149: Combined efforts to counter the power of "anchor points"

The moment Evelyn decisively ordered the injection of the precisely calculated "anti-resonance wave" into Zhuoyue's brain, a fierce battle of offense and defense—microscopic in scale but vital to life and death—officially began.

This was by no means a gentle intervention; it was a head-on collision between two powerful forces within Zhuoyue's fragile neural synapses and the ocean of his brainwaves.

Initially, the effect was like dropping cold water into boiling oil, triggering an even more violent reaction.

Zhuoyue's body, already agonizing from the impact of the external field, began to tremble violently, as if every muscle fiber was spasming under the tearing force of the two opposing powers.

He let out uncontrollable, painful groans squeezed from deep in his throat, veins bulged on his forehead and neck, and his small body writhed and struggled against the restraints, a sight that was heartbreaking to witness.

Su Mu's tears rolled down like broken strings of pearls, but she fought back the urge to sob aloud.

She leaned down, wrapping her arms tightly yet infinitely gently around Zhuoyue's trembling shoulders, pressing her cheek against his burning forehead.

In the steadiest, most resolute voice she could muster, she repeated over and over in his ear, like reciting a protective charm: "Zhuoyue, hold on! Look at me! I'm Su Mu! The class monitor is here! We are together! Sister Evelyn is helping you, you can get through this! Believe in us!"

Her voice became the only lifeline Zhuoyue could grasp amid the boundless pain.

At the control console, Evelyn was completely focused, as if she had entered a state of flow.

Everything external seemed to vanish; her world was reduced to the cascading data before her and the parameters she needed to precisely adjust.

Fine beads of sweat gathered on her forehead and dripped down her temples, but she had no time to wipe them away.

Her gaze was sharp, like a hawk locking onto its prey, fixed on the screen showing the curve representing the resonance strength between Zhuoyue's brainwaves and the external field, as well as the feedback signal of the "anti-resonance wave."

"Abnormal resonance peak in the right temporal lobe! Adjust output phase, shift 0.5 weight units toward the Theta waveband..."

"Interference in the prefrontal cortex is increasing! Boost anti-wave intensity in the third frequency band by 10%, monitor heart rate!"

"No, the feedback is too violent! Rollback 5%, attempt intervention from the lateral side of the hippocampus..."

Her instructions were clear, rapid, and carried undeniable authority, as if she were commanding both the precise equipment and forcing a calibration upon her own extremely taut nerves.

Her hands moved steadily and accurately across the control panel; every minor adjustment concerned the safety of Zhuoyue's neurons, the immense pressure of which was unimaginable.

Gradually, thanks to the continuous and precise counteraction of the internal "anti-resonance wave," coupled with the powerful support provided by Su Mu's emotionally charged "psychological anchor," the violent, tsunami-like resonance forcefully aroused in Zhuoyue by the "Abyssal Resonance" field began to show signs of weakening.

It was like a frantic dancer being slowly shackled.

His violent body tremors subsided into intermittent twitching, his chaotic, near-suffocating breathing began attempting to find a faint but visible rhythm, and the terrifying rise and fall of his chest diminished.

What was particularly encouraging was that the wildly flickering, unfocused light in his eyes, like mist being parted, gradually dimmed and receded; though still in pain, at least a trace of clear consciousness reappeared.

However, the crisis was far from over.

The external "Abyssal Resonance" field, like a tireless demon, continued to exert high-intensity pressure.

It relentlessly projected its distorted resonance energy, attempting to once again shatter the fragile balance that had just been established.

This confrontation evolved into a grueling war of attrition.

It was a test not only of the sustained durability of the "Homestead's" external electromagnetic shielding system and Evelyn's extreme technical precision and adaptability, but also of the sheer tenacity of Zhuoyue's own will to survive.

It was at this critical moment of deadlock that the latent resilience and adaptability of Zhuoyue's system-trained abilities were triggered.

Deep within the agony and the abyss of conscious chaos, his subconscious, driven by an innate pursuit of "patterns" and "order," began actively and tenaciously seeking a way out, like a moth instinctively drawn to light in the darkness.

He began to unconsciously employ the attention focusing and cognitive restructuring techniques Evelyn had taught him.

He struggled desperately to gather his nearly dissolving consciousness, anchoring it bit by bit onto Su Mu's warm, resolute voice that continuously reached his ears, and onto the calm, stable "feeling" that Evelyn was transmitting through the equipment.

In his inner world, Su Mu's voice became a guiding lighthouse, and Evelyn's presence served as the ballast stabilizing his ship.

He was trying to find his own "coordinates" again in this stormy ocean of consciousness, even if it was just a vague direction.

Even more astonishingly, he seemed to be saving himself in a way that transcended the conventional.

His remaining consciousness was carrying out a silent, completely internalized "resonance mapping."

Not with his hands, but with sheer willpower, he painstakingly yet persistently sketched Su Mu's warmly smiling face onto the canvas of his mind, outlined Evelyn's focused and reliable back, and drew the sturdy silhouette of the "Homestead" and its warm interior lights...

All these images representing "safety," "order," and "love" were woven together by his mind, constructing a shimmering, invisible mental fortress deep within his consciousness to resist the external chaos and malice attempting to devour everything.

This internal resistance, originating from deep within and based on strong emotional bonds and a tenacious will to survive, produced an unexpected miraculous effect.

It naturally formed a "buffer barrier" around Zhuoyue's consciousness, composed of positive emotions and firm resolve.

Although not physical, this barrier effectively enhanced the neutralizing effect of the "anti-resonance wave" while partially weakening the penetration and influence of the external field energy.

This was a marvelous interference of mental power with informational energy.

Evelyn acutely noticed this subtle change.

On the monitoring screen, several auxiliary indicators representing Zhuoyue's self-awareness stability showed a positive upward trend.

She immediately realized that Zhuoyue's own resistance was becoming a force that could not be ignored.

She acted decisively, quickly adjusting her strategy: instead of relying solely on the "anti-resonance wave" for powerful, external brute-force confrontation, she reconfigured more energy to assist, guide, and strengthen the "will barrier" Zhuoyue had established.

This was akin to shifting from "acting as an alternative immune system" to "providing ammunition and support to the body's own immune system," which was more effective and less taxing on Zhuoyue.

The Dawn of Victory and Crushing Exhaustion

Time, in this silent, fierce battle, ticked by slowly, second by second.

Every second felt as long as a century, testing the nerves of everyone present.

Inside the medical room, there was only the regular beeping of the instruments, Evelyn's occasional brief commands, Su Mu's constant whispered comfort, and Zhuoyue's gradually steadying breathing.

Finally, after nearly an hour of grueling back-and-forth, a turning point emerged.

The sensor continuously monitoring the external field strength transmitted critical data: the "Abyssal Resonance" field signal, which had been stable at a high level, began to fluctuate and showed a significant trend of decay!

Perhaps the device on Morpheus’s side had reached its energy output limit, or perhaps the opponent realized the "Homestead's" defenses were exceptionally solid and the effort was futile, leading them to actively reduce the intensity or begin withdrawing.

As the external pressure substantially receded, Zhuoyue's consciousness rebounded swiftly toward a state of equilibrium, like a spring compressed to its limit.

The forced resonance within him subsided rapidly, like an outgoing tide.

After one final, slight tremor, his body completely relaxed, as if all his strength had been depleted.

He let out a long, sigh-like exhalation, his head slumped to the side, and he fell into an extremely deep, near-comatose sleep.

However, unlike his previous painful struggles, his expression now, though pale, was peaceful; his breathing was even and steady, and all vital sign monitoring data had returned to the normal, safe range.

The crisis was finally resolved.

Evelyn waited until the data had been stable for a full five minutes before slowly—as if expending her last ounce of strength—slumping back into the chair.

She closed her eyes and let out a long, deep breath of stagnant air that had been trapped in her chest.

Only then did she feel an overwhelming wave of relief, coupled with bone-deep exhaustion, wash over her entire body, and her hands trembled slightly from the prolonged tension.

Su Mu still held the sleeping Zhuoyue tightly, as if he might vanish if she let go.

She looked up toward Evelyn, and the two women's gazes met.

No words were exchanged, but their eyes were filled with an indescribable relief at having survived the ordeal, and a comradeship that had grown even stronger and more unbreakable after sharing a life-or-death test.

In this moment, they were not just Zhuoyue's guardians and guides, but comrades who had fought side-by-side with him against an external enemy.

And the "Homestead" as a whole had, under this sudden and unprecedented external attack, experienced its first true baptism by fire.

Relying on its internal cutting-edge technology (Evelyn), deep emotional bonds (Su Mu), and the tenacious will of the protected subject himself (Zhuoyue), it successfully repelled this core-targeting decapitation strike.

This shared battle, like the highest temperature of a furnace, refined the trust and bonds between the organization's members, making them purer and more steadfast.

They knew the future path remained fraught with thorns, but at least for now, they had won, and they were together.