Chapter 240: The Night Owl

Darkness. Thick, suffocating darkness reeking of rust and dust. The emergency passage was narrower and more twisted than imagined; often, Xiang Lingna could only crawl on hands and knees, the cold metal walls scraping her skin, the freshly bandaged wound on her left arm throbbing again.

Behind her, the heavy, rhythmic thudding clung like a parasite, faintly seeping through thick walls, reminding her of the pursuers' approach and the dwindling time. Each impact struck like a hammer on her nerves, tightening them to breaking.

Ahead, the Raven moved silently and swiftly, carrying Sister Ai Li without slowing his pace. He knew the labyrinthine underground network with astonishing familiarity, always choosing paths at junctions without hesitation.

"Where… are we going?" Xiang Lingna gasped, her voice barely audible in the narrow passage.

"Gamma-7 node. That's our only chance." The Raven's voice came from the darkness ahead, hushed, "We must reach it before the Doctor's main force completes the encirclement."

"How's Sister Ai Li?"

"Vital signs are stable, but no signs of regained consciousness. The Doctor's forced directives and chip overload have severely stressed her brain." The Raven's voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible worry.

Xiang Lingna's heart sank. She clenched her fists and pushed harder to keep up with the Raven.

The passage began sloping downward; the air grew damp and stifling. Far ahead, a deep, rumbling mechanical roar echoed—as if some colossal machine labored deep beneath the earth.

"We're nearing the energy zone," the Raven explained. "Gamma-7 node was an old-era secondary energy distribution and monitoring point, later integrated into the main system but retaining some independent physical lines. I hope Elder Elana's backdoor is still functional."

After several more turns, a faint, flickering red light appeared ahead.

The Raven halted, signaled for silence, cautiously peered forward, then waved them on.

Xiang Lingna crept closer and saw they stood at the lower edge of a vast metal platform, choked with thick energy pipes and valves. High above, complex steel frameworks supported the platform; the flickering red lights came from fault indicators mounted on the pipes. The deafening mechanical roar originated here, shaking the metal grating beneath their feet.

On the far wall of the platform, embedded in grime, lay an unassuming ancient control panel, its surface coated in thick oil. Above it, nearly buried in dust, was a metal emblem carved with the image of an owl—the Night Owl's Eye.

"There!" the Raven whispered, pointing at the panel. "We need to get over and activate it. But there may be patrol automata up there."

Xiang Lingna looked up. Between the crisscrossing steel beams, she glimpsed several pale-lit automata—massive metallic spiders—slowly patrolling, their scanning beams occasionally sweeping across the platform.

Charging directly would be suicide.

"Follow me. Below." The Raven had clearly planned this. He led Xiang Lingna along a narrow maintenance corridor beneath the platform, using pipes and valves as cover, inching closer to the underside of the target panel.

The crawl was heart-stopping. Several times, scanning beams grazed just above their heads. Xiang Lingna's heart pounded; her palms slick with sweat.

Finally, they reached the shadow directly beneath the control panel—unscathed.

"I'll climb up and activate the node. You stay here and keep watch." The Raven gently leaned the unconscious Sister Ai Li against the wall, then turned to Xiang Lingna.

Xiang Lingna nodded nervously, gripping the only decent weapon they'd taken from the outpost—a worn, nearly depleted elven-issue pistol. Its power might not even pierce an automaton's armor, but it offered her at least a sliver of psychological comfort.

The Raven moved like a nimble monkey, silently scaling the cold pipes and supports toward the upper control platform.

Xiang Lingna held her breath, eyes locked on the movements above and around her, ears straining for any abnormal sound.

Seconds ticked by. The Raven reached the panel, carefully wiping away oil and dust with his tools, then began attempting to operate it.

The automata above showed no sign of detection, continuing their fixed patrol routes.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

Then, just as the Raven was about to complete the operation—

Beep—!!!

A shrill, piercing alarm erupted throughout the energy zone—not from above, but from the direction they'd come! Rotating red warning lights flared in every corner!

"WARNING! Unauthorized access to energy node detected! Security protocol activated! All units proceed to Gamma-7 immediately!"

The Doctor had discovered them! He'd triggered the regional security protocol!

"Damn it!" The Raven cursed above, accelerating his movements.

The automata above instantly activated, their scanning beams turning frantic and aggressive, all locking onto the Raven's position! At least three automata scrambled rapidly along the steel beams, their shoulder weapons beginning to charge!

"Raven! Watch out!" Xiang Lingna screamed.

"Don't worry about me! Get ready! Once the command is sent, we'll have only seconds!" The Raven roared without looking back, fingers flying across the control panel, ignoring the approaching automata!

Shhh! Shhh!

Searing energy beams struck the metal framework around the Raven, spraying brilliant sparks! One automaton had closed the distance, swinging its massive metal claw toward him!

The Raven rolled sideways in a desperate twist, narrowly evading the claw, then slammed his palm onto the final button on the control panel!

"In the name of Dawn!" he bellowed.

The owl emblem on the panel blazed with a soft white light; all indicator lights on the panel erupted into frantic flashes!

【Backup command confirmed… Attempting connection to secondary main energy core system… Connecting…】

Success!

But at the same moment, the automaton's claw swung again—this time, the Raven had no escape.

In that instant—

Xiang Lingna found courage surging from nowhere. She raised her old pistol and fired at the automaton's massive optical sensor!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The energy bolts struck the thick sensor armor, sparking uselessly—leaving not even a scratch.

But the sudden attack drew the automaton's attention. Its cold sensor snapped downward toward Xiang Lingna!

"Foolish! Get down!" The Raven shouted above, furious and alarmed.

But it was too late. The automaton's weapon instantly locked onto Xiang Lingna.

Xiang Lingna stared at the muzzle, where death energy was coalescing, her mind going blank.

Yet the expected attack never came.

The deafening mechanical roar of the entire energy zone, along with the piercing alarm, suddenly—abruptly—paused.

As if the world had been muted.

All running machines, all flickering lights, all moving automata—their motions froze for a fleeting, unmistakable instant. The energy surging through the pipes seemed to stutter.

The Raven seized this sudden, fleeting pause caused by the secondary core's reboot. He leapt from the platform, firing rapid pulses from his pulse pistol at the joints and sensors of two automata above.

Pop! Pop!

Sparks erupted from critical points on the two automata; their movements grew even more stiff and sluggish.

The Raven landed hard beside Xiang Lingna, grabbed her arm, and ran. "Go! The effect lasts only seconds!"

His other arm scooped up Sister Ai Li again, and he charged toward another dark maintenance tunnel entrance below the platform!

Behind them, the stalled machines and mecha resumed operation, alarms once more splitting the air as fiercer attacks followed close behind! Energy rays rained down on the metal floor behind them!

The three of them dashed into the maintenance tunnel by a hair's breadth; a heavy blast door slammed down behind them, temporarily cutting off the pursuers and their attacks!

Bang!

From beyond the door came the sound of mecha frantically slamming against the gate.

The tunnel was pitch black, leaving only the three of them gasping for breath.

"Did… did we make it?" Xiang Lingna asked, her soul still unsettled, her heart pounding without end.

"The command was sent out… the core's secondary systems should have been briefly rebooted…" Crow slid down against the cold wall, his voice weary and still shaken. "…The Doctor must be furious right now… a lot of his experiments and control systems will be disrupted to varying degrees… that should buy us a little precious time…"

He paused, looked at Xiang Lingna, his gaze complicated: "…Just now… it was very dangerous. And also very… brave."

Xiang Lingna lowered her head a little sheepishly; at the time she hadn't thought that much at all.

"What do we do next?"

Crow's gaze turned toward the endless darkness deep within the tunnel, where a faint current of air seemed to flow.

"The disturbance to the energy core will ripple through the entire Ark, including some long-forgotten ancient sectors… perhaps… there's a path we can use, amidst this chaos, to try to approach or even… enter the 'shadow' zone of the Doctor's control area."

His tone carried uncertainty, yet also a trace of all-or-nothing resolve.

"It's a path… one the Doctor himself may never have fully mastered. A 'Legacy Corridor' that leads to the Ark's oldest, darkest era."