149: Lu Zhifei's determination

Looking at the two faces on the holographic screen that were both familiar and slightly strange, the excitement in Lu Zhifei's heart was like surging magma, almost swallowing her whole.

"Lin Fei and Meng Zi, they really came!"

This was not an illusion, nor was it a delusion caused by her long-term high-intensity work.

That gaze, that Aura, that iconic display of power—everything told her that her family was somewhere in this world.

And they were just as powerful!

After a brief moment of ecstasy, a deeper sense of anxiety and urgency coiled around her heart like a cold viper.

She knew the darkness of this world all too well.

The Saka Star Human Alliance seemed to be the last hope for humanity, but its interior had long been eroded by decay, greed, and something even more terrifying.

"Pseudo-humans."

This chilling term surfaced clearly in Lu Zhifei's mind.

Ever since she was invited into this secret research facility in Tianshu City to be responsible for analyzing the Star Core Divine Weapon known as the Dawn Morningstar, she had been exposed to too many secrets of the Alliance's upper echelons.

On the surface, they appeared righteous, pouring their hearts and blood into the survival of humanity.

But beneath those high-sounding slogans hid so many sordid deals, so many treacherous conspiracies, and... so many "humans" who were no longer human.

The terror of the Zerg lay not only in their endless numbers and formidable physical bodies, but also in their eerie and unpredictable infiltration and control abilities.

Some high-level Zerg could even replace a human Soul silently through some kind of mental spore or a more direct neural invasion, turning them into Zerg spies wearing human skin.

These controlled pseudo-humans retained their original memories, habits, and even emotions, but their core will had long been enslaved by the Zerg hive.

They lurked in every corner of human society, stealing intelligence, creating chaos, and even delivering a fatal blow to humanity at critical moments.

During the War of Fallen Heavens, several Star Core Divine Weapons were intercepted by the Zerg, and the shadows of these pseudo-humans were behind it.

And now, Lin Fei and Meng Zi had appeared in such a high-profile manner; their powerful strength would inevitably attract the attention of the Alliance's upper echelons and the pseudo-humans lurking within them.

Lu Zhifei dared not imagine what dangers Lin Fei and Meng Zi would face if they unknowingly came into contact with those sinister pseudo-humans.

She was even more afraid that her younger brother and sister would inadvertently become targets of those pseudo-humans, or even be controlled and replaced!

The mere thought of that possibility made her shudder, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

"No! I must reunite with them as soon as possible!"

"I must tell them the truth about this world!"

"I absolutely cannot let them fall into those despicable traps!"

Lu Zhifei abruptly stood up from the metal chair, her eyes filled with unprecedented determination and resolve.

Her gaze turned to the center of the laboratory, to the massive incubation tank wrapped in countless energy conduits and data streams.

Sleeping inside the incubation tank was the core of the Star Core Divine Weapon, the Dawn Morningstar—a mechanical arm shining with a silver-white metallic luster, full of futuristic technological aesthetics.

The Dawn Morningstar was originally a complete set of Star Spirit Power Armor, possessing world-destroying power.

But during the War of Fallen Heavens, it was severely damaged, leaving only this core arm, along with some energy cores and control modules.

Even as a wreck, the technology and power it contained far exceeded the current level of humanity.

For over two years, Lu Zhifei had ostensibly been analyzing the Divine Weapon for the Alliance, but secretly, she had been using the resources here to quietly conduct her own research.

What she wanted to do was not replication, but Fusion!

She wanted to turn this incomplete Divine Weapon into power that truly belonged to her!

"Since these guys in the Alliance cannot be relied upon, I can only rely on myself."

A trace of madness flashed in Lu Zhifei's eyes.

She knew all too well how heavily guarded this research facility was; thinking of leaving openly was nothing but a pipe dream.

The only way was to use absolute power to fight her way out!

Once this thought took root, it was like a wildfire that could no longer be contained.

She took a deep breath, trying to calm her emotions.

Now was not the time for impulse.

The Fusion of the Dawn Morningstar still needed a few final critical steps.

Moreover, she needed a handy tool to deal with potential emergencies.

Lu Zhifei walked to the laboratory console, her fingers dancing rapidly across the holographic keyboard.

On the screen, various complex energy circuit diagrams, mechanical structure blueprints, and Materials analysis data refreshed like a waterfall.

Her goal was to use existing Materials and some of the Divine Weapon's technology to forge a third arm for herself, without alerting the monitoring System.

This arm would serve as an aid for her to control the core arm of the Dawn Morningstar, and also act as her secret weapon when breaking out.

Just like that well-known superhero who hammered out his first suit of armor in a cave fraught with danger.

What Lu Zhifei had to do now was to forge the key to escape her cage right under the eyes of the Empire.

Time ticked away in tense and orderly research.

Lu Zhifei devoted almost all her energy to this secret plan, only perfunctorily tossing out some inconsequential data when she needed to submit "research progress reports" to the Alliance's upper echelons.

The lights in the laboratory never went out, day or night.

Caffeine and a highly focused mind made her forget her fatigue.

Whenever it was deep in the night and the cold surveillance cameras seemed slightly less vigilant, it was the golden time for her secret work.

She carefully dismantled discarded experimental equipment, extracting rare alloy Materials.

Using the laboratory's precision processing instruments, under the cover of the weak radiation from the Divine Weapon's core energy field, she quietly manufactured tiny parts one by one.

Her movements were precise and swift, like an experienced thief, achieving her goal step by step without leaving any traces.

Occasionally, she would stop, pull up the poster of Lin Fei and Lin Mengzi again, and look at their figures filled with power and confidence to cheer herself on.

"Soon... it will be soon..."

In Lu Zhifei's eyes, a light intertwined with wisdom and madness flickered.