115: Chapter 115 Homeworld Illusion

The Cradle of Light, once repeatedly eulogized in the ancient books and inherited memories of the Light Sphere Race—that sacred place wrapped in eternal warm radiance, where golden streams of light flowed through the clouds, life-light veins covered the earth, and temples towered into the clouds—no longer existed. What floated in the universe now was merely a fragmented, dead planet—large planetary debris floated aimlessly, broken crusts exposed the pitch-black interior, twisted spatial rifts looked like hideous scars, and a layer of gray, turbid atmosphere like a funeral shroud tightly wrapped the entire planet. There were no signs of life, no hint of energy flow, only eternal silence and desolation, like a giant graveyard spanning the universe, burying the entire glorious past of the Light Sphere Race.

Little Kate gently rested her forehead against the cold glass of the viewing window. Her small shoulders trembled uncontrollably, and her clear eyes quickly clouded with a layer of mist. She had grown up listening to legends of the Mother Star. It was the most sacred place in her heart, the spiritual hometown of all the Light Sphere Race. But seeing it with her own eyes, there was only brokenness and death, not even a trace of its former glory remained.

Kate stood beside the young girl, her fingertips clenched tightly, her knuckles turning white. Ancient memories of the Light Sphere Race surged and collided in her mind. Those warm, vivid, and vibrant images formed a tragic contrast with the dead ruins before her, like a dull knife repeatedly cutting at her heart. She was the highest leader currently existing of the Light Sphere Race, yet she couldn't even protect the hometown of her people. She could only watch it turn into dust in the universe. This sense of powerlessness was more piercing than any pain.

AKai held the elegy anchor in his arms, its faint blue light slightly dimmed. As a scientist who had studied emotional energy his whole life, his eyes were filled with complexity and sighing. He had heard countless stories about the Light Sphere Mother Star and seen countless documents recording its glory, but he had never imagined that before truly setting foot on this land, what met his eyes would be such a desperate scene.

Lin Fan still stood alone in the shadows at the very edge of the command cabin, his aura tightened to the extreme. From the moment he stepped into the star region of the Light Sphere Mother Star, he clearly sensed that the aura of Shadow was everywhere. It was a cold, viscous, and malicious dark matter energy, like bone-eating maggots, permeating every inch of space, winding around every piece of star debris, like a giant net already spread, quietly waiting for them to walk right into it. He knew better than anyone that Shadow had laid out such a huge trap, luring them to this long-destroyed ruin, not just to let them witness the demise of their hometown; the real trap was already waiting quietly ahead.

"Franklin, initiate a full-frequency surface scan, lock onto safe landing coordinates, and detect environmental energy and spiritual interference indices." Kate took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the surging pain and desolation in her heart. Her voice returned to its usual calmness and firmness. Now was not the time to indulge in emotions. Breaking the illusion, saving the students, and stopping the destruction equation were the only goals.

"Received, executing full-dimensional surface scan..." Franklin's pale blue projection flickered rapidly above the console, and massive data streams poured down like a waterfall, with alarm symbols flashing from time to time. "Scan complete! Energy fluctuations on the planet's surface are extremely chaotic, and space has collapsed in many places. Only one relatively stable landing area has been detected. Coordinates have been synchronized to the landing module's operating system!"

"Warning! High-intensity spiritual interference signal detected! Signal source locked to the planet's surface! The interference frequency highly matches the memory fluctuations of intelligent life! It is recommended that all personnel wear the highest-level spiritual protective gear!"

Franklin's alarm sound made the atmosphere in the cabin instantly heavy.

"Spiritual interference?" Little Kate frowned slightly, the Light Sphere Race energy at her fingertips flowing unconsciously. "Is Shadow manipulating the spiritual environment here?"

"It's not just manipulation." Lin Fan finally spoke, his voice low and solemn, his gaze locked on the dead planet outside the window. "This has already become his spiritual domain. He can distort reality, tamper with perception, and weave illusions at will. Once we land, every step might lead into a soul trap he has carefully laid out."

Kate did not look back, but she tacitly accepted Lin Fan's judgment. From collective hypnosis to the emotion black hole, Shadow's methods had always struck directly at the spirit and soul. This time, on the ruins of the Light Sphere Race's most fragile Mother Star, his trap would only be more lethal.

"Prepare the small landing module. Only carry weapons, medical kits, and energy supply devices. Everyone, streamline your equipment." Kate quickly issued orders, her voice resonant and firm. "AKai, you must channel the elegy anchor throughout the entire process to stabilize team emotional fluctuations and resist spiritual interference. Franklin, connect to the landing module system and monitor everyone's mental state in real-time. Issue an alarm immediately if any abnormalities appear. Lin Fan... keep your own guard up, follow the team closely, and do not act without authorization."

The last sentence, she said it after all. Her tone was flat and waveless, without the slightest warmth, but it could be considered a formal acknowledgment of his status as a companion, bringing him into the team's protective scope.

Lin Fan's heart gave a slight jolt, and a trace of imperceptible emotion flashed in his eyes. He nodded gently, his voice low: "I understand."

Three minutes later, the small landing module detached from the light feather, turning into a pale white stream of light, piercing through the turbid and oppressive atmosphere of the Light Sphere Mother Star, and landing steadily towards the safe coordinates on the surface. Visibility outside the module was extremely low. Gray-yellow fog filled the world, obscuring the sky and the ground. Nothing could be seen in the distance, only endless desolation and silence. The cold, dry wind passed through the broken landscape, making a wailing sound like the whispers of countless dead souls, which made people's hair stand on end.

"Boom—!"

The landing module landed heavily on the cracked ground, kicking up gray dust that filled the sky. The hatch opened hydraulically, and a gust of cold, rotten, dry wind carrying the scent of death instantly poured in. Inhaling it into the lungs made one's chest feel stifled and a chill spread through the body.

Everyone walked out of the landing module one by one. Under their feet was gray rock covered in cracks. The surface was dry and cracked, without any vegetation, without any water source. The life-light veins that once covered the planet had long since completely dried up, and not even a trace of energy fluctuation could be felt. In the thick fog in the distance, one could vaguely see the outlines of some broken giant buildings, standing crookedly in the wilderness like giant tombstones, silently telling of their former glory and current demise.

"Is this... the surface of the Light Sphere Mother Star..." Little Kate whispered, her voice full of irrepressible disappointment and heartache. She had imagined the decay of the Mother Star, but she had never thought it would be so desolate.

Kate took a step forward, Light Sphere Race energy flowing slightly at her fingertips, forming a thin protective barrier, scanning the thick fog around her vigilantly: "Everyone, gather together. Keep the distance within three meters. Do not scatter. Do not touch unknown objects. Franklin, continue to analyze environmental data and lock onto the source of spiritual interference."

"Analyzing... Spiritual interference intensity continues to rise! Index has exceeded the safety threshold! Interference frequency perfectly matches human deep memory fluctuations! Warning! Everyone be vigilant—"

Before Franklin's urgent alarm sound could finish, an anomaly suddenly erupted!

The originally still, gray-yellow fog suddenly began to roll and surge violently. Its color lightened and faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, replaced by a layer of warm, soft, dream-like pale golden light. This light surged from the ground and fell from the sky, instantly swallowing the entire area and firmly wrapping everyone inside.

The cracked, dead ground under their feet disappeared, the tombstone-like broken buildings disappeared, and the oppressive fog disappeared. The scent of death and desolation was gone.

The next second, the world before their eyes was completely rewritten.

Golden clouds flowed slowly in the azure sky, like molten gold. The earth was covered with soft, glowing plants, and stepping on them felt like being on the clouds. Winding light veins could be seen everywhere, emitting a gentle warmth. Temples of Light, crystal clear and engraved with ancient patterns, rose from the ground, piercing into the clouds. The air was filled with the fresh breath of life. In the distance came the crisp laughter of Light Sphere Race children, as well as the gentle conversations of the clansmen.

This is...

The Light Sphere Mother Star in its most prosperous, glorious, and perfect state!

"It's an illusion!" Kate's expression changed drastically, and she instantly channeled all her Light Sphere Race energy, trying to break free from the shackles of this light. "Everyone, hold onto your spiritual sea! Do not be deceived by your perception!"

"Too late."

A faint, mocking, and cold voice slowly came from the void, clearly falling into everyone's mind. It was the voice of Shadow.

"Welcome to the memory corridor I have carefully prepared for you."

The moment the voice fell, the pale golden light covering the surroundings suddenly became thick and blinding. Everyone's eyes froze at the same time, their bodies stiffened in place as if under a immobilization spell, and their consciousness was forcibly dragged by an incredibly powerful spiritual force into the abyss of their own most painful, fragile, and unforgettable memories.

No one could break free, no one could escape.

The memory corridor pierced directly into the deepest scars of the soul, magnifying all pain, self-blame, and fear, letting you drown in it, never to wake up.

The first to be defeated and completely collapse was AKai.

The glorious Mother Star before his eyes instantly shattered and collapsed, replaced by a cold, closed, white room filled with an atmosphere of despair. The room was small and oppressive, the walls were pale white, without any decoration, only a small window letting in faint light.

In the center of the room stood a weak girl.

Her face was pale as paper, her eyes empty and lifeless, and her figure was so thin that it seemed a gust of wind could blow her over. It was AKai's younger sister, who had passed away many years ago, buried deep in his heart, and whom he had never dared to touch.

His sister was born with a rare congenital emotional collapse syndrome. From birth, she had been wrapped in endless pain, despair, and anxiety, never having felt a trace of happiness. AKai had been obsessed with emotional energy research his whole life, exhausting half his life's efforts to develop the elegy anchor. His original intention was not for fighting, not for protection, but simply to cure his sister, so she could feel the warmth of the world like an ordinary person.

He thought he was smart enough, thought he could control emotional energy, thought he could definitely save his closest person.

But in the end, he failed.

"Brother..." The young girl slowly turned her head, her face covered in tears, her voice weak and painful. "I'm in so much pain... My heart hurts so much... I can't hold on anymore..."

"No!!!" AKai let out a heart-wrenching roar, rushing towards the girl regardless of anything, but was blocked by an invisible spiritual barrier. No matter how he charged or roared, he couldn't get a step closer. "Sister! Don't give up! Brother will cure you right away! The elegy anchor is about to succeed! Just wait for me a little longer! Just a little!"

"It's too late... Brother..."

The young girl showed a desolate and relieved smile, slowly turned around, and jumped out the window.

"No—!!!"

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

AKai knelt on the ground, his hands clutching the cold surface tightly. His shoulders trembled violently, and tears surged out like a broken dam, blurring his vision. He let out a desperate and painful whimper like a helpless child, completely breaking down.

This was the most painful memory of his life, a scar etched into his soul, a regret that he could never compensate for in his entire life.

He had thoroughly researched all the emotional energy in the world, yet he couldn't keep his closest kin; he had created the elegy anchor that could purify spirits, yet he couldn't save his own younger sister.

Self-reproach, guilt, despair, and powerlessness submerged him completely like a surging tide.

He forgot reality, forgot the mission, and forgot the companions by his side, drowning in this painful memory, unwilling to wake up, and unable to wake up.

The elegy anchor in his arms slowly slid off, hitting the ground heavily. Its ghostly blue light dimmed completely, losing all energy fluctuations.

This emotional energy scientist, who had always been calm, obsessive, and rational, completely shed all pretenses in the face of his most painful memory, leaving only endless pain and remorse.

"It's my fault for being useless... I failed to save you..."

"I'm sorry... Sister... I'm sorry..."

He murmured over and over, repenting repeatedly, his voice hoarse and broken, completely lost within the memory corridor.

At the same time, Kate fell into an illusion unique to her.

Unlike AKai, she didn't return to the past; instead, she was forcibly pulled into her most feared future.

Before her eyes was a pitch-black battlefield of destruction. The sky was shattered, the earth had collapsed, and Earth was torn apart. The Interstellar Academy had long since turned to ash, the figures of the eighty Light Sphere Race students had vanished, and the entire Milky Way was enveloped in the dark matter of Shadow.

In front of her, Lin Fan was tightly entangled by a boundless, thick mass of darkness. That was Shadow's true form, the source of darkness that devoured everything. Shadow's tentacles frantically tore at Lin Fan's body, soul, and consciousness, devouring, assimilating, and erasing him bit by bit.

Lin Fan's clothes were shredded, his body covered in wounds, and his face as pale as paper. Yet, he still reached out a blood-stained hand toward her, his eyes filled with pain, reluctance, and a final tenderness. His voice was so weak it was almost inaudible: "Kate... don't come over... go quickly... live well..."

"Lin Fan!!!"

Kate's heart felt as if it were being crushed by an invisible hand. Intense pain swept through her body as she rushed toward Lin Fan regardless of everything. Her light orb energy erupted to the extreme, transforming into golden blades that slashed at Shadow's dark tentacles, only to be instantly repelled, the shock making her cough up blood.

She could only watch helplessly.

She watched as Shadow tore Lin Fan's body apart bit by bit, watched his consciousness be swallowed by darkness, and watched the man who always stood in front of her, silently protecting her, vanish into the darkness without leaving a single trace.

"No—!!!"

Kate let out a desperate roar and collapsed to the ground, her body trembling violently as her mental defenses completely crumbled.

She wasn't afraid of death, sacrifice, or even perishing together with Shadow, but she feared losing Lin Fan above all else.

This person hidden in the depths of her heart—whom she both loved and hated, whose trust was broken yet she still cared for—was the only weakness in the depths of her soul.

The memory corridor didn't fabricate lies; it simply presented her deepest fears nakedly before her eyes.

Tears blurred her vision. Drowning in a future where she had lost Lin Fan, she was filled with pain, despair, and helplessness, completely losing the will to resist.

Lin Fan was also dragged into the abyss of the illusion.

Before his eyes, there was no past or future, only the darkness in the depths of his own soul.

Shadow stood before him, possessing no physical form but appearing as a constantly twisting mass of dark matter. His smile was mocking and cruel as he tore away all of Lin Fan's pretenses, secrets, and struggles bit by bit.

"See, you can't hide it. You can never hide it."

"I am your darkness, and you are my cage. We were originally two parts of one whole, inseparable."

"Kate will find out the truth sooner or later—that you are the source of Shadow, and that you brought about all the disasters."

"She will hate you, loathe you, leave you, and even destroy you with her own hands."

"Stop struggling. Sink down with me and become the master of darkness."

Shadow's voice was like a demon's whisper, constantly tempting him, tearing at his bottom line, and amplifying the fear in his heart.

What Lin Fan feared most was never death, being swallowed by Shadow, or the destruction of everything. It was the way Kate would look at him once she knew the truth.

That look of disappointment, betrayal, coldness, and resolution was more cruel than any torture.

He held his head, roaring and struggling in pain, yet he could not break free from the shackles of the illusion at all.

Self-reproach, fear, despair, and powerlessness enveloped him completely, making him sink deeper and deeper into his own darkness.

AKai was drowning in remorse, Kate was sinking into fear, and Lin Fan was lost in struggle.

The three strongest combatants were all defeated by the memory corridor, their consciousnesses about to be completely devoured, trapped forever in this illusion.

Just at the life-and-death moment when everyone's spirit was about to completely collapse and be lost forever.

A crisp, sharp, and iron-firm voice rang out like a thunderclap, tearing through the entire golden memory corridor!

"Enough!!!"

Little Kate stood in the very center of the light, her entire body erupting with radiant and pure light orb energy, without a single stray thought or moment of hesitation.

She was the youngest in the team, with no heavy past, no feared future, and no regrets she couldn't let go of. In her world, there was only the present, the companions before her who needed protection, and the mission that had to be completed.

She looked at AKai, who was kneeling on the ground in a sobbing breakdown; she looked at Kate, who was collapsed in desperate roars; and she looked at Lin Fan, who was holding his head in painful struggle.

She watched as this group of people, who were supposed to save the future and protect life, drowned in past pain and were unable to extricate themselves, allowing Shadow's illusion to manipulate them.

Little Kate took a deep breath, her small chest swelling. Her voice rose with unprecedented determination, boldness, and leadership aura, each word resonating through the entire illusion and shattering all falsehoods:

"Those who indulge in the past have no right to save the future!"

"Teacher AKai! Your sister's death wasn't your fault! You didn't research the elegy anchor to indulge in self-reproach, but to protect more of the living! Wake up!"

"Teacher Kate! What you see isn't the future, but Shadow's intimidation! It's the weapon he uses to break you! You are the leader of the Light Sphere Race; you cannot fall! We all need you!"

"Lin Fan! Don't let your own darkness trap you! We are still here! Your companions are still here! Hope is still here! We haven't lost yet!"

As her words fell, Little Kate abruptly raised her right hand. Her total light orb energy condensed into an extremely dazzling golden pillar of light. Carrying indomitable courage and determination, it smashed heavily into the void!

"Everyone—WAKE UP FOR ME!!!"

Boom—!!!

The golden pillar of light exploded violently. The illusion of the memory corridor shattered like a broken mirror, instantly splintering, dissipating, and collapsing.

The pale golden light faded, Shadow's spiritual power was forcibly torn apart, and all painful memories, feared futures, and dark temptations turned into nothingness.

AKai's body jerked. His hollow eyes refocused, and though tears still hung on his face, he finally broke free from the remorseful memories. He looked at Little Kate standing in the center of the light with firm eyes, and at the powerful energy erupting from the girl's small body. The obsession and self-reproach he had held onto for half his life truly loosened and crumbled for the first time.

Kate shuddered as the dark future before her vanished completely. She panted heavily, looking up in shock at the girl who had awakened her. The child she had always kept under her wing and needed to protect had stepped forward at this moment, supporting everyone's spirits and awakening her lost companions.

Lin Fan also jerked his head up. The struggle and pain in his eyes quickly faded, replaced by calm and determination. He looked at Little Kate, his eyes filled with disbelief and emotion. He had never imagined that this seemingly fragile girl would possess such powerful mental will and leadership charisma.

Everyone had been pulled back from the brink of death by this young but incredibly firm voice.

The illusion dissipated completely, and Shadow's mental interference was temporarily suppressed.

What reappeared before everyone was no longer the glorious Cradle of Light or the painful memory corridor, but the actual Light Sphere Mother Star.

Between heaven and earth, a grayish-yellow thick fog still lingered. Beneath their feet was cracked and parched earth, and in the distance were broken and silent ruins. There was no light, no life, and no energy—only eternal desolation and death.

And Franklin's projection was now flashing frantically above the landing module, issuing an unprecedentedly urgent ultimate alarm. His electronic voice, filled with extreme gravity and shock, echoed through the area:

"Ultimate Warning! Confirmed via omni-dimensional, deep-level, cross-temporal scanning—"

"The Light Sphere Mother Star was completely destroyed in the interstellar catastrophe a hundred years ago!"

"The planetary core has collapsed, civilization traces have completely vanished, and energy veins are all depleted. No physical matter exists!"

"Everything we see before us—the landing site, the surface, the ruins, the atmosphere... is all an ultra-high-fidelity holographic projection created by Shadow using dark matter!"

This sentence exploded in everyone's minds like a heavy bomb, making them feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar. The last shred of hope in their hearts was completely shattered.

The mother star they had broken through the emotion black hole for, risking their lives and facing death nine times out of ten to reach.

The home they had longed for, regarded as the path to salvation, and where all their clansmen's nostalgia was placed.

It simply did not exist!

This was not the Cradle of Light, not a place of salvation, and not the starting point of hope.

It was just a massive spiritual cage forged by Shadow using projections.

From the moment they stepped into the Light Sphere Mother Star's star system, they had fallen completely into Shadow's deception, walking step by step into the death trap he had carefully laid out.

The determination on Little Kate's face stiffened slightly, and her small body stumbled. A flash of loss and bewilderment crossed her eyes, but she quickly reconsolidated her firm light.

Kate's face was deathly pale as she involuntarily took a step back. The sorrow and despair in her heart reached a peak. She thought the mother star was the hope for salvation, but she hadn't expected that even this land was a lie from Shadow.

AKai slowly picked up the elegy anchor from the ground. Its ghostly blue light lit up again. His eyes were heavy and cold; he knew that the true battle to the death had finally arrived.

The aura around Lin Fan turned cold to the extreme. The Shadow in the depths of his soul began to stir. He knew clearly that Shadow's feast had only just begun.

In the void, Shadow's laughter rang out again—mocking, indifferent, smug, and cruel. With the arrogance of one in control of everything, it echoed over the entire silent ruins:

"Congratulations, you've finally seen this ridiculous truth clearly."

"There is no salvation here, no mother star, no hope—only despair and death."

"The memory corridor was just an appetizer; the illusion was just the foreplay."

"Next, this death game directed at you shall officially enter its final chapter."

As the words fell, the thick fog around them began to churn violently. Dark matter energy condensed frantically as darkness surged from all directions, surrounding everyone.

True death, the true confrontation, the true finale,

Finally, it had descended.