40: Chapter 40 The Iron Cradle 2

The air in the underground garage was thick with the heavy stench of blood and gunpowder smoke.

Commander Lin Dong leaned against a supporting pillar, his left hand pressing against the wound on his right arm, his eyes fixed intently on the garage entrance. Three minutes ago, the last prisoner had escaped his sight, but he had not ordered a pursuit.

"Company Commander, seven prisoners escaped," a raspy voice reported. It was Wang Lei Wang Lei, the squad leader of the Fourth Squad, Second Platoon. He had been a Sergeant at this military camp before the apocalypse. Now, his face was covered in blood and filth, and a large hole was torn in the fabric over his left shoulder blade, revealing skin sliced by shrapnel.

"I know." Commander Lin Dong didn't look back. "Our mission is to hold this position."

His gaze fell upon the giant truck twenty meters away—more accurately, the base vehicle that was currently deploying.

The twenty-two-meter-long chassis was currently opening up to both sides like a Transformer. Silver-gray alloy armor plates folded, extended, and locked together one by one with a dull mechanical roar. Sixteen hydraulic support legs extended from beneath the vehicle, digging deep into the concrete floor to evenly distribute its eighty-ton weight. Behind the driver's cab, a cylindrical structure was slowly rising, its surface glowing with dark red energy patterns—the cooling grilles of a small reactor.

[base vehicle Deployment Progress: 76%]

[Estimated Completion Time: 1 hour 24 minutes]

[Current Status: Light Damage (3 stray bullet hits on the left armor plate, does not affect core functions)]

A translucent blue panel floated quietly on Commander Lin Dong's retina. This was the second ability he had gained after awakening—the System Interface. The first was that base vehicle currently deploying.

"What the hell is this thing?" Wang Lei walked up to him, staring at the behemoth with shock he couldn't hide. "I've been in the army for twelve years, and I've never seen equipment like this."

"You'll find out later." Commander Lin Dong didn't explain. It wasn't a lack of trust; he hadn't fully figured it out himself. Three hours ago, when he was on the verge of losing consciousness, that mechanical voice in his head had left him with a lingering sense of unreality.

[S-Rank Talent Carrier Detected]

[Talent Type: red alert]

[Talent Description: Can summon a red alert base vehicle. Once deployed, it unlocks the red alert Tech Tree and allows production of red alert Units.]

[Consuming host's vitality to construct the base vehicle entity...]

[Estimated Consumption: 3 years of lifespan]

He had hardly hesitated at the time.

Three hours ago, when that Strength-type Esper punched through the door of the humvee, Commander Lin Dong knew that with just flesh and blood, he wouldn't survive the night. Trading three years of life for a chance to turn the tables—that was a bargain he knew how to calculate.

"Company Commander!" a young voice called out from the depths of the garage. It was Li Na, the female soldier he had rescued from the Communications Company. She ran over clutching her shoulder, her face frighteningly pale. A bullet had grazed her shoulder; though it was just a flesh wound, she had lost a lot of blood.

"Why are you up?" Commander Lin Dong frowned. "I told you to stay down."

"I couldn't stay down." Li Na bit her lip and handed him a roll of gauze. "Tend to your wound first. Sergeant Wang, go count the ammunition and see what's left. Xiao Zhang and Old Zhou, check on those students and don't let them wander off. Old Liu, guard the entrance and report any movement immediately."

She issued a string of orders in a tone that brooked no argument.

Commander Lin Dong glanced at her, said nothing, and took the gauze to begin bandaging. He knew what Li Na was doing—she was proving she was still useful and not a burden.

This girl was smarter than he had imagined.

As the gauze tightened against the wound, Commander Lin Dong didn't even flinch. His entire attention was on the flickering panel on his retina.

[Host Vital Signs Monitoring]

[Heart Rate: 82 bpm (Normal)]

[Blood Pressure: 115/75 mmHg (Low)]

[Blood Loss: Approx. 450ml (Mild Blood Loss)]

[Recommendation: Replenish fluids and salt, avoid strenuous exercise]

"Company Commander, what are you looking at?" Li Na keenly noticed that his eyes weren't focused correctly.

"Nothing." Commander Lin Dong retracted his gaze. "Tell me about your injury."

Li Na paused, then gave a bitter smile. "I'm fine, just a scrape. But you..."

"I'm asking about your data," Commander Lin Dong interrupted her.

"Data?"

"Have you noticed that when you look at people, you can see some numbers?"

Li Na's expression changed. She fell silent for a few seconds before lowering her voice. "You see them too?"

Commander Lin Dong nodded. This was his second confirmation—he wasn't the only one who could see this "Panel System." He had also seen the level and attributes of the leader of that prisoner gang. This meant that "datafication" wasn't his exclusive power, but some kind of... modification the apocalypse was performing on all survivors?

"I can see a box over your head," Li Na's voice trembled slightly. "It has your name, and... and 'Strength 12, Agility 14, Spirit 16, Constitution 13'. Below that it says 'Lv.6, Talent [Military Expert]'. What does that mean?"

Commander Lin Dong didn't answer, asking instead, "What about yourself?"

"Me?" Li Na shook her head. "I can't see my own."

"I can see yours." Commander Lin Dong stared at the top of her head, where the blue panel displayed:

[Name: Li Na]

[Level: Lv.3]

[Strength: 6, Agility: 8, Spirit: 9, Constitution: 7]

[Talent: ??? (Not Awakened)]

9 points in Spirit. This value was higher than he expected. A normal adult female's Spirit attribute was generally 5-6 points. Li Na's 9 points meant her perception of danger, observation of detail, and endurance under pressure far exceeded that of ordinary people.

"Your Spirit attribute is very high," Commander Lin Dong said. "That's a good thing. In the future, when you encounter danger, trust your intuition."

Li Na opened her mouth to ask more, but was interrupted by a startled cry.

"Company Commander! Look at that!"

It was Wang Lei's voice. Commander Lin Dong whipped his head around to see Wang Lei standing behind a military truck, pointing at a corpse on the ground—it was a prisoner who had been shot through the chest and was long dead.

But right now, that corpse was... glowing.

To be precise, a faint fluorescence was emanating from the head of the corpse. The light was very dim; if one didn't look closely in the dark underground garage, it would be impossible to notice.

Commander Lin Dong walked over quickly and crouched down. Near the corpse's temple, something was glowing under the skin. Through the flesh, he could vaguely see the outline of a crystal about the size of a fingernail.

He used his dagger to slice open the skin.

A grain-sized, pale red crystal rolled out, stained with blood and feeling slightly warm in his palm.

[Name: Primary Energy Crystal Core (Low Quality)]

[Source: F-Rank Human Mutant (Strength-type)]

[Energy Content: 12 Units]

[Usage: Can be absorbed by the base and converted into energy points, or used to strengthen units/individuals.]

[Note: This crystal core comes from a newly awakened Esper. Purity is low; recommended to use as soon as possible.]

Commander Lin Dong's pupils constricted slightly.

energy points. He finally knew where the "energy points" needed for the base's operation came from.

"Collect all the prisoners' bodies." He stood up, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible excitement. "Cut open their heads and look for these crystals."

"What?" Wang Lei looked at him in disbelief. "You mean..."

"This is energy." Commander Lin Dong gripped the crystal core in his hand. "This is our capital for survival."

For the next hour, the underground garage fell into an eerie silence.

Wang Lei took two soldiers to process the bodies, handing every crystal core they dug out to Commander Lin Dong in a cloth wrap. Out of eleven prisoner corpses, they found nine crystal cores—the two who hadn't awakened supernatural abilities had nothing in their heads.

Li Na was off to the side counting ammunition, her voice growing heavier:

"We have 253 rounds left for the type 95 rifles, 87 rounds for the pistols, and 3 grenades. Our equipment isn't enough to fight a proper battle."

Commander Lin Dong didn't speak, only staring at the base vehicle.

[Deployment Progress: 94%]

[95%]

[96%]

The mechanical roar grew louder, and the entire base vehicle began to vibrate slightly. The unfolded armor plates were reorganizing, forming walls, a roof, and corridors. At the front of the vehicle, a massive hatch was taking shape, marked with red lettering:

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

【 Red Alert Outpost Base 】

【 Model: MCV-01 】

【 Status: Deploying 】

【 98% 】

【 99% 】

【 100% 】

Boom— A dull, thunderous roar echoed, and all mechanical sounds ceased abruptly.

The underground garage plunged into a deathly silence, leaving only the sound of everyone breathing and the occasional distant roar of a Mutant.

Then, the lights came on.

The entire base vehicle suddenly lit up, with countless floodlights switching on simultaneously, illuminating the underground garage like daylight.

The cylindrical reactor cooling grate began to rotate slowly, emitting a low hum.

The hatch slid open to both sides, revealing the passageway inside.

【 Red Alert Outpost Base Deployment Complete 】

【 Welcome home, Commander 】

Commander Lin Dong took a deep breath and stepped toward the hatch.

Behind him, Wang Lei, Li Na, and the others exchanged glances before gritting their teeth and following him in.

The interior of the base was far larger than it appeared from the outside.

Passing through a short corridor, they entered a massive circular space with a diameter of at least fifty meters—this completely defied the laws of physics, because from the outside, it was impossible for this base vehicle to contain such a large space.

In the center of the space, a translucent holographic projection hovered, displaying the full view of the base and various data points:

【 Red Alert Outpost Base (Level 1) 】

【 Energy: Small Fusion Reactor (Output: 500kW) 】

【 Energy Point Reserves: 0 】

【 Resources: Ore 0, Oil 0, Rare Metals 0 】

【 Constructible Buildings: power plant (100 energy points), Barracks (200 energy points), Ore Refinery (300 energy points), Defensive Machine Gun Turret (50 energy points) 】

【 Current Status: Energy sufficient, operational 】

【 Notice: Available energy node detected nearby (Barracks power distribution room), connecting will increase base energy efficiency by 30% 】

Commander Lin Dong stared at the holographic projection, his brain working rapidly.

A power plant required 100 energy points, and a Barracks required 200.

He currently had 9 crystal cores, each capable of providing 10-15 energy points, totaling just over 100.

In other words, he could only choose between the power plant and the Barracks.

Which one to choose?

"Company Commander, what... what is this thing?" Wang Lei's voice was trembling. "This doesn't make scientific sense..."

"From now on, science will have to be redefined." Commander Lin Dong turned around, opened his palm to reveal the nine crystal cores, and said, "See these? Place them on that platform."

He pointed to a metal platform beneath the holographic projection, which had a groove perfectly sized for a crystal core.

Wang Lei swallowed hard, took the crystal cores, walked over, and placed them in one by one.

Each time he placed one, the number on the holographic projection jumped:

【 Energy Point + 12 】

【 Energy Point + 10 】

【 Energy Point + 15 】

...

After all nine were placed:

【 Current energy points: 118 】

Commander Lin Dong didn't hesitate to reach out and tap 【 power plant 】 on the holographic projection.

【 Confirm construction of power plant? Consumes 100 energy points, estimated construction time: 4 hours 】

【 Confirm 】

A countdown appeared on the holographic projection, and at the same time, the floor in the center of the base slowly split open, rising to reveal a complex mechanical structure that began to assemble automatically.

"From now on," Commander Lin Dong turned back to look at everyone, his gaze sweeping across every exhausted, terrified, yet hopeful face, "we have a home."

Li Na didn't wake up until two hours later.

She had a long dream, dreaming she was still in the duty room of the Communications Company.

Outside the window, she could hear the slogans of soldiers running on the training field, and her squad leader walked over with a cup of hot tea, smiling and saying: "Little Li, send this telegram and then go get some rest..."

Then, the scene shattered.

She opened her eyes to see an unfamiliar metal ceiling.

There was a strange smell in the air—like the metallic scent of welding, or perhaps the chemical odor of some kind of lubricating oil.

"Awake?"

Commander Lin Dong's voice came from nearby.

Li Na turned her head to see him sitting by the bed, slowly chewing on a piece of compressed biscuit.

"I..." Li Na tried to sit up but found her entire body weak.

"Don't move." Commander Lin Dong pressed down on her shoulder. "You lost 1500 milliliters of blood; by medical standards, that's severe blood loss. If it weren't for a Conscript whose blood type happened to match, you would be dead by now."

"A Conscript?" Li Na was stunned. "What is..."

Before she could finish, a figure appeared in the doorway.

It was a man wearing an unfamiliar military uniform—no, not a military uniform; the style was one she had never seen before.

It was grey-green fabric with a red five-pointed star emblem on the chest, but there was a pattern in the middle of the star she didn't recognize.

The man was tall with a dull expression, holding an enamel mug.

"Commander, hot water." The man placed the mug on the bedside table and then stood at attention and saluted.

His movements were as standard as a textbook, but there was a strange emptiness in his eyes.

"This is..." Li Na stared at the man.

Suddenly, she saw a panel above his head:

【 Unit: Conscript 】

【 ID: CN-001 】

【 Level: Lv.3 】

【 HP: 300 / 300 】

【 Equipment: ak-47 assault rifle / 4 magazines / 120 rounds, Type 67 wood-handled grenade x 2, Body Armor (Level III), Steel Helmet 】

【 Status: Normal 】

【 Loyalty: 100% (Absolute Obedience) 】

Li Na's mouth fell open.

"He walked out of that Barracks." Commander Lin Dong pointed outside—through a small window, Li Na saw that a silver-white building had appeared outside at some point.

It was shaped like a huge shipping container with antennas sticking up.

"Three hours ago, that thing was just a pile of parts. Now, it has produced five people."

"Produced?" Li Na's voice sharpened. "Are they human?"

"Yes, and no." Commander Lin Dong stood up and walked to the window.

"They have complete memories, combat skills, and a sense of obedience, but they have no past.

Their memories were implanted, and their lives were created.

They are... tools of war."

Li Na was silent for a long time.

"Then what about us?" she suddenly asked. "What are we?"

Commander Lin Dong turned back to look at her, his expression complex.

"We are survivors," he said. "Nothing more."

Just then, a harsh alarm sounded in the base.

On Commander Lin Dong's retina, a red warning box flashed frantically:

【 Warning: High-intensity energy fluctuation detected 15° East-Southeast 】

【 Distance: Approx. 9 km 】

【 Energy Level: Grade B 】

【 Analysis: The energy source may be a high-level Mutant or an unactivated special facility 】

【 Recommendation: Dispatch reconnaissance unit to investigate immediately 】

Commander Lin Dong narrowed his eyes.

Nine kilometers away was the location of the small iron mine previously indicated by the ore detector.

Now, there was a Grade B energy fluctuation?

"Li Na, you rest." He stood up and grabbed the type 95 rifle from the bedside table.

"Wang Lei, take two Conscripts and come with me."

"Company Commander, your injuries..." Li Na struggled to sit up.

"Minor injuries." Commander Lin Dong didn't look back.

"I'll be back within three hours.

If I don't return, initiate the base's self-destruct sequence, then take the others and head west, toward the mountains."

"Company Commander!"

Commander Lin Dong had already vanished outside the door.

Li Na lay back on the bed helplessly, staring at the ceiling as tears slid down silently.

She didn't know what Commander Lin Dong was going to face, but she knew that if this man didn't come back, she and everyone else here wouldn't survive three days.

The alarm outside the window was still sounding, each blare more urgent than the last, like some kind of ominous prophecy.

And in the night sky nine kilometers to the east, a flare slowly rose, trailing a long streak before bursting in the night sky—three long and two short.

It was the PLA's "request for support" signal.

【 End of Chapter 】