Linde stared at the core of the evil god at the bottom of the well, which was becoming increasingly dim and cracked due to the forced transmission of information. In his raised palm, the ball of light and dark energy containing the aura of destruction slowly dissipated.
Complete purification is undoubtedly the safest option, ending the problem once and for all. However, the research value of this "remains" from an ancient battlefield, carrying some kind of evil god's technology and information, is truly tempting.
If we can analyze its structure, understand its energy operation, and even glimpse the essence and weaknesses of the evil god civilization, it may play a crucial role in dealing with potentially more severe conflicts in the future.
Risk and reward go hand in hand.
Lind has never lacked the courage to take risks, especially when the rewards are substantial. But he is even more adept at managing risk.
“A dying, failed product that has lost the support of its mother body… has a relatively high degree of controllability.” Linde calmly assessed, “The key is how to conduct limited ‘activation’ and ‘research’ without triggering its backlash or self-destruction.”
He decided to try to awaken it, but only under absolute control.
First, we need to set up isolation and protection measures.
Linde flashed back to the entrance of the underground space. He waved his hands, and silver runes outlined by the power of the light veins flew out as if they were alive, accurately imprinting themselves on the inner walls of the passage and the boundaries of the entire underground space.
These runes are not merely defensive; they also contain the power of the laws of "definition" and "isolation," forming a powerful barrier—the [Order Imprisonment Field]. It effectively prevents internal energy from leaking out, while greatly weakening any force attempting to breach the barrier.
Next, he took out several specially treated black crystals containing the aura of "the end of annihilation" and placed them around the vertical well, forming a simple matrix.
Once the core shows signs of going out of control, he can instantly draw upon the annihilating power within the crystal to forcibly "end" it.
Finally, he mobilized the power of Shadow Abyss to weave an invisible "perceptual spider web" throughout the entire space. Every flow of energy and change in information would be under his surveillance, leaving no room for escape.
Once everything was ready, Linde returned to the well. Instead of directly contacting the core, he planned to remotely inject energy of different properties and observe its reaction.
He first separated an extremely subtle wisp of light energy, full of vitality and order, and slowly probed it towards the core at the bottom of the well like a silk thread.
As the energy threads touched the core surface, the faint energy tendrils within the cracks reappeared, attempting to capture and absorb them.
However, the strong sense of order inherent in the energy of the light veins seems to be incompatible with the chaotic nature at its core.
Upon contact with the power of the light vein, the energy tendrils retracted rapidly as if struck by a branding iron. The core itself trembled slightly, emitting a repulsive wave. The dim light did not intensify at all; instead, it became even darker.
“Rejecting order… just as I expected.” Linde was not surprised and withdrew his light vein energy.
Next came the power of the Shadow Abyss. A wisp of shadow energy, carrying an aura of nothingness and annihilation, drifted toward the core.
This time, the core reacted even more violently. Wisps of resisting purplish-black mist even escaped from the cracks, eroding and wearing down the power of the Shadow Abyss. The core seemed to be stimulated, pulsating slightly and conveying an emotion of disgust and vigilance.
It seems that the power of the Shadow Abyss cannot be effectively absorbed by it either.
Then comes the life-giving power of the [Activation Aura]. A warm and vibrant energy flow is injected, attempting to stimulate its inherent activity.
However, the essence of this core is "twisting" and "devouring," rather than "growth" and "nourishment." The power of activation sank without a trace, failing to elicit any positive response, and the core remained lifeless.
Linde remained unfazed by the failures of all three attempts, as he had anticipated. The evil god's power system was clearly vastly different from the mainstream energy forms of the continent of Til.
Finally, he mobilized the most basic, universal, and malleable energy—magic.
A wisp of pure, attribute-free magic (originating from his understanding of the essence of the magic network, rather than the cold-willed magical power of Tiorantis) flowed slowly towards the dark purple core like a clear stream.
This time, the situation is completely different!
The moment the magic threads touched the core, those previously languid energy tendrils, like parched land receiving rain, suddenly stretched out, greedily wrapping around and absorbing this wisp of magic!
The dim runes on the core surface seemed to come alive, beginning to flicker at an extremely slow pace! The writhing filaments of light deep within the cracks also became active, and the viscous dark liquid inside the core flowed at a noticeably faster speed!
A faint but clear feeling of "desire" emanated from the core, pointing directly at Lind—more magic!
"It only reacts to magic..." A glint flashed in Linde's eyes. "Is it because the 'disorderly' potential of magic resonates with its chaotic nature? Or is it because magic is a relatively easy form to obtain and convert in the barren energy environment of Planet Tar?"
He carefully controlled the input of magic, maintaining it at an extremely low but continuous level, while simultaneously activating the [Deconstruction Aura] to closely monitor every change within the core.
As magic continues to be injected, the core's signs of revival become increasingly apparent:
• Crack Repair: Some of the smallest cracks have begun to heal at a visible rate, and while the major, large cracks remain, the overall stability of the core appears to be improving.
• Increased energy fluctuations: The evil god fluctuations emanating from the core are no longer so weak, but have become clear and stable. Although it is still far from being "active", it is no longer in a dying state.
• Information flow is active: The chaotic information flow within the core seems to be sorting out and becoming more orderly, but the cold, greedy, and distorted nature it contains has not changed.
• Attempt to connect to the outside world: Linden could sense that among the mostly dried-up dark purple pipes that connected to the outside world, a very small number had begun to glow faintly. The core seemed to be trying to re-establish contact with the external fungus network, but the strength was very weak, and it seemed to be still in the probing and recovery stage.
A vague fragment of consciousness, tinged with obvious ingratiation and urgency, intermittently reached Lind's perception:
"[Energy...more...needs...can...exchange...knowledge...power...]"
It attempted to communicate, throwing out bait.
Linde responded coldly, his will as sharp as a tempered blade:
“Show your worth. About your Creator, about that war, about… the meaning of your existence.”
He increased his magic input, but kept it within a safe range, while secretly strengthening the alert level of the [Order Imprisonment Field] and the Annihilation Crystal Matrix.
The core light flickered a few times, as if weighing its options. Ultimately, the thirst for energy prevailed.
A clearer, yet more fragmented stream of information flowed toward Lind, interspersed with images and perceptions:
• Endless hunger: A perpetually insatiable urge to devour, permeating the cold void, is the fundamental driving force behind their existence.
• "Assimilation" is "evolution": Decomposing, distorting, and integrating orderly civilizations, life, and laws into themselves is the only "correct" path in their cognition, and the ladder to "ultimate chaos".
• Hatred of “order”: An instinctive aversion to and desire to destroy light veins, stable life systems, and highly structured civilizations.
Regarding that war: The scene remains the same star system, the infected planet, but the destructive "light" is clearer—it wasn't an energy attack, but more like a… "rule correction"? It was as if the fundamental rules of the entire universe were forcibly corrected at that moment, denying the "legitimacy" of the evil god's existence, causing its power system to collapse instantly. Unable to comprehend it, they could only attribute it to some unknown, terrifying "guardian of order."
The information flow ends here, the core message conveying weariness and an even stronger thirst for magic.
Linde received some answers, but more questions arose. What was that light of "rule correction"? Was it the universe's maintenance mechanism? Or the intervention of some unimaginably powerful civilization?
He temporarily suppressed his thoughts and focused on the present. The value of this core lay in the evil god's technology tree, information records, and its research significance as a "sample." However, its danger also increased with the resurgence.
Linde stopped channeling magic.
The core message immediately conveyed feelings of anxiety and dissatisfaction.
“Your worth needs further verification,” Linde coldly conveyed his will. “Remain silent until I give permission. Any disturbance will result in utter annihilation.”
He strengthened the power of the confinement barrier and began setting up a more complex micro-supply array that could continuously draw inert energy from the environment and slowly convert it into harmless magic (similar to the background energy of the planet Thar) to maintain the core's minimum "survival" and prevent it from falling into irreversible decay or triggering a self-destruct mechanism due to complete energy depletion.
He wouldn't give it a quick recovery, but he would keep it alive as a precious, strictly imprisoned "research specimen."
After doing all this, Linde took one last look at the evil god's core, which was slowly pulsating and emitting an ominous purple light under the weak supply of magic, and then turned and left the underground space.
He needs time to process the information he has received and to think about how to use this unexpected "gain" more safely and effectively.
At the same time, he also realized that such a large-scale conflict had occurred in this seemingly peaceful star field, so what secrets were hidden in the other coordinates marked by the dragons?
The journey through the stars has only just begun, and the first clue points to a grand mystery that transcends the level of the continent of Tyre and concerns the very essence of the cosmic order.
Linde's figure disappeared at the end of the passage, leaving only the heavily imprisoned core of the evil god, shimmering with an eerie light in the dim depths of the underground, like the imprisoned, resentful eye of a demon, awaiting an unknown future.
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