Chapter 241

Outside the blast door, the automated mechs' futile impacts echoed like the roars of trapped beasts—muffled, relentless—each strike making the thick metal door groan under strain, dislodging a cascade of dust. But this gate, clearly designed for worse scenarios, still kept the danger at bay.

The corridor was dead silent, save for the Three Heavy Breaths echoing in the narrow space. The brief adrenaline surge had faded, replaced by deeper exhaustion and the hollow numbness of survival.

Xiang Lingna slid down against the cold, rough wall, her left arm wound throbbing again from the ordeal—each heartbeat hammered like a mallet against the injury. Her trembling hand brushed the "Tear" fragment in her chest, feeling its faint but steady glow, and only then did she feel a sliver of relief.

The Crow gently laid the unconscious Sister Ai Li flat, checked her vitals once more, confirmed stability, then sighed wearily, wiping sweat and grime from his brow. His emerald eyes adjusted to the dark, scanning the unknown maintenance corridor with caution.

The corridor stretched forward into deeper darkness, where faint air currents stirred, carrying an indescribable stench—mixing ancient dust, metallic rust, and something… organic decay.

"What you just mentioned… the 'Heritage Corridor'?" Xiang Lingna's voice was hoarse from thirst and weakness. "What is that place?"

The Crow fell silent for several seconds, as if organizing words, or recalling memories he wished to avoid. "The Ark… wasn't built overnight. It was continuously expanded and modified upon the ruins of a far older civilization—one predating even the Elven golden age." His voice was low, tinged with barely perceptible awe and dread. "The 'Heritage Corridor' refers to those deliberately sealed, forgotten remnants of that ancient era. Legends say they still hold the original technological artifacts of the Forerunners… and some things beyond comprehension. Even the Doctor seems wary of those zones—his control network doesn't fully cover them."

Forerunner civilization? Older than the Elven age? Xiang Lingna felt a sudden, profound shock. The history carried by this Ark was far heavier, far more mysterious than she'd imagined.

"Is it a way out?" Xiang Lingna clung to a flicker of hope.

"More likely a path of peril," The Crow doused her hope, his tone grim. "Those zones are long-neglected, structurally unstable, environmentally hostile, and… no one knows what still lurks inside. Elder Elana's records mention certain 'Heritage' relics still retain minimal… vitality—even aggression. We're choosing the lesser of two evils."

The impacts outside the door suddenly grew fiercer, mingled with the shrill screech of a high-temperature cutter biting into metal! The center of the gate began to glow red and warp!

"They've found a way through!" The Crow's face darkened; he snatched up Sister Ai Li and slung her onto his back. "No time to hesitate! Follow me!"

He turned without hesitation and sprinted into the unknown darkness ahead.

Xiang Lingna clenched her teeth, suppressed every ache and discomfort, and followed close behind.

The maintenance corridor was longer than expected, sloping downward. The ground beneath their feet shifted from metal grating to rough, uneven rock—as if leaving the Ark's artificial structure and entering its natural geological strata. The air grew damper, colder, the strange stench of decay stronger.

After walking an indeterminate time, a peculiar glow appeared ahead in the darkness—not artificial light, but a faint, eerie blue bioluminescence, flickering like will-o'-the-wisps. The light came from a thick, carpet-like layer of strange moss covering the rock walls.

These mosses emitted a cold blue radiance, illuminating the scene ahead—the corridor ended here, replaced by the edge of a vast, violently torn underground chasm. A narrow bridge, ancient beyond measure, constructed of dark metal and crystal, spanned the bottomless abyss, leading to a black, gaping cavern on the far side.

The bridge was rusted, warped in places, sections missing entirely. Beneath it yawned an endless dark void, from which a chilling wind howled upward.

And the thick stench of decay rose from the chasm below and the cavern beyond.

"This is it. Cross this bridge—the cavern beyond is one entrance to the Heritage Corridor." The Crow's expression was Heavy and Solemn; he studied the bridge, which looked ready to collapse at any moment. "Follow my steps exactly. Don't miss your footing."

He stepped onto the bridge first. Ancient metal groaned and shuddered, as if on the verge of disintegration.

Xiang Lingna's heart rose to her throat. She took a deep breath and followed cautiously, placing each foot exactly where The Crow had stepped. The bridge surface was slick; cold winds from the gaps nearly pulled her down. She dared not look down—only fixed her gaze on The Crow's back and the path ahead.

Just as they struggled to the bridge's midpoint—

Crack!

A section of metal beneath The Crow's foot shattered! He plunged downward abruptly!

"Ah!" Xiang Lingna cried out in terror!

At the last instant, The Crow surged with strength, gripping a twisted railing with one hand, clutching Sister Ai Li tightly with the other, hanging suspended in midair. Shattered metal fragments tumbled into the abyss—no echo returned.

"The Crow!" Xiang Lingna froze, heart in her throat, wanting to rush forward but fearing she'd overload the bridge.

"Don't come closer! The bridge won't hold!" The Crow growled, his arm trembling violently as he strained to pull himself up.

At that moment, deep within the black cavern opposite, two enormous, crimson "lanterns" flared to life! They flashed once—then an indescribable terror, blending physical and psychic pressure, surged outward like a tidal wave!

From below the chasm came a horrifying, dense rustling sound—like countless things climbing the rock walls!

Some terrible entity slumbering within the "Heritage" had been awakened by their intrusion!

"Hurry! Get across!" The Crow seized the moment the bridge still trembled from the impact, surged upward, and hurled himself and Sister Ai Li toward the far end, landing hard and rolling several times.

Almost simultaneously, Xiang Lingna unleashed all her strength, sprinting blindly across the final, crumbling span of bridge, throwing herself onto the far shore!

The instant she landed and turned back, she saw a sight she would never forget—

Hundreds of fist-sized insects, their carapaces covered in that eerie blue moss, armed with grotesque mouthparts, surged onto the bridge like a tide, instantly burying the ancient structure! They devoured every scrap of metal and foreign material in frenzy!

And deep within the cavern opposite, the two crimson "lanterns" advanced rapidly, accompanied by footsteps so heavy they shook the ground—and a rasping, wheezing breath like a broken bellows, thick with endless hunger.

The bridge, under the assault of the insect tide and the terror's pressure, gave one final, agonized cry—and began to collapse as a whole!

"Go!" The Crow seized Xiang Lingna's hand and bolted without looking back into the darkness of the Heritage Corridor behind them!

Behind them came the thunderous crash of the bridge's total collapse, the shrill hissing of the insect swarm, and the deafening, furious roar of the terrible entity!

The sounds were quickly left behind—but the soul-deep terror lingered, unshakable.

They sprinted down a more ancient corridor, its walls etched with Forerunner-style geometric patterns, until the sounds behind vanished completely. Only then did they stop, leaning against the wall, gasping for breath.

"W-what was that back there?" Xiang Lingna trembled, voice shaking.

"... The 'Heritage's' 'Cleaners'… and worse." The Crow's face was pale, fear still lingering in his eyes. "The 'vitality' here is higher than the records indicated. We must be even more careful."

Only now did Xiang Lingna take stock of their surroundings. The walls were neither metal nor stone, but felt warm and smooth, like polished metal, covered in incomprehensible geometric patterns of mathematical beauty. Some patterns held embedded crystal conduits, now dark and dead. The air still carried the strange decay, but fainter.

The corridor stretched ahead, flanked occasionally by sealed, oddly shaped hatches—no visible handles or locks, only intricate glowing patterns, most now dimmed.

The silence here was terrifying. Only their breathing and footsteps echoed in the vast corridor, producing faint reverberations that only deepened the strangeness.

"Which way now?" Xiang Lingna asked uneasily.

The Crow pulled out an ancient handheld scanner he'd taken from the outpost—likely an artifact left by Elder Elana. The screen was filled with static and interference, barely showing a vague directional indicator.

"The scanner's heavily interfered with, but the general direction's still readable. We need to head toward the Ark's 'heart'—the main power core. Only near it can we find a gap into the Doctor's control zone." The Crow adjusted the scanner. "Follow me. Don't touch anything."

The two rose again. The Crow carried Sister Ai Li; Xiang Lingna followed close behind, stepping cautiously along the silent, ancient corridor into its depths.

The corridor seemed endless. The scenery was monotonous and repetitive—only the walls etched with unknown patterns and the sealed hatches. Time grew blurred here.

After walking an indeterminate time, Xiang Lingna suddenly sensed something strange.

She seemed… to hear a faint, intermittent… sound of music?

The sound was extremely faint, as if from a distant place, or echoing directly within her mind. The melody was strange and ethereal, played on instruments she'd never heard, slow in rhythm, carrying an indescribable sorrow… and longing?

"The Crow… do you hear that?" Xiang Lingna whispered.

The Crow stopped, listening intently, frowning. "Hear what? Besides our own breaths, there's only silence here."

He couldn't hear it?

Xiang Lingna was certain it wasn't an illusion. The music was faint, but real—and as they moved forward, it grew slightly clearer.

More unsettling still: her left arm's Thorn Mark and her right leg's silver-gray scar seemed to resonate faintly with the music, sending tiny tingles through her skin.

This music... it seems to be able to affect the mark on her?

She didn't dare make a sound, only watching the surroundings and that eerie music even more warily.

After turning another bend, a fork appeared in the passage ahead. One path continued forward, the other led to a wider hall with a half-open door. That strange music seemed to be coming from that very hall.

The direction indicated on the scanner was to continue forward.

Ya didn't hesitate in the slightest and chose to keep going.

But Xiang Lingna couldn't help but stop in her tracks, staring blankly toward that hall. The music seemed to possess some kind of magic, calling to her, drawing her in. An inexplicable, intense impulse drove her to want to go in and take a look.

"What's wrong?" Ya noticed she hadn't followed and turned back to ask.

"Over there... it seems like there's something..." Xiang Lingna pointed at the hall, her voice slightly dazed.

Ya warily glanced at the half-open, oddly-shaped massive doorway of the hall; inside was pitch-black and couldn't be seen clearly. "The 'Heritage' zone is full of unknown risks. Don't stir up extra trouble. Follow me."

Reason told Xiang Lingna that Ya was right, but that feeling of being summoned grew stronger and stronger. She even felt the "Tears" shard in her arms grow slightly warm.

Just as she hesitated, deep within that half-open great door, a point of soft, warm-white light suddenly lit up.

Within the light, a blurry, slender figure that seemed to be wearing an ancient robe, with its back to them, stood quietly in the center of the hall. That ethereal, sorrowful music was precisely spreading out from that figure.

That figure slowly, slowly... turned its head.