A massive phantom, a "world tree" composed of pure energy, rose from the ground of the hall, reaching the dome! This phantom was not a physical entity, but it exuded a majestic yet gentle aura of life and order. Countless fine energy roots drooped like flowing threads of light, gently wrapping around and connecting the two stasis life-support pods suspended side by side in the center of the hall.
Inside the left life support pod was Lin Mo. Within the pale blue nutrient solution, the boy's shattered body was enveloped and repaired by countless finely woven biological nanorobots and energy fields. Broken bones were reattached and strengthened, torn muscle tissue was stimulated and mended, and necrotic areas, frozen on the brink of entropy, were precisely excised and replaced with bioengineered living tissue. The hollow of his left eye was covered in a translucent biofilm, within which a faint, dark golden light seemed to flicker like a firefly, appearing and disappearing.
Inside the life support pod on the right was Xu Shuangyao. She was also suspended in the nutrient solution, her face still pale, but no longer that deathly transparent, with a faint hint of life. She had far fewer tubes connected to her body than Lin Mo, but several tubes connected to her forehead and heart flowed with pure, frosty-blue energy, continuously injecting it into her body. Her eyes were tightly closed, her long eyelashes casting a faint shadow beneath her lids, as if she would wake at any moment.
Around the life support pod, dozens of white-robed medical experts and academicians from the Academy of Life Sciences were working intensely in front of various suspended light screens. Data streams flowed like waterfalls.
"Report! Target individual Lin Mo's vital signs have passed the danger threshold! The core energy source (dormant state) fluctuates extremely weakly, but has not completely dissipated! Energy exchange efficiency with the roots of the 'World Tree': 0.0001%, but it exists! The entropy erosion and frozen area has been completely isolated, with no signs of spreading!"
"Target individual Xu Shuangyao, the core authority of 'Frost Brand' has been reactivated! Activity index has risen to 15%! Consciousness fluctuations continue to strengthen! Neural connection recovery rate: 32%! External energy (Starry Sky Origin Synchronization) infusion is stable! Estimated awakening time: Unknown, but the possibility continues to increase!"
General Raymond Custer stood before the huge observation window, like a silent mountain. His stern face was filled with deep fatigue, but his sharp eyes were fixed on the two sleeping figures in the life support module, especially the faint, almost invisible light in Lin Mo's left eye.
"The price..." His deep voice echoed through the empty hall, carrying the coldness of metal and a subtle heaviness. "The Light Chaser... confirmed total casualties. The 9th Fleet of the Insight Sequence, severely damaged, with a 47% loss rate... We paid a heavy price."
Behind him stood Dr. Owen, the head of the Academy of Sciences. His hair was white, but his eyes were like burning stars, filled with excitement and awe. "General, the price was heavy, but worth it! The dormant core within that child... that is the source of stellar order, more ancient and purer than the 'World Tree'! It was the fire that Major General Pei Du, using his own body as fuel, brought back from the depths of the rift in the Sea of Entropy! And Colonel Xu Shuangyao's awakening... is even more miraculous! Her 'Mark of Frost' froze the might of Entropy at the last moment... This proves that what we have brought back is hope... enough to change the fate of humanity and the very fabric of the universe!"
Raymond's gaze fell on Xu Shuangyao's sleeping face, then moved to Lin Mo's hollow left eye. "Hope... also carries a huge responsibility and a vortex of the unknown. The Observers will not give up. The rifts in the Sea of Entropy are intensifying. The spark is in our hands, and the Ark... will never see peace again."
"But isn't the Ark's purpose to protect the flame and continue civilization?" Dr. Owen's voice was filled with the fanaticism of a martyr. "Major General Pei Du ignited the embers, Colonel Xu Shuangyao froze entropy, and this child inherited the origin... This is Xingqiong's choice! We must protect them! Study the power of the origin, awaken the will of 'Frost', and let this flame... truly burn!"
Raymond was silent for a long moment. He gazed at the imposing phantom of the World Tree in the center of the hall, at the gently glowing energy roots entwined around the life support pod. Finally, he slowly raised his hand and pressed it against the cold observation window, as if, through the glass, he were touching the two heavy burdens of hope and responsibility.
"Order." His voice regained its iron firmness and echoed in the temple.
"The Temple of Origin has entered the highest level of alert, Cradle! Mobilize 30% of the Ark's defenses to protect this area! All research on Lin Mo and Xu Shuangyao is under the sole responsibility of Dr. Owen. Confidentiality Level: Annihilation!"
"Announcement to the Supreme Council and all citizens of the Ark: We have made sacrifices, and we have brought back the fire. From this day forward, the Ark of Humanity's journey will no longer be solely about survival and escape. We will protect this ray of starlight until... eternity!"
Like a boulder dropped into calm waters, the command instantly transmitted through an invisible network to every corner of the Ark. The energy shields within and outside the temple silently increased to unprecedented strength, and countless defensive turrets and energy field generators quietly activated. The Ark, a vast, isolated vessel, quietly adjusted its posture, turning its strongest armor toward the endless darkness and potential dangers outside. A silent, heavy atmosphere, yet filled with a tragic hope, enveloped the entire Ark.
…
Deep in the cold sea of consciousness.
Xu Shuangyao's consciousness drifted in a boundless darkness. A darkness deeper and more eternal than that of the stasis pod. There was no time, no space, only a void of icy silence. The fading of the Frost Mark was like the very foundation of her being, leaving behind only cold, heavy embers.
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