Chapter 245: Whispers of the Void and the Price of Choice

The heavy laboratory metal door, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer, twisted, deformed, and then violently burst inward! Shattered metal fragments mixed with scorching energy streams shot outward like cannonballs!

An indescribable torrent of terrifying energy, mixing a dark red "thirst" with greedy avarice, a bone-chilling void coldness, and the Doctor's familiar madness, surged out from behind the door like a tsunami!

The indigo energy barrier, the first to bear the brunt, couldn't last even a second, shattering and annihilating instantly like a soap bubble!

Xiang Lingna and Ya didn't even have time to react before being violently blown away by this terrible energy shockwave! They crashed heavily into the server cabinets behind them, emitting a dull, thunderous boom!

"Wah!" Xiang Lingna felt her internal organs shift; a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out, and the "Tear" fragment and white jade disc in her hands nearly slipped away. Old wounds and new pains erupted instantly, and darkness swam before her eyes.

Ya's situation was equally dire; he used his body to shield Sister Ai Li behind him as much as possible, but the impact still snapped his ribs, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and he struggled to rise, yet was temporarily unable to do so.

The residual energy raged through the small room, destroying all fragile equipment, with electric sparks exploding everywhere like fireworks.

Amidst the swirling dust, a figure slowly strode out from behind the damaged door.

It was the Doctor.

But his current state made Xiang Lingna and Ya feel a shudder that came from the very soul.

He still wore that white research robe, but the hem fluttered without wind, as if containing terrifying energy. Around his body, two distinct energies visibly twisted and coiled— one was the familiar, nauseating dark red "thirst" power, while the other was even more bizarre, deeper, a void-like pitch-black energy that seemed capable of devouring all light!

These two energies, which should have clashed, were now forcibly fused outside his body in an extremely unstable, violent manner, forming a twisted energy armor. On his face, half displayed greedy, distorted vascular patterns due to the "thirst" power, while the other half, due to that void-like pitch-black energy, had become like a cold marble sculpture, devoid of life.

And his eyes, seen through the shattered lenses, one flickered with dark red madness, while the other had turned into pure, lightless pitch black! As if connected to an endless void!

"I must admit... you little rats... always manage to bring me some... unexpected 'surprises'." The Doctor spoke, his voice becoming extremely strange, as if two voices overlapped—one his original cold tone, the other a non-human whisper filled with endless emptiness and echo.

His gaze first fell on the "Tear" fragment in Xiang Lingna's hand, still emitting a faint glow; that dark red eye erupted with extreme greed: "'Primordial Light'... indeed... you always find the best things... this is the final piece of the puzzle needed for the ultimate fusion!"

Immediately, he looked at Ya, that pitch-black eye indifferent and merciless: "And you... my dear 'Ya'... failed experiment, a broken elf soul... your betrayal was also within the calculation... just right, use your life and soul to quell 'Him' a slight... restlessness."

Finally, his gaze returned to Xiang Lingna, two distinct greeds and desires surging simultaneously: "And you... my perfect 'key' and 'core'... your body, your soul, that wonderful balance within you... will become the supreme vessel to bear this mighty power!"

The Doctor slowly raised one hand, the hand wrapped in dark red and pitch-black dual-colored energy, flickering like a venomous snake. "Give up your futile resistance. To become the cornerstone of the new era is your honor."

Terrifying pressure pressed down like a solid object, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Xiang Lingna felt despair unlike any before. The Doctor before her had surpassed her understanding of "power," seeming to have transformed into something even more terrible, something even more indescribable! He not only controlled the power of "thirst" but seemed to have communicated with something... even more terrible, coming from the void!

"You... what exactly have you done?!" Ya struggled to lift his head, asking hoarsely, his eyes filled with incredulous horror.

"What have I done?" The corner of the Doctor's mouth split into a mad, distorted smile, "I merely... opened a tiny crack in that 'door'... which foolish sages have always feared and sealed."

He pointed to his pitch-black eye: "Witness it... this is the true power of 'transcendence'! The whisper of the endless void from beyond the world! In comparison, 'thirst' is but a child's cry!"

"It's a pity... this power is too vast... too... cold... it requires enough 'warmth' and 'structure' to bear it..." His gaze fixed on Xiang Lingna again, burning with heat, "And you... my 'key'... you are special... you have been baptized by the 'Primordial Light', and wonderfully compatible with the mark of 'thirst' (though purified) and the thorn's protection... you are the only living vessel capable of balancing and stabilizing this void power!"

Xiang Lingna understood instantly! The Doctor's ultimate goal was to use her as a vessel to forcibly fuse "thirst" and that terrifying "void" power! This was his so-called "sublimation" and "new era"!

Madness! Thorough, utter madness!

"Don't even think about it..." Xiang Lingna gritted her teeth, struggling to grip the fragment and jade disc in her hands; a faint light flared again as she attempted a final resistance.

"Foolish." The Doctor sneered lightly, merely flicking his hand.

An invisible giant force suddenly seized Xiang Lingna, kicking her violently off the ground! Powerful pressure compressed her entire body, bones groaning under the strain, and her injuries, which had just begun to recover, instantly worsened! She couldn't even move a single finger!

"Xiang Lingna!" Ya's eyes nearly burst from their sockets; enduring the excruciating pain, he tried to raise his gun to fire, but was easily blown away by a beam of pitch-black energy shot from the Doctor's other hand; the pulse pistol instantly corroded and melted into a puddle of scrap iron! Ya himself fell to the ground, vomiting blood once more.

An absolute gap in power! Impossible to resist!

The Doctor walked step by step toward Xiang Lingna, who was immobilized in mid-air by invisible force, his eyes filled with fanaticism and possessiveness. "No need to fear... this initial 'fusion' process might be somewhat... painful... but the moment you become a new god, you will thank me..."

His hand, wrapped in dual-colored energy, slowly reached toward Xiang Lingna's forehead!

Xiang Lingna closed her eyes in despair.

Just as all hope was lost—

Sister Ai Li, who had been unconscious behind Ya, suddenly twitched her eyelids very slightly. In her tightly clenched palm, a black earring, never discovered before, extremely fine, seemingly crafted from some kind of bone, suddenly flashed with a faint, extreme dim light.

At the same time, the white jade disc in Xiang Lingna's arms, seemingly sensing the Doctor's dense "thirst" power originating from the same source (though mutated), suddenly erupted with unprecedented brilliant white light! A pure protective barrier instantly unfolded, crashing violently into the hand the Doctor had extended!

Hiss—!!!

Like cold water dripping into boiling oil! The dark red energy on the Doctor's hand clashed violently with the white light, emitting a piercing corrosive sound! The Doctor let out a cry of pain, suddenly retracting his hand, a flash of shock and anger passing through that dark red eye!

"A dying struggle!" he roared, more pitch-black energy surging toward his arm, forcibly suppressing and wearing down that protective white light!

The light of the jade disc rapidly dimmed under the crushing pressure of the dual forces of void and thirst!

But this sudden interference instantly weakened the Doctor's binding force on Xiang Lingna!

Now is the time!

Xiang Lingna suddenly opened her eyes, using the last shred of her will and strength, not to attack the Doctor, but to slam the "Tear" fragment in her hand hard against her own chest—right over her heart!

"In the name of... Dawn... purify... my body!" she shouted a cry from the depths of her soul!

Hum—!!!

The "Tear" fragment suddenly erupted with unprecedented dual-colored halos! Pure and immense purifying power surged into her body like an explosion, instantly flowing through her limbs and bones!

"Ughhhhh—!!!"

Xiang Lingna let out a scream of pain yet tinged with a hint of relief! This power was too strong, far exceeding the limit her body could currently endure, as if it intended to tear her apart, purify her, and sublimate her from the inside out!

Countless brilliant blue-white light patterns appeared on the surface of her skin; the silver-gray scar on her right leg and the thorn mark on her left arm lit up simultaneously, crazily absorbing and guiding this power, clashing yet fusing with the invading purifying force!

The Doctor's expression changed for the first time! Not anger, but extreme shock and... ecstasy?!

"Perfect! Truly perfect!" He gazed greedily at Xiang Lingna, who struggled in pain amidst the purifying energy, her body seeming to become semi-transparent, "To actively summon such a concentration of 'Primordial Light'... the potential and compatibility of this body... far exceed my expectations! You are indeed the destined core!"

He no longer rushed to capture her; instead, observing Xiang Lingna's changes as if admiring a work of art nearing completion, he seemed to be waiting for the purifying energy to reach a certain peak.

And at this moment, Xiang Lingna's consciousness floated in extreme pain. She felt her body had become a battlefield, where purifying power, thorn protection, residual thirst scars, and her own faint source were engaged in a perilous reshaping and balancing.

Just as she felt her consciousness on the verge of being completely scattered—

A cold, ancient synthetic voice, seemingly composed of countless tiny gears and electric currents, rang out directly in the depths of her mind without warning; similar to Zero's voice, yet more ancient, more... inhuman:

【Detecting high-concentration order energy eruption... conditions for 'Final Protocol' activation met...】 【Identifying vessel: Contradictory Symbiote (Order/Chaos · Balance Tendency)... Status: Extremely unstable...】 【Requesting authorization: Activate 'Ark · Genesis' protocol... Connect to 'Heart'... Awaken 'Hub'...】 【Warning: Protocol activation is irreversible... High risk of vessel decomposition... Confirm?】

【Yes/No】