On the Scrap Iron Plaza, the tip of Jin Wanchao's steam spear pressed against Calis's throat, and thunderous cheers erupted all around.
He was just about to order the rescue of Li Si and Zhao Wu, then withdraw with his team—
when a clear, sweet voice, laced with playful mockery, shattered all the noise like a small hammer.
"Well done."
As if spellbound, the crowd automatically parted to make way.
A woman stepped forward, striding in shiny knee-high leather boots. She wore a well-tailored leather suit that outlined her graceful curves in perfect proportion, a stark contrast to the ragged clothes of the Lower District residents around her. Her long ponytail swayed gently with each step, revealing a smooth forehead and a pair of shrewd, cunning eyes.
Behind her followed a band of scavengers, their gazes fierce, their clothes mismatched. They wielded all manner of weapons: iron clubs fitted with electric shocks, sharpened car wheel rims, even modified industrial spray guns. Every one of them exuded a wild, dangerous aura—clearly no ordinary thugs.
She stopped in front of Jin Wanchao and studied him with amused interest, a sharp smile tugging at her lips.
"They call me Wrench. This scrap iron heap? It's mine."
Her gaze drifted from Calis at Jin Wanchao's feet, to Li Si and Zhao Wu on the cross, then swept over the modified steam weapons, before returning to Jin Wanchao's face.
"Now, let's talk business."
Jin Wanchao did not speak at once. The "flame" inside him, drained by the fierce battle, was slowly recovering. At the same time, he could keenly "see" that this woman named Wrench possessed a far stronger energy flow than ordinary people, yet unusually restrained—like a sleeping venomous serpent, ready to strike at any moment. The scavengers behind her also burned with fierce "flame"; they were clearly seasoned, battle-hardened outlaws.
Lao Zhong and A Huo stepped up to his left and right, eyeing Wrench and her gang warily.
"What kind of business?" Jin Wanchao finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying unshakable authority.
Wrench laughed, a sound like ringing silver, yet edged with coldness.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not here to fight." She held up a finger painted in bright color, pointing first at Calis, then at the chaotic plaza. "You took down this mad dog Calis. From now on, Scrap Iron Plaza is yours. On my turf, rules come first."
Her eyes turned to the sky, where the Black Steel Council's airships still circled, their shrill alarms never ceasing.
"But you've stirred up no small trouble. The Black Steel Council won't let you off. And I can offer you a safe house, a chance to catch your breath."
She turned back to Jin Wanchao, her gaze sharpening.
"I watched you crawl up from the underground. I watched you use those little toys to beat the Black Iron Guards like dogs. You have technology. You have faith. And you have the secret to turning men into berserkers."
Her gaze fell on the steam spear in Jin Wanchao's hand.
"And I have supplies. Intelligence. Fencing channels. In this Lower District, everyone gives Wrench face."
She paused, her tone turning coaxing.
"My men want to be as strong as you."
"So I propose—an alliance."
Alliance.
Lao Zhong and A Huo exchanged a glance, both shocked and wary.
"Alliance with her?" Lao Zhong muttered quietly into Jin Wanchao's ear. "Brother Wanchao, she's no good news. In this scrap heap, right under the Black Steel Council's nose, she's held onto her throne as queen. She's got plenty of blood on her hands."
Jin Wanchao did not reply. He stared at Wrench, his inner "flame" pulsing as he rapidly analyzed the situation.
The Black Steel Council would soon return with greater force. The Geothermal Terminal was hidden, but its crippling shortage of supplies was a fatal flaw. What they needed now was safety, supplies, and a guide who knew the Lower District inside out.
And Wrench was without a doubt the perfect candidate.
"What do you want from me?" Jin Wanchao asked.
Wrench smiled faintly. She preferred talking to smart men.
"Simple. Your 'Divine Grace.'" She pointed at him. "You can turn scrap into lethal weapons. You can turn unarmed workers into fiercer fighters than the Black Iron Guards. I want you to provide technical support and weapon modifications for my people."
She pulled a delicately patterned metal box from her coat, pressed it lightly, and it opened to reveal several energy crystals glowing with faint blue light.
"These are energy crystals. They're worth a fortune. I'll trade them for your 'Divine Grace' on my men. For every scavenger you awaken, I'll pay you extra resources."
Jin Wanchao's "flame" jolted violently. Energy crystals were the rarest resource he needed right now. Building and powering steam weapons required a steady energy supply, and energy crystals were the ideal medium for storage and conversion.
"Besides," Wrench added, "I have a reliable channel for news about the Nursery Factory. My intelligence network spreads across the entire Lower District, and even reaches into corners of the Upper District."
The Nursery Factory.
Jin Wanchao's heart clenched. This temptation was one he could not refuse.
He glanced at A Huo, whose eyes flickered with hesitation and reluctance, but finally nodded. They needed strength. Allies. Information.
"Deal." Jin Wanchao held out his hand.
A satisfied smile spread across Wrench's face. She extended her hand as well, and the two clasped hands in mid-air, sealing the deal.
"Good." Wrench clapped her hands. One of her scavengers stepped forward at once and cut the ropes binding Li Si and Zhao Wu.
"Now, what to do with Calis?" She glanced at the struggling centurion at her feet, a bloodthirsty glint in her eyes.
Jin Wanchao's gaze settled on Calis. He could "see" that although the centurion had been defeated, the energy of the Black Steel Council within him still burned strongly, like smoldering ash.
"Take him back," Jin Wanchao said. "He might still be useful."
Wrench shrugged and did not object.
"A Huo, Lao Zhong—take Li Si and Zhao Wu, follow Wrench's group to her safe house first," Jin Wanchao ordered. "I have some business to finish."
Though reluctant, A Huo and Lao Zhong knew Jin Wanchao's decisions were final. They nodded, led the rescued companions, and quickly vanished into the chaos of Scrap Iron Plaza under the scavengers' escort.
Jin Wanchao turned back to the Lower District people, their spirits briefly ignited by his group's arrival, now left bewildered.
Their cheers had died down, replaced by more complicated looks—awe, curiosity, and deeper confusion.
Jin Wanchao knew: the real battle had only just begun.
"Move out!"
He left with the remaining Fire Worshipers. The Black Steel Council's reinforcements would reach Scrap Iron Plaza soon—and he had no wish to clash head-on with them here.
---
Meanwhile, in a luxurious floating airship above the Upper District.
A man in an ornate white uniform and monocle gently swirled a glass of red wine. His hair was slicked back perfectly, and he wore a perpetual, arrogant smile.
Before him stood a massive transparent screen. On it, the chaos of Scrap Iron Plaza and footage of Jin Wanchao defeating Calis played on repeat.
"Lord Valerius," a Black Iron Guard officer said carefully from behind him. "Centurion Calis has been captured. The Furnace District has rioted. The West District gas station exploded. All incidents lead back to that worker, Jin Wanchao… We've activated maximum suppression procedures, but the Lower District is complex—"
Valerius said nothing. He only slowly turned his wine glass, watching the liquid swirl, his gaze deep as two icy abysses.
"Interesting," he finally said, his voice low and magnetic, yet steeped in innate arrogance. "A tiny worm… stirring up such a storm."
He set the glass aside, stood slowly, and walked to the screen. His finger lightly traced Jin Wanchao's face on the display.
"Jin Wanchao… the Awakener… the Fire-Bringer…" He murmured the ancient titles, a sarcastic curve forming on his lips. "So the old legends are at work."
He turned to the guard officer, his smile turning playful.
"Pass the order: do not rush to suppress. Let the little worm wriggle a while longer."
The guard officer froze, staring at him in confusion.
"Lord Valerius, this… this will damage the Council's authority!"
"Authority?" Valerius scoffed disdainfully. "Those bottom-feeders need despair, not hope. Give them a glimmer of hope first, let them think they can resist… and then—"
He made a gentle crushing gesture.
"—they will learn once and for all that the only consequence of rebellion is deeper despair."
His gaze returned to the screen. This time, it was not Jin Wanchao he looked at, but the woman in the corner of the frame—the leather-clad, shrewd, cunning Wrench.
"My dear Ms. Wrench… you're still as restless as ever," he whispered to himself, voice full of amusement. "But it doesn't matter. All pieces will eventually return to my hand."
"I will let that little worm… ring your death knell with his own hands."
---
Inside an abandoned giant water pump station, massive metal pipes coiled like giant pythons, stretching into the darkness. The space was vast, cold, and echoey—the perfect place for negotiations.
Wrench sat on an overturned giant valve, legs crossed, casually twirling a delicate dagger. Behind her, a dozen scavengers stood armed, watching Jin Wanchao's group with sharp eyes.
Jin Wanchao, A Huo, Lao Zhong, and the rescued Li Si and Zhao Wu stood on the opposite side. Though injured, Li Si and Zhao Wu's eyes burned with unprecedented resolve.
"When will I get the information on the Nursery Factory?" Jin Wanchao cut straight to the point.
Wrench sheathed her dagger. She liked Jin Wanchao's directness.
"My people are already looking. But that place is the Black Steel Council's highest secret. Reliable intelligence will take time." She paused, her tone turning mysterious. "However, I know a place where you might find the clues you want."
Jin Wanchao frowned. His inner "flame" flared sharply—he sensed this would not be simple.
"Where?"
Wrench looked into the deeper darkness of the pump station, her smile unfathomable.
"The Black Steel Council has a secret data storage center in the Lower District. It holds all their underground records: population registries, supply distributions, and… the information on every child sent to the Nursery Factory."
She turned back to Jin Wanchao, her gaze sharp as a blade.
"If you can retrieve the data from there, you may find your sister's whereabouts… and even the exact location of the Nursery Factory."
"But that place is far more dangerous than you think. It's guarded by the Council's elite troops, with all kinds of automated defense systems. To get in, you must move silently, leaving no trace."
Jin Wanchao's "flame" blazed fiercely. He could "see" that Wrench was not lying.
A data storage center…
Unconsciously, he recalled the ancient blueprint for the Sonic Suppression Field hidden behind the murals in the Geothermal Terminal.
Perhaps this was no coincidence.
This was the God of Artisans guiding him.
He looked at A Huo and Lao Zhong, their eyes bright with excitement and determination.
Jin Wanchao took a deep breath.
"Good. Tell me where it is."
He knew that from this moment on, they were no longer the Fire Worshipers, hiding and struggling underground.
They would officially step into the turbulent Lower District, becoming a new force against the Black Steel Council.
And it all began with this deal with Wrench.