CHAPTER 575: EARTHQUAKE MINING MACHINE

That machine?

After a moment of confusion, Liu Xing realized what Miguel was referring to.

The Migo earthquake mining machine!

It was speculated that Miguel had been transformed into his current half-human, half-mechanical state because the Migo wanted him to work as a miner and security guard. According to the Cthulhu Mythos, the Migo had arrived on Earth billions of years ago and controlled several regions, some of which they still secretly held sway over. Their reason for choosing these areas, or for coming to Earth in the first place, was to mine for unknown minerals that were not familiar to humans.

Of course, as a technologically advanced mythical creature race in the universe, the Migo would not engage in inefficient manual mining. Thus, they had created the earthquake mining machine as a tool for their purposes.

The Migo’s earthquake mining machine was vastly different from human-made mining machines. It was a massive cube, approximately six meters on each side, with irregularly distributed small convex windows on each face. These windows were embedded with a mysterious, glass-like substance that was hazy and non-transparent.

When the machine was operational, it could be controlled to pull up layers of earth buried deep underground, passing through the rock layers above it.

Indeed, the Migo’s earthquake mining machine could excavate an entire layer of earth with remarkable efficiency. It could reach depths of around four to five miles and lift up to a cubic mile of earth in a single operation.

However, as the name suggests, using such a machine had a troublesome side effect—it could induce earthquakes. The intensity and affected area of the earthquake were directly related to the depth and size of the mining operation.

Due to this, the Migo tended to use the machine only in uninhabited areas to avoid detection by humans. Liu Xing had been puzzled before entering the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall as to why the Migo would be concerned about being discovered by humans, considering their individual strength. Even if discovered, they should have been able to retreat unscathed.

Moreover, for the humans in this parallel world, understanding and controlling an earthquake mining machine might have been beyond their capabilities.

According to the Cthulhu RPG Game’s setting, it was almost impossible for an unfamiliar human to operate the earthquake mining machine unless there was an unexpected event, like rolling a critical success in mechanics.

Nonetheless, Miguel, although he hadn’t explicitly mentioned his role under the Migo, had certainly witnessed the machine in action. Therefore, it was reasonable for him to remember the vibrations it produced.

With this in mind, Liu Xing confirmed, "Miguel, we’re quite far from Fukushima. Are you really sure that this earthquake might be related to the Migo?"

Miguel nodded seriously and replied, "Back then, I was responsible for the safety of the earthquake mining machine up close. There were many strange creatures lurking underground, and they could become highly aggressive when disturbed. Thus, a significant number of people were assigned to protect the machine whenever it was operational, allowing me to remember the frequency it produced."

Given Miguel’s confidence, Liu Xing had no reason not to believe him.

Well, if that’s the case, the massive earthquake in Fukushima might not have been a natural occurrence but rather the result of the Migo using their earthquake mining machine. Of course, it’s also possible that a natural earthquake occurred simultaneously while the Migo were using the machine.

However, Liu Xing was more inclined to believe that the Fukushima earthquake was the Migo’s doing. Firstly, this was a Cthulhu RPG Game, and most events involving mythical creatures were ultimately caused by them. After all, if it wasn’t a mythical creature, where would the game module come from? Secondly, based on the news about the Fukushima earthquake, all media outlets mentioned a crucial point: the roads and railways connecting Fukushima to the outside world had been severed for various reasons, and communication was now impossible, making Fukushima a complete "island." Apart from the possible incident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, no other information about the area was available.

This was clearly abnormal.

Firstly, regarding communication, with the advanced technology, it was unlikely that all signal towers in Fukushima would be affected unless there was a widespread issue. Many of these towers were located in open areas, so the earthquake should not have caused significant damage to them.

Secondly, while it was common for roads to be disrupted during a major earthquake, the simultaneous disruption of all roads and railways in Fukushima seemed too coincidental. As an earthquake-prone country, Japan had learned to build roads that could withstand or minimize earthquake damage to facilitate rescue efforts.

When multiple coincidences occur, it’s worth considering that they might not be coincidences at all.

Moreover, the crucial point was that the Fukushima nuclear power plant’s manager’s voice suddenly vanished without warning while reporting the situation to headquarters, and the phone signal was normal at the time. This indicated that something had likely happened to the manager, and it happened silently.

This suggested that the manager might have been the victim of a sudden, stealthy attack, and they didn’t put up any resistance.

Taking all these factors into account, Liu Xing had reason to suspect that the Migo intentionally caused the Fukushima earthquake and had possibly planned it for a while. After the earthquake, they might have dispatched individuals to disrupt the region’s transportation and communication infrastructure to hinder the Japanese government’s rescue efforts.

The Migo’s motive was likely connected to the Fukushima nuclear power plant, although the exact reason was unknown to Liu Xing. It was also possible that the Migo were diverting attention from another objective by focusing everyone’s concern on the nuclear plant. The news of the incident had spread like an epidemic in Japan and neighboring countries, as people had a deep fear of "nuclear" due to Japan’s history with atomic bombs. The Japanese government was now offering high salaries to form a suicide squad to investigate the situation at the plant.

Liu Xing sighed. Japan truly seemed to be a country plagued by disasters. It appeared that Japan would soon become the first nation in this parallel world to experience a major catastrophe, making it necessary to accelerate his escape plan.

Speaking of Fukushima, Liu Xing recalled that Thousand Face had been brought to Tokyo from Fukushima by Hashi Motojun and others. Following the Cthulhu Role-Playing Game Hall’s usual routine, Liu Xing felt justified in suspecting that Thousand Face’s next mythical creature manifestation might be in the Fukushima region.

So, he would have to visit Fukushima, it seemed.

Liu Xing rubbed his chin and said, "The situation in Fukushima is still unclear. For now, it’s best not to intervene hastily to avoid unforeseen complications. Miguel, please keep an eye out for any more strange vibrations there and inform me immediately."

Liu Xing knew that Miguel had mentioned the matter because he wanted to use Liu Xing’s strength to retaliate against the Migo who had transformed him. Thus, Liu Xing tried to reassure Miguel.

Miguel understood and nodded, "I understand, Supreme Leader. You can rest assured that I won’t act recklessly. The Migo who used the earthquake mining machine in Fukushima might not be the one I hold a grudge against."

Hearing Miguel’s response, Liu Xing felt relieved. As a half-human, half-mechanical being, Miguel’s personality had been influenced, and it was highly unlikely that he would lie.

After discussing the earthquake mining machine with Miguel, Miguel accompanied Honekawa Suneo to leave. Honekawa Suneo, aside from his abrasions, had also damaged his clothes, so he needed to change. Before leaving, Honekawa Suneo conveyed an important message to Liu Xing—Ooyama might have gone to Cosmic Country!

Earlier that morning, Honekawa Suneo had dispatched a few people to monitor Ooyama. Ooyama had driven to Tokyo’s airport early in the day.

Incidentally, after the Tokyo Skytree explosion’s culprit was identified as Thousand Face and his approximate location was determined, the Island Nation’s authorities had gradually lifted restrictions on air and sea travel. However, security checks were now stricter, and tickets were scarce.

Focusing on the matter at hand, based on Ooyama’s boarding time, there was only one flight heading to Cosmic Country that was preparing to depart. Honekawa Suneo’s surveillance team had set up multiple hidden posts at the airport after Ooyama boarded. They waited from morning until afternoon but didn’t spot Ooyama again, leading Honekawa Suneo to believe that Ooyama had indeed gone to Cosmic Country.

Ooyama’s sudden trip to Cosmic Country caught Liu Xing and the others off guard. According to the information they had, Ooyama’s position in the Deep Diving Society was not high, and his cultural level was relatively low. He didn’t seem to possess any particular expertise.

So, why would Ooyama go to Cosmic Country at this time? Liu Xing was increasingly puzzled by the Deep Diving Society’s intentions.

After Miguel and Honekawa Suneo left, Liu Xing shared what Miguel had told him.

"Indeed, I’ve heard of the Migo’s earthquake mining machine. The China Dao Sect once found one in Shudu, although it was completely ruined. However, it was still useful for research. They established a research facility on a small island in the South China Sea. Eventually, they discovered that the earthquake mining machine, in theory, could generate a magnitude 9 earthquake. The earthquakes it creates are sudden and without warning, so it’s possible that the Migo used one to cause the Fukushima earthquake," Zhang Jingxu said seriously.

Ling Ishikawa shrugged, saying nonchalantly, "Anyway, this doesn’t seem to concern us directly, apart from our promise to avenge Miguel. But we need to confirm if the Migo in Fukushima is the one who transformed Miguel... Hmm, that sounds awkward. If I recall correctly, Miguel encountered the Migo in Kobe, right?"

Liu Xing nodded and replied, "Yes, it was in Kobe, and that’s where I met Zhang Jingxu. What a coincidence. However, Kobe is quite far from Fukushima. I doubt the Migo in both places are the same."

Zhang Jingxu thought for a moment and agreed, "I concur with your assessment, Ryuusei. They’re likely not the same Migo. The earthquake mining machine is quite large, too big for a normal truck. It would be troublesome for the Migo to transport it from Kobe to Fukushima. So, let’s observe the situation for now. As for Ooyama suddenly going to Cosmic Country, do you have any theories?"

"There are two possible reasons for Ooyama’s trip to Cosmic Country. The first is that he’s going there for a vacation, but that seems highly unlikely. The second is that he has business at the Deep Diving Society’s headquarters. I think this is a strong possibility, but we don’t know the specifics," Ling Ishikawa replied.

Just as Ling Ishikawa finished speaking, another knock sounded at the door.

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow, unsure who the visitor could be, as Zhang Wenbing and others would usually call before arriving.

Could it be the Deep Diving Society? Liu Xing gave a subtle look to Zhang Jingxu and Ling Ishikawa before moving to the door.

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