‘Was it going to be killed just because it had a connection with me?’
Clara furrowed her brows in dissatisfaction.
As a Moon Rabbit, that fellow was clearly qualified. He had even brought the “escaped” Clara back to the base and tried to help her integrate into the tribe. When the tunnel in the southwest corner was first opened, he was also the first Moon Rabbit to arrive and catch fish.
He was loyal to the tribe and worked hard. Even from the perspective of a Moon Rabbit, there was absolutely no reason for him to be killed. Yet, he was being sentenced to death simply because he had been in contact with her.
The Blue Cavalier was being a bit too extreme.
However, the surrounding Moon Rabbits didn’t react to this at all. Not to mention this inexplicable collective punishment, even the execution itself could hardly evoke any fear in them. Trying to use this to make an example of someone to warn the others was likely impossible.
If one were to ask why…
The existence of the slaughterhouse was already unreasonable enough. Since being sent to the slaughterhouse meant death, and being caught after escaping also meant death… it was better to just run. At least then, there was a chance of not getting caught.
Furthermore, even if they were caught, the Moon Rabbit rebels got to live for two more days, didn’t they?
**[No, it is not the same.]**
Nyx took a moment out of her busy schedule to offer her insight to Clara.
**[The key is not death, but the meaning assigned to it.]**
**[Becoming material for the slaughterhouse is a sacrifice made for the tribe. Therefore, the Moon Rabbits within the Hive Network do not feel fear toward it. However, the Moon Rabbits who have awakened self-awareness resist entering the slaughterhouse…]**
**[The meaning assigned to your deaths is to plant fear in the hearts of those specific Moon Rabbits, making them too afraid to attempt an escape.]**
‘So, will the Moon Rabbits feel afraid because of the execution?’
**[The emotion of fear can be spread through the hive consciousness.]**
‘Since fear can be forcibly implanted, wouldn’t it be better to just issue a persistent command to forbid escaping through the Mother’s authority?’
It was just like how they were locked in the basement for one night; even though the door wasn’t locked, they couldn’t leave.
**[Persistent effects decay. It is impossible to keep an eye on every Moon Rabbit at all times.]**
**[As the population increases, the hive consciousness cannot monitor the behavior of every individual. It would waste an enormous amount of computing power.]**
**[However, since self-awareness has awakened, emotions are a very useful tool for governance.]**
A complete hive consciousness was decentralized. Every sub-unit was a cell of the hive consciousness and could not produce self-awareness, just like the vast army of original Moon Rabbits.
To better manipulate them, the Fourth Calamity had modified the Moon Rabbits. However, these so-called improvements also brought the disadvantage of instability, leading to some Moon Rabbits developing a sense of self that should not have existed.
Clara was hanging in the center of the rabbit hole. She looked down at the busy Moon Rabbits below, and they occasionally looked up at her as well. Some seemed curious, some appeared uneasy, and others didn’t seem to be thinking of anything at all.
‘Have some of them already developed self-awareness?’
Unfortunately, in this environment, those awakened Moon Rabbits lived in misery instead.
**[Dr. Fran is currently working on new equipment designed by Miss Lucia.]**
**[Delay for a while longer.]**
Nyx made the request, but Clara could only sigh. As a powerless Moon Rabbit Combat Body who was currently tied up, she couldn’t even communicate. How was she supposed to stall for time?
**[Sista has already taken off.]**
‘Eh? What is she going to do?’
**[She will launch an aerial bombardment on the base to buy you some time.]**
‘Bombing?’
***
Sista took to the sky alone, but her flight speed was slower than usual. This was because four aerial bombs that exceeded her weight capacity were mounted beneath her.
She exerted all her strength to activate her superpower, reducing the weight of the bombs to a level where she could carry them while flying. These aerial bombs… strictly speaking, were just oversized bombs.
They were crude bombs that Lucia and Fran had thrown together in just a few minutes using materials and printing equipment from the hangar. Not only did they look like something out of a scrap heap, but their power was likely unreliable. There was no need to even mention armor-piercing or bunker-busting capabilities.
Therefore, Sista didn’t need to go down and face the enemy head-on. Her mission was to draw the enemy’s attention using the bombs. Sista didn’t believe these crude bombs could wipe out the Moon Rabbits, and going down recklessly would only be asking for trouble.
“I have arrived at the coordinates. Awaiting orders for the operation.”
Sista circled above the base but did not immediately begin the bombing run. It wasn’t the right time to strike yet; she was waiting for the AI named Nyx. If an execution was about to take place below, she would drop the bombs to interrupt the process.
**[Sista, please drop Bomb 1.]**
The heavy aerial bomb detached from Sista’s armor. Losing the influence of her superpower, it smashed toward the ground at extreme speed and then exploded with a roar.
The power was greater than expected, but it was still a far cry from the Inkstained Staff’s main cannon mode. Most importantly, the crater formed by the explosion was very shallow. It likely wouldn’t be much of a deterrent to the Moon Rabbits inside the holes.
Normally, as long as they stayed hidden in the rabbit holes, Sista’s four aerial bombs wouldn’t even be able to kill many Moon Rabbits. However, the Moon Rabbits clearly lacked that level of intelligence. Moon Rabbits and Rabbit Soldiers began to pour out from the surrounding tunnels.
The Moon Rabbits’ anti-air method was to have the Rabbit Soldiers throw ordinary Moon Rabbits up to bite Sista. Such a stupid attack could never succeed…
No, it was still somewhat dangerous.
Carrying the bombs had severely slowed her down. One Moon Rabbit managed to grab onto Sista’s wing, but it was quickly thrown back to the ground by Sista’s steel cable. As long as Sista flew above their throwing height, these Moon Rabbits had no way to deal with her.
By now, a large number of Moon Rabbits had gathered above the base.
**[Please drop Bomb 2.]**
Nyx’s command came again.
“Copy.”
Sista, obeying the order, dropped the second aerial bomb while pulling up. This time, the casualties caused were clearly greater than the first. No matter how crudely made, a bomb was still a bomb. The Moon Rabbits near the blast point were killed instantly, blown into pieces. Those slightly further away were also knocked over by the shockwave, unable to get up for a while.
It was simple and crude, but very effective against the swarming Moon Rabbits.
“The execution has been suspended.”
To deal with Sista’s air raid, Clara’s execution was naturally put on hold. This achieved the goal of the bombardment.
“Understood. Maintaining flight altitude and standing by.”
Right at that moment, smoke suddenly began to pour from Sista’s wing.
“Propulsion system failure. I am losing power.”
Perhaps these aerial bombs were still too heavy. The overload had completely trashed the already fatigued thrusters.
“Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.”
“Immediately discard the load to restore lift and perform an emergency landing.”
Sista dropped the remaining bombs, attempting to lighten the load and fly back to the hangar using the thrusters that were still functioning.
However, before she could fly very far, an explosion occurred in her wing. The already thin wing was completely destroyed, and now she couldn’t even glide.
Like a kite with a broken string, Sista spun out of control and crashed into the rainforest.
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