242: Spacetime Choice

The tracks of the wuling type 100 crushed over the ice shards as it moved forward, its body shaking constantly. Debris fell from overhead, and Lin Wei hunched over the main control console, her fingers sliding rapidly across the screen. The road ahead had collapsed, revealing a large pit. She pressed a button, and metal supports extended from the side of the vehicle, forming a bridge.

Su Ling and Amy Chen ran to the right side of the vehicle, pressing down hard on the chassis for fear that it would tip over. The tracks slowly crawled onto the supports, emitting a harsh, grating sound. Su Wan stood at the door of the medical pod, holding a syringe in one hand while steadying herself against the wall with the other. She walked quickly to the driver's seat and injected the medicine into Chen Wang's arm.

Chen Wang leaned back in his seat, his face very pale. His breathing was shallow, and the tattoo on his chest was no longer glowing. The kindling interface flashed with red light, indicating that his vital signs were dropping. He raised his hand and touched the holographic projection in front of him; the system re-identified him.

"I can still move," he said.

Star Pupil sat in the corner, hugging her knees. Her mechanical parrot lay beside her legs, its wings moving slightly. She kept her eyes closed, sweat beading on her forehead. The numbers on the brainwave monitor were jumping wildly, but she did not stop. Her mental power was connected to Chen Wang's brain, helping him stay conscious.

Lin Wei looked up at the front: "This is the final stretch."

The path ahead was blocked by ice. Sharp icicles suddenly shot out from the walls on both sides. Chen Wang turned the steering wheel with his left hand and pressed the accelerator with his right foot. The tracks spun rapidly, and the vehicle surged forward, smashing through the ice layer. Ice chunks scraped against the vehicle body, leaving several cracks.

The end of the tunnel appeared.

A circular platform floated in mid-air, surrounded by broken wreckage. In the center was a pedestal with patterns. A fissure opened above the platform, and silver light leaked from within. In the distance, five warships could be seen, their cannons charging.

"We're here," Lin Wei said.

The wuling type 100 stopped at the edge of the platform. Chen Wang unbuckled his seatbelt and tried to stand up, but his body swayed. Su Ling immediately supported him. The two walked step by step toward the vehicle door. The hatch opened, and cold wind blew in. They stepped onto the platform, their footsteps thudding dully on the ground.

Star Pupil opened her eyes and whispered something. The mechanical parrot suddenly took flight, flew toward the fissure, and exploded into a burst of sparks in mid-air. An invisible wave of power expanded outward. The mechanical arms on the platform began to move, but they became very slow.

Su Ling let go of Chen Wang and ran back to the vehicle. She grabbed the electromagnetic sniper rifle, removed the scope and magazine, and inserted the barrel into the energy port. The remaining energy from the Shield generator flowed into the rifle, and the gun body lit up with blue light. She gripped the modified short-handled lightsaber, swung it, and severed a nearby mechanical arm.

"Clear," she said.

Chen Wang walked to the pedestal. He removed the vehicle emblem pendant from his neck; the pendant was very hot. He pressed the pendant into the groove, and the patterns immediately lit up. The kindling interface popped up [Final Protocol Countdown: 30 seconds].

Su Wan pushed out a vial of medicine from the medical pod. There were shimmering particles in the transparent liquid. She pulled off the needle cap and injected it into the back of Chen Wang's neck. The moment the medicine was injected, his reflexes returned, and his hands were able to steady the operating interface.

"This is the final antibody," she said.

Amy Chen stood at the vehicle door, the financial terminal connected to the main control system. The jumping data on the screen suddenly stopped, settling on a symbol — ∞. She looked at Chen Wang's back and said nothing.

Lin Wei finished inputting the final command. The main control console beeped, indicating completion. She let go, and the tool dropped to the ground. She sat down against the operator's seat, her eyes fixed on the light screen.

Chen Wang placed his hand on the dial of the energy core. The system popped up a prompt: [Permanently bind to the carrier? This operation may cause the host's consciousness to be unable to return].

He did not hesitate.

"Wuling never compromises."

He turned the handle.

All modules of the type 100 activated, the weapon system disengaged its external lock, and switched to powering itself. Reverse charging began, and the vehicle emitted a low rumble. All energy concentrated at the front of the vehicle, condensing into a beam of intense light.

The platform shook more violently. The fissure widened, and many mechanical arms reached out, trying to grab the wuling type 100. Su Ling swung her sword, severing several mechanical arms in succession. Her movements became slower and slower, and her arms began to tremble.

"I can't hold on!" she shouted.

"Wait three more seconds," Lin Wei said.

New coordinates appeared on the light screen. The background was a burning galaxy, the destination unknown, and the distance incalculable. The kindling system marked it as [Civilization Restart Point].

"Coordinates received," Amy Chen said.

Chen Wang pressed the start button.

The type 100 accelerated toward the fissure. Wherever the intense light shone, imperial fighter jets exploded on contact. Explosions occurred one after another, and the light of fire filled the view. All mechanical arms stopped moving, hanging down as if powered off.

The moment the vehicle entered the fissure, time seemed to slow down.

Star Pupil collapsed in the medical pod, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Her eyelids fluttered, and she whispered softly, "The frequency... is still there..."

Su Wan leaned against the cabin wall, holding an empty syringe. Her breathing was steady as she watched the star map on the light screen.

Lin Wei sat on the floor, facing the main control console. The screen went black, reflecting her shadow.

Amy Chen stood motionless, the financial terminal data frozen. She said softly, "This time, we won the bet."

Su Ling returned to the driving area, gripping the seat armrest. Her lightsaber was stuck in a floor seam, its blue light gradually fading.

Chen Wang sat in the driver's seat, his hands on the steering wheel. His eyes were open, looking ahead. The kindling interface flashed around him, constantly updating data. His chest was still, but the heart rate monitor showed a faint signal.

The wuling type 100 entered the fissure completely.

It was quiet outside.

The light screen remained on the new coordinate display. The burning galaxy rotated slowly. Laughter came from deep within the fissure. The voice was the same as Chen Wang's.

The camera zoomed in on the pedestal. The vehicle emblem pendant rose from the groove, cracks appearing on its surface. The metal turned into points of light, floating in the air. The points of light moved, connecting into a star map. The lines intertwined into a web, covering the void. In the center of the star map, a point of blue light kept flickering.