154: The Trap of Telepathy

In this silent, abandoned outpost, Lu Zhifei began her tense yet orderly work.

She quickly scanned every corner of the base, assessing its defensive potential and usable resources.

"The core command room structure is intact, the underground power lines can still be repaired, and although the outer alloy walls are damaged in many places, the foundation is solid and can serve as a basic defensive framework..." she muttered to herself, quickly constructing a blueprint for the base's renovation in her mind.

Once a Genius scientist, now a Star-Dome Armored Mechanic, she viewed this abandoned base as an unpolished gem.

She intended to use her wisdom and power here to build a stronghold that could serve as a temporary refuge while also functioning as a lethal trap.

The "Dawn Morningstar" on her right arm shimmered with light, transforming into various forms under her will.

Sometimes it became a high-precision energy welding torch, repairing damaged circuits and alloy plates;

sometimes it turned into nimble mechanical tentacles, dismantling usable parts from abandoned vehicles;

sometimes it condensed into a miniature drill, digging into the rock layers to set up hidden sensors and vibration traps.

Her third arm was not idle either; like the most taciturn assistant, it aided in various complex operations while monitoring for any movement in the surroundings.

Utilizing the wreckage of the base's surviving communication equipment, combined with the powerful computing and signal analysis capabilities granted by her Divine Weapon arm, she successfully built a simple information receiving terminal.

She cautiously connected to the vast and chaotic public information network of the Saka Star Human Alliance, like a phantom hacker, searching through the ocean of data for any clues useful to her.

Soon, a news brief marked as an "Important Announcement" by the Alliance officials caught her attention.

On the screen, General Chris was announcing the highest-level wanted order for the "traitor Lu Zhifei" with a look of "heartbroken grief," and had "honoredly invited" two newly promoted Alliance heroes—the "Thunder Dominator" Lin Fei and the "Undead Goddess" Lin Mengzi—to personally lead the team to execute this pursuit mission.

Immediately after, the screen switched to a short interview with Lin Fei and Lin Mengzi before their departure.

Lin Fei still maintained that slightly roguish air, yet he was someone no one dared to underestimate.

Facing the camera, he curled the corner of his mouth into a meaningful smile and said slowly:

"Traitors deserve to pay the price. We will execute the Alliance's orders. We will find her, and we must bring her back... to the place where she belongs."

That was the sentence!

When Lu Zhifei heard this slightly vague, yet deeply meaningful sentence in this specific context, her heart skipped a beat!

If it were someone who didn't know Lin Fei, they might think this was just tough talk for the cameras, intended to capture the "traitor" and drag her back to Tianchu City for judgment.

But Lu Zhifei knew her younger brother too well!

He was never the type to obediently follow orders and risk his life for the so-called "Alliance interests."

Furthermore, the flash of cunning and worry deep in his eyes as he looked at the camera could not deceive her!

Combined with the "Undead Goddess" Lin Mengzi's cold, aloof expression from beginning to end...

A clear deduction instantly formed in Lu Zhifei's mind—playing along to win!

Xiao Fei and Meng Zi, they definitely recognized her!

They didn't take this mission to capture her, but rather to escape the surveillance of the Alliance high command and find an opportunity to safely rendezvous with her!

And that phrase in Lin Fei's words, "the place where she belongs," definitely did not refer to the prison in Tianchu City, but rather... the place where family should be!

"These two little ones..." Lu Zhifei's eyes grew slightly warm; a surge of warmth from being cared for and understood by her family instantly washed away the tension and fatigue of the past few days.

But immediately after, she quickly calmed down.

She knew that things were definitely not that simple.

The Alliance high command, especially those guys in Tianchu City, were no ordinary people. Since they could set up this trap, they must have backup plans.

Moreover, besides the Alliance's overt pursuit force, the "ghosts" sent by other major cities, watching like tigers eyeing their prey, were likely already on their way.

Merely rendezvousing with her brother and sister was far from enough.

They needed power, absolute power sufficient to crush all schemes and tricks!

Her gaze fell back onto her right arm; the [Nano Concealment Form] and the vast Legion-style technology tree nodes that followed it tempted her like brilliant stars.

Upgrade! She must upgrade as soon as possible!

And where would the "Mechanical Essence" required for the upgrade come from?

The answer was self-evident.

Those incoming pursuers, whether they were the Alliance's troops or the special forces teams from other major cities, the advanced weapons, exoskeleton armor, drones, and even assault boats they carried...

...in Lu Zhifei's eyes, would all be excellent "nutrients" for upgrading her Divine Weapon arm!

A bold, perhaps even crazy, plan began to brew and take shape in her mind.

Since hiding was not a long-term solution, and since the enemies were destined to come...

...then let them come!

Turn this abandoned base into their graveyard! And also into a feast of hunting for herself and her brother and sister!

Over the next two days, Lu Zhifei threw herself completely into the base's defensive construction.

She repaired and reinforced the outer alloy walls, and set up automatic attack turrets and high-voltage electric fences at key nodes.

She set up complex deceptive corridors and lethal traps inside the base.

She even utilized the manufacturing capability of the "Dawn Morningstar" arm to reassemble some abandoned mechanical parts, creating several simple yet lethal self-destruct robots and electromagnetic interference devices.

Although time was tight and resources were limited, relying on her extraordinary wisdom and the assistance of her Divine Weapon arm, this abandoned base had initially become a steel fortress bristling with fangs.

Defense, initially completed!

Standing in the center of the "hunting ground" she had built with her own hands, feeling the surging power resonating within her and her Divine Weapon arm, Lu Zhifei took a deep breath, a confident and cold smile appearing on her face.

She walked to the newly repaired long-range communication tower, and her third arm operated rapidly, bypassing the Alliance's signal jamming to send a clear and concise signal out to the entire Saka Star.

The content of the signal was very simple—a set of precise coordinates, and a sentence full of provocation:

"I am here. Want the Divine Weapon? Bring it on."

She, Lu Zhifei, had proactively announced her location!

She intended to use this base as a chessboard, using herself and the Divine Weapon as bait to lure all the hunters with ulterior motives here.

Then, together with her brother and sister, she would decompose all these so-called pursuers into the purest—Mechanical Essence!

The wind grew stronger.