22: Chapter 2 Skull Crushing Clinic

Lei Kun's silhouette vanished completely into the darkness on the west side of the freight tunnel, as if silently swallowed by a giant beast. All that remained were the hollow echoes on the tracks and the cold touch of the military dagger in Lin Feng's hand.

An indescribable sense of isolation quietly enveloped Lin Feng. Although Ling Yue stood right beside him, her entire attention was currently focused on the new mission issued by "The Engineer." Her brows were furrowed, and her new mechanical fingers were unconsciously tapping the air, seemingly simulating some kind of operational procedure. The slight rapport built from having just experienced life and death together seemed to become subtle and distant again after "The Engineer's" cold instructions and Lei Kun's departure.

"Let's go." Ling Yue finally snapped out of her contemplation. Her voice returned to its usual coldness, though it held a hint of imperceptible urgency. "The 'Skull-Cracker' clinic isn't far from here, but the path is difficult. Stick close to me, don't look around, and definitely don't touch anything."

She identified the direction and chose an inconspicuous, narrow side path beside the tunnel that hung a damaged "No Entry" sign, ducking inside. Lin Feng took a deep breath, gripped his dagger tighter, and followed closely behind.

The side path was even darker and damper. The ground was piled with trash and unidentified slime, while the walls were covered in even more bizarre and abstract graffiti. The air began to mix with the smell of disinfectant, decaying organic matter, and a faint, cloying scent with a metallic tang—the distinct odor produced by a mass of cybernetic modifications and low-quality energy rods, signaling that they were approaching the lawless underground medical black markets in The Nest.

Ling Yue seemed familiar with this place; she skillfully avoided some hidden sensors and hanging traps, moving with swift steps. Lin Feng struggled to keep up while vigilantly observing his surroundings. Occasionally, figures wearing hoodies that obscured their faces, their bodies flickering with the light of illegal cybernetics, brushed past them. The gazes they cast were numb and wary, like hyenas exchanging hunting information in the dark.

">> Environmental Threat Assessment: Elevated. Multiple Illegal Cybernetic Implants Detected. Hostile Intent Probability: Moderate." The ability's warning constantly signaled the danger surrounding them.

After winding through many turns, a slightly more open area appeared ahead. A massive, abandoned public transport hub was now occupied by various illegal structures and shanties, forming a chaotic marketplace. In the deepest part of the market, a building that looked like a converted old bank vault stood out prominently.

It had no windows, and its walls were reinforced alloy plates covered in mottled stains and bullet marks. The only entrance was a heavy blast door that looked capable of withstanding a rocket-propelled grenade. There was no sign on the door, only a pattern roughly spray-painted in fluorescent paint—a skull pierced by a screwdriver, with eerie red light still flickering in the skull's eye sockets. The "Skull-Cracker" clinic. It lived up to its name.

Standing or squatting at the clinic entrance were a few individuals with even more exaggerated appearances and high degrees of cybernetic modification. The exposed conduits on their bodies flickered with dangerous light, and their modified eyeballs scanned everyone approaching with indifference. The air was thick with a palpable sense of threat.

Ling Yue didn't stop, walking straight toward the clinic door. A burly man, nearly two meters tall, with over seventy percent of his body covered in metal and a small multi-barreled rotary cannon slung over his shoulder, stepped forward to block their path. He emitted a dull, electronically synthesized voice: "Medical treatment? Appointment?"

Ling Yue raised her new mechanical hand, spreading her five fingers. A complex interface in her palm glowed faintly with blue light as she recited a string of alphanumeric code: "Referred by 'The Engineer.' Picking up goods. Manifest code: X7-Ω."

The burly man's electronic eye flickered a few times, seemingly verifying the code. A few seconds later, he stepped aside and said dully: "Doctor Qiao is downstairs. You know the rules, right?"

"Rest assured, it's not my first time." Ling Yue replied coldly, pushing open the heavy blast door.

Behind the door was a downward-leading, dimly lit staircase. The strong stench of disinfectant and blood rushed to meet them, mixed with the hissing sound of some high-frequency laser cutting metal and faint, painful groans. The walls of the staircase were hung with various gruesome holographic photos displaying failed modification cases, like some kind of perverse warning.

Walking down the stairs, the real "clinic" appeared before them. It looked more like a combination of a bloody mechanical slaughterhouse and a cutting-edge laboratory. Various modification surgeries were underway on several open operating tables; welding sparks flashed, and blood splattered. The "doctors," wearing white coats stained with blood and machine oil, worked with brutal efficiency. Beside them were piles of various cybernetic parts, energy batteries, and biological tissues soaking in formalin. Cold instruments and hot blood formed the main theme of this place.

Lin Feng felt a wave of nausea and forced himself to look away. Ling Yue, however, was accustomed to this. She walked straight toward an independent operating room separated by bulletproof glass at the very back. Inside the room, a short, fat, bald man wearing exaggerated magnifying electronic goggles and a leather apron was standing on a small stool, focused on drilling a hole into a patient's skull with a buzzing bone saw, sending sparks and bone fragments flying everywhere.

He was the owner of the "Skull-Cracker" clinic, Doctor Qiao. Ling Yue didn't disturb him, simply standing with her arms crossed, waiting quietly. Lin Feng stood behind her, feeling every second drag on endlessly.

A few minutes later, Doctor Qiao finished the operation, implanted a shimmering chip into the exposed cerebral cortex, and then casually patted the patient's face (the latter showed no reaction, clearly in a state of deep anesthesia or coma). "Alright, next! Dammit, I'm still short of this month's KPI..."

He hopped off the small stool, grumbling, and only then noticed Ling Yue and Lin Feng outside the glass. His eyes, appearing huge through the magnifying lenses, swept over Ling Yue's new mechanical arm and Lin Feng, revealing a mouthful of rotten teeth stained yellow by nicotine. He laughed, his voice sharp and grating: "Yo! Isn't this our little Yue Yue? What's wrong, broke yourself again? Your taste is pretty good this time, bringing such a 'factory-original' handsome guy? Planning to add some 'stuff' to him?"

His gaze swept over Lin Feng like he was evaluating merchandise, making Lin Feng extremely uncomfortable. "Cut the crap, Qiao." Ling Yue's tone was cold and unceremonious. "The things 'The Engineer' wants: the 'Neural Interaction Calibrator' and the 'Vulcan-7' battery. I need them now."

Doctor Qiao pursed his lips, seemingly dissatisfied with Ling Yue's directness, but he still rubbed his hands together and walked toward a massive, blood-stained, and scratch-covered freezer. "You always have to give face to 'The Engineer'... but, little Yue Yue, you know how it is, the wind is blowing tight lately, good goods are hard to get. Especially the 'Vulcan-7'; those lackeys from the energy companies are checking strictly. As for the price..."

He began to chatter incessantly, complaining and hinting at a price hike. Ling Yue didn't take the bait, just watching him coldly. Doctor Qiao, finding himself ignored, muttered and opened the freezer, extracting from a pile of cold cybernetics and biological organs a metal headband that looked covered in electrodes and a heavy battery about the size of a palm, flickering with a dangerous blue light.

"Here, the latest 'Mind Weaver' calibrator, comes with anti-interference filtering! 'Vulcan-7', fully charged, still hot!" He placed both items on a nearby metal tray, rubbing his fingers together—the meaning was obvious. Ling Yue swiped her device across a card reader, completing a transfer of a significant amount.

Seeing the payment confirmation, Doctor Qiao beamed with delight. Just as he was about to push the items over, his gaze fell upon Ling Yue's old spare mechanical arm, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his small eyes. "Oh my, little Yue Yue, you're just making do with this archaic piece of junk? How could that possibly be worthy of 'The Engineer's' grand plans? Look at this interface wear—you're losing at least fifteen percent in energy transmission efficiency! I just received a batch of military-grade kinetic arms custom-made for the 'Hellhound Mercenary Group,' complete with a micro-shield generator and..."

"Not interested." Ling Yue cut him off, reaching for the items on the tray. Just then—BOOM!!! A massive explosion erupted from the upper level of the clinic! The entire underground space shook violently, dust and debris raining down! The lights on the ceiling flickered frantically!

Immediately following were the sounds of intense energy weapon crossfire and panicked screams and curses! "Fuck! Who the hell dares to run wild on my turf?!" Doctor Qiao, both shocked and furious, grabbed a large-caliber modified pistol he kept at hand.

Almost simultaneously, Ling Yue's device and an alarm on her temporary mechanical arm shrieked! ">> Alert: 'Razor' Signature Detected! Energy Weapon Discharge Confirmed! Breaching Top Floor!" ">> Official Channel Broadcast: Security Forces Engaging Hostiles at This Location!"

"Razor"! He had broken free! And he had brought the official security forces with him! He was coming straight for them! "Dammit! They're coming for you two!" Doctor Qiao realized instantly, cursing at Ling Yue and Lin Feng. "Get out! Get the hell out! Don't leave your trouble here!"

While cursing, he scrambled frantically to stuff some valuables into a hidden safe. Ling Yue's face turned livid. She grabbed the calibrator and battery from the tray, shoved them into her backpack, and roared at Lin Feng: "Go the other way! Emergency exit!"

She slammed open a door on the other side of the operating room that was disguised as a wall, revealing a narrow passage piled with debris. The sounds of explosions and gunfire grew closer, and they could even hear heavy footsteps rapidly approaching the staircase!

The two ran desperately through the passage filled with discarded medical equipment and biological waste, with Doctor Qiao's furious cursing and even more intense crossfire echoing behind them. At the end of the passage was a rusted iron door. Ling Yue tried to force it open with her mechanical hand, but the hinges seemed rusted shut!

"Move!" Lin Feng stepped forward, inserted the dagger Lei Kun gave him into the door gap, and pried with all his might! Creeeak—BANG! The door was pried open with a slam! Outside were the even darker and more complex alleys of the bottom level of The Nest!

The two had just rushed out the door when they heard a massive explosion and Doctor Qiao's scream from the passage behind them; it seemed his clinic ultimately couldn't withstand the attack. They didn't dare to stop, running frantically along the alley, trying to get away from this place of trouble.

However, just as they rounded a corner, at the end of the alley ahead, a tall figure clad in damaged but still lethal tactical gear walked out slowly like a ghost. In his hand, a slender energy blade emitted a low, deadly hum, completely blocking their path.

It was "Razor"! He had managed to get ahead so quickly! Lin Feng and Ling Yue abruptly stopped, their hearts sinking to the bottom. With pursuers (official forces) behind and a mortal enemy ahead, they were trapped in this narrow alley!

"Razor's" faceplate reflected cold light in the dim surroundings. He didn't seem in a hurry to attack, merely observing the two trapped souls with a cat-and-mouse gaze, his energy blade slightly raised, pointing at them. A desperate situation!

Lin Feng gripped his dagger tightly, and Ling Yue's mechanical hand emitted a humming sound as it charged, but the gap in their strength was insurmountable! Just at this critical moment—

"Over here!" A very low, slightly youthful, yet strangely ethereal female voice suddenly came from a highly concealed drain opening on the side, covered by a tattered canvas! Immediately after, the canvas was lifted by a pale, slender hand, revealing a pair of eyes flickering with a faint purple glow in the darkness, filled with urgency. "Hurry in! They're about to search over here!"