276: Reports, awards, and new "surprises"

Excellence was practically "dragged" back into the cabin by the tractor beam of the ranger. It wasn't that he had sustained severe injuries—though his chest felt stifled from the shock, and the taste of rust in his throat hadn't completely dissipated—but rather the immense mental exhaustion, coupled with the absurd battlefield scene before him that challenged the limits of his cognition, causing his brain's processing core to continuously overload, and consequently, his precise control over his limbs was temporarily compromised.

He practically stumbled into the command chair, the leather cushion emitting a slight sigh. On the main screen, the image destined to appear repeatedly in his nightmares was still being transmitted in real-time: a "juggernaut" kneeling in a posture of repentance with a giant pink pudding embedded in its chest; two steel wrecks lying completely dormant with their chest energy cores extinguished like cold ashes; and the last one, still maintaining the horrifying posture of a suicide charge, but with its chest precisely "sealed" by a giant silver pot lid, like a surrealist sculpture moved out of a modern art museum—the "pot lid juggernaut".

The sound of artillery fire on the battlefield had long since become sporadic and hesitant, eventually coming to a near standstill. The smell of gunpowder lingering in the air seemed to be diluted by the strange odor, a mixture of the faint sweet strawberry scent and the scorched smell of metal burned by energy. The soldiers of the Burning Furnace, whether mecha pilots or infantry, mostly stood dazed behind cover or in broken vehicles, their faces beneath their masks filled with bewilderment and cracks of crumbling faith. In the communication channels, the frantic roaring of the commander had long been drowned out by the muffled exclamations, incoherent questions, and a deeper whisper of fear brought about by the shaking of their fundamental understanding of the world.

The state of the defenders of the Gears and Anvil was no better; many had faces mixed with the exhaustion of surviving a disaster and deep confusion about the "miracle" (or "monstrosity") before them. But the instinct to survive and their remaining discipline made them the first to act. The commander gave Orders in a hoarse voice, engineers and maintenance robots dragged their broken bodies toward the damaged shield generators and fortifications, medics shuttled through the ruins searching for survivors, and the remaining fire points turned in unison, aiming their vigilant muzzles at the regular troops of the Burning Furnace who had lost the cover of the "juggernauts" and were also plunged into chaos.

Having lost the four "juggernauts" that served as their strategic pillar and psychological reliance, coupled with the devastating blow to morale from witnessing them "perish" in such a bizarre manner, the offensive of the Burning Furnace, already strained by the failed assault, collapsed instantly like a house with its main beam removed. The remaining fleet commander seemed to have finally regained a glimmer of sanity from the fanaticism and rage (perhaps a frantic but mandatory retreat Order had come from the supreme command in the rear), and began roaring to organize the units that were still relatively intact to cover each other and retreat outside the front line, attempting to preserve the last of their living strength.

A bloody battle for the "Ladder" base, which could have determined the fate of the planet "Hephaestus" or even influenced the direction of the entire "iron and fire" civilization, had come to a premature, abrupt end in such an unpredictable, black-humorous, and absurd way. Although the Gears and Anvil side had suffered heavy losses and the "Ladder" base was like a candle in the wind, nearly half-destroyed, at least—the most critical geothermal energy well cluster had been saved, and the risk of the civilization's instantaneous collapse had been temporarily postponed.

The ranger, like a silent audience member of a stage play, quietly retreated to a higher and more hidden orbit just as the curtain was about to fall, pushing its full stealth system power to its theoretical peak, completely blending into the universe's background radiation and stellar gravitational perturbations, leaving only invisible "eyes" to continue watching the subsequent ripples fermenting on the planet below.

"Hoo..." Excellence exhaled a long breath, as if to empty all the turbid air from his lungs, and raised his hand to rub his throbbing temples, "Finally... it's temporarily over. Although the process was so 'exciting' that it gives one indigestion."

Evelyn also slumped in the co-pilot chair next to him, waving her hand listlessly, not having the energy to take more than a glance at the dashboard she usually cared about most: "Don't even mention it. I feel like I see double whenever I look at anything now, especially pink and silver circular objects... The 'customer service' from the Lord of the Grand Feast is truly unconventional and 'memorable'."

"It's more than just memorable," Excellence replied with a wry smile, "It's downright indelible. I swear, for at least the next month, no, a year, I don't want to see any Q-bouncy pink objects, or any shiny, circular lids. The area of psychological trauma can probably be calculated in astronomical units."

"But objectively speaking," Su Mu's voice came from the distant base communication channel, carrying the relief of surviving a disaster, and also mixed with an indescribable strangeness, "His appearance, although the method... well, is extremely 'personalized', did indeed 'solve' the most fatal crisis at a critical moment—that Alpha that was about to self-destruct. And, that 'pudding' and that 'pot lid'..."

"According to continuous monitoring data," the detection supervisor of the ranger took over, their tone filled with the confusion and rigor of a researcher facing an unexplainable phenomenon, "The pudding-like substance behaves as a highly inert energy polymer with extremely special physical properties. Its energy dissipation rate is nearly zero, its structure is incredibly stable, and it possesses extraordinary energy absorption and physical impact buffering characteristics. Currently, no signs of self-replication, proliferation, or any form of contamination spread have been observed. As for that silver pot lid... its surface is covered with a layer of powerful composite conceptual energy fields, perfectly sealing the violent 'world devourer' energy inside. All our detection methods are unable to penetrate it. Apart from the fact that their existence forms seriously challenge conventional physical and energy cognitive frameworks, as of now, they have not shown direct threat."

"As of now, they have not shown direct threat..." Excellence chewed on this cautious conclusion, pulling the corners of his mouth helplessly, "But they are like two shiny 'giant nails' hammered into the reality of this civilization. What will the people of 'iron and fire' think? What message is the Lord of the Grand Feast trying to convey by dropping these two things? Or, is it just for fun? And us..."

"The 'sentry-7391b' Node explicitly requires us to submit a formal report containing all details within 12 standard hours," the voice of "White Elder" came from the base, as steady as ever, but Excellence could hear the hidden gravity in it, "This incident involves the active and high-profile unauthorized intervention of a high-dimensional entity, so the nature is special. The report must be extremely detailed and objective, especially regarding the precise spatiotemporal coordinates, energy spectrum characteristics, and specific words and deeds (including keywords like 'special blend', 'mildly spicy', 'five-star praise' mentioned by it) of the two appearances of the Lord of the Grand Feast's messenger, as well as the detailed physical parameters and energy states of the 'pudding' and 'pot lid', and their actual impact on the battlefield situation, all need to be accurately recorded. Excellence, you need to record all your sensory experiences, energy manipulation details, especially the mental feelings when indirectly contacting the power of the Lord of the Grand Feast, as accurately and unadorned as possible."

"Understood." Excellence nodded, feeling his nerves, which had just relaxed slightly, start to ache again. Writing a mission report was already a tedious task, and now he had to describe the 'Birth of the Pudding' and the 'Pot Lid Sealing Technique' in detail, and try to analyze the thoughts of a supreme existence who finds chaos and absurdity fun... How could this report be written to make him look like a rational and clear-headed Council observer, rather than a hack novelist babbling after taking hallucinogens?

"Also, regarding your contribution point debt..." Su Mu's voice became cautious, carrying obvious concern.

Hearing this, Excellence immediately called up the holographic projection of his personal account. After just one glance, he felt his vision go dark again.

[Identity: Observer (Intern) - Excellence]

[Current Contribution Point Balance: -4872]

[Debt Details:]

- Loan from "sentry-7391b" Node: 5000 contribution points (Purpose: Purchase of "heart-clearing pendant (standard version)")

- Installment interest activated (Daily interest rate: 0.01%, accruing)

[Pending Mission Rewards (Estimated):]

- L-5589 Basic Observation Mission: 500 points

- High-risk contamination source (takeout core) emergency handling subsidy: 800 points

- Special authorization mission (elimination of 'juggernaut' disaster risk) performance reward: 1000 points

- Total pending income: 2300 points

[Estimated Net Debt After Settlement: -2572 points]

"..." Excellence was silent for a few seconds before speaking softly, his voice filled with despair, "I fought tooth and nail, almost got blown into cosmic dust, had two thrilling 'encounters' with the messenger of a high-dimensional fun-loving god, and in the end, it only got my debt down from five thousand to two thousand five? After all that work, the debt is reduced by less than half? Which genius designed this Council compensation system?"

"Uh... look at the bright side, at least the debt pressure is reduced by almost half?" Evelyn tried to comfort him with an optimistic tone, although she didn't sound very convincing herself, "And, didn't you also get the official 'Junior Observer' rank promotion? You can take higher-paying missions in the future. Also, getting into that 'Special Incident Response Reserve List', although it doesn't sound like an easy job, usually comes with generous allowances..."

"I hope so." Excellence sighed long, closing the account projection in resignation. Debts always have to be repaid, and right now, the more urgent matter is that earth-shattering report destined to "go down in history".

Over the next few hours, the bridge of the ranger turned into a temporary, highly tense writing workshop. Excellence, Evelyn, "White Elder" far away at the base, and even Su Mu, were all drawn into this massive report compilation project. They needed to systematically organize all observation logs, communication intercepts, and full-spectrum energy readings since entering the L-5589 star sector, especially the millisecond-precise timestamps, spatial fold coordinates, accompanying energy ripple characteristics, every absurd line (including tone and possible multiple metaphors) of each of the two appearances of the Lord of the Grand Feast's messenger "Giggle", as well as the dimensions, mass (estimated), reflectivity, energy inertia index, and actual reaction data to various attacks of the "pudding" and "pot lid", etc.

Excellence also needed to meticulously reconstruct the micro-process of his using the Power of Order to handle the "special blend core", as well as the selection of every energy Node, power output intensity, and resistance encountered when implementing the "forced silence" surgery on the Delta and Bravo "juggernauts" later. Even worse, he had to objectively describe the sickeningly sweet temptation, the uncontrollable flashes of absurd carnival scenes in his mind, and the specific feeling of how the "heart-clearing pendant" forcibly "cooled down" this erosion when indirectly contacting the power of the Lord of the Grand Feast.

The trickiest part was the analysis and speculation on the behavioral intent of the Lord of the Grand Feast. Several people held several "brainstorming sessions" via encrypted channels, racking their brains, and proposed conjectures in several directions:

1. Pure Hedonism Theory: This entity is a top-tier "troll" in the multiverse, and its behavioral logic core is to pursue maximized "drama", "absurdity", and "emotional fluctuations". Intervening in the "iron and fire" civil war was simply because it was lively and tragic enough, suitable for "adding ingredients" to watch. Excellence's appearance just added an interesting "interactive character" to this play.

2. Marking/Interest Theory: The two behaviors that seemed like "helping" but were actually stirring up trouble might be a kind of alternative "showing goodwill" or "marking". Just like a child finding an interesting bug, they can't help but poke it and mark it. The Lord of the Grand Feast might have developed some interest in this "little bug" Excellence who could handle its "small gifts" and possessed the Power of Order, and the pudding and pot lid were both a display of "works" and more conspicuous "attention marks".

3. Rule Provocation/Interference Theory: Deliberately intervening in the affairs of a primary civilization in such an absurd yet efficient manner is itself a public provocation and mockery of the "Order" and "Non-Interference" principles maintained by the "Pan-Dimensional Civilization Observation and Mediation Council". The purpose might be to annoy The Council, test its bottom line of reaction, or interfere with The Council's investigation process into the "World Devourer" energy incident.

4. Large-scale Experiment/Observation Theory: Treating the "iron and fire" civilization, Excellence, and even the entire incident as an interesting experimental field or observation sample. Dropping the "special blend core" was introducing variables, observing the reactions of the civilization, the observer (Excellence), and the "World Devourer" energy under extreme pressure; "cooking" the pudding and "covering" it were testing the possible results of the collision of different conceptual powers (pleasure, Order, destruction) that exceed conventional physical laws.

5. Implicit Warning/Hint Theory: Perhaps behind its absurd behavior, there is some more serious intent. Using this extreme method to remind Excellence or The Council of the extent to which the danger of the "World Devourer" energy has spread, hinting that there may be deeper secrets involved, or warning of certain threats that have not yet surfaced related to the concept of "Feast" itself.

Each speculation seemed to explain part of the phenomenon, but none could perfectly cover the contradictions and randomness of all the behaviors of the Lord of the Grand Feast. In the end, the report could only present these possibilities side-by-side, and solemnly note: "Based on existing information, the core motivation of this entity cannot be determined. However, its behavior has constituted substantial interference and risk to the observation rules of primary civilization natural evolution and observer mission execution. It is recommended that headquarters upgrade the monitoring level of such high-dimensional conceptual entities and improve relevant response contingency plans."

This super report, condensed with heart and effort, filled with bizarre terminology like "pudding elasticity coefficient" and "pot lid conceptual seal strength," and accompanied by massive data packets, energy spectra, and high-definition images (including multi-angle close-ups of that pudding swaying leisurely amidst artillery fire and precious footage of the silver pot lid reflecting cold light under the illumination of the "Hephaestus" star), was finally sent to the "sentry-7391b" Node before the deadline.

The moment the send button was pressed, everyone on the bridge felt as if their energy had been drained, collapsing into their seats without even the desire to speak.

"I only hope now," White Elder's voice came through with a rare sense of exhaustion, "that when the knowledgeable old fellows at headquarters see the chapters about the 'pudding' and the 'pot lid,' they won't think our entire team has collectively developed severe mass hysteria under the pressure of long-term field work."

"Perhaps they will be extremely interested in this," Evelyn rubbed her sore eyes, her voice muffled, "After all, being able to 'neutralize' high-risk energy like the World Devourer in such a... 'gentle' way, in itself represents a level of technology we completely fail to understand. I'm afraid there is no lack of researchers in The Council obsessed with this kind of 'conceptual application'."

Excellence, upon hearing this, couldn't help but shiver. He really didn't want to be targeted by The Council's research department, nor did he want to be dragged in to assist in researching how to have "effective communication" with the "Lord of the Grand Feast" or learn "conceptual culinary arts."

The time spent waiting for approval from superiors passed slowly in a strange atmosphere mixed with exhaustion, anxiety, and the lingering aftertaste of absurdity.

Excellence and the others dared not be careless; they continued to maintain stealth, quietly observing from high orbit.

On the planet "Hephaestus," after the bizarre turning point of the "Sky Ladder Battle," the "iron and fire" civilization did not welcome peace, but instead fell into a deeper level of stalemate, chaos, and ideological turmoil.

The coalition of the "Burning Furnace" and its ally "Gears and Anvil" retreated north in panic, not only losing four "juggernauts" built with countless resources (though they "existed" in a way that could be called performance art), but more seriously, suffering the disintegration of military morale and internal cohesion.

During the retreat, fierce mutual accusations and buck-passing erupted between radicals and conservatives, the military and research institutes, and different legions, with even sporadic friction and small-scale skirmishes occurring.

The forbidden research on the "Furnace Rift" ruins was urgently halted, and all relevant data and samples were sealed. A deep fear of unknown power permeated the upper echelons—they could harness the power of the "world devourer," but could not understand, let alone control, the higher-level existence that turned it into "pudding" and a "pot lid."

Although the "Gears and Anvil" alliance won a pyrrhic victory, it was severely damaged.

They felt extremely confused and uneasy about the "phenomena" that appeared on the battlefield (officially not yet defined, but popularly called "miracles" or "omens").

Scientists held emergency meeting after emergency meeting, attempting to explain it with theories like "unknown energy field interference," "collective psychological suggestion," or "advanced holographic camouflage weapons," but all struggled to justify their claims, especially when faced with the solid, invulnerable, and sweet-smelling "pudding" and the unmoving "pot lid."

Meanwhile, various religious groups, occult sects, and doomsday theorists swarmed in like sharks smelling blood.

Some claimed this was the "Furnace Judgment" of the ancient God of Forging, punishing those who abused forbidden fire; others believed it was the "Sweet Rain Consolation" of the Earth Mother, using sweetness to resolve violence; even more extreme, some began to worship the "Pink Star Scar" and the "Silver Lid Sacred Seal," deriving various absurd doctrines and rituals.

The ideological spectrum of the entire society was greatly disrupted and broadened, while also becoming more fragmented.

And the areas where the two "juggernauts" wrecks (or rather, "art installations") were located became "absolute restricted zones" that both sides tacitly agreed not to approach easily.

"Gears and Anvil" dispatched its most elite troops to surround them, establishing multi-layered quarantine zones.

Scientific research teams wearing the highest level of sealed protective suits approached with trepidation, carrying various instruments to test them. The conclusions, besides "the material is extremely stable," "the energy inertia is extremely high," and "it is difficult to destroy by conventional means," were that everyone who approached (including robots) reported a "slight but persistent sense of pleasure" and an "urge to laugh," severely affecting serious scientific work.

The "Burning Furnace" side also sent special teams several times to attempt to sneak in for recovery or destruction, but they failed without exception. The approaching soldiers and mechs would likewise fall into an inexplicable state of "joy," their tactical movements deformed, ultimately forced to return empty-handed, leaving behind several recordings of commanders swearing in the communication channels in a fit of rage and helplessness.

The entire "iron and fire" civilization, because of two "desserts" and a piece of "tableware" casually tossed by the messenger of the "Lord of the Grand Feast," was dragged into a future that was more confused, divided, and permeated with an inescapable aura of "absurdity."

"Our observation mission... is this considered over?" Excellence looked at the chaotic scene on the planet below and sighed with a complex tone, "Although this ending seems to be a far cry from the 'evaluating civilization development potential and risks' written on the mission brief."

"From the core goal of 'eliminating the clear planet-level ecological extinction risk triggered by the juggernauts,' we can even say we over-fulfilled it."

White Elder's voice came through with his usual dialectical thinking, "But from the perspective of the basic duty of an 'Observer'—'non-intrusive observation of the natural evolutionary trajectory of a civilization, providing objective assessments for its potential and risks'—the current situation has become highly 'unnatural' due to the forced intervention of a high-dimensional entity. Any assessment based on the original model has lost its meaning. This 'guest appearance' by the 'Lord of the Grand Feast' is the largest, unquantifiable interference variable."

Just at this moment, the iconic flat electronic voice of the "sentry-7391b" Node connected to the communication channel again.

"Observer Excellence, the 'Comprehensive Report on the L-5589 Star Sector "iron and fire" Civilization Incident' and the 'Special Report on the Violation Intervention by the High-Dimensional Entity "Lord of the Grand Feast"' submitted by you and your team have been received and preliminary analysis is complete. The relevant rulings and task settlement notifications from the Seventh Sub-bureau headquarters are as follows, please confirm."

It's here! Excellence perked up and straightened his body. Blessing or curse, it was finally time to find out.

"Ruling One: Regarding the civil war of the 'iron and fire' civilization in the L-5589 star sector and the abuse of forbidden technology of the 'World Devourer'."

"1. Confirmed that the civilization has substantially mastered and massively abused high-risk forbidden energy ('World Devourer' secondary infection variant), posing a clear and urgent major threat to the survival of its own civilization, and its behavior has created potential risks to the local stability of the star sector."

"2. Confirmed that Observer Excellence and his team, in the process of executing the mission, successfully eliminated the most urgent risk of a planet-level ecological disaster that could have been triggered by the 'juggernauts' units (means included: direct neutralization of the 'specially formulated pollution source'; leading the 'forced silencing' of the energy cores of two 'juggernauts'; actions indirectly causing the remaining two 'juggernauts' to lose their threat capability). Relevant actions comply with the requirements of the 'Special Authorization Plan (A-3)' and reasonable responses were made under extreme circumstances."

"3. Given the violation intervention by the high-dimensional conceptual entity 'Lord of the Grand Feast,' resulting in a major, unpredictable deviation in the subsequent development trajectory of the civilization, the original 'long-term observation and limited guidance' mission objectives can no longer be implemented under the existing framework."

"4. Headquarters Ruling: Initiate 'Level 2 Civilization Status Monitoring' and 'Limited Concept Isolation' procedures for the 'iron and fire' civilization. The 'Civilization Social Form Assessment Team' and 'High-Dimensional Concept Residue Handling Expert Group' directly under headquarters will be dispatched to take over all subsequent matters. Observer Excellence and his team's mission in the L-5589 star sector is hereby officially concluded. Please evacuate the star sector within 12 standard hours and return to the designated reporting coordinates."

It was over. He could leave this place of trouble. A heavy stone in Excellence's heart landed; although he still felt worried about the future of this civilization, being able to jump out of this quagmire was ultimately a good thing.

"Ruling Two: Regarding the violation intervention event by the high-dimensional conceptual entity 'Lord of the Grand Feast'."

"1. The event has been officially recorded and archived. The potential threat rating of this entity in The Council's monitoring system has been raised and included in the Seventh Sub-bureau's key monitoring list, and relevant characteristic information has been shared with all sub-districts."

"2. Its behavioral motivation cannot be finally determined based on existing information, but the ability it displayed to directly intervene in basic physical rules and conceptual levels must be given the highest level of vigilance."

"3. Observer Excellence, in the process of indirect contact with the entity, displayed qualified professional vigilance, crisis response ability, and basic control over his own 'Power of Order,' successfully resisting low-intensity conceptual pollution erosion, with no signs of mental alienation or power contamination."

"4. The multi-angle analysis you submitted regarding the entity's intentions has a certain reference value and has been deposited into the relevant archives."

"5. Synthesizing your 'Observer' performance throughout this event, the final rating is: Good (B+). Deductions are mainly due to: failure to effectively warn and prevent the intervention of the high-dimensional entity (Note: this requirement is judged to be beyond your current rank and capability scope); the existence of ineradicable high-dimensional entity intervention traces ('pudding' and 'pot lid') in the final mission scene. Bonus points are for: decisive and effective handling of the core crisis; comprehensive and detailed observation records; basically reasonable citation and application of relevant Council rules and clauses."

B+. Not bad, not good, just barely passing. Excellence breathed a sigh of relief; this result was slightly better than he had expected.

"Ruling Three: Task settlement and contribution point calculation."

"- Basic observation mission reward: 500 contribution points."

"- Emergency handling special subsidy for high-risk pollution source ('specially formulated core'): 800 contribution points."

"- Performance reward for special authorized mission (eliminating 'juggernauts' disaster risk): 1000 contribution points."

"- Comprehensive behavior assessment reward (B+ grade): 300 contribution points."

"- Total contribution points earned for this mission: 2600 points."

"- Your outstanding principal of 5000 contribution points borrowed from the 'sentry-7391b' Node, and the first installment of interest of 5 points generated up to the settlement, have been automatically deducted from the above income. Your current personal contribution point account updated balance is: -2405 points."

Excellence: "..." The trace of relief that had just risen was instantly shattered by this striking deficit. 2600 points! Risking life and limb, maneuvering between the fires of civilization war and a high-dimensional fun-loving god, only to get 2600 points in income, and after paying off the debt, still owing two thousand four?! Which era was The Council's field salary standard set in? Or did the missions he took all come with a "high-risk, low-reward" debuff?

"At least the permission level has been raised, and you've entered that 'Special Event Response Reserve List.' Although it makes one's eyelids twitch just hearing it, usually tasks on this list have higher basic allowances." Evelyn tried hard to find consolation from a positive perspective, although she herself felt a bit of a toothache looking at that negative balance.

"But we still owe over two thousand four hundred, with a daily interest of 0.01%, which comes to about 0.24 points per day, and over seven points a month..." Su Mu had already been mentally calculating quickly over at the base, and after finishing, her little face fell, "It doesn't look like much, but it adds up! And the principal is so large..."

White Elder appeared quite open-minded: "Blessings and misfortunes are interdependent. Although this experience was fraught with danger, it has formally brought you into the vision of higher levels of The Council and accumulated valuable experience in handling such extreme complex crises. That 'heart-clearing pendant,' now that I look at it, was truly worth the price; it protected the foundation of your mind at a critical moment."

Excellence could only comfort himself this way. He took one last look at the gradually receding, gray-red "Hephaestus" planet outside the porthole; those two points of pink and silver were still glaring on its surface.

"'Civilization Social Form Assessment Team' and 'High-Dimensional Concept Residue Handling Expert Group'..." he whispered, repeating the names of these two departments that sounded professional and not to be trifled with, "I hope they can properly handle this mess. Evelyn, set the course; let's return to the 'Homeland' base to rest!"

The main engine of the "ranger" emitted a low and steady hum, and the ship elegantly turned its direction, preparing to sail to the nearest compliant jump point.

However, at the very moment the navigation AI was about to lock the coordinates and the jump engine began to warm up—

"Beep! Detected a directional communication request with the highest priority and encryption protocol 'Mirror Seven-fold'. Source: Seventh Sub-bureau headquarters, Identifier: 'Clear Mirror'. Receive immediately?" The cold but urgent prompt of the shipboard AI suddenly sounded, breaking the brief relaxation in the cabin.

Excellence and Evelyn looked at each other, both seeing surprise and a trace of imperceptible tension in each other's eyes. An investigator from "Clear Mirror"? Initiating communication directly at this time? Is there a question about the report just submitted? Or... is there a new instruction regarding the "Lord of the Grand Feast"?

"Connect it." Excellence took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound steady.

The communication connection was established. No holographic projection, no audio static, a gentle, calm, male voice that seemed to be able to directly smooth out the folds of the soul clearly resounded in Excellence's sea of consciousness—this was the iconic direct consciousness communication method of "Clear Mirror."

"Observer Excellence, I am 'Clear Mirror'."

"Investigator, greetings." Excellence immediately responded respectfully in his heart. This person was not only a high-ranking investigator with unfathomable strength but also one of his "introducers" and implicit guarantors within The Council; he must be given absolute respect.

"I have reviewed the report you submitted."

The voice of Clear Mirror was steady and unhurried, with no discernible emotional fluctuation.

"Although there were many accidents and variables involved in the process, your overall response remained within the framework, and in some ad-hoc decisions, you even performed beyond expectations."

"Regarding the 'Lord of the Grand Feast', you need not be overly anxious, but you must not let your guard down."

"Its logic is not something we can fathom by conventional means, but since its 'mark' has been left, future entanglements are unavoidable."

"Keeping your heart steadfast and making good use of the 'heart-clearing pendant' is the priority at the moment."

"Yes, I understand."

Excellence replied, feeling slightly relieved.

The affirmation from Clear Mirror was undoubtedly a reassurance.

"I am contacting you this time because there is a new, time-sensitive 'guidance mission' that, upon evaluation, we believe is best suited for you to take on."

Clear Mirror changed the subject; the tone remained steady, but Excellence could sense a trace of gravity within it.

A new mission? And an urgent one at that?

Excellence's heart skipped a beat.

Having just pulled himself out of the quagmire of L-5589, saddled with debt and physically and mentally exhausted, he really wanted to take a few days to rest.

But a mission personally assigned by Clear Mirror was likely not something he could shirk.

"Please proceed, Investigator."

"Target star sector: G-7721. Target civilization: codenamed 'Sprout', a primary civilization that has only broken free from its home planet's gravitational bonds for 87 standard years and has preliminarily mastered stellar-level navigation and ecological transformation technology."

"Civilization type: technological, significantly leaning towards bioengineering, genetic adjustment, and ecological balance technologies. The social structure is relatively loose and peaceful, but potential conflicts exist internally due to the distribution of limited resources, differing concepts of ecological transformation, and the debate over development paths between 'outward exploration' and 'internal refinement'."

It sounded much gentler than the 'iron and fire' civilization that was fighting and killing all day, perhaps even with a bit of a 'pastoral' feel?

Excellence's tense nerves relaxed slightly.

"The core requirements of the guidance mission:" Clear Mirror continued,

"Observe and evaluate the entire process of this civilization conducting its first formal official contact and exchange with another primary civilization—codenamed 'Star Scar'."

"'Star Scar' civilization is a civilization that awakened earlier and developed a unique system of psionic application. Its social structure leans towards spiritual Resonance and class solidification. It has made achievements in the field of psionic technology, but its overall attitude towards the outside world is conservative and cautious."

"You need to focus on evaluating the 'Sprout' civilization's diplomatic strategy, crisis contingency plans, information screening capabilities during this contact, as well as the inclusiveness, learning ability, and strategic composure it exhibits when facing a civilization with completely different technological paths and social forms."

"Under the premise of complying with the 'Primary Civilization Contact Observation and Guidance Specifications', if misunderstandings and conflicts arise during the contact process that could lead to a breakdown in relations or a severe deviation in the civilization's development, you may perform non-direct intervention, minimal guidance, and information supplementation to prevent it from moving towards isolation or confrontation due to inexperience."

Interstellar diplomatic observation and moderate guidance?

This sounded much more "normal" and "civilized" than dealing with the "World Devourer" energy runaway and responding to the pranks of the "Lord of the Grand Feast".

Excellence nodded inwardly; this seemed like a mission where he could catch his breath.

"However," Clear Mirror's tone remained steady, but Excellence keenly caught a trace of something extremely faint, almost solemn, within it.

"According to some non-public communications of the 'Star Scar' civilization that we have recently intercepted and decrypted, as well as feedback from certain... special information channels, there are signs that the diplomatic delegation sent by the 'Star Scar' civilization this time may be mixed with members of the 'Psionic Purity Faction' who have non-official backgrounds and hold extreme ideologies."

"This faction is also known internally as the 'Ascendants'. They firmly believe that psionic power is the only true path for the evolution of life, viewing technological civilizations that have not developed significant psionic potential as 'defective products' or 'potential threats'. Historically, there have been bad records of secret infiltration, incitement of internal conflicts, and attempts to 'guide' (which is actually subversion) other civilizations towards psionic development."

Excellence's heart sank abruptly.

Psionic extremists?

This was simply the interstellar version of fundamentalists and infiltration saboteurs!

Letting a group of 'Sprout' newbies who had just stepped into the starry sky and were perhaps full of friendly expectations go conduct diplomacy with a civilization that was xenophobic and might be hiding extremists?

Had the starting difficulty been dialed up again?

"In addition," Clear Mirror calmly dropped another bombshell.

"Our wide-area monitoring network has captured several extremely weak but clearly characterized residual energy signals of 'World Devourer' secondary infected bodies on the periphery of the G-7721 star sector."

"The signal source is erratic, the intensity is intermittent, and it cannot be precisely located."

"Combined with recent reports of abnormal psionic fluctuations within the 'Star Scar' civilization that carry characteristics of pain and distortion, it cannot be ruled out that this contact event between 'Sprout' and 'Star Scar' may be exploited by some latent malicious forces, or... that behind it itself lies some as-yet-undetected connection to the residual influence of the 'World Devourer' energy."

Excellence: "..."

He knew it!

The missions issued by The Council had never been truly "simple"!

Peaceful diplomatic contact?

Behind it lay the shadow of psionic extremism and the lingering, corrupting aura of the 'World Devourer'!

Compared to the war and high-dimensional absurdities of the L-5589 star sector, this was just a change of stage; the danger level had not diminished in the slightest!

"Therefore, this 'Guidance Mission-003' has a comprehensive risk rating of: Medium-High."

Clear Mirror's voice remained steady but carried an unquestionable weight.

"You not only need to fulfill your regular observation and guidance duties, but you also need to be extra vigilant about potential malicious interference and sabotage from a third party (the psionic extremist faction), and be on constant alert for how, when, and where the 'World Devourer' energy might manifest."

"The 'Power of Order' you possess has a certain innate advantage in purifying the 'World Devourer' energy and countering some extreme psionic powers that possess forced assimilation or mental distortion characteristics."

"This is also one of the factors for considering you for this mission."

"Basic mission reward: 800 contribution points. Risk mission allowance: 500 contribution points. Mission performance bonus, depending on the observation and guidance effect, the degree of crisis resolution, and the discovery and early warning of potential threats, can be up to 1500 points."

"If you can confirm and handle threats directly related to the 'World Devourer' energy, an additional special bonus of 2000 contribution points will be awarded."

Hearing the compensation breakdown, Excellence's eyes lit up instantly.

The base plus allowance was 1300 points, the performance bonus was up to 1500, and if he could also handle the 'World Devourer' trouble, he would get another 2000!

This added up to a maximum of 4800 points!

Not only could he pay off that damn debt, but he could also have a significant surplus!

"However," Clear Mirror seemed to perceive his momentary excitement and added in a timely manner, the tone calm but carrying a clear warning,

"The environment for this mission is complex; your 'Observer' identity must be kept strictly confidential and must never be exposed in front of the two civilizations."

"The 'Star Scar' civilization is quite sensitive to psionic Perception; although your 'Power of Order' can suppress it, you must be extra cautious when using it to avoid leaking energy characteristics that could trigger unnecessary alertness or even hostility."

"The 'Sprout' civilization is relatively simple, but you must also exercise restraint when guiding them, focusing on providing 'possibilities' and 'information supplementation', and absolutely avoid overstepping your bounds to make choices for them."

"Understood, I will be mindful of my methods and maintain concealment."

Excellence took a deep breath, suppressed his desire for the high reward, and forced himself to calm down.

High returns always coexist with high risks, but in Order to get out of the debt quagmire as soon as possible, he had to take this mission and do his best to complete it.

"What is the mission time limit?"

"The first formal official meeting agreed upon by both the 'Sprout' and 'Star Scar' sides will be held in 15 standard days at the neutral space station in orbit around the third planet (an icy moon of a gas giant, simply modified) of the G-7721 star sector—the 'Nexus Point'."

"You need to arrive at the star sector before then to complete the preliminary environmental reconnaissance and the setup of the observation network."

"Detailed mission background materials, basic files of both civilizations, the structural diagram of the 'Nexus Point' space station, and an analysis of known 'Psionic Purity Faction' behavior patterns have been encrypted and sent to your personal terminal."

"Received. I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

Excellence straightened his back and responded solemnly in his consciousness.

"Very good." Clear Mirror's tone seemed to soften by a tiny, subtle fraction.

"In addition, considering your experience with close contact with 'creations' related to the 'Lord of the Grand Feast' in the previous mission, and the complex risks you may face in this G-7721 star sector mission (unconventional psionic influence and potential 'World Devourer' mental corruption), the headquarters has specially approved the temporary issuance of an experimental auxiliary piece of equipment for this mission."

Auxiliary equipment?

Excellence was overjoyed; could it be some kind of advanced stealth force field generator?

Or a protective barrier against psionic power?

"Equipment name: 'cognitive stabilization anchor (field trial version)'."

"Functional summary: After activation, it can generate a 'cognitive stabilization field' with a limited range centered on the holder."

"This field can, to a certain extent, neutralize or weaken the influence of unconventional conceptual pollution, powerful information distortion, collective mental suggestion, and low-intensity reality distortion effects within the area."

"It is expected to have a certain buffering and purifying effect against conceptual erosion of the 'Lord of the Grand Feast' type, some high-intensity psionic hallucination projections, and the negative mental interference accompanying the 'World Devourer' energy."

"Special note: This equipment is a 'field trial version'. Its effective range, duration, energy consumption, and actual neutralization efficiency against different types of interference are all in the testing and verification stage. Please use it cautiously according to the actual situation."

"After use, you must submit a detailed report on your user experience and performance data."

"If it is lost or damaged due to improper use or during the mission, you must pay for it at cost (the prototype cost of this equipment is estimated at approximately 5000 contribution points)."

Excellence: "..."

The small flame of hope that had just been ignited was instantly extinguished, chilled to the bone by this familiar triple combo: "trial version", "uncertain effect", and "pay for damage at cost".

This recipe, this taste, how familiar!

"The equipment collection authorization code and the complete (and lengthy) user instructions, safety precautions, and disclaimer clauses have been sent together."

Clear Mirror's voice seemed to carry a trace of an almost imperceptible, almost teasing tone?

"I wish you success in this mission. Remember: observation is the foundation, guidance is secondary, and safety is paramount. Keep in touch."

Clear Mirror's telepathic communication was quietly cut off.

Excellence slowly opened his eyes, looking at the massive amount of mission data that instantly flooded into his personal terminal, the encrypted file package labeled "cognitive stabilization anchor (trial version) - collection code", and the seemingly endless terms of use below it, feeling that his shoulders, which had just been relieved of a little burden, seemed to have become heavier again.

"'Sprout' and 'Star Scar's' first handshake? Psionic fanatics? The shadow of the 'World Devourer'? And this pit-the-user-to-death trial version equipment..."

Excellence rubbed his cheeks and temporarily sealed the smoke, pudding, and pot lids of the L-5589 star sector into a corner of his memory.

"It seems our rest plan will have to be postponed indefinitely."

Evelyn sighed, but the sharp light belonging to an explorer and warrior reignited in her blue eyes.

New challenges always mean new discoveries and opportunities.

"Set a new course, target: G-7721 star sector."

Excellence gave the Order, his voice already having returned to calmness and firmness.

The jump engines of the ranger emitted a low hum indicating that charging was complete, and the ship turned into a stream of light that distorted space-time, speeding towards the unknown coordinates deep in the star map.

And at the Homeland base, Su Mu looked at the glaring "-2405" in the status bar of Excellence's personal account, then looked at the tempting compensation structure in the new mission briefing, secretly clenched her small fist, and silently prayed to the starry sky:

"Brother Excellence, this time you must be smooth and safe, and earn lots and lots of contribution points back!"

White Elder stood in front of the Star Gazing Platform, his deep gaze seemingly piercing through infinite light-years, landing on the direction of the G-7721 star sector.

"'Sprout'... 'Star Scar'... Psionic extremist faction... and that shadow-like 'World Devourer' The Whisper."

He gently stroked his long beard, pondering in his heart:

"'Clear Mirror' specifically mentioned the 'Lord of the Grand Feast' and issued the 'cognitive stabilization anchor'... Is it a precaution, or... has some kind of premonition been received? I fear this mission will still be hard to keep calm."

The storm, perhaps, has only changed its form and stage, but it has never truly gone away.

And Excellence, this young man burdened with the duties of an "Observer" and a huge debt, is about to embark on a new course intertwined with the hopes of the first encounter of civilizations, the undercurrents of ideology, and the shadows of ancient corruption.

"cognitive stabilization anchor"... Excellence looked at the abstract equipment icon on the terminal, his heart filled with mixed feelings.

Hopefully this time, this thing can really come in handy, rather than being another flashy but useless burden.

At least, he sincerely hoped that in the G-7721 star sector, he would not see any pink, bouncy objects, or any shiny, round lids again.

Really, he'd had enough.