Chapter 102 Zhou Jue: Stop fighting!
What's this called?
This is what they call "when it rains, it pours," or "even drinking cold water can cause problems."
Zhou Jue felt like a combat engineer preparing to defuse a bomb. He had finally cut the right wire and the timer was about to stop when the bomb short-circuited internally and detonated prematurely!
The "core silver-blue data stream" that had been swallowed up from the US base had behaved like a well-behaved child for the past few hours, allowing the system to mold and manipulate it obediently as it was broken down and absorbed.
But at this critical moment, it went mad!
"boom--!"
That "core silver-blue data stream" was no longer a docile data stream; it instantly condensed into a violent energy storm, crashing straight into the Starlight Casket, which was already poised to unleash its power!
[Warning! Warning! Unknown mental source intrusion!]
[The "Core Silver-Blue Data Stream" has undergone an uncontrolled mutation due to the attraction of pheromones from a high-energy external life form (the Heart of Life)!]
[WARNING! System upgrade process forcibly interrupted! Taking control...]
A series of scarlet system notifications flooded Zhou Jue's mind like snowflakes, each word like a knife cutting into her nerves.
Zhou Jue's head felt like it was being torn in two alive!
On one side, the ancient and unreasonable "Return to Nothingness" command of the Starry Secret Box is being activated, which is the ultimate erasure that will turn everything into nothingness.
On the other side is the emerging and domineering devouring desire of the "core silver-blue data stream," an absolute plunder that seeks to possess everything.
Two completely different forces, within her sea of consciousness, engaged in an extremely fierce struggle for the same goal—the "Heart of Life"!
Starlight Box: "Get out of here! I'm deleting this thing!"
Data stream: "No! It's mine! I'm going to eat it!"
Zhou Jue: "..."
Go to hell with you guys!
This is my brain! Not your food bowl to fight over!
"Stop right there!"
Zhou Jue poured all his mental energy into the Starry Secret Box, which flipped over the "data stream" and the "data volume" stuck to it in the next instant!
"puff--!"
Outside his sea of consciousness, Zhou Jue suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his body went limp, and he fell straight backward.
"Xiao Jue!"
Cheng Gan's exclamation seemed to come from another world.
She fired a shot with her backhand, the butt of the gun slamming into the face of a vine monster with a human face that lunged at her. Using the momentum, she spun around and pulled Zhou Jue into her arms before he fell to the ground.
"Hold on!" Cheng Gan's voice was filled with unprecedented anxiety.
She could feel that Zhou Jue in her arms was burning hot, yet he was trembling uncontrollably, as if he were simultaneously in an ice cave and a furnace.
"The little girl... is dying..."
The old tree's extremely weak voice echoed in their minds.
"Crack—!"
As it spoke, the green light shield that had been holding back the chaotic demons outside finally gave way and shattered like glass struck by a heavy hammer!
"roar--!!!"
The madness that had been suppressed for ten breaths erupted a hundredfold or a thousandfold at this moment!
Countless twisted tree monsters, vine demons, and swamp monsters surged towards the center of the light shield from all directions like a floodgate being opened!
The single, blood-red eye that had opened on the distant tree trunk shone brightly, and a beam of blood-red light pierced through numerous obstacles, shooting straight towards us!
The target is Zhou Jue!
Or rather, it's the two "gluttons" inside Zhou Jue's body that are frantically fighting for food!
“I told you… it will come and eat you on its own…” The old tree’s voice was filled with helplessness and desolation.
Cheng Gan didn't have time to think.
In the instant the light shield shattered, she made the instinctive choice of a top-tier warrior.
She did not back down, nor did she run away with Zhou Jue.
Because she knew she couldn't escape!
She shielded Zhou Jue's body tightly in front of her, using her back to face the incoming crimson beam of light!
She was going to use her own flesh and blood to shield Zhou Jue from this fatal blow!
There were no grand pronouncements, no hesitation whatsoever.
Protecting is her duty.
However, just as the crimson beam of light was about to touch Cheng Gan's back...
"Buzz—!"
A deep, muffled thud came from inside the old tree.
Its massive body, made of tree roots and vines, suddenly took a step forward and blocked Cheng Gan's back!
It used its own chest to forcefully receive that blood-red beam of light!
"Sizzle—"
An unimaginable sound of corrosion rang out.
On the old tree's chest, the projection of the Heart of Life, which served as the "controller," melted and dimmed rapidly, emitting plumes of black smoke, the instant it came into contact with the crimson pillar of light, just like an ice cube doused with concentrated sulfuric acid.
The countless vines and roots that make up its body are also rapidly withering and carbonizing!
"Heh...heh..."
The old tree emitted a wheezing sound like a broken bellows.
"Dude... I... this is all I can do..."
"The rest... is up to your own fate..."
Its sound left a final echo in Zhou Jue's mind before fading into complete silence.
It used its last strength to secure a final chance of survival for Zhou Jue.
[Host detected to be in danger; energy shield activated within a five-meter radius!]
An energy emanated from Zhou Jue, annihilating the "monsters" within five meters and causing the "monsters" outside to crash into things wildly.
[Damage to the host's mental body detected!]
[Highest privilege command: Survival protocol, activate!]
[Executing... First sequence of instructions: Regain control of the 'Core Silver-Blue Data Stream'!]
If the previous system message indicated a problem with the radio connection...
At this moment, what resounded in Zhou Jue's sea of consciousness was a mechanical oracle carrying absolute authority!
The system is overclocked!
A chain composed of countless golden codes appeared out of thin air, like a giant python hunting its prey, and instantly wrapped around the "core silver-blue data stream" that was struggling with the Starry Sky Box!
[Rebellion detected...determined as hostile act...forced erasure to be carried out!]
The system doesn't bother with any nonsense.
The golden chains tightened suddenly!
"Sizzle—!"
The raging energy of the "data stream" emitted a shrill scream as it was strangled by the golden chains. The technology, runes, and logic it contained were as fragile as paper before the system's more fundamental and unreasonable "oracle"!
It was forcibly detached from the Starry Secret Box, then dragged by golden chains, little by little, and stuffed back into the black hole in the corner of the sea of consciousness that belonged to "upgrade"!
The core silver and blue data streams have been isolated!
[WARNING: System energy depleted, about to enter forced hibernation, estimated hibernation time: unknown...]
[Host... take care of yourself...]
The last four words, devoid of any emotion yet seemingly carrying a sigh of helplessness, dissipated into the depths of Zhou Jue's consciousness.
The whole process happened in the blink of an eye!
Zhou Jue suddenly felt his mind clear!
The excruciating pain that felt like it was tearing her apart disappeared!
The fire in the backyard was forcibly extinguished!
Before her eyes, all that remained was the Starry Secret Box, which had quietly floated and completed the final preparations for the "Return to the Void" command.
And, the green coordinates that the old tree projected into the center of the star map, pulsating wildly!
Chance!
Last chance!
Zhou Jue's consciousness was extremely weak, but her belief burned to its peak at this moment!
She did not let Cheng Gan down.
She couldn't let the old tree's sacrifice go to waste!
"Starlight Box..."
"Open it... for me!!!"
Zhou Jue used up his last bit of mental energy and roared out the final command!
[Return to the Void Command... Confirmed!]
[Target locked: The Heart of Life, the Origin!]
【implement! 】
On the surface of the Starry Secret Box, all the patterns dimmed in that instant.
It no longer emits light, and there are no more energy fluctuations.
It turned into a... black hole.
An indescribable power of "Return to Nothingness" shot out from the secret box, ignoring the distance of space and the passage of time, and precisely hit the green coordinates!
There was no earth-shattering explosion.
There was no devastating light.
The moment the power of "Return to Nothingness" struck, the entire world suddenly fell silent.
All sound disappeared.
The sounds of the wind, the roar, and Cheng Gan's rapid breathing... were all gone.
Cheng Gan looked up in horror. She saw that the monsters that had been rushing towards her were frozen in mid-air. Their bodies were turning into grayish-white powder, starting from their ends, and were drifting away in the wind.
The whole world seemed to have become a sketch being erased bit by bit from the paper by an eraser.
And at the center of that eraser was Zhou Jue!
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