261: Chapter 261 The Arena of Consciousness: Blood and Bone, Heroes Die and Leave Behind Their Words of Truth!

Su Che walked back in front of the 43rd door.

The data stream on the door panel stopped scrolling.

Immediately, lines of cold, emotionless text appeared.

"Unlock Condition: Current mothership personnel must enter the Consciousness Arena."

"Challenger enters the consciousness space via Brain-Computer Interface to engage in one-on-one combat with the Guardian Sequence of the Level 3 Civilization standard close-defense system."

"Guardian Sequence Form: Randomly generated Level 3 Civilization combat race individual."

Su Che's gaze slowly moved down, landing on the last line of text.

"If the challenger is killed, the consciousness feedback will cause irreversible damage to the brainstem."

"Death is real and permanent."

In the corridor, the atmosphere, which had just relaxed due to the unlocking of the psychological rehabilitation center, instantly froze.

The air felt as if it had been drained away.

Academician Zhong stood in front of the door with the twenty scientists from Group Five; everyone's expression changed.

"Real... and permanent?" Materials Scientist Shi Changming's voice was somewhat dry. He pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose, his eyes behind the lenses filled with disbelief.

Sato Kenta subconsciously took a half-step back, his heel bumping into Bai Chunyang behind him.

"Su Che," Academician Zhong turned around—his originally gray hair had turned completely black after life-extension treatment, appearing exceptionally shiny under the lights—"Does this mean... even the medical pod can't save them?"

Su Che did not answer immediately. He took out his communicator and dialed Liu Nanshan's channel.

"Old Liu, come to the 43rd door immediately. Bring your team."

In less than ten minutes, Liu Nanshan arrived with Chen Junhong and Lillian Brown.

The three of them squeezed to the front of the door and read those lines from beginning to end three times.

Liu Nanshan raised his head and looked at Su Che, his gaze grave to the extreme.

"The brainstem is the center of life. Once irreversible physical damage occurs, with the technology we currently possess, including this medical system from the Level 3 Civilization..."

He paused and shook his head slightly. "It cannot be saved."

These three words were like three cold nails driven into the hearts of every scientist present.

Before, when playing hopscotch and losing ten years of life, everyone laughed it off because the medical pod provided a safety net.

But now, the safety net was gone. If you lose, you really die.

Academician Zhong looked around at his team members. There were twenty people, and no one dared to meet his gaze; they were all avoiding it.

These scientists, whose brains held the pinnacle of human wisdom, had expressions on their faces at this moment that were no different from ordinary people facing death. Fear.

Su Che sighed internally.

He couldn't blame them. Ask them to calculate astrophysics or solve quantum equations, and they could go three days and three nights without closing their eyes.

But asking them to risk their lives against an unknown alien combat race was no different from sending them to their deaths.

"I understand," Su Che said, his voice calm. "The unlocking task for Group Five is suspended."

He turned to Kayla. "Notify Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan and have him come here."

Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan arrived quickly, bringing no one with him.

He walked to the door, finished reading the text, and the wrinkles on his face deepened significantly.

"People are going to die," Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan said in a heavy voice.

"Yes," Su Che replied. "The scientists can't do it; that's not their job."

"Combat in the consciousness space requires extreme willpower and reaction speed, as well as piloting experience," Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan looked at Su Che. "Pilots are the most suitable."

"That is what I thought as well."

Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan said nothing more and turned to pick up his communicator.

"Senior Colonel He Zhiqiang, bring all the pilots to the 43rd door. Leave no one behind."

Fifteen minutes later, Senior Colonel He Zhiqiang appeared in the corridor with ninety-nine pilots, lined up in a neat formation.

One hundred crew cuts, one hundred crisp uniforms, and one hundred pairs of clear, resolute eyes.

Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan stood before them and read the rules on the door panel, word for word.

When he read "Death is real and permanent," there was not a single stir in the formation.

"That is the situation," Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan's voice echoed in the corridor. "This is an order, but it is also a voluntary choice."

"The ship beneath our feet concerns the future of human civilization, and this door must be opened."

"But behind this door is a mountain of blades and a sea of fire; it is true death."

His gaze swept over every young face. "Now, who is willing to go first?"

As soon as he finished speaking, "Me!" "I'll go!" "Report! I request to go first!"

Ninety-nine people stepped forward almost simultaneously, their voices merging into a torrent that made the light pipes on the ceiling hum.

Not a single person flinched. Senior Colonel He Zhiqiang's eyes reddened; he turned abruptly toward the wall, his shoulders trembling slightly.

Su Che watched this scene, his heart feeling as if it were being gripped by a hand.

He took a deep breath. "Kayla, prepare ninety-nine slips of paper, numbered from one to ninety-nine."

He could not designate who would go to their death. Drawing lots was the only fair way.

The slips were quickly prepared and placed in a metal box. "Follow the queue order and come up to draw."

The pilots stepped forward one by one, pulled a slip from the box, took a look at it, and then returned to their positions.

The entire process was terrifyingly quiet.

"Whoever drew number one, step forward," Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan's voice was somewhat hoarse.

From the formation, a young pilot of medium build and dark skin stepped out.

He walked up to Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan, stood at attention, and saluted with clean, crisp movements.

"Report, Sir! Pilot Li Guang! Drew number one!"

"Good," Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan raised his hand and returned the salute, holding it in the air for a full three seconds before slowly lowering it.

He patted Li Guang on the shoulder, wanting to say something, but in the end, only said two words: "Take care."

Li Guang grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. He turned around and saluted Su Che. "Su Che, I'm going."

Su Che looked at him and returned the salute solemnly.

Li Guang strode to the door and lay down inside the Brain-Computer Interface device. The hatch closed.

On the door panel, the area that displayed the text went dark, and then a clear holographic projection appeared.

In the projection was a circular metal arena with a diameter of one hundred meters. Li Guang's figure materialized in the center of the arena.

He moved his limbs, seemingly adapting to this new "body."

At the other end of the arena, a mass of black fluid began to squirm and deform, eventually shaping itself into a humanoid creature over two meters tall.

The thing was pitch black, with disproportionately long limbs, reversely bent joints, and two pairs of black wings as thin as cicada wings on its back.

The most eerie part was its head, a smooth inverted triangle with no facial features, just a smooth carapace.

From each of its hands, a bone blade one meter long sprang out, the edges gleaming with a ghostly blue cold light.

"Guardian Sequence... Mantis," Kayla said in a low voice from the side. "A combat race in the Level 3 Civilization known for their speed and combat techniques."

In the projection, Li Guang assumed a standard military boxing opening stance. He had no weapons.

The next second, the Mantis moved. Its figure vanished from its spot instantly, with almost no warning.

Li Guang's pupils constricted, and he rolled violently to the left.

A blue light grazed his scalp, leaving a deep, bone-gouging scratch on the metal arena.

The Mantis's figure appeared behind the spot where Li Guang had just been standing. Having missed its first strike, its wings vibrated, and it vanished again.

Fast! Too fast! All the pilots present could barely keep their eyes on the thing's speed.

Li Guang kept rolling and dodging on the arena, narrowly avoiding the lethal bone blades every single time.

He was like a small boat in a raging storm, at risk of being swallowed at any moment.

"No good, he's completely suppressed," Senior Colonel He Zhiqiang clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.

"The gap in speed and strength is too great," Commander-in-Chief Wang Xueshan stared at the projection. "Li Guang doesn't even have a chance to fight back."

After dodging seven consecutive attacks, Li Guang finally found an opening.

The moment the Mantis missed a diving slash, he sprang up with a kip-up, his right leg whistling through the air as he delivered a fierce whip kick to the Mantis's waist.

"Bang!" With a dull thud, Li Guang was sent flying backward, rolling seven or eight times on the arena before stopping.

The Mantis, however, only swayed slightly, not even shifting its position. The defensive power was completely on a different level.

Li Guang climbed up from the ground and spat out a mouthful of "blood"—it was the damage feedback on a consciousness level.

He looked at the Mantis, his eyes changing. He no longer actively sought attacking opportunities, instead focusing all his energy on defense and observation.

He began to consciously guide the Mantis's attack path, making it shuttle back and forth on the arena. He was analyzing.

Analyzing its attack patterns, its movement trajectory, its habits of striking. Another thirty seconds passed.

Li Guang had been forced to the edge of the arena, with nowhere left to retreat.

The Mantis launched another attack, blades crossed like a giant pair of scissors, aiming for Li Guang's neck.

This time, Li Guang did not dodge. He stood his ground, watching those two lethal blue lights rapidly enlarge before his eyes.

Just as the bone blades were about to touch his skin, he moved.

He did not retreat; instead, he stepped forward, his body sinking at an incredible angle as he slipped underneath the crossed bone blades.

At the same time, he formed a fist with his right hand and, using all his strength, blasted it toward the Mantis's defenseless abdomen.

This was the only opportunity he had calculated through life-and-death observation! The fist landed solidly.

But the Mantis's body only slightly dented, and the next second, it restored to its original state. A flash of astonishment crossed Li Guang's face.

Then the Mantis's counterattack arrived. One of its elbows thrust backward violently.

"Pfft." The bone blade pierced through Li Guang's heart from the back, bringing out a spray of "blood."

Li Guang's body froze. He looked down at the ghostly blue bone blade piercing through his chest, the light in his eyes rapidly dimming.

Outside the projection, the hatch of the Brain-Computer Interface device popped open. Li Guang's body was pushed out.

His eyes were still open, his lips quivering, and a "hng-hng" sound came from his throat.

Liu Nanshan and Chen Junhong rushed up immediately. Su Che also walked quickly to his side.

Li Guang's gaze was already unfocused. He used his last bit of strength to look at Su Che, squeezing out two words: "Outsmart it!"