Chapter 280: The Morning Star in the Darkness

Order issued.

On the far side of the Moon, next to the Guanghan Palace base, a new construction site began work.

The power lines of the Heaven's Punishment Array were rerouted, concentrated to be sent here.

Zhao Kaiyuan personally designed the energy core, using the antimatter buffering technology recently reverse‑engineered from the detector wreckage.

It can keep the energy output fluctuation within 0.0001%.

"This thing is more precise than feeding a baby," he complained in the comms.

"Even a slight fluctuation will cause the algorithm to error and then self‑destruct. I have to keep staring at the pressure gauge; my eyes are about to go blind."

"Do you need help?" Li Yang asked.

"You can't help; this is the energy system's work." Zhao Kaiyuan paused.

"But you can help me scold those construction robots; they always miswire the lines and need to be shouted at to behave."

Li Yang laughed: "Fine, I'll have the mech shout."

Three days later, the Ascension‑Dimension Computing Center was completed.

It is a hemispherical building 500 meters in diameter, its surface coated with purple material, gleaming with a dim luster under the Moon's sunlight.

Inside the building, ten thousand quantum computers are arranged in a ring, with the algorithm core floating in the middle.

A palm‑sized purple crystal, inside which is encapsulated the mathematical miracle of the Gamma‑7 Civilization.

On activation day, the Dragon Chant core team arrived via holographic projection.

Feng Yan, Li Yang, and Wang Hao were in the control center.

Chen Guang was in the algorithm monitoring room. Zhao Kaiyuan was at the energy core.

Zhao Gong was at the main console of the Moon Base.

"All units report." Feng Yan said.

"Energy system ready, output stability 99.9999%." Zhao Kaiyuan's voice.

"Algorithm core loaded, self‑check passed." Chen Guang.

"Cooling system on full standby." Zhao Gong.

"Defensive barrier at maximum strength." Li Yang.

"All right." Feng Yan took a deep breath, "Activate."

Zhao Kaiyuan pressed the button.

Silent and soundless.

But everyone could feel a kind of "hum" existing on the dimensional level.

It was as if the whole space was slightly trembling.

The computing center's quantum array simultaneously glowed blue, the purple crystal began to spin, faster and faster, until it left an afterimage.

On the screen, the computing power curve shot up straight.

Originally, Torch Dragon‑4's computing power was 10^18 FLOPS, now……

10^19……

10^20……

10^21!

"Computing power increased…… by twelve hundred times." Chen Guang's voice trembled with uncontrollable excitement.

"The algorithm runs stably, spacetime ripple monitoring…… normal. Wait——"

He suddenly paused.

"What's wrong?"

"The algorithm is actually self‑optimizing." Chen You displayed real‑time data.

"It's adapting to our hardware architecture, automatically adjusting the calculation model. This isn't a preset program, it's…… learning ability. The algorithm left by Gamma‑7, is it actually alive?"

The purple crystal's rotation speed slowed, its luster began to change, from dark purple to a deep, seemingly star‑filled azure.

Then, a voice sounded over the comms.

Not anyone's voice.

But a synthesized, calm, with an extraordinary rhythm tone:

【Gamma‑7 algorithm core activated.】

【Detected user civilization: Humanity. Energy utilization efficiency threshold: 0.54. Civilization development stage: Within star system. Facing threat: Harvester mutants.】

【According to Gamma‑7 civilization's final instruction, this algorithm will assist the user against the threat.】

【Computing resources allocated.】

【Research acceleration module activated.】

【Begin scanning user's technology tree……】

Everyone was stunned.

"Can it still speak?" Wang Hao was the first to react.

"It's not speaking, it's directly generating semantic signals." Chen Guang quickly analyzed.

"The algorithm has evolved an interactive interface. This exceeds what Gamma‑7 left behind in description……"

The algorithm core continued:

【Scan complete. Detected key technical bottlenecks: incomplete vacuum zero‑point energy theory, lack of mathematical model for spacetime weapons, low synthesis efficiency of purple material……】

【Generating solution.】

【Estimated completion time: 72 hours human standard time.】

【During this period, please keep energy supply stable.】

Additionally: Detected abnormal spacetime curvature around the Moon Base. The spacetime ripples caused by the ascension calculation are accumulating; advise evacuating personnel within a one-kilometer radius.

Zhao Gong immediately ordered from the Moon side: "All personnel, evacuate outside one li of the calculation center!"

Robots began moving equipment, and the engineers swiftly retreated.

Meanwhile, inside the calculation center, that purple crystal had already floated up to mid‑air, its surface flowing with the luster of data streams.

The surrounding quantum computer arrays were running at full power, and the temperature readings of the cooling system began to climb rapidly.

"Temperature exceeds limits!" Zhao Kaiyuan warned, "If this continues, the cooling system won't hold!"

"Adjusting calculation mode to reduce power consumption."

The temperature curve began to drop.

The voice of the algorithm core sounded again, this time carrying a hint of… apology?

"Sorry. Initial activation misjudged the user's hardware performance; it has been optimized."

Wang Hao muttered, "It even apologizes?"

"This shows it has basic emotional‑simulation." Chen Guang stared at the data.

"What the Gamma‑7 left behind might not be just a tool, but… a partner. A partner with self‑awareness, yet restricted to use only against the Harvesters."

Feng Yan looked at the glowing crystal on the screen and suddenly asked, "Do you have a name?"

The algorithm core remained silent for two seconds.

Then:

"The Gamma‑7 civilization calls me a "seed.""

"But you may… rename me."

In the control room, everyone glanced at each other.

"How about calling it "Abacus"?" Wang Hao suggested, "An old‑timer with new tech—cute contrast."

Chen Guang showed no expression: "Rejected."

"How about "Purple Crystal"? The color fits well."

"Too vulgar."

Li Yang thought for a moment: "Let's call it "Qiming." The morning star in the darkness."

The luster of the algorithm core flickered.

"Name confirmed: Qiming."

"Now, begin work."

"In 72 hours, I'll give you… a new world."

The computing power curve on the screen surged again.

Meanwhile, outside the Moon Base, the engineers who had retreated to a safe distance looked up toward the direction of the calculation center.

They saw that the starry sky around the hemispheric structure… seemed to be twisting.

Like looking far away through scorching air, the scene trembled slightly.

A young engineer rubbed his eyes: "Is my vision playing tricks? Why does it feel like the moon is shaking?"

The old engineer beside him lit a cigarette, vaping an e‑cig inside his suit: "No hallucination. It's our creation shaking spacetime."

He exhaled a nonexistent puff of smoke and said softly:

"Now we've really gone big."

Under the night sky, the light of the calculation center grew brighter and brighter.

Meanwhile, 1,500 light‑years away, deep in the NGC 2237 nebula of Orion's Arm, the indicator light on a certain hibernation pod flickered weakly.

As if responding to something.