26: Chapter 6 The Blade of Choice

The coordinates in Lei Kun's distress signal were like a red-hot branding iron, searing into the retinas of Lin Feng and Ling Yue.

"Silent Plaza." The ulcerous core of The Nest, a lawless land within a lawless land. It was synonymous with madness, chaos, and violence; even the most ferocious mercenary groups and "The Cleaners" were often unwilling to tread there lightly. Yet at this very moment, Lei Kun, accompanied by the highly unstable "The Key" Xiao Qi, was trapped there, crying out for help!

On one side was "The Engineer's" cold and rational evacuation order, aimed at preserving these two "valuable" assets to continue the original plan. On the other side was the desperate plea from a comrade-in-arms they had just fought alongside, someone burdened by a heavy past, along with an incredibly fragile "The Key" whose fate might determine the success of the entire "project legacy."

A rare, intense struggle appeared on Ling Yue's face. The Data Stream in her cybernetic eyes flickered wildly, and her left hand clenched and unclenched unconsciously. Logic told her that "The Engineer's" judgment was usually the optimal solution and that risking a trip to "Silent Plaza" had an extremely low success rate, likely dragging both her and Lin Feng down with it. Yet something deeper—perhaps the vibration caused by Lei Kun's call of "Xiao Qi," or perhaps the way "The Engineer" treated Lei Kun as a mere pawn, striking a nerve—prevented her from immediately making that "correct" yet cold-blooded decision.

Lin Feng stared at the short line of distress coordinates on the screen, as if he could see past the cold text to the image of Lei Kun's mountain-like figure shielding Xiao Qi desperately under enemy siege, and see Xiao Qi's purple eyes filled with fear and pain. He remembered the dagger Lei Kun had handed him, and the silent yet resolute back of the veteran as he departed.

"We're going." Lin Feng's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable resolve that broke the suffocating silence. He looked up at Ling Yue. "We cannot leave them behind."

Ling Yue looked at him sharply; the Data Stream in her cybernetic eyes gradually calmed, replaced by a complex, scrutinizing gaze. She watched the flame of unquestionable resolve in Lin Feng's eyes—something entirely different from the cost-benefit calculation mindset she was familiar with.

A few seconds of silence felt as long as a century.

Finally, Ling Yue took a deep breath, as if having made a decision. The last trace of hesitation faded from her eyes, and they became sharp and decisive once more. "...Damn it." She cursed under her breath, unsure if she was cursing this damn situation or her own irrational decision.

She began operating her device rapidly, no longer checking the alpha route but frantically searching for the fastest path to "Silent Plaza" and a real-time chaos map of the area.

"Let's go!" Without another word, she took the lead and charged in the exact opposite direction of the alpha route.

Lin Feng felt relieved and immediately followed. The two no longer attempted to hide; instead, they pushed their speed to the limit, sprinting through the intricate lower-level passages. Ling Yue's mechanical eyes constantly planned the optimal route, avoiding known danger zones and potential blockade points.

The closer they got to the "Silent Plaza" area, the more chaotic and dilapidated the environment became. The graffiti on the walls became more manic, and the air was thick with the stench of cheap alcohol, drugs, and blood. More residents with numb or frantic expressions and dangerous cybernetic modifications began to appear, casting malicious or indifferent gazes at the two as they sped past.

>> Entering "Silent Square" Perimeter. Local Anarchy Level: Extreme. >> Warning: Multiple Low-Level Threats Detected (Armed Scavengers, Gang Members, Unstable Cyborgs).

The ability's warnings kept sounding, signaling the extreme danger of the surrounding environment.

Finally, they rushed out of a low archway, and the scene before them opened up—but it also made one's scalp tingle instantly.

The so-called "Silent Plaza" was actually a massive, long-abandoned circular sunken transport hub. Now, it was filled with dilapidated shacks, tents, discarded vehicles, and twisted metal sculptures, forming a chaotic, gigantic slum. The space above the plaza was covered in a messy web of self-rigged power lines, like a spiderweb, hung with tattered flags and unidentified objects. The air was filled with deafening noise—hawking, shouting, the roar of cheap audio equipment, and the occasional sound of gunfire and explosions!

It was not "silent" at all; rather, it was like a boiling pot filled with malice.

In the center of the plaza, that towering, long-defunct, rusted early "Sky Curtain" signal tower stood like a silent giant, coldly overlooking the madness below.

The coordinates provided by Lei Kun were in an area near the base of the signal tower!

"Stay close! Don't get separated!" Ling Yue roared, her voice almost drowned out by the surrounding noise. She drew her energy pistol, and her new mechanical arm entered combat mode, emitting a dangerous hum.

The two moved like fish swimming against the current, struggling to squeeze through the chaotic crowd. Dangerous gazes were everywhere; from time to time, people tried to approach or block them, but most backed away dejectedly after seeing Ling Yue's murderous mechanical arm and energy muzzle. However, there were too many desperate outlaws here, and danger lurked everywhere.

>> Gunshot: North-East, 50m. Explosion: South-West, 70m. Biological Signatures: Erratic and Aggressive.

The ability's warnings had almost become background noise.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the crowd ahead. Several people wearing uniform black jackets with wolf-head tattoos pushed through the crowd and walked straight toward them! It was the "Hellhound Mercenary Group"! They had actually managed to track them here!

"Target spotted! Grab them!" The leader of the small squad grinned and raised his weapon!

"Endless trouble!" Ling Yue cursed angrily and fired without hesitation!

Bang! Bang! The energy beams accurately took down the two people rushing in front!

The battle erupted instantly! The crowd in the plaza not only didn't panic and scatter, but seemed to have had their ferocity ignited, letting out excited howls. Some even took the opportunity to fire at both sides, and the situation spiraled completely out of control!

Lin Feng also drew the dagger Lei Kun had given him, but he knew well that the utility of cold weapons in such a melee was limited. He focused desperately, trying to use the "Source" System to interfere with the enemies' weapons or find exploitable factors in the environment.

>> Analyzing... Exposed Power Line (Live) above "Hellhound" positions. Structural Weakness: Overloaded Transformer nearby.

A live, exposed power line was right above the "Hellhound" personnel! There was also an overloaded transformer nearby!

"Ling Yue! Hit the transformer above their heads! The red one!" Lin Feng shouted.

Ling Yue understood instantly. She raised her mechanical arm and aimed her energy pistol—whoosh! Bang!

The transformer was hit and suddenly exploded into a massive, dazzling burst of electric sparks! The crackling electric arcs lashed down like whips, landing right in the middle of those "Hellhound" mercenaries!

"Ah—!" Screams rang out immediately; several mercenaries were struck by the high-voltage electricity, collapsing to the ground as their bodies convulsed!

The chaos intensified temporarily, but it also bought them time!

"Go!" Ling Yue seized the opportunity, pulled Lin Feng through the brief opening, and charged toward the base of the signal tower!

The closer they got to the signal tower base, the denser the surrounding shacks became, and the terrain grew more complex. The gunfire and shouting seemed to have been left behind, but a more eerie silence began to shroud the surroundings. The people here seemed more vigilant and xenophobic, and the gazes hidden in the shadows were filled with cold scrutiny.

According to the coordinates, they finally found an entrance—a heavy metal door disguised as a giant cable reel. There were no markings on the door, only an inconspicuous fingerprint scanner.

Ling Yue tried placing her fingerprint on it—invalid. She then tried entering the emergency code provided by "The Engineer"—still invalid!

The door didn't budge!

"Damn it! Insufficient clearance! Or Lei Kun changed the identification code!" Ling Yue anxiously tried various methods.

Just then, Lin Feng suddenly felt an extremely weak but familiar frequency of mental fluctuation coming from inside the door—it was Xiao Qi! She was trying to communicate! But the fluctuation was extremely chaotic and weak, filled with pain and fear, as if she were being suppressed by something!

>> Psionic Signal Detected: Distress. Pattern: "Help... Inside... Bad Men... Lots..."

"Xiao Qi is inside! She's very scared! There are many bad people inside!" Lin Feng said urgently.

"We have to get in!" Ling Yue's eyes hardened. She clenched her mechanical arm into a fist, energy began to gather, and she prepared to force the door open!

At this critical moment—click. With a soft sound, the heavy metal door actually opened inward on its own, revealing a crack!

An old caretaker wearing oil-stained work clothes, with graying hair and a hunched back, poked half his face out from the crack in the door. His eyes were cloudy, and his face was covered in wrinkles, looking just like an ordinary, terrified old resident of The Nest.

He looked tremblingly at the murderous Ling Yue and Lin Feng outside the door, his voice hoarse and fearful: "You... you... are you friends of Mr. Lei? Quick... come in! They... they can't hold on much longer!"

He cleared the path. Behind the door was a downward-sloping, dimly lit passage, from which the sounds of intense gunfire and explosions could vaguely be heard coming from deep within!

The situation was critical! There was no time to think! Ling Yue and Lin Feng immediately turned sideways and slipped inside! The old caretaker quickly closed the door.

The moment the bolt fell, out of the corner of his eye, Lin Feng seemed to catch a glimpse of an extremely eerie, cold glint in the old caretaker's cloudy eyes—a glint completely inconsistent with his feigned fear—on his lowered face.

>> Warning: Facial Micro-Expression Anomaly Detected. Inconsistency with Stated Emotional State.

The ability's warning flashed by! But it was already too late! Bang! Bang! Bang! The walls in front, behind, to the left, and to the right of the passage suddenly flipped open, revealing rows of pitch-black gun barrels behind them! Intense searchlights instantly engulfed the two!

A cold, triumphant, electronically synthesized laugh came from the broadcast speakers above the passage: "Welcome, 'The Engineer's' lackeys." "And... our precious 'The Key'." "This hunt... should come to an end."