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The air inside the ark, sweet with the aroma of plants and a faint ozone from some clean energy source, was refreshing. The soft grass beneath their feet, the authentic birdsong and the sound of water beside their ears, formed a shattering contrast with the hellish scene outside. Chen Mengzhou and Chu Li stood at the entrance, feeling as if they were in another world.
A brief moment of trance gave way to vigilance. Chen Mengzhou's spatial perception was no longer suppressed here; instead, it expanded smoothly, like a fish entering water. The feedback she received reassured her somewhat—the energy field was stable and peaceful, the building structure was solid, and while there were few life signals, they were concentrated in the central area. There were no hidden malice or aggressive traps.
However, the traces of the battle outside the shield were like a sword hanging over her head, reminding her that this place was not absolutely safe.
"Follow me," Chen Mengzhou whispered, heading for the tallest, silver-white building in the center, shaped like a giant bird with outstretched wings. Chu Li followed silently, gazing at this miraculous oasis with curiosity and vigilance. The "echo" within her body, influenced by the powerful and stable energy field here, fell into an unprecedented silence.
Along the way, they passed some low-rise buildings, simple yet efficient, likely housing areas and research facilities. Occasionally, one or two personnel in silver-white uniforms with the Kronos logo embroidered on their chests hurried by. When they saw Chen Mengzhou and Chu Li, their faces revealed undisguised surprise, but they didn't stop them. Instead, they nodded slightly, their eyes filled with a complex mixture of anticipation and apprehension.
Soon, the two arrived at the main building—the giant bird-shaped structure known as the "Command Core." The massive alloy doors slid open silently, revealing a brightly lit hall filled with flashing screens and control terminals.
In the center of the hall, a middle-aged man, dressed slightly differently from the others, with a golden ribbon on his epaulettes, stood with his back to them, staring at the complex star map and energy flow data on the main screen. He stood tall and straight, yet an undisguised fatigue emanated from him.
Hearing footsteps, he slowly turned around.
It was a face that was weathered but still resolute, with gray hair on the temples and deep eyes. It had the calmness unique to a wise man, and... a hint of uncontrollable excitement and relief that suddenly lit up when he saw Chen Mengzhou.
Chen Mengzhou's footsteps froze in an instant, his breathing stagnated, his pupils contracted violently, and he could hardly believe his eyes.
That face... that face that had long been blurred in her memory, yet deeply etched in her bones...
"...Dad...Dad?" Her voice was dry and trembling, filled with great uncertainty and disbelief.
(Isn’t my father dead?)
Dr. Shen Hua's eyes instantly reddened as he looked at his daughter, scarred and emaciated, yet with a sharp gaze. He quickly stepped forward, arms outstretched, his voice choked with emotion as he said, "Xiao Zhou... my child... you're finally... back!"
Father and daughter embraced each other tightly. Chen Mengzhou felt the familiar warmth of her father's arms, yet it was much thinner than she remembered. The strong shell she had been holding up finally cracked, and tears silently flowed. Countless days and nights of struggle, despair, and confusion seemed to have found an outlet in this moment.
(Even if... the so-called father is just a product of dreams.)
Chu Li stood aside, watching the scene quietly. A trace of imperceptible envy and loneliness flashed in his glass-like eyes, and he lowered his head quietly.
After a long time, Shen Hua finally let go of his daughter, put his hands on her shoulders, and looked at her carefully, looking at the scars on her body and the fatigue between her brows with heartache: "You've suffered, child...it's because Dad is useless..."
(The father role is good, but...)
"I'm fine." Chen Mengzhou shook his head, quickly wiped away his tears, and regained his composure. "Dad, what's going on? Those traces of battle outside... The 'Overseers'..."
Chen Hua sighed, the excitement on his face fading, replaced by a heavy heart. He looked at Chu Li beside him, his eyes gentle but with a hint of scrutiny: "Who is this..."
"She is Chu Li, my friend." Chen Mengzhou introduced her briefly without explaining in detail Chu Li's complicated identity and status.
Shen Hua nodded without asking any more questions, but gave Chu Li a friendly and tired smile: "Welcome to the Ark, child. It's a miracle that you can arrive safely."
He motioned for the two to follow him, and as he walked, he said, "This is not the place to talk. Follow me."
He led them through the command hall and into a more private conference room at the back. The walls of the room were made of a softly luminous material, and in the center was a suspended three-dimensional projection platform that displayed the Ark's overall structure and external surveillance footage.
"As you can see, the Ark is the last bastion of our Kronos orthodoxy." Chen Hua spoke straight to the point, his tone heavy with sorrow. "The Overseers' rebellion and madness exceeded our initial expectations. They tampered with some of the Lighthouse's core instructions, took control of most of the Foundation's armed forces, and even... attempted to actively mobilize the Patrollers."
(Is everything Chen Hua said true?)
He manipulated his fingers a few times on the projection table, bringing up footage of the external battle. He could see the black "Scavenger" troops and the gray-blue "Falcon" troops attacking in coordination, their firepower fierce, but they were repelled by the Ark's powerful energy shield and automated defense system.
"They want to breach the Ark and seize ultimate control of the Lighthouse and... the complete data of the Spark Project." Shen Hua pointed to a highlighted area deep underground in the Ark's projection. "There, uncontaminated Lighthouse core fragments are preserved, as well as... the original genetic sequences and guide programs of all the Anchor Points."
Chen Mengzhou was shocked. It turned out that the key to the "lighthouse" fragments and the "fire" was right here!
"Dr. Adrian..." Chen Mengzhou couldn't help but ask.
Chen Hua's face darkened. "Adrian... he's a tragedy. He was once my best student and assistant, and a staunch supporter of the 'Spark' project. But the 'Overseers' held his wife and daughter hostage... He was forced to compromise, ostensibly serving the 'Overseers,' but in reality... he's been secretly passing intelligence to us and attempting to tamper with the 'Dreamweaver' project to delay the launch of the 'End Beacon'..."
He retrieved an encrypted communication record, which was the warning Adrian sent to Fang Zhou in an extremely dangerous situation. The content confirmed the information Shen Mengzhou saw in the data storage device.
"...During the last contact, he mentioned activating the 'backup plan'...releasing the beacon to attract the attention of the 'Patron' vanguard, buying time for the Ark...and for you, who he believed might still be alive..." Chen Hua's voice was filled with deep regret and a hint of guilt. "He was a true warrior, but...fate was too cruel to him."
Chen Mengzhou remained silent. Adrian's image in her mind had completely changed. ...A tragic hero, forced into a desperate situation, yet still struggling in the darkness, trying to preserve a glimmer of fire?
"So what should we do now?" Chen Mengzhou asked the most crucial question. "The 'Hunter' vanguard has arrived outside the wall. Their will can even penetrate the barrier..."
Shen Hua's expression grew grave. He operated the projection platform and brought up the real-time monitoring data of the "Wall of End." He could see that the wall's energy fluctuations were extremely unstable, and the space-time structure in several areas was continuously weakening, as if it could be torn apart at any moment.
"Time is running out," Chen Hua said gravely. "The Overseers' crazy plan is accelerating the collapse of the Wall. Once the main force of the Patrols breaks through, not only Earth, but the entire solar system and even the physical laws of this star region may be completely rewritten and swallowed up."
He looked at Chen Mengzhou, his eyes filled with a father's reluctance, yet also with the determination to accomplish his mission: "Xiaozhou, you are the holder of the 'Key of Time' and the most special 'anchor' in the 'Spark' plan. Your special ability is the key to connecting and stabilizing the 'Lighthouse' fragments, reactivating some functions, and strengthening the 'Wall'."
"Restart the 'Lighthouse'?" Chen Mengzhou frowned. "Didn't the 'Lighthouse' collapse?"
"It was the main structure that collapsed," Chen Hua explained, "but the fragments of its most core 'Energy Matrix' and 'Rule Calibration Module' have been secretly recovered and stored underground in the Ark. We need you to use the 'Key of Time' and channel your spatial abilities to 'stitch' these fragments back together and activate their remaining power. Even if it's only for a moment, it will be enough to form a temporary reinforcement barrier on the 'wall', buying us... time to initiate the final plan."
"Final solution?" Chen Mengzhou caught the word.
Chen Hua was silent for a moment, his eyes sweeping over Chen Mengzhou and Chu Li, who had been listening quietly, before he finally spoke slowly, "...The true core of the 'Spark' plan isn't simply planting 'anchors'. It's about selecting the most suitable 'foundation stone' at the final moment, integrating it into the 'wall' at the cost of its own strength, and forming a...permanent seal."
A permanent seal! At the cost of my own life!
Chen Mengzhou's heart suddenly sank! This is the true meaning of "Boundary Monument"?! This is the unfinished words in his father's notes?!
Chu Li also raised his head suddenly, his eyes full of shock.
"Is there no... other way?" Chen Mengzhou's voice trembled slightly.
Chen Hua closed his eyes in pain. "This is what Kronos' top scientists came up with after analyzing all the data models... the only possible way to preserve the civilization of this star region before the main force of the 'Patrons' arrives... The price is... the complete sacrifice of a perfect 'anchor point'."
The conference room fell into deathly silence.
The end of the road of hope is such a cruel choice.
Chen Mengzhou looked at his father's tired and sorrowful face, looked at the crumbling "Wall of the End" in the projection, and felt the spatial ability in his body that faintly resonated with the "Key of Time".
It turns out that from the moment she awakened her superpowers, or even earlier, from the moment she was "planted" with the potential of an "anchor point", fate seemed to have paved the way for her to sacrifice.
Is it for the sake of billions of strangers that he sacrificed himself and turned into a cold "boundary marker"?
still……
Her eyes involuntarily fell on Chu Li beside her.
Chu Li was also looking at her. In his glass-like eyes, there was no longer the mockery or coldness of the past. Only a deep calmness remained, as if he saw through everything, and... a hint of extremely complex and indescribable emotions.
Her lips moved slightly, but no sound came out.
But Chen Mengzhou seemed to "hear" her thoughts.
[…It seems…there’s more than one ‘gift’…]
Chen Mengzhou clenched his fists suddenly, his nails digging deep into his palms.
So, Chu Li already knew this? Or perhaps, the "echo" within her body had already foreseen this ultimate fate?
The so-called "gift", the so-called "we will meet again"...are they pointing to this final sacrificial altar?
A huge sense of absurdity and cold anger burned in her chest like wildfire.
She raised her head and looked at her "father", her eyes as sharp as a knife:
"Before I make a decision, I need to know—what is the success rate of 'Restarting the Lighthouse'? Can the 'Eternal Seal' really stop the 'Patrons' forever? And..."
She paused and asked word by word:
"...Aside from sacrifice, the 'Spark' plan doesn't have any plans... for a second answer?"
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