The metal dome of the Stargate Hub gleamed coldly under the test lights. Lin Yi stood in front of the central control console, his thumb unconsciously rubbing the metal buckle of his tactical pouch.
Three hours ago, the dark spikes in the Night Owl image were still burning his retina. Now, the voice of the shadowy figure came through the communicator: "Stargate resonance frequency calibration complete. Opening in thirty seconds."
Long Wu slammed his heavy battle sword on the ground, the scabbard clanging against the ground with a dull thud. "Boss, I'll lead the brothers of the combat unit to charge first—" Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Su Qing's electronic voice: "Anomaly detected in the energy fluctuation of the stargate. It is recommended to delay for thirty seconds." Her data body floated up from the terminal on Lin Yi's wrist. In the pale blue halo, the pupil-shaped data stream suddenly contracted into a pinpoint.
Lin Yi looked up at the control panel.
The shadowy figure was bending over, adjusting a silver disc, his silver hair falling down to obscure his expression; Xuan Mingzi had his back to everyone, his fingertips flying across the holographic keyboard, his shoulders trembling slightly beneath his gray-blue Taoist robe.
This mysterious person, who always said that "the game's mastermind is nothing more than a puppet of an advanced civilization," was now typing commands at an abnormally fast speed, his knuckles turning bluish-white.
"Su Qing, check Xuan Mingzi's operation records." Lin Yi lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping over the countdown timer on the wall—29:58.
"Analyzing..." Su Qing's aura suddenly brightened. "He invoked the encryption protocol of an advanced civilization, and the content involves... spacetime coordinate redirection?"
Lin Yi's neck stiffened instantly.
The fragment of the First Will that Night Owl displayed three hours ago was still warm in his tactical pouch, but once the coordinate system of an advanced civilization is tampered with...
"Stargate open!" The voice from the shadowy figure pierced the air like a silver needle.
Spiderweb-like patterns cracked open in the center of the metal dome, and twelve crystal altars simultaneously lit up with a ghostly blue light.
Lin Yi saw a galaxy-like band of light surging behind the door, but it twisted into a vortex the moment it touched the altar—the same dark, barbed vortex that appeared in the Night Owl's image.
"Hold on tight!" he roared, grabbing Long Wu's wrist with his backhand.
The spatial turbulence tore at everyone like an invisible giant hand. Long Wu's battle sword clattered to the ground, Su Qing's aura was ripped into pieces, and Xuan Mingzi's Taoist robe fluttered in the wind, yet he stood more steadily in place than anyone else.
"Data anchoring field, activate!" Su Qing's voice came from all directions, and pale blue data streams wove into a cocoon around everyone.
Lin Yi felt a pair of gentle hands supporting his back, and the tearing force of the turbulent current suddenly weakened.
He turned his head to look at Su Qing. The girl's data was oozing fine snowflakes, and even the outline was somewhat blurred.
"You've overdrawn your energy again," Lin Yi said, his voice strained.
"The basic job of a mythical AI." Su Qing chuckled, but data streams still fell from her hair. "Compared to when you shielded me from a fiery arrow in the newbie village..."
The space suddenly felt heavy.
The group stumbled and fell into the damp air, their noses filled with the pungent smell of rust and moss.
The stone gate at the entrance to the ruins was covered with cracks, and the hum of mechanical gears turning could be heard from inside.
The shadowy figure shook his disheveled silver hair and pulled up a holographic map: "The key is in the central sanctuary, but there are twelve sets of automated defensive turrets around it. Someone needs to draw their fire—"
"Damn it!" Long Wu bent down to pick up his battle knife, the blade reflecting his gleaming eyes. "Boss, you lead the main force around to the rear. Within twenty minutes, I guarantee all those iron lumps will be lured into the trap zone!" He patted the explosive rounds at his waist, the crisp sound of the shell casings colliding was particularly clear in the empty ruins.
Lin Yi nodded, but out of the corner of his eye he noticed Xuan Mingzi staring at a secluded corridor on the map.
It was a dead end marked "Maintenance Passage," and marked "Danger" on the map with a red skull.
"Xuanmingzi, check the communicator signal," Lin Yi suddenly said.
The gray-robed man stiffened slightly, then turned his head and smiled gently: "Don't worry, young friend Lin, this old Taoist priest will handle it..."
"Long Wu, take two men with you and go with him," Lin Yi interrupted him. "Also, check if there's a backup power supply in the maintenance tunnel."
Long Wu paused for a moment, then grinned: "Alright! Old Zhang, Ah Hu, come with me—"
“No need.” Xuan Mingzi suddenly raised his hand, the veins on his wrist bulging beneath his Taoist robe. “The spirit-detecting technique passed down in my family is more effective than electronic devices, and it’s faster by myself.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked toward the maintenance passage, the hem of his Taoist robe sweeping across the scattered pebbles, making a rustling sound.
Lin Yi stared at his back until the gray figure disappeared around the corner.
Su Qing's data stream wrapped around his wrist: "An unknown energy reaction was detected at the end of the maintenance channel, type... similar to a monitoring node of an advanced civilization."
"Who is he contacting?" Lin Yi whispered, his knuckles turning white from gripping the bottle.
From the first time we met in the starting village, this man who always said "the game's mastermind wants to transcend" seemed strange—he knew too many things he shouldn't know, yet he always backed down at crucial moments.
At this moment, Lin Yi suddenly remembered that three hours ago, when the key vibrated, Xuan Mingzi's fingers had unconsciously pressed against his chest, where half a silver badge was faintly visible, exactly the same as the runes on the black shadow's star gate disc.
"boom--"
A muffled sound came from deep within the ruins.
Long Wu's loud voice blared through his communicator: "Boss! I detonated the trap zone ahead of time, and those junk are charging right here!"
Lin Yi's eyes lit up.
On the map of the shadowy figure, the icons of twelve defensive turrets are moving rapidly toward the trap zone, and the red warning circle around the central sanctuary is suddenly shrinking.
"Go!" He grabbed Su Qing's wrist. "Take advantage of the defense system being disabled and head straight for the Temple!"
Just as everyone was about to set off, a loud electronic boom suddenly came from the direction of the maintenance passage.
Lin Yi turned his head sharply and saw Xuan Mingzi walking out from around the corner, his Taoist robe speckled with blue light.
His eyes were somewhat dazed, yet also filled with relief. When he saw Lin Yi, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he finally said only, "There's nothing in the passage."
Lin Yi stared at the corners of his watery eyes and suddenly noticed black shavings on his fingertips—exactly the same black color as the owl fragments.
"Young friend Lin?" Xuanmingzi smiled. "If you don't leave now, Long Wu might dismantle all the turrets."
A sudden gust of wind swept in from the ruins, stirring up the scattered stones.
Lin Yi stared at the tightly closed bronze doors of the central temple, then glanced at the red dot on the communicator showing Long Wu running wildly, and finally pursed his lips: "Let's go."
As the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor, Xuan Mingzi was the last to arrive.
He watched Lin Yi's retreating figure, his hand secretly pressed against his chest, where the silver badge was burning hot.
“I’m sorry, young friend,” he said softly, his voice drowned out by the sound of footsteps, “There are some truths that I must... verify myself.”
The bronze doors of the central sanctuary slowly opened before everyone. In the golden light shining from inside, a key was floating on a stone platform, its surface bearing the same pattern as the one in Lin Yi's tactical bag.
In the shadows behind the door, the twelve ever-burning lamps suddenly went out at the same time, and something opened its eyes in the darkness.
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