Echoing Tranquility

Emerging from the narrow emergency passage, the group found themselves in a relatively wide and elegantly decorated corridor. Unlike the dilapidated and bloody lower levels, this area, though also covered in a thick layer of dust, still hinted at its former luxury and order. The walls were adorned with faded reliefs depicting stars and themes of exploration. Some hatches were closed, and although the lettering on the signs was worn, the words "Ecology Laboratory," "Star Chart Archives," and "Senior Crew Lounge" were still legible.

Most eerily, a faint, intermittent strain of classical music drifted through the air, as if from a phonograph that hadn't been completely powered off, adding to the eeriness of the deathly silence.

“This… seems to be the living and research area.” The fox lowered its voice, cautiously observing its surroundings. “The energy readings are very low, and the reactions of those scarlet eyes are sparse. It seems this is not their main activity area.”

"Don't let your guard down," Jiang Yu cautioned. His senses were the sharpest, and he could detect a deeper sense of unease. This place was too "clean," so clean that it didn't resemble a ship that had suffered a catastrophic disaster.

They cautiously explored forward. As they passed a half-open hatch marked "Chief Navigator's Office," the compass in Jiang Yu's arms suddenly felt an unusual warmth, not pointing deeper into the building, but rather towards this office.

Jiang Yu gestured for everyone to stop and gently pushed open the cabin door.

The office was relatively tidy, though covered in dust. A huge star chart table floated in the center of the room, its projected star chart long since extinguished. Bookshelves were filled with various crystal data panels. And behind the desk sat a figure—a semi-transparent phantom dressed in an ancient uniform!

The illusory figure remained motionless, still in the posture of working at the desk, as if it were merely a residual image left by a holographic projection. However, Jiang Yu could sense a faint trace of resentment and obsession within the illusory figure.

"Is it... a remnant of consciousness?" the doctor exclaimed in surprise. "In extreme environments, strong emotions can sometimes leave an imprint on the environment."

Jiang Yu walked to the desk, his gaze falling on an open journal made of a special metal sheet beside the illusory figure. He tentatively reached out, his fingertips touching the journal—

"Buzz!"

The entire office scene suddenly distorted and changed! The dust disappeared, the lights came on, and the glittering stars reappeared on the star chart table. The illusory figure also became more solid; although still transparent, it was clear that it was a middle-aged man with a haggard face and anxious eyes.

He was staring at the star chart, muttering to himself, his voice seemingly coming from the distant depths of the water, intermittent yet filled with despair:

"...Cycle...1472...The energy shield is about to collapse...'They' are surging up from the engine zone...We have failed...'The Heart of the Ark'...must be protected...'The Key'...must not fall into...the hands of the 'Devourer'..."

"...Captain's order...Activate the final protocol...'Eternal Exile'...exile us...along with the 'Devourers'...to...nothingness..."

"...May...future generations...find us...find...hope..."

The scene abruptly ended, the office returned to its dilapidated and lifeless state, and the phantom vanished completely, leaving only a lingering sense of melancholy in the air.

A fleeting illusion, yet it revealed astonishing information.

"The Devourer"? "The Heart of the Ark"? "The Key"? The ship's disaster originates from within, from a terrifying entity known as the "Devourer." The "Key" seems to be related to the "Heart of the Ark," a core element that needs protection.

The clues pointed clearly, but the danger also suddenly increased.

The information they received weighed heavily on their minds. The tragedy of the ship was far from an accident; it was the result of a brutal civil war and a self-sacrificing exile.

"The Devourer... doesn't sound like a benevolent entity. It's very likely the root cause of the distortions in those defense systems, and might even be the true controller of the Scarlet Eye we're seeing now." Zero analyzed, stroking his chin. "'The Heart of the Ark' should be the power core or control center of this ship, and the fragment of the 'key' is likely there." The objective became clear again: find the "Heart of the Ark."

They left the navigator's office and continued along the corridor toward the bridge (the direction predicted by the star map). Along the way, they encountered several more similar fragments of lingering consciousness, the desperate whispers or prayers of crew members in their final moments, piecing together a more complete picture: an unknown, terrifying entity capable of corroding machinery and life erupted from the engine area, spreading rapidly, the crew retreating step by step, ultimately triggering the "eternal exile" protocol of mutual destruction.

These discoveries made them more vigilant, but strangely, they encountered almost no more active attacks from the Scarlet Eyes along the way, with only a few wandering in the distance, seemingly not very interested in this area.

This unusual tranquility made Jiang Yu uneasy. It was as if something was secretly observing them, waiting for the perfect moment.

As they walked through a wide area resembling a central plaza (which may have once been a recreational garden, now only withered plants and broken benches remained), something unexpected happened.

Dozens of scarlet lights suddenly lit up on the walls surrounding the square; these weren't scattered wanderers, but a premeditated ambush. Simultaneously, a heavy metal gate slammed shut at the entrance they had come from, blocking their escape route.

"A trap!" Rock exclaimed.

Even more terrifying, the ground in the center of the plaza suddenly cracked open, revealing a massive metal platform resembling some kind of altar. On the platform were several desiccated skeletons dressed in the uniforms of high-ranking crew members. Around the altar were twisted runes that exuded an ominous aura.

The faint music in the air suddenly became clear and loud, but it was distorted into a shrill and frantic melody.

"Welcome...to...my...garden..."

A hoarse, overlapping thought, seemingly composed of countless voices, resounded directly in everyone's hearts.

With this thought, a colossal monster slowly emerged from the shadows surrounding the plaza, a fusion of countless scarlet eyes, mechanical debris, and twisted flesh! It had no fixed form; at its center were countless pulsating scarlet eyeballs, and its body was composed of various mechanical tentacles and rotting organic tissue, emanating a corrupting aura more powerful and malevolent than any enemy before it.

This is the real danger! A "devourer" derivative possessing intelligence, capable of setting traps, and seemingly able to control parts of the ship's infrastructure to some extent. It has been lurking, waiting for its prey to fall into the trap.

With their escape route cut off and a formidable enemy revealed, this monster was clearly far more terrifying than those defensive units that only attacked on instinct. Jiang Yu and the others were plunged into an unprecedented crisis.

The terrifying monster let out a mind-numbing shriek, and countless scarlet eyes shot out distorted beams of light. At the same time, its tentacles, made of machinery and flesh, swept across like giant pythons, with suckers covered in sharp teeth spread out on the tentacles.

"Scatter! Watch out for those beams of light, they can corrode the mind!" Zero shouted a warning, while simultaneously moving his hands rapidly to create layers of data stream barriers in front of everyone. The distorted light struck the barriers, creating violent ripples, but was temporarily blocked.

Rock and the Doctor struggled to fend off the physical tentacles' attacks, their energy weapons having limited effect on them, barely enough to keep them afloat. Fox, meanwhile, tried to find the control nodes of the traps or the monsters' weaknesses, but the complex and bizarre runes surrounding the plaza proved difficult to decipher.

Jiang Yu was the primary attacker. He held back, drawing his rusty cleaver. The cold, sharp light of the blade carried both purifying and severing properties, each strike leaving deep, difficult-to-heal wounds on the monster, forcing it to roar in pain. But this monster clearly possessed extremely strong regenerative abilities; granulation tissue writhed at the wounds, and it quickly recovered most of its strength.

Moreover, as the battle progressed, everyone felt a powerful mental pollution field continuously eroding their will. They began to experience auditory hallucinations and distorted visions, as if countless wronged souls were wailing, tempting them to give up resistance.

"This won't do! This monster's energy seems to be connected to all the traps in the square. We can't outlast it!" Zero gritted his teeth, supporting the barrier, his face pale.

Jiang Yu also felt the pressure. This monster was far stronger than the previous "Ancient Whisperer," especially since it had almost the advantage of being in this carefully set trap.

We must break the deadlock!

As he fought, he pushed his senses to the limit, trying to locate the trap's energy hub or the monster's core. Suddenly, the compass in his pocket stirred again. This time, it didn't point in a specific direction, but rather resonated strongly, carrying both warning and guidance.

The source of the resonance did not come from the monster itself, nor from the altar, but from the skeletons of the high-ranking crew members on the altar.

To be precise, it was a faint, golden light, the same kind of light as that of a compass, that emanated from the hand bones of one of the skeletons, which were tightly clenched against its chest.

"The key fragment is in the hands of the skeletons!" Jiang Yu instantly realized. This monster set the trap not only to hunt intruders, but also to protect or... sacrifice this key fragment. Those skeletons were probably the crew members who sacrificed themselves to protect the key fragment.

Chance!

Jiang Yu shouted to Ling, "Help me block it for three seconds!"

Zero instantly understood, gritted his teeth, and shrunk the data barrier to its minimum, protecting only Jiang Yu's front. He used almost all of his computing power to interfere with the monster's perception and attacks.

"Rock! Doctor! Full power, draw its attention!" Jiang Yu ordered simultaneously.

Rock and the doctor immediately disregarded the danger and unleashed a barrage of fire at the monster's main body. Although the damage they caused was limited, they successfully provoked the monster's rage.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Jiang Yu moved with lightning speed, increasing her speed to the extreme, transforming into a streak of light, bypassing the waving tentacles, and rushing straight towards the central altar.

The monster sensed his intention and let out a deafening roar. All its tentacles and crimson rays surged toward Jiang Yu! Zero's barrier shattered instantly, and Zero himself coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground.

But in that precious moment, Jiang Yu had already rushed to the altar. With a flash of his blade, he precisely cleaved the skeleton that was clutching its hand bone, and a crystal fragment about the size of a fingernail, radiating a soft golden light, instantly fell into his hand.

Key fragment acquired! A warm and powerful force instantly surged into Jiang Yu's body, temporarily dispelling the mental pollution he had suffered and even restoring much of his depleted strength.

But at the same time, without the suppression of the key fragments (or the focus of the sacrifice), the monster in the center seemed to be completely enraged, letting out a deafening roar. The trap runes throughout the square flashed wildly, and the energy level soared.

It's going to fight desperately!