235: The Last Guardian and the Ark Key

The control room was deathly silent, save for the crackling of sporadic electrical sparks.

The remains of the ancient warrior suspended in the life-support pod, along with the crystal key in his arms radiating alluring starlight, formed a scene of immense solemnity and sorrow.

"Who... who is this?" Zhao Iron Pillar looked at the figure in the life-support pod, subconsciously lowering his voice as if afraid to disturb this sleeping hero.

"He must be the last guardian of this 'ark'." Wen Youyi's voice carried a hint of respect; he could feel that although the remains had long since lost their vitality, they still radiated an unyielding will that merged with the sorrowful atmosphere of the entire ruin.

It was this will that had maintained the basic operation of the life-support pod throughout the long years, guarding this crucial key.

"That key..." Wang Wu's gaze was fixed intently on the crystal key; even through the life-support pod and across the distance, he could sense the vast and pure power contained within it.

Wen Youyi slowly stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the devastation in the control room before finally settling on the life-support pod.

He noticed that on an inconspicuous crystal panel on the side of the pod, a line of flickering, extremely faint numbers in ancient script was displayed—it seemed to be a countdown, and there was very little time left.

Beside it, a line of small text was marked: [Energy Critical... Maintenance about to terminate... Executing final directive...]

Final directive? Was it to destroy the key, or... to pass it on?

Wen Youyi understood clearly in his heart; this guardian, and the remaining power of this ark, were nearing their limit.

They had arrived at the perfect time, and also the final time.

He did not rashly try to break the life-support pod, but instead gently placed his palm against its cold shell once more, attempting to gently inject his own homologous Star Power into it, conveying thoughts of friendliness and succession.

"Senior, we have arrived. The 'Seed' is here; please... entrust the mission to us."

As the Star Power was injected, the pale blue liquid inside the life-support pod fluctuated slightly.

The light of the crystal key in the guardian's arms suddenly became bright and stable, as if awakened.

At the same time, an extremely faint yet crystal-clear thought, like a final testament, entered Wen Youyi's mind: [Latecomers... prove... you... are worthy...]

Prove?

Wen Youyi was slightly stunned, then immediately realized; even at the final moment, this guardian maintained vigilance.

Merely possessing Star Power and the status of the 'Seed' was not enough; they needed to prove they were qualified to inherit this power and shoulder this mission.

How to prove it?

Wen Youyi's gaze swept across the broken circuits, damaged components, and flickering error codes in the control room.

A thought flashed through his mind—repair! At the very least, demonstrate the ability and determination to repair!

He immediately turned around and spoke to Senior Brother Li (although Senior Brother Li was not on-site, Wen Youyi had transmitted the situation and his judgment back via the Mind Net) and the 'Purifiers' member in the team who knew a little about Formations and energy circuits: "Check the main console and energy nodes! Try to perform minimal repairs and stabilization! This is our 'ticket' to gain recognition!"

Although the two were unfamiliar with the ancient technology here, the basic principles of energy circuits and rune structures always had similarities.

They immediately stepped forward, carefully avoiding the dangerous electrical sparks, and began to check the few auxiliary energy nodes and rune arrays that were least damaged.

Wen Youyi kept his hand pressed against the life-support pod, continuously channeling gentle Star Power as if adding fuel to a dying fire, maintaining that final connection.

Time ticked by, and the countdown numbers on the life-support pod ticked away mercilessly.

Zhao Iron Pillar and the others gathered around nervously, sweating in their palms.

"Here! The rune sequence at this node is broken, causing an energy leak!" the 'Purifiers' member suddenly shouted, pointing to a charred rune board.

"Use 'star iron' shavings mixed with conductive gel to attempt a temporary repair!" Wen Youyi immediately communicated with the base's technical team via the Mind Net and received the solution guided remotely by Senior Brother Li.

The team member quickly complied, using special tools to precisely fill the broken rune grooves with tiny metal shavings that shimmered with starlight.

The moment the last break was filled— "Hum..."

That node lit up faintly; although the light was still dim, the previously chaotic energy fluctuations were clearly calmed down a bit!

Almost simultaneously, the guardian's thought from the life-support pod came again, this time with a hint of imperceptible... relief?

[...Technology... not lost... hope... still remains...]

Immediately after, before Wen Youyi and the others could react further, the crystal key that had been held in the guardian's arms suddenly detached from those long-stiffened hands.

As if pulled by an invisible force, it slowly passed through the outer wall of the life-support pod and floated in front of Wen Youyi!

The key was radiant, with galaxies flowing inside, exuding a warm and intimate aura.

[Take it... the key to the 'ark'... and also... the Seed of hope...]

[Use it... to awaken the true 'Return to Ruins'... find... the way home...]

[My mission... is ended...]

The guardian's thought, like a candle in the wind, slowly dissipated.

The pale blue liquid inside the life-support pod quickly became turbid and dried up, and the tall body turned into specks of starlight at a speed visible to the naked eye, finally disappearing completely, leaving only a tattered set of silver armor resting quietly at the bottom of the pod.

He had guarded it for countless eons, and finally, his mission was delivered.

His obsession dissipated; dust to dust, earth to earth.

Wen Youyi solemnly reached out both hands and caught the floating crystal key.

The moment his fingertips touched it, a massive stream of information flooded in!

This time, it was not a tragic history, but specific star map coordinates, fragments of massive technical blueprints, and a clear coordinate pointing to the distant starry sky—that was the true 'Return to Ruins,' the final repository of the Seed left by the ancient civilization that had resisted, and... a lighthouse for returning home!

At the same time, the entire ruin shook slightly, and the remaining screens in the control room flickered a few times before finally going dark completely.

The faint energy that had been maintained for eons was finally exhausted.

This 'Place of the ark's Departure' had completed its final mission, passed on hope, and then fell into eternal silence.

Wen Youyi gripped the warm key in his hand tightly, feeling the weight and hope contained within, his gaze unshakeable.

"Let's go!"

They came to find answers, and upon leaving, they carried the stars.

(End of Chapter)