90: Lunar Resonance and the Light of Hope

The alarm for the loss of control of the Lunar Ruin core rang like a death knell in the hearts of everyone on the bridge of "hope." Once the core, which had gathered the energy of the five major beacons, went out of control, its explosion would be powerful enough to tear the Moon apart. The resulting fragments and energy impact would sweep through the entire Earth-Moon system, and Earth would also suffer a catastrophic disaster!

The "star link project" had not only failed to save Earth but had instead pushed both planets to the brink of destruction!

"Commander! Moon Base is requesting an emergency evacuation! Core energy readings are soaring exponentially! It's expected to reach the critical point within three minutes!" The communications officer's voice was hoarse with despair.

"It's too late! A large-scale evacuation takes at least ten minutes!" Colonel Falcon's face was deathly pale.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Sun Zheng. He was the holder of the keystone, the initiator of the project, and the only person now who could possibly turn the tide.

Sun Zheng stared intently at the expanding energy storm on the main screen, laced with purple-black light on the lunar surface. He could feel the glimmer keystone on his chest vibrating violently because of the core's loss of control, as if it were wailing, or perhaps... angry?

No, it wasn't anger. It was a deeper, almost desecrated... instinctive counter-impulse of order!

The keystone and the ruin core shared the same origin; a fundamental energy connection existed between them. The invasion of chaotic energy not only damaged the core but also trampled upon the dignity of order itself!

"There's still a way!" A glint of determination flashed in Sun Zheng's eyes. "The chaotic energy can pollute the core because it has severed the core's connection to the source of order! I will use the keystone to re-establish the connection, forcibly 'purify' the core, and guide the energy to release smoothly!"

"This is too dangerous! Commander! You'll be torn apart by the out-of-control energy torrent!" Falcon exclaimed.

"There's no time to argue! This is our only hope!" Sun Zheng said decisively. He immediately gave orders into the communicator: "Moon Base, all personnel enter the deepest anti-impact bunkers immediately! Repeat, enter the bunkers immediately! Falcon, command 'hope' and all ships to evacuate to a safe distance and prepare for the possible shockwave!"

"Commander!"

"Execute the order!"

Sun Zheng said no more and turned to rush toward the Chronosphere Teleportation room at the rear of the bridge. He had to teleport to the vicinity of the Lunar Ruin core before the energy went completely out of control!

On "hope," everyone watched Sun Zheng's resolute back, their eyes moistening. Colonel Falcon took a deep breath, suppressed the grief and worry in his heart, and roared hoarsely: "All ships, hear my command! Execute the Commander's orders! Maximum combat speed, evacuate to the safe zone!"

The Chronosphere's blue light lit up, and Sun Zheng's figure vanished instantly.

The next moment, he appeared on the teleportation platform in the core hall of the "Guanghan Palace" base on the Moon. The scene before him was like hell: sparks flew everywhere in the hall, the light paths on the walls flickered and twisted wildly, and the central ruin core device was severely deformed. Its surface was covered with a layer of writhing purple-black energy, eroding the internal blue light like a living thing. A violent energy storm was forming!

Sun Zheng rushed toward the core without hesitation! With every step closer, the sense of erosion from the chaotic energy grew stronger, as if countless crazed thoughts were tearing at his mind. The blue light from the keystone on his chest flared, forming a shield that struggled to hold out.

"In the name of order... return!" Sun Zheng pressed both hands against the most heavily polluted part of the core device, pouring in all his mental power, willpower, and all the Order Energy contained within the glimmer keystone without reservation!

This was a life-and-death struggle on an energy level! The blue light of order and the purple-black chaotic energy clashed and annihilated each other violently inside the core! Sun Zheng felt as if his soul had been thrown into a furnace; the intense pain and the void whisper almost swallowed him!

But he clung to a sliver of clarity in his mind, with only one conviction: Guide it! Purify it!

The light of the keystone grew more and more intense, as if sensing its host's determination. Some sleeping, older will deep within it seemed to be partially awakened. The energy of order became purer and more majestic, beginning to suppress and purify the purple-black chaotic energy bit by bit.

The vibration of the core device gradually weakened, the purple-black patches on the surface began to recede, and the internal blue light became bright and stable once again.

"Energy readings are starting to drop! Core stability restored!" the monitor in the Moon Base bunker shouted in surprise.

Success! With the keystone and his own will, Sun Zheng had forcibly pulled it back from the brink of loss of control!

However, at the very last moment before the core was completely stabilized, the mass of purple-black chaotic energy that had been forced out of the core emitted an unwilling shriek, as if it were alive. It suddenly condensed into a beam, not attacking Sun Zheng, but shooting toward... the direction of Earth!

Its target was still Earth's Abyss Anchor Point! It wanted to inject its final strength into that terrifying avatar being nurtured!

Sun Zheng wanted to stop it, but he was exhausted and could only watch as that chaotic energy vanished into the void.

The lunar crisis was resolved. Once the core stabilized, the star link stabilization field began to slowly cover Earth again. Although its power was weakened, it could still serve as a suppression.

"hope" returned to lunar orbit and picked up the exhausted Sun Zheng.

Standing on the bridge, looking at the Earth below gradually being covered by a pale blue light film and the Moon in the distance that had temporarily regained its calm, Sun Zheng felt no joy in his heart.

He had prevented an imminent disaster, but the "void whisper" erosion of Earth had not stopped. How powerful would that avatar in the Abyss become after absorbing the last bit of chaotic energy?

The star link project had only delayed the apocalypse, not eradicated the source of the trouble. The true final battle had not yet arrived.

But, hope remained.

He turned and looked out the porthole at the boundless starry sky, toward the Oort Cloud.

"wind chaser, report your situation."

"Commander!" Captain Renault's voice came through, filled with uncontrollable excitement. "We have established a stable connection with the order beacon! We... we received a response from the 'Seed Vault'! A coordinate... a coordinate hidden deep within the nebula! The final legacy of the Guardian is right there!"

Sun Zheng's eyes suddenly lit up.