Chapter 80: Starfire Ignites the Prairie, Rule Resonance

The "Crying Swamp" muddled‑fishing operation, like a shot of ultra‑effective adrenaline, revived the Echo Camp completely, sweeping away the stifling atmosphere once pressed by Ruin Apostles and internal strife, and replacing it with a swaggering vigor of "I even dare to kick the Ark Laboratory, what are you scared of?".

Kaiwen and Li Siwen were almost hailed as heroes of the camp, even though their appearances hardly matched the word "hero"—one with a chicken‑coop‑style hairdo immersed all day in data streams, the other with lenses thick enough to serve as bullet‑proof glass. Still, the results were impressive!

"Prototype of the Rule Interferer, reverse‑engineered from Crystal Core Fragments, done!" Kaiwen patted a metal box that looked like a love‑child of a microwave and a radio, saying smugly, "Even though its power is only enough to make a Ruin mayfly sneeze, the concept is right! This is a zero‑to‑one breakthrough, got it? Milestone!"

Li Siwen was more pragmatic; using seized Ark data and components, he successfully expanded the "Big Eye" warning range by one‑third and greatly improved its precision. "Now we can see farther and even preliminarily analyze the composition and threat level of energy sources. Next time that black shadow returns, we can have Ning Shen Grass tea ready at least ten minutes in advance."

The camp's defenses are evolving from a passive "turtle shell" into a spiked "iron burr".

After Han Qing used the new model of Rule Neutralizer, his recovery speed noticeably increased; though still short of peak condition, he could already draw his signature longbow for adaptive training again. He stood on the reinforced wall, moving his wrist against the wind, his gaze as sharp as ever, reassuring the defending troops considerably.

The most surprising change occurred among the ordinary survivors. Black Fang's crew, though still a bit out of sync, had clearly settled down and worked with vigor. Perhaps they were intimidated by Chen Mo's words last time, perhaps they were buoyed by the camp's improving momentum, or maybe… they simply felt that here they could at least see some green and get a relatively peaceful sleep.

Once the seed of hope breaks the soil, its vitality becomes stubbornly beyond imagination.

That day, Chen Mo gathered all core members, including the newly recovered Han Qing.

"We can't be satisfied with just defense and harassment," Chen Mo said bluntly, pointing at several marked spots on the map. "Kaiwen's decryption of Ark experimental data shows that there are at least three small observation points or outposts around the perimeter similar to 'Crying Swamp.' They continue to study the Ruin; this fire‑playing could at any moment trigger a greater disaster and drag us down with it."

"The captain means...?" Zhang Yang said, rubbing his fists, eyes shining.

"We go on the offensive and pull out those nails," Chen Mo declared resolutely. "But not a full‑scale assault. Like in Crying Swamp, we'll exploit the information gap and our new gear for precise, swift strikes. The goals are to destroy their research facilities, seize useful supplies, and most importantly, stop them from continuing to court death."

"I agree," Han Qing said in a low voice. "Passive waiting only lets risk accumulate. While they haven't fully recovered from the last strike, we strike them off‑guard."

Su Yu added, "My True Knowledge Vision can help us evade most detection and traps."

Hui Jin and his followers said that Pure Fire was ready to provide "rule‑level fire support" for any operation.

The plan was drafted quickly. The first target was an Ark observation station deep within the Rust Eroded Canyon to the southeast. Intelligence indicated it was small in scale, lightly guarded, and mainly conducting basic Ruin energy environment monitoring.

The strike team remained the same old partners: Chen Mo, Su Yu, Han Qing (remote support), Zhang Yang, Wang Hu, and Kaiwen as technical advisor. This time they also brought a few freshly mass‑produced (if that term applies) Little Firecracker No. 1 units and the prized Rule Interferer prototype.

Infiltrating the Rust Eroded Canyon went smoother than expected. The Ark Soldiers here seemed lax due to the remote location, with patrol gaps everywhere. Kaiwen easily bypassed the outer perimeter and reached the station's main control room.

"Whoa, these guys are bold, the data isn't even encrypted?" Kaiwen said while quickly copying the monitoring data, adding, "Their security awareness is worse than when I was cautiously watching a low‑budget film on the Ark's intranet back in the day."

However, just as the data copy reached ninety percent, an anomaly erupted!

A shrill alarm blared across the entire canyon without warning! It wasn't triggered by them; the source was… deep within the observation station!

"What's happening?!" Zhang Yang instantly raised his gun.

Kaiwen stared at the suddenly garbled screen, his complexion changing: "No! It's an internal alarm! They… they seem to be activating something! Energy readings are spiking!"

Chen Mo instantly activated Rule Perception, his face turning pale: "It's Ruin energy! They're forcibly activating an unfinished… Resonator?!"

Deep inside the station, a crude metal device, much smaller than the one in Crying Swamp, emitted an unstable eerie glow; the surrounding space began to warp, and the air filled with that familiar, suffocating sense of "emptiness."

"These maniacs! They dare do this here!" Kaiwen shouted.

"Stop it!" Chen Mo growled low, charging first toward the energy source.

But it was already too late. The crude Resonator emitted a piercing screech, and a thin spatial fissure was forcibly torn open! Though only hair‑thin, a pure, icy Ruin will slithered out like a venomous snake!

It wasn't the massive Ruin Apostle, but a more concentrated, malicious entity—like a flowing shadow that instantly lunged at the nearest Ark researcher! The researcher didn't even manage a scream; his body vanished as if erased by an eraser, leaving only a bewildered, flickering cloud of data dust!

"It's a 'Ruin Hunter Dog'! A high‑density Ruin rule aggregation!" Kaiwen's voice trembled, "Use the interferer quickly!"

Chen Mo didn't hesitate, aiming the microwave‑radio love‑child prototype at the shadow and unleashing its full power!

Buzz—!

An invisible interference wave spread outward. The Ruin Hunter Dog's movements visibly stalled, its shadowy ripples became chaotic, and it emitted a sharp, nail‑on‑glass‑like screech, clearly loathing the interference.

"Effective! But the power's insufficient! Can't trap it!" Kaiwen shouted anxiously.

The Ruin Hunter Dog adapted to the interference; its crimson eyes instantly locked onto Chen Mo holding the interferer, turning into a black streak that lunged! Its speed was astonishing.

"Careful!" Su Yu shouted, fully activating True Knowledge Vision to try to predict its trajectory.

Chen Mo didn't retreat; he tossed the interferer to Kaiwen, and charged head‑on at the Hunter Dog! His hands formed a voided clasp before his chest, and the Primordial Core pulsed at an unprecedented frequency!

"Definition: This space—rules stabilized! Existence reinforced!"

What he intended wasn't an attack but to create a temporary, absolutely exclusive "Order Domain."

Golden light burst around him like a translucent golden sphere, enveloping both him and the charging Ruin Hunter Dog! The dog slammed into the light barrier, producing a muffled boom as shadow and gold clashed and vanished!

"Captain!" Zhang Yang and Wang Hu tried to rush in to help.

"Don't come in!" Chen Mo growled low, veins bulging at his temples, maintaining this targeted micro‑domain to counter the Ruin Hunter Dog's primal "assimilation" rule, consuming far more than he imagined. "Deal with the soldiers outside! Destroy that Resonator!"

Zhang Yang and Wang Hu immediately reacted, turning to confront the Ark Soldiers drawn by the alarm while pouring fire onto the unstable Resonator.

Inside the Light Sphere, Chen Mo and the Ruin Hunter Dog engaged in the most perilous rule‑level grappling. Each of the dog's lunges carried an all‑consuming corrosive trait, while Chen Mo's domain was repeatedly weakened, repaired, then weakened again. Blood began to spill from his mouth, and mental fatigue blurred his vision.

At the moment his domain seemed about to collapse, Hui Jin, who had been suppressing stray data contamination on the perimeter with Pure Fire, suddenly had a flash of insight! He didn't attack the dog; instead, he projected a pure Pure Fire force, imbued with the essence of "Definition Order," into Chen Mo's domain from afar!

Like parched earth receiving rain, Chen Mo's trembling domain instantly steadied a few degrees! The Pure Fire power resonated marvelously with his Primordial rules, mixing a strand of pure white into the golden light, making it tougher.

The Ruin Hunter Dog let out an angry, bewildered howl, its attack effectiveness greatly reduced.

"Now!" Chen Mo seized the fleeting chance, compressing and condensing his domain's power, no longer a defense but a pure "existence" shackles, hurling them hard at the Ruin Hunter Dog!

"Definition: Your existence—ends here!"

The interwoven golden light and white flame shackles tightened around the dog's "body," the shadow emitting a final resentful screech, snapping shut, then exploding with a boom, turning into harmless primitive data streams that dissipated within the domain.

Simultaneously, outside, Zhang Yang and Wang Hu succeeded in destroying the crude Resonator, and the spatial fissure instantly sealed.

The battle ended. The observation station lay in ruins, Ark Soldiers either dead or fled.

Chen Mo dissolved the domain, staggered a step, and was steadied by the rushing Su Yu. His complexion was pale, but his eyes shone unusually bright.

"Just now… that resonance…" he said, looking at Hui Jin.

Hui Jin wore an expression of disbelief: "Pure Fire… seems able to synergize more deeply with your rule power…"

Kaiwen cradled the interferer, gazing at the wreckage, his heart racing with both lingering fear and inexplicable excitement: "We… we took down a Ruin Hunter Dog! Even if it was a mini version! And we found a way to counter them!"

Han Qing's voice came through the communicator, approving: "Well done. Not only did we pull out the nails, but we also validated the new tactics."

On the way back, though exhausted, each person carried a burning fire within. They were no longer passive survivors reacting to crises, but pioneers beginning to shape the rules and seek ways to counter higher‑level threats.

Chen Mo examined the small handful of "information dust" he had collected from the Ruin Hunter Dog's dispersal, containing strange rule rhythms, and then glanced at the scar‑scarred yet spirited companions beside him.

The Starfire has ignited, gradually turning into a prairie‑fire.

And this path of rule resonance seems to have just lifted the curtain.