Chapter 87: Armed Gardener

"Ark Headquarters… underground?" Kaiwen let out a startled cry, nearly jumping up, "We've been circling for ages, and the ultimate dungeon entrance is right beneath the newbie village BOSS lair? Who wrote this script? It's way too melodramatic!"

Even the usually composed Han Qing (who learned the news via the communicator) fell silent for a while before responding: "…Indeed, that's unexpected."

Chen Mo stared at the coordinates projected by the Judger's crystal; the precise location indeed overlapped the underground structure of the Ark Headquarters' core area. No wonder the Ark rose so quickly—they were probably directly above the source of the Chaos Whisper, unintentionally drawing on some diffused power, or being twisted by its influence, which led them down the extreme "purification" path.

"We need a plan," Chen Mo suppressed his inner turbulence, looking at Cross Star. "Since we're now 'Gardeners' with the authority, what assistance can the Stasis Realm provide? We can't just charge straight into the Ark Headquarters."

The Cross Star's cross observation lens flickered: "'The Stasis Realm' stores some of the Judger's leftover technical blueprints and weapon prototypes. As a 'Gardener' team, you have the right to use these resources for armament. Additionally, we can provide the original schematics of the Ark Headquarters' underground area, and… limited direct support."

"Limited support?" Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow. "Can't you metal cans come with us to take down the Ark's old nest?"

"Our primary duty is to guard the 'Stasis Realm' and ensure the Judger's legacy remains intact," Cross Star replied meticulously. "Moreover, a large‑scale deployment would be exposed early, prompting the Ark to tighten defenses, which would hinder your infiltration. However, we can offer a one‑time orbital strike support, and… a small squad of 'Order Blade' as tactical advisors and vanguards."

"Orbital strike?!" Kaiwen's eyes lit up instantly. "That's great! Can we first plow through the Ark Headquarters?"

"Energy is limited; we can only provide a single precise strike, for destroying key targets or creating chaos," Cross Star poured cold water on the idea.

"Tactical advisor? With your cold, icy demeanor, what can you advise?" Zhang Yang muttered.

"At least they're tough in a fight," Wang Hu evaluated objectively, his memory still fresh of that earlier axe being blocked.

Chen Mo nodded in acceptance: "That's enough. Please take us to see the equipment."

Guided by Cross Star, they arrived at a massive armory deep within the 'Stasis Realm'. When the vault doors slid open, even Chen Mo and the others, accustomed to Luo Ya technology, were stunned by the sight.

Inside, the vault wasn't piled with ready‑made weapons but with floating platforms, each bearing flowing silver metallic liquid and holographic projections of intricate blueprints.

"This is the Construction Workshop," Cross Star introduced. "It can custom‑generate equipment based on the user's traits and needs. Please step onto the platforms; the workshop will automatically scan and produce the most suitable armament scheme for each of you."

The group obeyed and stepped onto the platforms. The silver metallic liquid enveloped them as if alive, while countless tiny probes performed scanning and analysis.

After a moment, the equipment schemes for each person began to generate:

• Chen Mo: a lightweight yet extremely durable silver‑gray armor, with shoulder and chest plates inlaid with blue crystals resonating with his Luo Ya rune long sword, greatly enhancing his guidance and release of Order power. The long sword itself was reconfigured, its blade elongated, runes flowing endlessly, bearing a "High‑Frequency Order Vibration" attribute, highly effective against energy shields and twisted constructs. The new gear is named the 【Order Governor】 set.

• Su Yu: an almost movement‑unrestricted flexible sensor suit, deep purple with a hood. The biggest change is that she received a semi‑covering ocular visor, which vastly amplifies and refines her True Knowledge Vision, even allowing brief "precognitive flashbacks" to glimpse fragments a few seconds into the future. Named the 【Insight】 set.

• Kaiwen: an exoskeleton‑type technical assistance rig, with a multifunctional mechanical arm on his back capable of rapid device hacking, engineering tasks, and deploying micro‑recon drones. His console is integrated into the arm's holographic display and directly linked to a non‑core database of the Stasis Realm. Named the 【Universal Engineer】 set.

• Zhang Yang: his gear is the most straightforward—a black heavy‑powered armor exuding strength. The left arm integrates a retractable solid shield (edges lined with energy teeth), while the right arm wields an exaggerated three‑tube rotary bomb gun; calling it a gun, its caliber nearly matches a small cannon. In his words: "Now that's powerful!" Named the 【Siege Cannon】 set.

• Wang Hu: his battle axe was re‑forged, with a larger head and blades flowing with dark‑red energy luster, possessing a "Mass Disintegration" effect that can damage an object's internal structure upon impact. His armor is heavy plate armor focused on defense and strength amplification, turning him into a humanoid siege hammer. Named the 【Earthshaker】 set.

Seeing their newly upgraded comrades and feeling the immense power of the new gear, everyone's confidence surged dramatically.

"Cool to death!" Kaiwen manipulated the mechanical arm, having a blast. "This tech tree is maxed out, even darker than Luo Ya!"

"Now we can make the Ark's brats really have a good drink!" Zhang Yang brandished his new bomb gun, eager to find a mech and test its power.

Armed and with a plan in place, a full‑scale assault on the Ark Headquarters would be tantamount to suicide; even with new gear and an orbital strike, facing the Ark's entire military would be a futile effort. The only option is infiltration.

According to the original schematics supplied by Cross Star, deep beneath the Ark Headquarters lies an abandoned, old‑era deep‑metro hub, with a maintenance tunnel that bypasses the Ark's main defenses and leads directly toward the source area. The tunnel is aged and fraught with unknown hazards, but it is the optimal route.

"Ghost squad, deploy again," Han Qing said over the comms, leading the original team and coordinating two "Order Blade" warriors as guides (codenamed "Leng Gang" and "Tie An"), tasked with scouting the infiltration route and clearing any obstacles.

Chen Mo and the others boarded a transport aircraft camouflaged with Stasis Realm technology, silently arriving at the predetermined rendezvous point outside the Ark Headquarters.

The wait was agonizing. Through the transport's viewport, they could see the distant Ark Headquarters, its towering, cloud‑piercing, brightly lit spires, and patrol fleets intermittently sweeping the surrounding airspace. Who could have imagined that this core of the "Echo" would dare to get under the tiger's nose?

Hours later, Han Qing's signal came through: "Route confirmed, obstacles cleared. Entrance safe, can proceed. Note, the tunnel environment is extreme, with high‑intensity radiation residues and… some kind of biological corrosive trace."

Receiving the signal, Chen Mo's party quickly left the transport and slipped into the shadows. Guided by the two Order Blade warriors, they found the entrance hidden beneath a ruin—a vertical shaft sealed by a rusted metal cover plate.

Leng Gang stepped forward, his arm armor reshaping to emit a cutting beam that silently sliced the cover. A hot gust, mingling iron rust, mildew, and an indescribable foul stench, surged up from the shaft.

"Stay close," Tie An said succinctly, descending first. The others followed in turn.

Below the shaft lay a wide yet dilapidated tunnel; the old‑era rails were rusted and broken, walls coated with viscous dark substances, and visible dust hung in the air. Radiation readings were alarmingly high; without the new armor's protection, an ordinary person would die in an instant.

Su Yu, wearing the 【Insight】 ocular visor, watched the surroundings warily: "Careful, the corrosive marks on the walls… show signs of life, like a dormant fungal carpet."

As soon as she finished speaking, deep ahead in the tunnel came a sour‑tinged rustling, like countless arthropods crawling.

The sound grew louder and clearer as it approached. Under the tunnel's dim emergency lights (some still flickering), a massive black "tide" surged forward from ahead!

It was a swarm of mutated cockroaches, each fist‑sized, shells glinting oily black, mouths snapping repeatedly—a bug tide! They seemed drawn by human scent, surging forward like a hungry wave.

"Damn! So many!" Zhang Yang shouted, but his face showed no fear, only excitement. "Perfect for christening the new toys!"

He raised the three‑tube bomb gun on his right arm, "Bzz—" the rotary mechanism began to spin!

"Dong—dong—dong—dong—!!"

The deafening boom echoed through the tunnel as bomb shells rained like a metallic storm onto the bug tide! Each shell cleared a small area, with limbs and shell fragments scattering everywhere.

Wang Hu stood like a rock at the front; each swing of his 【Earthshaker】 battle axe summoned a gust of blood‑soaked wind, and the heavy shells shattered under his axe as if they were paper.

Yet the insects were overwhelming in number; they fought recklessly, even trampling over fallen comrades to keep charging, and attempted to flank from the walls and ceiling.

"Definition: ten meters ahead, area incinerated!" Su Yu activated her visor ability, foreseeing the insects' flanking routes and issuing an early warning.

Chen Mo immediately swung his 【Order Governor】 warblade, a fan of blue Order fire bursting forth, scorching the insects attempting to surge from the flanks into charcoal.

Kaiwen then controlled his mechanical arm, launching a high‑frequency sonic emitter and acidic foam bombs, effectively disrupting the insects' formation and corroding their shells.

The two "Order Blade" warriors displayed extremely high combat efficiency. Their energy weapons fired with pinpoint accuracy, each shot piercing several insects, and their coordinated movement functioned like an efficient killing machine, filling the firepower gaps.

Yet the bug tide seemed endless.

"We can't keep going like this! Ammo and energy will run out!" Kaiwen shouted, his sonic emitter already overheating.

"Su Yu, find the source!" Chen Mo shouted while swinging his blade.

Su Yu focused, the 【Insight】 visor's light flaring intensely, her sight piercing layer upon layer of insects toward the tunnel's depths. "At… three hundred meters away, there's a massive nest! The energy signature is abnormal, as if twisted by the Chaos Whisper!"

"When catching a thief, first catch the king!" Chen Mo decided instantly, "Han Qing, report the forward route!"

"Path clear! But near the nest there's a strong bio‑energy field, heavy interference!" Han Qing's voice came in fragmented bursts.

"Leng Gang, Tie An, clear the way! Zhang Yang, Wang Hu, follow me for the assault! Su Yu, Kaiwen, provide fire support, watch the flanks!" Chen Mo ordered swiftly.

"Understood!" The two Order Blade warriors instantly changed formation, deploying energy shields at the front, forging a path through the bug tide like an icebreaker! Chen Mo, Zhang Yang, and Wang Hu followed closely, like sharp arrows piercing deep into the swarm.

Su Yu and Kaiwen stayed at the rear, using ranged abilities and traps to hold back insects surging from the sides and rear, buying time for the assault team.

Within the tunnel, guns roared, energy flashed, the insects' screeches and the warriors' war cries intertwined into a subterranean symphony of life and death.

Can the assault squad successfully eliminate the bug nest? Their infiltration has only just begun, yet they've already faced such perilous trials. The Ark Headquarters' underground is far more dangerous than they imagined.