294: The first roar of the engine and the silence of the "Hive"

The success of the 'Broken Finger' operation provided the 'Star Fire' base with a rare breathing space. As Wen Youyi had anticipated, the Hive withdrew its probing claws. The assembly of the peripheral 'Swarm' clusters clearly slowed down, and patrol patterns became more cautious and restrained. A large number of 'Scout Bee' units were recalled, seemingly undergoing internal adjustments and defensive reinforcements.

'The Bee Queen is re-evaluating the threat, and possibly upgrading its 'firewalls' and 'anti-sniper protocols'.' Senior Brother Li analyzed the data from the 'Thousand Eyes' network. 'In the short term, it shouldn't come to provoke us again. However, we must be careful; it might be plotting something malicious.'

'Whatever it's plotting, finishing the 'hope' is what really matters!' Zhao Iron Pillar was the busiest person in the shipyard now, shouting until his throat was hoarse, but his energy was high enough to take on a 'Soldier Drone' single-handedly.

The construction of the 'hope,' after the keel was laid, entered a stunning 'growth spurt.'

The most core and exciting progress was the first full-power test of the 'star core engine.'

The engine's core module had already been installed, and the connections to the main star core fragment and the crystal key were complete. But previously, only basic circuit tests had been performed; it had never truly been 'ignited.' This test was to verify the stability and power limits of the entire energy extraction, conversion, and output System.

The test took place in a specially reinforced isolation zone within the shipyard, filled with monitoring equipment and energy buffer fields. Everyone else retreated to a safe distance, leaving only Wen Youyi, Senior Brother Li, Senior Brother Zhang, and a few other core technical personnel in the control room.

The massive core module resembled a silent silver giant egg, with complex Star Pattern flowing across its surface. The key hovered above the console, emitting a steady glow.

'Beginning injection of base guidance energy, activating resonance circuits.' Senior Brother Zhang's voice was tight.

As energy was injected, the Star Pattern inside the core module lit up one by one, emitting a low hum. The sound was like the breathing of an ancient giant beast, steady and powerful.

'Resonance stable, star core fragment responding well... energy flow starting to circulate along the predetermined path...'

'Preparing for level one power output test... 3, 2, 1, start!'

Hum—!!! The low hum instantly heightened, turning into a continuous roar filled with power! The core module suddenly erupted with a brilliant yet non-blinding silver light. The light was not static; it surged and flowed like liquid through the Star Pattern on the surface of the module! A vast yet gentle energy ripple spread out from the core module like a tide, making the very air (actually an environment filled with energy particles) of the entire shipyard seem to tremble slightly.

The crowd outside the isolation zone, even through the thick shielding layers, could clearly feel the surging sense of power. It was not destructive rage, but a vast, boundless Star Power filled with the rhythm of life!

'Level one power output stable! Energy conversion efficiency... 98.7%! Far exceeding expectations!' Senior Brother Li looked at the monitoring data, dancing with excitement.

'Continue, increase to level two power!' Wen Youyi's gaze was burning.

The roar became heavier, and the light from the core module became more solid, faintly forming a miniature energy vortex that distorted space behind the module.

'Level two power stable! Output power reached 120% of design specifications! star core fragment state stable, key guidance normal!'

'Level three power!'

The humming was now like thunder, and the light from the core module was so dazzling that people could not look directly at it. The energy vortex behind it became more obvious, even beginning to pull in the stray energy dust within the shipyard. The entire shipyard's floor was vibrating slightly.

'Level three power stable! Output power 150%! Warning! Some peripheral energy conduits are approaching critical pressure values!'

'Good! Maintain level three power for ten breaths, then gradually reduce power, safe shutdown!' Wen Youyi ordered decisively.

The ten breaths were as long and shocking as ten heartbeats. That surging Star Power made everyone's hearts swell. This was not a cold machine; this was a living power core they had created themselves, belonging to the Legacy of the 'Star People'!

When the light of the core module gradually dimmed, the roaring sound slowly subsided, and finally returned to silence, a thunderous cheer erupted in the shipyard!

'Success! Our 'heart module' is beating!'

'Too strong! With this power, we can fly to the end of the Universe!'

'The key is stability! With output this stable, our combat endurance will definitely be top-notch!'

Wen Youyi let out a long sigh of relief, a look of relief appearing on his face. The success of the engine test meant that one of the biggest technical hurdles for the 'hope' had been overcome. With this powerful 'heart module,' the starship's maneuverability, weapon System power supply, and even future hyperspace jumps all had the most fundamental guarantee.

'Immediately start comprehensive data analysis, optimize energy conduits and cooling Systems to ensure absolute safety for long-term full-power operation.' He instructed, 'At the same time, the successful experience of the engine can be partially applied to the subsequent upgrades of the 'Dragon'.'

The 'Dragon' sent fluctuations of 'envy' and 'anticipation' from the side: [New 'heart module'... so amazing... I want one too...]

Wen Youyi smiled and patted its cold hull: 'Don't worry, if there's good stuff, you'll definitely get your share.'

Just as the base was immersed in the joy of the successful engine test and was pushing full force on the subsequent construction of the 'hope,' the 'Thousand Eyes' network monitored a strange phenomenon.

The activity level of the Hive had continued to decline after the 'Broken Finger' operation, and in the past few days, it had dropped to an unprecedented low.

'Its regular command emission frequency has dropped by 60%, and energy readings have also dropped by about 15%.' Wang Wu reported the anomaly, 'The activity of the peripheral 'Swarm' has almost stalled, and most units have returned to the vicinity of the Hive, presenting a kind of... 'dormant' or 'standby' state. Even those 'high-speed Scout Bee' units are gone.'

'What's going on?' Zhao Iron Pillar scratched his head, 'Scared by us, becoming a complete shrinking turtle?'

'Not likely,' Mo Chen shook his head, 'If it were a defensive contraction, energy readings should be more concentrated, perhaps even strengthened. This is a holistic 'slump,' as if a System has entered... 'power-saving mode' or 'deep self-check'.'

Wen Youyi stared at the dim energy signals of the Hive, his brow slightly furrowed. He tried to recall the fragmented information about the creations of the 'Reapers' obtained from the key.

'...Some automated war units, when encountering unpredictable continuous threats, or when there are problems with resource and energy supply, will activate a 'dormancy protocol'...' Wen Youyi muttered to himself, 'Significantly lowering activity levels, reducing energy consumption, prioritizing core repairs, reserving energy, and possibly... activating deeper defensive mechanisms or calling for higher-level support...'

This guess made everyone's hearts freeze.

'Is the Hive... 'calling for backup'?' Senior Brother Li's face changed.

'Or is it preparing some big move we don't know about?' Senior Brother Zhang also became nervous.

'Either way, it's not good news.' Wen Youyi said in a deep voice, 'We must accelerate the construction progress of the 'hope,' and at the same time, strengthen the monitoring of the Hive's energy and signals. If it is really calling for support, we must know immediately and respond accordingly.'

He looked at the increasingly complete silver giant ship in the shipyard, and then at the 'Anvil' area in the distance that had fallen into an eerie silence.

The silence of the Hive was more unsettling than its clamor.

The standoff in the star sea had entered a new, more unpredictable stage.

And the first cry of the 'hope' engine was the best response to this silence—no matter what you are brewing, we are accelerating our growth, ready to face any challenge.