20: Chapter 20 Simple Traps

On the twelfth day, Lin Qiming was jolted awake by the sound of an explosion.

It wasn't a dream; it was a real explosion—a dull vibration transmitted through the rock layers.

He sat up instantly, gripping the machete beside his pillow. Xiao Haozi also woke up, fur bristling as it stared warily toward the entrance.

"Hephaestus, what's the situation?"

[Detection: Entrance trap triggered.]

[Type: Explosive Trap (Simple Gunpowder + Metal Shrapnel).]

[Trigger Location: Thirty meters outside the entrance, Pit Trap Zone No. 3.]

[Life Signal Response: 2 injured, 3 retreating, the overall team has stalled.]

The trap worked. The Iron Tooth Gang search party had indeed come, and they had fallen for it.

Lin Qiming dressed quickly and checked his gear. A machete, a folding knife, a dagger, a crossbow (made yesterday from old parts—rough but functional), and several smoke bombs (mixed from chemical reagents).

He walked to the cave entrance and peered through a crack in the door.

In the tunnel outside, flashlight beams swayed chaotically, accompanied by cursing and groaning.

"Damn it! There's a trap!"

"Old Third's leg was blown! He won't stop bleeding!"

"Old Second got hit too, shrapnel in his arm!"

"This godforsaken place... that kid must be nearby! Search! Search carefully!"

But the search party was clearly hesitant. With two men injured, the others didn't dare advance recklessly, their flashlight beams carefully sweeping the ground for more traps.

Lin Qiming quietly retreated back into the cave to the hidden room. It was safer here and contained the Processing Bench—though not yet repaired, it could serve as a final line of defense.

He had Xiao Haozi hide deep within the pipes, then stood guard by the doorway himself, nocking a bolt in his crossbow and aiming it toward the entrance.

Waiting.

Outside, after a brief period of chaos, the search party reorganized.

"Split into two groups! One group take care of the wounded, the other keep searching! Watch your step!"

Footsteps approached again, but slower and more cautious.

Lin Qiming heard them trigger a tripwire trap—the sound of a metal wire snapping, followed by the rumble of falling rocks and a scream.

Another one injured.

"Damn it! There are more traps!"

"Retreat! Pull out for now!"

The search party was finally spooked. Dragging their wounded, they retreated quickly, their flashlight beams fading into the distance.

But Lin Qiming knew they wouldn't give up. The bounty of twenty bags of Nutrient Paste was too tempting; they would likely call for more people and return with better equipment.

He needed to use this time to strengthen his defenses, or... prepare to evacuate.

Once it was completely quiet outside, Lin Qiming cautiously crept out of the cave to inspect the trap zones.

Pit Trap No. 3 had been triggered, with a shallow crater blasted into the ground surrounded by metal shrapnel and bloodstains. One tripwire trap had also been triggered, the falling rocks having crushed someone.

The traps were effective, but they had consumed some materials. He needed to replenish them.

More importantly, the search party now knew there were traps here; they would be more careful next time and might bring tools to disarm them.

He needed more concealed, more lethal traps.

But time was short.

Lin Qiming quickly repaired and replenished the traps before retreating back into the cave. He couldn't go out today; the search party might be lying in ambush nearby.

He returned to the hidden room and began putting all his effort into repairing the Processing Bench.

First, he needed power. He currently had 12.6 ENU, but starting the Processing Bench required 20 ENU—he was still 7.4 short.

"Hephaestus, scan all items in the room that might contain energy."

[Scanning...]

[Discovered: 3x Old Tool Batteries (trace residue), 2x Lighting Circuit Boards (trace), and... there is a backup power compartment inside the Processing Bench that may contain a dormant unit.]

A backup power compartment? Lin Qiming immediately checked the bottom of the Processing Bench. Sure enough, there was a maintenance hatch secured with screws.

He used a wrench to unscrew it and opened the hatch. Inside was a palm-sized power unit, dark blue with all indicator lights off, but it appeared intact.

[Scan: Processing Bench Backup Power Unit (Dormant).]

[Residual Energy: Approximately 8 ENU.]

[Activatable.]

8 ENU! Combined with his existing 12.6, that made 20.6—enough to exceed the startup requirement!

Lin Qiming carefully removed the unit and connected it to the stc core for absorption.

[Absorbing: Processing Bench Backup Power Unit]

[Energy Gained: 8 ENU.]

[stc core Repair Progress: 17.0% → 17.3%.]

[Current Energy Reserves: 20.6 ENU.]

Enough!

He immediately reinstalled the power unit into the Processing Bench's compartment. He connected the wiring and checked the interfaces. Though heavily corroded, the basic structure was intact.

Next were the mechanical parts. He used a simple lubricant refined from animal fat to coat all the gears, bearings, and guide rails. Then, he used an acidic solvent (diluted) to carefully wipe the corroded areas, scraping away the rust layer bit by bit.

This process was extremely delicate and required patience. Xiao Haozi crouched nearby, watching curiously.

After two hours, the preliminary mechanical processing was complete. Next was the circuitry—the Processing Bench had a simple control circuit for adjusting rotation speed and feed. The circuit board was aged, but the core relays and switches were still usable.

Lin Qiming replaced the rotted cables with old wires he had found and used conductive glue (mixed from chemical reagents) to repair the broken contacts.

Finally, the test.

He took a deep breath and pressed the Processing Bench's start switch.

Hum—

The low hum of the motor turning sounded! Although it carried the grinding noise of rust, it was indeed turning! The guide rails began to move slowly, and the chuck could open and close!

[Preliminary repair of the Processing Bench complete.]

[Current Status: Usable, but precision decreased by 30%, maximum power limited to 50%.]

[Functions: Turning, drilling, simple milling.]

[Energy Consumption: 1 ENU per hour.]

Success!

Lin Qiming looked at the running machine, a sense of indescribable achievement welling up in his heart. This was the first piece of "true" industrial equipment he had repaired in the Hive Bottom.

Though crude and old, it represented his step from "hand-crafting" toward "mechanical manufacturing."

He immediately began testing. He found a metal rod, clamped it in the chuck, and started the turning function. The tool post moved slowly, the blade contacting the metal and slicing off fine shavings.

Screee—screee—

The sound echoed in the cave. Xiao Haozi was startled and hid to the side, but soon poked its head out to watch curiously again.

A few minutes later, a rough metal rod had been turned into a relatively smooth cylinder. The precision wasn't high, but it was far better than manual filing.

"With this, I can manufacture more complex parts," Lin Qiming muttered.

He looked at the blueprint library. With the repair progress at 17.3%, several new blueprints had been unlocked:

[Simple Bolt Launcher (Common)]

[Simple Explosive Device (Crude)]

[Simple Protective Shield (Crude)]

They were all defensive weapons—perfect for dealing with the threat of the Iron Tooth Gang.

He decided to manufacture them immediately. First, he used the Processing Bench to turn the shafts for the crossbow bolts, then used metal scraps to grind the arrowheads. The crossbow body was assembled from wood and metal parts, while the bowstring was woven from the tendons of Mutant Rats he had collected earlier.

After three hours, a relatively well-made crossbow was finished.

[Manufacturing Complete: Simple Crossbow (Common)]

[Quality: Common]

[Damage: 15-25 (Piercing)]

[Range: 50m effective, 80m maximum]

[Reload Speed: Slow (Manual draw)]

[Durability: 35/35]

It was much stronger than the previous crude crossbow. He manufactured twenty more bolts, using the Processing Bench to standardize them for higher precision.

Then came the explosive devices. He used the remaining gunpowder (dismantled from old bullets) mixed with metal shrapnel, packed them into iron cans, and added simple fuses (combustion cords). He made three.

The protective shield was relatively simple: he cut a metal plate into a shield shape and added straps and a handle. Though heavy, it could block blades and arrows.

By the time he finished, it was nearly evening. His energy reserves had dropped by 3 ENU (consumed by processing and manufacturing), leaving 17.6.

He ate some roasted Blind Eel meat, drank some water, and then checked the situation in the trap zone.

It was very quiet outside. The Iron Tooth Gang hadn't counterattacked immediately; they were likely tending to their wounded or gathering more men.

But this calm was actually unsettling.

"Hephaestus, scan the surrounding area. Are there any large gatherings of personnel?"

[Expanding scan radius to one kilometer...]

[Detected: Eight hundred meters to the southeast, a team of approximately fifteen people is assembling, carrying more weapons (including two firelocks).]

[Estimated Arrival Time: 1-2 hours.]

Fifteen people and two firelocks. They were getting serious.

Lin Qiming's heart tightened. His traps could stop a first ambush, but against a prepared team with heavy firepower, their effectiveness would be greatly diminished.

He needed a more extreme plan.

"Hephaestus, analyze the structural weaknesses of the cave. Is it possible to cause a localized collapse to seal the entrance?"

[Analyzing...]

[The rock structure in the entrance area is relatively fragile, but requires precise demolition points.]

[Available Plan: Place explosive devices at key support points. Detonation will cause a rockfall to seal the entrance.]

[Risk: May trigger a chain-reaction collapse, endangering the entire cave.]

Take the gamble? Or find another way?

Lin Qiming looked at the hidden room. There was a Processing Bench, materials, and space. If the entrance was sealed, he could hide inside temporarily, but in the long run, being trapped meant death.

Unless... the hidden room had another exit.

"Scan the hidden room, looking for other passages or weak points."

[Scanning...]

[Behind the rock wall on the west side of the room, a weak airflow has been detected; there may be a natural crack leading deeper.]

[But the rock wall is over eight meters thick; excavation would take a significant amount of time.]

Eight meters... too thick. It can't be dug through in a short time.

So, only two options remain:

Hold out, using traps and crossbow bolts to resist, betting the opponent can't break in.

Take the initiative, harassing them before they finish assembling to disrupt their plans.

Lin Qiming thought for a few minutes and decided to choose... the third option: a combination of the real and the fake.

He first added to the trap zone. Based on the original traps, he added several "booby traps": using tripwires connected to explosive devices, hidden in piles of gravel, extremely difficult to detect.

Then he set up sound decoys in the further tunnels—using recording equipment to play monster roars and battle sounds, creating the illusion that "there are dangerous creatures here."

Next, he prepared several escape routes. If he couldn't hold the line, he would evacuate through the pipes of the hidden room the same way he came; although narrow, they could provide temporary refuge.

Finally, he prepared emergency packs for himself and Xiao Haozi: food, water, tools, energy units, and the most important, the stc core.

By the time he finished all this, less than an hour remained.

He sat at the Processing Bench, checking his equipment one last time. Crossbow cocked, explosive devices at hand, machete sharpened.

Xiao Haozi crouched on his shoulder, no longer afraid, but instead showing an aura of shared hatred for the enemy.

"Are you scared?" Lin Qiming asked it.

Xiao Haozi let out a "squeak" and shook its head—at least he felt it was a shake.

"Good. Then let's show them that even scrap can kill."

He walked to the cave entrance and looked out through the crack in the door. In the dark tunnel, spots of flashlight light had already appeared in the distance.

Fifteen people, advancing in a skirmish line. They had learned their lesson this time, moving very slowly, with someone in front using a long pole to probe the path, triggering tripwires and pit traps.

But Lin Qiming's traps were more than just one layer.

When the first person triggered the second tripwire, the sound decoy activated.

"Roar—!!!"

A massive monster roar erupted from the speakers (modified from old speakers) on both sides of the tunnel! The sound reflected off the rock walls, becoming distorted and eerie, as if countless monsters were truly peeping from the darkness!

The search party immediately lost their footing!

"What was that sound?!"

"There's a monster! Retreat!"

"Don't panic! It might be a recording!"

But the sound was too realistic, and combined with the dark environment, the psychological pressure was immense. Several people had already started to back away.

The leading Scar-faced Strongman (the one from last time) roared: "Steady! It's that kid's trick! Keep moving!"

He fired a warning shot—the roar of the firelock echoed in the tunnel, temporarily drowning out the monster's roar.

The team reorganized, but morale was already damaged.

They continued forward, triggering a few more traps, but they were all discovered and dismantled in advance. Clearly, they had brought professional tools this time.

Only thirty meters remained to the cave entrance.

Lin Qiming knew he couldn't wait any longer.

He raised his crossbow, aiming at the scout in the very front—the one with the long pole.

Hold breath, aim, pull the trigger.

Whoosh!

The crossbow bolt shot through the air! The man reacted quickly, turning sideways as soon as he heard the wind, but the bolt still hit his shoulder!

"Ah! An ambush!"

The search party immediately looked for cover, flashlight beams scanning frantically, searching for the shooter's position.

Lin Qiming had already ducked back behind the door, quickly loading a second bolt.

"Over there! That rock crevice!" Someone discovered the cave entrance.

"Suppressive fire!" the Scar-faced Strongman ordered.

Two firelocks opened fire simultaneously! Lead bullets hit the rock wall, stone chips flying! Although the accuracy was poor, the suppression was strong.

Lin Qiming hid behind the door, not daring to show his head. He heard footsteps rapidly approaching.

It was time to use the explosive devices.

He lit the fuse of an explosive jar and threw it out through the crack in the door! The jar rolled into the center of the tunnel, sizzling as it burned.

"Grenade! Get down!"

The search party dove for cover. But a few seconds later, no explosion occurred—the fuse had burned out, but the jar didn't explode? A dud?

Lin Qiming's heart sank. Was the gunpowder damp?

"It's a fake! Charge!" The Scar-faced Strongman saw through it and led the charge!

Only ten meters left!

At the critical moment, Lin Qiming activated the last trap: a smoke bomb.

The smoke bomb he had formulated with chemical reagents exploded outside the entrance, and thick gray smoke instantly filled the air, obscuring all vision!

"Cough, cough! What the hell is this!"

"I can't see!"

The search party fell into chaos. The smoke not only blocked their vision but also had an irritating smell, making people's eyes water and causing them to cough.

Lin Qiming put on a simple gas mask (homemade with wet cloth and activated carbon) and rushed out of the cave, using the smoke as cover to fire a succession of crossbow bolts!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two screams! Two more people were hit!

But he also exposed his position. The Scar-faced Strongman identified his location by sound and fired his firelock blindly in that direction!

Bang!

A lead bullet grazed Lin Qiming's scalp! He immediately rolled behind a rock.

The smoke gradually cleared. Eleven people remained in the search party; although some were injured, the main force was still there.

The Scar-faced Strongman's eyes were red: "Kid, you're dead meat!"

Lin Qiming knew that fighting to the end would mean certain death. He needed one last gamble.

He looked at the Scar-faced Strongman and suddenly shouted: "Do you want ancient ones relics?"

The Scar-faced Strongman was stunned: "What?"

"I know where there are more ancient ones relics. They're worth a fortune, a hundred times more expensive than twenty bags of Nutrient Paste." Lin Qiming said while slowly backing away toward the cave entrance.

"You trying to trick us?" The Scar-faced Strongman sneered, but a flash of greed appeared in his eyes.

"Deep in the Remains Mine, there's an Ancient One storage room. It has at least ten complete relic crystals." Lin Qiming continued to spin his tale, "I can take you there. But you have to promise not to kill me."

The Scar-faced Strongman hesitated. He had heard of the value of ancient ones relics; the Adeptus Mechanicus was willing to buy them for astronomical prices. If there really were ten... that was indeed much more tempting than Nutrient Paste.

"Boss, don't believe him!" a lackey nearby warned. "This kid is full of tricks!"

But the Scar-faced Strongman was blinded by greed: "Take us there. If you're lying, I'll make you wish you were dead."

"Fine. But you have to put your weapons down first to show your sincerity," Lin Qiming said.

"In your dreams!"

"Then there's nothing to talk about." Lin Qiming turned and ran back into the cave.

"After him!" The Scar-faced Strongman led his men in a charge!

But as soon as they rushed to the entrance, they triggered the final trap—the "gift" Lin Qiming had prepared.

These were steel balls recently turned on the Processing Bench, loaded into a spring launcher hidden above the door frame. When people passed by, the tripwire triggered, and the steel balls rained down like raindrops!

Thwip thwip thwip thwip—

Although the steel balls were small, they were extremely fast, creating bloody holes wherever they hit the body!

"Ah!!"

Screams rose one after another! Including the Scar-faced Strongman, all five people in the front were hit! Although the wounds weren't fatal, they instantly lost their fighting capacity!

The remaining six people were terrified and didn't dare to advance further.

Lin Qiming took the opportunity to retreat deep into the cave, reached the hidden room, and closed the door.

Outside, the wails and curses lasted for several minutes before gradually fading away—the remaining people retreated, dragging the wounded with them.

This time, they suffered heavy losses: five seriously injured, three lightly injured, and their morale was completely shattered.

They probably wouldn't be back for a while.

Lin Qiming leaned against the door and let out a long breath. He was soaked in sweat, and his arms were shaking.

That was too close. If the steel ball trap hadn't worked, or if the opponents had rushed in regardless of the cost, he would have been finished.

But the gamble paid off.

Xiao Haozi jumped onto his shoulder, "squeaking" as if in celebration.

"We won." Lin Qiming stroked its head. "For now."

He knew the Iron Tooth Gang wouldn't let it go. When they came back next time, it might be an even more crazed retaliation.

But he also had a new bargaining chip: the Processing Bench.

With this machine, he could build more powerful weapons and more sophisticated traps. He could even... start trying to repair the components related to the Player Summoning Protocol.

The road was still long, but at least today, he had taught the intruders a lesson with scrap: in the Hive Bottom, never underestimate any survivor who has tools, brains, and a rat helper.

He walked to the Processing Bench and looked at the machine that had just performed a great service.

"It's time to give you a name." He said softly, "Let's call you... 'Counterattacker'."

[Processing Bench named: Counterattacker.]

[Current status: Available, Loyalty (?) 100%.]

Lin Qiming smiled.

He sat down and began to plan the next step. Repair progress 17.3%, energy reserves 17.6 ENU, Processing Bench in place, hidden room secure.

It was time to move on to the next phase of the Player Summoning Protocol.

But tonight, he would rest first.

He lay down on the stone platform, Xiao Haozi curling up beside him.

In the distance, the roar of the Hive City continued. But in this small cave, at least for tonight, it was safe.