Chapter 12: Broken Spine Ruins, Rust and Fangs

The lead-gray dawn had just dispelled the heaviest darkness when Lin Mo and Ellie were already ready to depart. Lingna was strictly ordered to stay inside the shack, reinforce the wooden door, and not leave unless absolutely necessary. Lin Mo slung his hunting rifle over his back, strapped a rusted knife and a few shotgun shells to his waist, and carried a crude bag woven from rags and metal wire to hold materials. Ellie traveled light, her short crossbow strung, dagger tucked within easy reach, and a water flask and strips of dried meat hanging at her waist.

The two slipped from the depression like ghosts, moving stealthily toward the ruins Ellie called “Broken Spine.” The air reeked of the wasteland’s signature rust and dust; the ground beneath their feet remained dry and cracked. Ellie led the way, her steps light and precise, always avoiding soft sand and noisy metal shards, choosing the most concealed paths. Lin Mo struggled to keep up, scanning the surroundings with vigilance.

The “Broken Spine” ruins lived up to their name. It was a vast industrial wasteland of debris—countless thick, rust-pitted metal pipes lay twisted and collapsed like the bones of dead dragons, their broken ends revealing jagged, fang-like edges. Massive steel frameworks had collapsed and piled atop one another, forming dangerous, unstable caves and fissures. The ground was coated in thick layers of rust powder and ash, crunching underfoot. The air carried a stronger metallic decay scent—and something else… an indescribable, faintly sweet metallic tang of radiation dust.

【WARNING! Moderate radiation contamination detected! Host, evacuate immediately or implement protective measures!】 The system’s alert echoed in Lin Mo’s mind.

Lin Mo stiffened, instinctively holding his breath. Ellie, as if expecting it, pulled two crude “masks” wrapped in multiple layers of rags, faintly smelling of wood ash, from her chest and handed one to Lin Mo. “Put it on. Don’t stay long.”

Lin Mo quickly donned it. The protection was limited, but better than nothing. The two stepped cautiously into the steel graveyard.

“Find… big, straight metal pipes. Or… thick steel plates.” Lin Mo whispered, describing the materials needed for the blueprint.

Ellie nodded, her sharp gaze sweeping the massive metal debris like a searchlight. She quickly locked onto a partially buried metal pipe, about half a meter in diameter and over five meters long. One end was crushed under fallen steel beams; the other slanted toward the sky, heavily rusted but structurally intact.

“That one!” Lin Mo’s eyes lit up! Perfect for the main beam!

The two approached the pipe. It felt cold and heavy, its surface coated in thick rust scales. Lin Mo pushed—it didn’t budge.

“Need to… break it.” Ellie studied the end pinned under the beam. The beam itself was equally massive and heavy.

“Try these?” Lin Mo pulled several relatively thick metal pry bars from his bag—looted from raiders.

Ellie took one. Together, they jammed the pry bars deep into the gap between the pipe and the crushing beam. They pushed with all their strength downward!

“Creeeak… creeeak…” The grating sound of metal scraping made teeth ache. Rust flakes rained down. Under immense force, the heavy beam and pipe groaned in protest—the gap began to widen!

“Again!” Lin Mo growled, sweat instantly soaking his back. Ellie gritted her teeth, muscles taut, and pushed again!

“CRASH!” A deafening boom! The levered beam plunged downward, dragging the massive pipe with it as it crashed to the ground, kicking up a storm of rust dust!

Success! One end of the pipe was finally freed!

But the tremendous noise, like a stone thrown into stagnant water, shattered the ruins’ silence instantly!

“Sssss—!”

“Grrrrooo—!”

Several guttural, ravenous roars erupted from deep within the ruins—sharp, piercing, metallic in texture!

Moments later, several swift gray shadows shot out from between collapsed steel beams like cannonballs, lunging straight at Lin Mo and Ellie!

Radiation beasts! And more than one! Smaller than the previous radiation wolves, but faster—resembling mutated rats scaled up many times, their bodies covered in sparse, filthy stiff hairs, exposing pink, tumor-riddled skin. Their limbs were abnormally thick, claws razor-sharp. Most horrifying was their mouths, split ear-to-ear, lined with Cengcengdiedie , Cuodao -like white teeth. Their tiny crimson eyes burned with pure, ravenous hunger!

“Cracktooth rats! Fall back!” Ellie barked, her body snapping taut like a drawn bow. Her short crossbow flashed upward!

“Shhh!” A pale blue bolt shot from the string, piercing the mouth of the lead rat and spearing through its fragile throat!

“Ploosh!” Black blood sprayed! The rat didn’t even scream—it rolled over, limbs twitching, and collapsed.

But the other three cracktooth rats were already upon them! A stench of blood and decay hit their faces!

Lin Mo’s scalp prickled. Instinctively, he raised his hunting rifle. No time to aim—he fired at the rat charging him!

“BOOM!!”

The deafening gunshot exploded through the ruins. The recoil slammed into Lin Mo’s shoulder, sending him stumbling backward two steps!

A storm of iron shot blasted outward! The lead cracktooth rat took the full brunt—half its body shredded into bloody pulp, crashing to the ground. But the shotgun’s spread was wide; the two behind were also hit, screaming in pain as blood blossomed across their bodies, their advance momentarily halted!

Perfect chance! Ellie moved like a ghost, closing the distance. Her dagger flashed coldly, slicing cleanly through the neck artery of one wounded cracktooth rat—black blood gushed!

The last cracktooth rat, shaken by its companions’ deaths and the rifle’s roar, hesitated—its hunger soon overrode fear. It growled, circled Ellie, and lunged again at Lin Mo, the easier target!

Lin Mo had just regained his footing, ears ringing from the gunshot, arms numb. Seeing the monstrous rat charge, panic seized him—he had no time to reload. Instinctively, he swung the metal pry bar at the rat’s head!

“Thud!” The pry bar struck the rat’s hard skull with a dull thump. The impact wrenched its head sideways, throwing off its lunge—its razor claws scraped along Lin Mo’s ribs, leaving fiery red scratches!

Agony made Lin Mo gasp. The rat landed, spun, and charged again!

In the nick of time!

“Shhh!” A crossbow bolt pierced the rat’s nape, the tip emerging from its throat. Ellie!

The last cracktooth rat thrashed a few times, then collapsed into a pool of blood.

The fight ended swiftly—but perilously. Lin Mo leaned against cover, gasping, his rib wound burning, sweat drenching his clothes. He stared at the four grotesque rat corpses, heart still pounding. The rifle was devastating—but slow to reload and deafening. Using it here was dangerously risky!

Ellie swiftly retrieved her bolt, scanning the ruins’ depths with caution. “Too loud. More may come. Move!”

Lin Mo knew they couldn’t stay. Ignoring exhaustion and pain, they lifted the heavy pipe together. It was heavier than expected. Using the pry bars as levers, they strained with all their might, barely raising one end, dragging it toward the depression. The pipe scraped noisily over the rust- and stone-strewn ground.

They found a relatively flat, half-meter-square steel plate, nearly two centimeters thick. Though warped at the edges, it would suffice as a workbench. Lin Mo also picked up several straight steel rods, wrist-thick, perfect for frame supports.

The heavy haul slowed them. By the time they dragged the pipe and plate, stumbling, to the edge of the depression, the sun stood high.

Inside the shack, Lingna saw them return—especially Lin Mo’s bleeding rib wound and their exhausted state. Her face paled again. But she didn’t cry. She rushed out, used the last of the clean water Lin Mo left her to rinse the wound, then skillfully applied medicine powder and bandaged it.

Watching Lingna’s focused, careful movements, warmth surged in Lin Mo’s chest. He didn’t rest. He immediately began planning the workshop’s layout—right against the wall, in the flattest corner of the shack.

Ellie joined in. Her strength was astonishing—she hauled the heavy pipe and plate into place. Lin Mo, using the steel rods, screws, nuts, and found metal wire, clumsily began assembling the frame according to the blueprint’s schematic.

It was an excruciatingly exhausting and patient process. The rods needed cutting and bending to connect; the plate needed leveling and securing; the pipe as the main beam required solid support… Lin Mo had no proper tools—only a rusted knife, a few pry bars, and scraps of metal. Progress was slow; his fingers were cut repeatedly by sharp metal edges.

Lingna silently helped—passing tools, gathering scattered screws, using her small strength to steady the wobbling frame.

Time passed in the clanging of hammer strikes. By sunset, a crude, crooked metal frame had finally taken shape! The main beam was propped against the shack wall by steel rods; the thick plate was crudely bolted onto shorter rods, forming a shaky workbench.

Though rough, far from the system’s “Basic Workshop” blueprint, a functional “work corner” had at last taken form!

Lin Mo was nearly collapsed from exhaustion, but gazing at this workshop forged from scrap and sweat, pride swelled in him. He picked up the rusted hatchet and ground its edge against the rough steel plate—sparks flew! Rust flaked away, revealing a sharper blade beneath!

“Done!” Lin Mo growled triumphantly. With this platform, he could begin repairing more things—even crafting tools!

At that moment, Ellie, on perimeter watch, gave a sharp warning: “Someone’s coming!”

Lin Mo’s heart clenched. Had the Blood Claws returned? He snatched up the hunting rifle leaning against the wall!

On the eastern edge of the depression, along the path to “Gear Graveyard,” the familiar figure appeared again—Old Karl, leaning on his metal cane. He still carried his bulging backpack, but now he walked slowly, his face devoid of its usual shrewd grin—instead, a hint of… anxiety and tension. He kept glancing back, as if something pursued him.

When he saw the conspicuous, newly-built metal frame in the depression, his cloudy eyes flickered with surprise—but then deepened into greater dread.

“Old Karl? How…?” Lin Mo stepped cautiously from the shack, rifle not raised, but his finger already resting on the trigger guard.

Old Karl, seeing Lin Mo—and especially the rifle and Ellie’s icy gaze at the shack’s entrance—trembled violently. He hurried forward, nearly stumbling to the edge of the depression, shouting through the thorny fence in a voice trembling with near-sobbing urgency:

“Quick! Run! Get out of here!” His voice was thick with terror. “The Blood Claws’ ‘Mad Dogs’ are coming this way! They know about the water! And… and the ‘Gear Graveyard’… it’s been raided! Those black-clad lunatics! They kill anyone! Steal everything! I… I barely escaped to warn you!”

Like a thunderclap! Lin Mo and Ellie’s faces turned ashen!

The Blood Claws’ “Mad Dogs” were coming! Worse—Old Karl’s “black-clad lunatics”? Who were they? Had they raided the Gear Graveyard? Were they the same ones who left the tire tracks? Were they heading this way too?

Wolves ahead, tigers behind! Hope Outpost was now trapped between two converging threats!

Ellie’s short crossbow snapped up, its cold tip aimed at the panicked Old Karl: “Did you lead them here?”

Old Karl nearly fainted, collapsing to his knees: “No! Not me! It was ‘Cripple Wolf’! He’s been watching you! The black-clad ones came from the east! They… they’re searching! For clean water… and land to grow things!” His eyes flickered involuntarily toward the small patch of potatoes beside the shack, faintly green.

Lin Mo’s heart sank to the bottom. The worst had happened. The secrets of clean water and the garden were exposed—and now multiple factions coveted them!

“How long until they arrive?” Lin Mo’s voice was dry.

“I… I don’t know! The ‘Mad Dogs’ are vicious, fast! The black-clad ones… they might be close too!” Old Karl stammered.

Despair, cold and suffocating, drowned the fledgling industrial hope. Lin Mo looked at the flimsy defenses, the hunting rifle with only a few rounds left, Ellie’s exhaustion, Lingna’s pale, terrified face…

Was Hope Outpost doomed to collapse before it even truly began?

“Ellie…” Lin Mo turned to his only anchor.

But Ellie’s gaze was icy… and wild. She stared fixedly toward Vulture Cliff to the west, her fingers white with the force gripping the crossbow. A palpable aura of murderous hatred radiated from her.

“Mad Dogs…” she hissed the name through clenched teeth, voice like it came from the deepest hell, “He… must die!”