Chapter 123 Counterattack

He placed his hand on Ji Chun's shoulder and patted him lightly twice as a gesture of comfort, which cheered up Ji Chun, whose eyes had been dull.

A hint of tenderness appeared in He Feng's eyes, a look of agreement meeting his gaze.

His silent gaze instantly dispelled his inner unease and torment.

Like the tacit understanding between an elder and a younger generation, He Feng's hand finally touched Ji Chun's shoulder, and the crowd made way for him.

He walked a few steps, then stopped again, remaining silent for a long time before finally speaking.

"Then... let's begin."

……

The floor of the dark room was scattered with fine iron filings, which shimmered like stars under the dim light, adding to the eerie and mysterious atmosphere of the room.

Only a few gas lamps burned silently, serving as the only source of light and at least preventing the place from appearing too eerie and terrifying.

"Buzz"

The machine tools hidden deep inside the fortress were clattering away, but this time the roar was much more intense, as if they had been shaken into a bag of metal parts and were hissing.

Steam hissed from the pressure relief pipe, coiling and meandering along the monolithic machine body. Like a bronchus, the rhythmic gurgling sound could be mistaken for the breath of a giant.

This place has now been completely emptied and designated as a forbidden area, off-limits to strangers.

The entire space was silent and empty until someone pushed open the door, breaking the unnatural silence.

The winch was turned on, the hatch was pulled open to the side, and He Feng poked his head in and crawled inside.

He patted the snow off his body, and the snow dust fell to the ground and instantly turned into water stains.

"My lord, you didn't have to come. You could have just waited outside."

Ji Chun followed closely behind, his alert head quickly catching up with He Feng, who was still focused on moving forward.

He Feng did not reply. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, indicating that he was preoccupied.

"Lord? Lord?" His voice rose a little higher as he idly followed He Feng, calling out to him.

"Sir, isn't your intuition usually quite accurate? Why are you suddenly silent again? You're the one who doesn't want me to get discouraged."

Before they knew it, the two were already standing in front of the machine tool's control panel.

The room had no windows, but a dozen or so gas lamps scattered throughout were enough to make the entire lobby incredibly bright.

He Feng suddenly froze, maintaining just the right distance, his right hand stroking the brass mechanical keyboard, his face solemn.

"I don't recall ever fixing this before?"

Ji Chun touched his head and rushed over in surprise. The place that had been destroyed was now strangely restored.

"How strange! Could there really be a Sea Snail Maiden?"

Ignoring Ji Chun's incessant chatter, He Feng's face was tense, as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

The awakening of the Crimson Tumor is absolutely a major taboo. Before officially starting the second-stage advancement ritual, you must make thorough preparations.

Monsters are generally more attracted to evolved humans. He didn't know what kind of monster the Crimson Tumor was, but all he knew about it was their instincts.

The flesh and blood of evolved beings are absolutely on the first page of their diet.

The fighting spirit further whets their appetites, and this attraction might create an opportunity for a counterattack.

Tier 2 fortresses and Tier 1 fortresses are not the same in terms of architecture, but the Crimson Flesh Tumor is definitely a malignant plant that grows rampantly within the fortress.

It subtly influenced the fortress, to the point that it became an integral part of the ship's interior.

By nature, they may even greedily extend their bodies during dormancy, as their growth space expands.

The scarlet sarcoma isn't just this small part inside the machine tool; it's everywhere in the fortress, as stubborn as a leech.

But now, there is a brief opportunity to contain them.

When limbs extend recklessly beyond the brain's control, and instinct prevails over reason, the central sarcoma within the computer room naturally has nowhere to hide.

When you upgrade, the fortress will expand by nearly three times, which will surely cause them to scatter. This is the perfect opportunity to turn the tables on them when they are down.

Perhaps this is the time to deliver a heavy blow to these disgusting things.

Previously, these things were deeply embedded in the underlying operation of the fortress, and he had no way to deal with them.

But now, everything has started anew, how could he allow them to integrate themselves into every corner of the fortress without any restraint?

He tensed his muscles slightly, and his fighting spirit, under his own command, subtly emanated outwards, becoming increasingly powerful.

He Feng silently circulated the breathing technique in his mind, exerting all his strength to release it externally, the whole feeling being like the inflating of an aspirated breath.

Inhaling and exhaling, under extreme stimulation, the breath almost condenses into substantial particles, which are then released with powerful combustion.

The feeling was so intense it felt like his lungs were about to explode, causing a buzzing in his head.

"Bang!"

Reaching the limit, He Feng's fighting spirit suddenly exploded, engulfing the air and transforming into a howling wind, forming a high concentration of dissipated fighting spirit in the confined space.

"Lord, you are mighty!" Ji Chun, standing to the side, clapped excitedly as he watched He Feng's sudden outburst of anger. Then, he tilted his head and asked in great confusion.

"But what's the use of that?"

He Feng, panting heavily, spoke to him with fervor despite his exhaustion.

"Help me sever the central processing system's control over the fortress. Don't ask any questions when you see it later. You'll be fine."

Listening to He Feng's incessant chatter, Ji Chun was completely bewildered, but considering everything He Feng had told him beforehand, he found himself feeling a slight, unconscious tension.

Glancing at the still-noisy machine tool, the dull grinding of gears and the hum of steam coming from the pipes, his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed in this extremely oppressive environment.

"I...will try my best."

He Feng nodded slightly, having already entrusted himself entirely to this young man.

"Click~ Click"

A discordant knocking sound emanated from the giant material chute to their left, echoing for a long time and inexplicably sending shivers down their spines.

The sound didn't resemble the breaking of metal parts; it sounded more like a wet, sticky lump of meat slamming onto a metal plate.

In fact, the strange slamming sounds intensified.

"What's this?" Ji Chun pointed there, his pupils contracting. Driven by curiosity, he was about to stick his head over to take a look.

He Feng suddenly grabbed his collar and sternly stopped him.

"Don't go, stay behind me, and don't leave the control panel for even half a second."

"But……"

"No buts!" He Feng roared fiercely, his voice breaking through his throat.

Seeing the usually gentle and mild-mannered He Feng lose his temper like this for the first time, Ji Chun was stunned for a moment, and then retreated like a lamb with its head down.

His hands flew across the bronze typewriter, while his eyes were fixed on the screen, and he instantly entered a state of flow.

He Feng tiptoed forward, and began to practice his breathing technique again, making the fighting spirit burning within him even stronger.

With each step, the strange noise emanating from the pipe opening grew louder and heavier.

At this moment, a unique moist sensation entered my nasal cavity.