Chapter 101: Target—Paradise Compute Center

The events unfolding within the underground caves had shaken the elites of the Central and Upper Districts.

Previously, there had been instances of resistance from various underground gangs, but those were brushed off. The higher-ups understood that gangsters were unruly by nature—some resistance was to be expected.

What they hadn’t anticipated was that this time, it wasn’t just the gang-affiliated spirit energy users who rose up. The majority of the rebellion consisted of impoverished, desperate peasants—those so weak that even children from the Central District could bully them. Yet it was these very people who, using stones, torches, and sticks, managed to kill hundreds of law enforcement officers and tax bureau officials.

The outcome left the elites stunned.

In their eyes, the cave dwellers were no different from trash. Even if they were taxed for three hundred years in advance, they shouldn’t have dared to resist.

And yet, the incident sparked widespread rebellion. A massive number of ordinary cave people joined the resistance army.

After holding an emergency meeting, the powerful figures of the city reached a consensus:

“These are no longer mere peasants. It’s time for a heavy-handed crackdown!”

Over thirty thousand personnel—comprising patrol units, enforcement squads, and police forces—were dispatched into the caves.

Due to the cave environment, many high-grade weapons couldn’t be deployed underground. However, exoskeleton armor, mechanical hounds, and portable energy cannons were still sufficient to crush the peasants in single combat.

Because of the narrow cave entrances, the sweeping forces were split into groups and sent into various cave networks for sequential purging.

But the moment they entered, those sweeping teams were met with brutal ambushes by thousands of spirit energy users.

Almost every entrance was guarded. In the tight spaces of the underground, the elite troops didn’t even have time to form up before they were overwhelmed.

If the incoming unit was small, the rebels would simply crush them with sheer numbers.

If the unit had heavy firepower, the spirit energy users would collapse the tunnels, burying their enemies alive hundreds of meters beneath the surface.

The losses were devastating. Less than 20% of the forces reached their designated positions.

While the upper echelons seethed with fury, a hint of fear crept into their hearts.

How could the resource-starved Lower District—where even basic-level spirit energy was scarce—suddenly produce tens of thousands of spirit energy users?

Even in the Central District, spirit energy users were considered elite. The numbers coming from the caves made no sense.

In the caves, the technological advantage was nullified. No matter how advanced the individual weapons were, they couldn’t compete with such overwhelming numbers.

Some suggested using strategic-level deterrents underground, but the proposal was unanimously rejected.

Everyone understood—the true purpose of Universal Corporation’s decree was to supply the Paradise Compute Center with soul processing power.

If high-grade weaponry were deployed, it would lead to mass casualties. That would be seen as a waste of soul resources.

If Universal Corporation investigated, every one of those who approved the attack would be held accountable.

With large-scale weapons off the table, the only remaining option was to deploy stronger, more elite combatants—high-level spirit energy users.

And the only place in City 14 that could muster tens of thousands of elite spirit energy users was the Upper District.

But asking the noble elites of the Upper District to enter filthy caves and fight peasants? That was an insult to their status.

With no one able to reach consensus, the crackdown and the tax enforcement entered an awkward stalemate.

The battered sweeping teams no longer dared to advance and instead hunkered down in their forward bases, afraid of ambushes from cave spirit users.

This stalemate continued for a full week. The tax reform across City 14 had ground to a halt—until Universal Corporation itself stepped in and demanded answers.

Under pressure from above and rebellion from below, the elites finally reached a decision:

Start with the Central District.

The thirty-year Energy Tax decree applied not only to the Lower District—it affected everyone.

The Upper District had wealth and resources—they weren’t concerned.

The Lower District had nothing to lose, and they resisted with ferocity.

But the Central District? These citizens had modest assets—just enough to be taxed, but not enough to pay. They wanted to resist, but lacked both the courage and strength of the Lower District.

Thousands of Central District civilians were sent to the Paradise Compute Center, including many small business owners.

Even some larger merchants, after liquidating property and selling off assets, barely managed to pay the tax. But what followed was a nightmare of debts, broken cash flows, and corporate takeovers.

Many once-wealthy merchants were forced into bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the true elites at the top of the food chain seized the opportunity to acquire premium assets—gorging themselves on the Central District’s collapse.

—

Cave No. 71, underground pharmaceutical plant.

Lu Yan read through the latest message from Shaq.

The elites of the Central and Upper Districts were still lost in the feast of plundering the Central District. For the time being, the caves were at peace.

That meant Lu Yan’s plan to accelerate the production of Nine Dragon Force and empower cave dwellers with spirit energy had succeeded.

It had been four months since Lu Yan entered the Cyber Update version. If he could hold out for just two more months, he could leave this accursed place.

But… Lu Yan knew it wouldn’t be that simple.

The elites’ eyes were only temporarily fixed on the Central District. Those civilians and small merchants were merely appetizers in this grand scheme.

As time passed, the pressure from Universal Corporation would only intensify. Eventually, the Upper District would be forced to take action.

When that day came, the battle wouldn’t be minor skirmishes between spirit users and law enforcers.

It would be perfectly enhanced spirit energy warriors from the Upper District versus the naturally evolved cave spirit users empowered by Nine Dragon Force.

In terms of both energy systems and technology, the Upper District far surpassed the Lower.

The only advantage the cave dwellers had was their numbers.

Lu Yan had already upgraded his production lines again, increasing the output of Nine Dragon Force to a staggering 130,000 units. He even began distributing it for free to expedite the awakening of new spirit energy users.

But even with this preparation, Lu Yan had little confidence in the battles to come.

Because he knew that once the Upper District made its move, even if the caves scored a temporary victory at the base level, the Upper District’s higher-level spirit users would join the fray.

And those top-tier cultivators—some suspected to be equivalent to the Golden Core Realm—were far beyond anything the caves could currently resist.

Even Lu Yan himself might struggle to deal with them.

Pure strength would never be enough to win this war.

If they were to survive the coming storm, they would need another path.

And Lu Yan had already set his sights on that path:

The Paradise Compute Center.

(End of Chapter)