Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Although ambushing the transport vehicle was meant to lure the enemy out, field battles were generally easier than sieges.

But the materials intercepted could also be valuable, bringing some back could be exchanged for military exploits... or perhaps devise a way to use them?

After all, much of the tech tree of the mechanical beings was inherited from the Golden Age, and despite some changes due to their individual differences, most of it presumably blended seamlessly with the current human tech tree, likely causing no issues if used directly.

As a low-level artificial intelligence, although the armored vehicle also had some of the mechanical beings' characteristics, it wasn't as integrally robust as the war machines, and with its central control system shattered, it couldn't keep Bai E out, turning into a neutral unit just like any ordinary armored vehicle.

"Tch!"

Bai E yanked open the bat-winged doors, and beneath the unfolded iron doors lay the materials it was transporting—

Transparent blocks that looked like chunks of ice, somewhat similar to the central crystal pillars seen previously at the information base.

This artificially synthesized crystal material, identified as the most frequently used material science technology during the Golden Age, was not commonly utilized by current humans, although the mechanical beings continued to cherish the glory of the Golden Age.

Bai E casually picked one up, cradling it in his hand, as subtitles aptly appeared above the block—

"Logic Cube: capable of supporting a 'Computing Power Module' excavated entity, an information technology inherited from the Golden Age, extremely expensive to manufacture."

Perhaps this was why the current humans hadn't adopted similar technology on a large scale.

Too expensive...

Only the mechanical beings, with it at their core, would mine and manufacture these things at any cost.

What if it was destroyed?

A thought crossed Bai E's mind, and another subtitle popped up—

"Logic Cube (Neutral)—Using 'Lucky Strike' to destroy may yield: Guaranteed (Logic Cube*60, Scientific Research Experience 3000 points); Possible (Knowledge: White Stone Material Science)."

Wow, could it actually yield knowledge?

For a moment, Bai E was slightly tempted.

But given that the system rated them as expensive to manufacture, even if he learned how to create or obtain these things now, the cost was probably more than he was willing to accept at the moment.

Not to mention, he had no immediate use for them, and with only 130 energy points left—enough for one "Lucky Strike"—Bai E was reluctant to waste his chance on something that currently had no use.

Hmm... maybe he could covet one to take back and destroy when there was time.

Then there were the two large black metal boxes.

Bai E didn't dare to mess with the mechanical beings' things, but just by placing his hand on the surface of the boxes, a line of subtitles appeared—

"Energy Core Suppressor: The extracted energy cores pulsate and surge, their contained energy constantly radiating powerful emissions. Only a specially manufactured suppressor can inhibit the activity of the energy cores."

Undoubtedly, inside the black metal boxes, there lay the energy source that the war machine had tried to replenish itself with.

Although small nuclear reactors are an option to provide sufficient energy for small machines, the technology that extracts energy into a semi-physical form known as energy cores offers another solution for small machines to obtain enough power.

Why are human mechas so huge?

That's because current humans are unable to mass-produce small nuclear reactors reliably, and the large size of the mechas is mostly to accommodate their nuclear power sources.

Bai E wondered if destroying the mechanical beings' extracted energy cores would yield their technology, but there were no subtitles to help with energy cores that he couldn't directly see or touch.

Given the previous two explosions, Bai E was now somewhat traumatized by these things.

Perhaps he could bring them back to the Scientific Research Institute and find an opportunity to observe them later?

The energy cores and Logic Cubes were the only two visible items inside the armored vehicle, with the rest being open space.

The interior volume of the armored vehicle was evidently much smaller than it appeared from the outside, with the scant materials it carried and the mechanical soldiers that had jumped out from inside being all of its contents.

Beyond that, there was only a display screen hanging in the central position at the front of the vehicle.

The vehicle itself had no control panel for operation, after all, the armored vehicle itself was a kind of mechanical being, able to move on its own.

The mechanical beings had no obligation to create machinery that others could control... In other words, Bai E and the others couldn't drive these large machines back.

Their massive mass also made it impossible to drag or transport them back; they could only take away the logic cubes and the suppressor metal boxes that contained the energy cores.

"Split them fifty-fifty?"

"Split them fifty-fifty."

The division of the spoils was easily agreed upon by both sides.

Now that the convoy had been attacked, there was no need to hide their tracks, and the off-road vehicles that the two teams had hidden were driven over.

They loaded their spoils into the vehicles, pulled out the mortars and land mines to set up ambushes, and all the while, they didn't see anything stir on the distant horizon.

Not coming out?

Actually, there wasn't a soul inside that fortress... The mechanical beings? Or did those in the fortress have higher order commands to ignore these attacks?

The decision-making processes of the mechanical beings were completely different from those of humans, often limited to the two options "yes" or "no," without considerations like "let's see" or "let's discuss it."

The absence of action for so long implied they were letting the matter slide.

So...

"Have you considered the appropriate response in this scenario?"

The two refreshed squads once again converged, and Bai E was the first to ask a question.
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The Captain with white hair kept a cold face, the eye not covered by hair seeming distracted, without saying a word.

Bai E didn't expect her to answer, her unstable personality made her unsuitable to be a true brain, her existence probably only served to guarantee combat strength.

The decision-making power of this squad probably lay in the hands of the acting Captain, so Bai E's gaze merely politely swept over the white-haired Captain's face before fixating directly on the acting Captain.

Confronted by Bai E's inquiring gaze, the warrior woman from Grey Iron City slightly furrowed her brows, her already aged face looking momentarily heavier like a forty-something old lady, "I don't know."

Away from combat, the warriors from Grey Iron City appeared much more composed, but their answers were still unexpected.

"..."

Such an honest answer.

The acting Captain looked sincerely at Bai E, "Our initial plan actually only had one step, to attack the transport team and lure them out. If we found the transport team too tough or if the troop size from the fortress exceeded our capacity, we planned to retreat any time."

If we can't beat them, we run.

For the tasks assigned by the city's Military Department, Grey Iron City didn't place as much importance on them as Blackwater City next door.

After all, for Grey Iron City, every human who could endure several rounds of surgical modifications was precious, their combat power couldn't be wasted as casually as Blackwater City's artificial solider warriors.

For some tasks with greater risks... either go back for reinforcements or simply give up.

The underlying logic of decision-making was clear and straightforward.

"In fact, if we hadn't encountered you, we might not have really gone after their transport team."

After a great battle, there seemed to be a sense of camaraderie formed between the sides, and the acting Captain seemed quite sincere when speaking.

"..." Bai E frowned, feeling a bit troubled.

He was reluctant to easily give up any task he received.

Moreover, for the warriors executing missions outside of Blackwater City, the military could tolerate failure, but not ignorance of failure.

Either die out there, marking the danger level of the target task or region with their lives.

Or gather intelligence, articulating the danger level of the target task or region with precise data.

Merely "feeling" that the fight was too tough and then planning to run, meant facing a military tribunal upon return.

"What if we insist on pushing through?" Bai E looked at the acting Captain, his eyes conveying a sincere inquiry, "Would you be willing to join us?"

The people from Grey Iron City were quite strong, adept at charging into battle.

When storming a position, it's exactly these types of cannon fodder we need; indeed, they played a significant role in restraining the enemy during the recent ambush.

Even with Bai E's individual strength, he sometimes needed the restraint his teammates provided, otherwise the previous encounter with the sandworm and sea of bugs, which nearly resulted in their annihilation, would have been a lesson forgotten.

"..." The acting Captain didn't answer right away but hesitated, glancing at the other members of his team.

Undercurrents rippled and after observing his teammates, the acting Captain turned back to Bai E and replied honestly, "Could you give us some time to discuss it?"

No one absolutely convincing as the core brain, eh?

Bai E nodded, responding with a smile, "Of course, no problem."

"..."

"Maybe we should just let it go? Their Captain is quite formidable, and we don't have full confidence in fighting against him,"

Feeding every other living creature they encountered to their own Captain, if they were sure they could silence them or preclude any follow-up implications, was an unspoken command they had always carried out during missions.

They had long become accustomed to this practice.

"This time, there is indeed a risk, let's just retreat."

The Blackwater City squad Captain, who had leaned in and dished out damage with his big gun, had left them with a lasting impression; even they who always felt invincible harbored a hint of fear.

That's why their attitudes softened much after the combat; once they stopped seeing the opposition as prey, the shift in mentality went unnoticed even to themselves.

Looking at his teammates whispering their differing viewpoints after avoiding the others, the normally silent white-haired Captain suddenly scoffed with a cold laugh, "Agree to it."

"Huh?" The gorilla was the first to look at their Captain with confusion, wondering if he had hallucinated.

A cold gleam flashed across white hair's brow, "I said, agree to it."

"Sure! Sure!" The gorilla instantly cheered up.

Looks like the Captain rolled a 9...

Every time the Captain fainted, she would change personalities and occasionally exhibit those categories with high intelligence.

They couldn't discern intelligence, but they could recognize assertiveness.

When intelligence and assertiveness combined, their Captain tended to become more proactive and willing to make decisions.

Whenever such personality emerged, it brought them an immense sense of reliability and calm.

"Then let's agree to it." The acting Captain nodded, looking fearfully at the true Captain.

"However..." the white-haired Captain's voice was indifferent, continuing, "our target isn't that fortress..."