44: Chapter 16 Signs of Losing Control

Cold, filthy, and corruption-scented sewage enveloped the three of them. Immense water pressure squeezed their eardrums, and darkness was the only theme. They dove down with all their might, struggling through the intricate network of ancient flood discharge pipes under the guidance of Lin Feng's increasingly eerie and intermittent perception.

Lin Feng felt like a piece of wood tossed into a torrent; half of his consciousness was fighting the tempestuous energy storm within his body, while the other half scanned the surrounding dark waters like radar. Those shattered symbols and images were no longer mere interference; they began to form blurred "paths" and "warnings," projected directly into his intuition.

>> [Reality Perceptron Alpha] Active (Unstable). Mapping Submerged Architecture...

>> Warning: High-Yield Energy Residue Detected Ahead. Signature: Anomalous, Non-[Tianmu].

"Left turn... avoid that area of intense energy residue..." Lin Feng's voice came through the crude underwater communicator (improvised by Ling Yue using her tools), carrying the static of electrical interference and suppressed agony. "Right side... there is a structural weak point, we can... go up..."

Lei Kun executed the orders without hesitation; the veteran had placed his bet for survival entirely on Lin Feng's uncontrollable "navigation." Ling Yue followed closely behind. The metal container in her arms felt like a block of ice, constantly emitting energy fluctuations that made her heart race. She not only had to keep up but also had to divide her attention to monitor Lin Feng's vital signs and the state of the container.

Finally, having almost exhausted the last bit of oxygen in their lungs, they followed Lin Feng's guidance and found a hidden underwater grate. Using brute force combined with Ling Yue's cutting tools, Lei Kun managed to pry open the rusted bars. The three of them surfaced one after another, collapsing in a narrow passage that was dry but filled with a heavy smell of mold and metallic rust.

They coughed violently, breathing greedily. Though the air was still foul, it was paradise compared to being underwater.

They were safe for now. This place seemed to be a maintenance layer for a deep underground facility from the old era, even more ancient and silent than the drainage system above, as if forgotten by time. The passage walls were rough concrete, covered in cracks and moss, with cold water droplets occasionally falling from the ceiling.

"Where... is this?" Ling Yue asked, panting as her mechanical eye scanned the environment. "There's no record of this on the maps at all. The energy background... is very strange."

Lin Feng did not answer immediately. He curled up on the ground, his body trembling slightly. The underwater journey just now had severely drained his mental and physical strength, and the power within him seemed to have become more active due to the change in environment—or perhaps because they were closer to some kind of "source"?

>> Foreign Data Assimilation: 5.1%. [Morphic Field Generator] Subroutine: Stabilizing at 12% Efficiency.

>> New Sensory Input Detected: [Psychometric Echoes] - Faint emotional/imprint residue from past events.

He could see more than just the physical structure of the environment; he had even begun to vaguely "perceive" a certain "emotional imprint" lingering in this area—a mixture of panic, despair, and... extreme fanaticism, haunting the air like ghosts.

"I... feel something..." Lin Feng's voice was hoarse as he pointed toward the depths of the passage. "There... used to be many people... very intense... emotions... and... a giant machine..."

His description was vague and eerie, but Lei Kun and Ling Yue were already used to it.

"Can you distinguish any threats?" Lei Kun was more concerned with practical matters. He checked his weapon's energy and quickly treated the most serious wounds on his body.

Lin Feng concentrated, trying to filter out those chaotic perceptions. "No... living signals. But... something is... dormant? Or... sealed?" He pointed in a direction with uncertainty. "That way... the energy reaction is most concentrated... and also... most dangerous."

Danger often also meant the potential existence of resources or information.

Lei Kun and Ling Yue exchanged a look. They didn't have many choices. Going back up would be walking into a trap, and staying here would lead to discovery sooner or later. They could only move forward.

After a brief rest, the three set out again, carefully exploring in the direction of the "emotional imprints" and energy flow in Lin Feng's perception. The passage gradually widened, and sealed, rust-stained metal doors began to appear on both sides. There were no markings on the doors, and many had been violently destroyed or perforated by rust.

Ling Yue tried to scan what was behind the doors, but the signal was severely interfered with. "The structure is very complex, like... a laboratory or a quarantine zone?"

They chose to enter through a massive, half-open blast door. The sight behind the door made the three of them gasp.

It was a massive circular hall, even more grand than The Engineer's Workshop, but also more dilapidated and... tragic. In the center of the hall was a giant cylindrical container that had long since stopped functioning, covered in various interfaces and pipes. The container wall was made of some special glass, now covered in cracks, with dried, dark-brown stains and some unrecognizable, twisted organic residues remaining inside.

Surrounding it were control consoles and experimental equipment, most of which had been smashed or rusted away. The walls were covered in shocking claw marks and scorch marks from energy weapons. Scattered on the floor were broken instrument parts and... long-weathered human skeletons! The postures of some skeletons indicated they had undergone intense struggle or combat before death.

It was as if an apocalyptic massacre had taken place here.

"What... kind of hellhole is this?" Ling Yue's voice was filled with shock. She knelt down to examine a skeleton leaning against a control console and found a non-standard metal ring engraved with eerie symbols around its arm bone. "Not an official unit... private armed forces? Or... test subjects?"

Lin Feng stood in the center of the hall, feeling the negative emotional imprints here so thick they were almost palpable—fear, pain, madness. At the same time, the "Source" within him produced a strong resonance with the damaged container in the center of the hall!

>> Energy Signature Match: Low-Probability Correlation to "Initial Protocol" Fragment Detected. Source: Central Containment Unit.

>> Hypothesis: This facility was involved in high-risk paratechnology research, possibly attempting to replicate or interface with "Protocol"-like phenomena.

"The things researched here... are related to 'Protocol' fragments..." Lin Feng murmured. He involuntarily walked toward the central container and pressed his hand against the cold, filthy glass wall.

The very instant his palm made contact!

BOOM!!!

A torrent of information, more violent and chaotic than the one at the Library's core, slammed into his brain once more! This time, it was not fragments of a glorious civilization, but the screams of countless experimenters, failed energy storms, distorted biological roars, and a certain... mad and desperate will attempting to forcibly control an uncontrollable power!

"Agh—!" Lin Feng clutched his head, letting out a pained roar as he collapsed to his knees! The blue Data Stream in his eyes flickered wildly, nearly overflowing from his sockets! Dark-colored patterns, similar to the stains inside the container, began to emerge on the surface of his skin!

"Lin Feng!" Lei Kun and Ling Yue rushed forward simultaneously.

Ling Yue tried to pull him away, but when her fingers touched Lin Feng's shoulder, she was actually repelled by an invisible force field, leaving her arm numb! "His energy field is out of control!"

Seeing this, Lei Kun did not touch him recklessly. Instead, he abruptly drew his dagger and stabbed it fiercely toward the container glass near Lin Feng's hand! He wanted to sever this dangerous connection!

CLANG!

The dagger was bounced off, leaving only a white speck on the glass. The container material was incredibly strong!

Just then, a large, long-extinguished display screen in the corner of the hall suddenly flickered a few times and actually lit up! Snowflakes flickered on the screen, and then a broken, seemingly urgently recorded log video appeared:

A researcher in a tattered white lab coat with a crazed look in his eyes appeared on the screen. The background was this very hall, though it was relatively intact at the time.

"...74th contact experiment... failure... 'The Key' cannot be controlled... it... it is rewriting the foundations of reality... all stability anchors are failing..."

The researcher's voice was full of terror.

"...The security forces have lost control... they've been affected by the waveforms emitted by 'The Key'... they're killing each other... we must... initiate the final Purification Protocol... seal this place..."

The image shook violently, interspersed with screams and the sound of explosions.

"...It's too late! The radiation from 'The Key'... it is creating... creating a new..."

The video stopped abruptly, and the screen went completely dark.

"The Key"? "Rewriting the foundations of reality"? "Creating a new"?

The amount of information in this fragmented log was immense and bone-chilling!

And at this moment, Lin Feng's loss of control reached its peak! He suddenly lifted his head, his eyes completely filled with blue-white data light! The space around him began to distort violently, and dust and debris suspended themselves, swirling around him! A powerful, unstable energy was gathering within his body, about to explode!

"Stop him!" Ling Yue screamed. "He'll tear this whole place apart! Or... turn into something else!"

Lei Kun's gaze sharpened, and he no longer hesitated. With a low growl, his muscles tensed. He didn't use a weapon; instead, he took the near-tangible killing intent and mental will he had forged through years of slaughter on the battlefield and slammed it like a heavy hammer against Lin Feng's out-of-control consciousness!

This was not a physical attack, but a strike on a spiritual level! A collision of will against will!

HUM—!

An invisible shockwave spread out! The distortion field around Lin Feng fluctuated violently. He let out an even more pained howl, the data light in his eyes flickering unsteadily!

At the same time, Ling Yue grit her teeth. Her mechanical arm suddenly plugged into a nearby energy node that wasn't completely destroyed. Ignoring the risk of overload, she forcibly channeled a powerful, chaotic current into the ground, attempting to interfere with the unstable energy environment of this area to create an opportunity for Lei Kun!

Under pressure from both inside and out, the rampaging energy within Lin Feng seemed to find a vent. Instead of exploding completely, it turned into a blinding blue light and shot violently toward the top of the hall!

BOOM!

A large hole was blasted through the ceiling, revealing an even darker space above, as rubble fell in showers.

The light in Lin Feng's eyes quickly faded, and his body went limp, falling into a total coma. The dark patterns on his skin also slowly receded.

The crisis was temporarily averted, but the price was Lin Feng's unconsciousness and the exposure of their location.

Lei Kun and Ling Yue panted heavily, their expressions grim as they looked at the unconscious Lin Feng and the newly blasted hole above their heads.

Lin Feng's "Fission" was no longer just an internal evolution; it had begun to exert unpredictable and dangerous effects on external reality.

And they were still far from finding a way to control it all.

Deep within the hole overhead, it seemed as if something had been disturbed by the commotion just now.