38: Chapter 10 Workshop Rest and Reorganization

"Abyss Library... initial protocol fragments..." Lin Feng repeated these two ominous and unknown terms, feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders. The names alone brought to mind forgotten taboos and immeasurable risks.

"Detailed data and route planning have been transmitted to your terminals." The Engineer's voice returned to its previous absolute calm, as if that fleeting flicker of emotion from before had been a mere hallucination. "You have," he paused, seemingly calculating with precision, "six hours of respite. In six hours, the Workshop's stealth mode will enter its next cycle, and the external passages will become unstable again. You must leave before then."

As his voice trailed off, a wall on one side of the hall slid open silently, revealing a fully equipped medical room and a small equipment bay behind it.

"The medical room is available for use. You may take materials from the equipment bay as needed; access has been granted." Having said this, The Engineer's hovering wheelchair turned back to face the massive spherical terminal again. The Data Stream submerged him once more, as he clearly had no further intention of communicating with them.

The man of action, Lei Kun, immediately helped Ling Yue up and headed toward the medical room. Lin Feng followed close behind.

The equipment inside the medical room far exceeded Lin Feng's imagination. Automated surgical tables, tissue regenerators, and various precision diagnostic and treatment instruments he couldn't even name were all present. Lei Kun carefully settled Ling Yue onto the surgical table.

"I can do it myself..." Ling Yue struggled weakly to sit up, only to be gently restrained by the surgical table's automated straps.

"Don't move." Lei Kun held down her intact left shoulder, his tone brook no argument. "Now is not the time to be stubborn." Though he didn't understand this cutting-edge equipment, he still possessed basic battlefield first-aid skills and judgment.

Lin Feng looked at the complex instruments, somewhat at a loss for where to begin. >> Accessing Medical Systems Interface... He tried to concentrate. The power of "Origin" seemed to allow him to vaguely perceive how these devices operated and the state of Ling Yue's injuries. >> Suggest: Activate Automated Trauma Repair Sequence. Target: Right Shoulder Disarticulation, Severe Burns, Internal Tissue Damage.

Following the prompts from "Origin," he began operating the control panel. Light scanned Ling Yue's wounds, and robotic arms precisely began debridement, injecting nano-repair agents and stimulating tissue regeneration. Ling Yue clenched her teeth, fine beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead, but she didn't make a sound.

After treating the wounds, the most important task was the new mechanical arm. The three of them went to the equipment bay. This place was more like a miniature cutting-edge factory, with 3D printers, material synthesizers, and precision lathes running at low power.

"What kind of arm do you need?" Lin Feng asked, looking at the dazzling array of components and materials.

Ling Yue's gaze swept over the cold, glinting parts, her eyes regaining the focused light characteristic of a technician, momentarily overriding her pain and exhaustion. "High-strength composite skeleton, prioritize lightweighting and anti-interference... The power conduction lines need to be redesigned; they can't be as prone to overloading as before... The interface needs to be compatible with The Engineer's standards here, but I also need to keep my own expansion slots..." She rattled off a series of professional requirements in rapid succession.

Processing Specifications... Cross-Referencing Available Materials... Generating Design Proposals... Option 3: Titanium-Ceramic Composite, Redundant Neural Interface, Modular Energy Cell...

Lin Feng's "Origin" ability and Ling Yue's technical knowledge produced a marvelous synergy. He quickly screened materials and provided optimization plans based on Ling Yue's needs, while Ling Yue made the final decisions and detailed adjustments based on her experience. Meanwhile, Lei Kun used the Workshop's equipment to silently begin checking and upgrading his own gear—polishing his daggers, testing that old but perfectly maintained pulse pistol, and even reinforcing the joints of his combat suit with high-strength fibers he had found.

A few hours later, a new mechanical arm—shimmering in matte black with sleek, powerful lines—was installed onto Ling Yue's right shoulder. The new neural connection brought a sharp wave of numbness. She tried moving her fingers, then her wrist and elbow. Her movements quickly shifted from initial stiffness to fluid grace.

"It's much better... than the previous one," Ling Yue evaluated, a hint of irrepressible satisfaction in her voice. She clenched her fist, and miniature tool interfaces even popped out from her fingertips for testing.

Lin Feng also used this time, under Lei Kun's guidance, to find a basic shock-resistant undergarment to change into, and he selected a compact stun baton and several multi-function tool modules to clip onto his belt. >> Optimizing Equipment Layout for Stealth and Mobility... The power of "Origin" even helped him fine-tune the placement of his gear to maximize operational efficiency.

Finally, the three of them gathered before the main console provided by The Engineer and pulled up the data on the "Abyss Library."

The holographic projection lit up, revealing a complex structural diagram of an area located in the deepest foundations of the city, nearly forgotten. It didn't look like a Library; it was more like a massive, multi-layered underground hive or server cluster. The structure was ancient and bizarre, a mix of long-abandoned, rugged industrial styles and some incomprehensible alien technology.

Analyzing Structure... Multiple Security Layers Detected: Physical (Pressure Plates, Reinforced Bulkheads), Energy (Phase-shifting Barriers, Low-Frequency Deterrents), Digital (Obsolete but Vicious ICE, Autonomous Guardian Systems). Optimal Infiltration Path Calculated (Based on Provided Data). Success Probability: 17.4%. Margin of Error: High.

The success rate provided by "Origin" was despairingly low, and the path was riddled with red danger markers.

"The entrance is here," Lei Kun said, his thick finger pointing to a hidden ventilation duct entrance on the hologram. The energy reaction marked there was relatively weak, but the physical structure was extremely narrow. "We need the person with the smallest build to infiltrate first and open the emergency passage from the inside." His gaze fell upon Lin Feng.

"The internal passages are filled with old-fashioned motion sensors and pressure-sensitive floors," Ling Yue added. Her new mechanical fingertips traced a complex internal route, pulling up sensor types and potential blind spots. "I can try to remotely jam them, but it will take time and might trigger backup systems. We need someone at the key nodes to perform physical bypasses or guidance."

Her gaze also turned toward Lin Feng. His "Origin" ability was undoubtedly the best choice for such delicate internal operations.

Lin Feng felt immense pressure, but he also knew this was the only option. He took a deep breath and nodded. "I can try."

"I'll hold the entrance and this main extraction route." Lei Kun tapped several strategic points on the map, his tone steady. "I'll handle any unexpected situations, whether they come from inside or follow us from outside."

A preliminary plan was set, though it remained full of holes and the future was uncertain.

The six-hour limit was approaching.

The soft lighting within the Workshop began to flicker slightly, signaling that the stealth cycle was about to end.

The Engineer's hovering wheelchair slid silently toward them. He tossed Lin Feng three metal chips the size of a fingernail, similar to the previous token but thinner.

"Communicators. Short-range, encrypted, and highly resistant to interference. Once you enter the depths of the Library, conventional communications will fail. These are the only things that will keep you in contact."

Finally, he looked at Lin Feng, the Data Stream in his electronic eyes settling down.

"Remember, what you are looking for is not a book or a data chip. The 'initial protocol' fragments may exist in any form—a fluctuation of energy, a structural anomaly, or even an... 'Echo.' Use your 'Origin' to feel for it, rather than using your eyes to look."

Having said that, he ignored the three of them and slid into the depths of the Workshop, vanishing into the shadows.

The metal door leading to the outside world slid open silently once more. Outside lay the familiar and dangerous darkness and foul air of The Nest.

A new journey was about to begin. This time, they were no longer lone wolves fleeing for their lives, but a preliminary, yet still fragile, unit, actively walking toward the unknown known as the "Abyss."