91: This is a good deal.

The elevator platform was ascending.

C-19 stood in the center of the platform with his hands behind his back, watching the pinpoint of light above that was growing closer and closer.

Corvin leaned against the guardrail with his eyes closed.

TW-201 stood in the back row of the formation, still gripping a Bolter.

The pinpoint of light grew larger. It grew brighter.

Then, sunlight flooded in.

Warm surface sunlight fell straight down through the shaft opening, landing on C-19's face.

His pupils contracted to pinpricks, but he did not close his eyes.

He hadn't seen the sun for a very long time.

The platform rose out of the sea surface.

The sea breeze hit his face, carrying the scent of salt. In the distance, the silhouette of the camp on the coastline loomed in the morning mist.

Further away were the former territories of the Pan-Pacific Empire—those cities, ports, and factories now belonged to the Empire.

C-19 took a deep breath. The sea breeze filled his lungs, washing away the lingering scent of incense from the Deep Palace.

The war was over.

At least, this particular war was over.

The image began to fade.

Colors paled, outlines blurred, and details dissolved bit by bit into a white background.

C-19's figure was the last to vanish. Then the sea. Then the sky.

Then, there was only pure white.

---

Li Cang took off the holographic helmet.

The lights in the cockpit stung his eyes, making him squint. After staying in the dark for so long, the immersion of the Deduction Mode was so strong that he had almost forgotten he was sitting in a chair rather than standing ten thousand meters deep on the seabed.

His palms were covered in sweat.

He leaned against the back of the chair and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, waiting for his heartbeat to slowly return to normal.

He let out a long breath.

Then he sat up straight, set the holographic helmet aside, and tapped a few times on the console.

The settlement panel popped up.

---

[Deduction Settlement: Unification War · Pacific Empire Campaign · Finale]

[Evaluation: S]

[Basic Output]

GP: +12,800

BP: +1,450

Material Resources: Refined Steel × 3,200 units / High-Energy Batteries × 890 units / abyss alloy × 240 units

[Special Output]

Mariana Deep Palace Database Access Rights × 1 — Strategic Level/Legendary

Nathan Doom's Human Bone Ring × 1 — Unidentified/???

Pan-Pacific Empire Territory × 1 — Territory/Incorporated

Sun Warriors Gene Samples × 3 — Tech Material/Rare

[Unit Experience Settlement]

C-19: Experience +4,200 — Upgrade threshold reached

Corvin: Experience +3,800 — Upgrade threshold reached

TW-201: Experience +2,100 — 900 short of upgrade threshold

Surviving Thunder Warriors × 311: Experience +800~1,500 — Depending on participation level

[Casualty Statistics]

Killed in Action: 74

Critically Injured/Retired: 3

Lightly Injured: 47 — Recovered or recovering

---

Li Cang scanned the panel back and forth twice.

S Evaluation.

Not SS, but S.

Frowning, he scrolled down and found the detailed explanation for the evaluation.

---

[Evaluation Details]

Positive Factors:

Successfully conquered the Mariana Deep Palace +30

Captured enemy leader Nathan Doom +20

Acquired Dark Age Database +25

Casualty rate controlled within 25% +10

Negative Factors:

Failed to completely annihilate the Sun Warriors -15

abyss coffin loss rate 33% -5

Failed to independently crack the Self-Destruct System -5

Total Score: 85 → S-Rank

10 points short of SS-Rank

---

Li Cang stared at that "-15" for several seconds.

The Sun Warriors.

Nathan Doom had withdrawn them three days ago, dispersing them across Terra.

Those gene-enhanced elite soldiers were now buried in various corners—jungles, deserts, refugee camps—ready to emerge at any moment.

This problem hadn't been solved; it had only been postponed.

"Forget it," he muttered to himself. "Let's see what good stuff I've hauled in first."

He clicked on the Mariana Deep Palace Database Access Rights.

---

[Loot Details: Mariana Deep Palace Database]

Grade: Legendary

Type: Strategic Level Tech Resource

Description: A comprehensive Dark Age database containing complete technical archives in fields such as agriculture, metallurgy, energy, medicine, genetic engineering, and material science. The total volume of data is approximately 40 times the current civilization's knowledge reserve.

Unlockable Tech Tree:

Deep Sea Engineering — New tech branch

Advanced Metallurgy — Upgrade to existing tech

Genetic Engineering: Advanced — Prerequisite: Genetic Engineering: Basic

Energy Systems: Fusion — Prerequisite: Energy Systems: Fission

More technologies require gradual decryption... Decryption Cost: 200~2,000 BP per technology

Decryption Time: 24~168 hours per technology

Warning: There are 7 items of red-marked data in the database, currently sealed. Unsealing requires 5,000 GP per item and may trigger unknown events.

Current Access Rights: White Label + Yellow Label

---

Forty times.

Forty times the knowledge reserve. The tech tree could achieve leapfrog development in a short period.

But Li Cang's gaze quickly fell on that line of red warning.

Red-marked data.

He remembered the images from the deduction. Nathan Doom's fear-filled grey eyes. That ritual room filled with the scent of incense. That book that caused a headache just by opening it. That leather cover that didn't belong to any known animal.

C-19 had promised Nathan Doom not to open that data.

But C-19 was a character in the deduction. He was the player.

A player's choices didn't necessarily have to align with a character's promises.

Li Cang stared at that line for a long time.

5,000 GP per item.

His current GP balance was 1,365 plus 12,800, equaling 14,165. Enough to open three items.

But he didn't click it.

Not because of C-19's promise. It was because of that line: "may trigger unknown events."

In this game, an "unknown event" was never a good thing.

The last time he triggered an unknown event was in the Ural Mining Area, which directly led to the appearance of the Void Crusher, nearly wiping out half his troops.

"Let's leave it for now," he said. "I'll wait until I figure out what those things actually are."

He closed the database panel and clicked on the next piece of loot.

---

[Loot Details: Nathan Doom's Human Bone Ring]

Grade: ??? — Unidentified

Type: ???

Description: A personal item seized from Nathan Doom, ruler of the Pan-Pacific Empire. Material is human bone, treated with an unknown process. The surface is engraved with unrecognizable runes.

Appraisal Cost: 500 BP

Appraisal Time: 48 hours

Warning: This item may be related to red-marked data. Appraising it may trigger unknown events.

---

Another "unknown event."

Li Cang's finger hovered over the appraisal button.

Five hundred BP. He now had 810 plus 1,450, totaling 2,260 BP.

Enough.

But that warning... He thought about it. Appraisal was just to see what the item was, not to use it directly.

Even if it triggered an unknown event, appraisal-stage events usually weren't too outrageous.

He pressed it.

[Appraisal Started]

[Estimated Completion Time: 48:00:00]

"Let's take a gamble," he said.

He closed the panel and continued looking down.

---

[Unit Upgrade Prompt]

C-19: Experience full, upgrade available.

Upgrade Option A: Unlock 5th Trait Slot — Cost: 2,000 GP

Upgrade Option B: Strengthen Existing Traits — Cost: 1,000 GP + 1 corresponding quality plugin

Upgrade Option C: Chassis Upgrade T2→T3 — Cost: 5,000 GP + 1,000 BP + Genetic Engineering: Advanced prerequisite

Corvin: Experience full, upgrade available.

Upgrade Option A: Unlock 4th Trait Slot — Cost: 1,500 GP

Upgrade Option B: Strengthen Existing Traits — Cost: 800 GP + 1 corresponding quality plugin

Note: This unit has a high genetic collapse rate of approximately 40%. Upgrading may accelerate the collapse process.

---

Li Cang's finger paused on C-19's upgrade options.

Option C.

Chassis Upgrade.

T2 to T3.

T3 was the Astartes Blank Chassis.

If C-19 could upgrade to T3, he would no longer be a Thunder Warrior, and the genetic collapse issue might also be resolved.

But the prerequisite was Genetic Engineering: Advanced.

This technology hadn't been unlocked yet. It needed to be decrypted from the Mariana database.

"The database again," Li Cang muttered. "All roads lead to that database."

He didn't make a decision immediately.

Upgrading was a major event and shouldn't be impulsive. He needed to see all options clearly, calculate every expense, and then decide.

This was the basic literacy of a card player.

He closed the upgrade panel and opened the resource overview.

---

[Resource Overview · Updated]

GP: 14,165 — +12,800

BP: 1,760 — +1,450 / -500 Appraisal Cost

Refined Steel: 3,620 units — +3,200

High-Energy Batteries: 1,230 units — +890

abyss alloy: 323 units — +240

Gravity Weapon Shards: 3 — Unchanged

Sun Warriors Gene Samples: 3 — Newly Acquired

---

Li Cang looked at these numbers, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly.

Over fourteen thousand GP.

This was his wealthiest moment ever.

But there were too many places to spend money next.

Database decryption, unit upgrades, replenishment, tech research—every single one was a money-sink.

Seventy-four KIA gaps needed to be filled. By standard configuration, that would take about 8,880 GP.

Replenishment alone would eat up sixty percent of his assets.

He leaned back and closed his eyes, listing a priority list in his mind.

First, decrypt Genetic Engineering: Advanced.

This was the prerequisite for C-19's chassis upgrade and the key to solving the Thunder Warriors' genetic collapse issue.

Corvin's collapse rate had already reached 40%. Nathan Doom said he wouldn't last three months.

If he didn't find a solution quickly, he would lose his best veteran.

Second, replenishment. But it wasn't urgent. He could replenish half first and wait for the next wave of income for the rest.

Third, the Reverse Engineering of the Void Crusher should be nearly complete. Let's see what good stuff comes out.

Fourth, that human bone ring. Decide how to handle it after the appraisal results come out in forty-eight hours.

Fifth... He opened his eyes.

Fifth, Nathan Doom.

In the deduction, C-19 had escorted him out of the Deep Palace.

But after the deduction ended, this man's fate was decided by the system—or rather, by history.

He opened Nathan Doom's file.

---

[Nathan Doom — Captive Status]

Current Location: Empire Mainland · In Transit

Disposal Suggestions:

Option A: Execution — +500 GP, +Reputation "Iron Fist"

Option B: Imprisonment at Kamba Mawu — +Intelligence Output, -50 GP/day maintenance fee

Option C: Execution after Interrogation — +One-time Intelligence Output, +300 GP

---

Li Cang looked at these three options.

Option B was the most valuable.

Imprisonment at Kamba Mawu would yield continuous intelligence.

Nathan Doom's head held thirty years of Pacific Empire intelligence, as well as knowledge about the Singularity Brotherhood and that dangerous data.

If he was executed, these things would be lost forever.

But fifty GP a day for maintenance—that was fifteen hundred a month.

"It's a bit pricey," he frowned.

But he remembered what Nathan Doom had said in the deduction.

About "the other side." About "they have been watching us." About those "keys to open the door."

The value of this information far exceeded fifty GP a day.

"Keep him locked up for now," he said. "I'll decide after I've asked everything I need to ask."

He chose Option B.

[Confirmed: Nathan Doom imprisoned at Kamba Mawu]

[Intelligence Output Activated: One random piece of intelligence produced every 72 hours]

[Maintenance Fee: -50 GP/day]

Li Cang closed the panel.

He glanced at the time. In the real world, he had been sitting in the cockpit for nearly six hours.

The time flow in Deduction Mode was different from reality, but the physical fatigue was real.

His neck was stiff, his eyes were dry, and his stomach was empty.

"Eat something first," he stood up and stretched. "The rest can wait until after I've eaten."

He walked toward the cockpit door.

He paused at the doorway and looked back at the holographic screen.

The screen was still on the resource overview page.

Those numbers flickered quietly against the blue background.

Fourteen thousand GP.

Over two thousand BP.

A legendary database.

An unidentified human bone ring.

Three hundred and eleven Thunder Warriors.

And a tyrant locked in a prison.

"This wave wasn't a loss."