136: Chapter 135 Two-Front Operations and Silent Infiltration

Inside the Cradle, consciousness was split into two distinct, clear-cut torrents.

On the left, the projection of the repair resonance poured out like a warm waterfall of light from the gathered collective will. Guided by the Cradle's modulation and the web weaver protocol's network, it crossed the cold void between the Earth and the Moon, precisely injecting itself into the Earth's low orbit experimental platform number 7—that aberrant node which was frantically devouring the energy of other prisms.

On the right, a cold stream of protocol data extended along another resonance channel, struggling to reach the crumbling node 2. The channel shuddered incessantly due to continuous entropy increase attacks; data packets were constantly lost or distorted during transmission, requiring real-time error correction and completion by the Cradle and the secondary threads of β-1. What they were striving for was to establish a sufficiently stable temporary authorization link with node 2, in order to generate the Covenant signature that could buy them seventy-two hours of peace.

Zhao Yan stood in the center of the ring, as if he could feel the pulse of both torrents simultaneously. One was the scorching pain of his homeland on the verge of internal collapse; the other was the coldness of a blade held against his throat from the outside. His consciousness became the anchor connecting both ends, maintaining global stability.

"Repair resonance has reached Earth orbit!" Chu Yunshen's voice came through, filled with taut anticipation. "The green soil node network is forwarding at full capacity... Injecting into the aberrant node!"

On the holographic screen, the red alert spot representing platform 7 suddenly stalled in its frantic expansion. Then, it began to slowly... contract inward. The twisted, exclusive obsession of "absolute safety" at the core of the aberrant node began to melt and disintegrate like snow meeting a warm current under the washing of the grander, more inclusive "collective guardianship" resonance.

"It's working!" Zhou Zhe stared at the real-time data transmitted back from Earth. "The aberration absorption rate has dropped by 70%! The leakage of the affected B-type prism energy has stopped! But... the aberration logic in the core area is very stubborn; full purification will take time!"

"Hold on." Lin Shen's voice was calm. "All creators, continue the resonance! Imagine light dispelling shadows, imagine clear springs washing away the filth!"

The repair was ongoing, but the speed was not fast enough. And the countdown for the scout ship beacon had already passed eleven minutes.

The link in the direction of node 2 was progressing exceptionally difficultly.

The entropy increase attack seemed to have sensed their intention to establish a stable authorization and became even more violent. The data stream was filled with self-contradictory logic traps, emotional fragments that induced panic, and endlessly repeating "meaningless" noise. The secondary threads of β-1 were like a flat boat traversing a storm, struggling to maintain the purity and direction of the link.

"The consciousness field of node 2 is extremely unstable, and its 'authorization confirmation' signal is intermittent." β-1's report came through via a sub-thread. "The Cradle is attempting to forcefully stabilize the surrounding area with order beacons, but the effect is limited. It is estimated that complete signature generation... will still take at least sixteen minutes."

Sixteen minutes, plus the eleven minutes that had already passed, made twenty-seven minutes. With only three minutes of buffer remaining until the thirty-minute time limit given by the scout ship.

Three minutes on the edge of a knife.

"Ashes, any new developments with the scout ship?" Zhao Yan asked.

"The beacon is still transmitting, no changes. But the scout ship itself... has begun to slowly advance towards the Chaos Concentration Zone, appearing to make tactical preparations. The main branch of the Scavenger has also accelerated synchronously; they might both be preparing for an attack after 'no response'." Ashes' voice lowered. "The hidden blade can no longer get closer; the chaos radiation and the scanning intensity of the Pruning Faction in that area are both skyrocketing."

"Continue monitoring."

Time ticked away second by second. Inside the bridge, there was only the low hum of instruments and people's suppressed breathing.

The projection of the repair resonance continued to output stably, and the Earth's aberrant node had been suppressed to 40% of its original size, but the remaining part was exceptionally tough.

The authorization link for node 2 was like a candle in the wind, with every data exchange accompanied by a large number of error corrections.

Countdown: 18 minutes.

Just in this suffocating tension, Zhou Zhe, who had been silently monitoring the overall system status of the Cradle, suddenly let out a soft exclamation.

"The underlying protocol layer of the Cradle... has detected extremely faint abnormal data ripples. It's not from an external attack, nor is it an internal operation... It's like the system's own... 'metabolic' product? But the waveform characteristics cannot be identified."

Lin Shen was immediately alert: "Specific characteristics?"

"The frequency is extremely low, the amplitude is tiny, almost blending into the background noise. But its information entropy... presents a strange 'uniform mixed state of order and chaos', which does not conform to any known characteristics of the Covenant system protocols." Zhou Zhe magnified the captured data fragments. "It seems to have 'seeped' in from the shielded interface between the Cradle and the Chaos Concentration Zone."

Seeped in. This word made Zhao Yan and Lin Shen, who was far away on Earth, feel a chill in their hearts simultaneously.

"Analyze the source immediately! Strengthen the interface shielding!" Zhao Yan ordered.

"Analyzing... The source points to the depths of the Chaos Concentration Zone, associated with the coordinates of the divine remains. But the intensity is too weak to determine whether it is an active infiltration by the divine remains, or if a part of its natural dissipation was accidentally 'filtered' in by our shielding layer." Zhou Zhe operated rapidly. "Strengthening shielding... Complete. The abnormal ripples have disappeared."

Disappeared? Was it accidental, or did the other party stop after noticing?

"Continue monitoring this interface, raise sensitivity to the maximum." Lin Shen's voice carried deep thought. "The state of the divine remains may be more... 'active' than we imagined."

This small episode was temporarily recorded, but the seeds of doubt had been quietly planted.

Countdown: 12 minutes.

"The authorization signal for node 2 has stabilized!" The secondary thread of β-1 brought good news. "The final confirmation data packet has been sent, signature generation has entered the final sequence!"

"Earth aberrant node purification progress: 78%!" Chu Yunshen's voice was also filled with excitement. "The core aberration logic is about to disintegrate!"

Both lines saw the dawn.

However, just the moment before the authorization signature for node 2 was about to take shape—

A mutation occurred again!

Inside the Cradle, the main channel used to transport the repair resonance suddenly experienced violent, irregular tremors! The warm flow of light that had been flowing smoothly toward Earth was rudely stirred by an invisible hand, instantly becoming chaotic and turbid!

"The repair resonance channel is being interfered with!" Zhou Zhe exclaimed. "The source of interference... is from the direction of Earth? No, 'clutter' has appeared inside the channel itself! The clutter characteristics... match part of the abnormal ripples detected just now!"

Those faintly seeped-in "breaths," mixed with order and chaos, were actually invading the Cradle system in reverse along the repair resonance channel, interfering with the ongoing repair process that highly relied on pure will!

In Earth's orbit, the aberrant node that had just been suppressed seemed to have been stimulated, and the remaining aberration logic suddenly counterattacked! The absorption rate soared again!

"The repair resonance has been contaminated!" Chu Yunshen's voice carried despair. "The 'purity' of the resonance is dropping, the aberrant node is adapting and in turn using the contaminated resonance to restore itself!"

"Cut the channel! Immediately!" Zhao Yan decided decisively.

"Cannot cut!" The core thread of β-1 sent an urgent stop. "The repair process has reached a critical moment; forcibly cutting it will cause the aberration logic to explosively spread out of control, potentially contaminating the entire green soil network! We must maintain the channel while purifying the contaminated parts!"

"What is needed for purification?"

"A higher purity 'order benchmark' is needed to offset the contamination!" β-1 analyzed quickly. "The Cradle can provide it, but it will significantly disperse the computing power used to maintain the authorization signature for node 2! Both cannot be satisfied at the same time!"

Another dilemma. Save the Earth's defense line, or fight for external time?

"Split the computing power!" Lin Shen's voice was resolute. "Prioritize the purification of the repair resonance! If the Earth defense line collapses, everything is over! External time... gamble on it! β-1, use all your remaining resources to maintain the authorization link for node 2, even if the signature is incomplete, send out a valid 'response signal'! We need even the smallest possibility of negotiation!"

"Understood!" The core light of β-1 suddenly contracted, almost all resources were invested in the purification and guidance of the repair resonance, leaving only the thinnest thread to barely maintain the precarious link with node 2.

The Cradle's computing power was redistributed. A warm and resilient order benchmark flow poured into the repair channel, like a clear spring pouring into a turbid stream, beginning to arduously separate and neutralize those eerie mixed contaminations. The aberration counterattack in the direction of Earth was curbed again, but the process became slow and painful.

And the signature generation process in the direction of node 2 almost came to a standstill. The data stream was intermittent, and the final signature sequence got stuck when it reached 87%.

Countdown: 5 minutes.

The scout ship began to adjust its posture, and the energy collector at its bow glowed with an ominous faint light.

The front end of the Scavenger's main branch had already touched the outermost chaotic turbulence of the Chaos Concentration Zone.

Countdown: 3 minutes.

The purification of the repair resonance was more than half complete, and the Earth's aberrant node was suppressed back to 20%.

The signature sequence for node 2 was still stuck at 87%.

Countdown: 2 minutes.

The abnormal data ripples inside the Cradle appeared again, this time, clearer, as if "observing" their struggle.

Countdown: 1 minute.

The brightness of the scout ship's energy collector reached its peak.

One-tenth of the Scavenger's massive invisible body had already submerged into the edge light of the Chaos Concentration Zone.

"β-1!" Zhao Yan growled.

"Currently... forcefully... completing..." β-1's voice was intermittent and weak; the thread maintaining the link had reached its limit.

Finally, in the last thirty seconds, the stuck signature sequence suddenly jumped forward—89%... 91%... 94%... Then, in the last three seconds before the countdown hit zero, it arduously climbed to... 98%.

An incomplete, but barely recognizable "incomplete signature" of the Covenant permission framework, accompanied by a short "observation request" compiled jointly by the Cradle and β-1, was launched along the response frequency specified by the scout ship's beacon.

The signal streaked across the starry sky and plunged into the restless airspace on the periphery of the Chaos Concentration Zone.

The light of the scout ship's energy collector flickered slightly at the moment the signal arrived. Then, it began to... slowly dim.

It had "received" it.

A ten-second dead silence.

Subsequently, the scout ship's general communication channel (unencrypted) was actively opened, and a cold, flat, synthetic voice with no emotional fluctuations came out:

"Signal received. Signature verification in progress..."

"Verification result: Signature incompleteness 2%, but the core Covenant permission framework is recognizable. Source confirmed as a secondary node (Cradle) of the 'web weaver protocol' and associated consciousness entities."

"In accordance with the 'Temporary Observation and Assessment Protocol', this ship 'shadows touch' accepts the request and enters a seventy-two standard hour observation period."

"During the observation period, this ship will suspend all offensive and highly intrusive detection actions, maintaining only basic monitoring. Do not leave this area (centered on the beacon, a spherical area with a radius of 0.5 light-years), and avoid any activities that may be judged as 'high-risk chaos catalysis' or 'abuse of Covenant heritage'."

"After seventy-two hours, this ship will re-evaluate and take corresponding actions based on the observation results. Over."

Communication cut off.

The scout ship's energy collector extinguished completely, and the ship entered a low-power suspension state, with only the scanning arrays on the surface still rotating slowly.

The Scavenger's main branch, after the scout ship stopped its actions, also seemed to have lost a clear "target," and the part that had penetrated deep into the Chaos Concentration Zone began to become hesitant and slow, as if it were re-evaluating the environment.

The pressure was temporarily relieved.

Seventy-two hours.

They had gambled for seventy-two hours with an incomplete signature.

On the bridge, no one cheered. There was only the sound of heavy breathing as if they had survived a disaster.

Zhou Zhe slumped in the engineering chair, cold sweat soaking his clothes. Maintaining dual-line operations, especially the extreme squeezing at the last moment, had almost exhausted his mind.

The light of β-1 dimmed to the point of almost extinguishing, requiring a long period of silent recovery.

On the Earth side, Chu Yunshen reported that the aberrant node was finally purified, but the number 7 platform and the three surrounding B-type prisms that participated in the repair were completely scrapped and needed to be replaced. The manufacturing progress of the A-type prisms was delayed as a result.

However, they had won time.

Zhao Yan looked at the colorful chaotic light outside the porthole, and then at the abnormal data ripples that had not completely dissipated inside the Cradle.

"Lin Shen," he connected to the channel, his voice hoarse. "The scout ship gave us seventy-two hours. But inside us... it seems like something else has mixed in."

Lin Shen was in the command center, with a deeper analysis report on those abnormal ripples just marked by the technology tree system in front of him. At the end of the report was a bold red warning:

"Detected infiltration of unknown high-dimensional information carrier. The carrier possesses 'meme-level' self-replication and adaptability. The current carrier is in a dormant state, with unknown activation conditions. Recommendation: Initiate the highest-level consciousness and system isolation protocol."

The dormant "breath" from the divine remains.

It was like a silent seed that had already fallen into their system.

And after seventy-two hours, what they would have to face might not just be the re-evaluation of the scout ship.

There was also the fruit that this seed might bear, which no one could predict.

The runes of the Cradle slowly emerged, carrying an unprecedented solemnity:

"Observational contact program ready. Should it be executed after system self-check and purification as originally planned?"

Contact with the divine remains had now become more complex and dangerous.

But perhaps, it was also the only chance to figure out what that "seed" really was.

Zhao Yan took a deep breath.

"Execute. But before the contact, I want to know what exactly is going on with this 'ticking time bomb' inside us."