Mo Yuntian’s frostbreather mask hissed as he circled Lin Hao’s desk. Classroom air carried the sharp tang of failed neural dampeners and adolescent sweat. Qin Yu’s prosthetic fingers twitched—residual phantom sensations from pleasure simulations lingering in his motor cortex.

  10:15 – Interrogation

  “Cycle Eyes transcend crude illusions.” Mo’s gloved hand hovered millimeters above Lin Hao’s synthetic irises. The classroom’s holographic chalkboard flickered with classified schematics—a cross-section of ocular implants leaking quantum static.

  Lin Hao’s thermal regulators maintained perfect pupil dilation. “An interesting theory, Instructor.”

  10:17 – Revelation

  Mo’s frost-rimed breath condensed into fractal patterns midair. “Let’s demonstrate.” His vocal processors emitted 40Hz subharmonics targeting limbic systems. Students collapsed like marionettes—all except Lin Hao, whose tomb-forged neural pathways absorbed the attack.

  Qin Yu giggled through narcotic haze. “The red-light district simulation was… educational.”

  10:19 – Confrontation

  The illusion materialized with crystalline cruelty:

  Visual feed: Blind Swordsman’s corpse impaled on obsidian monolith

  Auditory feed: Bone saws harvesting cycle eye prototypes

  Olfactory feed: Burnt neural gel permeating operating theater

  Lin Hao’s adrenal suppressors engaged. Tomb memories overlaid reality—two years counting lichen growth patterns, reciting prime numbers, chewing stone until molars cracked.

  10:21 – Resistance

  “Child’s play.” Lin Hao’s voice synthesizer mimicked perfect boredom. His boot crushed a phantom skull emitting his own recorded screams. Classroom lighting stabilized as Mo’s frostbreathing apparatus misfired.

  10:23 – Revelation

  Mo’s retinal scanners detected the truth—Lin Hao’s Cycle Eyes glowing with forbidden ultraviolet signatures beneath optical camouflage. The instructor’s neural port discharged static. “You… shouldn’t exist.”

  10:25 – Negotiation

  Lin Hao leaned forward, desk creaking under augmented grip strength. “Let’s discuss mutually beneficial arrangements.” His cycle eyes projected encrypted terms:

  1. Conceal Cycle Eye activation records

  2. Provide Black Ice Citadel access codes

  3. Terminate Blind Swordsman monitoring protocols

  10:27 – Compliance

  Mo’s frostbreather mask frosted over with concession. “The Citadel’s third archive contains what you seek.” His gloved hand trembled while transmitting quantum keys—a 256-bit encryption sequence matching Fourprestige’s plasma resonance frequencies.

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  10:29 – Preparation

  Qin Yu rebooted his hydraulic arm’s combat protocols. “That frosty bastard’s hiding something.”

  Lin Hao’s neural feed synchronized with Fourprestige’s orbital surveillance:

  Black Ice Citadel thermal signature: -89°C and dropping

  Defense grid rotation: 47 seconds between polarity shifts

  Lifesigns detected: 1 humanoid, 83% cybernetic augmentation

  10:31 – Revelation

  Gu Yunle extruded data spikes glowing with stolen intelligence. “Mo’s last transmission before glacier incident—‘Cycle Eyes must never wake.’”

  Lei Meng reactivated tremor suppressors. “Your ancestor’s fear smells rancid, Hao.”

  10:33 – Epiphany

  Fourprestige’s quantum entanglement link pulsed through classroom walls:

  Thunder Phoenix combat readiness: 100%

  Plasma reserves: 97%

  Palace security grid infiltration: 39% completed

  The game board shifted.

  Puppeteer Protocol

  Mo Yuntian’s office reeked of glacial pine resin and decaying parchment. Frost bloomed across glass cabinets housing forbidden texts—their leather bindings etched with anti-surveillance runes. Lin Hao’s cycle eyes mapped escape vectors: ventilation shaft 0.8 meters wide, reinforced window stress points, seven hidden toxin dispensers in ceiling panels.

  11:02 – Confrontation

  “Compliance requires sacrifice.” Mo’s frostbreathing mask vented nitrogen clouds across the mahogany desk. His gloved hand activated a retinal scanner—the device projected Yang Chengji’s final moments: neural implants melting, scream frequency matching Lin Hao’s genetic vocal range.

  Lin Hao’s adrenal suppressors neutralized panic chemicals. “Your recruitment strategy needs refinement.”

  11:04 – Revelation

  The crimson sigil materialized—a fractal slave brand pulsing at 666 THz. Classroom memories superimposed reality:

  Mo’s lecture on phantasm runes (age 19)

  Blind Swordsman’s warning scrawled in frozen blood (age 32)

  Yang Chengji’s neural imprint begging for death (3 weeks ago)

  11:06 – Resistance

  Fourprestige’s quantum link flooded Lin Hao’s cortex with combat protocols:

  Thunder Phoenix activation sequence: Engaged

  Plasma reserves: 94%

  Palace security grid infiltration: 63%

  The slave sigil distorted—its fractal edges unraveling against tomb-forged mental barriers.

  11:08 – Retaliation

  Lin Hao’s boot crushed a floor sensor. Concealed vibro-blades erupted from wall panels—Mo’s left femoral artery severed before his frost armor could activate. Cryogenic fluid sprayed across forbidden texts, flash-freezing ancient ink into lethal shrapnel.

  11:10 – Interrogation

  “How many others?” Lin Hao’s hydraulic grip lifted Mo against fractured glass. The instructor’s frostbreathing mask cracked, revealing cybernetic jaw implants leaking black coolant.

  Mo’s laughter gurgled through damaged vocal processors. “Sixteen candidates. Twelve terminated. Three... repurposed.” His neural port ejected a data crystal—Black Ice Citadel access codes shimmering beneath frozen blood droplets.

  11:12 – Epiphany

  Fourprestige’s shadow darkened the window—thunder phoenix feathers ionizing snowfall into prismatic static. Lin Hao’s cycle eyes decrypted the crystal’s contents:

  Project Lazarus

  Objective: Cycle Eye replication

  Success rate: 0.0003%

  Test subject logs: 47,892 entries

  11:14 – Termination

  Mo’s remaining eye dilated—a final phantasm attack targeting Lin Hao’s optic nerves. Tomb instincts overrode pain receptors. Lin Hao’s thumb crushed the frostbitten ocular implant, neural feedback overloading Mo’s life support systems.

  11:16 – Evacuation

  Qin Yu’s hydraulic arm shattered the office door. “Security drones incoming!”

  Lin Hao pocketed the data crystal. “Burn everything.” Fourprestige’s plasma breath ignited cryogenic fluids—blue flames consuming Mo’s research and corpse alike.

  11:18 – Revelation

  Gu Yunle intercepted surveillance feeds while fleeing. “The Citadel’s third archive—it’s a gene-forge facility.”

  Lei Meng vomited neural scrub solution. “They were growing... copies.”

  11:20 – Preparation

  Fourprestige’s shadow merged with thunderclouds. Lin Hao’s neural feed synchronized attack vectors:

  Black Ice Citadel thermal signature: -102°C

  Defense grid rotation: 38 seconds

  Lifesigns detected: 1 humanoid (87% augmentation)

  The game board ignited.