Colonial Suit

He didn't know how much time had passed, but Bloodshot suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head and abruptly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was a dirty ceiling, followed by his own naked body. Bloodshot was stunned for a moment before suddenly sitting up.

"You're awake," a voice suddenly appeared in Bloodshot's mind, startling him.

"Who are you?"

"Tropke, Combat Bio-Armor Control Core. You can also call me the Core," the unfamiliar voice replied without any emotional fluctuation. "I thought you remembered me; this isn't the first time I've contacted you."

"What do you mean?" Bloodshot was slightly surprised but quickly reacted. "Could it… could it be that you are…"

"That's right, you should remember. I am the 'it' inside your body. I contacted you the first time you activated the bio-armor."

"So that's how it is…" Bloodshot took a deep breath, his expression much calmer. "Then what exactly happened? I remember you were just a fleshy tumor."

"That was my hibernation state. To ensure the survival of the main body under energy-deficient conditions, I had to enter this energy-saving state, reducing all energy-consuming activities. Therefore, I couldn't directly contact you for a long time. I could only rely on subconscious and physiological instincts to guide your behavior."

"You are a sentient being?"

"No, I can't be called a sentient being yet. I am just a control core. Although my behavior is very similar to what you perceive as sentient beings, I don't have initiative. In a sense, I am more like the old-era AI. Because you successfully activated me, you became my host," the Core said.

"As for what happened just now, it was based on the second priority sequence within the gene lock. I obtained a new unit and enough energy, so I changed the parasitism location. This location is between your midbrain prefrontal cortex and thalamus, before the pineal gland. It's the standard implantation location for all bio-armor control cores. Because the process caused your intense reaction and resistance consciousness, I had to secrete hormones to make you unconscious to ensure the transfer went smoothly."

"So, you can control me," Bloodshot narrowed his eyes, a strong sense of unease rising in his heart. If this so-called bio-armor was a lifeform with autonomous consciousness and could control his behavior, then what was he? A breeding ground for the bio-armor? Necessary nutrients?

No, that was absolutely unacceptable. If that were the case, Bloodshot would rather have never obtained it. He would remove it from his body, no matter the cost.

"You're overthinking it," the Core sensitively sensed Bloodshot's emotional changes and began to explain. "All my actions are performed under the premise of ensuring the host's safety. Host safety is the first priority sequence. I cannot harm you. In fact, I am just a tool, a tool for combat."

"I don't understand. All I know is that you were just an unconscious lump of flesh, but now you can talk to me directly. And then you tell me you're not a sentient being," Bloodshot took a deep breath, rubbed his numb face, got up, found a piece of clothing from the armored vehicle, and put it on. Reaching into the clothes, he surprisingly found a pack of cigarettes.

He took out a cigarette, lit it, and allowed the harmful gas to enter his lungs, feeling the slight numbing sensation from the nerve endings. He coughed violently. "Alright, now I have plenty of time. I think you can give me a comprehensive explanation. What exactly is your purpose, and what is the bio-armor?"

"Smoking is not good for your body; it's just behavioral dependence and slight anesthesia. If you need this anesthetic effect, I can stimulate your cerebral cortex at any time," the Core said calmly.

"Bio-armor, full name Enhanced Cell Proliferation Armor, is an exclusive combat weapon of the Krodel Combat Nation. Like the exoskeletons you already know, you can understand it as a type of armored armament. However, its main component is not mechanical, but enhanced cells. To cope with the harsh competitive environment and rapid technological updates, bio-armor was designed from the beginning to be highly adaptable, highly survivable, and capable of evolution, incorporating all biological genes for hunting, feeding, survival, and evolution.

Under permissible conditions, bio-armor can self-adjust according to the host's habits, which is called modulation. In an unactivated state, bio-armor is generally carried in a high-strength protein armor, which is the hexagonal container you saw. This part is called the 'unit.' Units are very strong and constantly maintain biological instincts for hunting and feeding. Only after activation will it attach to the host's body and survive on the host's nutrients. The protein armor will also change its shape at this stage and become the main component of the bio-armor."

"Unit… so, when I found you, what I saw was the unit?" Bloodshot asked, smoking silently, his eyes dazed.

"That's right. That was my unit. You're lucky to have found me first. If you had found another unit first, things might have been different."

"What would have happened?"

"It's hard to say. If the unit was in hibernation, you would only get a useless hard lump. If it was in the hunting stage, you would be hunted by the enhanced cells."

"Like what Black Bear encountered?"

"Yes. This is based on the bio-armor unit's survival instinct and cannot be changed. Only after being activated by me will it switch to a new survival mode. This is a necessary setting to protect the unit."

"Looks like I really am lucky," Bloodshot smiled wryly. "I accidentally obtained an armored armament. So, can you tell me what the Krodel Combat Nation is all about? And how strong is the bio-armor?"

"I'm sorry, I refuse to query information about the Krodel Combat Nation; your permissions are insufficient. As for the bio-armor information you are currently wearing, I can answer you immediately," the Core said calmly and quickly listed a series of items. "Because most of the bio-armor you are currently wearing are not original parts constructed from the unit, but substitutes that I have absorbed and transformed, the combat power is very low. The weapon system includes high-frequency blades on the fingertips and outer edges of the forearms, which can destroy ordinary alloys within fifteen centimeters. The action system only has a high-compression air pump in the feet as an auxiliary, and the improvement effect is negligible. The main armor is a hardened carapace mutated from the Starry Sky Beast's flesh, which can withstand direct impacts of less than five tons, and the protective ability is weak. Overall, your current bio-armor is only equivalent to the combat power of a low-level exoskeleton from the Seventh World, and may even be slightly inferior.

If you want to improve the bio-armor's capabilities, there are two channels. One is to obtain more biological energy and wait for the bio-armor to evolve on its own. The other way is to obtain more units and directly absorb and assimilate them."

"Looks like it's not that great," Bloodshot said mockingly.

"That's because my evolution level is very low. In fact, biological weapons are more advanced than mechanical weapons because organisms often have unimaginable abilities. An ant can lift more than a hundred times its body weight, which is proof. It's a pity that I can't get more materials in this low-level civilization," the Core still replied calmly, without any emotional changes due to Bloodshot's self-deprecation. As it said, it was more like a tool than a sentient being.

However, after its explanation, Bloodshot finally understood the general situation inside his body and was slightly relieved. He stubbed out the cigarette and got out of the armored vehicle. Just as he was about to end the conversation, he suddenly remembered something.

"By the way, I remember you just absorbed a unit. According to you, this is the real accessory of the bio-armor. So, can you tell me what it's used for?"

"That's my head unit," the Core quickly replied. "It can construct the head of the bio-armor. It was because I absorbed it that I was able to end hibernation and enter a normal state. I will now exist in the form of an auxiliary brain to provide you with assistance during combat."

Auxiliary brain?

Bloodshot was slightly stunned and then became excited.

This was good news. Ever since he fought Black Bear, he had been deeply impressed by the auxiliary brain of the exoskeleton. When he was completely at a disadvantage in speed, Black Bear was able to accurately attack him based on the auxiliary brain's predictions. This showed how important the existence of the auxiliary brain was. From a certain point of view, the auxiliary brain even had the power to change the battle situation.

Just like the famous Abrams tank in the old era, which was originally mediocre in terms of protection and firepower, it managed to occupy a place among the top tanks by virtue of its powerful information integration capabilities. This was the value of information integration. The auxiliary brain was equivalent to a second brain, doing the same job, and was even more powerful than the electronic systems of the old era.

"Looks good," Bloodshot smiled slightly and opened the door to the secret room. He immediately saw Colby's figure outside. This burly man was carefully guarding the door, looking very dutiful.

"Did you hear anything just now?" Bloodshot asked, glancing at him. He didn't want anyone to discover the secret of the unit.

"No, Master!" Colby replied loudly, his face resolute.

Bloodshot looked at him carefully for a while and didn't find anything abnormal in his expression. Only then did he nod in satisfaction and walk directly towards the exit.

"After we go out, contact the buyer and sell all the houses here. Then leave here with me. By the way, don't forget to go to Kovop to collect the payment for those two exoskeletons. Also, can you drive an armored vehicle?"

Colby was stunned, then puffed out his chest excitedly and replied loudly, "I won't forget, Master. Also, I can drive an armored vehicle! My skills are not bad."

Looking at his excited appearance, Bloodshot smiled, waved his hand, and left the secret room.

"I hope you are as good as you say because in this godforsaken apocalypse, I can't find a place to get a driver's license."