Chapter 205: Awakening the Gardener and the Gaze from Orbit

Carrying those hard-won lava energy crystals and a bellyful of doubts, Lin Mo and Xiang Lingna, led by those crystal-cluster guides, swiftly retraced their original path. The maintenance tunnel was utterly silent, as if the lava-armored beasts and the eerie black mud had all been nothing but a dream—only the faint lingering scent of sulfur and a trace of an elusive, chilling aura proved they had ever existed. That ancient humming never sounded again, and the ark's wreckage had fallen back into dead silence, but that brief awakening was enough to inspire awe, and brought with it even more riddles.

Inside the ecological dome hall, Sister Ai Li remained on high alert; seeing them return safely, her taut shoulders relaxed just a fraction. Priestess Liyana still slept quietly, her complexion appearing slightly rosier under the life-glow radiating from the seed crystal.

"Found some energy crystals—hope they're useful." Lin Mo set those few orange-red crystals down on the platform. The moment the crystals touched the platform's surface, the flowing lava halo within them seemed to brighten a few shades, engaging in a subtle energy exchange with the platform itself.

"Zero, what's the situation?" Lin Mo looked toward the console still connected to the platform interface.

"A stable connection has been initially established. The 'Gardener' AI core remains in an extremely weakened state, but portions of its base database are readable. Fragmented information regarding this ecological unit, the ark's basic structure, and the energy system is being downloaded." Zero reported the progress. "These lava energy crystals have a rather high-temperature and active energy attribute; they must be converted by the platform before they can be absorbed and utilized. Estimated conversion efficiency: 65% to 70%."

"Begin conversion and injection immediately. Priority: maintain the 'Gardener' core's operation and basic life support." Lin Mo ordered. Better than nothing.

Zero's console guided the platform to emit a faint glow; those few lava crystals were drawn by an invisible force, levitated, and moved into several specific grooves on one side of the platform. Fine streams of energy, like golden threads, were drawn out from the crystals and injected into the platform's interior. The platform emitted a low hum, its surface patterns lighting up in sequence, beginning the energy conversion and transmission.

As energy was injected, the lighting at the top of the hall seemed to stabilize somewhat, and the faint sound of the air circulation system operating grew a touch stronger. Most importantly, the emerald-green seed crystal at the platform's center radiated a life-glow that visibly grew brighter and more stable!

Hmm…

That massive hexagonal crystal screen lit up once more; the duration of snow and garbled flickering shortened considerably, and that cold electronic synthesized voice sounded again—still weak, but no longer broken and halting:

【Energy input confirmed... Source: geothermal-derived crystal. Purity: medium. Conversion efficiency: 68.4%... Core energy level raised to 4.1%... Basic function maintenance extended... Thank you, Guardian my lord.】

It worked! Though only a negligible improvement, it had genuinely taken effect!

"Gardener, report your status, and the situation of this 'Xinluzhou' ark." Lin Mo asked in a low voice, a hint of urgency in his heart.

【Status report: severe damage. Ecological Unit Sector B-7 integrity at 31%. Life-support system operating efficiency at 18%. Main energy conduit interrupted. Connection to other ark sectors severed at 97.3%. Database corruption rate as high as 89.7%.】 The Gardener's voice carried no emotional fluctuation, merely stating the brutal facts.

【Ark 'Xinluzhou' overview: an ecological ark built upon an ancient World Tree branch remnant and a stardust-core drive, intended to traverse the sea of stars and sow life and order. During the standard voyage cycle, it encountered an unknown dimensional storm and... an attack by the vanguard forces of the 'Devouring Tide,' sustaining severe damage and making an emergency landing in this unknown star domain. During the forced landing, the core power chamber 'Leyline Energy Well' was actively sealed and put into dormancy to prevent total detonation; the remaining majority of sectors are disconnected or destroyed.】

The Devouring Tide! Just as expected! The black hand behind the Doctor, that Throat of the Devouring Realm, had long since extended its tentacles into this star domain!

"Leyline Energy Well?" Lin Mo caught the key information. "Where is it? Can it be restarted?"

【The Leyline Energy Well is located in the ark's core area. Navigation data is partially missing; the optimal route requires traversing the main energy conduit network, but the network currently has multiple interruptions. Several backup maintenance tunnels exist that may be attempted for approach, but the risks are unknown. Energy Well status: dormant. Restart requires two conditions: first, a sufficiently powerful initial energy surge; second, at least one 'World Tree Seed' to serve as a primer, harmonizing the energy surge and reactivating the dormant stardust core within the well.】 The Gardener gave the answer, but every condition was extremely harsh.

A powerful initial energy surge... a World Tree Seed... Lin Mo's gaze involuntarily drifted toward the emerald-green seed crystal at the platform's center. This was a ready-made World Tree Seed! But it was the key to maintaining this ecology and the Gardener's existence—once taken to restart the energy well, this place would very likely collapse immediately.

As if reading Lin Mo's doubts, the Gardener continued: 【Warning: removing this seed will result in the complete shutdown of Ecological Unit B-7; the 'Gardener' core will once again enter the risk of permanent dormancy. Recommendation: prioritize finding other alternative energy sources to maintain this unit, or... search for other scattered seeds. According to fragmented log records, before the ark crashed, several seeds were scattered to different areas of the ark or... the surface of this planet due to an emergency ejection procedure.】

There were other seeds! This was undoubtedly a new hope and objective!

"The scattered seeds... can you detect their approximate locations?" Xiang Lingna couldn't help but ask; her right-arm crystal had a strong resonance toward that seed—perhaps it could sense the others too?

【Detection systems severely damaged; large-scale precise scanning is impossible. However, the life-energy signature contained within the seeds is unique; within a relatively close range, a high-sensitivity life-energy detector or... a 'key' similar to your right arm can be used for fuzzy resonance.】 The Gardener's answer drew attention toward Xiang Lingna.

Just then, Zero's console suddenly emitted an urgent alarm, interrupting the conversation!

"Warning! High-intensity, high-precision scanning beam detected penetrating the ark's outer shielding layer! Source: low-Earth orbit! Signature match: Doctor's reconnaissance craft active detection system!"

"Scanning beam focusing! Target locked: anomalous energy fluctuation zone of this ecological unit! We've been discovered!"

The faces of everyone changed dramatically in an instant!

"Immediately cease energy conversion! Enter minimum-power silent state!" Lin Mo ordered at once!

The platform's glow instantly dimmed; the extraction of energy from the lava crystals stopped, and the hall's lighting reverted to its previous dimness—only the seed crystal continued to radiate its unchanging faint glow. The Gardener's screen also rapidly dimmed, retaining only the most basic operation.

However, it seemed a step too late.

That invisible scanning beam from orbit, like a cold finger, precisely "touched" the entire ecological hall, lingering for a moment especially over the seed crystal and Lin Mo's group.

Although the scanning beam quickly moved away, a cold sensation of being stared at by a venomous snake instantly seized every single person.

Zero's console fell silent for a few seconds, then emitted an even more chilling alarm:

"Orbital reconnaissance craft signal change! One of them is adjusting attitude, lowering orbital altitude! The other two are holding position, conducting information relay lockdown!"

"Descent target... predicted impact point... this region!"

"Speculation: enemy about to airdrop combat units or... conduct precision bombing!"