34: Chapter 6 The End of the "Engineer"

The words of Barton, leader of the "Rust-Iron Gang", were like a boulder thrown into stagnant water, sending silent ripples through the dark sewage pipes.

Surrender? Oppose "The Cleaners", or even the Universal Group behind them?

This proposal was bold, insane, yet it held a hint of heart-pounding temptation in this desperate situation.

Ling Yue did not answer immediately. Her electronic eyes swept quickly over Barton and the gang members behind him, who, despite their primitive equipment, had fierce expressions, as if she were evaluating their strength and credibility. Lei Kun remained silent as a mountain, still tightly shielding Xiao Qi, but his gaze fell sharply on Barton, scrutinizing this suddenly appeared potential ally. Lin Feng tried to calm the dizziness caused by the sonic shock while using the "Source" System to collect as much data on the other party as possible.

>> Group Analysis: "Rust-Iron Gang". Numbers: ~20 Visible. Equipment: Primitive, Improvised. Combat Experience: High (Based on Scars and Stance). Motivation: Hatred for Corporations/Enforcers, Survival. Leader (Barton): Cunning, Pragmatic.

The equipment was primitive, but their combat experience was rich, and their motivation was clear—hatred for The Consortium and its lackeys, as well as the most fundamental need for survival. Leader Barton appeared rough and reckless, but was actually shrewd and pragmatic.

"Why?" Ling Yue finally spoke, her voice still tinged with caution. "Helping us is equivalent to challenging the Universal Group head-on; you might be completely wiped out."

Barton scoffed, tapping the side of the pipe with his massive hydraulic pliers, producing a dull sound. "Beauty, what do you think we are right now? Rats kept in a garbage dump? Pests that can be 'cleaned' at any time?"

He pointed to the corpse of "The Cleaners" on the ground. "The lackeys of that old dog Walker have been crossing the line more and more frequently in the last six months, stealing our supplies, killing our people! Do they really think we're made of mud?"

He spat, his eyes turning fierce. "I'm sick of hiding and dodging! Instead of being swept into the incinerator like trash one day, we might as well fight! You managed to kill an elite squad of "The Cleaners" here and made them go to such great lengths to hunt you down; you're definitely not ordinary people! Working with you is risky, but maybe we can bite a piece off the Universal Group and make life easier for the brothers in the future!"

His reasoning was direct and cruel, based on the most realistic logic of survival and long-standing grievances.

Ling Yue looked at Lei Kun and Lin Feng, exchanging opinions with her eyes.

Lei Kun nodded slightly. For a veteran who had wandered the gray zones for years, this kind of temporary alliance based on common enemies and interests was not unfamiliar; it was often more reliable than ethereal promises.

Lin Feng also whispered, "…Their hatred… doesn't seem fake. Besides, we need any help we can get right now."

Ling Yue took a deep breath and made her decision. She put away her energy rifle (but did not lower her guard) and looked at Barton. "Fine. A temporary partnership. We need medicine, a place to stay, and information about the situation outside. In return, we can provide some technical support and… help deal with Walker's men together."

"Straightforward!" Barton grinned, revealing teeth stained yellow by tobacco. "Follow me! This damn place is no good for talking business!"

Led by Barton, they traveled along even more complex and concealed abandoned maintenance tunnels, eventually entering the depths of The Nest controlled by the "Rust-Iron Gang"—a complex, labyrinthine lair converted from massive abandoned water storage tanks.

The air here was foul, but it was full of traces of life (albeit traces of struggling to survive). Everywhere one looked, there were modified weapons, drying clothes, and watchful, though not entirely hostile, gazes.

Barton settled them in a relatively clean compartment with simple medical equipment. An old man in the gang who seemed to know something about herbs and first aid was called over to re-treat Lei Kun's wounds (though the technique was rough, at least it was disinfected) and to check Lin Feng's injuries from the sonic shock.

Xiao Qi was carefully placed on a bed covered with a clean blanket. She was still unconscious, but her breathing seemed to have stabilized a bit.

After they settled down temporarily, Barton brought one piece of bad news and one piece of worse news.

"The bad news is that Walker is truly desperate." Barton took a swig of cheap liquor, his expression grave. "All major tunnels to the surface have been blocked by "The Cleaners", and they are searching house-to-house! They've even put a heavy bounty on your heads. The entire bottom level of The Nest is crazy right now; countless hyenas are sniffing around looking for you!"

"The worse news is," he lowered his voice, "my people heard rumors… Walker seems to have brought in 'big guys' from above… some kind of new tracking unit, said to be specifically targeted at 'special individuals'." His gaze swept meaningfully over Xiao Qi and Lin Feng.

The atmosphere became heavy once again.

"We must leave The Nest as soon as possible." Ling Yue said in a low voice. "The Engineer… previously mentioned an emergency contact point at the abandoned freight station on the outskirts of The Nest. There might be a way out there." She did not fully disclose the details of the "Observation Point" and "The Engineer".

"The freight station is also a key area right now." Barton scratched his beard. "But I know an old ventilation duct that almost no one remembers. It might lead nearby. But I need time to confirm."

Just then, the device Lin Feng had been using to try to connect to the external network suddenly received an extremely weak, intermittent, and multi-encrypted public broadcast signal. The signal source seemed to have suffered severe interference and damage.

>> Intercepted Broadcast Fragment... Source: Obsolete Public Emergency Band... Encryption: Failing...

>> Decoding... "...mage... at Obser...ry Point... total collapse... nown casualties... ived attack... suspect... iolent internal power struggle..."

The fragmented information was pieced together: […Observation Point… suffered… unknown attack… total collapse… casualties unknown… suspected… violent internal power struggle…]

The Observation Point was destroyed?! Suspected internal power struggle?!

Lin Feng looked up abruptly and told Ling Yue and Lei Kun about this information.

Ling Yue's face instantly turned pale! The Engineer's facility was destroyed? Internal power struggle? Could it be… that The Engineer had an accident? Or did he/she clear that location?

Lei Kun's brow was also tightly furrowed.

This information was like the last straw, crushing their already shaky trust and reliance on The Engineer. Their last possible retreat and source of intelligence seemed to have been cut off as well.

"We must rely on ourselves now." Ling Yue's tone carried a desperate determination. "Barton, how soon can that tunnel be confirmed?"

"Give me half a day!" Barton also realized the situation was critical. "I'll take my men to check it out myself!"

After Barton left, the compartment fell into an oppressive silence.

The Engineer's fate was unknown, the base was destroyed, powerful enemies were surrounding them, and the way out was slim. Immense pressure enveloped everyone.

Lin Feng felt a wave of exhaustion and confusion. He instinctively focused his mind, trying to find any useful information from the vast and chaotic data fragments of the "Source" System—any clues about a way out, about the enemy's weaknesses, about… The Engineer's true purpose.

>> Deep Scan: Corrupted Data Fragments (From "Engineer's" Server)... Reconstructing...

>> Keyword Search: "Contingency", "Escape", "True Purpose"...

Data fragments flickered and reorganized in his consciousness like stars. Most were still meaningless garbled code, but gradually, some repeatedly encrypted and deeply hidden core keywords began to emerge, forming strange connections and… **contradictions**… with the log about "Consciousness Transfer" and "vessel" that he had inadvertently cracked earlier!

>> Anomaly Detected: Data Inconsistency between "Legacy Project" stated goals (Purge/Reset Sky Curtain) and "Genesis" core protocols (Consciousness Transfer/Upload).

>> New Fragment Recovered: "...must perfect the vessel... biological and digital convergence... the 'Source' is the bridge, not The Key..."

>> Cross-Reference: "Engineer's" earlier statement about "using" your ability.

The "Source" is the bridge, not The Key? Biological and digital convergence? Perfect vessel?

These fragmented pieces of information seemed related to The Engineer's previously declared goal of "Purging Sky Curtain", as well as the "Consciousness Ascension" accused by Razor, yet there were subtle, unsettling differences!

It was as if… The Engineer had only told Ling Yue, Razor, and perhaps even him, a part of the "truth", while hiding the most core, most terrifying purpose!

Lin Feng felt a chill rise up his spine. He opened his eyes abruptly and looked at Ling Yue, his voice trembling slightly. "Ling Yue… The Engineer's words… cannot be fully trusted! The data I saw… his ultimate goal… might be… more complex and terrifying than 'Purging' or 'Ascension'!"

He quickly recounted the contradictory information and analysis he had pieced together.

As Ling Yue listened, her expression grew increasingly grim. She recalled The Engineer's consistent, detached indifference, as if everything was under control, that extreme pursuit of "efficiency" and "results", and that value system which viewed everything as a tool…

"…What exactly does he/she want to do?" Ling Yue's voice carried a hint of incredulous horror.

Just then!

A violent commotion suddenly erupted outside the compartment! Gunfire, explosions, and the angry roars and screams of the "Rust-Iron Gang" members suddenly rang out!

"Enemy attack!!!" One of Barton's subordinates rushed into the compartment, his face covered in blood. "It's "The Cleaners"! They found us! And there are many… many monsters I've never seen before!"

Almost simultaneously!

>> Extreme Threat Detected! Multiple High-Energy Signatures! Biological Readings: Erratic, Non-Human! Matching "Barton's" Description of New Units!

The "Source" System issued a top-level warning!

In Lin Feng's tactical vision, he saw several biological signals moving at astonishing speeds, emitting dangerous red light, rapidly breaking through the "Rust-Iron Gang"'s primitive defenses! Their energy signatures were extremely bizarre, nothing like humans at all!

Bang!!!

The metal wall of the compartment suddenly bulged inward and tore open! A twisted figure smashed its way in!

That was definitely not a "The Cleaners" soldier!

It roughly had a humanoid silhouette, but its entire body was covered in rough metal armor that looked as if it had been forcibly welded on. The exposed muscle tissue was an unnatural grayish-white, and it was constantly writhing and twisting! Its arms had been modified into huge rotating chainsaws and energy claws, and its head was a single-eyed sensor with no other sensory organs, only a constantly flashing red light! It emitted an inhuman noise, a mix of mechanical humming and biological roaring!

**Bio-modified entity!** The "big guys" Walker brought in!

And not just one! More holes appeared in the walls! The same monsters were pouring in!

"Open fire!" Ling Yue reacted extremely quickly, her energy rifle firing instantly! Lei Kun also shielded Xiao Qi behind him, drew the dagger Lin Feng had returned to him with his only remaining right hand, his eyes cold as iron!

The energy beam hit the leading modified entity, sparking a series of flashes, but it only made it stumble; that rough armor seemed to have considerable resistance to energy weapons!

"Roar!" The modified entity let out a roar and charged over, brandishing its chainsaw!

The narrow compartment instantly turned into a bloody slaughterhouse!