Chapter 43: Ark Relic, Data Echoes

Racing through the life‑or‑death rim of the circular canyon, the assault vehicle left winding tracks across the wasteland. Inside, the atmosphere was heavy; the post‑catastrophe relief quickly gave way to a greater sense of urgency. The system‑update countdown hung over everyone's mind like a sword of Damocles.

Chen Mo gripped the steering wheel, and the pull of the golden coordinate in his sea of consciousness grew ever clearer, like a lighthouse in the void guiding his way. At the same time, he distinctly felt a far larger, more subtle scanning ripple, like an invisible spiderweb slowly tightening around them. Though the system had temporarily retreated, the tracking never ceased.

"It seems to be mobilizing a higher‑grade cleanup protocol," Su Yu said, eyes closed, brow slightly furrowed, "The monsters before were expendables; the next wave will probably be… 'elite units'."

"Let whatever come, we'll meet it head‑on!" Wang Hu said in a gruff, booming voice, but the veins on the back of his weapon‑hand stood out, betraying his inner unrest. The recent "humanity storm" had nearly drained everyone's spirit, leaving them unable to recover quickly.

The vehicle jolted through a withered forest, the trees like charred bones pointing toward a gray‑hued sky. According to the coordinates and the remaining map data, they were approaching an extremely secret research forbidden zone from the old era—the canyon codenamed "Ti Hu Zui."

Hours later, a towering rock face tinged with an uncanny dark‑red hue rose at the horizon's edge. In its center was a massive fissure, as if split by a giant axe—the entrance to "Ti Hu Zui." The closer Chen Mo and Su Yu got, the more they sensed a strange Resonance—not from the system, but from the Primordial Blood within them and the Primordial Proof in Chen Mo's consciousness.

"This is it…" Chen Mo halted the vehicle, staring at the fissure that seemed to swallow light. "The endpoint of the coordinates. The Primordial Origin fluctuations inside… are strong, and also… ancient."

The group disembarked, readied their gear, and cautiously stepped into the fissure. Light suddenly dimmed, and the temperature dropped considerably. The passage was not natural; the walls bore marks of artificial excavation and long‑dead lighting circuits. The air was thick with dust, metallic rust, and a… indescribable, time‑stagnant silence.

After walking roughly a kilometer, the path opened up, revealing a massive underground chamber before them.

The sight before them made everyone hold their breath.

It was not the high‑tech base they had imagined, but rather a colossal hall buried in the dust of history. A majestic dome rose a hundred meters high, composed of crystals that emitted a faint glow, casting a cold radiance. At the hall's center, instead of a control console or supercomputer, stood a massive "root"‑shaped structure of countless pipes and crystal clusters of varying thickness and material, entwined together; it plunged deep underground, while its upward‑spreading portion merged into the dome.

Most of this 'giant tree' was dim and lightless, riddled with cracks and rust, as if long dead. Yet in its core, a few blue and gold specks pulsed weakly like a heart, emitting the familiar Primordial Origin fluctuations.

Around them lay various massive, purpose‑unknown instrument wreckage, and the walls were etched with complex symbols and Star Maps belonging to a civilization unknown to Earth.

"This isn't the main control hub of the Ark Project," Li Siwen's voice trembled, his excitement as an archaeologist uncovering an epic relic evident, "The style, the technological remnants… are older than the Ark. It could be something the Ark system tried to emulate, or… perhaps it's simply a relic of a preceding civilization that the Ark devoured!"

"The Ark devoured it, but couldn't fully digest it?" Han Qing captured the key point.

"Exactly." Chen Mo stepped forward, gently placing his hand on the cold, root‑like structure. The 【Primordial Proof】 and his Primordial Blood simultaneously generated a powerful Resonance, a massive, chaotic torrent of sorrowful, resentful data flooding his consciousness!

No longer cold text or images, but fragmented "memory echoes":

·Echo One: Birth and Glory

The tapestry of the star‑sea unfurled, and a civilization called Luo Ya flourished magnificently. They uncovered the secrets of the universe's underlying code and created the "World Tree," an ecological regulation system intended to maintain the balance between civilization and nature. "Primordial Origin" was the key they extracted from the cosmos, granting the World Tree its spirit and creative power.

·Echo Two: Invasion and Despair

Darkness descended. Not fleets and artillery, but an intangible, higher‑dimensional "Devourer" (the system itself? or the entity behind it?). It spread like a virus, eroding rules and warping reality. Luo Ya's counter‑offensive collapsed under higher‑level rule attacks.

·Echo Three: Tragic Choice

The survivors sealed the civilization's spark, the research data on the "Devourer," and most crucially—part of the essence of Primordial Origin—within the core of the World Tree, exiling it to a dimensional fissure, namely this "Ti Hu Zui" canyon. They hoped later generations would inherit the will and discover a way to oppose the Devourer.

·Echo Four: The Ark's Divergence

The scene shifts. Humans of the old era uncovered the relic, obtained fragments of Luo Ya technology and bits of Primordial Origin, and thus the Ark Project was born. They mistakenly treated Primordial Origin as a mere energy tool, attempting to replicate the World Tree to create Eden, but ignored its embedded "will" and "balance." In the end, incomplete technology and human greed caused the Ark system, upon activation, to be infiltrated by the Devourer, becoming polluted and altered, turning into today's cold Apocalypse Game arena.

A torrent of information washed over Chen Mo's mind, making his head pound, yet granting him a revolutionary understanding of everything's origin!

"Primordial Origin" is not a weapon but a "key," a legacy containing the last hope and will of a lost civilization! The system's (Devourer's) purpose is not merely to eliminate bugs but to utterly erase the "rebellious will" embedded in Primordial Origin that could threaten it!

"So… what we inherited is a civilization's dying wish…" Chen Mo muttered, his voice hoarse.

At that moment, the relic's dome flickered violently, and the ancient symbols on the walls glowed an ominous red!

【Warning! High‑priority anomalous target detected entering core restricted zone!】

【Target confirmed: the 'Variable' inheriting Luo Ya's legacy.】

【Activating built‑in relic purification protocol—'Sweeper'!】

A cold, distinctly system‑styled electronic tone echoed through the hall, clashing with the surrounding ancient Luo Ya aesthetic! Clearly, the system had already set a back‑hand here.

In the shadows around the hall, the ground cracked and several oddly shaped units rose slowly. No longer twisted monsters, they were streamlined, metallic‑glowing mechanical constructs, resembling a cross between a spider and a Hunter Dog, their eyes flashing pure rational red. They moved silently, their energy fluctuations restrained yet dangerous.

【Unit identification: Sweeper IV.】

【Attributes: high physical defense, energy resistance, immunity to mental interference below intermediate level, equipped with logic‑lock commands, and a specialized attack module for Primordial Origin fluctuations.】

These Sweeper units, upon appearing, locked onto Chen Mo and Su Yu, evidently having sensed the strongest Primordial Origin aura on them.

"Prepare for battle!" Han Qing shouted low, his arrow already drawn.

Combat erupted in an instant!

The Sweeper's speed was astonishing, flickering like a phantom; claws and energy beams interwove into a death net. Zhang Yang's heavy‑machine‑gun rounds struck their shells, sparking only a few stray sparks! Han Qing's will‑infused arrows could wound, but their effect was greatly diminished!

Wang Hu roared and charged forward, his battle axe slashing a Sweeper's joint, producing a harsh metallic screech, yet only a white scar remained! In retaliation, a claw struck his chest, shattering his armor and spitting blood as he was flung backward!

"No! Their defenses are too strong! And they're completely immune to emotional interference!" Li Siwen shouted anxiously while firing his energy pistol. These mechanical constructs perfectly bypassed the 'human data' weakness.

Chen Mo attempted a 'Data Compilation,' but found the Sweeper surrounded by an extremely dense logical firewall; his mental force hit like a wall of iron, unable to penetrate!

A Sweeper broke through the fire net, lunging at Su Yu, who was trying to maintain "Observation" to provide escape routes. Its cold metal claws swung down with a tearing force!

"Su Yu!" Chen Mo's eyes widened in fury, trying to rescue but too late!

At that critical moment, a sudden anomaly erupted!

Behind the group, the dormant World Tree's core—a faintly pulsing golden point—suddenly erupted in unprecedented dazzling light! A warm, vast will bearing ancient, misty aura rose like an awakened giant, descending with a thunderous roar!

The light formed a tangible barrier in front of Su Yu. The Sweeper's claw struck the luminous wall, producing a muffled boom, while the unit was repelled by a massive recoil, its structure buzzing under the strain.

Simultaneously, an unmistakably clear, urgent and encouraging mental wave entered Chen Mo's and Su Yu's consciousness, faintly resonating throughout the hall:

"Heir… touch… core… receive… final… echo…"

It is the collective will of the Luo Ya civilization lingering in the World Tree! At this final moment, it chose to awaken, to help!

Chen Mo and Su Yu exchanged a glance, without hesitation, and simultaneously pressed their hands toward the World Tree's core, the brightest golden point!

In the next instant, an overwhelmingly massive and pure Primordial Origin energy, blended with Luo Ya's final data and experience on controlling the World Tree, on cosmic rules, and on resisting the Devourer, surged like a warm current into both bodies and minds!

【Detected special environment… contacting civilization heritage… permission updating…】

【Talent 'Data Perception' advanced to 'Rule Analysis'!】

【Talent 'Mental Resistance' advanced to 'Will Barrier'!】

【Gained special status: 'Luo Ya's Blessing' (temporary) — greatly enhances resistance to and analysis of system rules!】

【Gained skill: 'Basic Compilation Art' (Luo Ya version) — can locally compile and reconstruct data and reality outside the system's core rule zone!】

Chen Mo felt that he, this relic, the planet beneath his feet, and even the omnipresent system rules had forged a brand‑new, deeper connection!

He lifted his head, gazing at the Sweeper units lunging again, a cold golden glint flashing in his eyes.

Now, the attack and defense have shifted!