The torches flickered. In the underground relay station, every surviving flame burned with rage suppressed to its breaking point. The name Valerius was now the vilest curse on everyone's lips. Like a puppeteer toying with marionettes, he had manipulated them all, and this humiliation cut deeper than any previous defeat.
Kim Man-jo stood before the mural, his fingers brushing gently against the gears of the Whispering Fang. The maps of Zone Zero, Valerius's personal logs, and fragments of the so-called Chimera Project from the data core wove together in his vision into a vast and sinister blueprint. He saw the madness hidden behind Valerius's cold mask, and he saw the immense danger—and hope—lurking within that toxic land.
"Zone Zero." Kim Man-jo's voice was heavy, yet firm and resonant, like a hammer striking steel. "Valerius's private domain. And our starting point for revenge."
He projected the map of Zone Zero onto the crude terminal. The huge hologram instantly filled the entire relay station: yellow-green toxic mist, twisted ruins, and dense patrol routes of mechanical puppets, making everyone's hearts sink.
"Shit. This place is a living hell," Ah Huo cursed, staring at the marked toxic zones on the screen.
"Correct. The air here is thick with deadly fumes from industrial waste. An ordinary person would die within half an hour of entering," Kim Man-jo said. His gaze, however, fixed on the dense distribution of mechanical puppets. "What's more, Valerius has deployed numerous automated defense systems and combat puppets here—deadlier than the Black Iron Guard."
Everyone's hearts sank further. If even breathing meant death, how could they fight?
"But we are not ordinary people." Kim Man-jo's voice suddenly rose, flames blazing in his eyes. "We have the Divine Enlightenment. We have the Whispering Fang."
In his vision, he rapidly restructured and calculated the ancient knowledge of the Whispering Fang alongside the technical parameters stolen from the data core. A brand-new blueprint gradually took shape in his mind.
"We need gear that can block poison gas, withstand attacks, and amplify our strength." Kim Man-jo pointed at the patrolling mechanical puppets on the hologram, then at his own steam-powered gauntlet. "A closed steam-powered exoskeleton—one built for combat in toxic environments."
The idea struck everyone like a bolt of lightning.
"A closed steam exoskeleton?" Old Zhong trembled with excitement, his beard quivering. He stared at Kim Man-jo, disbelief in his eyes. "Brother Man-jo… this… this is like forging an entirely new war machine."
"Exactly." Kim Man-jo nodded and directly transmitted the blueprint to Old Zhong and Ah Huo.
The two were instantly stunned. The blueprint's sophistication and complexity far exceeded their imagination. It was no simple armor, but a self-contained combat system integrating oxygen supply, toxic gas filtration, power assistance, and weapon mounts.
"But many of these materials are rare alloys," Ah Huo frowned. "And these precision hydraulic drive systems—we don't have any of them."
Kim Man-jo's gaze turned to Wrench, the shrewd woman who had stood quietly in the corner, observing everything from the start.
"Wrench, we need supplies: rare alloys, hydraulic components, high-strength fiber materials…" Kim Man-jo spoke plainly.
Wrench smiled, sharp as a fox that had scented blood. Her once-faint flame flared bright again, for she saw massive profit and a wider future ahead.
"Deal," Wrench said crisply. "I can get all that from the black market. But no more sewers this time. My men can't afford a second loss."
"They won't," Kim Man-jo said, unshakable confidence burning in his eyes. "This time, we are the hunters."
With Wrench's promise, the underground relay station stirred back to life. All the anger and despair among the group channeled into a feverish passion for creation.
Kim Man-jo became the chief designer, drawing and calculating without sleep. He pushed the ancient wisdom of the Whispering Fang and the insight of the Divine Enlightenment to their limits, even running three-dimensional simulations directly in his mind, refining every detail of the exoskeleton. Old Zhong led several seasoned craftsmen in charge of structure and materials. Ah Huo, relying on his intuition for steam machinery, headed the young technical team in solving one manufacturing problem after another.
The clanging of metal, the hiss of escaping steam, heavy breathing and shouts wove together into a powerful symphony. The fires of vengeance fully ignited the underground space.
They pored repeatedly over Valerius's personal files seized from the data center, even simulating the patrol routes and attack patterns of the mechanical puppets in Zone Zero on scrap steel plates. Every steel bar, every plate of armor held their hatred for the Black Steel Council and their thirst for revenge against Valerius.
Three days later.
A crude, menacing exoskeleton of brutal beauty stood silently on the makeshift testing platform at the center of the relay station. Its entire body was riveted from recycled alloy plates, coated in black anti-corrosion paint, with a large liquid oxygen tank and steam generator attached to its back. Thick armor and hydraulic drives covered its joints, and its hands were forged into massive metal claws capable of tearing through steel with ease.
"Brother Man-jo, it's done!" Ah Huo roared in excitement. Gazing at the steel war machine forged from everyone's efforts, his eyes burned with fervor.
Kim Man-jo stepped before the exoskeleton. He could see the precise flow of energy within the armor and the rhythm of every gear. This was the wisdom of the Whispering Fang, the sweat of countless craftsmen, and the will of everyone's vengeance.
"Who's first?" Kim Man-jo's gaze swept over the crowd.
"I will!" Ah Huo charged forward without hesitation, climbing into the cold steel shell.
Under Kim Man-jo's guidance, Ah Huo fumblingly operated the exoskeleton. As the hydraulic system activated and steam burst forth, the heavy exoskeleton rumbled deeply and rose slowly. Every step shook the ground; every punch cut through the air with a howl. Inside, Ah Huo felt his strength extend, a powerful unity with the machine.
Soon, the first five-man squad equipped with steam exoskeletons assembled in the relay station. Clad in ferocious steel shells, they looked like vengeful deities risen from the depths of hell.
Kim Man-jo stared at them, his gaze unwavering.
"Let's move out."
They would serve as the vanguard, infiltrating Zone Zero to reconnoiter.