Chapter 45: Long-Distance Monitoring, Dimension Reduction Strike
The television had been taking up s.p.a.ce in storage ever since he brought it back from the ruins. It was gathering dust in a corner now that the update had destroyed the storage.
It was finally being put to good use after being transported from place to place.
With a lithium iron phosphate battery, the base could easily meet the needs of the giant television.
Su Mo had an idea after he hurried over to the storage room. He placed it in the storage s.p.a.ce and brought it over to the generator.
The giant television was placed squarely beside the battery.
As he steadied his gaze, an illusionary line of words appeared beside the television:
[32-inch color television (Excellent)]
Description: Technological products produced during unknown times were mainly composed of five parts: electric circuits, public access channels, sound channels, color decoding circuits, and color images. Each image on the screen is 25 frames per second, with 625 lines per frame.
Special Ability: When placed in a shelter and connected to electricity, it can monitor up to 1,000 meters of the shelter’s surrounding area with the ability to zoom in, zoom out, and switch perspectives.
First Upgrade Option: Modify the television’s material. Increase clarity, add sound, and construct your personal theatre. Survival points required (1550).
Second upgrade option: Modify the television’s material. Increase clarity, range of use for special ability, and chances to add a second piece of information (limited technology). Survival points required (6250).
Comment: You and I have no privacy in front of this television! (Righteous!)
After ignoring the fact that the television required a ma.s.sive amount of survival points to upgrade, Su Mo ensured it was not damaged before forcing himself to take deep breaths, suppressing the excitement in his heart.
As he hurriedly connected the television to the source of the battery’s power, Su Mo felt himself calm down as a million emotions flowed through him.
When he arrived at the wasteland, all he had wanted to do was be a good person and try his best to survive.
He had reared chickens, played with dogs, planted vegetables, and tried his best to manage a prospering shelter while he waited for his family to arrive so they could all settle down and make a life for themselves in this wasteland.
However, the more he wanted to separate himself from things, the more idiots came to try and destroy his life so that he would die.
“I’m just a normal person, a five-star citizen who received formal education back in my motherland. I still panic when powerful enemies arrive even if I’m pretending to be a decisive main character from those books.
“But you guys… aren’t letting me live! The only thing I can do is send you to your deaths!”
Woos.h.!.+
The giant television turned on automatically after being connected to power. It seemed that it had not been turned off properly the last time.
Buzz buzz buzz.
There was no signal to receive. Black and white lines flickered across the screen after it powered up.
Su Mo fiddled with the b.u.t.tons on the bottom for a while before he found the channel for special abilities, AC1 Channel.
After he pressed down on it and switched channels, illusionary waves frantically burst out from the rear cha.s.sis of the television, causing even the air to vibrate.
Buzz buzz buzz.
The television began violently shaking. When Su Mo noticed that the television was about to fly into the air, he hurriedly grabbed it to stop it from shaking even more violently.
Su Mo’s heart raced as he felt the vibrations coming from the television.
He was terrified that the thing might crack him open by accident!
Thankfully, the vibrations began slowing down around ten seconds later. The frequency of the television’s shaking also changed from a raging seven or eight times per second to a peaceful two or three times per second.
The black and white mess of lines also began changing.
A sunset appeared on the screen. Then, it began showing more and more things.
Puddles of acid rain left behind from the storm.
Pieces of shrubs that Su Mo had hacked into pieces.
Also… kobolds that were searching near the shrubs!
“Oh no! This thing doesn’t have a remote control and I can’t switch perspectives. It’s too restrictive.”
Su Mo frantically tried to change the scene using the b.u.t.tons on the bottom, but nothing happened even after a frenzy of b.u.t.ton pressing.
“I’ll have to go get a remote control from the trading panel now. F*ck, this thing is so unreliable.
“Huh? Trade?”
Su Mo seemed to have suddenly thought of something as he dashed over to the storage s.p.a.ce, digging out a flat panel.
Three adaptor wires that were red, yellow, and blue were connected to the back of the panel.
It was a mechanical controller Shen Ke had given him the last time they traded.
“Oh, Shen Ke, Shen Ke. You’ve been a ma.s.sive help to me!”
Su Mo held the controller excitedly as he plugged it into an opening on the television. He pressed down on the b.u.t.tons on the controller as the picture began s.h.i.+fting, and the image began moving.
It felt like he was playing a video game. As long as it was within one kilometer of the shelter, nothing could hide from the television’s surveillance.
He moved his vision over to the kobold army and zoomed in.
Su Mo could even see pieces of meat stuck to a Kobold Warrior’s teeth…
“One, two, three, four. There are four Kobold Warriors wielding spears…
“The ones with clubs are probably Kobold Mages, and there are only two of them. Looks like Kobold Mages are well-respected among the kobolds.”
Each Kobold Mage took two Kobold Warriors with them as they searched the ground carefully.
Judging from the look in their eyes, Su Mo knew his shelter had been exposed.
However, for some unknown reason, these kobolds had not chosen to force an attack on him. Instead, they ran over to the shrubs in search of something.
“Are they crazy?”
Su Mo began putting on his armor after confirming these fools were searching for something.
A ma.s.sive hole had been burnt into his raincoat. He finished putting on two layers of armor after spending ten survival points to repair it.
Su Mo grabbed his electric crossbow from the floor and adjusted the switch. After loading five crossbow arrows soaked by the acid rain, he held his crossbow and walked toward the second pa.s.sageway.
Oreo hurriedly followed him.
“Stupid kobolds. They might have evolved to function like humans, but they can’t move as quickly as a running adult. They’ll die for sure from this distance!”
Su Mo began planning his attack after he opened the shelter’s back door and let Oreo out.
The shrubs were on flat ground with nothing to hide behind. It was still light out, which made it pretty much impossible to launch an ambush.
Therefore…
“Oreo, you’ll barge in from the side later. Yes, from the left side. Use your barks to attract their attention and run so that they don’t get a chance to hit you. Do your best to put distance between you and them so you can create an opening for me to get near them.
“Don’t save me if I’m in danger. They run slow, and we can make a detour to hit them. Understand?”
Oreo had a focused expression on its face after noticing the solemn one on Su Mo’s face.
“Woof!”
Oreo understood everything and barked softly to indicate that it was ready.
“Alright, get ready to run. You’ll go over there first, and I’ll be behind you. Remember to distance yourself from them so you don’t give them a chance to attack. Be careful of the two holding clubs, they’ll fire the same kind of fireb.a.l.l.s that burnt you today!”
Oreo did not hesitate after that and immediately scuttled across the ground.
Oreo’s black and white body raced across the yellow soil.
The countless puddles did not have time to react before the dog was already miles away from them.
Huskies were medium-sized dogs, which meant they were small, st.u.r.dy, and tough. Their excellent capabilities shone through when they put on saddles and began the most primitive work tasks at medium speed over long distances.
Its body’s proportions and shape reflected the balance it had in strength, speed, and endurance.
As Su Mo watched Oreo continue das.h.i.+ng even after scuttling for over a hundred meters, he nodded and put his electric crossbow in his storage s.p.a.ce. Then, he bent down and began jogging across the hill.
This time, all the kobolds had to stay back!