30: Seed of the Source

"Source Blood Pool"? "sample" restless?

Zhou Weian's uncontrolled roar was like a clap of thunder, exploding within the orderly maintenance station! The originally busy technicians instantly panicked, rushing to their respective control panels, as urgent commands and alarms rose and fell. The rigid order energy field in the air began to flicker and distort visibly, like a bad signal, and even the entire underground space seemed to vibrate slightly!

Lin Mo's heart was shaken! The intense throbbing from the reality stabilization anchor fragment in his hand resonated clearly with the "Source Blood Pool" and "sample" Zhou Weian mentioned! The editor interface also erupted with dazzling red light!

WARNING! High-intensity, highly polluting life energy burst detected! Source: Deep underground (coordinates locked)! Energy nature is highly homologous to the 'Erosion' phenomenon, but there are traces of artificial restraint and guidance!

WARNING! This energy burst is impacting the 'Order Field' generator's energy circuit! Generator structural stability is decreasing!

Detected 'reality stabilization anchor' core fragment reaction (weak, contaminated)... Located at the energy burst source!

Core fragment! Contaminated core fragment?! In that "Source Blood Pool"?!

Lin Mo instantly understood a lot! The Seventh Shelter's so-called "Order Field" technology, its energy source, likely came from a core fragment of a reality stabilization anchor that they had captured, studied, and perhaps were even forcibly extracting energy from! But this fragment had clearly been severely contaminated by 'Erosion' energy, turning into the so-called "seed of source blood" or "sample"! And they were using a dangerous method to extract the power of this contaminated fragment to maintain this seemingly glamorous Shelter!

No wonder the Order Field here was so rigid, stiff, and lacked spirituality! Because it originated from contaminated and forcibly enslaved power! No wonder residual painful emotions emanated from deep underground! That might be the wailing of the fragment itself, or perhaps... the despair of other existences used for experiments!

"Quick! Stabilize generator three's output! Inject backup energy! It absolutely cannot affect the main network!" Zhou Weian rushed to the main control panel, his fingers rapidly tapping on the virtual keyboard, fine cold sweat beading on his forehead. His previous composure and indifference had vanished, replaced by a fear of a plan about to spiral out of control.

Lin Mo suppressed the turbulent waves in his heart, his gaze fixed on the screen of generator three, which he was monitoring. The energy readings on it were wildly fluctuating, the stability curve violently swaying like an epileptic seizure, and the energy conduit connecting to the deep underground emitted an overloaded hum, its surface even beginning to show an ominous dark red hue.

"Conduit three pressure continues to rise! Restraint field is weakening!" A technician reported shrilly.

"Damn it! The 'sample's' backlash is getting stronger! Increase tranquilizer injection! Activate secondary cooling!" Zhou Weian roared his orders.

Lin Mo could clearly "see," through the editor's simulated analysis of the energy structure, a violent, chaotic, dark red energy full of pain and resentment, flowing upstream like lava along the energy conduit, frantically impacting the internal structure of generator three! That was the contaminated energy from the underground "Source Blood Pool"!

The piercing alarms in the maintenance station blared in unison, and the lights flickered wildly. Other technicians scrambled, trying to stabilize the situation, but to little avail. The contaminated energy was too violent, carrying a will to destroy everything.

Zhou Weian suddenly turned his head, his gaze fixed on Lin Mo, his eyes filled with urgency and even... a hint of desperate hope: "Lin Mo! Your 'antique'! The stable field it emits has a special nature! Can you... can you try to guide it, to soothe the energy fluctuations of generator three? Even if it's just temporarily!"

He finally showed his true colors! The so-called interview, the so-called maintenance station work, all were for this moment—to force Lin Mo to use the fragment's power when a crisis occurred, allowing them to observe it up close, and perhaps even seize the opportunity to collect data!

Lin Mo sneered inwardly, but on his face, he showed just the right amount of tension and hesitation: "I... I'll try! But I don't know if it will work, and it's very unstable right now!" He deliberately showed weakness, while his brain rapidly processed information.

This was a crisis, but also an opportunity! An opportunity to get close to and understand that contaminated core fragment, and perhaps even... do something!

He no longer hesitated, taking his left hand out of his pocket, seemingly struggling to activate the reality stabilization anchor fragment. The warm, milky-white light lit up again, but this time, Lin Mo deliberately controlled the intensity and nature of the light, making it appear as if he was struggling against some pressure, appearing somewhat unstable.

He carefully guided this controlled stable field energy towards the agitated energy conduit three.

The moment the milky-white halo touched the dark red contaminated energy on the conduit's surface, something unusual happened!

There was no fierce confrontation as expected, but rather a strange... attraction and fusion?!

The light from the fragment in Lin Mo's hand fluctuated slightly, as if it had encountered a brother of the same origin who had gone astray, conveying a complex and hard-to-understand emotion—a mix of closeness, rejection, and an instinctive urge to "purify" and "correct" it! And the dark red energy surging upstream in the conduit, upon contact with this pure light of order, actually paused slightly in its violent momentum, as if a lost beast had caught a familiar yet strange scent, experiencing a brief moment of bewilderment!

It worked! And the effect was unexpected!

The editor interface was frantically refreshing data:

Detected contact with homologous high-level energy! Analyzing... Target energy (contaminated) exhibits high 'reality stabilization anchor' characteristics, contamination source is 'high-dimensional erosion' residual consciousness and negative emotion aggregate!

Pure order energy can produce 'attraction,' 'soothing,' and weak 'purification' effects on contaminated energy!

WARNING! Direct contact carries risk of contamination! Recommended to maintain a safe distance for guidance!

"It's working! It's stabilizing!" A technician, staring at the data, shouted in surprise.

The wildly fluctuating values on generator three's screen began to drop at a visible rate, and the humming of the energy conduit also significantly weakened. Although the dark red contaminated energy still existed, it no longer violently impacted the structure as before.

Zhou Weian let out a long sigh of relief, his gaze towards Lin Mo becoming even more fervent, even with a hint of greed! "Excellent! Very good! Lin Mo, keep it up! Record all data! This is an unprecedented discovery!" He excitedly shouted to the researchers next to him.

Lin Mo sneered inwardly, but on the surface, he pretended to be exerting all his strength, looking quite strained. While continuously outputting the controlled stable field energy, soothing the contaminated energy in the conduit, he used the editor to extend his perception, like the finest tendrils, carefully downwards along the energy conduit, probing towards the "Source Blood Pool" hidden deep underground!

His perception passed through layers of protection and energy barriers, finally reaching a massive underground space filled with dark red light.

The sight before him made Lin Mo's soul tremble!

In the center of the space was a huge pool constructed from some transparent reinforced material. In the pool, viscous, dark red liquid, like a living thing, churned, emitting a nauseatingly sweet stench and an overwhelming sense of resentment and pain! This was the "Source Blood Pool"!

And in the very center of the pool, suspended was a crystal about the size of a fist, irregularly shaped, covered in black cracks! This crystal emitted a faint but pure milky-white light—the unique luster of a reality stabilization anchor core fragment! However, this light was tightly entangled, permeated, and contaminated by countless dark red energy threads, like blood vessels! These dark red threads, like parasites, continuously extracted power from the core fragment, while feeding back filth and madness!

This was the contaminated "seed of source blood"! A core fragment that had fallen into The Committee's hands, being researched and exploited by them through cruel means!

What made Lin Mo's scalp tingle even more was that around the "Source Blood Pool," dozens of smaller transparent containers were connected. Immersed in these containers were... various forms of living Corruptors! Predators, Whisperers, and even incomplete Weaver fragments! They seemed to be treated as petri dishes, interacting with the contaminated energy in the pool, emitting silent wails. Some researchers in heavy protective suits were busy recording data, oblivious to the cruel scene before them.

Illegal live experiments! Using contaminated fragment energy to feed and study Corruptors! This was the true face of the Seventh Shelter hidden beneath its order! Their so-called "research to combat Erosion" was more like playing with fire, attempting to control and utilize this destructive power!

Just then, as if sensing Lin Mo's pure homologous energy probe, the contaminated core fragment in the center of the pool suddenly vibrated violently! A clearer, more urgent thought, passed through Lin Mo's perception link!

It wasn't language, but a pure emotion and fragments of images:

—Endless darkness and whispers... (the process of being eroded and contaminated)

—Cold restraints and extraction... (captured and researched by The Committee)

—Tearing pain and assimilation... (forcibly connected to Corruptors)

—...Desire...Liberation...Return...Kindred...It was calling for help! This core fragment, possessing some consciousness, in its endless contamination and enslavement, had sensed Lin Mo, a "kindred" with homologous pure power, and let out its final wail and plea!

Lin Mo's heart felt as if it had been gripped by a cold hand! Anger, pity, and a strange sense of responsibility surged within him.

The Committee was not only enslaving survivors but also enslaving and desecrating the power that should protect the world!

He had to do something!

But for now, under the close surveillance of Zhou Weian and numerous technicians, he could do nothing.

He slowly withdrew his perception, simultaneously reducing the energy output from the fragment in his hand, pretending to be exhausted, stepping back with a "pale" face, gasping: "Research Fellow Zhou... I... I can't hold on..."

Generator three's energy readings began to fluctuate slightly again, but no longer as violently as before.

Although Zhou Weian regretted not being able to collect more data, the crisis was temporarily averted, and he also breathed a sigh of relief. His gaze towards Lin Mo became even more fervent, even with a hint of greed: "You've worked hard, Lin Mo. You and your 'antique' are even more valuable than we imagined. Go back and rest well, we'll continue tomorrow."

Lin Mo lowered his head, concealing the coldness in his eyes. He knew he was now completely targeted.

But he had also obtained crucial information—a contaminated core fragment, a cruel truth hidden beneath the Shelter, and... a potential "ally" that might turn the tide.

He gripped the warm fragment in his hand, feeling the faint resonance between it and the imprisoned core underground.

Saving it, perhaps, was saving himself, and possibly a crucial step in combating The Great Erosion.