168: Morpheus's final assault: Ragnarok activated

Just as Excellence's childish, "hand-crafted" early warning system was still diligently issuing "false alarms" about moths flying past windows and cooking fumes in the cafeteria, deep in the darkness, the eyes of Morpheus Li, hidden in the shadows, had completely lost patience.

The final offensive he had meticulously woven for so long, codenamed "Ragnarök," was like a viper hibernating under the frozen earth for the entire winter.

Finally, at the deepest hour of midnight on this day, it bared its venomous fangs and launched a long-planned, multi-dimensional, three-dimensional, saturation-style killing blow aimed at completely destroying the resistance of "Homeland"!

This time, Morpheus had no more feints, no more disguises.

He mobilized almost all the dark pieces, allies, and hidden forces that the radical faction of the "Prophet Foundation" had been hiding for years.

From physical to informational, from electromagnetic to psychological, he launched an all-encompassing, storm-like coordinated strike.

Its ferocity, the precision of its coordination, and the ruthlessness of its methods far exceeded any crisis "Homeland" had previously experienced.

The attack erupted suddenly at midnight, the moment of greatest physiological and psychological fatigue for humans, tearing through the silence of the night from several dimensions almost simultaneously:

Cyberspace: "Cyber Blitz"

The outermost external communication relay Nodes and network interfaces of secondary defense systems of "Homeland," which had undergone multiple layers of encryption and physical isolation, were hit by an unprecedented torrent of data in an instant!

This was not a common Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, but a composite attack launched by the top hacker team of The Foundation in coordination with "echo," which had already evolved highly artificial intelligence characteristics.

It mixed logic viruses, exploit code, and directed energy injection.

Massive amounts of junk data packets were like the chaos at the birth of the universe, attempting to drown and paralyze all orderly communication; while the precision digital weapons hidden in the torrent were like precise gene scissors, attempting to cut through the neural network of "Homeland," blinding its Perception to create precious time differences and windows of chaos for subsequent physical attacks.

Electromagnetic Space: "Silent Killzone"

Almost at the same time, the long-range early warning radars and distributed electromagnetic sensor arrays on the periphery of the base captured signals of several low-observable (stealth) targets approaching rapidly!

Those were several high-altitude long-endurance drones that had been specially modified and looked as eerie as night-flying bats.

Their mission was not to drop bombs, but to release precisely modulated strong electromagnetic pulses (EMP) capable of burning out precision electronic components at the extreme edge of the airspace near the core area of "Homeland"!

This invisible attack was intended to instantly paralyze the external surveillance systems of "Homeland," some communication arrays relying on external antennas, and the outermost energy barrier generators, like laying a blinding smoke screen around a giant beast to open a lethal channel for ground infiltration troops.

Physical Space: "Shadow Infiltration"

Just tens of seconds before the EMP shockwave arrived, taking advantage of the fatal gap when the external sensors of "Homeland" were briefly distracted by the data storm and the impending EMP, multiple "Hades" assault teams of The Foundation, equipped with the latest generation of optical camouflage (near-perfect visual invisibility) and portable anti-gravity climbing devices, emerged like ghosts crawling out of the cracks of hell.

Aided by the shadows of the steep mountains and the cover of complex terrain, they began a silent and rapid vertical infiltration from multiple cliffs that were unimaginable to ordinary people and had relatively weak defenses.

Their goal was to insert directly into the main building structure of "Homeland" to execute decapitation operations or core target capture missions.

Informational Level: "Psy-Ops"

The most insidious blow came from the invisible informational level.

Morpheus used a directional acoustic weapon derived from The Foundation's undisclosed research based on "pandora" fragments (a dangerous substance homologous to star map ore but with more unstable properties).

These devices had been secretly deployed in specific areas around "Homeland" in advance.

At the moment the attack was launched, they fired a mixture of infrasound and ultrasound with specific frequency combinations into the mountain where "Homeland" was located.

This sound wave could not be clearly captured by ordinary human ears, but it could directly penetrate solid rock and alloy walls, interfering with or even damaging the nervous systems of the personnel exposed to it, inducing severe vertigo, nausea, tinnitus, unexplained fear, and even short-term confusion of consciousness, aiming to disintegrate the fighting will and coordinated combat capability of the guards from the inside.

This was a long-planned, interlocking, and determined killing blow!

The goal of Morpheus was clear and cruel: at all costs, penetrate the layers of defense of "Homeland" and capture the "seed" Excellence; if the capture operation was blocked or judged impossible, immediately activate the backup plan—completely destroy Excellence and its related research materials on the spot, never allowing this power to fall into the hands of others or escape control!

The Response of "Homeland": The Roar of the Beast

Inside the central command center of "Homeland," it instantly fell into extreme tension and busyness, but it was by no means chaotic.

The ear-piercing highest-level combat alarm tore through the silence of the night, and the red emergency lights stained the entire hall with a solemn blood color.

On the huge tactical holographic screen, the light spots representing external network Nodes turned from green to yellow and then to red, and finally flickered and went out; the fan-shaped early warning area representing the EMP threat covered the entire airspace at an astonishing speed; countless small red dots representing unknown infiltration units, like bloodthirsty gnats, appeared on the three-dimensional structural map of the base; biological monitoring systems showed that the physiological indicators of guards at many posts had abnormal fluctuations, consistent with the characteristics of acoustic attacks!

"Report! All external communication Nodes are under large-scale mixed attacks! Bandwidth occupancy is 1000%! The firewall is under huge pressure!"

"Multiple batches of high-intensity EMP charging signals detected! Expected to arrive in 60 seconds! The source is stealth drones!"

"Peripheral motion sensor arrays have failed on a large scale! Thermal imaging has captured multiple high-speed moving stealth units! Infiltration confirmed!"

"Guards in Z-1 Region, C4, and D2 report symptoms of severe vertigo and tinnitus! Suspected to be under large-scale infrasound/ultrasound weapon attack!"

The urgent and clear voices of the intelligence officers rang out one after another, and every word struck the hearts of everyone.

Wang Jianguo stood like a cold statue in front of the command console.

No panic could be seen on his face, only a calmness forged by the trials of time and an iron will.

His eyes were as sharp as a falcon, quickly scanning every jumping data stream and threat identifier on the screen.

The moment the crisis broke out, his calm and decisive orders had been transmitted to every combat unit through encrypted channels:

"Activate the final stage of the 'Great Wall' protocol! Cut off all unnecessary external links, start the internal closed-loop network, and enable the backup communication plan! Network defense team, prioritize ensuring the smooth flow of core command links, and implement reverse tracking and active interference!"

"Air defense arrays fully activated! Lock onto the EMP carrier aircraft, shoot them down for me before the pulse is emitted! At all costs! Close-in defense systems prepare to intercept any fish that slip through the net!"

"All ground defense units take note! The enemy has advanced optical camouflage! Immediately switch to thermal imaging, life detection, and vibration sensing modes! Manual patrols hold key passages with crossfire points and cooperate with automatic defense systems to block the rats that have infiltrated at the entrance!"

"Medical team, emergency dispatch! Distribute anti-interference earplugs and nerve-calming drugs to all personnel in exposed areas! Activate psychological stability and crisis intervention plans to ensure morale!"

With the orders of Wang Jianguo, this sleeping "beast" had completely awakened!

Outside the base, clusters of dazzling fireballs exploded in the night sky—these were the explosions of anti-missiles successfully intercepting EMP drones; further away, dense close-in artillery fire cut through the night sky, forming a barrage; inside the building, the originally soft lighting was instantly replaced by blinding red alarm lights and snow-white emergency lights, deadly laser tripwires appeared at key passages, and the sounds of non-lethal high-explosive flashbangs and capture nets, short and intense gunfire, and the muffled thuds of hand-to-hand combat echoed fiercely in the originally silent corridors and halls.

The entire "Homeland" instantly transformed from a quiet haven into a steel jungle battlefield full of death traps.

The Child in the Eye of the Storm

Excellence was suddenly awakened by the violent explosions coming from the distance outside the window and the clear vibrations coming from the floor under his feet.

He sat up groggily, rubbing his sleepy eyes, not yet fully understanding what had happened.

Immediately after, the ear-piercing alarm and the vaguely audible, bean-popping gunfire and shouting made him fully awake in an instant.

His little face turned pale with fright, and his heart pounded like a drum in his chest, as if it were about to jump out.

Just then, his room door was pushed open with a "bang," and two figures he was most familiar with and relied on rushed in like a whirlwind.

Squad Leader Su Mu was fully armed, wearing a light tactical vest, clutching a compact weapon (mainly non-lethal) in her hand, her eyes as sharp as knives, full of pre-battle tension and determination; Evelyn was wearing a neat action suit, holding a tablet computer and a small first-aid kit in her hands, her face as heavy as water, but her eyes were exceptionally calm and firm.

"Excellence! Don't be afraid! Stay in bed and don't move!"

The voice of Su Mu was urgent but carried a reassuring strength.

She rushed to the bedside in one stride, took the still dazed Excellence into her arms, and felt his slightly trembling little body.

Evelyn quickly and professionally checked Excellence's pupils and pulse, confirming that he was merely frightened and had no serious injuries.

She deftly took a pre-prepared, lightweight child's protective suit that offered some degree of protection from the closet, and as she helped him put it on, she explained in as steady a voice as possible, despite the extreme urgency: "Excellence, listen, it's a bit chaotic outside right now, and some bad people are trying to break in. But don't worry, Uncle Wang and everyone else are here. We need to move to a safer place immediately. Stay close to me and Squad Leader Su Mu, and don't fall behind even a single step!"

The great battle descended suddenly, in the most brutal way, amidst Excellence's confused, fearful, and incredulous gaze.

Chapter 169: Protection in Chaos and the Loss of Control of "Resonance"

Flanked on the left and right by Su Mu and Evelyn, who protected him firmly in the middle as if he were the most precious and fragile item, the three formed a tight triangular formation, moving rapidly through the corridor, where lights flickered wildly and the alarm sirens were so shrill they threatened to pierce their eardrums.

The surrounding scene was nightmarish and bizarre: the originally bright lights flickered on and off, sometimes extinguishing completely, leaving only the cold, eerie green glow of the emergency lights on the walls for illumination; in the distance, muffled explosions—possibly from successful external interceptions or the activation of internal defense systems—constantly rumbled, causing dust to shower down from the ceiling; dense, popping gunfire—mostly non-lethal sonic stun grenades and tranquilizer rounds used by "Homeland" guards, but also mixed with the distinct, sharp hiss of enemy weapons—along with the sounds of running, shouting, and close-quarters combat, echoed and overlapped in the winding tunnels, creating a heart-stopping reverberation.

The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder (seeping in from external explosions), ozone (from laser weapon activation), and a faint scent of blood.

Excellence's small face was pale, devoid of any color, his teeth biting his lower lip tightly, his hands clutching the corner of Su Mu's shirt, while his other hand subconsciously reached into his pocket to grip the warm "singing stones" he always carried with him, as if it were his only lifeline.

He had never experienced such a real and terrifying scene, and an immense sense of fear, like a cold tide, washed over his consciousness in waves.

Their destination was the reinforced safe house located in the deepest part of the base, equipped with independent power, air circulation, life support systems, and superior physical protection.

It was the final refuge.

Along the way, they inevitably encountered several small waves of enemy infiltrators attempting to breach the inner defense lines.

In these thrilling moments of firefights, Excellence witnessed the usually gentle and kind Squad Leader Su Mu display combat proficiency he had never imagined, as swift and precise as a cheetah.

Her gaze was cold, her movements clean and efficient; she used the corridor corners as cover, suppressing the approaching enemies, whose forms were blurred by optical camouflage, with precise short bursts of fire, buying precious time for Evelyn to hack the encrypted access control.

Evelyn, meanwhile, was exceptionally calm; she knew every inch of the base's structure by heart and could always find the safest or least resistant route, while using a portable micro-electronic jammer to briefly paralyze the enemies' advanced equipment, creating counterattack opportunities for Su Mu.

Excellence was firmly protected in the center of the combat vortex, watching hot bullet traces graze the walls beside him, hearing the harsh impact of bullets striking the alloy walls, and smelling the acrid scent of air scorched by lasers right next to him; a complex mix of extreme fear and an indescribable thrill from witnessing his protectors fight clashed within his young mind.

Under this extreme life-and-death pressure and sensory overload, his innate "Holographic Sensing" ability, which was in the stage of fusion and sublimation, was completely and uncontrollably pushed to an unprecedented limit!

His brain seemed to have turned into an overloaded super radar, and massive, malicious streams of information flooded his consciousness uncontrollably: the cold, cruel attack intentions radiating from the enemies; the violent energy shockwaves generated by explosions; the highly tense yet firmly resolute protective will of Su Mu and Evelyn beside him; the painful moans and fearful fluctuations from the wounded in the distance; the equipment wailing and energy turbulence caused by the base's defense systems operating at overload; and even... the "information noise" generated by those ubiquitous, mind-interfering, eerie sonic weapons that acted directly on neurons, feeling like countless steel needles piercing through him!

"Ahhh!" Excellence suddenly let out a shrill scream, clutching his head tightly with both hands, curling his body up in pain, his small frame trembling violently.

He felt as if his head were about to split open; countless sharp, chaotic, and negative-emotion-filled "noises" were like countless red-hot branding irons, crazily scraping and tearing at his nerves!

The "Emotion-Visualization Device" (portable) he carried with him had already erupted in a blinding, chaotic, and erratic burst of seven-colored light, as if suffering from a seizure.

Worse still, the "singing stones" he clutched tightly in his hand, due to a deep Resonance with his own violently out-of-control and rampantly overflowing energy field, began to vibrate at high speed uncontrollably, its surface temperature rose sharply, and it emitted a sharp, ear-piercing buzzing sound that seemed to come from the abyss!

This sound did not just affect the air; it felt as if it were ringing directly deep within one's mind!

"His energy is going haywire! It's out of control!" Evelyn noticed this fatal anomaly immediately, her expression turning ghastly.

She knew clearly that this state would not only severely damage Excellence's own nervous system but would also act like a beacon in the dark, exposing the precise location of the three of them!

"We must stop him immediately! This will hurt him, and it will hurt all of us!"

Su Mu also immediately realized the severity of the problem.

She made a decisive move; while continuing to use precise firepower to suppress the enemies trying to approach in the chaos, she turned around abruptly, crouched down, and gripped Excellence's trembling shoulders firmly.

She forced him to lift his small, sweat-drenched, pain-filled face, and with a voice as loud as possible yet carrying an unquestionable soothing power, she shouted into his ear: "Excellence! Look at me! Look at me! Listen to my voice! Don't pay attention to that messy stuff! Imagine! Imagine we are in the Greenhouse right now! The sunlight outside is wonderful! It's warm! The tomatoes you planted are ripe, nice and red! Squad Leader will pick one for you, it's so sweet!"

Perhaps it was Su Mu's voice, which was so familiar it was etched into his soul, that played a key "anchoring" role, or perhaps it was Excellence's own powerful survival instinct and self-protection mechanism being triggered at the very last moment.

In that boundless whirlpool of chaos that was almost tearing his consciousness apart, he struggled, like a drowning person grabbing at the last straw, to catch that faint, warm, and firm "frequency" coming from Su Mu.

He suddenly widened his eyes, which were filled with pain, his vision blurring as it focused on Su Mu's anxious yet determined face, and he began, with extreme difficulty, to follow her guidance and construct that peaceful, warm Greenhouse scene in his mind...

Meanwhile, Evelyn quickly took out a spare potent sedative from her medical kit, but her fingers hesitated on the injection.

She preferred to try non-pharmacological intervention first.

She immediately crouched down, using the mental stabilization techniques she had been specially trained in, placing a cool palm gently yet firmly on Excellence's sweat-drenched forehead, and with her other hand, she gripped his hand that was tightly clutching the buzzing stones.

Using a low, steady, and rhythmically special tone, she guided him: "Excellence, breathe with my rhythm... inhale... slowly... inhale the calm... exhale... gently... imagine those chaotic energies as murky water, slowly... breathe them out... yes, just like that... one more time..."

Under the dual effect of Su Mu's vivid emotional anchoring and Evelyn's scientific and rational physiological guidance, Excellence's violently out-of-control energy field began to calm down, extremely arduously and bit by bit, like a receding tide.

The buzzing of the stone in his hand gradually weakened, the vibration stopped, and the temperature began to drop.

He seemed completely drained; his body was soaked in cold sweat, his small face was pale, and he was panting heavily, leaning softly into Su Mu's arms, his body still trembling slightly.

"I... I'm sorry... Squad Leader... Sister Evelyn..." he apologized intermittently, with a heavy, tearful voice and deep exhaustion, "I... I couldn't control it... those sounds... they were so scary..."

"It's okay! It's okay! There, there, it's not your fault!"

Su Mu immediately hugged him tightly, patting his back continuously and gently, her voice carrying a hint of imperceptible choking, "You did great! Very great! Hang in there!"

Evelyn also let out a long sigh of relief, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

Watching Excellence's exhausted state, her eyes were filled with lingering fear and even deeper concern.

Excellence's ability in a crisis was a double-edged sword—immensely powerful yet difficult to control—and the risk of it spiraling out of control and the backlash on himself were far more severe than any of their previous simulations had estimated.

Although this brief crisis had passed, a heavy seed had been quietly planted in Excellence's heart: it turned out that uncontrollable power could not only fail to protect the people he wanted to protect, but it could also become a terrible burden that harmed himself and dragged others down.

After a brief respite, Su Mu and Evelyn exchanged a solemn and firm look.

Su Mu hoisted the weak but conscious Excellence onto her back (securing him with a special strap), while Evelyn held her gun and led the way, keeping watch.

The three-person team moved again, continuing their difficult and determined breakthrough through this maze of steel, thick with gunfire and lurking dangers, toward the final safe house.