The Iris civilization? Yet another name I've never heard of.
"The Land of Ending? Who destroyed it? The 'Purifier' (Arbiter of Order)? Or the 'Devourer' (Extraterrestrial Evil God)?" Lind asked directly.
A complex emotion seemed to emanate from the illusory image of Elsa's face, a mixture of sadness and relief.
“It is the ‘light of purification’... but not the kind of pure destruction you understand it to be.”
Elsa slowly said, "The Iris civilization was once a race dedicated to exploring the harmonious coexistence of life, consciousness, and the universe. We developed technology, studied philosophy, and tried to find a way to transcend the barriers of chaos and absolute order... We believed that the diversity and infinite possibilities of life itself are the most precious treasure of the universe."
His voice carried a sense of reminiscence:
"We were once incredibly prosperous, our footprints spanning several galaxies. We communicated with different intelligent life forms, recorded their history and culture, and attempted to weave a 'star epic' belonging to all intelligent life... until the gaze of the 'Purifier' fell upon us."
“They see our path as a ‘dangerous destabilizing factor’ and our ‘inclusivity’ as a potential threat to the ‘absolute order.’ They demand that we abandon ‘unnecessary diversity,’ accept their ‘order framework,’ and unify all ideas and forms of civilization under their standards.”
Elsa's tone carried an indescribable heaviness, "We... refused."
“And so, the ‘Light of Purification’ descended.” Elsa’s illusory face dimmed for a moment. “It wasn’t simply destructive energy; it was a kind of… ‘conceptual correction.’ It attempted to forcibly twist the foundations of our civilization, distorting our understanding of life and free will into a cold, logical ‘optimization process’ that conformed to their logic. It wanted to erase the unpredictability we call ‘souls,’ turning us into a… standardized node in their blueprint of order.”
Lind listened quietly. This partially aligned with his previous speculations about the arbiters of order, but was more specific, and more… chilling. This wasn't destruction; it was a fundamental denial of the meaning and manner of a civilization's existence.
"We rose up in resistance and used all our strength."
Elsa continued, her voice tinged with pride and deep weariness, "But we failed. Our fleet was utterly vulnerable to that power at the level of rules, our home planet was enveloped by the 'correction' force field... Countless of our compatriots had their consciousness forcibly distorted and assimilated, becoming empty shells devoid of self, merely executing the commands of 'order'... Only a very small number, like our remote outposts, survived when the main force of the 'purifying light' swept through, due to distance and energy dispersion, but they were also severed from the main civilization, gradually perishing in the ensuing energy aftershocks and spatial collapse..."
Elsa's gaze seemed to pierce through the building, looking towards the desolate graveyard outside:
"The nebula you see is a byproduct of that 'War of Correction,' a 'scar' formed by the mixture of countless destroyed and distorted remnants of civilizations and dissipated energy... And the minions of those 'devourers' were attracted by the dense negative emotions and chaotic energy of this area, like hyenas smelling carrion..."
Linde fell silent. He finally understood that the origins of this graveyard were far more complex and tragic than he had imagined. It was a tombstone formed by a civilization that refused to submit to the "absolute order," after its struggle failed, together with many of those affected.
"Why are you telling me all this?" Lind asked, not believing that the guardian spirit was merely recounting history.
Elsa turned her face toward the obelisk flowing with runes, her voice becoming solemn and dignified: "Traveler, I have stood guard here for countless years, awaiting a possibility. A variable that is neither a 'Purifier' nor a 'Devourer' will emerge. Although the civilization of Iris has perished, the knowledge we have accumulated, our understanding of life and consciousness, our observations and research on the 'Purifier' and the 'Devourer'... should not be completely annihilated."
The runes on the obelisk suddenly lit up, and the light converged to form a fist-sized crystal in the center of the obelisk, with a soft, seven-colored luster and an interior that seemed to contain nebulae.
"This is the 'Iris Core,' which stores the most essential non-technical knowledge base of our civilization—research on the nature of consciousness, the perception and harmony of energies in different dimensions, philosophical speculation on how to find a dynamic balance between order and chaos, and... our partial analysis and deductive data on the 'Purifier' power system. It does not contain specific weapon blueprints or technology trees, but it may offer you... a different perspective, an inspiration for a 'third way' to confront 'absolute order' and 'ultimate chaos.'"
Elsa's voice carried a final hope and plea:
“Take it with you, traveler from afar. Do not let the wisdom of Iris vanish into nothingness. Perhaps in your hands, upon our lessons, new hope can be born…”
As Elsa spoke, the "Iris Core" slowly floated out of the obelisk and flew towards Lind.
Linde looked at the crystal that emitted a soft light and contained a vast aura of knowledge, and then at Elsa's face that was gradually becoming ethereal.
He reached out and caught the "Iris Core". The crystal felt warm to the touch, and the nebula flowing inside seemed to resonate with him in some subtle way.
“I will study it,” Lind promised calmly. This knowledge was indeed exactly what he desperately needed, especially the analysis of the power system of the Order Arbiters.
“Thank you, traveler…” A smile of relief spread across Elsa’s face, her figure growing ever fainter. “My mission… is finally complete… May the light of the stars guide your path…”
As soon as she finished speaking, the light on Elsa's mirror-like face went out completely, and the stone figure returned to its lifeless state, as if everything just now was an illusion.
Only the warm "Iris Core" in his hand proved that the conversation that had just transmigrated across countless ages had truly taken place.
Linde put away the core, glanced once more at the dilapidated sanctuary and the silent guardian spirit, then turned and left the hall.
Outside, the nebula continues to rotate slowly, with radiation and energy storms raging.
But Linde's mood was heavier and clearer than when he arrived.
He not only confirmed the threatening nature of the Order Arbiters (Purifiers)—a terrifying force that attempts to unify and correct all “dissidents” at the conceptual level—but also learned that a civilization had once tried to take a different path and was destroyed as a result.
The "Iris Core" in his hands may be the key to breaking the deadlock in the future.
The road ahead remains fraught with thorns, and formidable enemies lurk all around. But the fog of uncertainty seems to have lifted somewhat.
He did not linger there. His figure transformed into a stream of light, bursting out of this "graveyard of oblivion" that buried the tragic songs of the past, and continued his exploration and journey home towards the boundless sea of stars.
His next stop would likely be back on the continent of Tiel. He needed time to process the experiences and lessons he had learned along the way.
The cruelty and magnificence of the starry sea, the rise and fall of civilizations and their struggles—all of this made him even more certain that the continent of Tiel must possess the power to control its own destiny.
He himself needs to become stronger in order to protect everything he wants to protect in that ultimate conflict, which may be unavoidable and concerns the way of being.
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