The journey to the Global Climate Research and Data Vault (GCRDV) was the most demanding expedition Lin Fan had ever undertaken. The Cryo-Skimmer sliced through the upper atmosphere at near-supersonic speeds, crossing thousands of kilometers of frozen tundra and hostile air space.
The Intercontinental Transit
Lin Fan spent the continuous 48-hour flight in a state of high alert, the System Matrix feeding him constant data on atmospheric anomalies and mutant movement. The environment here was far more volatile than his former regional sector. The Siberian wastes, perpetually shrouded in freezing fog and subject to unpredictable geo-magnetic interference, were a breeding ground for high-tier airborne mutants.
He had to evade several massive, migratory Tier 3 Glacier Harpies—creatures far larger than the one he had neutralized near Outpost Alpha. Evasion was simple, thanks to the Cryo-Skimmer's Tier 4 stealth systems, augmented by the molecular dampening patches he had replicated. He used his Perfect Molecular Control to instantly freeze and shatter the water vapor in the Harpies' migratory path, creating localized, disorienting air turbulence that discouraged pursuit without resorting to kinetic combat.
During the journey, Lin Fan dedicated his cognitive capacity to synthesizing data from the BRF-7 research and The Citadel's salvaged files. He focused particularly on Tier 4 Adaptive Weaponry schematics and Global Data Encryption Protocols. His Tier 4 mind processed years of information in hours, preparing him for the intellectual and technological challenge of the GCRDV.
Arrival at the GCRDV
After two grueling days, the Skimmer's sensors registered the target. The GCRDV was not a visible fortress; it was a vast, nearly invisible complex buried deep beneath a remote, ancient glacial shelf in the heart of Siberia. The only sign of its presence was a perfectly circular, kilometer-wide area of unnaturally smooth, black ice—a surface reinforced by pre-Freeze nanotechnology.
Lin Fan brought the Cryo-Skimmer down into a silent, deep-ice hover above the access point.
[Target: Global Climate Research and Data Vault (GCRDV) - Located.][Defense System Active: Tier 4 Geo-Seismic Array. Environmental Hazard: Extreme Cold (-120°C).][Warning: High-Energy Signature Detected. Tier 4 Bio-Subject (Sentinel Evolved) operating within the complex.]
The presence of a Tier 4 Sentinel Evolved subject was a major complication. Sentinels were not brute-force attackers; they were stealthy, highly adaptable predators, often exhibiting camouflage and advanced sensory manipulation. They were the perfect organic security system.
Lin Fan initiated the infiltration protocol. He didn't attempt to drill or blast the reinforced ice. He used the GCRDV's own structural weakness against it.
He targeted the main vehicular access tunnel—a massive, reinforced door buried 50 meters below the surface. He subjected the metallic structure of the door to a rapid, localized molecular expansion and contraction cycle, causing the metal to fatigue violently without visible damage.
K-RACK-KSHHH! The colossal pressure of the overlying ice instantly completed the destruction, ripping the door off its hinges and crushing it into scrap metal, opening a breach into the subterranean facility.
Confrontation with the Sentinel
Lin Fan engaged his Cryo-Armor's internal stabilizers and rappelled silently down the breach. The air inside the access tunnel was impossibly cold, far colder than the exterior.
The moment his boots hit the floor, the tunnel lights flickered.
A high-pitched, metallic scream ripped through the air—a sonic attack that bypassed conventional armor shielding and aimed directly at the human auditory system.
Lin Fan was prepared. He had anticipated advanced sensory defenses. He instantly generated a focused, directional Molecular Nullification Field around his helmet. The sonic scream hit the field and was instantly dampened into harmless white noise.
He looked up. The Tier 4 Sentinel Evolved was not visible. Its body, utilizing a natural camouflage capability, blended perfectly with the metallic walls and dark shadows of the tunnel. Only the faint, oscillating heat signature visible through his Cryo-Armor's enhanced optics gave away its position, clinging to the ceiling.
The Sentinel attacked. It dropped instantly, unleashing a torrent of hyper-velocity, crystalline spikes—a natural kinetic weapon designed to penetrate armor.
Lin Fan met the attack with his own elemental mastery. He focused his Perfect Molecular Control on the crystalline spikes mid-flight, instantly generating a powerful, localized thermal shock within their structure. The rapid temperature change caused the spikes to shatter into harmless dust before they even reached his armor.
Technological Breach
The Sentinel, realizing its kinetic attack was futile, retreated deeper into the complex, relying on the facility's automated defenses to soften the target.
[Warning: Internal Security Protocols Activated. Level 4 Firewall Engaged.]
Lin Fan ignored the fading energy signature of the Sentinel and focused on the technological barrier. The GCRDV's network was protected by a Tier 4 firewall, far beyond The Citadel's systems.
Lin Fan didn't hack. He synthesized.
Using Instant Matter Replication, he drew trace elements from the tunnel walls and instantly manufactured a specialized Tier 3 Quantum Chip—an advanced, tailored piece of hardware designed to exploit a known vulnerability in the pre-Freeze encryption protocols that he had processed during the flight.
He plugged the chip into the nearest maintenance port.
[System Penetration Initiated. Tier 4 Firewall Resistance: High.][Custom Tier 3 Quantum Chip Deployed. Protocol Bypass: Engaged.]
Lin Fan felt his entire consciousness strain as the System Matrix battled the GCRDV's defenses. The process was not instant; it took a full five minutes of intense concentration, during which the complex remained deadly silent, the air heavy with latent threat.
Finally, the system yielded.
[GCRDV Network Access Granted. Core Data Vault Status: Online.][Tier 4 System Control: Partial (Biological Subject Interference Detected).]
The data vault was open, but the Sentinel was interfering, clearly acting as the ultimate organic guardian. Lin Fan had the blueprints, but he needed to neutralize the Sentinel to ensure secure, uninterrupted data download and claim the facility intact.
He smiled grimly. "The silent protector against the cold master. An appropriate final challenge."