Brutal

From the conversation between the two researchers, it was clear they had likely been kidnapped and were being forced to serve the Children of the Abyss, possibly under threat of harm to their families or loved ones.
Xiao Bai observed further and discovered a small, mysterious device implanted in the chest area of both men. Its purpose was unclear, but it certainly didn't resemble any medical equipment.
The researchers then used their panels to assign a "physical training" task to a group of cyborgs. The cyborgs, expressionless, began running laps around the track.
Seeing this, Xiao Bai felt a flicker of confusion:
Since they've already undergone mechanical augmentation, why do they still need this primitive training? Why not make the enhancements more thorough? Is it a lack of technology? Cost limitations?
Still pondering, his gaze followed the researchers as they entered a nearby production workshop.
When Xiao Bai finally took in the scene inside, his Engine involuntarily twitched.
The workshop was vast, housing ten long assembly lines. Workers stood in neat rows on both sides, performing their repetitive tasks with blank expressions.
These workers were uniformly thin and frail. Below the knees, their legs had been amputated and replaced with crude metal prosthetics, then welded firmly to their workstations.
Their hands had been replaced with various mechanical arms, welding guns, electric screwdrivers, wrenches, and other tools. Cables connected to the interfaces at the back of their heads, ensuring their movements were as precise as machinery.
A tube directly connected to their stomachs provided hydration and essential nutrients, while another soft tube at their lower back handled waste removal.
Many of the modified wounds had not fully healed, some even festering from infection, yet they felt no pain. All of them wore a blank, numb expression.
They were less human than a machine on an assembly line, mere breathing wetware.
"Why do it like this? Wouldn't it be better to just use machines? Fully automated production lines aren't exactly expensive or futuristic technology."
Xiao Bai couldn't comprehend the cruelty of these people.
Even the two researchers, who were no strangers to such things, paled at the sight, too afraid to breathe the air thick with the stench of oil and decay.
More bizarre still, the workshop was not the crude, dirty space one would expect of a factory, but lavishly decorated instead.
The walls, floor, and ceiling were adorned with vibrant murals. Lavishly crafted crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling, while the windows were made of colorful stained glass.
The limited space was crammed with candlestands, sculptures, oil paintings, and other exquisite handicrafts. In one corner, an antique record player continuously played an eerie melody.
Setting aside the assembly lines, the scene resembled a grandiose ballroom hosting some bizarre ritual.
Suddenly, one of the assembly lines paused. A wetware unit had stopped moving.
Two researchers quickly manipulated their tablets, and a figure in light mecha walked in, carrying a human-shaped mummy slung over his shoulder.
With practiced ease, he removed the malfunctioning wetware from its station, discarded the mechanical arm he was wearing, secured the mummy in place, and brutally reinserted the mechanical arm into the severed joint.
The assembly line resumed operation, though drops of fresh blood occasionally splattered onto the mechanical parts, staining them crimson and filling the air with a metallic sweetness.
The two researchers couldn't bear to look directly at the scene, one of them coughing repeatedly, barely suppressing his nausea.
Only Xiao Bai watched silently, his fists cracking with metallic tension.
His gaze no longer followed the researchers, instead scanning the rest of the base.
He first spotted three laboratories, each containing over a dozen researchers engaged in various experiments. Nearby were several operating rooms underg oing renovations, where multiple surgeries were being performed simultaneously. Below the operating rooms lay a dungeon holding over fifty people, dark and cold, all motionless with a wound near their right eyes, as if their frontal lobes had been removed.
Nex t, he surveyed the base's defense forces, equipped with autocannons, anti-air missiles, towed howitzers, and various other weapons. There were numerous watchtowers and bunkers, along with radar, infrared detectors, and wide-area scanners for early warning.
In total, there were 262 modified armed personnel, all equipped with standard-issue 'Martial Soldier'-type light mecha armed with various light weapons.
In addition to this, there were 32 'Executioner'-type medium-sized mecha—
According to official news, this type of mecha was independently developed by some unknown faction and widely equipped by various criminal organizations, making it a classic villain in countless movies.
Its structure is nearly identical to the 'Second Master', equipped with the same weapons, but with reduced defense and avionics systems, resulting in a more affordable cost.
"It's roughly equivalent to half the combat power of an armored battalion. Very imposing. This shows how highly the Children of the Abyss value security here. It must be a critical logistics base for their personnel training and equipment production."
"We were really misled by the official news. I originally thought the Children of the Abyss were just rats in the sewers, but they're actually a group of warlords with their own weapons production line and even their own technology."
"Though in an era where technology relies on archaeology, it's not entirely surprising. But for them to have developed this far, there must be someone backing them—possibly even some official faction?"
"This makes me have to believe those conspiracy theories on the internet. The Earth Federation has been around for 50 years, but division and conflict have never truly disappeared. Those bandits haven't vanished either; they're still scheming to regain their dominance."
"Ah... We know The End is coming, yet we still refuse to truly unite. Humans will forever repeat the same mistakes."
Xiao Bai sighed, his gaze finally settling on a resplendent chapel.
Inside, ten figures known as "Deacons"—the true controllers of the base—were gathered. Dressed in highly religious robes and adorned with precious jewelry, they chanted scriptures with devout fervor, praising their "King."
When two capsule-shaped trains emerged from the Abyss Gate and entered the base, one of the Deacons stood up and, accompanied by two guards, went to the station where the trains had stopped.
Fifteen people disembarked, three of them bound and blindfolded, struggling fiercely. The remaining twelve moved with vacant expressions, herded forward by guards like cattle.

Chapter end