68: The Abyss Beneath the Ice and the Alien Nest

Like an invisible ghost, the Phase Submersible silently sliced through Europa's thin atmosphere, finally landing on the vast, white wasteland crisscrossed with ice fractures. The landing site was meticulously selected by the wind chaser, situated at the edge of a massive ice rift where geological activity was relatively high and the ice layer thinner, far from known dense Scrin sensor zones.

"Landed. External temperature is minus 160 degrees Celsius; ice thickness is approximately two kilometers," Artisan reported the data.

"Initiate ice penetration procedure," Shadow ordered.

A specialized Phase Drill extended from the bottom of the submersible, surrounded by a high-frequency oscillating Phase Field. The drill started with only a low hum, devoid of any violent roar. Under the influence of the Phase Field, the molecular structure of the hard ice was temporarily weakened, and the drill slowly sank into the ice surface like a hot knife through butter.

The descent was long and oppressive. Outside the window was an eternal, suffocating deep blue, with only the submersible's own lights reflecting off the ice walls in a ghostly glow. The numbers on the depth gauge ticked up continuously as the atmosphere grew heavy.

"Large cavity detected below! Distance is approximately 1,800 meters!" Specter suddenly reported, having been monitoring the sonar and ground-penetrating radar.

"Slow down and approach with caution." Shadow focused his mind as the keystone within his body sent a faint sensation—there was a powerful source of chaotic energy below.

The submersible pierced through the final layer of ice, and the view suddenly opened up!

They had entered a massive subterranean ocean hidden beneath the ice! The seawater was pitch black but emitted a faint bioluminescence, with countless bizarre, eyeless creatures surviving on geothermal and chemical energy swimming in the darkness. And suspended beneath the ice dome above this deep sea was a gargantuan alien structure emitting a faint purple glow!

That was the Scrin base!

It wasn't built on the seabed; instead, it hung from the top of the ice dome like an inverted honeycomb! The base was composed of countless thick, pulsating purple organic pipes and crystalline structures shimmering with energy, with numerous small Scrin units flitting in and out of the pipes like worker bees. At the center of the base was a constantly rotating energy vortex emitting a powerful suction, seemingly drawing energy from Europa's ocean and geothermal heat!

The energy fluctuations emitted by the entire base were full of aggression, chaos, and greed!

"My god," Hawkeye's voice came through the comms; even from the mini-sub above the ice, he could see the scene through the data link. "This scale is more than ten times larger than that hive on Mars!"

"Scan the base structure and look for possible entry points," Shadow ordered, suppressing the shock in his heart.

Specter operated the equipment: "The base's external defenses are extremely tight, with full energy shield coverage. However, those thick energy transport pipes seem to have maintenance access hatches where the shield strength is relatively weak. We might be able to break through there."

"Lock onto the nearest pipe entrance," Shadow decided. A frontal assault was impossible; they had to risk an internal infiltration.

The submersible entered silent mode and glided noiselessly toward that terrifying inverted hive like a deep-sea torpedo. As they drew closer, its sheer size and sense of oppression became even more palpable. The purple light reflecting in the pitch-black seawater appeared exceptionally eerie.

They successfully approached a massive energy pipe with a diameter of several dozen meters. The pipe's surface was covered in a viscous, seemingly living biological membrane, with an inconspicuous maintenance hatch hidden beneath it.

"Artisan, you're up."

Artisan controlled the submersible's mechanical arm, using a specialized Phase Cutter to carefully slice open the biological membrane, revealing the alloy hatch behind it. He used cracking equipment to attempt to bypass the door lock.

"The lock system is very complex, using dual verification of bioelectric signals and energy codes. It'll take time," Artisan said, sweat appearing on his forehead.

Minutes and seconds ticked by, each one feeling like an ordeal. In the distance, Scrin patrol units occasionally cruised past.

"Hurry up," Specter whispered, nervously monitoring the surroundings.

Suddenly, the keystone inside Shadow's body sent a sharp, intense pain!

"Warning! A high-energy reaction is approaching rapidly! From inside the base!" Shadow growled.

No sooner had he spoken than a massive compound eye made of purple crystals suddenly opened on the pipe wall next to the maintenance hatch! The compound eye locked onto the submersible with a death stare!

They had been discovered!

"Oh no! It's a Living Defense System!" Artisan exclaimed in shock.

A piercing purple light lit up at the center of the compound eye, and a high-voltage energy stream instantly shot toward the submersible!

"Evasive maneuvers!" Shadow roared, while simultaneously putting all his effort into raising the Order Shield!

"Boom!"

The energy stream slammed hard into the shield, causing the submersible to vibrate violently and the shield's energy to plummet!

"Hatch bypass complete! Get in, now!" Artisan finished the crack amidst the jolting, and the hatch slid open!

"Charge in!" Shadow acted decisively.