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"What conditions are required to access the database?" Chen Ye asked.

"Access confirmed... Energy supply..." Alpha replied, "Current conditions... Minimum access requirements met. We can provide... Information on the Aion's internal structure updates... Analysis of the basic rules of the Starry Sky Puzzle Corridor... and... a partial report on the last known status of 'Protoss Constructs' units."

"Updated information on the tower's internal structure?" Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat. The structural diagrams given by King Odin were from before the war. Over the years, changes must have occurred within the tower, especially the formation of the Fallen's Lair. Obtaining updated information would be of paramount importance!
“Yes,” Alpha confirmed. “The maintenance station…was responsible for…maintenance of some of the tower’s internal structures…the database…regularly received…internal environmental monitoring data…until…communication was lost.”

"That's wonderful!" Jiufeng couldn't help but exclaim softly.

Chen Ye, suppressing his excitement, nodded and said, "Please allow us access to the database. Also, regarding the 'Emergency Backup Energy Unit'... is it still movable or connected? We might need it to activate certain devices."

Alpha was silent for a few seconds, seemingly conducting a more complex assessment.

"The backup energy unit...is a fixed...deeply buried in the foundation of the facility...with a...weak connection to the earth's energy nodes...moving it...will cause...rapid energy dissipation..."

"However... we can try... establishing a temporary energy conduit... connecting to... an external compatible interface... provided... the interface exists... and... the energy requirement... does not exceed... the output limit..."

Chen Ye recalled the "Star Key Resonance Disc" and the ancient bronze lamp given to him by King Odin, as well as the "Logic Hint Chip." Perhaps these had compatible interfaces? Especially the "Star Key Resonance Disc," which looked like standard equipment of the Holy Spirit Clan.

He took out the "Star Key Resonance Disc" and showed it to Alpha: "Can this be used as an interface?"

Alpha's single eye swept across the disk.

“Identify… ‘Star Key Resonance Disk Basic Type’… Status: Energy Depleted… Interface Protocol: Matched.”

"Temporary connections can be established... Energy transfer... Maximum: 0.05 standard units per second... Duration: Depends on the remaining backup energy."

"That's enough!" Chen Ye was overjoyed. Even if it only charged a little bit, it would restore some of the disc's functions, which might come in very handy at a critical moment.

“We also need information about the Iron Blood Alliance, the remnants of the Black Fiend Society, and the ‘Nightmare Lord’ who may be lurking in the Holy Mountain,” Chen Ye added, “if there are relevant records in the database.”

"Intelligence database...partially damaged...keyword search...will be attempted," Alpha responded. "Please...follow me."

After speaking, it turned and walked towards the center of the depression. The other two mechanical guards (Beta and Gamma) remained standing in place, keeping watch.

Chen Ye and the others exchanged glances and cautiously followed Alpha into the depression.

Upon closer inspection, Chen Ye discovered that the bottom of the depression was not solid, but rather contained a closed metal dome about two meters in diameter. The dome's edge had intricate buckles and energy patterns.

Alpha walked to the dome, extended his metal fingers, and pressed a few times on a certain edge.

Click... Buzz...

The round cover slowly slid open to one side, revealing a downward-sloping metal channel with a faint light illuminating the inner wall of the channel.

“The database…is located on the third basement level.” Alpha went down first.

The passage wasn't long, and soon they arrived at a relatively spacious underground area. It was filled with various damaged, dust-covered consoles, screens, and cabinets. Most of the equipment was completely dark, except for a hemispherical console in the corner, whose power indicator light was still flashing faintly.

In front of the control panel, there is a seat-like device.

"Please... sit down." Alpha gestured to the chair. "After connection... you can interact with your consciousness... and access the database."

Without hesitation, Chen Ye sat down. The seat automatically adjusted to fit his body, and several soft, glowing sensory tentacles extended from the armrests, gently touching his temples and wrists.

A cool sensation came over him, and then a flood of information began to pour into his mind!
The first thing that catches the eye is an updated structural diagram of the Tower of Aion! Compared to the Odin King version, many areas are marked "damaged," "closed," or "energy disordered," especially between the seventh and eighth floors, where a large area marked as a "corruption spread zone" has appeared, almost blocking normal passages. The area of ​​the Fallen's Lair on the eighth floor is also much larger than before, occupying almost half of the floor, with the note: "High concentration of Dark Abyss energy aggregate detected... Suspected traces of Lord-level individual activity... Extremely dangerous!"

Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, the situation had worsened.

Next came a detailed analysis of the rules of the Starry Sky Puzzle Corridor, including the law of conservation of energy, runic logic, spatial geometry, and the principles of dynamic change, as well as some common basic puzzle types and solutions. This knowledge, combined with the pre-lesson demonstration by Sage Sophia and the basic knowledge of Grand Scholar Hermes, deepened Chen Ye's understanding of the corridor.

Then came the final status report of the Protoss constructs: most were damaged or lost contact during the final war, and a few may have entered hibernation due to energy depletion, scattered throughout Mount Ahn'Qiraj. The report also mentioned several special types of constructs, such as the "Ghost," skilled in stealth and reconnaissance; the "Bastion," skilled in energy defense; and... a series classified as "experimental," possessing some tactical AI and independent combat capabilities, called the "Hunter." However, the "Hunter" series showed abnormal status in the final report, with risks of "program logic disorder" and "misidentification of attack targets," and was marked as a "potential threat."

This might explain why some constructs would attack any outsider.

Finally, there's information about the "Nightmare Lords" and the Ironblood Alliance/Black Fiends. The database contains brief descriptions of Nightmare Lords, high-level beings of the Dark Abyss who excel at mental and dream manipulation. It mentions that they typically lurk in areas with weak energy flow or concentrated mental power (such as the Lost Garden), growing and attacking by weaving nightmares, inducing inner demons, and devouring souls. Defeating them requires strong mental defenses and "purifying" abilities.

As for the Iron Blood Alliance and the Black Fiend Society... the database naturally does not have direct information about them, but based on the keywords provided by Chen Ye (bloodshed, fiendish energy, human cultivator groups), combined with the recent abnormal fluctuation records of the energy barrier surrounding the Holy Mountain, the database speculates that there may be external forces that do not belong to the Holy Spirit Clan, who have infiltrated the barrier using some loophole or special means. Their numbers are unknown and their purpose is unclear, so it is recommended to be vigilant.

After browsing through the information, Chen Ye felt a bit dizzy. There was a huge amount of information; he could only force himself to remember most of the key details.

"Database access...complete," Alpha's voice announced. "Backup energy consumption...0.5 percent."

“Now, try to establish an energy connection with the ‘Star Key Resonance Disc’.” Chen Ye got up from his chair and took out the disc.

Alpha walked to the other side of the control panel, opened a hidden compartment, and a thin, long, silver flexible tube with a connector at the tip extended out. "Please place the resonance disc...in front of... the connector."

Chen Ye did as instructed.

The flexible tube extends automatically, and the connector at the top lights up slightly, aligning with the groove in the center of the resonator.

hum...

A faint flow of energy was injected into the resonant disc through the flexible tube. The silver patterns on the disc's surface gradually lit up, though still dim, but much better than its previous completely lifeless state. Chen Ye could sense that the disc's sensing range seemed to have returned to a radius of twenty or thirty miles, and its detection function was basically usable again.

The energy transfer lasted for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, after which the hose retracted automatically.

"Energy transfer complete. Resonance disk energy restored to...15%. Reserve energy remaining: 2.7%," Alpha reported. "Continuing the transfer...will jeopardize...the basic maintenance of the database...and our...minimum operational needs."

"That's enough, thank you very much." Chen Ye carefully put away the resonance disc. Fifteen percent of the energy might play a decisive role at a crucial moment.

"Alpha, what are your plans next?" Chen Ye asked. These three mechanical guards are quite powerful, and they seem to retain basic logic and loyalty. If they could become an asset...

“Core instructions… unchanged,” Alpha replied. “Continue to guard… this place… until… the authorized user officially takes over… or… the energy is completely exhausted.”

It paused, then turned its single eye to Chen Ye: "However... we detected that your 'mission'... is highly related to the survival of the Holy Spirit Clan..."

"According to Article 73 of the Emergency Response Protocol...provided that there is no conflict with core instructions...limited intelligence support and path guidance can be provided..."

"The Tower of Eternity... on the southwest base... there exists... an abandoned maintenance passage entrance... possibly not completely corroded or sealed... it can be tried... as an alternative entry route..."

"Also... in the 'Energy Tuning Peak' area of ​​the Holy Mountain... an abnormal 'Protoss construct' activity signal has been detected... suspected to be... 'Hunter III'... status: unknown... it is recommended... approach with caution..."

Maintenance at the entrance! "Hunter III" activity signal!
These are two more pieces of valuable information!

"Thank you so much!" Chen Ye said solemnly. Having the maintenance passage might allow them to bypass any possible defenses or surveillance on the tower's front; and while the "Hunter III" was marked as a potential threat, contacting it, or even... repairing or gaining control of it? That would be a huge help!
"Time is of the essence, we should set off," Chen Ye said to his companions.

Everyone nodded and bid farewell to the three mechanical guards.

Alpha led them out of the underground facility through another passage and onto the other side of the hillside.

"May the starlight...guide your path." Alpha's cold, mechanical voice seemed to carry a barely perceptible...blessing?
"Take care." Chen Ye took one last look at the three loyal steel guards, then turned and, with his companions, embarked on their journey once more towards the Tower of Eternity.

There are still about six hours until the stars meet.

Before that, they must find a way into the Tower of Eternity and pass through the Starry Sky Puzzle Corridor.

Time is of the essence; every second counts.

After leaving the Stardust Repair Station ruins, Chen Ye and the others quickly headed towards the southwest base of the Tower of Eternity, based on the information provided by Alpha.

The sacred mountain stands majestically, and the Eternal Tower soars into the clouds. Even halfway up the mountain, one can clearly feel the ancient and oppressive aura emanating from the tower. The tower is dull and lifeless, its surface covered with the mottled marks left by time and war, and in some places, one can even see huge cracks and damage.

The closer one gets to the Tower of Eternity, the thinner the holy aura in the air becomes, replaced by a faint, unsettling sense of energy disorder, like an undercurrent beneath a calm surface. Occasionally, low, eerie sounds, like metal scraping or energy bursts, can be heard from deep within the tower, adding to the eeriness.

"Be careful, the energy inside the tower is very unstable, and there may be Fallen Ones or other things wandering out," Chen Ye warned, while taking out the "Star Key Resonance Disc". The pointer in the center of the disc was firmly pointing to the tower, and the light was flashing, indicating that the energy disorder was extremely high.

They bypassed the magnificent but tightly closed gate on the front of the tower (a dark red, ominous light faintly emanated from the cracks in the gate) and followed the rugged mountain path to the southwest side of the tower.

The terrain here is even steeper, and the base of the tower is almost integrated with the mountain, covered with jagged rocks and withered vines. Chen Ye searched carefully and finally found a half-buried, rusty metal door behind a huge rock that resembled a beast's head.

The door was small, about two meters high and one and a half meters wide, with a clear energy-sealing structure around the edges, but it was now damaged. There was a Holy Spirit Clan maintenance symbol on the door, and next to it was a manually operated rotating mechanism, but the mechanism was rusted shut and almost fused to the door frame.

"This should be it." Chen Ye stepped forward and tried to turn the wheel, but it wouldn't budge. He pushed the door harder, and the metal door creaked loudly and caved in a little, but it still wouldn't open.

"Let me try." Jiufeng stepped forward, grasped the wheel with both hands, took a deep breath, and unleashed a burst of blood-red energy, exerting all her strength!

Click...click click...

The rusted wheel made a teeth-grinding sound as it slowly began to turn! At the same time, the sealing structure at the edge of the door emitted an extremely faint light before completely failing.

Boom!

The heavy metal door slid open a crack just wide enough for one person to pass through sideways, and a stale air, carrying a faint metallic smell and a burnt odor, rushed out.

Behind the door was a narrow, sloping passage. The passage's walls were made of metal, riddled with pipes and cables, many of which were damaged and exposed, flickering with occasional electrical sparks. The lighting system was clearly out of order; only the faint green glow of some emergency indicator lights emanated from the depths. (End of Chapter)