94: Chapter 95 Things belonging to the dead are best not worn by the living.

Thirty-six hours passed slower than Li Cang had imagined.

He wasn't the type of person who could sit idle. During the wait, he tidied up the control cabin, threw out three days' worth of takeout boxes, folded the quilt on the folding bed, and even wiped down the console screen.

Then he opened the troop management panel and reviewed the data for the three hundred and fifty-one Thunder Warriors from start to finish.

He wasn't looking for anything in particular; he was just bored.

The forty recruits had already been assigned to various squads.

He marked the five with the best performance data: TW-315, TW-322, TW-329, TW-341, and TW-348.

The basic attributes of these five were a notch higher than the other recruits. Although they were all B-rank, their ratings were between 66 and 67, nearing the edge of B+.

If good plugins became available later, they would get priority.

He also checked on Corvin's status.

The genetic collapse level had slightly risen from 40% to 41%.

One percentage point per day.

At this rate, it would be over 130% in three months, far exceeding the lethal threshold.

Nathan Doom was right. Corvin wouldn't survive past the next quarter.

Unless Gene Engineering: Advanced could provide a solution.

That technology was still being decrypted, with about eighteen hours remaining.

"Soon," Li Cang said to himself.

Exactly at the thirty-sixth hour.

Two "dings" rang out almost simultaneously.

Li Cang sprang up from the folding bed.

He hadn't fallen asleep this time; he was just thinking with his eyes closed.

The two notification tones pulled him out of his thoughts.

Walking to the console, two notifications floated side-by-side on the panel.

[Prompt: Tech decryption completed: Autonomous Balance Control Algorithm. Please check the results.]

[Prompt: Item appraisal completed: Nathan Doom's human bone ring. Please check the results.]

Two results.

Which one to look at first?

His finger hesitated for a second between the two notifications.

The balance control algorithm was a guaranteed gain; a successful decryption would complete the six-legged walking platform blueprint, and failure would at most waste BP.

The human bone ring was uncertain; the appraisal result could be a treasure or a disaster.

Eat the certain thing first.

He clicked on the results for the balance control algorithm.

[Tech Decryption Result: Autonomous Balance Control Algorithm]

Decryption Status: Success. Data Integrity: 91%. Minor damage existed in the original data, which has been repaired via algorithm.

Effect: This algorithm can be merged with the 72% blueprint fragment of the six-legged walking platform.

Estimated blueprint integrity after merging will increase to 94%.

The remaining 6% consists of secondary structural details, which can be completed through debugging during actual production.

Blueprint Merge Cost: 100 BP. Merge Time: Instant.

Merge immediately?

Y / N

94%.

Only 6% away from a complete blueprint, and the system said the rest could be filled in during production debugging.

After merging, he would have a usable six-legged walking platform blueprint.

Combined with the complete high-energy core blueprint already in hand, he could build a heavy walking mecha that, while lacking gravity weapons, could at least walk and run.

"Merge."

He pressed Y without hesitation.

[Blueprint Merge Completed]

[New Blueprint: six-legged walking platform (94%/Usable)]

Type: Heavy Walking Vehicle Chassis. Description: Six hydraulically driven legs, capable of maintaining stable movement on complex terrain.

Maximum Load: 12 tons. Top Speed: 35 km/h.

Can be equipped with various weapon systems and armor modules.

Production Cost: 1500 GP + 800 Refined Steel + 30 abyss alloy + 1 high-energy core

Production Time: 48 hours

[BP Balance: 510]

The six-legged platform itself was just a chassis, with no weapons or armor—just a frame that could walk.

But it could carry weapon systems and armor modules.

By installing a high-energy core as a power source and mounting a heavy cannon or several heavy Bolters on top, it would become a simplified version of a walking tank.

Both firepower and protection would far exceed individual soldier equipment.

The problem was the production cost.

His remaining funds were very tight.

The base upgrade for C-19 required 5000 GP; if he built the mecha, he wouldn't be able to afford the base upgrade at all.

"Can't afford it," Li Cang muttered, "at least not for now."

He saved the six-legged platform blueprint into the tech library and marked it for future production.

He would wait until the funds were ready.

Alright.

The certain gains were finished.

Now for the uncertain.

His finger hovered over the appraisal result for the human bone ring.

He took a deep breath.

Click.

[Item Appraisal Result: Nathan Doom's human bone ring]

Appraisal Status: Completed, Partial

Basic Information:

Name: Ring of the Nameless

Grade: Epic Purple | Type: Accessory/Plugin, Universal

Source: Dark Age - Singularity Brotherhood Relic

Item Description: A ring made of human bone, processed through an unknown technique, with a hardness far exceeding normal bone.

The surface is engraved with unrecognizable runes that emit a faint fluorescence under specific conditions.

This item originally belonged to a high-ranking member of the Singularity Brotherhood and was later seized by Nathan Doom during the purge of the sect.

Doom wore this item for over twenty years, during which no obvious anomalies occurred.

Effects:

Psychic Resistance +25%

Perception Range +15%

Hidden Effect: Unlocked, requires specific conditions to be met

Equip Conditions: Limited to Hero units. Once equipped, it cannot be removed; permanent binding. 12% probability of triggering a Psychic Pollution event upon equipping.

Warning: This item has a faint connection with Warp energy.

Long-term wear may cause the wearer to experience hallucinations, paranoia, sleep disorders, and other symptoms.

Initially controllable, but may worsen over time.

System Suggestion: This item carries both risks and benefits; use with caution.

Li Cang stared at the appraisal result for a long time.

Epic Purple.

Psychic Resistance +25%, Perception Range +15%.

Both of these attributes were very strong.

Especially the Psychic Resistance—the threat of the Warp was everywhere, and with this resistance, survival rates against Chaos-related enemies would increase significantly.

But.

It couldn't be removed once equipped.

A 12% chance to trigger Psychic Pollution.

A faint connection with Warp energy.

Long-term wear could lead to hallucinations, paranoia, and sleep disorders.

Li Cang pushed his chair back and stared at the ceiling with his arms crossed.

The benefits were clear: an Epic-grade plugin with two powerful attributes and an unlocked hidden effect.

The risks were also clear: permanent binding, a 12% Psychic Pollution probability, and long-term side effects.

The question was who to give it to.

C-19?

His strongest Hero unit, SS-rank with 121 points.

Equipping him with this ring would significantly boost his Psychic Resistance and Perception Range.

But if Psychic Pollution was triggered, the consequences of an SS-rank Hero unit being corrupted were unthinkable.

Corvin?

His genetic collapse was already at 41%; he wouldn't live much longer anyway.

Giving him an item with side effects would just be... Li Cang shook his head.

No. He couldn't think that way.

Corvin was an A-rank unit with 78 points; giving him an Epic plugin would drastically increase his rating.

But the genetic collapse issue wasn't solved yet. Adding the risk of Psychic Pollution would be like putting a time bomb on a machine that was already about to break down.

Then he wouldn't equip it for now.

He would store the ring and wait until Gene Engineering: Advanced was decrypted to see if there was a way to mitigate the risks.

Li Cang saved the ring's appraisal result in the warehouse and marked it as pending.

Then he read that line again.

"This item originally belonged to a high-ranking member of the Singularity Brotherhood."

The Singularity Brotherhood.

The cult Nathan Doom had mentioned that tried to combine technology with Warp power.

Doom had purged them, seized this ring, and then worn it for twenty years.

Twenty years without anything happening.

Or rather, Doom had worn it for twenty years and became a half-mad, half-genius tyrant.

How much of that "half-mad" part was his own personality, and how much was the influence of this ring?

Li Cang didn't know.

But he knew one thing: those mysterious rituals Nathan Doom performed in the Deep Palace, those twisted chants, and that sacrificial chamber filled with the scent of incense might all be related to this ring.

"Interesting," Li Cang said.

He closed the panel, stood up, and walked to the window.

It was daytime outside. Sunlight streamed through the glass, painting a rectangular patch of light on the floor.

Standing in the patch of light, he felt the warmth of the sun.

Three things were on his mind.

First, the six-legged walking platform blueprint was in hand, but he couldn't afford to build it.

He needed to wait for his GP to recover or earn money through missions. The Sun Warrior tracking mission rewarded 1200 GP; if he could complete it, combined with daily production, he could save enough for the mecha in about a week.

Second, the human bone ring was a good item, but the risk was too high. He'd set it aside for now. Once Gene Engineering: Advanced was out, he might find a way to reduce the risk.

Third, Gene Engineering: Advanced would finish decrypting in about eighteen hours. That was the critical node for all his plans. C-19's base upgrade, Corvin's genetic collapse treatment, and even the risk assessment for the human bone ring all depended on what this technology could bring him.

More waiting.

Li Cang sighed.

He walked back to the console and opened the details page for the Sun Warrior tracking mission.

[Mission: Intelligence Gathering - Sun Warrior Traces]

Grade: B-rank

Description: Nathan Doom scattered the Sun Warriors throughout Terra before he was captured. The Imperium needs to confirm the location and scale of these remnant forces. Dispatch reconnaissance units to suspected areas to search.

Reward: 1200 GP

Risk: Medium; possible encounter with Sun Warrior ambushes.

Recommended Force: 20-30 person elite squad. Time Limit: None.

An elite squad of twenty to thirty people.

He had twenty-two A-rank veterans.

He could send fifteen out, keep seven to guard the home base, and then add fifteen B-rank standard soldiers as support for a total of thirty men.

That would be enough. However, the recruits had just come off the production line and hadn't been integrated yet; the combat effectiveness of a squad with mixed veterans and recruits would be compromised.

"Wait two days," Li Cang thought. "Let the recruits train with the veterans for two days to integrate, and then send them out."

He set a reminder on the mission panel to assess whether to dispatch troops in forty-eight hours.

By then, Gene Engineering: Advanced would also have finished decrypting, and all pending matters could be handled at once.

"Forty-eight hours," he said.

"Wait one last forty-eight hours."