Chapter 24 These old guys really played dirty tricks.

"An ultra-large ocean-going cargo ship!"

The Minister of Intelligence Analysis looked at the dazzling orange light dot on the screen, his voice filled with irrepressible excitement.

"Based on the energy reaction intensity and volume estimation, the tonnage of this cargo ship is at least fifty times that of the 'Dawn'-class cargo ship! Moreover, its structure is relatively intact, which means that its cargo hold... is very likely still in a sealed state!"

This speculation instantly ignited the atmosphere of the entire Command Center.

A sealed cargo hold!

On a giant cargo ship fully loaded with supplies from an alien civilization, what does a sealed cargo hold mean?

It could be a whole hold of rare materials unheard of on Earth!

It could be a whole hold of high-tech equipment that transcends the era!

It could even be a whole hold of... alien biological samples preserved intact!

Regardless of which one it is, for the nascent Earth civilization, it is an immeasurable fortune.

"This... this is simply a super treasure chest!" a young researcher shouted excitedly.

"Switch to Plan B immediately!" the engineer from the Technology Department immediately suggested. "Plan the shortest route, rush over directly! Take it down!"

"No! That's too risky!" the Minister of Security immediately poured cold water on them. "Have you forgotten the theory that 'the smell of blood attracts sharks'? Such a strong energy reaction is like turning on a ten-thousand-watt searchlight in the dark! There must be danger around it!"

His concerns calmed the excited crowd down a little.

Indeed, according to previous experience, high-value items are often accompanied by high risks.

"Comrade Lin Yuan, use the 'Energy Marking' function to lock onto that target. Then, use the 'Danger Warning' system to conduct key monitoring of the area around it!" Chen Weiguo calmly issued the order.

"Received!"

Lin Yuan immediately used the "Energy Marking" function on the orange light dot on the system interface.

【Target marked: Unknown model ultra-large cargo ship (high energy reaction)】

A conspicuous orange crosshair appeared on that light dot and continued to flicker in Lin Yuan's field of vision.

Immediately after, he adjusted the monitoring range of the "Danger Warning" to a spherical area with a radius of one astronomical unit, centered on that cargo ship.

After doing all this, everyone held their breath and stared fixedly at the screen.

One minute... five minutes... ten minutes...

The warning system was completely silent.

On the heat map, apart from that enticing orange light dot and some sporadic blue light dots representing space debris, there was no abnormality.

There were no space rifts, no energy storms, and certainly no black shadows representing death.

"Everything is normal?"

"Could it be... that we are lucky? There just happens to be no monsters spawned next to this treasure chest?"

"Impossible! Anything abnormal must have an underlying cause! There must be a trick in this!"

In the Command Center, the crowd was once again divided into two factions.

One faction believed that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and must be seized immediately.

The other faction believed that this was too abnormal and it was very likely a trap.

"Lin Yuan, what is your opinion?" Chen Weiguo threw the question to Lin Yuan again.

Lin Yuan didn't speak. He just controlled "scavenger no. 2" and changed several different angles to conduct two more "Wide-Area Scans" of that area.

The results of the three scans were exactly the same.

Safe, too calm.

So calm that it made one's hair stand on end.

Lin Yuan frowned. His intuition as a scrap yard owner told him that pies don't fall from the sky. Even if they did, one this big wouldn't fall.

An intact super cargo ship just sitting there out in the open, and there isn't even any decent danger around it? This is unscientific.

"I think... something is wrong," Lin Yuan said slowly. "It's too clean. This area is excessively clean."

"Clean?" Academician Wang was stunned for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Look," Lin Yuan pointed to the area around the cargo ship on the holographic star map. "Other places have more or less small fragments of spacecraft, which are those blue light dots on the heat map. But within one astronomical unit around this cargo ship, there is almost nothing, as if it had been vacuumed by someone."

After Lin Yuan's reminder, everyone discovered this detail they had overlooked.

That area was indeed "empty".

"What does this mean?"

"It means... something has 'eaten' all the 'trash' in this area." Lin Yuan's voice was a bit dry.

His words sent a chill through everyone's hearts.

Besides the "Void Devourer", what else could "eat" spacecraft fragments?

"But... why didn't the warning system sound an alarm?" the Minister of Intelligence Analysis asked. "Can't the 'Danger Warning' detect the 'Void Devourer' in advance?"

"Perhaps... it's not there right now. It just treated that place as its 'canteen', left after eating its fill, but could come back at any time?" Lin Yuan speculated.

"There is another possibility," the Minister of the Technical Support Department proposed a more terrifying conjecture with a solemn expression. "Perhaps, that 'Void Devourer' used some method we cannot understand to 'hide' itself. For example... it has merged with that cargo ship?"

This conjecture made everyone feel their scalps tingle.

If that cargo ship, which looked like a "treasure chest", was actually a lure disguised by the "Void Devourer"...

Then wouldn't sending Lin Yuan over now be equivalent to voluntarily delivering a piece of meat to the crocodile's mouth?

"Can't go! Absolutely can't go!" the Minister of Security said decisively. "The risk level has exceeded our tolerance! I suggest abandoning this target immediately and searching again!"

This time, no one refuted him.

Everyone was frightened by that terrifying conjecture.

However, Lin Yuan stared fixedly at the orange light dot, his eyes flickering.

Give up?

Just give up on a super cargo ship that is close at hand and might contain countless treasures?

He was unwilling.

The gambling nature in his bones emerged once again.

"I think we can test it again," Lin Yuan suddenly spoke up.

"How to test it?" Academician Wang asked.

"Don't we have many 'ark reactors'? That thing can provide 500 points of energy each." A cunning glint flashed in Lin Yuan's eyes. "When the system absorbs energy, will it generate energy fluctuations?"

"Yes!" Academician Wang immediately reacted, his eyes lighting up. "I understand! You want to... throw a 'bomb' over there to lure it out?"

"Exactly!" Lin Yuan slapped his thigh. "I don't have to go personally. I can let the system directly absorb the energy of an 'ark reactor' from a safe distance. If the 'Void Devourer' is really hiding there, it will definitely react to such a huge energy fluctuation! If it doesn't react, then it means there might really be no danger there, and we are just scaring ourselves."

This idea brightened everyone's eyes!

Using an "ark reactor" as bait to test an unknown danger.

Although the price was not small, compared to Lin Yuan's safety and the potential value of that super cargo ship, it was completely acceptable!

"Good idea!" Chen Weiguo made a prompt decision. "Let's do it! Logistics team, prepare an 'ark reactor' immediately and send it to the materialization platform!"

"Yes!"

Soon, a sphere emitting blue light was carefully placed on the materialization platform next to Lin Yuan by a robotic arm.

Lin Yuan took a deep breath and controlled "scavenger no. 2" to retreat far away to a safe zone five astronomical units away from that "clean" area.

At this distance, even if the "Void Devourer" was really lured out, it would be enough for him to react and escape.

"Ready," Lin Yuan said in a low voice.

"Start," Chen Weiguo's voice carried a hint of nervousness.

Lin Yuan closed his eyes and gave the command to the system in his mind.

"System, absorb the energy of this 'ark reactor'!"

【High-purity energy source detected...】

【Absorb?】

"Yes!"

The next second, the blue sphere next to Lin Yuan suddenly shone brightly!

A massive, pure surge of energy began to be crazily absorbed by the system!

At the same time, in the "Cosmic Graveyard", the area where "scavenger no. 2" was located also produced a violent ripple in space because of this energy transfer that appeared out of thin air!

This ripple, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, quickly spread to the surroundings!

Everyone stared fixedly at the "Danger Warning" system and that heat map.

One second... two seconds...

Just as the energy absorption reached halfway, a sudden change occurred!

"Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! — —"

A harsh, urgent alarm sound instantly resounded throughout the Command Center!

"Danger Warning! Danger Warning!"

"Behind the target cargo ship! A... a space singularity is rapidly forming!"

The Minister of Intelligence Analysis pointed at the screen, his voice changing pitch.

On the heat map, behind the orange cargo ship, a tiny black vortex suddenly appeared at a point that had originally been empty!

That vortex was rapidly expanding at a speed visible to the naked eye!

An aura that was more terrifying and purer than any encountered before, representing "devouring" and "termination", emanated from that vortex!

"It's it! It's the 'Void Devourer'!"

"It was really hiding there! It has been lured out by us!"

There was an uproar in the Command Center.

Everyone felt a wave of lingering fear.

If they had really rushed over recklessly just now, the consequences would have been unimaginable!

Lin Yuan was also drenched in a cold sweat.

Looking at the black vortex that was constantly expanding, he had only one thought in his mind.

"Damn it, these campers play so dirty!"