919 Digging For Freedom

"System, please get Peppers to do a deep scan of the northern region! I want her to repeat it until we have a clear picture to see to the core of the Farming World." Jin ordered as he remembered that the scan Peppers made were only a few dozen metres into the ground. He was initially unsure if it was the limitation of her scan, especially since they were only looking for activities of the Demon Rats.

"What's with the sudden concern?" The System asked as Jin picked his phone up and told them he had an urgent phone call to make. After which Kraft quickly placed his hand over Kong Rong's shoulder to distract him and hustled him for another drink.

"A phone call this early in the morning around?" Kong Rong thought to himself, and he felt like Kraft was buying him some time. Just one sentence on the revelations of him being the last member of the Panda Clan had made him so anxious? However, if that was true, he would have been startled when Kong Rong revealed the fact. But Jin was calm and collected and even admitted that he was indeed part of the Panda Clan.

"Nah, it seems that my explanation just now suddenly triggered an idea about something that needs to be done." Kraft saw through the facial expression on Kong Rong and immediately said it out as if to calm him down. 

"Ah... I deduce as much. Is he thinking of getting to a Dragon Ley Node by himself? Hahahah!" Kong Rong replied, but to the State Agent, it seemed as if it was a direct challenge as Kraft could read his nonverbal expressions easily and had grasped his train of thought. 

Unaware that he had been seen through, Jin continued to pretend he was on the phone while relaying information with the System. In reality, he shared his concerns that it might be possible that they had been taking a certain matter a little too lightly.

"Remember how fast the Scholars ran away after their castle ambush had failed? I am starting to believe that attack was not just some simple failure. In actual fact, I think that their 'Plan B' was to use it as potential bait for us." Jin explained as he felt that it was not the rats underestimating them, but they were the ones looking down at the rats.

"I read the reports briefly, Weslie and some of the researchers had concluded that the castle mechanics were done in a haphazard way. It was as if they just wanted to get this done as soon as possible and throw the attack on us. But at the same time, you saw how sturdy the Demon Rats' armour has become. Compared to the older models, Weslie pointed out there were improvements made getting rid of the most severe weak point." Jin continued and went behind the Panda Bartender, who was quietly drinking his apple wine to lean on him. (A privilege of being his master) 

"On the other hand, Weslie pointed out the offensive laser cannon was working as intended and to some extent, she felt the rats or maybe the Scholars had managed to improve on it a lot on her previous design. Yet, she felt it was lacking something... Argh, what was it in her report...?" Jin suddenly forgot the wording in her report and starting snapping his fingers while unconsciously rubbing his head behind the Panda Bartender's back. (It was incredibly soft and fluffy though!)

"It was initially part of a device before it was used in this castle superstructure. As if it was actually meant to be for a piece of heavy machinery compared to just being used as an offensive weapon." The System literally quoted word by word from Weslie's analysis report. 

"Yes! That's it! The laser cannon was being retrofitted last minute, and its condition seemed worn out aside from the damage taken from our attacks." Jin's memory finally clicked after the System's prompting.

"User's point being?" While the System had already begun calculating and predicting the type of answers Jin could have contemplated, the System allowed him to finish his sudden epiphany. 

"What I am saying is that we might be focusing on the wrong objective. We seem to be very sure that they are regrouping and holding their fort in the Northern Region's capital but… They might actually be running away." Jin said as if his hunch on it would definitely hit the nail on the head.

"Assuming they do not have portal magic, they are actually doing their best to run away from this Northern Region. However, I suspect it's neither by sea nor by air… but by digging!" Jin said with emphasis that even the Panda Bartender raised his eyebrow and turned his head a little before returning to being nonchalant.

"Peppers showed that they had multiple caverns to dig for Litoride to fuel their military might. But what if they are digging deeper for better quality of Litoride and also a way out of the Northern Region?" 

"In that case, the use of heavy machinery would make a ton of sense! Dig big and deep to create not just an underground city but to connect them to possibly other regions and take them by surprise. Ultimately they have the last laugh because they might not have just one undercity but a real one somewhere else!"

"As long as they block the entrances to their real undercity, those Demon Rats could live in seclusion for the ultimate takeover when everyone is living seemingly in peace and thinking that the threat was all over," Jin stressed as he could not believe he did not realise this sooner.

"Fair point of contention." The System agreed.

"And we are also assuming the rats are going underground only. However, what if they have developed the idea and technology to make submarines? Fortress submarines and diving suits with oxygen? We have already seen them come up with the idea for aircraft, so who is to say they might not have found a way to accomplish underwater travel. Damn it, speculating like that makes me want to have them as part of my team." Jin sighed as he felt the rats were way too cunning. Maybe that was why the dungeon supplier felt they only sent a small company of Demon Rats to the Bulwark Port to review its resistance. 

Though thankfully, the System also ensured all of them were killed to prevent any reports from being sent back but could the System be sure that the Scholars had not attached them with high level magical seeing spells?

If Kiva had managed to bide his time to change the kingdom so that the crown would be under his control, Jin would also believe that the rats under the scheming Scholars could do the same.

"User's worries are warranted, System will assist Bellator Peppers with the scan." The System replied, now satisfied with such an analysis. While it had thought of it before previously, the Super Entity had not believed the Rats were capable of doing such a feat. In fact, Weslie had allowed the System to do a thorough scan of her memories, giving it an idea about how capable the Demon Rats were supposed to be.

Yet, the new incoming reports from salvaging the castle ruins had already proven that she might have been mistaken about their capabilities and ignorant to their intellectual growth. Armed with substantial facts from its host, the System finally bumped the priority to eradicate the rats up to one of its highest importance. 

It was mainly because of the Farming World's extensive potential to provide Jin and his subsequent virtual network a limitless quantity of high-quality goods that lead the System to allow more than some compromise.

"But not today, let Pepps enjoy her day off tonight." Jin requested as he stopped pretending to whisper on the phone. (Even though the System had already erected an acoustic barrier using the Panda Bartender as a proxy from the start.)

"Would User rather risk to fight the Rats outside the Northern Region for the sake of the peace of his bellator?" The System questioned since every second, every minute still mattered as they meant progress for the Demon Rats. In the meantime, the System was already formulating plans within its processing unit and simultaneously creating recommendations on the minion's new revised strategies so as to improve the next raid on the Farming World.

"If they are already that far along in their plans, then I doubt a couple of hours will make that much of a difference. And even if it does, it will just mean that it is our loss for not realising it sooner. I rather have a rested army with high morale than an army who felt that the master's promises was empty and hollow." Jin apologised as he closed his phone and stood up.

Only to see the smiling duo at the bar table been fighting without words nor physical contact. (And to Jin, that was downright scary.)