The world beyond the tunnel had shifted.
Hours after leaving the ruins behind, the Phoenix Rig rumbled down a cracked highway flanked by collapsed outposts and scorched trees. The terrain ahead had flattened, exposing a field of rusted barricades and abandoned military structures—an old zone marked by war and retreat.
Lu Zhen slowed the RV as a fractured sign came into view.
[Eastern Defense Line – Sector H11 Perimeter]
Yue Fei stood by the side window, hand on the frame. "Looks like we've found the last checkpoint before things went bad."
Lu nodded. "Let's make the most of it."
The team disembarked. Lin stayed near the Rig, scanning for movement while Yue and Lu scouted the area. The silence was unnerving—too quiet for a zone this exposed.
They passed half-melted drone remains, overturned supply crates, and a charred transport truck missing its wheels. Everything reeked of metal dust and sunbaked ash.
Lu's HUD pulsed faintly.
[High-yield salvageable materials detected nearby][Warning: Vault at 9.62 m³ / 10.00 m³][Recommendation: Material purge advised]
Lu knelt beside a shattered turret brace and opened his Vault interface. He manually purged several redundant low-grade components—bent rods, rusted wiring, and cracked plating. The Vault cleared to 4.20 m³.
Then he started decomposing.
[Target: Drone Casing – Tier 2]Decomposition Time: 3 minutesMaterial Extracted: Servo Core Fragments, High-tensile Wiring+20 EXP
[Target: Power Node Bracket – Tier 2]Decomposition Time: 2 minutesMaterial Extracted: Alloy Plate x2+20 EXP
[Target: Energy-Resistant Armor Panel – Tier 2]Decomposition Time: 4 minutesMaterial Extracted: Polymer Layer, Alloy Core+20 EXP
Lu's body began to tighten with fatigue. The system pinged softly:
[Mental Load: 68%][Efficiency Drop: 5%][Warning Threshold Approaching]
But he kept going.
Vault: 8.87 m³ / 10.00 m³Decomposition EXP: 159 → 219 / 300
Then came the larger task.
He approached a cracked combat walker—half buried in rubble, but its external shell remained intact. With Yue's help, they cleared the debris. Lu pressed his hand to the cold steel and activated the scan.
[Decomposition Target: Light Mech Carapace (Tier 2)]Time Required: 6 minutesMental Load Impact: HighMaterial Yield Estimate: Composite Shell x3, Armor Joint Frame x2
He hesitated—but accepted.
As the world narrowed around him, lines of data flowed across his vision. The forge in his mind began to glow brighter, heatless yet heavy. His breathing became strained. Sweat gathered at his brow.
[Decomposition Complete]+50 EXPVault: 9.92 m³ / 10.00 m³Mental Load: 80%[Warning: Immediate cooldown recommended][Risk of Neural Fatigue: High]
Lu staggered backward.
"Stop," Yue said firmly, grabbing his arm. "That's enough."
He tried to respond, but his mouth was dry. His HUD flickered slightly.
Lin ran over from the RV, eyes wide. "What's wrong with him?"
"He overclocked the system," Yue muttered. "Pushed it too far."
"I'm fine," Lu said hoarsely. "I just need—five minutes. Then I start the upgrades."
"You're not upgrading anything until you sit down," Yue snapped.
But Lu was already moving toward the Rig, Vault full, and ideas spinning in his mind. The data from the walker, the drone components, the bracket plates—all matched the structure of the RV's side panel framework.
He initiated crafting.
[Crafting Initiated – Phoenix Rig Armor Upgrade Module v1]Estimated Time: 10 minutesRequired Focus: HighVault Consumption: 2.8 m³Output: Reinforced Modular Plating (Full Side Coverage)Bonus: +15 to Durability, +8 to Heat Resistance
Crafting EXP: 291 → 296 → 301[Crafting Level Up – Lv.3 Achieved]Unlocked:– Tier 2 Item Assembly– Exo Components (Partial Access)– Blueprint Filtering Enabled
System notification pulsed brightly. His vision momentarily whitened from the strain.
"Mental Load exceeded safe threshold.""Cooldown initiated. Cognitive clarity reduced by 12%."
Lu leaned against the RV as the new plating sealed itself over the right side wall. Modular insulation panels extended, forming a seamless layer against kinetic impact and extreme heat.
"I told you to stop," Yue said again, appearing beside him.
"I had to finish it," he whispered, voice faint. "This might be our last upgrade before Tianlei."
Lin stood behind them, worried. "You need rest."
He nodded slowly, breath still shaky. "Just... give me an hour."
Later that evening, after water and forced rest, Lu lay on the RV floor staring at the reinforced ceiling. The craft interface now responded faster. Blueprints sorted themselves. Material quality estimates were more accurate.
Crafting Lv.3 had changed everything.
Yue returned from patrol duty and tossed a blanket at him.
"Next time you collapse, I'm leaving you behind," she said.
Lu smiled faintly. "Liar."
She didn't deny it.
That night, they didn't move. They set up full lockdown. No one suggested pushing forward. This was a rare moment of safety—and they all knew it.
They sat around a dim LED lamp inside the Rig, eating preserved soy rolls and nutrient paste. Lin spoke first.
"You really think Tianlei still stands?"
Yue answered before Lu could. "It has to. Otherwise… what's left?"
Silence lingered.
Then, just before lights out, the radio cracked again.
"…This is Tianlei Post Delta… evac point under threat… requesting fallback—repeat, fallback zone compromised…"
Static.
No response after that.
Lu's eyes didn't blink for a moment. Then he checked the HUD.
[Route Update: 110.2 km Remaining][Signal Trace Confirmed – Live]
The Rig rumbled to life the next morning, fully reinforced, vault emptied, system evolved.
They left the ruined checkpoint in silence—but with fire in their chests.
—