Chapter 443 Deciding the Plan

Inside the control room, the air seemed to stagnate, with only the low hum of the equipment and the hissing of the light screen refreshing the data as background noise.

Outside the porthole, the green plane, tightly wrapped by several layers of scarlet magic arrays, floated silently in the chaos of the void, like an emerald bound by layers of blood-stained spider webs.

Viola strode to the central control panel, her fingers rapidly swiping across the screen to bring up several real-time monitoring windows.

She turned to face Clark and Jemin, the last trace of feigned composure fading from her face, replaced by obvious solemnity and anxiety.

“These are the dimensional fluctuation data from the past seventy-two standard days.” Her voice was more urgent than usual. “Spiritual intensity, energy activity, dimensional barrier oscillation frequency… almost all indicators are continuously rising, and the rate of increase is accelerating.”

She pointed to one of the graphs, where the line was rising almost vertically: "Look here, the spiritual gathering index. According to the model Xingzhui shared before, this index should fluctuate and rise within a relatively flat range until it reaches a critical point and triggers a qualitative change. But now... it has exceeded the safety threshold by forty percent, and it is still accelerating."

She then brought up another 3D model, displaying the energy distribution of the dimensional barrier: "The stability of the dimensional barrier is decreasing synchronously. Seventeen more points of energy flow turbulence have increased, and signs of law conflict have already appeared in some local areas. What's even more troublesome is..."

She paused, then pointed to the core of the model: "The degree of chaos in the internal will fluctuations has increased dramatically, and the waveforms of aggressive tendencies are appearing more and more frequently."

Viola looked up, her gaze sweeping over Clark and Jemin before finally settling on the crimson and green expanse outside the porthole. Her voice carried an barely suppressed urgency:

"Taking all parameters into account, the possibility of the consciousness in this plane of existence completely spiraling out of control... is increasing dramatically, and at a rate far exceeding any of our previous calculations."

She took a deep breath, turned to Clark, and said resolutely, "Mentor, I think we can't wait any longer. We must immediately activate the outer binding array to suppress and lock down the entire plane! Before it fully 'wakes up,' we must minimize the risk of it going berserk!"

Jemin listened with a furrowed brow.

He could understand Viola's anxiety. The data didn't lie; the exponentially rising risk curve would make anyone's scalp tingle.

But he still had a crucial question in his mind.

“Senior,” Jemin began, trying to keep his voice steady, “have we still been unable to contact the Starfall Wizard?

Upon hearing this, a deeper shadow of gloom crossed Viola's face.

She shook her head, her tone tinged with frustration: "No. Shortly after she sent out those invitations, the dimensional barrier of the entire 'Fallen Star Land' entered an extraordinary state of closure. It wasn't just ordinary isolation; it was an almost 'information blackout' level of isolation."

"It is speculated that the living plane already had a rudimentary instinct at that time, and began to adjust the energy of the entire plane itself. Therefore, conventional communication, location, and even high-level causal detection... were all blocked. I could not contact it at all, nor could I detect any clear life or soul signals about the fallen star himself."

She bit her lower lip, a small, almost helpless gesture that Jieming rarely saw in her.

"This is also my biggest concern. The situation inside the plane is unknown, and the condition of the fallen star is also unknown. Even if... even if this plane really goes out of control and goes berserk, can we just start the annihilation procedure without confirming the fate of the fallen star or attempting a rescue?"

Would you personally destroy a dimension in which your friend might still be?

This decision clearly put Viola under immense pressure.

Just then, a broad, kind hand gently patted Viola's shoulder.

Professor Clark had somehow walked up to her side. His face still wore that slightly tired, indifferent expression, but his eyes were as calm as an ancient well.

"Viola, you're too impatient." His voice wasn't loud, but it had a strange penetrating power that instantly dispelled the tense atmosphere in the control room.

"As a wizard, especially when facing unusually complex situations, the primary task is to remain calm. Emotions will only interfere with judgment and reduce the available options."

Viola's body trembled slightly, as if she wanted to refute, but facing her mentor's calm gaze, she forcibly suppressed her surging emotions and took a few deep breaths.

Clark withdrew his hand, turned his gaze to the plane outside the porthole, and slowly said, "The communication is cut off, and the internal situation is unknown. This is indeed a tricky situation. Directly activating the binding or annihilation could cause unpredictable damage to the starfall, and might even become the cause of the plane's balance being overwhelmed, leading to its premature rampage."

He paused, then offered a plan that made Viola and Jemin's hearts skip a beat: "Since external observation is limited, let's go in and take a look."

"I will go directly into the plane to search for the fallen star."

“No!” Viola blurted out, her anxiety instantly replaced by shock and opposition. “It’s too dangerous! Old man! The situation inside is completely chaotic right now, the laws are disordered, and there’s a plane consciousness that’s growing wildly! What if you go in and get mistaken for an intruder, or get trapped inside…”

Jemin immediately spoke up: "Mentor, please be careful. The internal environment of the living plane is completely different from that of the ordinary plane. Its laws are extremely exclusive and its instinct to strangle 'foreign objects' is extremely strong. If you enter now, the risk factor is immeasurable."

Despite the two students' vehement objections, Clark's expression remained unchanged, as if they were merely discussing what to have for dinner.

"After receiving Viola's request for help and analyzing the preliminary data, I began making the necessary preparations," he explained calmly.

"Based on data from previous research on living planes, I adjusted the sequence of thirteen protective spells for plane environments with high activity, high chaos, and the potential to contain primordial ideas. I also prepared seven emergency escape plans and conducted more than 40,000 simulations of various possible conflicts."

He looked at Viola and Jemin, his figure under the gray robe not particularly tall, yet exuding an unshakeable composure: "With my knowledge and ability to cope, I'm not so easily trapped or killed. At least, I'm confident I can escape unscathed."

His words contained no grand, impassioned promises, only calm statements based on facts.

It is precisely this almost indifferent confidence that carries a powerful persuasive force.

Viola opened her mouth, but looking at her mentor's calm and expressionless face, her fierce objection stuck in her throat.

(Bonus chapter today, one more chapter to go.)

(End of this chapter)