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"I...I have no strength left..." she said weakly.
The chaos caused by the drones was brief; order was quickly restored, and they attacked again. But Li Sha's desperate interference bought them crucial time!
"The door's open!" the sentry reported. With continued cutting, the heavy metal latch was finally severed! The sentry slammed the door open with its mechanical arm, and the door swung open a crack!
"Hurry up and get in!" Lin Ye half-supported and half-carried Li Sha, rushing into the gap first. The sentry followed closely behind, and before the last drone could catch up, he used his particle claw to jam the door shut, then exerted force to force the door closed again, temporarily isolating the drone swarm outside.
Inside the door was a short passageway leading to a more expansive space. The chilling malice in the air was almost tangible, and the low, muffled sounds, like countless whispers, faintly reached my mind.
The second node control room is just ahead.
They all knew that the real test was just beginning. The nodes would be protected by far more than just drones.
Lin Ye leaned the weakened Li Sha against the wall, clutching the fragment of the Key of Creation tightly, his sharp gaze fixed on the deep darkness at the end of the passage.
"Get ready. Here comes the guy we're facing."
Chapter 563 The Flesh Weaver
At the end of the short corridor, instead of the expected room filled with control consoles, lay a huge, empty, and extremely uncomfortable circular hall.
The hall's dome was high, hidden in shadow. Most striking was the center of the hall—a cocoon woven from countless thick, pulsating, dark red fleshy vines. This cocoon occupied almost a third of the hall's area, its surface covered with tangled blood vessels and constantly expanding and contracting vesicles, emitting a thick, sweet, putrid stench identical to that of the cultivation area outside. A deep, heart-pounding sound emanated from this enormous cocoon, thump…thump…thump…each beat striking a chord deep within one's heart.
From the base of the fleshy cocoon, countless tiny tentacles and blood vessels extend, digging deep into the metal floor, as if connected to the entire control tower and even the cultivation area below. And those faint, unsettling whispers seem to originate from here.
Scattered around the fleshy cocoon were some severely corroded console remnants, not yet completely covered, with black screens, broken wires, and covered in viscous biological tissue.
"The node... is encased inside?" Li Sha leaned against the wall, her voice filled with disbelief and shock. She could feel that the spiritual power contained within the cocoon was vast and twisted, far surpassing any of the aberrations outside.
Sentinel's rapid scan: "Confirmed high-concentration biomass and energy mixture reaction source is located inside the 'cocoon'-like structure. The structure's external defensive force field is extremely strong. A strong mental pollution field has also been detected, continuously exerting an impact on the surrounding environment."
Lin Ye's expression was grave. This "node" manifested in a completely different way than the first one. The first node was the corrosion of the energy core, while this one seemed more like the Whispering Power using biomass to "grow" a living organ here to amplify and transmit its signals!
"It must be destroyed." Lin Ye gripped the fragment tightly, and the white light shone again, dispelling the suffocating malice around him.
Seemingly sensing the approaching energy of order, the central cocoon throbbed violently! The blood vessels on its surface bulged, writhing like earthworms. The low, whispering voice abruptly amplified, transforming into a clear, malicious intent that directly flooded the minds of the three:
"...newborn...flesh and blood..."
"...into...the eternal tapestry..."
*“...Refuse...decompose...regress…”
Along with this mental shock, several vesicles on the surface of the fleshy cocoon suddenly ruptured, and three bizarrely shaped "creatures" crawled out from the viscous fluid.
They roughly retain a humanoid outline, but their bodies are entirely composed of constantly writhing and reassembling dark red flesh. They have no skin, no facial features, only constantly opening and closing cracks and occasional makeshift mouthparts covered with sharp teeth. Their arms can transform at will, sometimes becoming claws, sometimes whips, and sometimes tentacles with suction cups. Their lower bodies are connected to the ground by several thick, fleshy tubes, like umbilical cords, drawing energy from the ground's blood vessels.
"They're Flesh Weavers! Be careful, they can rapidly reassemble their bodies, making them ineffective against physical attacks!" Lin Ye found information about these monsters in the memory fragments of "Radiance of Annihilation." They were elite guardians created by Whisper using biomass and residual life information, specifically designed to protect important living nodes.
Three flesh weavers roared silently and charged toward the three with faltering yet swift steps! Wherever they passed, they left brief, corrosive, slimy footprints on the metal floor.
"Sentinel, hold off the two on the left and right! I'll take care of the one in the middle!" Lin Ye quickly assigned tasks, while focusing the light from the fragments and shooting it at the weaver in the middle.
The white light shone on the Weaver, immediately emitting a hissing, burning sound. Large chunks of flesh vaporized, revealing an even more chaotic internal structure. The Weaver's movements visibly faltered, emitting a painful howl (despite lacking vocal organs), but the flesh of the rest of its body immediately began to writhe, attempting to repair the damage!
At the same time, the Weavers on both sides pounced on the Sentinel. The Sentinel swung his particle claws, easily severing a tentacle whip extended by one of the Weavers, but fleshy buds sprouted wildly from the severed ends, almost instantly reforming into a new limb covered in bone spurs! The other Weaver sprayed a viscous black mist with a strong mental interference effect from its front end, enveloping the Sentinel!
"Warning! Sensor performance reduced by 20% due to unknown energy interference!" The Sentinel's mechanical voice carried a hint of static. It quickly retreated, escaping the black mist's range, and blindly fired its rapid-fire cannon into the mist, shattering several newly formed temporary organs, but failing to inflict fatal damage on the Weaver's main body.
On Lin Ye's side, the Weaver in the middle, enduring the scorching heat of the fragments, charged straight at him. One of its arms instantly transformed into a massive, slimy hammer, which slammed down! Lin Ye dodged to the side, the hammer striking the ground and leaving a shallow crater and splattering corrosive liquid. He used his arm, covered in white light, to deflect another tentacle that was trying to wrap around his neck, feeling a tremendous force that made his arm go numb.
These creatures are incredibly strong and regenerative! The fragmented light can harm them, but cannot destroy them instantly, while their attacks are deadly!
"Li Sha! Can you find their core?" Lin Ye shouted while struggling against the Weaver. Ordinary attacks were ineffective; he had to find the energy core or control center.
Li Sha forced herself to concentrate, her psychic senses penetrating the nauseating barrier of flesh and blood. "In...in the left side of their chest cavity! There's a bright spot of psychic energy! But it's protected by thick biological tissue, and its location is constantly shifting!"
The core location is uncertain and is still moving! This increases the difficulty of the attack.
"Sentinels! Attack the left side of their chests! Try to destroy their cores!" Lin Ye immediately gave the order.
"Understood!" The Sentinel abandoned its pursuit of the two Weavers, aiming its particle claw at one of them and stabbing fiercely into the left side of its chest! *Thud!* Flesh was torn apart, but the Weaver's internal tissues instantly writhed, shifting the core slightly. The particle claw only took a large chunk of flesh, failing to hit the core. Simultaneously, the other Weaver's black mist erupted again, interfering with the Sentinel's lock-on.
Lin Ye also tried to attack the core, but the Weaver's defense and regeneration speed were too fast, and his attacks missed repeatedly. Instead, he was almost hit by the opponent's deformed limbs several times, which was very dangerous.
At this rate, they'll be worn down and killed by these three unkillable monsters! We must change our strategy!
Lin Ye's gaze swept across the entire hall, finally settling on the enormous fleshy cocoon in the center. All the weavers were connected to the ground through fleshy tubes, and the blood vessels beneath the ground ultimately converged into that fleshy cocoon!
"Attack their connecting lines! Cut off their energy connection to the node!" Lin Ye shouted, a flash of inspiration striking him.
The sentinel executed the order immediately, abandoning its attack on the Weaver's main body and instead slashing at the fleshy "umbilical cord" connecting them to the ground! These tubes, though seemingly thick, were far more fragile than the Weaver itself in the face of the high-frequency vibrating particle claws!
"Shh! Shh!"
The two pipes snapped instantly! The two weavers whose pipes were severed stiffened abruptly, their movements slowed down instantly, and the luster of their flesh and blood dimmed considerably, indicating a significant decrease in their regeneration speed!
"It works!" Li Sha exclaimed in surprise.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Ye launched a fierce attack on the Weaver in the middle. In the instant that its movements were slowed due to the impact on its energy supply, the fragments of light, like sharp swords, stabbed fiercely into the left side of its chest! This time, due to the slowed regeneration speed, the core could not be moved away in time!
"puff--!"
With a muffled thud, as if a water-filled balloon had been popped, the core of spiritual energy within the Weaver's chest cavity was completely pierced and purified by the white light! It let out a silent wail, its entire body going limp like a melting wax figure, turning into a pool of dark red sludge that was constantly evaporating.
The other two Weavers, whose energy supply had been cut off, were quickly located and destroyed by the Sentinels' precise strikes.
The battle was temporarily over. Only the dull throbbing of the central cocoon and unsettling whispers remained in the hall.
The three of them, panting, looked at the three pools of bloody, lifeless remains on the ground, still shaken.
"These guys... are much more troublesome than the ones outside." Li Sha was still shaken; the battle had almost left her exhausted.
“They are directly connected to the nodes, and their energy is almost limitless. The node itself must be destroyed as soon as possible.” Lin Ye walked towards the fleshy cocoon in the center, and the fragments shone brightly again.
However, just as he was about to make a move on the cocoon—
The pulsation of the fleshy cocoon suddenly stopped!
The incessant whispers vanished instantly.
The entire hall fell into an eerie silence.
Then, a crack slowly appeared on the surface of the cocoon. Inside the crack, there was no mucus, no flesh, only a deep darkness that seemed to absorb all light.
A cold, calm, yet supremely majestic thought poured into the three men's minds like ice water, completely different from the previous thoughts filled with greed and madness:
"...the intruder..."
"...Your order...is a delicious impurity..."
"...Leave...the key...into...my...symphony..."
With this thought, a terrifying mental pressure, far exceeding anything before, suddenly descended! Li Sha didn't even have time to issue a warning before she felt as if her brain had been struck by a heavy hammer, her vision went black, and she completely lost consciousness.
The sentry's sensors emitted a series of alarm codes, its mechanical body stiffened for a moment, then knelt on one knee, seemingly engaged in a fierce internal struggle.
Even Lin Ye felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on his soul. The fragment of the Key of Creation in his arms trembled violently, and white light flashed wildly, automatically activating to form a shield, barely managing to withstand this terrifying mental impact.
He stared intently at the crack in the fleshy cocoon and the pure darkness within it.
The guardians of the nodes, or rather, the true controlling consciousness of the nodes themselves, have awakened.
Chapter 564 Whispering Echoes
The mental pressure, like a tangible tsunami, relentlessly assaulted Lin Ye's mental defenses. The fragment of the Key of Creation in his arms was his only reliance; the shield formed by its white light fluctuated violently, as if it would shatter at any moment. He felt as if his thoughts were frozen, every idea becoming incredibly difficult to grasp.
Li Sha remained unconscious, and the sentry stood frozen in place. The internal system was clearly engaged in a fierce battle against this foreign intrusion and had temporarily lost its ability to move.
He was left alone, facing the terrifying consciousness that originated from the depths of the flesh cocoon, from that darkness.
"...Struggling...futile..."
The chilling thought returned, carrying a disdainful indifference as if looking down upon ants. It was no longer filled with a frenzied appetite, but rather a pure, superior will to erode.
Lin Ye gritted his teeth, concentrating all his mental energy on the fragments to resist the all-pervasive mental pressure. He couldn't fall; if his defenses collapsed, Li Sha and the Sentinels, now unprotected by the fragments, would be instantly devoured and assimilated by this consciousness.
"You... are you the Whispering Node entrenched here?" Lin Ye responded with difficulty, sending a mental message. He needed information, he needed to understand his opponent.
"...Node?...No...I am...Echo...the will...born from this flesh and blood..." The consciousness seemed to show a hint of "interest" in Lin Ye's question, its oppressive aura slightly lessening, as if a cat were toying with a mouse under its paws. "...The pain of the Radiant Annihilation...nourished me...its mistakes...created me..."
“...I am...a more perfect...purer...existence...above...those chaotic...noises…”
Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat. This consciousness did not originate directly from the distant "Whispers of the End," but rather from the pain and flawed agreements of the "Radiance of Annihilation," combined with the power of the Whispers, nurtured in the fertile ground of this ecological cultivation zone—an independent, powerful, and twisted consciousness! It was the "echo" of the Whispers, a localized and far more dangerous product!
"So... you want to replace 'Radiance of Annihilation'? Or... devour it?" Lin Ye tried to steer the conversation, looking for a flaw.
"...Replace?...Devour?...Superficial..." The echoing thoughts carried a hint of mockery, "...Merge...Evolve...Let this ship...this star field...become...a part of me...Play...the final...silent symphony..."
“...And you...the holder of the key...your power of order...is an excellent...catalyst...give it...to me…”
As the words were spoken, the cracks on the fleshy cocoon widened again, and from that deep darkness, a...arm slowly emerged?
It was not an arm made of flesh and blood or machinery, but of pure, solidified shadow energy. Its outline was blurred, and black mist constantly emanated from its edges. At the end of the arm were five sharp claws that seemed capable of tearing apart the soul.
This shadowy arm ignored physical distance, piercing through the white light shield in front of Lin Ye and reaching for his forehead, for the fragment of the Key of Creation that radiated the light of order!
The speed was beyond Lin Ye's reaction limit! He could only watch helplessly as the shadow of death approached, his soul seemingly frozen.
At this critical moment——
"Om-!"
The Sentinel, which had been frozen in place, suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly blinding blue light from its core! It forcefully suppressed the chaotic alarms of the internal system, and its mechanical eyes lit up, locking onto the shadowy arm!
"Extremely high priority threat detected! Execute the final defense protocol: Root cause elimination!"
The sentinel's voice was no longer its usual calm, but a resolute, burning-core hiss! It no longer tried to resist the mental erosion, but poured all its energy, including the reserve energy to maintain its basic operation, into the particle claws on its arm!
The high-frequency vibrating particle claws emitted a shriek beyond their limits, and the air around the claw blades could even be seen distorting and ionizing! The Sentinel used its last strength, like a blue lightning bolt, to pounce on the shadowy arm. It did not attack the arm itself, but instead followed the arm and rushed headlong into the crack on the fleshy cocoon, into that pure darkness!
"Sentinel! No!" Lin Ye's pupils constricted sharply as he screamed.
But it's too late.
"boom!!!!!!"
A deafening explosion resounded in the hall! It was not a physical explosion, but a violent collision of energy and soul!
The moment the Sentinel came into contact with that darkness, it chose to overload its core and self-destruct! The explosion, containing all its energy and the origin of unknown technology, clashed directly and violently with the shadow energy of "Echo"!
The blinding blue light and the all-consuming darkness clashed fiercely at the crack in the fleshy cocoon, annihilating each other!
The powerful energy shockwave sent Lin Ye flying, crashing heavily into the wall. A sweet taste rose in his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The fragments in his arms flickered violently, their light becoming unpredictable.