radicalducati Page 255
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Lin Ye unleashed a cry from the deepest part of his soul, carrying all his desire for survival. He transformed the attack, which contained all his power and a trace of the "definition" and "order" of the "Key of Creation," into a blue divine spear that pierced through the data, and resolutely hurled it toward the core of evil!
"Seal it for me!!"
call out....!!!!
The blue divine spear tore through the chaotic data space, and wherever it passed, all the twisted purple tentacles and black spikes collapsed and were purified! With a speed that surpassed the transmission of information, it ignored all obstacles and pierced through the constantly pulsating purple shadow core with unparalleled precision!
【No!! Impossible...!! I... refuse to accept this...】 The twisted demonic voice emitted a hysterical, incredulous scream, then abruptly stopped!
boom! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
A deafening, silent explosion swept across the data plane! Endless purple and blue light intertwined and annihilated each other! The entire data domain shook and trembled violently!
In the real world, Li Sha and the Sentinel saw the dense purple mist that enveloped the historical log area being gripped tightly by an invisible giant hand, suddenly contracting and collapsing inward, and finally dissipating in an extremely intense flash of light, disappearing without a trace! Only the eroded and dilapidated physical structure of that area and the residual, gradually dissipating abnormal energy waves in the air remained.
Within the data domain, Lin Ye's consciousness became almost transparent, extremely weak. But he saw that the enormous purple shadow had disappeared, replaced by a small cluster of deep purple core code, bound and imprisoned by countless energy chains shimmering with blue order runes, as if imprisoned in an invisible cage, suspended in place, showing no signs of movement.
Success...?
An overwhelming sense of exhaustion and despair washed over him. His consciousness began to be pulled back to reality.
However, just as his consciousness was about to completely exit the data realm, a whispered, urgent, and icy warning was poured over him like ice water!
[WARNING! The core of the abnormal structure has not been completely removed! Its core code has been detected to have an extremely high-priority 'non-deletable' attribute! It has been forcibly sealed using the highest privileges! This sealing requires continuous database energy to maintain, and the sealing strength will gradually weaken as the abnormal structure itself evolves adaptively!]
[Urgent Warning! A very weak, highly encrypted location signal was detected emanating from the core of the anomalous structure one-thousandth of a second before it was completely sealed! The signal content cannot be fully deciphered, but it contains the precise spatiotemporal coordinates of this database and an 'anomaly' marker!]
Lin Ye's consciousness instantly turned completely cold, as if he had fallen into an abyss.
Sealing it off, not eradicating it? This thing is sticking to me like a stubborn skin disease!
And... the coordinates have been exposed?! Something... might be lured here?!
Internal troubles remain unresolved, while external threats have already arrived!
Chapter 538 A Brief Respite and a New Crisis
His consciousness was forcibly dragged from the deep sea and abruptly returned to his body. A violent dizziness and exhaustion, like ice water mixed with fire, instantly overwhelmed every nerve in Lin Ye's body. He groaned, his right hand, which he had withdrawn from the energy interface, trembled uncontrollably, and he staggered backward, almost collapsing to the ground. His face was deathly pale, cold sweat instantly soaking his forehead and sliding down his temples. His temples felt like they were being repeatedly struck by an invisible hammer, sending waves of dull, tearing pain through him.
"Lin Ye!" Li Sha's tearful cry rang in his ears. She had been anxiously watching over him, and immediately rushed forward, using her small frame to support his swaying body. "Are you alright? Don't scare me!"
"N-nothing...it's nothing." Lin Ye's voice was hoarse like a broken bellows. He endured the buzzing and throbbing pain deep in his brain caused by excessive mental exertion, and with Li Sha's help, he managed to stand up straight. His gaze, like the most accurate navigator, immediately locked onto the historical log backup area.
The previously swirling, chilling purple mist in that area had completely vanished, as if it had never existed. However, the traces it left behind were shocking—the already damaged walls and ground were now covered with pits and charred marks, as if corroded by strong acid. A few wisps of smoke, carrying a pungent burnt smell and a strange odor similar to that of a burnt circuit board, rose and filled the air, reminding everyone of how dangerous the battle that had just taken place in the invisible world had been.
"The anomalous structure... has been forcibly sealed." The Guardian Sentinel's distinctive, emotionless electronic voice rang out at the opportune moment, but the glow of its dark red optical sensors was noticeably dimmer than usual. Several tiny arcs of electricity still flickered unwillingly across its massive metallic body; clearly, providing computational support at the data level and maintaining energy countermeasures in the real world had consumed a tremendous amount of its energy. "However, its core logic has not been completely eradicated, and it is currently under highest-level privilege confinement. Maintaining this seal requires continuous consumption of database energy, estimated at 3.2 percent of the current total energy reserves, and this percentage may slowly increase as the anomalous structure adapts and resists."
The sentry's report was cold and precise, confirming the whisper's final warning. Lin Ye's heart sank as if into an ice cave. The internal strife, like a time bomb, was only temporarily buried, not deflated! And what was worse…
"Furthermore, it was confirmed that just before it was completely sealed, it exploited an access vulnerability to send out an extremely brief, highly encrypted location signal," the Sentinel continued, its mechanical head turning towards Lin Ye, its red optical sensors locked onto him. "The signal content cannot be fully deciphered, but its encoded structure clearly contains the precise spatiotemporal coordinates of this database, as well as an identifier for... 'high-value anomaly existence'."
"A high-value anomaly?" Li Sha supported Lin Ye, her voice trembling uncontrollably. "Does it refer to...us? Or to the sealed virus?"
“Insufficient information to make a precise judgment,” the sentry replied. “But logically, both are possible, or a combination of both.”
Their last shred of hope was shattered. They were like travelers in a dark forest who had just extinguished a campfire to avoid being discovered, only to inadvertently trigger a landmine. The piercing sound may have already echoed throughout the entire forest, attracting the attention of all the lurking hunters.
Internal troubles remain unresolved, while external threats have already arrived! The unknown entity behind the scenes, known as the "higher-level will," has likely already locked onto them once again! Moreover, the content of this "signal" may be even more "tempting" than the last one!
A suffocating silence enveloped the dilapidated hall. Having just won an internal battle at great risk and replenished a small amount of energy, they hadn't even had time to catch their breath at this brief victory when a larger, more deadly shadow of crisis loomed over them like a dark cloud, so heavy that it was almost impossible to breathe.
Lin Ye could clearly hear the heavy, rapid pounding of his heart in his chest, and Li Sha's slightly accelerated breathing due to fear. He closed his eyes and shook his head violently, as if trying to shake off the bone-chilling weakness and the despair that coiled around him like venomous snakes. He couldn't fall! Absolutely not! Frustration and panic wouldn't solve anything; they would only hasten their demise!
He abruptly opened his eyes, bloodshot and exhausted, yet a rekindled, unwavering will rekindled deep within them. He looked at the Sentinel, his voice still hoarse, but carrying an undeniable command: "Sentinel, immediately assess the database's overall defense capabilities! If... if we encounter an attack of a scale similar to the one that caused our previous jump, how long can we hold out at most?"
The sensor lights on the sentinel's head blinked steadily, seemingly rapidly accessing all available sensors and data. "Energy reserves 21.7%. Due to previous internal data confrontations and the core seal prioritizing energy supply, the overall effectiveness of the defense matrix system is currently only maintained at 28% of the baseline level. External armor damage 17%. Based on comprehensive calculations, if encountering a space distortion and energy annihilation attack of equal intensity and type, the estimated maximum withstand time... will not exceed 8 minutes (standard time unit). If encountering a physical surprise attack or energy bombardment-type attack, the withstand time may be slightly extended, but will not exceed 15 minutes."
Eight minutes! Or even less! That's an absolutely despairing number! It means that once the enemy finds them, they'll be practically unable to put up any decent resistance!
"Is there any way to improve our defenses as quickly as possible? Even just a little bit!" Li Sha interjected anxiously, her hand gripping Lin Ye's arm tightly, her fingertips turning slightly white from the force. "Or... could we perform another space jump? Get out of here!"
"To improve defensive effectiveness, at least three critical external energy deflection plates and the main shield generator need to be repaired. This requires specific replacement parts and at least 5% additional energy for debugging. Current conditions do not meet these requirements." The Sentinel's reply was as cold as a judge's. "Reactivating the space jump protocol... energy reserves are severely insufficient. Furthermore, due to the previous forced jump and this high-intensity data processing, the core computing unit of the jump engine requires at least 72 standard hours of natural cooling and logic self-checking cycles for its internal lattice structure. Forcing a restart would result in an engine crash probability exceeding 99.8%, potentially leading to structural disintegration of the database."
Staying would be tantamount to certain death. Leaving? The database was their only refuge, a relic left behind by the "Observer" civilization, and their only hope in finding "Eden" and fighting the unknown enemy. Losing it would leave them, two fragile humans and an exhausted guardian, utterly helpless in the vast, desolate, and dangerous depths of the "Shattered Graveyard," their fate possibly worse than if they remained.
It seems... that we are truly in a dilemma?
Lin Ye didn't allow himself to wallow in despair for too long. He forced his brain to work at high speed, like the most sophisticated computer, rapidly sorting through the limited and chaotic fragments of information he currently possessed: the damaged "Observer" database, the "Craftsman" engineering pod that could conduct transactions and attempted to repair the equipment, the bizarre logic virus sealed but not eradicated within his body, the unknown enemy that might be tracking the signal, and... most importantly, the theoretically existing "Eden" that represented order and hope!
"Eden"... that legendary "Oasis of Order," the final refuge that the "Observer" civilization might have left behind... If we could find it, perhaps we could truly escape this endless pursuit and suffocating cycle of crisis, gain a real chance to breathe, or even... find our way home?
This thought, like a glimmer of light in the darkness, though faint, instantly seized Lin Ye's entire attention. He abruptly raised his head, his gaze burning as he looked at the Sentinel, and asked urgently, "Sentinel! When we performed that random space jump, did the database record data such as spatial parameters, energy turbulence distribution, and coordinate disturbances during the jump? Could this data help us narrow down the possible area where 'Eden' might exist?"
The sensors on the sentry's head suddenly brightened, seemingly rapidly retrieving and analyzing relevant data streams. "Definitely. Although the target of this unconventional jump is random, the massive amount of real-time data generated during the jump itself contains valuable information such as the spatiotemporal structure characteristics and energy tidal flow of the current local area of the 'Broken Graveyard.' This data can be cross-referenced and fitted with the prediction data of the 'Eden' space anchor point fluctuation model stored in the database. Theoretically, through this data analysis, the probability area where 'Eden' may appear within the current time window can be narrowed down from the almost infinitely large 'Broken Graveyard' that originally needed to be searched to... a relatively controllable range of about 3.7%."
3.7%! Although it's still a vast and terrifying expanse of space, compared to the previous despair of searching for a needle in a haystack, this is undoubtedly a milestone and a huge step forward! For the first time, they truly have a direction to strive for!
"How long will it take to complete this analysis?" Lin Ye's voice rose slightly with excitement as he pressed for an answer. Time was now his most precious resource, and also his most deadly enemy.
"The available computing power of the database is limited, and priority should be given to ensuring the operation of the basic life support system and maintaining the energy supply of the core seal," the Sentinel replied. "This analysis task should be given the highest priority, and all redundant computing resources should be mobilized to complete the preliminary area screening and probabilistic modeling. It is estimated that it will take... standard time unit: 48 hours."
48 hours! A full two days! All their current energy, even operating at minimum power consumption, wouldn't last more than three days! And just analyzing clues would consume the vast majority of that time! And that doesn't even include the dangers they might encounter along the way, and the further energy consumption, after the analysis is complete, as they need to traverse that vast "3.7%" region to search!
Time was running out, to a suffocating degree! Every minute, every second felt like a race against death!
"Begin analysis immediately! Utilize all available resources, prioritizing the 'Eden' area location mission!" Lin Ye issued the order without hesitation, almost shouting it out. This was their only, and last, hope, and they had to hold onto it tightly! "Meanwhile, Sentinels, do everything in your power to repair and optimize the existing defense system, even if it only extends the support time by one minute, even if it only increases the defense strength by one percent!"
He turned to Lisa, looking at her pale but equally determined face: "Lisa, we need to use everything we can! You and I, immediately and thoroughly search all the storage areas, repair bays, and even the waste dumps in the database that are not completely damaged! See if there are any weapons, tools, or anything that might improve our chances of survival that we can use directly! Even a single screw might come in handy at a critical moment!"
"Understood!" Li Sha nodded vigorously, the fear in her eyes replaced by a do-or-die determination. She knew her combat ability was almost zero, but in terms of equipment identification and resource utilization, her engineering knowledge and hands-on skills might be able to create miracles.
“Command confirmed,” the sentry responded in a low voice. “'Eden' location analysis mission has been initiated, occupying the highest computing privileges. The defense system self-check and local optimization processes are proceeding simultaneously.”
Inside the dilapidated and silent hall, the atmosphere instantly became tense and bustling. Lin Ye, enduring the throbbing pain deep in his brain and the intense fatigue, immediately threw himself into the search. He couldn't afford to rest; every second was precious now.
They moved among the massive crystal pillars, prying open half-closed, dusty lockers and exploring previously overlooked corner compartments. The process was not smooth; most of what they found were completely damaged parts, wrecked equipment with its power completely depleted, or outdated "Observer" standard items that were completely incompatible with their current equipment.
A few hours later, in a relatively well-preserved spare parts warehouse, they found some valuable items: several sets of old but structurally sound multi-functional engineering protective suits (although their size was too large for humans), some portable cutting and welding tools with almost depleted energy levels but which could perhaps be slowly recharged through special means, several spare energy cores of unknown model but emitting faint energy fluctuations (possibly suitable for certain specific equipment), and a small box of alloy ingots with an unknown purpose that shimmered with a strange metallic luster, and several transparent crystals the size of pigeon eggs with what appeared to be liquid flowing inside.
There weren't many items, and most of them were temporarily useless, but they were among the few "treasures" they could find in their desperate situation. Li Sha eagerly picked up the tools and energy cores, and began using her limited resources and knowledge to try and repair and modify her almost-ruined engineering welding torch, hoping to increase its output power or transform it into a rudimentary defensive or disruptive weapon.
Lin Ye picked up a piece of the transparent crystal. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, and the flowing light inside seemed to contain some kind of strange energy. He tried to sense it with the faint aura of the fragment in his palm, but it only elicited a very subtle, almost imperceptible resonance.
Time slipped away quietly for more than ten hours amidst the tense, oppressive, and race-against-time search and work.
Lin Ye leaned against a relatively stable crystal pillar, closed his eyes, and tried his best to allow his exhausted mind to recover even a little. The aftereffects of excessive mental exertion were still obvious; throbbing pains from deep within his brain surged like waves.
Just then, the whisper that had remained silent, seemingly also fully assisting in the "Eden" location analysis, suddenly resounded again deep within his mind, this time with a distinct, unusual fluctuation:
[Warning: A deep encrypted storage area of the database has been detected. Due to recent multiple high-privilege accesses, drastic fluctuations in energy levels, and energy disturbances in the core seal, an extremely small and unstable temporary access vulnerability has been created. Related data fragments are briefly appearing within the vulnerability.]
[...Key information fragments captured...Related items: 'Observer' civilization's final emergency plan - 'Ark Protocol'...and...'Key of Genesis' fragments...Active collection and aggregation task...Highest priority...]
Lin Ye suddenly opened his eyes, his exhaustion and pain instantly replaced by immense shock! His heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand!
The Ark Protocol?! A fragment collection mission?!
Chapter 539 The Ark and the Fragments
The information conveyed by the whispers exploded like a thunderclap in Lin Ye's exhausted mind.
"Ark Protocol"? "Fragment Collection Mission"?
The combination of these two words revealed a far more extensive scheme than he had imagined. He had initially thought the fragment of the "Key to Creation" was merely some powerful relic, and that he had obtained it by chance. But now it seemed to be involved in some ultimate plan of the "Observer" civilization?
“Whisper, explain! What is the ‘Ark Protocol’? And what’s the fragment collection mission?” Lin Ye asked urgently in his mind, ignoring the throbbing pain in his brain caused by the mental shock.
[Information is severely lacking... Only some keywords have been extracted from data fragments...] The whispered voice carried a sense of sluggishness from computational overload. ['The Ark Protocol'... determined to be a civilization-preserving plan initiated by the 'Observer' civilization at the last moment... Its specific details, executors, and target location... are unknown.]
[The 'Key of Genesis' fragment... is marked as a key component of the protocol... The database contains an unfinished highest priority instruction: actively search for, collect, and aggregate the scattered fragments...]
Proactively search, collect, and aggregate!
Lin Ye's heart pounded. What did this mean? Did it mean that the "Observer" civilization might not have completely perished, or at least that some automated systems were still carrying out their final mission? Or that intelligent units like the Sentinels and the "Craftsman" engineering pod all had this command built into them?
So, what exactly is this "human" holding the fragments in the eyes of these intelligent units? Is he a partner? Or... one of the components that needs to be "recycled"?
A chill ran down his spine. He recalled the subtle change in the "Craftsman's" attitude after detecting the debris signal during the transaction with the engineering module. It wasn't just a matter of matching permissions; it likely triggered the recognition of some kind of deep-level command!
"Is the database itself also subject to this instruction?" Lin Ye asked the most crucial question. If the database also wanted to "reclaim" him, then this place would no longer be a refuge, but a prison.
[No. The core command priority order of this database is: self-maintenance and repair, information storage and inheritance assistance, and permission holder (fragment holder)... The fragment recycling command sequence is not activated or is damaged. Based on the existing interaction records and core logic, the sentinel unit and this database have identified you as a 'permission holder' and 'assistant object', not a 'recycling target'.] The whispered answer made Lin Ye breathe a slight sigh of relief, but the sense of crisis was not dispelled.
"Is that 'higher-level will' also executing the 'Ark Protocol'? Or... is its target also the fragments?" Lin Ye's mind raced, connecting the clues. The unknown enemy's pursuit of the database, the marking of "abnormal existences"... if it was also carrying out some kind of "collection" mission, then everything would make sense! What it wanted to collect might not only be the database, but also him, the "fragment holder"!
[Insufficient information to make a judgment. However, this hypothesis aligns with known threat behavior patterns, indicating an extremely high risk level.] The whisper confirmed his guess.
Internal troubles (the virus seal that has not been cleared), external threats (pursuers who may be on their way), and now there is an additional identity crisis (the conflict between the fragment holder and the "recycling" order)... The situation is so complicated that it makes one's scalp tingle.
"Don't tell Li Sha about this for now," Lin Ye decided quickly. Li Sha was already under too much pressure; this uncertain speculation about herself potentially becoming a "target" would only make her more panicked. "Do the Sentinels know?"
[Sentry units possess independent logic cores and command libraries. Information is insufficient regarding whether they contain complete 'fragmentation recovery' commands. However, their past behavior and assistance to you suggest they are controlled by an authorized user. It is recommended to continue observing and refrain from proactively mentioning them for now.]
Lin Ye nodded silently. He glanced at Li Sha, who was still engrossed in tinkering with her tools in the distance, then looked at the sentries standing guard like statues near the historical log area. Trust was the cornerstone of the team's survival at this moment, but they couldn't be completely unprepared. He had to grow stronger faster and gain more initiative.
"Whisper, prioritize the location analysis of 'Eden'. Simultaneously, without excessive energy consumption, attempt to repair and extract more information about the 'Ark Protocol' and its fragments," Lin Ye instructed. "Also, continue monitoring that seal; report any unusual activity immediately."
[The instruction has been confirmed. The 'Eden' location analysis process is prioritized. Information mining tasks have been added to the background queue.]
After processing this sudden surge of information, Lin Ye felt a profound weariness. He walked over to Li Sha and watched her carefully testing a nearly depleted energy core using the tools she had found.
"How's it going? Any progress?" Lin Ye tried his best to make his voice sound normal.
Li Sha looked up, her face smeared with oil, but her eyes were bright: "There's a glimmer of hope! This energy core is too old, and the output is unstable, but I modified it using the spare circuitry on my work clothes. Maybe it can make this welding torch produce a few big bursts! It's just not very safe; it might explode."
She picked up the welding torch, which had undergone preliminary modifications and looked more rudimentary and even somewhat dangerous, her tone a mixture of excitement and trepidation.
"Be careful," Lin Ye cautioned. "Safety first. Do you recognize those alloy ingots and crystals we found?"
Li Sha picked up a transparent crystal and examined it in the dim light: "I don't recognize it, and there's no matching common substance record in the database. But..." She handed it to Lin Ye, "Touch it, it seems to react to you? When you got close just now, the light inside it flowed a little faster."
Lin Ye took the crystal and focused his mind once more to draw upon the fragment's aura. This time, his perception was clearer. The liquid-like radiance inside the crystal did indeed produce faint ripples, and a trace of extremely pure, yet unknown, gentle energy seemed to be attempting to merge with the fragment's aura, but its intensity was too weak to be noticeable.
"There's a slight reaction, but it's too weak. I don't know what it's good for." Lin Ye shook his head and put the crystal back in the box. "Keep it safe for now; it might come in handy later."
Time flew by amidst the tense preparations. Every so often, Lin Ye would inquire about the progress of the sentinel's analysis, only to receive the invariably, "In progress, estimated remaining time XX hours." The agonizing anticipation of their fate tormented everyone present.
During this time, Lin Ye endured his mental discomfort and repeatedly tried to communicate more deeply with the fragments, attempting to unearth more power or understand the so-called "definition" and "order" rules. Progress was frustratingly slow; the fragments were like a sleeping behemoth, only occasionally revealing wisps of power.
Li Sha successfully modified two "explosive welding torches," the power of which is unknown, but she said they should be useful for scaring people or creating chaos in critical moments. She also used the materials and tools she found to reinforce several weak points in the database door; although the effect was limited, it was better than nothing.
Just six hours before the "Eden" location analysis was finished, a sudden change occurred!
It didn't come from the outside, it came from within!