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Chapter 501: New World
"Name."
"Gender."
"Superpower."
"..."
After Iceman Bobby crossed through the colorful vortex, he arrived in a steel city.
Yes, a super-city no different from a modern metropolis on Earth, more than spacious enough to accommodate their over seven hundred thousand people. In this city, one could find almost everything from Earth, such as general stores, clothing boutiques, and more.
Outside the city were vast stretches of open fields and forests, filled with all sorts of strange new plants, a truly dazzling sight.
But further beyond that lay a stretch of barren wasteland, eagerly awaiting further development. The rest was up to them—the mutants.
Bobby answered a staff member's routine questions—Pyro John was sitting in front of him, interrogating him with an incredibly serious expression.
But John's occasional winks immediately calmed Bobby's slightly uneasy heart. It almost made him want to laugh.
Pyro John was one of the thousand mutants who had boarded the spaceship. He didn't have many attachments and had long since decided to throw in his lot with Tony.
"Welcome to the New World, brother. We can be roommates again," John said with a grin as a lighter slid out from his sleeve, which he began to fiddle with.
Bobby shrugged. "Is that so? I think you just want me to cover for you—for when you get into trouble again."
"Don't say that, man."
John tossed the file aside, dumping his work on the mutant next to him. "Piotr, the rest is up to you. We're going for a drink."
Colossus looked helpless but had no choice but to take over John's work. His silver, metallic body plopped down into the seat, making the alloy chair creak incessantly.
"I'm going to tell my sister, Illyana," Piotr warned.
John flinched, grabbed Bobby, and quickly ran off.
Magik, the queen from the border of Hell, possessed demigod-level combat power. She had quite a temper and was extremely skilled with dark magic.
Back at Xavier's School, the hot-tempered and impulsive John had been thrashed by Illyana more than a few times.
It was the same here on Saiwei-1, the "New World".
The two of them barged directly into a bar. It was empty, but it probably wouldn't be long before people started pouring in.
John casually took a bottle of vodka and two glasses from the liquor cabinet and poured them each a drink.
"I've been wanting to try this for a long time," John said.
Bobby casually looked around. The facilities were identical to a bar on Earth. There was even a screen hanging above and to the side of the counter, broadcasting the scene of seven hundred thousand mutants being registered.
Perhaps sensing Bobby's gaze, the screen suddenly changed, and Bobby, holding his glass, appeared on it.
Bobby looked completely baffled. He glanced left and right, and his image on the screen mimicked his movements.
"Are there cameras in here?" Bobby asked, surprised.
John took a swig of vodka, choked, and coughed before saying, "That's Ultron, the artificial intelligence of the main planet, Cybertron. It's just messing with you."
"Mr. John, a correction. I am not an artificial intelligence, but a more advanced intelligent lifeform." Ultron's mechanical, low-pitched electronic voice sounded out as the image on the screen changed to show Pyro John.
"Oh? Well, you're pretty amazing then, Ultron." John was young, after all. In his view, whether it was an artificial intelligence or an intelligent lifeform, it was basically the same thing...
Was there a difference?
They had already undertaken interstellar migration. He had watched with his own eyes as Tony created a planet and two satellites from scratch. Was one more intelligent lifeform really that strange?
"Ultron, is there anything fun to do on this planet? I mean, is there any difference between the New World and Cybertron?" Bobby asked curiously.
"Strictly speaking, there is no difference. Mutants can also live and reside on Cybertron," Ultron replied. "If you wish, you can travel to the main planet, Cybertron, at any time via the Space Bridge. However, countless Transformers are busy with construction work there, so it's not a great time for sightseeing."
"What about the other satellite?"
"The other satellite was specially prepared for the Kryptonians. Of course, if you wish, you can also use the Space Bridge to travel to New Krypton and settle there."
"Then I'd like to use the Space Bridge now," Bobby said tentatively.
"Unfortunately, sir, you are broke and cannot activate the Space Bridge," Ultron replied in a deadpan tone. "Using the Space Bridge consumes a certain amount of Super Energy Crystals, and that's even after a significant upgrade to the bridge greatly reduced consumption."
With further upgrades, the Space Bridge could just barely establish a portal within the Milky Way Galaxy, but inter-galactic transport was not yet possible.
The distances between galaxies are simply too vast. Moreover, as the universe itself continues to expand, the space between galaxies is constantly increasing.
"So how do I get those... crystals? Is that stuff the currency here?" Bobby asked helplessly.
"Energy is currency. There is nothing more valuable than energy. If there is, it would be a higher grade of energy," Ultron said.
"It's just like on Earth," John explained. "Working, studying, improving your abilities—it all earns you currency. Cybertron will issue you a different amount of Super Energy Crystals each month based on your power level. My power is Level Three, so I get one hundred units of crystals deposited each month. That's enough for me to activate the Space Bridge fifty times."
John, his face flushed, poured himself another glass of vodka. He really liked this potent liquor. "Plus, I earned one unit just by processing you. This crystal stuff is really valuable. If you take it to Cybertron, a bunch of Transformers will swarm you to trade for it."
"Bobby, if you don't have any money right now, you can get an advance. You and I are both Level Three, so you can get an advance of one hundred units," John slurred.
"Alright, then I'll take an advance of one hundred units..." Bobby said.
Ultron paused, and one hundred units were immediately transferred to the newly created account. It didn't say anything more. What John had said was, to a certain extent, correct.
Level One: ten units. Level Two: thirty units. Level Three: one hundred units. Level Four: starting at one thousand units.
This was the most basic form of "welfare," just enough to ensure no one would starve. If you wanted to earn more, you had to work hard, take on jobs, complete missions, and so on. There were plenty of opportunities.
For example, by processing a newcomer and asking a few simple questions, John earned one unit. If he sat there for a whole day, he could easily pocket several thousand units.
But Ultron didn't voluntarily reveal that Bobby's account was incredibly special and was being closely monitored by Tony.
John, as a Level Three, could get an advance of one hundred units.
But Bobby, possessing Omega-level potential, was qualified for a limitless line of credit. It was just that this qualification was currently frozen.
As soon as even a little of Bobby's potential was tapped and converted into actual power, his privileges would become terrifyingly vast.
This was the preferential treatment for an Omega-level mutant.
(end of chapter)
"Name."
"Gender."
"Superpower."
"..."
After Iceman Bobby crossed through the colorful vortex, he arrived in a steel city.
Yes, a super-city no different from a modern metropolis on Earth, more than spacious enough to accommodate their over seven hundred thousand people. In this city, one could find almost everything from Earth, such as general stores, clothing boutiques, and more.
Outside the city were vast stretches of open fields and forests, filled with all sorts of strange new plants, a truly dazzling sight.
But further beyond that lay a stretch of barren wasteland, eagerly awaiting further development. The rest was up to them—the mutants.
Bobby answered a staff member's routine questions—Pyro John was sitting in front of him, interrogating him with an incredibly serious expression.
But John's occasional winks immediately calmed Bobby's slightly uneasy heart. It almost made him want to laugh.
Pyro John was one of the thousand mutants who had boarded the spaceship. He didn't have many attachments and had long since decided to throw in his lot with Tony.
"Welcome to the New World, brother. We can be roommates again," John said with a grin as a lighter slid out from his sleeve, which he began to fiddle with.
Bobby shrugged. "Is that so? I think you just want me to cover for you—for when you get into trouble again."
"Don't say that, man."
John tossed the file aside, dumping his work on the mutant next to him. "Piotr, the rest is up to you. We're going for a drink."
Colossus looked helpless but had no choice but to take over John's work. His silver, metallic body plopped down into the seat, making the alloy chair creak incessantly.
"I'm going to tell my sister, Illyana," Piotr warned.
John flinched, grabbed Bobby, and quickly ran off.
Magik, the queen from the border of Hell, possessed demigod-level combat power. She had quite a temper and was extremely skilled with dark magic.
Back at Xavier's School, the hot-tempered and impulsive John had been thrashed by Illyana more than a few times.
It was the same here on Saiwei-1, the "New World".
The two of them barged directly into a bar. It was empty, but it probably wouldn't be long before people started pouring in.
John casually took a bottle of vodka and two glasses from the liquor cabinet and poured them each a drink.
"I've been wanting to try this for a long time," John said.
Bobby casually looked around. The facilities were identical to a bar on Earth. There was even a screen hanging above and to the side of the counter, broadcasting the scene of seven hundred thousand mutants being registered.
Perhaps sensing Bobby's gaze, the screen suddenly changed, and Bobby, holding his glass, appeared on it.
Bobby looked completely baffled. He glanced left and right, and his image on the screen mimicked his movements.
"Are there cameras in here?" Bobby asked, surprised.
John took a swig of vodka, choked, and coughed before saying, "That's Ultron, the artificial intelligence of the main planet, Cybertron. It's just messing with you."
"Mr. John, a correction. I am not an artificial intelligence, but a more advanced intelligent lifeform." Ultron's mechanical, low-pitched electronic voice sounded out as the image on the screen changed to show Pyro John.
"Oh? Well, you're pretty amazing then, Ultron." John was young, after all. In his view, whether it was an artificial intelligence or an intelligent lifeform, it was basically the same thing...
Was there a difference?
They had already undertaken interstellar migration. He had watched with his own eyes as Tony created a planet and two satellites from scratch. Was one more intelligent lifeform really that strange?
"Ultron, is there anything fun to do on this planet? I mean, is there any difference between the New World and Cybertron?" Bobby asked curiously.
"Strictly speaking, there is no difference. Mutants can also live and reside on Cybertron," Ultron replied. "If you wish, you can travel to the main planet, Cybertron, at any time via the Space Bridge. However, countless Transformers are busy with construction work there, so it's not a great time for sightseeing."
"What about the other satellite?"
"The other satellite was specially prepared for the Kryptonians. Of course, if you wish, you can also use the Space Bridge to travel to New Krypton and settle there."
"Then I'd like to use the Space Bridge now," Bobby said tentatively.
"Unfortunately, sir, you are broke and cannot activate the Space Bridge," Ultron replied in a deadpan tone. "Using the Space Bridge consumes a certain amount of Super Energy Crystals, and that's even after a significant upgrade to the bridge greatly reduced consumption."
With further upgrades, the Space Bridge could just barely establish a portal within the Milky Way Galaxy, but inter-galactic transport was not yet possible.
The distances between galaxies are simply too vast. Moreover, as the universe itself continues to expand, the space between galaxies is constantly increasing.
"So how do I get those... crystals? Is that stuff the currency here?" Bobby asked helplessly.
"Energy is currency. There is nothing more valuable than energy. If there is, it would be a higher grade of energy," Ultron said.
"It's just like on Earth," John explained. "Working, studying, improving your abilities—it all earns you currency. Cybertron will issue you a different amount of Super Energy Crystals each month based on your power level. My power is Level Three, so I get one hundred units of crystals deposited each month. That's enough for me to activate the Space Bridge fifty times."
John, his face flushed, poured himself another glass of vodka. He really liked this potent liquor. "Plus, I earned one unit just by processing you. This crystal stuff is really valuable. If you take it to Cybertron, a bunch of Transformers will swarm you to trade for it."
"Bobby, if you don't have any money right now, you can get an advance. You and I are both Level Three, so you can get an advance of one hundred units," John slurred.
"Alright, then I'll take an advance of one hundred units..." Bobby said.
Ultron paused, and one hundred units were immediately transferred to the newly created account. It didn't say anything more. What John had said was, to a certain extent, correct.
Level One: ten units. Level Two: thirty units. Level Three: one hundred units. Level Four: starting at one thousand units.
This was the most basic form of "welfare," just enough to ensure no one would starve. If you wanted to earn more, you had to work hard, take on jobs, complete missions, and so on. There were plenty of opportunities.
For example, by processing a newcomer and asking a few simple questions, John earned one unit. If he sat there for a whole day, he could easily pocket several thousand units.
But Ultron didn't voluntarily reveal that Bobby's account was incredibly special and was being closely monitored by Tony.
John, as a Level Three, could get an advance of one hundred units.
But Bobby, possessing Omega-level potential, was qualified for a limitless line of credit. It was just that this qualification was currently frozen.
As soon as even a little of Bobby's potential was tapped and converted into actual power, his privileges would become terrifyingly vast.
This was the preferential treatment for an Omega-level mutant.
(end of chapter)
