Chapter 55 'Spark' Agreement

"The 'Kindle' Protocol distress signal?!"

When Lin Yuan relayed this system prompt to the Command Center, everyone was stunned.

"A distress signal from the 'Eternal Flower' civilization? How could it appear here?" Li Na was the first to voice her doubt.

This was the "giant beast skeleton," a graveyard for biological civilizations.

The "Eternal Flower," however, was a civilization specializing in genetic and soul technology.

How could these two completely unrelated civilizations be connected?

"Could it be... the system made a mistake?" a technician guessed in a low voice.

"Impossible!" Academician Wang immediately rejected the idea. "Even though we don't understand the principles behind Lin Yuan's system, all the information it has provided so far has been absolutely accurate!"

"The 'Kindle' Protocol... I remember you mentioned it last time, Lin Yuan." Academician Wang's expression became incredibly solemn. "When the 'Eternal Flower' civilization encountered the 'Ultimate Wither,' they initiated the 'Kindle Ark' project. They uploaded the most elite individuals of their race into 'cradles of life' and sent these 'cradles of life' sailing in all directions across the universe."

"This 'Kindle' Protocol distress signal is very likely being sent by one of those 'cradles of life'!"

Academician Wang's deduction caused everyone to gasp.

A starship from the 'Eternal Flower' civilization had crashed inside the corpse of this "giant beast skeleton"?

This... this was too much of a coincidence, wasn't it?

"Isn't this just like playing a game? Suddenly receiving a hidden side quest in a horror dungeon?" Lin Yuan muttered to himself.

But on the surface, he maintained a solemn expression.

"Where is the signal source?" Chen Weiguo asked.

"The system is tracking it..." Lin Yuan closed his eyes, sensing the information transmitted from the "ghost." "The signal is very weak and intermittent, as if it's being interfered with by something... Got it!"

He snapped his eyes open.

On the "ghost's" tactical map, a tiny, flickering green dot appeared in an area roughly three hundred kilometers away from them.

On the recently mapped "Energy Flow Chart," that area was a massive, intricate, maze-like... cluster of chambers.

"Based on the energy chart analysis, that should be the... digestive system of this 'giant beast' when it was alive." A biologist looked at the map and reached a somewhat nauseating conclusion.

"Digestive system? Doesn't that mean... the stomach and intestines?" Lin Yuan felt a bit sick.

A starship representing the beauty and art of the "Eternal Flower" had fallen into a monster's stomach?

The irony of the image was palpable.

"Are we... going to save them?" Li Na's voice carried a hint of pity.

At the thought that the ship might still hold beautiful, elegant lives like "ashilya," she couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

"Save them? How?" the Minister of Security immediately poured cold water on the idea. "On the energy chart, that area is pure chaos! It's filled with countless energy turbulences and spatial folds! If our 'ghost' goes in there, it'll be like a headless fly, unable to even tell direction!"

"Besides, who knows if that distress signal is a trap?"

"What if it's a signal simulated by some smarter predator inside this 'giant beast skeleton' just to lure prey into a trap?"

The Minister of Security's concerns were very well-founded.

In a horror maze filled with death and the unknown at every turn, any seemingly harmless signal could be a fatal trap.

"I agree with the Minister." This time, Academician Wang also uncharacteristically sided with the cautious approach.

Although he also wanted to find that "cradle of life," he knew better than anyone that they had to take things one step at a time.

"Our primary mission right now is still mapping and collecting 'deep blue stars.' Since that distress signal is a top-level 'Kindle' Protocol, it means its energy source is very stable and won't disappear anytime soon. We can mark it for now and make plans after we've scouted the surrounding environment."

Academician Wang's proposal met with everyone's approval.

It was the most rational and safest choice.

However, Lin Yuan shook his head.

"I'm afraid... we can't wait." His voice was heavy.

"What do you mean?" Chen Weiguo asked.

"That distress signal... is decaying rapidly." Lin Yuan watched the curve representing signal strength on the system panel; it was dropping at a rate visible to the naked eye.

"At most... three hours left. In three hours, it will completely vanish into the background radiation. By then, even a god wouldn't be able to find it again."

This news caused everyone's hearts to sink.

Three hours.

To cross three hundred kilometers of unknown dangers through a labyrinthine "monster's gut" to find a signal source that could disappear at any moment?

The difficulty of this mission was practically hell-tier.

"Give it up, Lin Yuan." Academician Wang sighed. "It's too dangerous. It's not worth taking such a huge risk for an uncertain objective."

"Yeah, Lin Yuan, we've already gained so much. There's no need to gamble anymore," Li Na also urged.

Everyone believed they should give up.

However, Lin Yuan stared at the green dot on the map—flickering like a candle in the wind—and remained silent for a long time.

In his mind, memory fragments of "ashilya" involuntarily surfaced.

He "saw" that beautiful, garden-like planet.

He "saw" those elegant people of the "Eternal Flower" who loved art and life.

He "saw" the bone-deep despair they felt when facing the "Ultimate Wither," and the final, tragic effort they made to preserve the kindle of their civilization.

He couldn't imagine a "cradle of life" carrying the last hope of their civilization drifting lonely in the dark universe for millions of years, only to ultimately crash into a monster's corpse in despair...

What a profound sorrow that would be.

"Chief, Academician Wang." Lin Yuan took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "I still... want to go take a look."

"Lin Yuan!"

"Don't be impulsive!"

Everyone grew anxious.

"I'm not being impulsive." Lin Yuan's voice was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable firmness.

"We gained knowledge and technology from the 'Eternal Flower' civilization; even you, Academician Wang, received a second life from them."

"It could be said that they, in an unseen way, saved us."

"Now, their 'compatriots' are not far from us, sending out a final, desperate cry for help. If we refuse to help just because we're afraid of danger..."

Lin Yuan paused, his gaze sweeping across every face in the Command Center.

"Then what difference is there between us and those 'Void Devourers' who only know how to consume and destroy?"

"We came here to find the hope that will save our civilization. But if, in order to survive, we abandon even basic 'humanity' and 'morality'..."

"Then even if we do survive in the end, will we still be ourselves?"

Lin Yuan's words were like a heavy hammer, striking hard against everyone's hearts.

The entire Command Center was pin-drop silent.

It was true...

They had been constantly thinking about how to become stronger and how to survive.

But few had stopped to think about exactly *how* they wanted to live.

Would they become unscrupulous, cold-blooded hunters in a "Dark Forest" just to survive?

Or would they be civilization's "Swordholders" who, even in the darkness, still held light in their hearts?

After a long while, Chen Weiguo finally let out a long breath of turbid air.

He looked at Lin Yuan; that face, which still held a hint of boyishness, was now shining with a light that moved even this battle-hardened veteran.

"Fine." He nodded heavily. "I agree."

"However, you're not going alone."

He turned to Academician Wang, his eyes turning sharp.

"Old Wang! I'm giving you one hour! I want you and all the experts to use every resource we have—the 'Energy Flow Chart,' the 'Pheromone Determination Rules,' the 'ashilya' database... Plot out the safest, most efficient life-path for Lin Yuan to reach that signal source!"

"This time, we're not just going to save someone! We're going to let this 'giant beast skeleton' witness the wisdom and power of humanity!"