118: Between the Abyss of the Heart and the Scythe
The "Shadow Seeker" returned to Watch Outpost with the chilling truth, diluting the slight joy of the Peace of Mind Plan's initial success. The information brought back by Lin Mo, Wu Yong, and Liranta transformed an abstract, unsettling conjecture into a concrete and deadly threat. "initial designers," "scavenger protocol," and "system reset" echoed like ghosts in the strategic command center, making every core member who heard the report solemn.
"'scavenger'... it is indeed an automated program," Dr. Einstein's projection flickered, rapidly analyzing the data Liranta recorded. "Its core logic is efficiency and purity. It views the flourishing of life, the 'wear and tear' of rules, and even the suffering of the heart of resonance as 'system redundancy' or 'error accumulation' that needs to be cleared. Our connection to the heart of resonance, and the highly developed network of our own civilization, have likely triggered its alert threshold."
"It has marked us," Wu Yong said in a low voice, his fists clenched. "Like branding livestock for slaughter. How much time do we have left?"
"Cannot be precisely estimated," Liranta replied expressionlessly, the data stream in her eyes steady but swift. "The scavenger protocol's operational logic is based on complex system status evaluation, not simple passage of time. But the persistence of the 'echo' is undoubtedly a key factor in accelerating its judgment. For every extra second the heart of resonance's pain is vented, the universe's 'redundancy' increases in its view."
Everyone's gaze turned to Lin Mo and Ling Shuang. Now, all hope hinged on two directions: first, whether the Peace of Mind Plan could quickly stabilize or even heal the heart of resonance, fundamentally eliminating the "echo" and reducing the evaluation of "system redundancy"; second, whether they could find a way to counter or circumvent the scavenger protocol during this period.
The pressure was immense.
Ling Shuang's face was even paler than before. Continuously maintaining the core guidance of the resonance sanctuary and directly resonating with the vast pain of the heart of resonance was a huge drain on her psionic energy and spirit. But the determination in her eyes had not wavered. "The Peace of Mind Plan cannot stop; on the contrary, it must accelerate," her voice, though soft, carried an undeniable power. "We have already established a connection and sensed the loosening of its consciousness. Retreating now would be to throw away all previous efforts and would thoroughly intensify its pain."
Lin Mo nodded, making a decision: "The Peace of Mind Plan enters its second phase, increasing resonance intensity and attempting deep consciousness interaction. Dr. Einstein, please interface all data from the keystone probe network with the resonance sanctuary. We need real-time monitoring of the universe's rule state to evaluate the plan's actual impact on 'wear and tear' and 'echo.' Wu Yong, activate Watch Outpost's highest-level defense plan, all combat units on standby, and contact the Star Language Council. We need to establish a joint defense system to respond to any form of attack the scavenger might launch. Liranta, you are responsible for continuously analyzing the data we brought back from that rule space, looking for weaknesses or logical loopholes in the scavenger protocol."
With the commands issued, the entire civilization alliance began to operate at high speed like a precise instrument.
---
Deep within the Peace of Mind Plan, consciousness and pain intertwined.
Ling Shuang's consciousness, as the guiding core of the resonance sanctuary, once again sank into that warm ocean formed by billions of converging consciousnesses, and using it as a boat, sailed towards the abyss of the heart of resonance's raging pain. This time, she was no longer merely passively "listening" and "accompanying."
She began to actively "share."
She shared the curiosity and awe of a nascent civilization gazing at the star language network for the first time; she shared the pure joy and emotion of an artist creating a soul-stirring work; she shared the pain of lovers separating and the sweetness of reuniting; she shared the ecstasy and humility of scientists at the moment of uncovering nature's mysteries; she shared a mother's tenacity in protecting her child, a warrior's courage in defending their homeland, a philosopher's profound thoughts on existence... She presented all the complex, contradictory, yet shining fragments of Possibility from the journey of life, like offering the most precious gift, to that ancient consciousness imprisoned in eternal pain.
Initially, the heart of resonance's reaction was still one of rejection and violent fluctuation. These emotions and experiences, full of "impurities," were incompatible with its own pure, extreme rule-based pain. But Ling Shuang did not give up; like the most patient guide, she continuously adjusted the frequency and content of her sharing, searching for an entry point that could resonate with the other party.
She found that when sharing intense emotions about "sacrifice," "guardianship," and "finding meaning in desperation," the heart of resonance's pain fluctuations would show extremely subtle calming. Those moments of enduring immense pain for others, for ideals, for some value transcending one's own existence, seemed to touch certain forgotten imprints deep within its consciousness.
[...For... 'Possibility'... the cost...]
That ancient fragment of thought reappeared, but this time, it seemed to have a little less despair, and a little more... confirmation?
Ling Shuang seized this glimmer of hope. She began to focus on sharing the epics from the star language network, where countless civilizations, for survival, for development, and for understanding the universe, had advanced wave after wave, making immense sacrifices. She shared stories of Lin Mo's team repeatedly stepping up in desperate situations, fighting against vast threats for a slim hope.
She conveyed a core message: Your pain is not meaningless. The 'Possibility' for which you paid the price has blossomed, evolving into an incredibly magnificent tapestry of civilization. You are not enduring alone; we understand your sacrifice and are willing to share the burden with you.
Time lost its meaning in the deep-level exchange of consciousness. After an unknown duration, following an intense emotional sharing about a civilization collectively choosing self-annihilation to leave hope for its descendants, Ling Shuang felt an unprecedented torrent of consciousness surge back.
No longer a chaotic roar of pain, but a relatively clear, though still full of sadness and weariness, thought:
[...I... see... your... light...]
[...My... tearing... was to... let... 'Chaos'... seep into... rigid... rules... to let... 'stories'... begin...]
[...But... it hurts too much... eternal... imprisonment... sensing... the erosion... of the foundation... yet... powerless...]
[...'They'... will return... to erase... everything... 'errors'... including... you... including... my... residual... consciousness...]
[...Help... me...]
The heart of resonance finally gave a clear response! It not only understood their intentions but also clearly expressed its origin, the reason for its sacrifice, and its fear of "their" return, and... it asked for help!
This was a monumental breakthrough!
---
However, just at this crucial moment when hope was budding, the cold scythe had already swung down.
"Alert! Alert! Unknown high-dimensional disturbance approaching! Source coordinates cannot be locked, disturbance pattern matches scavenger characteristic code provided by the tide of delusion with 99.8% accuracy!" The keystone probe network issued a piercing warning.
Almost simultaneously, at the edge of the "Star Language" Network, in the star system of a primary civilization's colonial outpost responsible for resource collection, a terrifying change occurred.
The star there, without any physical signs, had its internal nuclear fusion reaction forcibly "silenced" by an invisible power. Its light extinguished within seconds, not with an explosion, but like a candle being blown out. This was followed by the "flattening" of spatial structure, where the three-dimensional universe was forcibly reduced in dimension, and stars, planets, and even colonial cities were silently pressed into a cold, two-dimensional scroll without thickness.
There was no energy burst, no material residue, only an absolute, rule-level "erasure."
The scavenger protocol had begun its cleanup work. Its efficiency was despair-inducing.
"'star language' Network joint defense shield activated!" Wu Yong roared in the command channel, and the entire Watch Outpost was enveloped in the glow of multi-layered energy barriers and rule stabilization fields.
But everyone knew that if the scavenger targeted them, how long the existing defenses could hold was an unknown.
"Is it conducting a test, or is it gradually cleaning?" Xiao Li's voice held a hint of tension.
"It's more like it's demonstrating its power and assessing the resources needed to clean up the entire 'system,'" Liranta calmly analyzed the data from the two-dimensionalized starfield. "Its actions are highly purposeful and efficient. It prioritizes cleaning areas with high 'redundancy' and weak defenses."
The pressure came not only from outside but also from within. In the Star Language Council, some representatives of weaker civilizations began to panic, their consciousness fluctuations filled with despair, even starting to question whether continuing to execute the Peace of Mind Plan would accelerate their demise.
In this darkest hour of internal and external crisis, Lin Mo stood on Watch Outpost's broadcast platform, his voice transmitted through the "Star Language" Network to every connected consciousness.
"Fellow compatriots! We are facing the most severe trial since our birth! A cold entity that views us as an error program wants to erase us along with the story of this universe!"
"Yes, we are afraid! But fear should not make us yield! Look at the heart of resonance; for the universe to have 'stories,' for us to exist, it has endured billions of years of pain and imprisonment! It has not given up even now; it is asking for our help!"
"Who are we? We are Watchers! We guard not cold rules, but the countless Possibilities blossoming beneath those rules, the brilliance of life, the epic of civilization, love and sacrifice, exploration and creation! Should all of this be easily erased because of a so-called 'designers'' judgment?"
"No! Absolutely not!"
"Our very existence is the greatest 'Possibility'! Our struggle is the meaning of our existence! The scavenger can erase our material form, but it cannot erase the fact that we once existed, struggled, and loved!"
"Now, let us together fulfill our promise to the heart of resonance! With our collective light, let us tell those designers, tell this universe—life is not an error!"
Lin Mo's words, like fire thrown onto dry kindling, instantly ignited the courage and determination of billions of consciousnesses. Panic was suppressed, divisions were mended, and the entire "Star Language" Network had never been so united, so in sync!
This majestic force, full of the will to live, surged through the resonance sanctuary into the torrent of consciousness guided by Ling Shuang, flowing together towards the heart of resonance.
Feeling this unprecedented, vast, and firm support and resonance, the heart of resonance's billion-year-long wail of pain showed a significant, large-scale weakening for the first time. In its place, a gradually rising, warm, and firm wave of power emerged.
[...Thank... you...]
[...I... see... meaning...]
[...Let us... together... face...]
In the distant Cradle-0923 region, the violent rule "echo" visibly calmed down. Although it did not completely disappear, its destructiveness significantly decreased, and it even began to emit a strange, stable frequency.
"Cosmic rule wear and tear index... is stabilizing! 'Echo' energy level down by thirty percent!" Dr. Einstein reported incredulously, his voice filled with excitement.
And at this very moment, the omnipresent, cold sense of the scavenger's gaze suddenly intensified. It seemed to have detected the sudden change in system status, and its evaluation process accelerated.
An attack without any warning, transcending the speed of light, like an invisible blade of rules, directly struck Watch Outpost and the core of the "Star Language" Network!
The true ultimate test had arrived.