38: Choices under the cover of night and insights into the interior
The gray fin shark transport plane violently shook amidst the dim yellow clouds, like a small boat in a storm. The deep claw marks on its tail armor not only damaged its aerodynamic shape but also seemed to continuously emit a faint, unsettling energy interference, adding static to the engine's roar.
Inside the cabin, red lights flashed, and the piercing mechanical alarm intertwined with Su Xi's suppressed groans as the turbulence pulled at her wounds. Wu Yong and Xiao Li clung desperately to nearby fixtures, their faces pale. The shadow of death, almost solidified, brought by the monster's attack moments before, still clutched their hearts tightly.
Lin Mo leaned against the cold cabin wall, breathing heavily. The effort of forcibly deflecting the Predator's thunderous strike far exceeded his expectations. The jade slip in his sea of consciousness was dim, sending waves of exhaustion-like tremors. The milky white halo of the seed of source blood had also weakened considerably, slowly drawing in the sparse surrounding energy to replenish itself.
He forced himself to concentrate, focusing his perception on the transport plane's damage report. The information fed back by the editor was not optimistic:
"Structural integrity decreased by 12%, No. 3 thruster efficiency lost 20%, localized short circuit in tail energy lines, partial failure of external sensor array... Detected unknown viscous energy residue, possessing weak mental interference and corrosive properties, continuously eroding armor and interfering with nearby energy fields."
The monster Zhou Weian had mutated into, its power was not just in physical destruction, but also carried a filthy, insidious energy characteristic!
"We must perform emergency repairs immediately!" Lin Mo shouted to Wu Yong, "Go to the backup maintenance bay, activate the multi-functional engineering robot, and prioritize the tail line short circuit and external sensors! Xiao Li, you take care of Su Xi, give her a sedative and nutrient solution!"
His orders were clear and swift, carrying an undeniable authority. Wu Yong and Xiao Li seemed to have found their anchor and quickly acted as instructed.
Lin Mo himself struggled to his feet and went to the main control panel. He pressed his hands on the control panel, and the editor's energy slowly flowed in like a trickle, not for direct repair, but to first establish a temporary, pure energy barrier, covering the areas eroded by the unknown energy, slowing its corrosion, and isolating the irritating mental interference.
After doing all this, he was almost exhausted, his forehead covered in cold sweat. But he knew it was far from time to relax.
"editor, scan the nearby area for temporary landing sites with high concealment and capable of evading energy tracking. Prioritize underground structures or strong energy interference zones."
The jade slip operated with difficulty, its light flickering. A moment later, it returned a message:
"Northeast direction, eighty-seven kilometers away, detected strong and chaotic geomagnetic anomalies and energy turbulence, interference intensity sufficient to shield most conventional detection and energy tracking methods. The area contains a large number of old-era city ruins with complex underground structures. Risk: extremely harsh environment, navigation failure, possible unknown mutated entities or natural traps."
A dangerous sanctuary. But perhaps it was the only option to escape the Predator's tracking at present.
"Set course. Prioritize remaining energy for engines and stealth mode."
The transport plane adjusted its direction, dragging its injured body, and plunged resolutely into the chaotic land known as the Silent Graveyard.
The flight was no longer calm. Strong geomagnetic interference caused the pointers on the dashboard to jump wildly, screens flickered, and even the editor's external environment scan became intermittent, providing only an extremelyVague outline. Outside the fuselage, visible, colorful energy turbulence twisted and danced like an aurora, occasionally striking the fuselage's energy shield, erupting in dangerous electric sparks.
Everyone was on edge, as if passing through a tunnel constructed of pure chaos.
Several hours later, the transport plane finally broke out of the most intense core of the energy turbulence and arrived over a relatively "calm" ruin. Below lay the remains of a large city from the old era, skyscrapers like ribs snapped by a giant, skewered into the earth. Streets were buried under rubble, and massive cracks crisscrossed like scars. The air was filled with a strong smell of ozone and decay, and high radiation readings kept the alarm system in a low hum.
Lin Mo chose the top platform of a relatively intact, semi-buried subway hub as the landing point. Most of the platform was covered by a collapsed ceiling, providing good concealment.
The transport plane landed with difficulty on the platform, which was covered in cracks and debris. The engines finally shut down, falling into a weary silence.
Night fell quickly. The wasteland night had no stars, only a deeper darkness that seemed to absorb all light, and the eerie glow from distant energy storms occasionally lighting up like the pupils of a giant beast. Biting cold winds howled through the gaps in the ruins, emitting various grotesque whimpers.
Inside the cabin, only the bare minimum life support system and a dim emergency light were on. After a simple meal of compressed hardtack, Wu Yong and Xiao Li, utterly exhausted, curled up in their seats and fell asleep, their brows still furrowed even in slumber. Under the effect of the sedative, Su Xi's breathing had become slightly more stable.
Lin Mo sat alone in the cockpit, not resting. He needed to keep watch, and even more, he needed to think.
He took out the "Glow Catcher" he had collected in the Rust Bone Wasteland. In the dim light, the blue flower emitted a soft and stable halo, and the nebula core in its center slowly rotated, its serene aura effectively dispelling the mental interference brought by Zhou Weian's residual energy. Even the oppressive atmosphere in the cabin seemed to ease slightly.
"Possesses weak mental soothing and information storage properties..." Lin Mo recalled the editor's analysis. He tried to probe the rotating nebula core with a trace of his perception.
In an instant, not clear images or sounds, but a torrent of "sensations" flooded his mind—those were countless subtle "memory fragments" belonging to this wasteland: the rustling sound of a mutated rat gnawing on roots in the dark, the tactile sensation of a wisp of wind carrying radioactive dust blowing through a broken wall, the frequency of some nocturnal insect's vibrating wings, and even... the brief airflow changes and energy disturbances brought by the gray fin shark passing overhead not long ago... This plant, it was like a natural, passively recording "hard drive" of the environment! It recorded not images and sounds, but more fundamental physical information and energy changes!
Lin Mo was shaken. This wasteland was not just death and destruction; it was also nurturing unimaginable, new life forms and laws.
He carefully put away the "Glow Catcher," his gaze once again cast towards the endless darkness outside the window. The Predator, Zhou Weian's transformed self, was like a sword hanging over his head; its powerful strength, strange characteristics, and relentless pursuit were the most urgent threat. But Lin Mo vaguely felt that Zhou Weian himself might only be a tragic product of the global Tide of Delusion, a twisted and magnified evil of human nature.
His power was growing, whether it was the editor's authority or his fusion with the seed of source blood, both gave him the capital to stand firm in this wasteland. But facing Zhou Weian's pure, violence infused with corrupted energy, and the boundless malice inherent in this world itself, he still felt powerless.
"Mere defense and escape are not enough," Lin Mo murmured to himself. He needed stronger power, and even more... understanding. Understanding the essence of the Tide of Delusion, understanding the true origin and mission of the seed of source blood and the World Editor, understanding the new rules of this wasteland.
That ancient and clear pulling sensation from the east grew stronger and stronger in his heart. It was not just another fragment, but more like an answer, a "lighthouse" that might point the way.
He brought up the extremely rudimentary wasteland map drawn by the editor based on existing information. The glowing dot representing their current location was in a vast area marked as "High Risk." And that pulling sensation from the east pointed to a dark area on the edge of the map that was almost completely unknown, which the editor had only marked as "High Energy Reaction Zone??"
The road ahead was perilous, and the way back was cut off.
He looked at the three sleeping survivors. They depended on him, trusted him, and saw him as their only hope in this apocalypse. This responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders.
Should he choose a relatively safe route, slowly accumulate strength, but perhaps be forever chased by the Predator, like a stray dog? Or should he resolutely embark on the dangerous journey to the east, actively seek that faint answer and opportunity, while also bringing the entire team into greater unknown risks?
Lin Mo closed his eyes, his consciousness completely sinking into his sea of consciousness. He did not try to activate the jade slip, nor did he try to absorb energy, but allowed his spirit, like a drop of water, to merge into the milky white and dark intertwined halo, to feel the steady, ancient pulsation of the seed of source blood, to touch the cold, yet infinitely possible fragments of authority of the World Editor.
He no longer thought about specific tactics or routes, but tried to "listen" to the whispers of power itself, to perceive the true intention contained within that call from the east.
Was it danger? Was it opportunity? Or... destiny?
Time flowed in silence. After an unknown period, when Lin Mo opened his eyes again, the fatigue in his eyes remained, but the confusion had dissipated, replaced by a settled, rock-solid determination.
He had made his decision.
He picked up a pen and, on the navigation screen, drew a straight course, traversing countless unknown dangerous areas, pointing directly to that darkness in the east.
It was time to proactively embrace this storm.