190: Chapter 190 Stabilizing Consciousness During Sleep

Ling Ye's consciousness did not completely fade into silence while in a coma; instead, it sank into a deep, unprecedented, and bizarre space of consciousness.

This was not the tranquil Sea of Consciousness he was familiar with when performing Star Visualization, nor was it the fragmented torrent encountered when receiving information from the Ancient Ring and the bone ring. It was more like a chaotic, constantly shifting abyssal surface constructed from countless memory fragments, lingering images of dreams, ancient imprints, and the final embers of power from the two rings.

He "saw" it—

Countless shattered images streaked by like meteors: a blurry female back glowing with warm light (Mother?) turned to smile at him in a sunny courtyard one afternoon, holding what appeared to be a thick ancient book with star map patterns on the cover... The image instantly shattered, replaced by the cold white light of a laboratory and the buzzing of instruments (memories of the original Ling Ye?).

Another fragment: In the endless starry sky, a huge door of light stood tall and imposing, covered in cracks, with deep blue shadows wriggling like living things. Two tall, light-formed phantoms of ring-bearers (similar to the murals) stood with their backs to him, raising the rings in their hands (Ancient Ring and the bone ring) high. Their light was like a waterfall, attempting to Seal the cracks, but their own radiance was rapidly dimming and dissipating... Finally, they turned into dots of light filling the sky, some merging into the Seal of the door, others drifting into the infinite darkness. Among them, one extremely faint starlight seemed to cross unimaginable distances and time, falling toward a certain blue planet... (The final sacrifice of the Gatekeeper and the scattering of the Legacy?).

Yet another fragment: A dimly lit study where Senior Researcher Chen Qinghe (his face younger than in the photo, but his eyes filled with exhaustion and fanaticism) was whispering into an old recording device: "... The ancestral teachings record that the bone ring must resonate with the Ancient Ring to reveal the true 'Star Route Map'... Unfortunately, the Ancient Ring was lost in the long river of history long ago; perhaps it was destroyed, or perhaps it drifted to another world... I have exhausted the Family records and the company's secret archives, and only found a single clue—the last confirmed appearance of the Ancient Ring was on the battlefield of the end of the Old Era, in the hands of a descendant of a defecting Gatekeeper known as the 'Witch of Starfall'... After the war, both disappeared without a trace..." (A clue about the whereabouts of the Ancient Ring!).

Immediately following this were countless chaotic, fragmented voices of whispers, shouts, crying, and prayers, seemingly from different individuals and different eras, mixed with words like "the key," "door," "pollution," "Purification," "spark," and "abyss," weaving into a maddening symphony.

Then, these fragments began to rotate and aggregate, gradually forming a relatively stable yet still blurry scene—

He seemed to be standing in an endless desert made of silver quicksand, where the sky was an eternal twilight with dark red clouds hanging low, and neither sun, moon, nor stars were visible. In the center of the desert stood a towering spire made entirely of black crystal, its form constantly shifting slightly. On the surface of the spire, countless intricate runes, which were of the same origin as those on the Ancient Ring and the bone ring, flickered like breathing.

A blurry, neutral humanoid figure, seemingly composed of both light and shadow, stood in front of the spire, with its back to him. The figure had no facial features, but Ling Ye could feel that it was "watching" him.

"You have come, candidate." A calm yet inhuman voice resonated directly in his consciousness, "Bearing the mark of the Ancient Ring and the physical form of the bone ring. Although they have fallen silent due to excessive consumption, the contract has been initially established."

"Where is this? Who are you?" Ling Ye tried to "speak," discovering that his consciousness could form clear thoughts here.

"This place is a projection of the dual rings' Legacy core within your consciousness—the 'Chamber of Slumber.' I am the Spirit of the Contract, and also the guardian of this place; you may call me 'Tower Spirit'." The humanoid figure slowly turned around. It still had no face, but Ling Ye felt a vast and ancient sense of "gaze," "You were severely injured and near death in reality, and your consciousness was protected by the final power of the dual rings and pulled into this place to prevent your Soul from dissipating in sleep or being eroded by the lingering breath of the abyssal eye."

"Contract? What contract?"

"The Gatekeeper candidate contract. When the mark of the Ancient Ring selects a host and the bone ring is obtained by the host and a balance is initially established, the contract automatically takes effect. You have embarked on a road destined for loneliness and danger, candidate." The Tower Spirit's voice was devoid of joy or sorrow, "Your performance in reality was acceptable. Touching the abyssal eye with a mortal body, seizing the bone ring, and invoking the power of the dual rings in a desperate situation—though crude and violent, your will is commendable. However, your knowledge of the Gatekeeper's responsibility, the secrets of the dual rings, and even your own situation remains shallow."

"I need to know everything!" Ling Ye's thoughts were filled with urgency.

"Everything?" The Tower Spirit seemed to "smile," a cold, simulated emotion, "The truth is like this black tower, heavy and dangerous. With your current state and cognition, forcing a glimpse of the whole picture will only cause your consciousness to collapse. I can only answer your most pressing questions according to the contract's authority and grant you preliminary Legacy knowledge to help you stabilize your consciousness, repair your body, and deal with the immediate crisis."

"First, above ground, has the 'Meltdown' protocol been executed? How is the spread of the abyssal eye's pollution? How are Su Qing, Wang Hao, and Sun Li?" Ling Ye was most concerned about the reality of the situation.

The Tower Spirit was silent for a moment, as if retrieving or sensing certain information: "The flow of time in reality is different from here. During your coma, about twelve standard hours have passed in reality."

"According to the weak information ripples and energy feedback from the real world that the dual rings last received:"

"One, the 'Meltdown' protocol (regional neutron generator Purification) has been partially activated, but not entirely. The tampered signal you injected into the Cleaning side's network at the last moment played a certain role in interference, causing some generators to have incorrect coordinates or delayed detonation. The explosions were mainly concentrated on the periphery of the Old Factory District barrier and the southeastern part of the area, causing large-scale destruction and radiation pollution, but it failed to completely cover the core pollution zone after the barrier collapsed, nor did it affect the entire city."

"Two, the main body of the abyssal eye in the Old Factory District has entered a semi-awakened active state due to the further loosening of the Seal, external stimuli (exploration, research, Meltdown explosions), and the delicate balance broken by your seizure of the bone ring. Its pollution (information erosion) is spreading outward from the Old Factory District in a fluctuating, intermittent manner, with a speed and range far exceeding before, but it has not yet formed a wave sweeping the entire city. Dawn City is currently in a state of extreme Chaos: the military and the Cleaning side are attempting to establish a new defense line and control the situation; citizens are panicked, and riots and escapes have erupted in some areas; areas not directly destroyed by the 'Meltdown' are also facing threats of 'pollution' infiltration, material shortages, and the collapse of Order."

"Three, regarding the individuals you mentioned: Su Qing (a Senior Analyst for the 'Blue Watch' partner) should currently be in a relatively safe control zone of the Cleaning side or the military, assisting in the screening of 'Sensitives' and the assessment of the situation, but her attitude toward you and subsequent actions depend on the final decision of her organization. Wang Hao (your classmate) is currently being relocated with other students during the academy's martial law, and there is no immediate threat to his life, but he is under immense mental pressure. Sun Li (a potential Sensitive) is in an abnormal state; the weak 'psionic' fluctuations detected on her have strengthened against the background of the abyssal eye's activity, which has already attracted closer attention from Su Qing and the organization behind her, and her situation is delicate."

The amount of information was huge and heartbreaking. The city was not completely destroyed, but it had fallen into a deeper crisis. The abyssal eye was half-awake, and the pollution was spreading. His friends were temporarily safe but surrounded by danger.

"Secondly," Ling Ye continued to ask, "When will the power of the Ancient Ring and the bone ring recover? How should I use them to fight the abyssal eye? Also, the coordinates of the 'Star Gate,' 'Boundary of Exile,' 'Frozen Wasteland'..."

"Too many questions, I will answer them one by one." The Tower Spirit interrupted him, "The power of the dual rings is overdrawn and silent because you forcibly triggered it; recovery takes time and requires nourishment from your own Mental Energy and vitality. Within a few days of real time, they can only maintain the most basic existence connection and weak resistance, and cannot actively stimulate powerful force. You need to find a safe place to perform deep meditation, using 'Star Visualization' as a guide to gradually awaken and nourish the two."

"Fighting the abyssal eye does not rely on brute force. The essence of the dual rings' power is 'Order' and 'Balance,' which can counteract, purify, or temporarily isolate the 'information erosion' of the abyssal eye. You have already experienced this. Next, I will grant you part of the 'Gatekeeper Primary Legacy · Mind Chapter,' including: basic mental condensation methods, shallow Energy Perception and shielding, and preliminary analysis and resistance techniques for 'inconsistent' information. Mastering these will help you better hide, survive, and identify dangers in polluted environments."

"As for higher-level knowledge such as the coordinates of the 'Star Gate,' the truth of the 'Boundary of Exile,' and the path to the 'Frozen Wasteland,' they can only be gradually unlocked after your dual rings recover to a certain degree, your Mental Energy reaches the standard, and you complete the initial Legacy trial. Knowing too much now is harmful rather than beneficial."

As soon as the words fell, a cool energy flow containing a large amount of structured information and mental images poured into Ling Ye's core of consciousness like a sudden enlightenment. It was exactly the content of the 'Gatekeeper Primary Legacy · Mind Chapter'! It was more systematic, exquisite, and pointed directly to the essence than the scattered records in Senior Researcher Chen Qinghe's notes! Ling Ye absorbed and understood it thirstily.

"Finally," the Tower Spirit's voice became serious, "Your body is severely injured and near death in the real world. Although your consciousness is preserved here, if your physical body in reality dies completely or is distorted by pollution, your consciousness will also dissipate. You need to wake up as soon as possible to treat your injuries. The passage of time in this 'Chamber of Slumber' is slower than in reality; you can initially digest the Legacy knowledge and stabilize your consciousness here, but you cannot stay for long. When you feel your consciousness is stable enough, you can try to return to reality."

"After returning, remember: hide your tracks, restore your strength, and find a safe base. The threat of the abyssal eye has become public, the game between the Cleaning side and various forces has intensified, and your identity (Escapee-Zero, suspected 'the key' associate) is extremely sensitive. Avoid exposure until you have sufficient power to protect yourself and maneuver."

"The first stage of the contract guidance ends here. May the starlight guide you, and may you... not fail the responsibility of the 'Gatekeeper'."

The Tower Spirit's figure began to fade, and the surrounding silver quicksand desert and black crystal spire also gradually blurred and dissipated.

Ling Ye's consciousness, having absorbed the Legacy knowledge, became more solid and clear. He knew it was time to go back.

Back to that devastated, crisis-ridden reality, which nevertheless carried all hope and responsibility.

The coma ended, and his consciousness returned. Please describe Ling Ye's first reaction after waking up, his physical condition, his exploration of the surrounding environment, and his initial action plan.