249: Undercurrents and "Visitors"

Homeland was bathed in an unprecedented, vibrant tranquility. This tranquility was not silence, but the harmonious background noise resulting from efficient operation and vigorous vitality. Under the silent regulation and optimization of Excellence, the special "core," the entire base and its affiliated colony stars were injected with a powerful stimulant, entering a "Golden Age" of rapid development.

The energy network operated with unprecedented efficiency, with losses reduced to a historical minimum; the eco-cycle system produced more stable and abundant output, and newly cultivated variants of "moonlight rice" and "serene cucumber" began large-scale promotion; based on scattered technical fragments analyzed from the beacon and new protocols of The Weave, breakthroughs were achieved in fields such as materials science, energy application, and bioengineering; meanwhile, the keels for the highly anticipated follow-up "Ark-class" vessels, the Expedition and the Hope, were simultaneously laid in the expanded dockyards, with construction speed nearly doubled compared to the original plan.

The monumental achievement of repairing The Weave and repelling the invasion of Entropy, along with Commander Excellence's unbelievable yet undeniable "change in existence form," despite Homeland's high-level attempts to control the details and scope of information dissemination, the core facts still spread through limited, reliable interstellar communication channels. Like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, this news caused a massive ripple effect throughout the reachable interstellar society.

Astonishment, admiration, curiosity, inquiry, and even undisguised fear and suspicion surged toward Homeland like mixed tides from all directions. Formal congratulations and visit requests from various known civilizations, interstellar trade groups, and independent research organizations flew in like snowflakes; exaggerated legends even began circulating in some fringe star systems about Homeland possessing "Godly Machinery" or being protected by "Immortal Heroes"; and in the more secretive Dark Web and intelligence circles, debates about Excellence's status, the value assessment of The Weave technology, and Homeland's future threat level never ceased.

Homeland's prestige and influence reached its zenith since the start of the Colonial Era. It was no longer just a struggling human outpost, but was viewed by many civilizations yearning for Order and stability as a lighthouse, suddenly rising in the deep space of Chaos, shining with Hope and mysterious light.

Wang Jianguo and Evelyn were busier than ever before. Wang Jianguo needed to use seasoned political wisdom and a firm stance to handle diplomatic contacts, whether sincere or probing, from all sides. While expanding Homeland's influence and cooperation, he had to firmly guard the bottom line of core technology and information, avoiding being drawn into unnecessary disputes or becoming a target. Evelyn, utilizing her absolute advantage in rationality and information processing, was responsible for sifting through massive amounts of intelligence, analyzing potential allies and risks, and leading limited technological exchanges with forces that possessed genuine research sincerity. The two often worked late into the night, rotating between the conference room and the communication console.

Su Mu's burden was equally heavy. Externally, she had to assist Wang Jianguo, ensuring the safety and Order of all visiting delegations and exchange personnel during their time at Homeland; internally, she was responsible for the daily security and discipline maintenance of the entire base. Furthermore, she was entrusted with a "special mission": supervising Excellence's "socialization" adaptation and behavioral norms, preventing this "special crew member"—who now possessed immense power, erratic thinking, and occasionally felt "bored"—from accidentally creating some earth-shattering (or terrifyingly lethal) new hand-crafted trick.

"Excellence, I warn you! Without Evelyn's written approval and my on-site supervision, you are absolutely forbidden from using any lab resources above Level Three for 'personal interest experiments'! I still remember the time you tried to use the kitchen synthesizer to rearrange molecular structures to make 'Solid Holographic Candy,' resulting in a three-hour disruption of the food supply system!" Su Mu often gritted her teeth while speaking into her wrist communicator (which connected directly to Excellence).

"Squad Leader, that was an accident... I just wanted to give everyone a little surprise..." Excellence's voice carried his usual tone of "sincere" admission of fault, "And didn't everything recover in the end? I even optimized the synthesizer's algorithm..."

"Shut up! Follow the rules!" Su Mu was merciless.

As for Excellence himself, who was at the center of this entire vortex, his "attention" (if it could be described as such) was primarily focused in two directions.

The first was macroscopic monitoring. Through the deeply integrated The Weave system, he extended his Perception like invisible tendrils across the vast star fields covered by the network. He closely watched the progress of cosmic Order restoration, especially in areas that had been heavily eroded by Entropy, which were now slowly recovering as if from a severe illness. He saw distorted spatiotemporal structures gradually smooth out like ironed fabric under the illumination of the nascent light of Order; he saw chaotic energy turbulence being channeled and guided into new harmonious pulsations; and he also observed that some civilizations on the verge of extinction or madness seemed to have caught onto these positive cosmic changes, with social unrest easing and faint sprouts of Hope emerging from despair. This brought him satisfaction; it was the result of everything he had risked.

But at the same time, he also captured some extremely subtle and fleeting "noise" that concerned him. These were anomalous energy fluctuations, difficult to locate, originating from the edges of The Weave network, or even the deeper, more distant darkness. Their frequency characteristics bore a vague similarity to the Chaos power of Entropy, yet they were more obscure and ancient, as if they were not active erosion but the unconscious "breathing" of some slumbering leviathan, or the faint, almost imperceptible "echo" remaining from a terrible explosion in the distant past. These fluctuations vanished instantly; even The Weave system struggled to automatically capture and record them, relying only on Excellence's extraordinarily acute Perception to occasionally catch fragments. This caused a subtle unease to rise in his heart, as if sensing unknown undercurrents beneath a calm sea.

The second focus was the "Ultimate hand-crafted Project" to which he devoted the most effort: the "Excellence 2.0 Body Project" (his internal codename being "Project Apollo: Finale"). This goal never wavered: he wanted to create a new body for himself that could perfectly contain his current consciousness, interact freely physically, and once again "feel" the world. This was no longer an interest or an attempt, but a desire integrated into his very instinct of existence.

Under Su Mu's "high-pressure supervision" and Evelyn's "rational assistance," the project moved from early chaotic exploration into a relatively systematic, covert, yet highly efficient phase of advancement. Excellence utilized his unparalleled authority and information processing capabilities to frantically retrieve, analyze, and deduce any information related to life creation, consciousness carriers, and energy-matter conversion within The Weave database, the Six Beacons Knowledge Base, and all open research materials of Homeland. He constructed tens of thousands of body models in virtual space, conducting hyper-scale simulation tests—failing, adjusting, failing again, adjusting again.

Materials science, energy pathways, neural interface simulation, sensory information translation, microscopic life activity maintenance systems... every sub-item was a super difficulty capable of exhausting the wisdom of a high-level civilization. He was like the most obsessed craftsman and, simultaneously, the calmest surgeon, dissecting himself while constructing his future.

However, beneath the surface of rapid development and focus, the hidden undercurrents never ceased churning.

Besides those distant anomalous fluctuations, there were also shadows from the "past."

As his control over the nascent core database of The Weave deepened, fragments of records belonging to the highest authority of the watchers civilization—which had previously been deliberately concealed, distorted, or encrypted by the power of Entropy—gradually "unlocked" for Excellence. These records were fragmented, mixed with a large number of professional terms, symbolic codes, and seemingly dreamlike metaphors that were impossible to fully understand, making interpretation extremely difficult.

But Excellence, relying on his unique state of consciousness and information processing ability, patiently pieced together, associated, and deduced the information. The picture that gradually emerged was far more complex, profound, and... more chilling than the initial understanding of "Entropy created by a lab accident."

The fragments vaguely mentioned "Ripples of High-Dimensional Interference," "Civilization-Level Filtering and Screening Mechanisms," "The Weave's deep instructions originating from unnameable gifts and costs," and a recurring, obscure phrase: "Gatekeepers of the Primordial Silence." It seemed the watchers civilization built The Weave for purposes far simpler than just monitoring and maintaining cosmic Order; the true motive might involve a grander, more ancient cosmic structure and power struggle. The emergence of Entropy might not have been a mere accident, but the product of some deeper conflict or broken balance.

These vague yet heavy pieces of information wrapped around Excellence's heart like cold spider silk. He did not immediately inform Evelyn and Su Mu of all his discoveries; partly because the information itself was incomplete, and rash disclosure might cause unnecessary panic; and partly because he wanted to sort out the clues himself first and find the potential key. But this undoubtedly increased the psychological pressure he bore alone.

It was at this subtle moment of superficial prosperity and hidden complexities that the true uninvited guest arrived silently, in a manner that surpassed Homeland's current technological understanding.

It was a ship. But it was completely different from any style of spacecraft seen in Homeland or even among known interstellar civilizations.

Its entire body exhibited the warm texture of jade and the rustic grain of wood, the two materials perfectly integrated as if born that way. The streamlined hull was elegantly long and slender, without any visible thrusters, weapon ports, or sensor arrays, polished smooth like a pebble washed by eons of river water. Its size was similar to the Ark, yet it gave off a strange impression of restraint, serenity, and natural integration with the starry sky. It simply "surfaced" without warning, as if appearing directly from the background star map, bypassing Homeland's meticulously arranged outer warning network, which incorporated Excellence's optimized plans. It appeared directly near the main star's orbit, less than one hundred thousand kilometers from the space station—a virtual face-to-face distance on an interstellar scale.

It did not emit any offensive energy fields, nor did it actively send out any communication signals. It merely hovered silently in the void, like a living interstellar sculpture that had existed there since time immemorial. However, its very existence was a silent declaration. All active scans directed at it—whether electromagnetic waves, neutrinos, gravitational waves, or probes based on The Weave's Order energy—were like a clay ox entering the sea, yielding no effective feedback, or returning information that was contradictory and impossible to analyze.

"Maximum Alert! Unknown celestial body... no, unknown spacecraft detected in Orbital Sector Seven! All detection methods failed! Unable to identify its technological origin or intent!" The Defense Command Center instantly fell into high tension, and piercing alarm sounds echoed throughout the relevant areas. Defense platform turrets automatically turned, and energy began charging, but the operators' faces were filled with confusion and a hint of terror—the targeting system could not stably lock onto the objective.

Excellence's Perception, acting like the most sensitive probe, focused immediately on this uninvited vessel. Unlike other detection methods, he did not rely on external scanning, but used his deep link with The Weave system and cosmic Order itself to "sense" the ship's presence.

A strange, indescribable feeling of "familiarity" surged into his mind.

It wasn't familiarity with the ship's appearance or technology, but with the intangible yet undeniably real "energy field" it radiated. It was an extremely pure, highly restrained Power of Order, seemingly refined and precipitated over countless ages. Its level was so high that it far exceeded the scope of what Homeland's current technology could understand. It even subtly resonated with the Order power that Excellence controlled, which originated from The Weave's core and the six beacons, suggesting a common origin. Yet, there was a difference—it was older, more "natural," as if it wasn't created or constructed, but was a direct manifestation of some fundamental cosmic rule.

"It's not an enemy." Excellence's calm voice rang out almost simultaneously in the personal communicators of Wang Jianguo, Su Mu, and Evelyn, as well as the main channel of the Defense Command Center. His steady tone carried an undeniable certainty. "At least, it has not displayed any hostility so far. The essence of its energy field has a deep resonance with The Weave... or rather, with a more fundamental Order. I will make contact."

"You?" Su Mu's voice immediately exploded from the communicator, carrying an emphatic objection. "No! Absolutely not! We don't know anything about the other party, and their methods are strange. It's too dangerous for you to make contact rashly! Let the defense forces first try standard communication protocols, we..."

"Squad Leader," Excellence interrupted her, his voice still steady but conveying a sense of deliberate decision. "Here, in this star system, my consciousness is deeply bound to The Weave and the Homeland system. In a sense, I am omnipresent. If the other party harbors malice and their technological level is high enough to bypass all defenses and directly threaten me, then our conventional response methods would likely be ineffective anyway. Conversely, if they have no malice, or are willing to communicate, it might be more appropriate for me, a similarly 'unconventional' existence, to make first contact, and better understand each other's status."

He paused, then added, "Don't worry, I won't be reckless. I will maintain the highest level of vigilance and only conduct the most rudimentary information probing. Should anything abnormal occur, I will immediately disconnect and activate all defensive protocols."

Silence fell over the communication channel for a few seconds. Wang Jianguo's heavy voice sounded: "Excellence, are you certain?"

"Uncle Wang, facing a completely unknown entity, no one can claim absolute certainty," Excellence said honestly. "But I believe this is the option with the highest risk-to-reward ratio right now. Moreover, I have a feeling... it seems to be here for me, or perhaps, for the new changes in The Weave."

"...Be careful." Wang Jianguo finally said in a deep voice. Su Mu tried to speak again, but Evelyn gently pressed her arm, shaking her head with calm eyes, signaling her to trust Excellence's judgment.

Excellence no longer hesitated. He focused his mind, using the highest authority granted by The Weave, to gather and refine his core consciousness from the countless nodes spread throughout the Homeland system. He transformed it into a highly condensed Order information stream, containing clear intentions of greeting, inquiry, and vigilance. This information stream was not an electromagnetic wave or any conventional physical signal, but closer to the method of internal node communication within The Weave system, acting directly on the level of rules and information. He shot it out from a specially reinforced external communication node on the Homeland space station, accurately targeting the silent Jade Wood Spaceship.

The moment the information stream touched the seemingly smooth and flawless surface of the spaceship, it did not stir any ripples or light, as if a drop of water had merged into a bottomless ancient well, being silently and completely absorbed.

Next came a brief, suffocating silence. The people in the Defense Center held their breath, and Wang Jianguo and the others stared intently at the monitoring screens.

A few seconds later, without passing through any physical communication channel, a peaceful, aged thought, seemingly carrying endless time and wisdom, sounded directly and clearly in Excellence's consciousness. Furthermore, through some highly sophisticated mental broadcast technique, it simultaneously echoed at the edge of the minds of the few individuals who shared a deep mental link with Excellence, such as Wang Jianguo, Su Mu, and Evelyn:

[Repairer of Order... Strange node of the Newborn Web... We have sensed the dissipation of the Old Shackles and the stirring of the New Law. Following an ancient covenant, we have come to observe.]

Following the transmission of this thought, the surface of the Jade Wood Spaceship finally glowed with a soft, restrained, milky-white light. A pure beam of light projected from beneath the ship's belly. It was not an attack, but a materialized transmission beam, landing precisely on the designated outdoor reception area that Homeland Base had marked beforehand, far from the core residential area and critical facilities—a flat plain covered with native local grasses.

The light beam retracted, and three figures clearly appeared.

The leader was a tall, slender elder wearing a plain white robe of extremely simple and ancient design. His hair and beard were completely white and meticulously groomed. His face was gaunt, his wrinkles deep like the rings marking the passage of time, yet his eyes were clear and bright, seemingly containing the entire starry sky, profound and peaceful. In his hand, he held a staff of unknown material, neither metal nor wood, topped with a round, lustrous gray stone bead. It hung naturally, and though there was no energy or aura radiating from him, he naturally exuded a captivating stillness and authority.

Standing half a step behind the elder were two young individuals, one male and one female. The man was tall and handsome, wearing dark cyan close-fitting attire covered by simple armor. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's as he calmly surveyed the surroundings. The woman wore a moonlight-white dress, her appearance delicate and her temperament gentle, but her eyes were lively, also observing with caution. Both possessed an extraordinary demeanor, clearly not ordinary people.

What surprised Wang Jianguo, Su Mu, and especially Evelyn, who specialized in data analysis, as they watched this scene via high-definition surveillance equipment, was that the three individuals looked virtually identical to humans. However, life magnetic field scans (though severely interfered with, still captured sporadic data) showed that their life energy composition was extremely condensed and harmonious, exhibiting subtle resonance with and differences from the surrounding environment's energy fields (including Homeland's artificial environment). The "density" and "orderliness" of their life forms seemed to far exceed the scope of ordinary humanity.

"Energy Lifeforms? Or... a highly evolved human subspecies? Or... fundamentally, another form of 'Order Existence'?" Evelyn rapidly recorded the limited data, her brain quickly analyzing the various possibilities.

Meanwhile, above the reception area, a massive holographic projection was activated. Excellence's virtual avatar—the optimized Q-version cartoon style youth image he frequently used—appeared, suspended several meters above the ground. Controlling the projection, he performed a slight bow, conforming to Homeland's general etiquette, his virtual face displaying appropriate solemnity and inquiry.

"Guests from afar, welcome to Homeland." Excellence's voice came through the sound system arranged in the reception area, clear and stable. "I am Excellence, one of the administrators here, and the 'node' you sensed. How should I address your esteemed selves? What instruction do you have in visiting this place?"

The white-robed elder's gaze lifted calmly, resting on Excellence's virtual avatar. His gaze seemed penetrating, not looking at an illusion made of light and shadow, but directly "observing" the essence of Excellence's consciousness hidden behind countless systems. He nodded slightly in return. His aged and peaceful voice once again sounded simultaneously on the mental and physical levels, demonstrating exquisite dual control over energy and information:

"My name is the current Staff Wielder of the Starwatchers lineage. You may call me White Elder. Behind me are my accompanying disciples, Qing Luan and Black Armor." His voice was unhurried, carrying the gentleness of accumulated age and an ancient rhythm. "We come from the Lost Star Cluster, one of the clans that watched over the primordial web since before the era of The Great Fracture. Recently, we sensed that the restraining power of the 'Old Shackles' in this star system suddenly dissipated, and a nascent 'New Law,' holding strange vitality, sprouted here, forming an unprecedented 'Living Node.' Following the ancient covenant and our duty as watchers, we have come to confirm, and... to convey some fundamental information about this universe, buried by the dust of long ages, to the nascent Guardian."

"Lost Star Cluster"? "The Great Fracture"? "the primordial web"? "Old Web"? "New Law"?

This string of utterly unfamiliar terms, yet seemingly pointing directly to the origin of the universe, struck Excellence's heart like a heavy hammer. It also instantly tensed the nerves of Wang Jianguo, Su Mu, Evelyn, and others monitoring everything through the secret channel, raising a tempest in their minds. Especially the references to "the primordial web" and the "Old Web" immediately made them think of The Weave system.

"White Elder Senior," Excellence suppressed the shock and countless questions in his heart, his virtual avatar's expression becoming more serious, and his tone more respectful and cautious. "Is the 'the primordial web' you speak of related to the system we recently repaired, which is called 'The Weave'? What kind of catastrophe was 'The Great Fracture'? And what connection do the esteemed people of the 'Lost Star Cluster' have with the 'watchers' civilization we know, who built 'The Weave'?"

A flicker of extremely complex light flashed in White Elder's eyes, which were as clear as the starry sky. It seemed to contain reminiscence of the endless past, lamentation over massive changes, and a faint, inexpressible pity. He sighed softly, the sigh seeming to carry the weight of stardust.

"The connection is very deep, child, deeper and heavier than you can imagine." White Elder said slowly, every word seeming to peel back a layer of historical fog. "The 'Web' that you repaired and integrated with was not created out of thin air. After 'the primordial web' shattered during 'The Great Fracture,' the watchers salvaged some of the larger, not completely annihilated fragments of the 'Web,' and used the full strength of their civilization to barely re-weave and connect them into an 'imitation,' or more accurately... a 'Cage' and 'Buffer Pool' built for a specific purpose."

"And 'The Great Fracture' was the catastrophe that swept across all dimensions when 'the primordial web' suddenly shattered without warning, the fundamental Order maintaining the multiverse fell into Chaos and slumber, ten thousand races became displaced, and the light of countless civilizations was extinguished or lost. As for 'the watchers'..." White Elder paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through time to the distant past. "They were once a branch of our Starwatchers lineage who, after The Great Fracture descended, voluntarily chose to remain in the most volatile, frontline regions of the Material Realm to guard the largest fragments of the 'Web' and attempt to prevent the disaster from spreading... they were the Last Watcher Branch. They are our kin, and also... the most direct sufferers and victims of that tragedy."

The truth revealed in these few words, its subversiveness and impact, far exceeded all previous understanding of Entropy and The Weave! Like a bolt of lightning tearing through the darkness, it instantly illuminated the historical abyss covered by layers of mist, making that abyss appear even darker and more terrifying!

"The Weave" is just a replica? A Cage? Is the watchers civilization a branch of a higher-tier race? What was their fundamental purpose in building "The Weave"? And what role does "Entropy" play in this grand scheme?

Countless questions, like boiling bubbles, surged wildly in Excellence's consciousness. His virtual avatar swayed slightly, revealing the intense turmoil within. Through the monitoring channel, he could even "hear" Su Mu gasp and Wang Jianguo's breathing suddenly deepen.

"Senior! Please... tell us in detail!" Excellence's virtual avatar involuntarily stepped forward (a projection effect), his tone filled with unprecedented urgency and solemnity. "This concerns our entire understanding of the past, the present, and even the future!"

White Elder looked at Excellence's reaction without surprise. He gently raised the ancient staff in his hand again, not pointing at any specific target, but merely making a vague gesture towards the grass beneath his feet.

There was no dazzling flash, no deafening sound. But centered on where his staff touched, a circle of almost imperceptible, water-like transparent ripples silently spread out, instantly enveloping the entire reception area and its surroundings for several hundred meters. Space seemed to be wrapped in an invisible, absolutely silent membrane; all external sounds, light, and even energy fluctuations were gently and firmly isolated. An independent, confidential information domain, undetectable and un-interferable by any conventional means, was formed within.

"The words that follow involve fundamental cosmic secrets, with vast karmic implications, and must not be easily revealed, lest they attract unnecessary attention or interference." White Elder's voice, in this absolutely silent space, became even more solemn and deep, each syllable seemingly carrying the weight of stars. "Child, listen carefully."

"The entity you defeated, named 'Entropy,' is not a naturally occurring cosmic disaster, nor is it the product of a 'watchers' experimental malfunction. Its essence is a trace of 'Order Origin' contaminated by 'primal chaos,' which leaked from the shattered fissures of 'the primordial web' when 'The Great Fracture' occurred. This contaminated origin fell into this Material Realm, endured unimaginably long eons, gradually absorbed the surrounding Chaos and despair, and only then matured into what you know as 'Entropy.'"

"The fundamental purpose of the 'watchers' race in building the 'The Weave' replica was not, as they might claim, to monitor or maintain cosmic Order. Their core mission was precisely to use this 'net' as a Cage to imprison and continuously dilute and purify this 'contaminated Order Origin'—that is, the nascent form of 'Entropy'—to prevent it from fully awakening and growing, thereby becoming a 'beacon' that attracts the gaze of true 'primal chaos' itself, bringing about a complete and irreversible end to this universe."

"And the 'The Weave' system itself, at the deepest level of its operational logic, hides an 'initial directive' that even the 'watchers' race itself may not have fully comprehended, or for some reason never explicitly stated. This directive transcends simple 'imprisonment' and 'purification.' Its ultimate goal is, over long eons, by monitoring and regulating the universe's operations, to subtly collect 'Order variables' and 'civilization pheromones' that reflect this universe's 'Order resilience,' 'civilization diversity,' and 'life possibility.' It Hopes that at some future moment, when conditions are ripe, these collected 'materials' can be used to attempt an unprecedented 'act of mending the heavens'—to reconnect that fractured 'the primordial web,' even if only a very small part."

White Elder's gaze once again focused on Excellence's virtual avatar, that gaze seeming to penetrate all appearances, directly looking into the unique "components" within his consciousness core.

"You, Excellence," White Elder's voice carried a peculiar, almost statement-of-fact tone, "when you finally repaired and rewrote the core protocol of 'The Weave,' you did more than just technical correction and enhancement. You inadvertently imprinted and integrated a vast amount of 'warmth' and 'color' belonging to life, to civilization, to specific individual emotions and beliefs, deep into this 'net,' which was originally cold, abstract, and only followed absolute logic. This caused the newly born 'The Weave' to undergo a qualitative leap in the efficiency and 'quality' of collecting 'Order variables' and 'civilization information.' It even... made you yourself, due to this deep integration and reshaping, become an extremely special existence—a living 'node' carrying the will of the new 'net,' an unprecedented 'Heaven-Mending Coordinate' forged by cold Order and warm life."

"This means, child," White Elder's tone became incredibly heavy, "you have been passively, but inevitably, drawn into a game far older and grander than confronting 'Entropy,' involving the fundamental existential patterns of the universe. The other watcher races of the Lost Star Cluster, the ancient existences that survived 'The Great Fracture' and are hidden or dormant in various forms in the depths of the universe, and even... the possible lingering, vague collective will of the shattered 'the primordial web' itself, as well as the cold, ruthless, all-consuming entity of 'primal chaos'... may have already, or will in the future, cast their 'gaze' in your direction."

"Fortune and misfortune are intertwined. You repaired the 'net,' dispelling the immediate darkness, but in this process, you also ignited yourself, becoming the brightest, most unique, and most unhideable... lighthouse in this deep space, which has just regained its calm. This light can guide Hope, but it will also inevitably attract all gazes from the darkness, whether benevolent, malicious, or... beyond the concept of good and evil."

White Elder's words, like The Whispers of the universe itself, struck Excellence's consciousness core, word by word, with the cold and heavy texture of truth, and also heavily impacted the hearts of Wang Jianguo, Su Mu, and Evelyn through their mental link.

The joy and warmth of having just dispelled the gloom, saved Homeland, and returned laden with honor, were instantly enveloped and swallowed by this larger, deeper, and more terrifying truth and the boundless shadow of the future. They felt as if they had narrowly escaped a turbulent pond, only to suddenly find themselves floating on a truly vast and boundless dark ocean filled with unknown behemoths and hidden endless abysses.

Excellence's virtual avatar remained silent for a long time. On the projected face, within the cartoonish eyes, data streams flickered, flowed, calculated, and deduced wildly at an unprecedented speed and density, as if his entire consciousness was operating at an overload, digesting this information capable of overturning all cognition. In the reception area, there was only the faint rustling of grass leaves from the breeze (possibly simulated by the environmental control system).

After a long while, Excellence's virtual avatar slowly raised its head. The data streams in the cartoon eyes gradually subsided, replaced by a settled, sharp, starlight-like resolute gleam. On the virtual face, the previous shock and urgency were gone, leaving only the absolute composure and calmness of a warrior facing an unknown battlefield. There was no trace of fear, only a frank acceptance and responsibility of "since it's here, let's face it."

"Tell me, Senior White Elder," Excellence's voice rang out, steady and clear, each word carrying power, "how should I act in the face of such a game, such a future? How should Homeland, and my compatriots who trust me and fight alongside me, respond? We never desired to be pawns in any grand narrative, much less to sit idly by and await the judgment of fate (or any other existence)."

White Elder quietly watched Excellence's reaction, and a trace of almost imperceptible light, which could be called "gratification," flashed deep within his ancient, clear eyes.

"Good. Not to be afraid and retreat because the truth is terrifying, not to be anxious and rash because the road ahead is uncertain, to know one's place and bear one's responsibilities. Such a temperament is indeed rare." White Elder slowly nodded, a touch of warmth added to his tone. "My purpose in coming this time was twofold: first, to confirm the temperament and potential of you, this new 'node'; second, to inform you of this part of the truth, lest you unknowingly repeat mistakes or inadvertently touch deeper taboos due to improper actions, inviting unbearable catastrophe."

He gently tapped the ancient staff in his hand, and the gray stone bead at the top of the staff glowed faintly.

"Therefore, in addition to revealing the truth, I will also leave behind a 'Star Marrow'—which records some basic structural knowledge of 'the primordial web,' known characteristics of 'primal chaos,' and an introductory understanding of how the 'Starwatchers' utilize higher-level Order energy. This is not a master key, but it may help you understand your situation faster and avoid detours."

"However, the road ahead is long, and its fortune is unknown. Ultimately, you must rely on your own will, wisdom, and courage to choose, to pioneer, and to forge a path of your own."

"As for when and in what form the true crisis will descend..." White Elder raised his head again, his gaze sweeping past Excellence's virtual avatar and towards the deep, boundless real starry sky beyond Homeland's artificial dome, his eyes becoming incredibly distant, as if gazing into the depths of the river of time. "Perhaps it's close at hand, perhaps it's unimaginably far away. But one thing is certain..."

He withdrew his gaze, looking back at Excellence, and said word by word:

"The loom of fate, which had almost ceased since 'The Great Fracture,' has now been stirred again by your appearance, by the emergence of the 'new net,' and has begun to slowly rotate. And you, young mender, new 'coordinate,' are already at the very center of this loom's axis."

The visitor brought ancient knowledge and stern warnings beyond imagination, as well as responsibilities as heavy as mountains concerning the survival of the universe, and completely unknown challenges.

Homeland's stars still shone brightly on the artificial sky, the base's lights were still warm, and people were still busy living. But in the hearts of all the leaders who knew White Elder's words, they clearly felt that the "reality" on which this land rested, and the "universe" represented by the seemingly eternal starry sky above, had undergone a fundamental, irreversible change in meaning.

A grand journey, involving the fundamental Order of the universe and the ultimate fate of civilization, more magnificent and perilous than ever, seemed to have quietly begun its prelude.

And Excellence, this youth existing in the most peculiar way, connecting cold Order with warm life, is destined to become the most unpredictable variable, the most conspicuous lighthouse, and perhaps... the faint yet resilient "flame of Hope" that can bring different possibilities in that deep darkness, in this journey.