71: Chapter 71 Escape and Devour

Lin Qiming's evacuation went exceptionally smoothly at first. Like a shadow, he glided through the complex fissures of the underground water veins. His familiarity with the terrain and the instincts of a [Hive Survivor] allowed him to avoid all potential patrols (though most of the enemies had already swarmed into the workshop). Soon, he arrived at a hidden exhaust vent located above the rear of the workshop cavern, concealed within a cluster of stalactites.

It was an opening covered by a metal grate only the size of a washbasin, connecting to the ventilation duct system of the hidden room. Lin Qiming used a tool to silently pry open the grate, and toward the depths of the dark pipe, he emitted a few specific, soft rodent calls—this was the emergency contact signal he had agreed upon with Xiao Haozi.

A few seconds later, a rustling sound came from the depths of the pipe, followed immediately by Xiao Haozi's small figure darting out like lightning, leaping onto Lin Qiming's shoulder. The little fellow was covered in dust, but its eyes were bright and sharp, showing no signs of panic. It simply rubbed its head eagerly against Lin Qiming's cheek, pointed its small claws toward the workshop, and let out anxious "squeaks."

"I know, our home has been destroyed." Lin Qiming stroked its head, his voice low. "But we are still alive. As long as we're alive, there's a chance to take it back. Now, come with me."

He tucked Xiao Haozi into the specially made inner pocket on his chest (which had air holes), resealed the exhaust vent grate, and turned to follow his planned route, determined to leave this area that was about to be completely defiled by the Iron Tooth Gang.

However, the moment he took his first step, a sudden change occurred!

It did not come from the pursuing enemies in the workshop behind him, but from the earth beneath his feet, from the deep, ancient strata connected to his bloodline (via the stc core)!

An indescribable, vast, ancient "ripple," carrying a hint of icy rage finally released after long suppression, surged through the rock layers like the heartbeat of a sleeping behemoth, piercing through his body and reaching straight to the stc core!

Hum—!!!

The stc core in Lin Qiming's arms began to vibrate violently, more intensely than ever before! It was not a warning of danger, but a deep, resonant agitation! The temperature on the surface of the core rose sharply, and a deep blue light uncontrollably shone through his clothes, illuminating a small area around him in a ghostly blue! At the same time, a massive, chaotic, yet incredibly intense stream of information, like a bursting flood, forced its way into his consciousness!

It was not the orderly gift of knowledge like that of the Old One relay, but more like an "agreement" or "directive" that had been urgently activated, filled with a murderous intent!

He "saw" it—not with his eyes, but through some instantaneous link established between the core and the earth beneath his feet—he "saw" the entire cavern space where the Deep Rock Workshop was located, as well as the deeper, more expansive rock structures beneath it. Deepest within that structure lay a massive, complex geometric facility, mostly dark and lifeless, but with one core area that had just been "awakened"—it was the very "Ancient Ones Outpost" mentioned in the database, which shared the same origin as the stc core!

And at this moment, this Ancient Ones Outpost, which had been silent for countless millennia, had its dormant defense subsystem triggered because it sensed that the "workshop" area above (a space that had been long influenced by the stc core and implicitly marked as an "auxiliary expansion zone") was suffering from a large-scale, malicious invasion and destruction. Furthermore, it was triggered because it sensed the intense stress signal generated when the stc core host (Lin Qiming) encountered a lethal threat at extremely close range!

A concise, cold, and emotionless Old One protocol directive was clearly imprinted into Lin Qiming's understanding:

[Detected 'Auxiliary Expansion Zone' (Deep Rock Workshop) suffering from large-scale hostile entity invasion. Detected Core Authority Holder (Lin Qiming) in evacuation status, determined as 'Base compromised, holder forced to evacuate'.]

[According to 'Watcher Protocol' Sub-item 7 - 'Scorched Earth and Purification' contingency clause (Low-Authority Simplified Version): Authorized to execute regional Information-State zeroing procedure on hostile life forms invading the expansion zone.]

[Target Scope: Locking onto all non-permitted life signals currently invading the expansion zone.]

[Execution Countdown: 3... 2... 1...]

"No! Wait!" Lin Qiming roared in his consciousness. He instantly understood what was about to happen and also realized the enormous risk that might be hidden behind it! But everything was too fast; his will could not interfere with the activated ancient protocol at all.

The countdown reached zero.

Deep in the strata below, the awakened Outpost defense node silently released an invisible "ripple" that transcended conventional physical concepts.

This "ripple" expanded upward at a speed exceeding thought, precisely covering the entire Deep Rock Workshop cavern and an area of about fifty meters surrounding it.

Then, the devouring began.

There were no earth-shattering explosions, no dazzling lights, and not even a sound.

Inside the cavern, the Iron Tooth Gang members who were frantically looting, destroying, and searching—including Grail, who had just stepped into the cavern, full of triumph—all suddenly froze in their movements.

Their expressions were frozen in moments of greed, excitement, cruelty, or confusion.

Immediately afterward, their bodies, along with the weapons in their hands, the clothes on their backs, and even the workshop equipment they had touched (though it miraculously avoided the main Old One processing station core and some materials bearing pure Old One marks), began to "disintegrate" at the most fundamental particle level.

It was not burning, nor melting, but as if they were being gently erased from the canvas of reality by an eraser. Flesh, bone, metal, fabric... all the matter and energy that constituted their existence were forcibly "decomposed" and "absorbed" under an absolute power, turning into basic Information-State streams, pulled toward the strata below, merging into that newly awakened defense node, becoming its insignificant energy replenishment, or... simply being "deleted."

The entire process was terrifyingly silent. In just two or three seconds, over forty Iron Tooth Gang members inside the cavern, including the arrogant Grail, vanished into thin air, leaving not a single trace, as if they had never existed. Only the faint smell of ozone remaining in the air and an indescribable sense of "emptiness" proved that everything that had just happened was not an illusion.

Outside the cavern, those Iron Tooth Gang members on the periphery of the encirclement who hadn't managed to rush in yet, or who were standing guard, witnessed this scene that defied understanding in terror. They saw their companions rush into the cave entrance, and then... they never came out, not even a scream. And when they tried to approach to check, an invisible "sense of boundary" that made their souls tremble stopped them, as if the space inside the entrance had become an absolute forbidden zone for life.

"Ghost... it's a ghost!"

"Boss! The boss is gone!"

"Run! Run away!!"

The remaining dozen or so Iron Tooth Gang members completely collapsed. They dropped their weapons and fled for their lives back the way they came, crying and wailing, wishing only that their parents had given them more legs.

And the perpetrator and sole "witness" of all this, Lin Qiming, at the distant exhaust vent, "witnessed" the entire process through the indirect perception of the stc core and the intense feedback of [Information State Perception].

He stood frozen in place, cold sweat instantly soaking his entire body. It was not because of fear of the enemy, but because of a deep dread and lingering fear of this sudden, uncontrollable ancient power.

"Is this... the defense of the Ancient Ones Outpost?" he asked in his heart, his voice dry.

[Yes.] Hephaestus's voice also carried unprecedented gravity. [According to the analysis of the received protocol fragments, this is one of the Outpost's minimal automated defense reactions, the 'Information-State Zeroing Field,' targeting all unauthorized, hostile macroscopic life aggregates within the range. Its principle involves high-order Information-State physics, directly and temporarily erasing and absorbing the target's existence 'information' from the local reality framework. The consumption is huge, and it is usually only activated by high-level authority when the core facility is under direct threat. This triggering was likely because your stc core's long-term radiation caused the workshop area to be defaulted as a 'weakly associated auxiliary zone,' and combined with you personally encountering an imminent collective life threat, it collectively satisfied an extremely harsh and low-probability linked trigger condition.]

"In other words, this time was a fluke... and it's not reproducible?" Lin Qiming grasped the key point.

[In all likelihood, yes. The protocol indicates this was a 'Low-Authority Simplified Version,' a 'one-time regional purification.' The main energy level of the Outpost did not significantly increase; the defense node has returned to dormancy after the release and has left a clear 'protocol cooldown' flag. It is impossible to trigger again in the short term. Furthermore, this energy release and protocol activation likely left more obvious 'traces'.] Hephaestus warned.

Lin Qiming immediately understood what "traces" meant. An operation of this scale, involving high-order Information-State, could not be completely silent. The Adeptus Mechanicus exploration teams, other potential perceivers, or even... certain entities within the Warp, could all potentially detect this fleeting, anomalous fluctuation. Sector B-9 was about to become much more conspicuous, and much more dangerous.

He looked at the distant cavern entrance, which had suddenly become deathly silent, with mixed feelings. The main force of the Iron Tooth Gang, including his nemesis Grail, had been dramatically erased just like that. His workshop was temporarily "safe," and even the main equipment inside might have been preserved (the protocol seemed to distinguish between "intruders" and "facilities").

But was this truly a victory?

No, this was a costly narrow victory, a "relief" filled with uncertainty achieved by relying on ancient power that he still could not understand or control. He had lost the sense of security that came with his carefully managed base now that it was exposed, was forced into premature exile, and furthermore, was burdened with a "hidden danger" that might attract even more terrifying gazes.

Moreover, that cold, absolute power that obliterated everything gave him a profound and unforgettable realization of the other side of the Old One legacy. This power could forge miracles, but it could also bring merciless destruction.

"Let's go." After a long while, Lin Qiming exhaled a long breath, pressing tightly against the stc core in his arms, which was still slightly hot but whose light was gradually fading. Xiao Haozi poked its head out of his pocket, its black eyes reflecting its master's complex expression.

He did not return to the workshop. It was now a place of trouble, and it was unknown whether the residual effects of the "Zeroing Field" had completely dissipated. Following his original plan, he turned and took firm steps toward the "Rust Belt" area, in the direction where the exiled Tech-Priest named Calix might be hiding.

The "devouring" of the workshop ended the threat of the Iron Tooth Gang, but it also devoured his last shred of luck and comfort.

From now on, the road would only lead forward, upward, toward a broader and more dangerous stage. He had to master the power in his hands faster, and summon his "legion" faster, to truly have a foothold, rather than relying time and again on luck and uncontrollable ancient gifts.

The chapter of the Hive Bottom had been turned, along with the fall and backlash of the Deep Rock Workshop.