The massive nebula is not just beautiful; it is filled with radiation and energy storms, and also contains a lot of alien debris.
The remains did not appear to be the product of an evil god, nor the product of an orderly civilization.
Linde eventually arrived at the deepest part of the nebula, a shattered planet torn apart by immense force.
It's less of a planet and more of a giant rock fragment.
Linde landed on the largest fragment, where traces of civilization remained.
After the halo scan, a once extremely magnificent and developed city was revealed.
"It looks very advanced... It's not a civilization that could be easily destroyed."
Soon, Linde found a relatively well-preserved building in the center of this "city," which looked like a church.
Linde hovered in front of the dilapidated "church" building.
It is less a church and more a temple or memorial hall with a unique style.
Its material is not the fungal rock of the planet Thal or the alloy of Zedu, but a matte, dark stone that seems to absorb all light, appearing unusually calm and solemn even under the chaotic energy glow of the nebula's core region.
The building is shaped like a sharp cone, but the top is broken and there are huge tears on the sides, exposing the internal structure. Yet the main frame has miraculously stood up, as if silently telling the story of its former strength and glory.
[Deconstructing the Halo] The feedback from the scan made Lin De raise an eyebrow slightly.
(Material analysis: Unknown composite material, with molecules arranged in an inert crystal structure, extremely high physical strength, and extremely strong resistance to energy erosion... There is a weak but stable energy source inside, neither the chaotic attributes of the evil god nor the absolute order of the arbiter of order, but more like... a gentle and firm 'belief' resonance? Architectural style comparison: It does not match any known civilization (Zerdu, evil god, arbiter of order, Qitar), belonging to a completely new civilization lineage.)
Yet another unknown civilization ruin...
Moreover, judging from the state of the building's condition and the fact that it has survived to this day in such a turbulent nebula core region, its level of civilization is clearly not low.
Linde landed before the building's cracked yet still magnificent steps. The enormous portal had vanished, leaving only a deep, dark entrance that seemed to swallow all light.
He stepped inside.
The interior space appears more spacious than the exterior, suggesting the use of some kind of spatial expansion technology.
Most of the tall dome has collapsed, with broken colored glass (or similar materials) scattered all over the ground, but you can still vaguely make out the grand patterns that once depicted the movement of stars and the birth of life.
Rows of benches, also carved from dark stone, lay askew, most of them reduced to dust.
The air was filled with the scent of accumulated dust over the years, and a faint yet lingering atmosphere of sorrow and tranquility.
His gaze was immediately drawn to the deepest part of the main hall.
There, not in the usual place where statues of gods are, stands a stone monument more than ten meters high—or rather, a peculiar obelisk made of a mixture of crystal and metal.
The monument is also covered with cracks and missing its top, but its surface is covered with strange runes that flow like soft water ripples and have their own light source.
These runes are not static, but rather slowly flowing and changing, combining into various incomprehensible patterns and information flows.
And right in front of this dilapidated obelisk, a figure stood quietly.
That was not any known creature.
It is about two people tall, with a shape similar to a human, but with smoother and simpler lines. The whole body is made of dark stone similar to building materials and some strange metal containing light filaments.
Its "face" is smooth, without features, and only has a slightly concave, mirror-like structure, like a calm lake, reflecting the broken scene inside the hall.
It remained motionless, as if it had stood there for millions of years, becoming one with the building and the obelisk.
There was no energy fluctuation on its body, just like a real, exquisitely crafted sculpture.
But Linde’s “deconstruction halo” issued an extremely subtle warning when it came close.
(A highly introverted information aggregate was detected... The external structure is a physical carrier, and the internal core is... a non-standard soul waveform, in a deep hibernation/low-power maintenance state... Energy level: cannot be accurately assessed, potential threat level: medium-high.)
Was he a guard? A recorder? Or... the last "prayer" in this church?
Linde slowly approached, stopping about ten paces away from the stone humanoid figure. His gaze swept over the obelisk covered in runes, attempting to decipher its message.
The runes flowed, their information obscure, not belonging to any language or symbolic system Lind knew. Yet, the resonance of the "belief" contained within them grew ever clearer. It was a praise of life, a thirst for knowledge, an exploration of the stars, and... a final act of defiance and perseverance in the face of irresistible destruction.
Just as Linde was attempting to forcibly analyze the basic information structure of the obelisk using the "Deconstructing Halo" technique—
"Buzz..."
A very faint sigh, as if from ancient times, echoed in the hall.
The smooth, mirror-like surface of the stone human figure suddenly glowed with a soft white light. The light shifted and gradually outlined a blurry, genderless face, yet imbued with an endless sense of vicissitude and peace.
Its (or rather, "his/her" gaze) seemed to pierce through eternity and fall upon Lind.
A peaceful, clear voice resounded deep within Lind's consciousness, spoken in a language Lind had never heard before, yet he instantly understood its meaning:
“Distant traveler…you are neither a ‘purifier’ nor a ‘devourer’…you carry the aura of unfamiliar stars, and…the glimmer of choice.”
Linde's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "Who are you? Where is this place?"
The stone humanoid face shimmered slightly, its voice remaining calm:
“I am the last recorder and guardian spirit of this ‘Watcher’s Sanctuary’. You may call me ‘Esa’. This place is one of the last ruins of the ‘Iris Civilization’. We call this star field… ‘The Forgotten Graveyard’, which is also the place where our civilization ended.”
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