69: Pipe Horror and Core Chamber

The submersible dove into the deep, dark maintenance pipe like a startled fish. Behind it, the sharp alarms from that massive crystalline compound eye and the aftershocks of energy bombardments still echoed at the entrance.

"Full speed ahead! Get away from the entrance area!" Shadow ordered urgently. The Order Shield he had sustained had consumed a massive amount of energy during the recent attack, and the blue light on his armor had dimmed significantly.

The submersible accelerated frantically within the narrow pipe. The passage wound and twisted, its inner walls covered in a viscous biological film and pulsating energy conduits that emitted a nauseating, fishy-sweet smell and chaotic energy fluctuations. The spine-chilling sounds of scraping and hissing echoed from all sides; clearly, Scrin defense units had been alerted and were closing in through the pipe system.

"Something's catching up! It's moving fast!" Ghost stared at the rear sensors, his voice tense.

"Release interference decoys!" The Artisan operated the console, and the submersible's tail released several small decoys simulating its own energy signature.

A few seconds later, a violent explosion and angry roars came from behind. The pursuers' speed visibly faltered.

"The decoys worked! But they won't hold for long!"

"Look for a fork in the road! Shake them off!"

The submersible wove desperately through the labyrinthine network of pipes. Shadow closed his eyes, fully pushing the keystone's resonance in an attempt to find a path to the base's core area. The keystone sent a faint sense of guidance toward the direction where energy fluctuations were most dense.

"Turn left! The third fork!" Shadow directed based on his intuition.

The submersible swerved sharply into a wider pipe. The energy flow here was even more turbulent, with purple crystals that emitted strong light embedded in the pipe walls, and the air was thick with the ozone smell of high-voltage electricity.

"Energy levels are rising sharply! We might be approaching an important area!" the Artisan reported.

Suddenly, a heavy alloy gate covered in energy patterns appeared at the end of the pipe! The gate was tightly shut, but there was a structure resembling a control node beside it.

"The gate is locked! Attempting to crack it!" The Artisan immediately manipulated a mechanical arm to interface with the control node.

"The pursuers are catching up again!" Ghost warned. The sensors showed several high-speed energy signals rapidly approaching from behind!

"I need time!" Cold sweat poured down the Artisan's forehead as the cracking program ran at high speed.

"I'll hold them off!" Shadow took a deep breath and once again forcibly channeled Order Energy. He opened the top hatch of the submersible, leaned half his body out, and raised the Chrono Emitter toward the passage behind them!

Several 'Scavenger' units, shaped like giant scorpions and covered entirely in purple shells, were scuttling rapidly along the pipe walls!

"Chrono Freeze!"

Blue light enveloped the passage, and the movements of the first few Scavengers instantly became extremely sluggish!

Bang! Bang! Shadow fired precise shots, the chrono-rays hitting their joints and energy cores to paralyze them! But more Scavengers were swarming forward!

"Gate cracking complete!" the Artisan shouted!

The heavy alloy gate slowly slid open to both sides!

"Get inside, quick!"

The submersible's engine roared as it charged through the newly opened gap! Shadow retracted into the cabin at the last moment, tossing a high-explosive grenade behind him!

Boom!

The grenade exploded in the passage, temporarily blocking the pursuers.

The gate slammed shut behind them, sealing the pursuers outside.

The four people inside the submersible breathed a temporary sigh of relief, but were immediately shocked by the sight before them.

Beyond the gate was no longer a narrow pipe, but a massive spherical chamber! In the center of the chamber floated a huge core, entwined with countless purple energy conduits and pulsating like a heart! The core emitted a suffocating energy pressure; it was the energy source for the entire base!

Connected below the core were several more complex control terminals, with waterfall-like streams of incomprehensible symbols and data flowing across them! One terminal displayed a massive progress bar that was constantly sending a signal—it was the very summoning signal pointing outside the Solar System!

"We found it! The signal transmission terminal!" Ghost said excitedly.

"And that energy core—if we can destroy it..." A flash of determination crossed the Artisan's eyes.

But the chamber was not empty. Several Scrin elite guards, 'Destroyers' with even more ferocious designs and heavy armor, stood like statues around the core! They seemed to have been alerted by the recent commotion and were slowly turning around, their cold compound eyes locking onto the intruding submersible!

Worst of all, the only exit from the chamber was the gate they had just entered, and the pursuers outside were frantically ramming against it!

They hadn't broken into a way out, but into the core chamber of a dead end!