342: Star Eyes' Energy Sensing

In the distance, a machine began to charge, and a red light illuminated.

Chen Wang watched the energy fluctuations on the kindling system screen, his hand resting motionless on the propulsion lever.

The Shield power was at 68%, dropping by 0.1% per second.

He didn't speak, but Lin Wei knew he was waiting.

"It takes seven seconds to dissipate heat," Lin Wei said, eyes fixed on the detector. "Just like the last one, it starts dissipating heat three seconds after finishing its charge, lasting for two seconds."

Su Ling sat in the passenger seat, her hand resting next to the firing button for the electromagnetic pulse shell.

Her gun barrel had just had its cooling sleeve replaced, and the snow stuck in the crevices hadn't been cleared yet.

She scraped it lightly with her fingernail, moving very gently for fear of affecting her aim.

Star Pupil sat on the left side of the back row, leaning against the cabin wall. The mechanical parrot was curled up, perched on her shoulder.

She had her eyes closed, sweat on her forehead, and her breathing was a bit rapid.

Chen Wang looked at her through the rearview mirror and noticed her right index finger tapping on her knee, the rhythm erratic.

"There's something," Star Pupil suddenly said, her voice trembling. "Three hundred meters ahead... it's not a machine, it's a field."

"What kind of field?" Chen Wang asked.

"There's a lot of energy, ten times the density of the surroundings," she said, biting her lip. "It's like a wall, invisible, but it's absorbing heat."

Lin Wei immediately pulled up the detection module and switched to harmonic scanning.

Normal radar only showed empty ground, but after she entered the frequency Star Pupil mentioned, a distorted outline appeared on the screen—an arc-shaped boundary stretched across the front, its edges fluctuating.

"It's an invisible force field," Lin Wei tapped the screen. "The one we took out was just a sentry. This is the main defense line."

Chen Wang pulled the propulsion lever all the way back, and the tracks stopped.

The vehicle stopped in the shadow of an ice ridge, with steam still misting from the rear.

He opened the topographic map, overlaid the coordinates and the force field range, and discovered a depression to the north, about forty-five meters from the edge of the force field.

"That area can provide cover," he said. "We can go around."

"But the underground tracks are still moving," Lin Wei pointed to the vibration chart. "As soon as we move, we'll trigger the pressure sensors."

"Then we'll stick close to it as we move," Chen Wang zoomed in on that area. "The ice layer is thick; it can block the signal. We'll move slowly, don't let the heat concentrate."

He started the tracks, setting the speed to two kilometers per hour.

The vehicle moved slowly northward, hugging the base of the ice ridge.

Lin Wei turned off all unnecessary systems, the interior lights went out, leaving only the dim blue glow of the operation screens.

Star Pupil still had her eyes closed, her fingers still trembling. Suddenly, she raised her hand: "Wait."

The vehicle stopped.

"The machine on the right... has turned," she said. "It hasn't locked onto us, but it's scanning the field of view."

Chen Wang held his breath, his left hand releasing the steering wheel, his right hand hovering over the emergency brake button.

Three seconds later, a laser beam fired, striking diagonally where they had just been, melting a black trench.

"Its blind spot is only eleven degrees," Su Ling stared out the window. "It's currently 3.7 degrees to the left; five more meters forward and we'll be inside it."

"Wait for its next sweep to pass," Chen Wang said.

They waited quietly. The two machines took turns rotating, their fields of view alternating. Each time they handed off, there was a gap of less than a second.

Chen Wang watched the timer, and when it hit zero, he slammed the propulsion lever forward.

hope slid five meters across the ice surface, just barely wedging into the corner of the shadow.

The laser swept over their heads without locking on.

"We made it," Lin Wei whispered.

"Don't relax yet," Chen Wang stared ahead. "The force field is still there."

They continued to move laterally, slowly approaching the depression. Star Pupil caught her breath, cold sweat sliding down her face. The mechanical parrot rubbed against her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Chen Wang asked, looking at her through the rearview mirror.

"I can manage," she said. "But it's changing... that field, it's not static."

No sooner had she spoken than the detector sounded. Lin Wei looked up and saw the outline of the force field shrinking; the parts that had originally protruded were beginning to collapse inward, slowly but in a clear direction.

"It's closing up," Lin Wei said. "It looks like it's trying to seal the passage."

"Why?" Su Ling asked.

"It may have detected an abnormal heat distribution," Lin Wei quickly reviewed the data. "Our vehicle body is seventeen degrees warmer than the environment. Although it has dissipated, it might have recognized that we are moving."

"How long until it completely seals?"

"Three minutes and eighteen seconds."

Chen Wang looked at the topographic map; they were still twenty-three meters from the breakthrough point. At their current speed, it would take over six minutes.

"Increase speed," he said. "Keep the tracks low-noise, divert power to the stabilization system."

"The Shield will weaken," Lin Wei warned.

"We can't worry about that now," he pushed the speed to four kilometers per hour. "I'd rather take the hit than be locked out."

The vehicle accelerated, the ice surface emitting a slight friction sound. Star Pupil swayed and steadied herself against the seat. She closed her eyes again, her lips moving slightly as if counting.

"They've discovered us," she suddenly said.

Almost simultaneously, the two defense machines turned toward them, red lights illuminating on their tops. The edge of the force field fluctuated violently, and its contraction accelerated.

"Prepare for a breach!" Chen Wang shouted.

Lin Wei immediately locked the recorder to begin recording the waveform data. Su Ling took out the electromagnetic pulse shell, loaded it into the launch tube, and disengaged the safety. Chen Wang reallocated power, keeping the Shield at the minimum while diverting everything else to propulsion and attitude control.

The vehicle shuddered as the front right track rolled over an ice rock. Chen Wang quickly adjusted the center of gravity, tilted over the obstacle, and continued forward. Now, they were only fifteen meters from the breakthrough point, and the narrowest part of the force field was less than thirty meters wide.

"Ten more meters and we'll be in the compression zone," Lin Wei stared at the screen. "Once we enter, all external equipment will be crushed."

"Su Ling, can you take the shot?" Chen Wang asked.

"The distance is too great, and the angle isn't right," she shook her head. "We must wait for them to expose their interface."

Before she could finish, the ground vibrated. The tracks beneath the two machines rose, lifting them up. At the same time, the center of the force field collapsed inward, forming a narrow ring-shaped barrier directly facing hope.

"It's trying to shut the door," Chen Wang jerked the steering, turning the vehicle to the side. "Lin Wei, record this frequency!"

Lin Wei operated the controls rapidly, saving the energy peak during the collapse into an independent cache. Star Pupil let out a muffled groan, the corner of her mouth twitching, but she didn't open her eyes, her fingers still tapping on her knee, the rhythm growing faster and faster.

"They're closing in," she said. "The core is exposed... it's right underneath."

"Where?" Chen Wang asked.

"Directly below... there's an opening, for three seconds," her voice trembled. "Now's our chance!"

Chen Wang immediately stopped the vehicle, positioning it sideways on the ice, directly facing the gap. Su Ling seized the opportunity and pressed the firing button. The electromagnetic pulse shell shot from the roof, flying toward the intersection of the two machines.

The explosion was silent, the shockwave spreading out. The red lights of both machines extinguished simultaneously, and sparks erupted from their shells. One lost its balance and tumbled into an ice crevice. The other barely stood but was spinning in place.

"Direct hit!" Lin Wei stared at the monitoring chart. "Circuit overload, defense interrupted."

Chen Wang didn't respond. He stared at the residual fluctuations of the force field and noticed the ring-shaped barrier was recovering. Assessing the situation, he pushed the propulsion lever, and hope surged through the gap.

The vehicle slid, grazing the edge of the force field, the Shield alarm sounding once, consuming an additional 5% power. Then the alarm stopped. They had passed through the first line of defense.

The vehicle slowed down and finally came to a stop on a flat patch of ice. The fog was thick all around, but the detector showed no large metallic responses within one kilometer ahead. Lin Wei immediately uploaded the data, saving the force field frequency just recorded into the kindling system.

Su Ling retracted the firing device but didn't put it away. She leaned back in her seat, her hand still resting near the weapon, her eyes looking out the window. Chen Wang released the steering wheel and realized his palms were covered in sweat. He lowered his head to wipe them, then touched his pocket watch to confirm it was still ticking.

Star Pupil leaned back in her seat, gasping for air, her face pale, her forehead damp. The mechanical parrot gently pecked her ear, and she raised her hand to stroke its head without saying a word.

"How are you?" Chen Wang asked, looking back.

"I can still function," she said, her voice weak. "But I need a rest."

"That's enough," he said. "That shot just now hit them at their most vulnerable moment."

Lin Wei looked up. "I recorded the complete collapse process. Next time we encounter a similar system, we'll be able to predict the nodes in advance."

Su Ling looked out the window. "The next time won't be as simple as this."

No one spoke. They all understood that this was only the first obstacle. The true core was still inside. But for now, at least they had made it in.

The Shield was still running, with 60% power remaining. The vehicle swayed slightly in the wind. Chen Wang placed his hands back on the steering wheel, his fingers tightening until his knuckles turned white. He didn't drive, nor did he give the order to advance.

He knew the next wave wouldn't wait too long.