218: The attack on the way home and the trial of the "scavengers"

Carrying the heavy truth and priceless knowledge bestowed by Beacon Gamma, the *Morning Star* changed course and began to leave the bizarre and kaleidoscopic "Void Corridor." The atmosphere on the bridge was vastly different from when they arrived. The tension of exploring the unknown had lessened, replaced by the gravity of bearing a secret. Everyone was immersed in processing the warnings and gifts from the ancient civilization. Zhuo Yue, in particular, spent most of his time in meditation, an energy rhythm subtly flowing around him, distinct from before—it was the initial adaptation and integration of the newly acquired high-dimensional energy manipulation techniques.

Meanwhile, Evelyn led the science team, racing against time to organize, archive, and preliminarily analyze the massive seed of information transmitted by Gamma. This knowledge was rigorously structured and vast, like opening a gateway to a higher-tier technology tree for human civilization. However, the terror of "Entropy" and the fragility of the "Weave" contained within it hung over them like the Sword of Damocles.

"At our current speed, we anticipate two more short-range jumps before we completely exit the gravitational influence of the 'Void Corridor' and enter the relatively safe conventional navigation zone," the navigator reported, a hint of relief in his voice at the imminent escape from danger.

However, the cosmos never seems reluctant to test its explorers. Just as the bow of the *Morning Star* was about to touch the void defined as the "Corridor Edge," where spacetime curvature gradually flattened, a piercing, maximum-priority combat alert instantly stabbed through the relative tranquility of the bridge like an ice pick!

"Warning! High-intensity spatial distortion detected! Multiple unknown signal sources rapidly approaching! Location: All sectors!"

The star map on the main screen was instantly covered by a blinding array of red warning signs. The void surrounding the ship began to ripple violently, like water disturbed by a thrown stone! The next moment, several massive and bizarre constructs, without any warning, "permeated" out of the warped spatial folds, completely blocking all forward movement for the *Morning Star*.

The sight of these constructs was terrifying—their main bodies resembled mechanical jellyfish, magnified billions of times, woven from some kind of dark, dull metal and flowing energy. Countless tentacles, composed of pure energy and flickering with a cold, eerie light, swayed slowly in the void, churning the spatial structure. Their overall design was non-organic, conveying a cold sense of absolute functionalism, and they radiated a non-living, pure, and chilling will to execute specific protocols. What was even more alarming was the intense hostility and rejection projected from their multi-faceted, compound-eye-like visual sensors toward the *Morning Star*, especially the unique beacon energy signature recently acquired from Gamma within the ship! It was as if their sole purpose was to purge all "anomalies" or "sources of contamination" that fell outside the "Weave's" predefined parameters!

"They are the 'Weave Cleaners'! The automated defense units Gamma warned us about!" Evelyn's voice held an almost imperceptible tremor, but more dominant was the grim realization of, "They've come, just as expected." "They've categorized us as 'anomalies' or 'sources of contamination' that need to be purged! Prepare for combat!"

Granting no opportunity for negotiation, the moment these "Cleaners" appeared, they demonstrated their formidable combat power as guardians of the "Weave." The tips of their energy tentacles instantly lit up, and high-energy particle beams capable of tearing apart small starships lashed out like whips of death, crisscrossing toward the *Morning Star* from multiple angles! The intensity and coordination of the barrage suggested control by a unified killing consciousness.

Simultaneously, an invisible energy field, centered on the Cleaners, spread out, causing the warp drive to instantly emit an overloaded whine. It was like thick glue poured into space, severely limiting the ship's maneuverability and completely locking down the possibility of a spatial jump! Their intention was clear and ruthless—to utterly annihilate any target deemed an "intruder" right here, leaving no room for escape!

"All hands, enter Level One combat status! Maximize shield energy allocation to the point of impact! Evasive maneuvers, evasion is the priority!" The captain's orders were steady and swift, attempting to find a path to survival in this sudden desperate situation.

Under the precise control of the helmsman, the massive hull of the *Morning Star* executed a series of difficult emergency evasive maneuvers. The pale blue energy shields flickered violently under the dense barrage, rippling outward in circles of energy. The secondary weapon arrays also fired at full capacity, attempting to drive off the approaching Cleaners, but the enemy's energy shields were equally robust, rendering conventional weapons largely ineffective.

"Shield energy dropping to 65%! ...58%! ...43%!" The damage control officer's reports grew increasingly urgent. "Port side Sector Three shield overloaded, requires emergency repair! Structural stress is approaching critical threshold!"

"It's no good! Their firepower is too fierce, and their coordination is flawless! Our maneuvering space is completely suppressed!" Sweat beaded on the helmsman's forehead, his voice tinged with despair. The absolute disadvantage in numbers and the performance gap were laid bare in this moment.

At this critical juncture, Zhuo Yue, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, seemingly rapidly processing information, suddenly snapped his eyes open! The previous solemnity or shock was gone, replaced by the intensely calm light of someone who had grasped a fundamental law. Instead of choosing to meet violence with violence, as he usually might, he stepped forward, stood in the central command area of the bridge, and slowly pressed his hands toward the console. A powerful and intricate psychic field radiated rapidly outward from him like ripples, enveloping the entire ship.

"Cease all offensive counterattacks! Distribute remaining shield energy evenly! Evelyn, synchronize the output frequency of the ship's energy core according to the pattern I have marked!" Zhuo Yue's voice carried an unquestionable authority.

The next moment, he mobilized the core knowledge of the "Watcher" energy system he had just acquired from Beacon Gamma. His hands moved in the void as if playing invisible strings, performing an extremely complex operation of "energy programming."

"Energy Programming: Protocol Mimicry!"

A pure, ancient energy signature carrying a unique "rhythm" was precisely simulated by Zhuo Yue, instantly overriding the *Morning Star*'s original energy fluctuations. This signature was fundamentally identical to that of the "Weave" system itself and the waves emitted by Beacon Gamma, as if a long-lost wanderer had finally returned to the frequency of its kin. The light of the ship's external energy shield changed accordingly, shifting from defensive blue to a gentle, milky-white glow, signifying "harmless" and "authentication passed."

Concurrently, Zhuo Yue focused his powerful mental energy and transmitted a clear, stable thought wave containing a specific informational structure toward the cold "Cleaners" surrounding them:

[Identification Code: Watcher Successor! Authorization Level: Gamma Verification! Mission Objective: Execute 'Weave' Reinforcement Protocol! Current Unit: Non-hostile! Repeat, Non-hostile! Cease aggressive action immediately!]

This mental message was like dropping a stabilizing anchor into a raging ocean!

The "Cleaners," which were poised to launch the next deadly volley with their energy tentacles raised, suddenly froze! Their compound-eye sensors simultaneously focused on the *Morning Star*, and dense, invisible, high-precision scanning beams swept back and forth across the hull like searchlights, seemingly verifying the authenticity of the energy signature and the mental message with extreme rigor.

The devastating assault came to an abrupt halt.

In the cold void, only the *Morning Star*, radiating its milky-white aura, remained, tightly encircled by several mechanical jellyfish that were motionless like statues yet still radiated a terrifying sense of oppression. The atmosphere had not eased; instead, it became more suffocating, like the dead calm before a storm.

"The attack stopped! They... they stopped!" Su Mu slightly relaxed his grip on his weapon, but his eyes remained glued to the screen with vigilance. "But they haven't broken the encirclement, nor have they shown any sign of friendliness!"

"They are waiting," Evelyn said, quickly analyzing the sensor data. "They are waiting for further instructions, or... a more conclusive 'credential' that proves our identity and mission as 'Successors.' The current mimicry and declaration were likely only enough to move us from the 'immediate purge' list to the 'highly suspicious pending verification' list."

Zhuo Yue's mind raced; his brain, like an overclocked processor, rapidly searched the fragments of detailed information about the "Cleaners'" behavioral logic database, which Gamma had imparted. He understood that merely pretending to be "one of them" was insufficient; he had to demonstrate a "mission" that "one of them" would be executing, one that aligned with the system's highest interests!

He concentrated again. This time, instead of transmitting a broad declaration, he carefully selected core information regarding the threat of "Entropy" infiltrating the "Weave," the system's declining stability, and the summary of their mission to locate and gather the beacon power to execute the "Reinforcement Protocol." He packaged this information into a high-density data stream, using an extremely concise and logically rigorous encoding method reserved for the "Weave" system's internal reports, and transmitted it directly to the largest "Cleaner" unit, which was positioned in the center of the array and was clearly the command unit.

This message was like a military report from the front lines, bearing the correct seal.

After a brief silence that felt as long as a century, the light in the compound-eye sensors of the lead "Cleaner" shifted from a cold, eerie blue to an amber color representing "processing," before finally settling on a pale green, indicating "instruction updated/confirmed."

A concise, icy thought wave was transmitted back:

[Instruction received and verified. Successor status provisionally confirmed. Mission Priority: High. Warning: Traces of unauthorized external connection and low-level information contamination detected (pointing to Foundation tracking technology residue). Execution according to Purification Protocol 7.]

No sooner had the message finished than, without waiting for any reaction from the *Morning Star*, a soft yet irresistible energy wave, carrying a sense of "formatting," swept over the entire ship like mercury flowing across the ground! This energy wave precisely located and locked onto all residual physical components of Foundation trackers, hidden software backdoors, and even the subtle "imprints" left in the energy field by their operation. After a faint crackle, like the discharge of static electricity, all these potential vulnerabilities and traces defined as "contamination" were thoroughly and physically eradicated, as if they had never existed.

Having completed this, the lead "Cleaner" unit emitted another brief signal. All the Cleaner units surrounding the *Morning Star* acted as if they had received a unified withdrawal order; their massive bodies began to blur and become transparent, eventually merging silently into the surrounding warped spatial background, vanishing without a trace, just as they had appeared. The energy field locking down the warp drive simultaneously dissipated, as if nothing had happened.

The crisis was thus averted.

A deathly silence lasted several seconds on the bridge, then was broken by a collective sound of heavy, relieved breathing. Only then did many realize that their fingernails had dug deep into their palms, and the backs of their clothes were soaked with cold sweat.

"That was too close... those unyielding, stone-cold hunks of metal really don't take any prisoners..." Su Mu exhaled deeply, patting his chest, still shaken. "When they execute orders, they are more decisive than the most ruthless assassin."

"But this precisely proves that the 'Weave' system's defense mechanisms are still operational, even if they are... overly sensitive and rigid," Evelyn said, quickly checking the ship's systems and confirming that the "purification" wave had caused no damage to the ship itself beyond clearing the Foundation residue. "They verified our 'identity' and 'mission,' and that in itself is a huge step forward."

Zhuo Yue slowly withdrew his psychic projection, showing no sign of joy, only deep contemplation. "This encounter was a dangerous trial, but it also indirectly authenticated the legitimacy of our 'Successor' status. The knowledge Gamma imparted was the only key to passing this hurdle." He paused, his tone growing more serious. "But at the same time, it served as a warning. The 'Weave' system is like a giant suffering from chronic illness yet remaining highly vigilant. Any 'foreign object' that falls outside its cognitive framework will trigger merciless elimination. From now on, we must be even more careful not to leave any vulnerability that could be exploited by 'Entropy' or deemed 'contamination' by the 'Cleaners.' The deeper the 'Watcher' imprint on us, the more convenient our actions may be, but if we make a single wrong move, we will face a higher-level, devastating strike from the system itself."

After this engagement, the team gained an extremely intuitive and profound understanding of the "Weave" system's complexity, and the power and harshness of its automated defense mechanisms. They were no longer merely explorers searching for beacons; they were "programmers" operating within the rules of an ancient and powerful system, where every step had to align with its underlying logic to avoid being purged as a "virus."

The *Morning Star* slightly adjusted its orientation, its engines once again emitting a steady glow, and continued toward the "Homeworld" base. The "Void Corridor" behind them gradually shrank, eventually becoming a vague pinprick of light against the backdrop of the star sea. Yet, everyone knew that what they were bringing back to "Homeworld" was not just the spark of hope and the dawn of technology, but also a heavy recognition from an ancient system and the even more severe responsibility that came with it.

The journey home remained long, and the stars ahead seemed different than before, weighted by this newfound responsibility.