Chapter 396: Break-Curtain Device! (10,000)

At 16: 0, one hour and seven minutes remained until nightfall.

The sky was gloomy, thunderstorms rolling in, and the entry checkpoints along Wall One of Dawn City had descended into chaotic turmoil.

Most of the outbound convoys had already vanished; many queued vehicles, pressured by the worsening crisis, had been forced to return to their gathering points, and the danger of venturing out into the dark grew with every passing minute.

The southern, northern, and western wall checkpoints had been fully opened; hundreds of thousands of refugees from the outer districts surged into the city like a tidal wave, a dense, dark sea of people whose eyes burned with desperate survival instinct—constant, relentless attacks had made them hyper-sensitive and terrified; now, with Dawn City's upheaval and the spread of news about the Star Abyss crisis, they had no choice but to flood into the city, seeking shelter behind its high walls.

The ragged streets of the outer districts were gradually becoming desolate and barren; the rain intensified, leaving the former camps and shelters empty, littered with debris and garbage soaked in blood, constantly washed by the downpour.

In the outermost suburbs, a few convoys were still frantically packing their gear, their apocalypse vehicles roaring nonstop.

On the towering Wall One, tens of thousands of Garrison Command troops stood fully armed; in the watchtowers, soldiers peered through binoculars at the dense, ant-like crowds stretching for kilometers beneath the hundred-meter-high wall.

At the gate barriers, Garrison Command soldiers and various mechs stood ready; every entrant had to undergo Dark Mark detection.

Beep-beep-beep.

"Level One Mark—take them away for isolation!"

"No, my daughter's just—please, I beg you!" a man with glasses pleaded.

"One mark means crisis for the entire city. The isolation zone has armed protection—please cooperate," a Garrison soldier shouted to maintain order.

"Then I'll go with her!"

The father instantly picked up his daughter, hastily handed his belongings to his wife and companions, and was dragged away by the Garrison as his wife screamed in tears.

Under the apocalypse, no one knew if this hurried farewell would be their last.

Crowded, noisy, wailing, the roar of car engines—each entry checkpoint now resembled a hellish slaughterhouse.

The hundred-meter apocalypse wall stood as a city marvel, completely encircling Dawn City; every five hundred meters, two "Thunder Hammer" 120mm electromagnetic railguns stood like grim sentinels, their barrels glowing with blue energy that slithered along the rifling like lightning serpents; as base weapons, these electromagnetic railguns were several times more powerful than the G-3 models, and the dense array of Changcheng-50 base rail artillery fired 210mm self-loading explosive shells, rainwater streaming beneath their black muzzles.

In addition, various heavy cannons, automatic cannons, the 1130, ultra-high-temperature plasma beams, large pulse-string dampeners, weapon corridors, countless isolation nets, heavy weapon outposts built every five hundred meters in the outer districts, iron-wall isolation belts, and the sky-spanning air defense network, underground missile systems, and pulse-laser sky arrays together formed Dawn City's steel defense line.

The old district's streets had become steel jungles; countless apocalypse armored vehicles clogged every alley, all covered in defense nets; streets, buildings, windows, and doors were fortified by survivors with long and short guns arranged in defensive formations.

Tension and fear spread as nightfall neared; the internal network overflowed with negative, despairing messages.

【Three Star Abysses encircled and consumed—has Dawn City reached its apocalypse?】

【The Federation's dissolution is definitely tied to the Crimson World—the underground cities can't hold back the night, even the officials are fleeing!】

【Many large convoys have escaped; those left have nowhere to go—what do we do?】

【Oh my God, someone with a Level Five Mark was spotted in the outer isolation zone—they say a sky monster appeared near Star Abyss Seven, surely an S-class!】

【Our world is finished】

【Let's unite, survive tonight, and transfer tomorrow!】

…

In Galagher's black market alley, Lin Xian and his group watched the chaotic crowds around them, all with grim expressions.

"The polar night is expanding faster—Jinhai will likely be affected first," Xiang Ningjing said to Lin Xian.

Lin Xian immediately told her: "Sister Jing, contact Qian Dele in Jinhai—get the United Train and Skydome Train ready tonight, have them enter Dawn City at dawn. The Federation's dissolved—no one's watching us."

"Dawn City and Jinhai's communication nodes were under Federation control—they're probably in Garrison Command's hands now. Our message might not get through," Jiang Yun said.

"Then we fly back," Qian Dele said seriously. "There's always a way. If we don't bring the trains, none of these people can evacuate."

Xiang Ningjing nodded and told Lin Xian: "Lin Team Leader, don't worry—I'll work with Qian Dele to figure it out."

"I'll handle Xingcheng Rail Station and the Silver Star," Jiang Yun added. "The United Train needs to come in, and with defense, we need a large base."

"Good." Lin Xian looked at Lu Xingchen and Mo Nika: "Fire Brother and Mo Nika, assist Jiang Yun and Director Jian. For the infiltration here, just me, Kiki, Shizhi, and Zhou's team."

"No problem," Mo Nika said, arms crossed, her tone now serious.

"Rest assured, Brother Lin."

Both Mo Nika and Lu Xingchen were experts in large-scale operations; Lin Xian suspected Xingcheng Rail Station's situation would be complex—if Jiang Yun needed to confront and seize trains, having them along would greatly improve their chances.

Jiang Yun nodded at Lin Xian's plan: "Alright. Wait for my signal—if anything changes, return to the old apartment building. If we succeed, regroup at the rail station—it should be empty except for Wen's people and Zhou Mingyuan's. Large train teams evacuate fast; right now, I'd guess only Wen's hidden Silver Star remains."

"Lin Team Leader, Chu Yan's team and the Nightwalkers' Qi Team are syncing with us," Zhou Jin pointed to the massive, spiderweb-like network of underground strategic tunnels on the Dawn City map: "We should split up to search key areas—we're racing against time. We need to find the Break-Curtain Device, and also the person connected to the mycelium network—he won't be ordinary. Also…"

He looked at Lin Xian: "We need to locate Dawn City's defense control center."

Lin Xian said grimly: "You're worried the Crimson World has seized control of all weapons and turned them against survivors and the Iron Guard Brigade?"

"It's possible. With the Federation Council dissolved, we don't know who controls the AI core. If Phoenix Society is to take Dawn City, we must secure that control." Zhou Jin said.

"Then let's move."

Lin Xian immediately deployed the group: Xiang Ningjing, Qian Dele, Mo Nika, and Fire Brother left with Jiang Yun.

Lin Xian, with Kiki and Shizhi, plus Zhou Jin's special team, entered through an abandoned building's underground parking lot—he deployed dozens of construction drones to cut precise ground channels, excavating a several-meter passage, quickly reaching the concrete dome of a large underground facility. Lin Xian then directed the drones to cut through, revealing a dark void—a massive military tunnel appeared before them.

"Damn, your mechanical ability is insane for infiltration."

Zhou Jin's special team members stared in awe; female scout Xiao Yan couldn't help muttering.

"Are defense doors or specific devices made of mechanical structures just… useless to you?" Information expert Li Su asked.

"Enough questions," Zhou Jin growled. The group fell silent.

"There are plenty of surveillance and detection devices down here—but I've neutralized them all."

As Lin Xian prepared to deploy drones for reconnaissance, a sharp, high-speed whoosh erupted from below—like a maglev train racing past, a flash of light vanished, then a blast of air surged from the opening.

"Watch out—this is a high-speed transport network," Zhou Jin said. "This is a top-tier permanent facility—missiles, space-based weapons, strategic supplies all move underground through it. What we see now is just the uppermost layer."

"The transport unit that just passed—it suggests the Federation is still operating it."

Lin Xian deployed drones for illumination and reconnaissance while constructing a hanging ladder, then asked Shizhi: "Did you sense anything unusual?"

Shizhi shook her head.

"Good."

Lin Xian led the way down the excavated ladder and jumped.

Instantly, a cold, dry breath hit them; lights illuminated a vast sealed tunnel—metal structure, two specialized maglev tracks on the floor, an advanced axial ventilation system overhead, dense pipes coiling along the walls, and the permanent facility bristling with automated fire suppression systems.

"The nearest fixed underground facility is about two kilometers away—capable of housing two thousand in wartime, a central node," Lin Xian checked his time: "Zhou Team, you take that. I'm heading straight to Xingcheng Inner Harbor—these surveillance systems are easier for me to bypass."

Zhou Jin nodded, synced timing with Lin Xian: "Alright. Chu Yan's team is at Twin Star Tower—they'll likely meet you. If we access the underground central system, we'll probably find clues. Stay in contact."

With that, Zhou Jin led his special team down a side access corridor toward Point A's fixed facility.

There were nearly ten such facilities throughout the entire underground network. With Wen Hui and Zhou Mingyuan's leads severed, this underground system was likely the collaboration site between the Vanguard Plan and the Crimson World—and also provided Lin Xian's group a rapid route into the city center. Now, Lin Xian, Zhou Jin, Chu Yan, and Qi Nu had to split up: first attempt to hack the underground information network; if that failed, conduct a thorough search, then regroup at the rail port and No. 1 Underground City.

After Zhou Jin's team left, Lin Xian, Kiki, and Shizhi reached a corner of the tunnel.

"You want to intercept a transport unit?" Kiki asked.

"Hitch a ride," Lin Xian pointed: "This tunnel leads to the inner harbor—three junctions ahead. If we're lucky, we reach Xinggang directly."

Kiki nodded: "I thought you wanted me to fly you there?"

"Too risky," Lin Xian said. "I can't disable every surveillance unit. When the next train comes, you carry me and Shizhi and board it."

Lin Xian raised his hand—three sets of Federation-standard tactical powered armor appeared from the Black Star Forge space.

"Put these on—first, to blend in; second, to avoid injury."

"Mm." Kiki knew Lin Xian was thorough; she and Shizhi immediately donned the armor. All three sets were male-sized—Kiki and Shizhi's suits hung loosely, but the adaptive inner lining allowed adjustments; externally, they looked fine.

Whoosh!

From far down the dark tunnel, the whooshing sound returned—Kiki instantly used telekinesis to lift all three and accelerate along the tunnel edge.

A bright light surged forward—Kiki gritted her teeth and lunged; the three clung to the side of the maglev transport vehicle. Lin Xian checked—it was indeed an unmanned transport, no cargo, no crew, racing at high speed through the tunnel.

The three boarded; Kiki opened the powered armor's map—the vehicle was heading straight toward the inner city, no turns.

"No cargo—could it be transporting something out from the inner city?"

"Possible," Lin Xian said. "Wall One is concentrating all defenses—this is likely an arms and ammo line. But other purposes can't be ruled out…"

"This place… the dark aura is heavy," Shizhi, usually silent, spoke up. "Much stronger than outside."

"Because of the night?" Lin Xian frowned.

"I'm not sure—but there's more here than in other tunnels or dark zones."

Lin Xian looked up at the pitch-black tunnel. Zhou Jin's underground map showed this network extended as far as Mount Qilian and Pingcheng, connecting with some intercity underground transit lines—normally sealed. Now, with Dawn City locking even its own underground rail, where did this thick dark aura come from?

Minutes later, the maglev train began slowing. Lin Xian saw lights ahead—according to the map, they had entered the inner city.

Sensing they'd reached the interior zone, Lin Xian had Kiki lift him and Shizhi off the train; the three followed an access corridor into a mechanized loading platform.

Before them appeared a highly classified storage facility—countless drones and robotic arms loaded ammunition crates, weapons, even large missiles onto the transport trains.

On the platform, about a dozen armed sentries patrolled—all wearing the same standard tactical powered armor as Lin Xian's group.

This was the paint scheme Lin Xian had scanned from Zhou Mingyuan's guards back in Silent City, when Zhou Mingyuan and Wen Dong visited Yueyue Zhenji. After discovering the underground passage during the recruitment rally, he'd activated the construction sequence to produce these suits—for infiltration.

But this was Lin Xian's first real infiltration mission. Facing armed soldiers, he felt a flicker of tension. As he prepared to slip into the group, Kiki suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Garrison powered armor has an identification system—wait."

Lin Xian froze—he hadn't considered this.

Kiki rapidly operated her mobile terminal, registering virtual unit IDs for all three suits based on the sentries' signals, then exhaled.

"Done."

"Certain?"

"Certain," Kiki said seriously. "If you're still uneasy, I can knock them all out."

"Knock out a few dozen—what about the tens of thousands above?" Lin Xian sighed, then straightened his posture, mimicking the sentries by slinging his pulse rifle over his shoulder: "Stay close to me."

"Got it," both replied.

Lin Xian took a deep breath. As a patrol squad passed, he stepped out of the shadows. Shizhi followed nervously. After a few steps, Lin Xian turned: "Shizhi—take bigger steps."

"Oh, okay…"

Shizhi was small; the male-sized armor felt awkward. Her exaggerated strides made her gait look odd.

But as Lin Xian's trio moved on, no other sentries noticed anything amiss—whether Kiki's ID system worked or the internal chaos masked it, no one questioned them.

Along the way, squads of soldiers rushed past; everywhere, figures moved in frantic silence—no one spoke. An oppressive atmosphere hung thick.

The three took the elevator all the way to Xinggang, encountering no anomalies along the way; the higher they ascended, the fewer people they saw—but at the entrance to the Dawn City Xinggang corridor, a line of Garrison Commander armored troops stood guard, barring all passage with unmistakable determination.

"So many?" Kiki exclaimed.

"All are soldiers guarding the Vanguard Plan. The Vanguard launch is imminent—Xinggang is now at maximum defense status," Lin Xian said.

"Then what do we do…?"

Lin Xian used his mechanical ability to shift a ceiling monitor aside, then stepped to the side. Far off, he spotted a group of soldiers escorting a mechanical transport unit carrying some shipboard equipment. An idea struck him—he immediately ordered Kiki to knock the group unconscious with telekinesis, hide them in a storage room, then replicated their powered armor codes and swapped places with them, transporting the unit toward the corridor.

"Stop."

As they neared the Xinggang corridor, one of the lead Garrison Commander soldiers raised his hand to halt them. Lin Xian and Kiki froze instantly; Shi Zhi, nervous, took an extra step and nearly collided with Lin Xian.

But the soldier's attention wasn't on them—he walked to the rear, pulled out a scanner, swept it over the device, then waved them forward.

"Clear."

Phew~

Kiki and Shi Zhi both exhaled in relief, and all three passed through the corridor without incident.

"Why check their own stuff?"

"Probably to detect unauthorized devices—spy drones, listening bugs, or hazardous materials," Lin Xian said. "With the Federation Council dissolved, internal conflicts will erupt directly. This level of caution is normal."

As Lin Xian and the others emerged from a shipbridge corridor, a breathtaking sight unfolded before them. At dusk, the drizzle over Dawn City briefly cleared, sunlight spilling across a vast starship port. From their position at A-17 shipbridge corridor, they faced a colossal "Stellar-Class" starship—three hundred thousand tons of expeditionary behemoth—securely docked on the superconducting magnetic levitation array. Dozens of mechanical arms connected to its hull, pumping in fuel, water, and coolant.

Large cargo conveyors delivered rows of yellow standard cargo containers onto transport racks, where drone arms lifted them into the ship's interior. On the weapon platforms, gamma-ray laser arrays rotated and calibrated. Cargo shuttles hoisted the final batch of ecological module sections into the ship's belly. On the white hull, a special designation was painted:

【CN-243—Natural Selection】

And this was merely one among many. In the entire docking zone, seven starships were moored: six 300, 00-ton "Stellar-Class" vessels, and at the front, one 500, 00-ton "Farstar-Class" starship.

"Natural Selection… it seems this is the only one still loading cargo…" Kiki gazed at the majestic fleet and couldn't help but marvel.

"The flagship must be that Farstar-Class!" Lin Xian, watching the sunset, immediately strode toward it.

The entire docking zone was enormous. No sooner had they descended from the shipbridge corridor than a massive formation appeared on a nearby platform—thousands of people, all clad in identical space-anti-G suits. Every face was young, youthful, none appearing over thirty-five. They stood firm, yet their expressions betrayed tension and dread. Only the man at the front, dressed in military uniform, stood tall as a blade.

The man was delivering a departure address.

"From this moment, Natural Selection is both our home and our grave…"

Lin Xian hurried Kiki and Shi Zhi across the docking platform. The uniformed man did not turn to look at them; Lin Xian only glanced briefly, catching the surname on the man's chest tag—it seemed to be Zhang.

"Not him. Intelligence says the Vanguard's captain is Chu Jing, son of Chu Zhaonan. This must be the captain of the last starship."

As Lin Xian spoke, he hurried toward the distant Vanguard. Once on the Xinggang platform, no one seemed to notice their movements.

"Lin Xian, this starship… it looks fully loaded."

When they reached the bridge entrance of the largest Farstar-Class starship, Lin Xian looked up. The colossal vessel sat silent, all docking segments and loading ports sealed. Etched across its hull in black letters: 【Civilization Vanguard】. Quiet. Solemn. This was the first starship to pierce the Celestial Veil. In a sense, it was also the one with the least margin for error—if the Veil failed to break, this would be the first to crash. A sudden wave of sorrow and loneliness surged through Lin Xian.

Lin Xian wanted to laugh. He strangely found himself agreeing with Chu Zhaonan's plan—but he felt sorrow for even thinking it, for he himself was one of the humans the leader had chosen to abandon.

"The corridor's open. The Veil-Piercing device must be aboard."

Lin Xian took a deep breath, scanned his surroundings, hid the transport unit in a corner of the corridor, then stepped with Kiki and Shi Zhi directly into the Civilization Vanguard.

Passing through the alloy airlock, automatic sensors lit up one by one. Cold white light stretched along the corridor, illuminating the steel hallway leading to the ship's core.

At the corridor's end lay a circular central chamber, two hundred meters in diameter. Holographic panels lined the walls, dormant, emitting faint blue light. The floor was covered in anti-static mesh. From this central chamber, nine decks extended vertically, connected by central elevators and stairwells.

What struck Lin Xian as odd was that they hadn't seen a single person since entering. He checked the ship's internal deck map and sprinted toward the central command room. After passing through a hydraulic seal door, the temperature plummeted. They stepped into a vast cryosleep chamber. On either side, cryopods lined up like a beehive—over a thousand in total. Each was occupied. Through the transparent windows, young faces lay peacefully asleep.

"Why are they already in cryosleep? No other crew?" Kiki asked, puzzled.

Lin Xian felt an odd premonition. He hurried past the cryosleep zone to a central control room. Confirming no one was nearby, he immediately used the Black Star Forge to release Grace.

"Grace, connect me to the starship. I need full system status."

A "Farstar-Class" starship couldn't be hacked by Kiki alone. To perceive the entire vessel's status, only a quantum AI like Grace could accomplish it.

Grace, long deprived of sunlight, had clearly undergone extensive learning simulations. She instantly recognized Lin Xian's emotional tone and acted immediately.

【Understood, Captain. I am connecting to the starship's central network.】

Meanwhile, Kiki had used telekinesis to open a server casing in the central control system. The three entered. Grace extended a cable from her wrist, connecting to the ship's internal systems. Seconds later, all lights aboard flickered faintly. Grace spoke:

【Grace has successfully connected to the 'Civilization Vanguard' central network. What action is required?】

"Grace, I need to locate the Veil-Piercing device—used to break the Celestial Veil. Also, retrieve all logs: crew manifests, launch data, everything."

【This 'Civilization Vanguard' has been assigned a special fleet launch mission. Launch sequence will initiate in 16 hours, 46 minutes, 31 seconds. Sequence 2.】

Lin Xian's expression changed instantly. Kiki and Shi Zhi were equally stunned.

"16 hours? Tomorrow at 10 a. .?!?" Lin Xian checked the time, disbelief etched on his face.

This was far beyond his expectations.

【Yes. All launch preparations for 'Civilization Vanguard' are complete. Fusion core is operational. Human embryo library contains 500, 00 frozen embryos (covering 97% of global genetic diversity). Helium-3 fuel reserves: 1, 00 tons. Estimated endurance: 1, 00 years. Shipboard weapons fully online. Civilization archive includes photonic hard drives and mechanical optical film backups, comprehensively cataloging all human literature and art—from Paleolithic tools to gravitational wave applications. Blue Planet biological genome map (6. million species). Additionally, four cryosleep chambers now hold 4, 20 crew members in stasis. Life modules contain 2, 25 registered crew. The Veil-Piercing device you mentioned—I located it in the Space Science Lab. Designation: 'Dark Erosion Cell Veil-Piercing Activation Monitoring Apparatus.' Includes ultra-pure germanium detectors, cryo-electron microscopy high-speed scanning terminals, bio-energy capture traps, and radiation spectral analyzers. Presumed function: monitor data fluctuations in Dark Erosion Cells during Dark Invasion energy conversion.】

Lin Xian paused, then said: "That's it."

He immediately retracted Grace using the Black Star Forge, had Kiki temporarily assume control of the ship's surveillance system, then ran with Kiki and Shi Zhi toward the Space Science Lab.

"So there are already over five thousand people on this ship? Where did they all go?"

"No idea. Probably attending some launch ceremony," Lin Xian said, too pressed for time to dwell on it. The fact no one had noticed them so far was already a miracle.

As they ascended from the lower central control room to the upper decks, they realized multiple levels were now filled with crew members in standard uniforms, moving through work zones and corridors.

Some glanced at them curiously, but since all three wore Garrison Commander powered armor and moved in formation, the crew assumed it was routine inspection.

Lin Xian's trio nervously pushed through the crew to the Space Science Lab. The metal door was locked—but Grace had already preloaded Lin Xian with access codes. They entered effortlessly.

Inside, Lin Xian saw this was no ordinary lab. At its center stood a large white scientific device—a sphere, covered in countless cables and sensors.

As they approached, Shi Zhi immediately spoke:

"There's a strong Dark presence inside!"

"That's it!" Kiki walked closer, peered through a small observation window, and saw within—the device's core held a Dark Erosion Cell, fist-sized, encased in a special growth chamber.

Lin Xian stepped forward at once, pupils contracting.

"Wait—there's no mycelium interface?"

"Did you scan it?" Kiki frowned.

Lin Xian nodded. He'd activated his mechanical ability the moment they entered—the device contained only the instruments Grace described. No mycelium-brain interface.

"Then how? It's supposed to be the Veil-Piercing device—just placing a Dark Erosion Cell here will break the Celestial Veil?" Kiki exclaimed.

"It's not that simple. The Crimson World must have already activated the Dark Erosion Cell via mycelium. Otherwise, the anomalies in the Three Star Abysses can't be explained," Lin Xian said.

Kiki analyzed: "Could there be another device? One that connects to this one at the moment of Veil-Piercing to trigger activation?"

"Possible."

Kiki's expression turned strange. "Lin Xian… you're not seriously thinking of… connecting to this… this thing?"

Lin Xian sighed helplessly. "Even if I wanted to, I don't have mycelium. I never imagined the Veil-Piercing device would contain a Dark Erosion Cell completely unlinked to mycelium. This is… bizarre…"

"Then what now?"

"Someone's coming."

At the door, Shi Zhi whispered to Lin Xian and Kiki.

Lin Xian and Kiki exchanged glances, then decided instantly:

"Withdraw. Don't alert them. We still have 16 hours until launch. We'll find the Dark Erosion Cell already linked to an S-Class consciousness."

Kiki nodded. Lin Xian turned to leave—then paused. He raised his hand, crafted a tiny device, and placed it beneath the spherical apparatus in a hidden spot. Only then did he leave the Space Science Lab with Kiki and Shi Zhi.

"What are you doing?" A young female scientist, clean-faced, wearing glasses, stared at them in surprise.

"Routine inspection," Lin Xian replied coldly, striding past.

"Oh~" She adjusted her glasses, watching their backs, saying nothing.

Minutes later, Lin Xian and the others pulled the starship's mechanical unit again, heading toward the Xinggang exit, preparing to leave.

"Chu Yan, Zhou Team, Qi Team—how's your situation? Mine…"

As Lin Xian walked quickly, he attempted to contact each team, synchronizing updates.

At the far end of the corridor, a man in military uniform walked slowly toward them, his gaze sharp as a blade. He swiftly scanned Lin Xian's trio, frowned slightly, sensing something amiss.

Lin Xian's group halted immediately, saluting him.

He returned the salute naturally, without stopping, and walked away slowly.

He wore no name tag. His shoulder insignia: Colonel. His eyes, deep as a song.

Chu Jing walked out of the corridor. Outside Xinggang, the sky was again covered in clouds. Light rain began to patter.

"Captain Chu."

As they entered the Vanguard, a senior adjutant approached: "Launch sequence is ready."

"Issue orders. Xinggang is now under full lockdown."

"Understood."

…

Lin Xian made contact with Chu Yan. The two teams met atop the abandoned Twin Star Tower.

Chu Yan synthesized all intelligence. Zhou Jin's team had infiltrated the underground facility's internal network and found logs of a classified operation. But the facility had been rebuilt by Dawn City—every codename changed, and critical data missing—making it impossible to locate the Crimson World's hidden position.

"So we still have 16 hours?" On the high-rise, Chu Yan and Lin Xian's team exchanged information, watching the rain-soaked city.

Nightfall approached.

"Strictly speaking, we have more than 16 hours," Lin Xian said, raindrops clinging to his face. "But after the Vanguard launch, finding someone linked to an S-Class or who activated this Dark Erosion Cell will be nearly impossible. Of course, we could link to an S-Class ourselves using mycelium."

"Do we have time for that?" Chu Yan countered.

Lin Xian said at once: "Don't we have a Dark Erosion Cell?"

"It came from the same S-Class body as the one the Crimson World used to activate theirs," Chu Yan said. "You forgot the Gray Mist Envoy?"

"So what? That means we get the same information."

Lin Xian fell silent, suddenly realizing something.

"Wait, Gray Mist Emissary, that dead S-Class anomaly…"

"What is it?" Chu Yan looked at him.

"I've always wondered what the Crimson World's purpose was in recovering the corpse of this S-Class anomaly," Lin Xian asked. "Shouldn't they already have obtained the action brain cells and cultivated them in the Star Abyss?"

"Because live Dark Corrosion cells aren't just used by the Crimson World to study the effects of Dark Invasion conversion," Chu Yan said. "The real purpose is to use mycelium to connect with the Dark."

Lin Xian's expression hardened: "But connecting to the Dark is the goal—there's still a missing step."

"What step?" Kiki asked at once.

"Reviving the S-Class Action Brain!" Lin Xian suddenly remembered the massive biological experimental exosuit beneath Jinhai Star Factory—he'd always wondered why the Crimson World had installed suppression devices and restraints on a dead anomaly.

Because if the anomaly couldn't move on its own, the device would be meaningless, and the mycelium linkage would serve no purpose.

"Chu Yan, do you remember the information you obtained from Zhou Mingyuan and Wen Hui mentioning Shuguang City's transport of large mechanical equipment?"

"Yes."

"If it's a starship, what's so unusual? Starships are built every day. Could the 'large mechanical equipment' they mentioned be something else?!"

"What exactly are you getting at?" Chu Yan looked at him.

Lin Xian's face darkened: "Is it possible the Crimson World needs to cultivate a complete S-Class Action Brain to initiate mycelium linkage—and that a single Dark Corrosion cell alone is meaningless? That's why the Dark Corrosion cells must be cultivated on living tissue, and why they recovered the Gray Mist Emissary's corpse: they intend to cultivate the Action Brain directly on its body, then trigger the mycelium linkage!"

"You mean they're planning to revive an S-Class?" Kiki exclaimed.

Chu Yan frowned: "Why would Shuguang City allow them to do this?"

Lin Xian suddenly remembered something. "Kiki!"

"What?!"

"Replay the recent logs from the Vanguard—no, the launch sequence data!"

Kiki immediately pulled out a mobile terminal: "'Civilization Vanguard' has been assigned a special formation launch mission. Launch will initiate in 16 hours, 46 minutes, 31 seconds. Launch Sequence Two."

"Launch Sequence… Two? Why Two? I've felt something was off all along. If the Vanguard isn't Sequence One, then what is?"

In an instant, countless thoughts crystallized into clarity.

Dark Corrosion cells growing on living tissue, recovery of the Gray Mist Emissary, the A-Class exosuit experiment beneath Jinhai, the mycelium-brain interface, connection to the Dark, the Celestial Veil, the Veil-Breaking Device, anomalies in the Star Abyss, Shuguang City's transport of super-large mechanical equipment…

Lin Xian gazed at the rain-swept nightfall and spoke in a low voice.

"If the Vanguard carries only a Dark Corrosion cell—not an Action Brain—then somewhere else, there must be a massive S-Class anomaly that has undergone flesh cultivation and had its Action Brain revived…"

"That is the true Veil-Breaking Device!"

(End of Chapter)