CHAPTER 53 - PUREWHITE IS BACK

The chat was buzzing with excitement. Natalie took a few excited steps forward, only to suddenly realize the Sea Mantis movements were incredibly sluggish. Its steps were heavy, slow, and there was no way it could run.

"The movement speed is really slow..." she muttered. No wonder, it was a massive hunk of metal.

"Punch something! Try throwing a punch, Natalie!" someone in the live chat suggested.

"Okay!"

Natalie responded enthusiastically. She raised her hands and began punching the air like a boxer on TV. Following her movements, the Sea Mantis mimicked her, throwing out heavy punches.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Each swing let out a booming whoosh, the air trembling with every blow. The mech's metal fists were clearly built for power.

Still not satisfied, Natalie looked around and spotted the Seamoth on the other side of the room. She walked over, spread her arms, gripped it tightly, and pushed.

The Seamoth, weighing nearly a ton, was lifted with ease by Natalie in the mech!

"Holy crap, she just lifted the Sea Moth?!"

"This thing's strength is insane, definitely a legit mech!"

"Man, I want to play this game so bad now..."

The viewers in the chat were freaking out. This was the stuff of every man's dream!

And women? Well, maybe a little less so... until now.

"Haha, look! I can lift the Sea Moth like it's nothing!" Natalie laughed, thrilled. Wearing the Sea Mantis made her feel unstoppable, like her power level had exploded.

At that moment, Cortana chimed in.

"Please note: The Sea Mantis has interchangeable arm modules that can be adapted for different environments. Currently, there are two loaded modes."

"The first is Excavation Mode. In this mode, the mech's hands transform into high-speed drill arms capable of breaking through rock and mining for minerals."

Following the prompt, Natalie pressed a button. Just like that, the mech's palms closed and twisted into a large, spinning drill.

"This is so cool! It's like a rotating energy blade!" Natalie's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"The second mode is the Hook Mode. In this setting, the mech's arm becomes a grappling hook, allowing you to pull distant objects or propel yourself forward."

She gave it a try, and sure enough, the right arm of the Sea Mantis shot out and latched onto the Sea Moth. With a mechanical grunt, the Sea Mantis slowly reeled it in, the dragging metal making a harsh, grinding sound.

"I get it! It's like Nautilus in League of Legends!" Natalie exclaimed. The hook could either pull objects toward you, or pull you to them!

Two simple, versatile uses. So handy!

Cortana continued, her voice steady.

"Additional modules include:

Sonar System: Emits soundwaves to detect surrounding terrain.

Shoulder Cannon: Equipped with a small torpedo or decoy launcher.

Jet Boosters: Back-mounted thrusters allow for short bursts of speed."

The chat was in awe.

"No way this mech has so many functions?!"

"Bro, the more I watch, the more I want one."

"Screw it, I'm buying Subnautica right now!"

Even Natalie was stunned, her face glowing with joy as she listened to the features one after another.

Who said mechs were just a guy's dream? Women love this stuff too! This slick, powerful machine was absolutely her kind of fantasy.

"Hey, do you think I could take down the Reaper Leviathan with this thing?" she said smugly.

But before the chat could answer, Cortana interrupted calmly.

"Warning: The Sea Mantis is designed primarily for deep-sea mining and harsh environmental operations. It is not intended for combat. Please avoid engaging large monsters with it."

"Wait... this thing isn't a combat mech?!"

"Insane, this kind of mech is only for mining?!"

"Just how far ahead is this tech?"

The chat was full of admiration. Natalie quieted down for a moment. Yeah, no way the Sea Mantis could take on the Reaper Leviathan, a towering 60 meter beast. Still, this trip to explore the Aurora was totally worth it.

After playing around a bit more, Natalie exited the mech and continued exploring the vehicle bay.

Half of the bay was still intact. The other half had been destroyed in an explosion, leaving behind nothing but scorched steel frames.

Soon, she discovered blueprints for the Sonar Module and Torpedo Launcher for the Sea Moth.

Even more exciting, scattered all around were parts from completely different machines!

She scanned one with her wristband.

Ding!

[Hull fragment of the 'Cyclops'.]

"Hull fragment?" Natalie blinked. "What's the Cyclops?"

"A large-class submarine," Cortana answered.

"A large submarine..." Her eyes lit up. This really was the vehicle bay! Did that mean she could build a bigger submarine, too?

"Please note," Cortana added, "you must collect all necessary fragments before the Cyclops blueprint is unlocked."

"So I have to collect them all..." Natalie frowned and began scanning more wreckage.

Ding!

[Hull piece of the Sea Shark!]

Ding!

[Sea Spine ocean train debris!]

Ding!

[Tail section of the Dragonhawk Airship!]

An endless stream of strange, futuristic vehicles popped up, underwater crafts, high-speed trains, even airships that soared across the sky!

"No way, how many vehicles are in this game?!"

"My head's spinning just watching this!"

"Didn't expect to find a graveyard of awesome tech!"

The possibilities were overwhelming, and thrilling. If all these vehicles could be rebuilt?

Just the thought of it was enough to make her heart race.

The viewers in the stream were filled with awe. As expected of the devs, always full of surprises.

But crafting all these blueprints... that was going to take time and effort. It sounded like a massive project.

After collecting the last of the vehicle blueprints, Natalie had fully explored the vehicle bay. There was nothing left of value.

"I remember there was another path submerged under the sea earlier. Let's head back and check it out!" With a solid plan in mind, Natalie turned to leave the vehicle area.

But just as she took a few steps, she suddenly felt an itch on her hand. She scratched at it reflexively, only to realize it wasn't her hand at all. It was a sensation coming from her extra sensory suit.

"Huh? Why does it feel itchy? Is there something wrong with the suit?" she murmured in confusion.

"I suggest performing a self-scan," came Cortana's calm voice.

"Alright." Natalie immediately activated the scan function on her wristband and scanned her whole body.

Ding!

[Scan complete. Results show a potential bacterial infection. This bacterium is unlike any known on Earth. No further data is available at the moment. Continued observation is recommended.]

Cortana's voice remained steady, but the message was anything but reassuring.

"Infected with bacteria?!" Natalie was stunned. So were the viewers.

"Sounds like it's tied to the plot..."

"But Cortana didn't mention any treatment options."

"Definitely feels like a setup for something bigger. The devs are always foreshadowing!"

The viewers filled the chat with speculation, while Natalie shook her head and decided to leave it for now. "If Cortana says just observe it for now, then let's not worry too much. Onward."

Before long, she entered the underwater corridor once more, eventually reaching a new area. This section had only two rooms. One door was labeled Captain's Quarters, and the other Communication Room.

Unfortunately, the captain's room required a digital code to unlock. With no way in for now, she turned to the communication room instead.

Inside was a device that resembled a high-tech computer. Natalie scanned it immediately.

Ding!

[Ultra Long-Range Communicator detected. Capable of transmitting messages to Earth from hundreds of light-years away.]

The entire stream chat exploded.

"Hundreds of light-years?!"

"That's insane!"

"This must be what the Aurora's Vice-Captian wanted us to find!"

Natalie blinked in shock. "Hundreds of light-years... Humans in the future really don't mess around."

"Cortana, how do I use this thing?" she asked.

"Leave it to me. Please keep your wristband near the communicator," Cortana replied.

Natalie held her wristband close. The communicator flickered a few times, then Cortana spoke again. "Message sent. I've transmitted your coordinates and situation to central command."

"For real?" Natalie beamed. "So, what happens next?"

"Please wait for a reply. Message transmission takes time. As soon as there's a response, I'll notify you immediately."

"Alright..." She sighed, a mix of relief and anticipation written on her face.

---BREAK---

Meanwhile, over on another livestream hosted on Twitch...

PureWhite was still trending at the top of the platform. His popularity was off the charts, second only to Natalie.

He stood alone on a sandy island, staring up at the sky with anticipation. Beside him was a towering alien structure, majestic and mysterious.

As one of the earliest players, PureWhite's progress was nearly on par with Natalie.

"Alright, everyone! The big moment is here!" he grinned. "We're finally meeting the Sunbeam crew!"

"Let's gooo!"

"I've been waiting for this!"

"I wonder what kind of twist the devs will throw at us this time..."

"Came here straight from Natalie's stream, I can't wait!"

Just as the viewers in his chat buzzed with excitement, PureWhite received a message from the Sunbeam's captain.

He took a deep breath, visibly nervous. After all, this was a crew from hundreds of years in the future, even if they were NPCs, it still felt surreal.

But then...The ground began to shake violently beneath his feet.

Eyes wide with terror and disbelief, PureWhite could only watch as the very captain he'd just been talking to, was obliterated. In a dazzling flash, the captain exploded like fireworks in the sky.

"WHAT THE FU-!?"

Chat exploded.

"That alien building is a weapon!"

"No way... I did not see that coming!"

"The devs they're maniacs!!!"

The viewers lost it. But some in the chat were laughing knowingly.

"Hahaha! I already saw this on Natalie's stream. Came here just to see PureWhite's innocent reaction and enjoy the fireworks again!"

"Same here!!!"

PureWhite collapsed onto the beach, dazed. After a few moments of stunned silence, he suddenly roared. "Bastards! I really can't predict what you'll pull next!!!"

With the Sunbeam crew now destroyed, he, like Natalie, was left with two choices.

Head to the Aurora, or seek out the Sanctuary.

1689 Words.