Braving the Dragon's Den Alone
With the key fragment in hand, a pure and gentle energy instantly flowed throughout Jiang Yu's body. This energy shared the same origin as the power of the main god's authority, yet it was more ancient and more fundamental. It not only rapidly repaired his previous depletion and hidden injuries, but also washed away the remnants of the "hound" mark he had previously suffered until they were barely visible.
More importantly, the instant his spiritual power came into contact with the fragment, an extremely concise yet profoundly mysterious message was directly imprinted into the depths of his consciousness—a fragment of a supreme law concerning spatial stability and anchoring.
“I see…” A glint flashed in Jiang Yu’s eyes. The rules contained in this fragment were just right to counter the current predicament based on spatial traps and energy disturbances.
At this moment, the runes around the altar were shining brightly, and the space of the entire plaza began to violently distort and fold, as if to crush them completely. The fused monster pounced even more frantically, its body expanding, countless tentacles and scarlet rays intertwining into a web of destruction.
"Get closer to me!" Jiang Yu shouted, combining the power of the fragments of spatial laws he had just comprehended with his messenger authority, and pouring it all into the rusty machete in his hand.
"Buzz—!"
The machete emitted an unprecedentedly clear and resonant sound, and large patches of rust peeled off the blade, revealing a deep, starry sky-like surface beneath. An invisible yet incredibly powerful spatial stabilizing force field emanated from Jiang Yu.
Under the force field, the violently distorted space was instantly smoothed out, and the flickering trap runes quickly dimmed as if their energy had been cut off. The crimson rays and spatial distortion attacks emitted by the fused monster were also greatly reduced in power when they reached the edge of the force field, like a stone sinking into the sea.
"This...this is spatial anchoring?!" Zero collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with shock and ecstasy at the sight. "The key fragment actually has this kind of power!"
"Attack its core now!" Jiang Yu shouted to his companions, maintaining the force field. He sensed that maintaining this level of spatial stability was extremely taxing on the fragments, and they had to act quickly.
Rock and the doctor were greatly encouraged and seized this precious opportunity to concentrate all their firepower on the densest and most violently pulsating cluster of scarlet eyeballs at the center of the monster's body.
Without the support of spatial traps, the monster's defenses were greatly reduced. Under the intense energy bombardment, its scarlet eyeballs burst open, emitting shrill screams.
Zero forced himself to his feet, his hands moving as if pressing down, and streams of data, like viruses, directly invaded the monster's body, disrupting its internal energy cycle.
The monster suffered a severe blow, and its massive body began to collapse, with the mechanical remains and flesh that made it up peeling away and dissipating.
"No... I'm not willing... to devour... everything..." The overlapping thoughts let out their final lament before being completely annihilated.
As the monster died, the altar in the center of the square collapsed with a crash, and the metal gate blocking the retreat slowly rose.
The crisis has been temporarily averted.
Everyone collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, exhausted from the joy of surviving the ordeal. The light on the key fragment in Jiang Yu's hand gradually dimmed, but the warm connection remained. This fragment was not only part of the key, but also a powerful weapon governed by rules.
However, before they could even catch their breath, a violent, deep tremor suddenly swept through the entire "Eternal Exile." It was as if something had been disturbed by the recent battle and the power of the key fragments.
The violent tremors did not come from an external attack, but from the spaceship itself! A deep hum of energy came from deep beneath our feet, the originally dim emergency lights began to brighten and become unstable, and the screens of some instruments that had long since stopped functioning flickered, displaying jumbled data streams.
"Not good!" Zero's expression changed. "When we used the power of the key fragment just now, the spatial anchoring fluctuations were too strong. It may have activated some kind of deep hibernation system on this ship, or... disturbed something deeper inside!"
As if confirming his guess, a cold, emotionless, metallic synthesized sound rang out in the square, echoing in every corner:
"Detected... High-level privilege energy fluctuation... Identification in progress... Identification failed... Unregistered crew member signal... Confirmed as... Illegal intrusion."
"Ark Core Protocol...partially activated...cleanup process...started."
"Warning: All unauthorized entities...please proceed to the bridge within...300 seconds...for identity verification...failure to do so will result in...purification measures."
As the synthesized sound faded, from the depths of the distant passage came an even more intense and heavy hum of mechanical operation and energy gathering! The true defense system belonging to this ancient ark itself was being activated.
“Purification measures…” the doctor’s voice trembled, ““don’t sound like good news!”
"We have to get to the bridge!" Fox quickly analyzed. "That's the only place where we can communicate or shut down the cleanup process. Otherwise, we'll be crushed by the ship's own defense systems!"
But the path to the bridge is inevitably filled with newly activated, more powerful automated defense units. Moreover, the "thing deeper" mentioned in the synthesized voice is chilling.
Jiang Yu looked at the slightly warm key fragment in her hand, then at her exhausted companion, and made a decision.
"Zero, take Rock and the others, find a place to hide, and try to find another way out or disable some of the systems," Jiang Yu said in a deep voice. "I'll go to the bridge."
“You’re going alone? That’s too dangerous!” Pan Shi immediately objected.
“The key fragment is on me, and its fluctuations are the main cause of the alarm. Going to the bridge is the key to solving the problem. Moreover,” Jiang Yu paused, feeling the faint resonance emanating from the fragment with a core deep within the ship, “I sense that the ‘Heart of the Ark’ is on the bridge. This is the fastest way to find the next fragment.”
He looked at Zero: "Do you have a way to temporarily shield your presence and avoid the sweeping?"
Zero took a deep breath and nodded: "We can try, but this ship's scanning system is very powerful; we can't hide for long. You need to be quick!"
“I know.” Jiang Yu nodded and temporarily returned the part of the compass function that Ling had lent him and that he had already studied to Ling. “This might help you locate safe areas or exits.”
There was no time for hesitation or farewell. Jiang Yu glanced deeply at his companion, then turned and sped off towards the bridge without looking back. His figure quickly disappeared into the depths of the intricate passageways.
Zero sighed as he looked in the direction Jiang Yu had disappeared, then quickly said to the "Dawn" team, "Let's go, we need to find a 'rat hole' to hide in. Hopefully, this rent collector can create another miracle."
They split into two groups.
Jiang Yu shoulders a heavy responsibility alone, facing the awakening Ark Core and unknown dangers, heading to the bridge to find the "Heart of the Ark" and the key to solving the problem. Meanwhile, Zero leads the "Dawn" squad in a desperate search for a glimmer of hope. The fates of both sides once again hang by a thread.
Jiang Yu pushed his speed to the limit, traversing the empty and desolate passageway. The key fragment in his hand emitted a steady, faint glow, not only guiding him to the most direct path to the bridge but also radiating an invisible pressure that made some newly activated, low-level automated defense units that were trying to block him hesitate and dare not attack easily.
But the closer they got to the bridge, the greater the resistance became. More and more powerful energy turrets and capture net launchers emerged from the walls on both sides of the passage. Some more ferocious-looking and larger combat robots also rushed out from their hidden compartments, their eyes flashing with a cold blue light, no longer the chaotic evil of scarlet eyes, but with a ruthless obedience to orders.
"Warning! Intruders, halt immediately! Be arrested!" the synthesized voice repeated continuously.
Jiang Yu ignored them, wielding his machete. With a flash of light, the turret shattered, and the robot was sliced in two. He couldn't linger; he had to get to the bridge as quickly as possible.
Finally, after breaking through the last heavy alloy gate, he arrived at his destination—the bridge of the "Eternal Exile".
The bridge was incredibly magnificent, a vast circular space surrounded by mostly now-dormant control consoles. Directly in front was an immensely wide observation window made of some kind of crystal, beyond which lay the desolate graveyard of space. At the center of the bridge stood a suspended command throne.
And sitting on the throne was a figure.
It was not a body of flesh and blood, but a semi-transparent humanoid phantom composed of pure energy. It wore an ancient uniform similar to that of the navigator in the previous phantoms, its face blurred, but exuding an undeniable majesty and... a deep weariness. It was the manifestation of the core AI of this ark, or rather, the guardian spirit of the "Heart of the Ark".
"You... have finally arrived." The phantom of the core AI spoke in a synthesized voice, but the tone seemed to carry a more complex emotion than in the previous broadcasts. "An unknown entity carrying fragments of the 'key'."
Jiang Yu stopped before the throne, gripping the machete and the shards tightly, and looked at it warily: "You are 'Heart of the Ark'?"
"I am the 'Guardian,' the monitoring program of 'Arkheart,'" the AI phantom slowly said. "Unauthorized intruder, you have activated the highest alert. According to Article 7 of the final agreement, I have the right to... purify you."
“I’m not here to destroy,” Jiang Yu replied calmly. “I’m here to find the fragments of the ‘key’ and to repair the broken order. I already know about the tragedy of this ship. The threat of the ‘devourer’ is not far away, and we need the power to fight it.”
The AI phantom remained silent for a moment, the surrounding energy field rippled slightly. "'The Devourer'... Yes, that catastrophe... We failed. To stop its spread, we chose self-exile." Its voice was filled with endless sorrow.
"But the 'key' is hope!" The AI phantom's tone suddenly became agitated. "It is the key to restarting the flame of civilization and fighting against the ultimate nothingness! I cannot entrust it to an... being of unknown origin!"
"I am entrusted by the Supreme God." Jiang Yu revealed the list in her hand and the unique fluctuations of her messenger authority.
Sensing that familiar, higher-level aura of authority, the AI phantom visibly trembled. "It's... the aura of the 'Administrator'... but... why doesn't He come in person?"
“He’s in trouble and needs a ‘key’,” Jiang Yu said bluntly.
The AI phantom fell silent again, seemingly calculating the pros and cons at breakneck speed and assessing the veracity of Jiang Yu's words. The energy readings on the bridge were extremely unstable, and the countdown to the cleanup process seemed to be silently closing in.
Finally, the AI phantom raised its head, looked at Jiang Yu, and made a decision.
“I can give you the fragment of the ‘key’ preserved within the ‘Heart of the Ark’,” it said, “but on one condition.”
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