187: Underground upheaval and the awakening of the "resonance core"

The astonishing findings reported by the secret exploration team deep within the underground karst caves—ancient wall carvings and fragments of advanced technology—were like a massive boulder dropped into a calm lake, causing an earthquake of commotion and fierce debate within the highest decision-making echelon of "Homeland."

Those silent rock inscriptions and rusted metal shards seemed to be wordlessly recounting a grand secret, buried by the passage of time, one that could fundamentally overturn humanity's understanding of its own history and the cosmos.

However, just as the excitement over this historic discovery had yet to subside, and the team was preparing to proceed with the planned deeper exploration of the core area suspected of being an artificial structure, a sudden anomaly occurred!

Without any warning, the last, highly unstable real-time data stream transmitted by the exploration team detected an extremely violent energy disturbance erupting from the deepest part of the cave, completely exceeding all predictions!

This disturbance was not seismic or geological activity; its energy spectral characteristics were highly consistent with the unique and ancient resonance fluctuations previously sensed by Zhuoyue and emitted by the Starmap Ore, but its intensity had skyrocketed exponentially.

It was as if a deep well, silent for millennia, had a slumbering behemoth at its bottom startled awake by the footsteps of outsiders, letting out an angry and chaotic roar!

This furious energy release triggered a chain reaction.

The already fragile rock structure inside the cave suffered massive localized collapses under the energy impact!

Judging from the fragmented communications—intermittent and mixed with cries of alarm and the tremendous sound of falling rocks—the exploration team's main access route was instantly severed.

Several members were likely trapped or injured by the falling debris, and all communication between the team and the outside world ceased completely after a jarring noise, plunging them into a deathly silence!

Inside "Homeland's" command center, the atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.

The icons representing the exploration team's vital signs on the screen turned glaring red or gray one by one, before finally losing signal entirely.

Wang Jianguo slammed his fist onto the control panel, his face ashen.

Evelyn stared intently at the steep, almost vertical peak on the energy monitoring curve, her heart gripped by an icy hand.

The worst had happened!

Not only were the lives of precious team members in imminent danger, but the ancient energy source, unexpectedly activated and brimming with hostility and uncertainty, was like a Pandora's Box that had been opened, posing an incalculable potential threat to the entire base and the wider region!

The Rescue Dilemma: The Failure of Conventional Methods

"Homeland" immediately entered the highest level of emergency status!

Blaring alarms echoed through every corner, and all non-essential activities were instantly halted.

An emergency rescue squad, composed of the most elite rescue experts, engineers, and medical personnel, assembled in the shortest possible time, carrying the most advanced breaching, shoring, and life detection equipment, and rushed toward the entrance of the underground cave.

However, bad news followed quickly.

The report from the advance reconnaissance team was disheartening: the collapsed area was not only physically unstable, with the constant risk of secondary collapse, but, more fatally, the region was enveloped by a powerful and chaotic energy field.

This energy field severely interfered with the normal operation of all electronic equipment—life detectors showed only static, communication devices emitted nothing but crackling noise, and even the hydraulic systems of mechanical equipment suffered unexplained sluggishness and failure!

Conventional rescue methods were almost completely useless at this moment!

The rescue team was firmly blocked outside the collapse zone, unable to advance an inch, frantic yet helpless!

With every second delayed, the hope of survival for the trapped members diminished further!

The Boy's Request: From the Protected to the Protector

Just as the command center was shrouded in gloom, and Wang Jianguo and Evelyn were frantically discussing various contingency plans (including a high-risk forced entry), the door to the command room was gently pushed open.

Zhuoyue stood quietly at the doorway.

He had clearly learned of the severity of the situation through some means (perhaps sensing the abnormal fluctuations emanating from underground, or hearing the adults' emergency mobilization).

His face lacked the usual casual curiosity seen during training, and there was no sign of childish naivety or dependence.

Instead, it bore an expression utterly inconsistent with his age, a mix of solemnity, worry, and a near-unyielding determination.

His eyes were still clear, yet so profound they seemed capable of piercing through everything.

Instead of running toward Su Mu or Evelyn as usual, he walked straight up to Wang Jianguo and Evelyn, tilted his head back, and calmly met the gaze of the two overwhelmed leaders.

His voice was not loud, even slightly hoarse from nervousness, yet every word was articulated with extraordinary clarity, carrying an undeniable, weighty sense of power:

"Uncle Wang, Sister Evelyn," he paused, as if gathering his courage, then stated firmly, "Let me go."

Wang Jianguo and Evelyn were shaken, almost believing they had misheard!

Instinctively, they were about to blurt out a stern refusal—What kind of joke was this!

What was the situation down there?

Even the most professional rescue teams were helpless!

Sending a child? Absolutely not!

However, before they could speak, Zhuoyue seemed to have anticipated their shock and refusal.

He did not back down.

Instead, he took a small step forward, his eyes growing sharper and clearer, and continued to explain in a tone of calm analysis that sharply contrasted with his youthful face:

"That 'sound' down there... I can understand it."

He pointed to his chest, then toward the ground.

"It is very 'angry' right now, extremely 'angry,' just like... just like when I couldn't control my own abilities before.

But it is also 'scared,' because it was woken up and doesn't know you, so it's 'screaming' and 'struggling.'

Fighting this chaos head-on is useless; it will only make it more frightened, more furious, and cause a bigger collapse."

His gaze swept across the despair-inducing energy curve on the screen, his tone carrying a strange, almost empathetic understanding of the subterranean energy source: "Only I can 'soothe' it."

"My 'Energy Linguistics'... is no longer just about recognizing 'letters' and 'words.'"

"Sister Evelyn, what you taught me, I can already... try to 'understand' what it is 'saying,' and 'feel' its 'emotions.'"

A flash of confidence appeared in his eyes.

"Furthermore, only I can find the faint life signals of the trapped uncles and aunties within that chaotic energy field.

Their 'light' is weak, but amidst that chaos, I can 'see' it."

A Display of Power and a Declaration of Responsibility

Wang Jianguo and Evelyn were completely stunned by Zhuoyue's words.

They looked at the child before them, who seemed to have grown up overnight, seeing the conviction in his eyes—a certainty based on a clear understanding of his own abilities, not bravado—and for a moment, they didn't know how to respond.

Just then, Zhuoyue seemed to feel that words alone were not convincing enough.

He took a deep breath and slowly raised his right hand.

An astonishing sight unfolded: the "singing stones" he always wore around his neck floated automatically from his collar without any external contact, hovering a few centimeters above his palm!

The surface of the stones no longer emitted the occasional passive glimmer of light, but radiated a soft, stable, warm glow, as if possessing a vital rhythm!

Even more surprisingly, centered around his palm, the surrounding air visibly began to ripple with subtle, wave-like energy, slowly spreading out, causing even the lights on the command console to flicker slightly and rhythmically.

This was no longer the intermittent, uncontrollable energy overflow of the past, but stable, internalized, and perfectly regulated energy control!

"Look," Zhuoyue's voice was calm but carried an undeniable power, "I am no longer the little child who needs to be protected behind you at all times and can't control anything."

His gaze swept over Wang Jianguo, Evelyn, and finally rested on Su Mu's worried face, who was tightly gripping his other hand.

His eyes were filled with complex emotions—gratitude for their protection, confidence in his growth, and, above all, a profound sense of responsibility to protect others.

"I have this ability.

The uncles and aunties trapped down there faced danger because they were searching for important answers.

I also have the responsibility to help them.

Please... trust me."

The Difficult Decision and the Entrustment of Trust

Su Mu gripped Zhuoyue's hand tightly, her nails almost digging into her own palm.

Her eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up.

As his closest guardian, she was a thousand times unwilling to let Zhuoyue take such a risk.

But looking into his eyes, filled with resolve and responsibility, and feeling the steady warmth of his hand, unlike before, she knew better than anyone that the child was serious; he had made his choice.

She bit her lip hard, as if making a monumental decision, then looked up and said to Wang Jianguo and Evelyn, her voice choked but exceptionally firm: "I will go with him!

I will look after him and protect him down there!

Evelyn, you command from above and maintain contact with us!"

These brief words contained a mother's worry, a comrade's support, and unreserved trust.

Evelyn's heart was undergoing an unprecedented internal struggle.

The rational part screamed danger, but her intuition and scientific judgment told her that Zhuoyue might be the only key to unlock this deadlock.

She looked at the steadily floating stones and the energy ripples around Zhuoyue's palm, recalling his rapid progress in the "Hall of Wonders" recently and his increasingly profound understanding of energy linguistics...

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing her fear and unease, and her gaze became sharp and calm again.

She turned to Wang Jianguo and analyzed the situation with the fastest speech and clearest logic:

"Commander! Conventional methods have failed!

Time is critical!

Zhuoyue's unique abilities are indeed the best option for countering this energy interference!

His energy field is homologous with the source below, meaning 'dialogue' is possible!

This is currently the only, and highest-probability, solution!

I recommend approving Zhuoyue's request!

But we must enforce the strictest safety measures!

They must wear the latest 'Cicada Suit Type II' fully enclosed protective gear, and carry emergency life support and positioning systems!

I will establish a high-intensity energy relay station on the surface, attempt to create a stable mental link and energy support channel with Zhuoyue, and monitor and guide them throughout the mission!

The rescue team will remain on standby outside, ready to intervene immediately if the situation changes!"

Wang Jianguo's gaze, like a hawk's, darted between Zhuoyue's determined young face, Su Mu's resolute eyes, and Evelyn's calm analysis.

The air in the command center solidified, leaving only the faint hum of instruments and the heavy beating of everyone's hearts.

The silence lasted only a few seconds, yet it felt like an entire century.

Finally, Wang Jianguo sharply waved his hand, making one of the most difficult and bold decisions of his career:

"Action approved!"

His voice was hoarse but decisive.

"Zhuoyue, Su Mu! I order you: rescue is the primary objective!

Absolutely no unnecessary risks!

Maintain constant contact with Evelyn!

If Evelyn determines the risk is uncontrollable, you must immediately and unconditionally withdraw!

Understood?!"

"Understood!" Zhuoyue and Su Mu replied in unison, their eyes filled with determination to complete the mission.

Subterranean Rescue: Dialogue with an Ancient Consciousness

An unprecedented deep subterranean rescue operation, a race against time and a gamble against unknown energy, swiftly commenced under a new model centered on Zhuoyue!

Wearing heavy protective gear, Zhuoyue and Su Mu stepped resolutely into the deep, uncertain passage, watched by the worried and respectful eyes of the rescue team.

The deeper they went, the more bizarre the surroundings became: the air was scorching hot, the rock walls periodically emitted unsettling vibrations, and the lighting equipment flickered erratically due severely to interference.

An invisible energy field, full of oppressive pressure and chaotic emotions, enveloped them like a viscous swamp.

Zhuoyue, however, appeared remarkably composed.

He shut down most external sensors, relying entirely on his unique "Holographic Sensing" for navigation.

In his "vision," the path ahead was no longer a dark cave, but a surging, chaotic, and colorful "energy storm."

He could clearly "hear" the ancient energy source's "roar," filled with pain, confusion, and anger.

"It's hurting..." Zhuoyue whispered through the encrypted communication channel to Evelyn and Su Mu on the surface.

"It seems like... something is stuck in it... it's struggling..."

In the ground command center, Evelyn used the high-intensity relay to struggle to maintain a weak mental link with Zhuoyue, guiding him: "Zhuoyue, don't fight it!

Try to approach it, use your most stable, friendliest 'energy field' to make contact, like... like soothing a startled animal...

Tell it we mean no harm, we are here to help..."

Zhuoyue followed her instructions.

Cautiously, as if walking through a minefield, he adjusted his energy field to its gentlest and most stable state, like humming a silent, soothing lullaby, and slowly approached the raging energy core.

Initially, his intrusion was like a drop of water hitting boiling oil, triggering an even more violent energy rebound!

More debris fell in the collapse zone!

Su Mu nervously shielded him with her body!

But Zhuoyue did not retreat.

Enduring the dizziness caused by the energy impact, he relentlessly transmitted signals of "friendliness" and "calmness."

Gradually, perhaps sensing the pure aura in his energy, which was homologous to the Starmap and the ore, or perhaps understanding the goodwill he conveyed, the raging energy storm began to show faint, hesitant signs of calming down.

The "roar" gradually subsided, turning into something resembling a whimper and a confused "whisper."

"It... it's a bit quieter now..." Zhuoyue reported, catching his breath.

Seizing this crucial moment, he immediately spread his perception outwards, searching carefully within the still chaotic but no longer aggressive energy background...

Finally!

He detected several extremely faint, yet steadily flickering "light spots"—the remaining life signals of the trapped team members!

"I found them!

Over there!

There are... three people!

Their 'lights' are weak, but they're still on!" Zhuoyue shouted excitedly, immediately guiding the rescue team toward the correct direction.

Ultimately, under Zhuoyue's energy guidance and the efforts of the rescue team, the trapped exploration members were successfully located and extracted.

Meanwhile, the ancient energy source, unexpectedly activated, gradually returned to silence under Zhuoyue's continued "soothing," leaving behind only endless mysteries for the future to unravel.

When Zhuoyue and Su Mu emerged from the cave entrance, weary but smiling in triumph, they were met by the relieved cheers and respectful gazes of everyone present.

In that moment, Zhuoyue had truly grown from a "seed" needing protection into a genuine "Homeland" protector, capable of safeguarding others with his own strength.

His adventure had only just begun.