Chapter 213: Research Subject?

At this moment, the Bookworm looked for all the world like the Big Bad Wolf from the red riding stories. “I guarantee that, in this area, you won’t find a better person in all of the East – nay, all three alliances. The Keeper, the old wretch, is a master of weaponry and simulation. When it comes to design, though, I leave him in the dust. Blocks behind, mind you.”

Lan Jue listened respectfully. “And what does your experiment require me to do?”

The Bookworm was suddenly alive with the vitality of a man twice his age. He shot up from his seat after popping the safety harness free, and made his way to a spot with a little more open space. He reached out with his right hand and, as if in response, a silver light appeared before him. Before his eyes the light split, spread, until it created a hovering silver portal.

From the other side of the strange fissure, an enormous mechanical manipulator [1. For those of us who aren’t robotics engineers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manipulator] forced its way through. In it’s 'hand' was something that looked similar to the sim pods they used to enter DreamNet. It deposited its payload, then vanished.

As...