Chapter 443: Clues to the Public Security Bureau
The entrance to the Epis Port Hollow looked entirely different from its usual bustling state. Striking yellow and black cordon tape stretched across the perimeter, fluttering slightly in the stagnant breeze and sealing off a massive section of the plaza. Several officers clad in New Eridu Public Security uniforms stood stationed at key vantage points, their expressions grim and strictly professional.
Beyond them, a tactical team of fully armed Peace Officers patrolled the immediate boundary, their hands resting on their weapons as they kept a vigilant eye out for anyone foolish enough to approach the hazard zone.
When Stelle, Dan Heng, and Pom-Pom approached the outer edge of the blockade, a uniformed officer immediately stepped into their path.
The officer, a rather short Thiren with twitching animal ears, held up a gloved hand. Though her posture carried a hint of nervous hesitation, her tone remained firm. "Citizens, please halt your advance."
She gestured toward the barricaded zone ahead. "Apologies, but due to severe and abnormal energy fluctuations detected within the Epis Port Hollow yesterday, Public Security has initiated a full lockdown. We are currently assessing the structural integrity of the area to ensure civilian safety."
She adjusted her cap, her gaze sweeping over the trio. "Until the hazard is fully cleared and a new exploration permit is issued, absolutely no one is allowed near the entrance. This is to prevent civilians from being accidentally drawn into the unstable Hollow. We ask for your understanding and full cooperation."
Stelle stiffened. The tips of her ears flushed a brilliant shade of crimson. She quickly averted her gaze, suddenly finding the cracked pavement incredibly fascinating.
Energy fluctuations? Structural instability?
That was absolutely, one-hundred-percent her doing.
Great, Stelle groaned internally, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. I dug my own grave and now I'm locked out by it.
Perhaps the blockade would only be lifted after the Hoshimi family—who were responsible for managing the fallout—took over and stabilized the Hollow's internal ether conditions. But for now, her grand plan to dive through this entrance, explore the depths, and rake in a mountain of gear coins was completely dead in the water.
"Sigh..." Stelle let out a long, dramatic breath, her shoulders slumping in defeat as she stared longingly at the Hollow entrance that was so close, yet so entirely out of reach. "A completely wasted trip... My precious gear coins..."
Dan Heng, on the other hand, was not surprised by this outcome in the slightest.
The sheer scale of the destruction from yesterday's battle was catastrophic; it was standard procedure for the authorities to lock down the sector and conduct a thorough investigation. He calmly observed the layout of the cordoned area, tracking the patrol routes and the status of the personnel, silently calculating the likely duration needed for Public Security to lift the restrictions.
Just as Stelle was sighing again, debating whether to head back home or wander elsewhere to cause trouble, Pom-Pom—the Bangboo currently resting quietly in her arms—suddenly shifted. The small companion turned its round head, staring intently toward the deep shadows cast by a pile of discarded industrial cable reels just outside the police cordon.
"Passenger Stelle, Passenger Dan Heng, look over there-pa." Pom-Pom raised a short, stubby arm, pointing directly at the rusted metal spools. "That Bangboo... something seems to be wrong-pa."
Stelle and Dan Heng followed the Bangboo's gesture. Lying motionless in the dirt beside the heavy cable reels was another Bangboo. It was entirely white, draped in a tattered, dirt-stained red cape.
Its electronic eyes were completely dim. Every few seconds, its small limbs twitched unnaturally, scraping against the gravel as it emitted extremely faint, intermittent sounds. "En... na..."
It looked as though its ether energy was severely depleted, or its internal chassis had sustained critical damage.
"Oh, you're right!" Stelle's attention snapped toward the injured machine, her previous disappointment instantly replaced by intense curiosity and a surge of sympathy. "What happened to the little guy? Is it broken?"
Pom-Pom nodded seriously. "Let's go take a closer look-pa. Bangboos are important assistants and partners; we absolutely cannot just leave it alone-pa."
"Well, since we have absolutely nothing else to do, let's be upstanding citizens!" Stelle cheered up immediately. Hugging Pom-Pom tightly against her chest, she and Dan Heng skirted around the main road, avoiding the gaze of the Public Security officers as they approached the white Bangboo.
Coming closer, the severity of the Bangboo's condition became glaringly obvious.
Deep scorch marks and jagged scratches marred its pristine white casing. The red cape was torn to shreds in several places, and the core energy indicator light on its chest was blinking a weak, desperate red. It seemed to be struggling to push itself up from the dirt, but its mechanical limbs lacked the necessary torque, leaving it to make faint, pitiful sounds as if calling out for rescue.
"It looks like the energy core is physically damaged, or the internal circuits suffered a massive overload from exposure to an abnormal energy environment." Dan Heng crouched down, his sharp eyes scanning the scorch marks as he made a swift, preliminary diagnosis.
"What do we do then? Can we fix it?" Stelle crouched down beside him, gently poking the Bangboo's cold, scratched casing with her index finger.
"We can try to supply it with an external charge, debug the corrupted internal modules, and then force a restart on the core." Dan Heng's response was as concise and efficient as ever.
"Go for it, Dan Heng! I'll give you maximum moral support!" Stelle clenched her fist, cheering softly from the sidelines, fully aware that her so-called "support" consisted entirely of shouting encouragement while doing absolutely none of the heavy lifting.
Dan Heng easily ignored Stelle's chaotic cheering, focusing his entire attention on accessing and debugging the Bangboo's internal modules. His fingers moved with practiced precision, bypassing the overloaded circuits and stabilizing the core's ether flow.
"En... na..."
The static-laced sounds from the white Bangboo gradually became clearer, shifting into a more coherent vocalization. It tried moving its arms again. This time, the servos whirred smoothly. Finally, it wobbled, pushing itself up on its own strength before shakily standing on its two feet.
Once it found its balance, it turned its round head somewhat blankly, its optical sensors adjusting as it looked at Dan Heng, Stelle, and Pom-Pom. The bright, expressive light in its digital eyes finally regained its familiar luster.
It raised a small hand, patted its chest proudly, and then bowed solemnly to the three of them, letting out a clear, immensely grateful sound.
"En-na! En-na-da—!"
[Thank you! My name is Goodman-boo. Just now, my energy core suffered a massive overload from an abnormal energy impact inside the Hollow, and I almost didn't make it. Thanks to you, I'm saved! That Hollow is way too dangerous; I'm definitely not going back in!]
Listening to Goodman-boo's dramatic narrative—especially the specific mention of an "abnormal energy impact in the Hollow"—the look of deep embarrassment on Stelle's face deepened considerably. She awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, acutely aware that this poor creature's near-death experience was likely her fault as well.
She offered a strained, apologetic smile. "Uh... well, you're very welcome. It's always a pleasure to help. I'm just glad you're in one piece."
Goodman-boo didn't seem to notice Stelle's underlying guilt. Having fully regained its vitality, the little machine bounced on its feet, appearing incredibly excited and deeply grateful for the rescue.
It fumbled around in a hidden pocket on the inside of its tattered red cape for a few seconds. With a triumphant hum, it pulled out a rather exquisite silver card that gleamed with a polished metallic sheen.
The edges of the card were etched with highly complex circuit patterns, and a tiny holographic projector sat dead in the center, though it remained inactive for the moment.
Goodman-boo held the metal card out to Stelle with both hands, its digital eyes curving into bright, sincere crescents.
"En-na-na, en—na!"
[As a reward, please take this! It's something I managed to bring out from the very depths of the Cretus Crevasse during a previous rescue mission. Although I almost got completely lost, couldn't find my way back, and got heavily injured, this thing is said to be incredibly useful!]
"En-na-da, en-na!"
[It can help the holder locate clues leading to the extremely rare Golden Bangboo, or perhaps even the legendary Platinum Bangboo hidden within the Cretus Crevasse! However, the Cretus Crevasse is also very, very dangerous; I was injured there by accident. If you decide to go, you must be extremely careful!]
"Wait, so you weren't injured in the Epis Port Hollow? That's great... uh, I mean, I'm just really glad you're okay!"
Stelle patted her chest, letting out a massive sigh of relief as her guilt instantly evaporated. Her attention was immediately captivated by the strange, glowing metal card the Bangboo had gifted her. She took it gently, turning it over and over in her hands, her golden eyes sparkling with unrestrained curiosity and the obvious thrill of a new adventure.
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