, his body covered with those ugly tubes. The darkness and those terrifying eyes were gone, as if it had all been just a nightmare.
Raising his hand, Hei Fa clearly felt the presence of his own body. His expression changed slightly.
Could it be that it was really just a dream? He had never seen Ya Zi before, nor had he ever come into contact with him. Was everything just a dream?
A strong sense of confusion surged within him. He struggled to reach into his chest and search, but found nothing. Glancing around, he spotted a crushed cigarette pack in the corner of the room. Seeing it, his pupils suddenly contracted…
At the same time, the manager’s familiar voice suddenly rang out in the room. “Congratulations, Hei Fa.”