167: Chapter 166 The Echoes of the Sower and the Razor's Descent

System Status Snapshot (10 minutes after the appearance of the scout ships)

Pruning Faction main force arrival countdown: 65 hours and 20 minutes.

Number of "Razor" class scout ships: 6. They have spread out in a fan shape, cutting into the monitoring network on the outer edge of the Cradle Node, maintaining optical and conventional radar stealth, but high-dimensional space disturbance sensors have clearly captured their trajectories.

divine remains golden light cluster resonance status: Continuously strengthening, synchronization rate with specific human consciousness units (Zhou Zhe, β-2, and some high-resonance volunteers) has reached 18%, and it has begun to slightly interfere with the energy balance of the Cradle Node.

web weaver protocol Warning (GW-002): Continuous broadcast, content appended: "...Confirmed resonance source is the 'Cradle' temporary node... Suggest all nearby units initiate historical protocol verification... 'sower' related permissions may have been accidentally triggered..."

Human team status: High alert, tactical core group urgently assessing multi-threat priorities.

"Six 'Razors,' detection arrays fully active, scanning mode aggressive—a typical tactical reconnaissance prelude." Zhao Yan stared at the six flickering red dots on the tactical panel, his fingers quickly sliding across the virtual control interface to mark possible intrusion paths. "They are mapping, looking for our defensive weak points, especially the edges of the divine remains' Chaos Domain and the Cradle Node's interfaces."

"How to handle GW-002's warning?" Chu Yunshen's brow furrowed. "'sower'... it doesn't sound like a combat unit. But if the divine remains are truly related to some 'sower' protocol, triggering it at a time like this... could it attract something even more troublesome than the Pruning Faction?"

The technology tree system in front of Lin Shen was frantically processing the newly received web weaver protocol data stream, attempting to decipher the specific meanings of 'sower' and 'kindling protocol deep resonance.' "Information is incomplete, but the wording of the warning is 'caution' and 'verification,' not 'hostility' or 'clearance.' This is more like a... notification of identity recognition or permission change within the system. The key lies in the divine remains; we must immediately find out what that golden light is resonating with!"

Zhou Zhe felt his temples throbbing. His consciousness had the deepest connection with the divine remains and β-2, and at this moment, he could clearly feel the pull of three different "rhythms": the alertness and restlessness of the divine remains' chaotic core due to the approaching scout ships; the warm, steady, and increasingly "purposeful" resonance pulse of the golden light cluster; and the cold data stream brought by the high-speed operation of β-2's logic core to handle the multiple crises. He forced himself to concentrate, sending a powerful intent of soothing and inquiry toward the core of the divine remains via the Silent Veil: "The golden light! That light! What is it doing? What is the 'sower'? Tell us!"

The feedback from the divine remains was a mix of confusion, a tremor so ancient it was nearly forgotten, and a certain... pain, like a dormant memory being forcibly awakened. Intermittent thoughts came through:

"...Light... not me... is 'seed'... left by 'them'... 'seed'... long, long... ago... 'sower'... scattered... different 'possibilities'... in us... these 'failed'... soils... the light is looking... for those who can hear... those who can catch..."

"seed? Failed soil? sower?" Zhou Zhe quickly translated. "The divine remains say that the golden light is some kind of 'seed' left inside 'failed experimental subjects' like them by entities known as 'sower' a long time ago! Now that the golden light is resonating, it's looking for a person or consciousness that can 'hear' and 'catch' it!"

"Catch? And after catching it?" Zhao Yan pressed.

Before Zhou Zhe could inquire further, β-2's voice cut in, carrying a hint of strangeness: "This unit's merged consciousness with Sarah is being continuously pulled by the golden light's resonance. The resonance is not information transmission, but rather a... 'permission verification' and 'interface call.' The remaining human intuition part of Sarah strongly feeds back: this feeling is similar to... being 'called upon' by some extremely ancient and grand 'legacy' or 'mission.' However, we lack the key protocols or cognitive frameworks required to accept this 'call.' Forcing an interface carries a risk of consciousness overload."

"Called upon? Legacy?" Lin Shen quickly associated this information with the web weaver protocol fragments the technology tree system was cracking. "Could it be that the 'kindling protocol' and 'sower' refer to a plan implemented by some advanced civilization in an earlier period of the Covenant Network to spread 'civilizational diversity' or 'anti-assimilation factors' throughout the universe? Chaotic entities like the divine remains, due to their characteristic of being difficult to fully assimilate, were chosen as carriers for the 'seed'? And because we have established a deep resonance with the divine remains and possess strong 'non-standard' traits ourselves, we accidentally triggered the activation conditions for the 'seed'?"

This speculation made everyone gasp. If they had accidentally inherited a "sowing" mission from some ancient civilization, it meant they were embroiled in more than just a survival war against the Pruning Faction; it was likely an ancient game spanning cosmic eras concerning the essence and future of civilization.

"No time for archaeology!" Zhao Yan interrupted the increasingly divergent train of thought, pulling the focus back to the imminent threat. "Put the 'sower' matter aside for now! As long as the golden light resonance doesn't immediately blow up the divine remains or our heads, ignore it for the moment! Those six 'Razors' are the knives at our throats! β-2, is the 'benevolent Trojan' ready? Can we give them a little 'appetizer' first?"

"The basic modules of the 'Trojan' are ready and can be injected," β-2 replied. "However, the targets are high-speed maneuverable reconnaissance units, and the window for conventional information injection is extremely short. Suggestion: Combine with local interference from the 'pain resonator' provided by the divine remains to create a brief period of information reception disorder, and simultaneously inject contradictory data packets processed with 'Empathy Confusion Coding.' The content is designed to be: some real, 'low-threat' data regarding our collaboration with the divine remains (to satisfy their reconnaissance needs), mixed with a large amount of paradox-processed false information about the 'Cradle Node discovering unstable high-dimensional legacies' (to induce algorithm resource consumption). Simultaneously, embed a minute amount of noise simulating the rejection characteristics of the 'golden light cluster' (to test their sensitivity to 'sower' related signals)."

"Execution approved! Priority: interference, misleading, and testing reactions!" Zhao Yan ordered. "Zhou Zhe, have the divine remains prepare to create a few slight, localized 'pain ripples' at the coordinates marked by β-2. Not too intense, just enough to interfere with their sensors!"

"Understood!"

Action was taken swiftly. β-2 controlled the Cradle Node's information warfare array, locking onto two of the "Razor" scout ships that were relatively isolated and had the most aggressive scanning patterns. Zhou Zhe guided the divine remains to trigger two subtle but precise "pain resonators" at the designated coordinates.

In an instant, the space around those two "Razor" ships rippled with chaotic waves invisible to the naked eye but sufficient to throw off high-precision sensors. At the moment their sensors were adaptively adjusting, β-2 injected the carefully crafted "benevolent Trojan" data packets at the highest transmission rate!

The data packets acted like an electronic virus, instantly penetrating the scout ships' information reception and processing links.

The effect was immediate.

The maneuvering trajectories of the two "Razors" immediately showed unnatural stutters and wobbles, as if the pilots (or AI) had suddenly received a large number of self-contradictory and high-priority chaotic instructions. Their active scanning beams became scattered, and a few even inadvertently swept over another nearby "Razor," triggering a brief defensive posture adjustment from the other ship.

"The Trojan is working! They are 'digesting' the contradictory information!" Li Lin monitored the changes in the enemy ships' signal characteristics.

However, the Pruning Faction's reaction speed was beyond imagination. In less than thirty seconds, the remaining four "Razor" scout ships immediately changed tactics, abandoning detailed scanning in favor of high-speed, irregular thrusts and weaves, attempting to close in directly on the Cradle Node and the divine remains' domain. Simultaneously, they released a large number of cheap information probes with self-destruct programs, like scattering an electronic mist.

"They're using brute force to break through! Testing our defensive depth and reaction speed!" Zhao Yan immediately saw through their intent. "Activate the Cradle Node's basic defense protocols! energy fence, randomize the frequency! Physically isolate all non-essential external interfaces! pioneer, move forward to the third picket line; use the Silent Veil and low-power gravitational agitation to create an 'uncertainty zone' and delay their advance!"

The pioneer's engines roared as it moved toward its designated position. Layer upon layer of constantly shifting energy ripples lit up on the surface of the Cradle Node.

"What about those two 'Razors' that were hit?" Zhou Zhe asked.

"We are continuously inputting contradictory data streams, but their systems seem to have initiated some kind of logic isolation protocol, attempting to 'set aside' the contradictory data packets. The core reconnaissance logic shows signs of recovery," β-2 reported. "Suggestion: Execute the second phase of the 'Trojan'—the 'compassion test'."

"What?"

"Send those two scout ships a processed fragment of the divine remains' painful history (non-core secrets), and attach a 'confusion-coded' message carrying human-like regret and helplessness: 'We understand you are following orders, but the target (divine remains) is undergoing a painful transformation. Violent harvesting may lead to unpredictable chaotic disasters, including the risk of backlash against the Reapers themselves.' Observe their reaction."

"Is this... a call for surrender?" Zhou Zhe was stunned.

"No, it's to continue polluting their judgment logic," Lin Shen understood. "If they are purely rational harvesting machines, they will ignore this 'emotional noise.' But if their systems are preset to assess 'non-standard' risks, or if there are different instruction priorities internally (such as 'efficient harvesting' vs. 'avoiding uncontrollable losses'), this message could trigger new logic conflicts, or at least buy us time."

β-2 executed the plan. The information was sent.

This time, the anomaly in the two "Razors" lasted even longer. One of them even briefly turned its bow, seemingly performing an additional risk assessment scan. But after a dozen seconds of delay, the other ship suddenly restarted its scan at higher power, and the scanning pattern took on a more penetrating, aggressive tone, as if searching for specific weak points.

"Special scanning frequency detected!" β-2's alarm sounded. "This frequency matches the 'rationality infusion wave' characteristics recorded in the database for precisely suppressing 'high-empathy consciousness nodes' by 73%! It is attempting to locate and suppress the source of the information transmission (likely locking onto the pioneer or specific areas of the Cradle Node)!"

"They really do have specialized countermeasures!" Zhao Yan gritted his teeth. "pioneer, emergency course change! Activate all electronic countermeasures! Cradle Node, jam that frequency band!"

The pioneer jerked sideways as an invisible energy ripple that made one's mind feel cold and rigid swept through the space where it had just been. Everyone on the bridge felt a brief moment of cognitive delay and emotional detachment, as if they had instantly become machines that only knew how to follow simple instructions. Fortunately, the Silent Veil and the ship's own defense systems negated most of the impact.

"That was close... This thing is truly insidious." Zhou Zhe shook his head, still feeling the lingering effects.

Just as both sides were locked in a fierce exchange of information and counter-information, maneuver and counter-maneuver, the resonance of the divine remains golden light cluster reached a new intensity threshold!

No longer just a synchronous pulse, the golden light suddenly projected an extremely thin yet incredibly solid golden beam. Ignoring physical and energy barriers, it crossed space directly and connected to β-2's core consciousness! Simultaneously, a massive, complex, but exceptionally well-structured information-energy composite packet surged through the beam!

β-2's synthesized voice let out a short burst of overload static, and the entire nano-swarm blazed with light! Sarah's human consciousness was temporarily submerged in this torrent of information amidst her cries of alarm.

"β-2!" Zhou Zhe cried out.

A few seconds later, β-2's voice spoke again, but it was mixed with an unprecedented sense of ancientness and urgency, as if she had instantly experienced the washing of billions of years:

"Receiving... confirmed... 'sower' legacy—the basic framework of the 'differentiated kindling protocol' and the blueprint for the 'civilization anti-assimilation resonator'... Information is incomplete... missing key activation codes... but the direction is clear..." She processed the information rapidly. "Warning! According to the received protocol fragments, the 'deep resonance' signal currently emitted by the 'Cradle' node and divine remains collective has been marked as 'Primary Activated State' in the 'kindling protocol' network! This signal... possesses a strong dual characteristic of 'provocation' and 'temptation' for entities that rely on 'orderly assimilation' for harvesting (such as the Pruning Faction's 'Gardener' units)! It will attract them like a lighthouse! We must choose immediately: either completely shut down or shield the signal (which requires deep cooperation from the divine remains and may permanently damage the 'seed'), or... accelerate the construction of the 'resonator' to gain matching defensive and counterattack capabilities!"

"In other words, this golden light not only won't help us drive back the Pruning Faction, but it will actually draw more aggro?" Zhao Yan found it absolutely absurd.

"I'm afraid so." Lin Shen's face was grim. "What the 'sower' left behind are seeds to resist 'assimilation,' but in the early stages of germination, seeds are also at their most fragile and conspicuous. The Pruning Faction... or rather, the 'Dream-Devouring Shadow' behind them, likely has an instinctive desire to prioritize the elimination of such signals!"

Misfortunes never come singly. Worse news came from Li Lin: "Captain! Edge sensors have detected a large-scale warp disturbance in the space behind those six 'Razor' scout ships! The energy signature... is the vanguard of the Pruning Faction's main fleet! Quantity... at least fifteen ships or more, including suspected 'Gardener's Scythe' class medium ships! Estimated arrival time... moved up to within 8 hours!"

The main vanguard is arriving early!

The golden light cluster has become a disaster-attracting lighthouse!

The "benevolent Trojan" has limited effect!

Enemy ships have begun using specialized suppression weapons!

Pressure hit like a mountain collapsing or a tsunami.

Zhao Yan looked at the rapidly changing tactical situation on the board, then at the lingering golden energy afterglow around β-2 on the screen, and finally at the increasingly brilliant golden light cluster in the divine remains' domain. He slammed his fist onto the console and made a decision:

"No other choice! β-2, Lin Shen! Concentrate all resources to parse that 'resonator' blueprint! Use the technology tree, the Cradle Node's computing power, and everything available on Earth! Zhou Zhe, tell the divine remains that if it wants to live, it must cooperate fully and pour out everything it knows about the 'seed' and the 'golden light'! Director Chu, initiate preliminary preparations for the 'kindling' contingency plan, and be ready at any time... to preserve the seeds of civilization!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over every face in the command center—some pale, some determined, some fearful but refusing to back down. His voice was hoarse but clear:

"Eight hours! Either we come up with a 'new toy' that can deal with them, or... we let this starry sky remember how we, this group of 'non-standard' carbon-based monkeys, fought our last battle in the most goddamn unprofessional way possible!"

The countdown entered its final 8-hour mark.

The real test was only just beginning.