The system is four years ahead of schedule, but Weird is still a cub.

"In essence, you are nothing more than a parasite."

The lie was ruthlessly exposed.

The black vortex of data erupted in silent fury. Since temptation was ineffective, only the most primal confrontation remained.

The next second, countless black tentacles formed from the chaotic and eroded energy burst out of the vortex and surged toward Shen Ge in an overwhelming manner.

Each of the corrupting tentacles contains enough contamination to corrupt any living being.

However, Shen Ge stood still, neither dodging nor avoiding.

“If I weren’t curious to see what tricks the ‘New God Cult’ had up its sleeve, I would have completely melted you down right now.” The moment the words fell, Shen Ge opened his demonic domain.

Shen Ge was just worrying about how to dissipate the chaotic and strange energy he had absorbed before when the black vortex gave him the opportunity to "vent".

A cataclysmic storm of bizarre energy swept out with terrifying power that nearly tore space apart. The frantically surging bizarre energy tentacles were instantly stripped and decomposed when they touched the edge of Shen Ge's bizarre domain, and then easily "dispelled" by Shen Ge's bizarre domain.

The black vortex, capable of corrupting the fragments of dreams with its malice, couldn't even cause a ripple in front of Shen Ge, transforming entirely into nutrients to nourish the progenitor's bizarre cells.

"No... what exactly are you..." For the first time, a wave of thought mixed with fear emanated from the core of the black vortex.

The black vortex struggled frantically, trying to escape and hide deep within the fragments of the dream to self-destruct, but all its efforts were in vain.

In the end, amidst silent wails, the Black Vortex, a terrifying virus born from the "New God Cult" and capable of disrupting a fragmented world, was completely eradicated by Shen Ge.

Its struggles grew weaker and weaker until the last bit of twisted, eerie energy was completely decomposed and absorbed, becoming the purest nutrients to repair the system within Shen Ge's body.

At the top of the main control tower, the original pure white and tranquility have been restored.

After the last bit of eerie energy from the black vortex was completely devoured and digested, the dream essence at the top of the main control tower, that huge pure white sphere of light, finally returned to its original clarity and purity.

……

Meanwhile, the outside world.

The "First Ecosystem" and "Ark No. 1," which had been shrouded in eerie noises and terrifying hallucinations, suddenly saw all pollution cease in an instant.

"Warning...warning lifted. Core logic...returned to normal."

Hermes' voice returned to its steady and smooth state, and the blood-red graffiti and ferocious faces on the main control screen disappeared instantly, replaced by a normal system interface and various parameters.

"The pollution... has disappeared?" Hephaestus looked up from the control panel, sweating profusely, his face filled with disbelief.

In the Crystal City, the Deep Ones, who had been driven to madness and infighting, were also awakened from a nightmare. They stared blankly at their hands stained with the blood of their kin and their devastated homes, and burst into mournful cries.

Inside Ark One, the crew members who had been tormented by hallucinations to the brink of collapse regained their senses, and the entire fortress returned to order from the edge of chaos.

Everyone understood that Shen Ge had succeeded.

A moment later, Shen Ge slowly emerged from the entrance to the Silent Abyss. His aura was even more restrained and profound than before he entered, as if he had merged with the surrounding deep sea.

When he returned to the city of the Deep Ones with the news that "the Heart of Winter has been purified," all the surviving members of his tribe, led by Cass, laid down their weapons and performed the highest level of etiquette for their tribe before the prophesied "King of the Land"—kneeling on one knee and gently touching their foreheads to the ground.

“Your kindness will be forever remembered by the Deep Ones.” Cass’s voice was hoarse yet solemn. “From this day forward, the First Ecosystem will be your most loyal ally. We are willing to follow your every command until the world returns to silence.”

They lost the "shackles" that had been guarded for generations, and in doing so, they gained true freedom. Shen Ge, who gave them all this, became their new faith.

"My lord!" Kyle and Roca's voices were filled with barely suppressed excitement.

Shen Ge simply nodded calmly. His aura was even more restrained and profound than before he went in, as if he had absorbed the tranquility of the ocean thousands of meters deep. He stepped out of the dark blue light, not a single drop of seawater even clinging to the hem of his clothes.

On the bridge of Ark One, the atmosphere of surviving the disaster was replaced by intense joy.

However, Alai, who had been silently observing Shen Ge in the crowd, felt a slight chill creep into his heart.

She noticed that something seemed off about Shen Ge upon his return.

After briefly explaining the situation to everyone, Alai stepped forward, his usual gentle smile on his face, and asked with concern, "Sir, are you alright? It must have been very dangerous just now."

Upon hearing this, Shen Ge subconsciously turned to look at her.

The moment their eyes met, Alai's smile froze, and a chill from the depths of her soul made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

It was the kind of look...when you're looking at a dead thing.

Cold, indifferent, devoid of any emotion.

There was no concern, no relief, not even the most basic human emotion in those eyes.

It was as if what they had just experienced was not an extremely dangerous battle, but merely an ordinary "eating".

Although that look lasted for less than half a second, Shen Ge noticed it himself and immediately withdrew it, returning to his usual calm.

He even showed a slightly apologetic expression and replied softly, "I'm fine, don't worry. It's just a small problem, I can handle it."

Alai bit her lip. She knew very well the "problems and troubles" Shen Ge was facing. No one else could reach his level or help him at all.

Shen Ge himself understood this better than anyone else.

He could sense that the massive amount of "negative emotional energy" belonging to the entire Precursor civilization that he had devoured was not being fully "digested" and absorbed like the energy he had devoured in the past.

Like a deadly toxin that cannot be metabolized in a conventional way, they settled deep within his body, forming a dark gray "impurity".

It cannot be expelled or transformed; rather, it is subtly influencing his emotional perception.

Joy, sadness, anger, emotion... these human emotions are becoming increasingly "thin," as if separated by a layer of frosted glass. He can understand these emotions, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to truly "feel" them.

Instead, he became one of absolute rationality and icy calm, bringing him closer to the primitive form of the "Progenitor Monster," which was driven solely by the instinct to devour.

This was an extremely dangerous sign. If this continued, before he could find his way home, he might be completely "devoured" by this increasingly powerful body, becoming a mere "weird Sequence 1" with only Shen Ge's appearance. He calmly suppressed the strangeness inside his body, regained his usual decisiveness, and summoned all the core members.

Inside the meeting room, everyone awaited Shen Ge's response.

"The meeting begins."

Shen Ge glanced at Cass and Hephaestus and calmly said, "Hephaestus, I order you to immediately lead the technical team to hand over the biosphere's geothermal energy towers, crystal proliferation technology, and pioneer biomodification technology to our technical system for the highest-level upgrade of 'Iron Heart' and existing weaponry."

“Yes, sir!” Hephaestus excitedly pushed up his glasses, his eyes gleaming with fervor. To him, this legacy of the forerunners was simply the most tempting delicacy in the world.

Shen Ge looked at Alai: "You are fully responsible for the integration of the two groups. I don't care what methods you use, I need to see a stable and efficient coexistence system within a month."

"Yes, sir." Alai suppressed his worries and nodded solemnly.

Shen Ge slowly opened his hand, and in his palm, a tiny, luminous fragment, about the size of a fingernail, floated quietly.

Within the fragments, a tiny, almost imperceptible black dot of light was slowly shifting.

33 points of Dream Power.

This was his biggest gain from the trip, and his only hope.

“Following its guidance, our final voyage has been determined.” Shen Ge’s gaze pierced through the walls of the conference room, looking towards the distant north.

"Hephaestus, I need you to complete the fleet upgrade as quickly as possible. In one month, we will set sail for the far north."

The concise command pointed everyone in the right direction for the next step. An unprecedented technological integration and upgrade was about to begin in this underwater city, 10,000 meters below the surface.

The meeting adjourned, and everyone left with their own thoughts.

Shen Ge came alone to the huge observation porthole and looked out. Cass had already begun to organize the surviving members of his tribe to clean up their shattered homeland.

One by one, the "Iron Heart" engineering vessels began to descend from above to assist them in the reconstruction work, creating a scene of everything waiting to be rebuilt.

He slowly raised his left hand; the temperature of his skin seemed lower than normal, and his fingertips even had an unnatural paleness.

"This feeling..." he thought to himself.

"I must gather more dream power as soon as possible, otherwise I may be devoured by 'myself' first."

With a low rumble coming from the sea, the massive blue energy shield above the "First Ecosystem" opened an unprecedentedly huge entrance under Hephaestus's remote control.

Immediately afterwards, a moving steel mountain slowly "sinked" down.

The massive sea fortress "Iron Heart," which carries tens of thousands of lives, slowly entered this secluded deep-sea paradise, enveloped by hundreds of temporary "deep-diving stabilizing wings" and energy shields generated by the "Armed Spawning" system, like a miracle descending from heaven.

When the Deep Ones who saw this steel behemoth for the first time saw the menacing dark gold turrets, the living alloy veins covering the hull, and its enormous size that could eclipse the light of the entire ecosystem, the last trace of doubt on their faces vanished.

Compared to such a war fortress, their crystal city, which they have guarded for generations, is like a delicate and fragile work of art.

Finally, the "Iron Heart" settled steadily in a seabed basin that had already been cleared by the engineering team, next to the huge geothermal energy tower.

With the successful connection of the energy pipeline, the almost limitless and abundant energy from the geothermal tower continuously flowed into the core furnace of the "Iron Heart".

For the first time ever, the city's energy indicator lights reached 100% full capacity.

For Hephaestus and Ellie, this place was paradise. Under Cass’s unreserved guidance, they entered the Forerunner Crystal Laboratory, which had been sealed for thousands of years.

“Unbelievable… This… This is simply the ultimate form of energy application.” Hephaestus trembled with excitement as he looked at an energy crystal that was slowly “growing.”

"They are not just conductors; they are living 'energy organs'!"

Overjoyed, several upgrade projects centered around "Crystal Technology" were immediately launched.

The "Iron Heart Guard" has undergone their fourth uniform change.

The "Predator-IV Deep Sea Hunter" has been officially commissioned.

The new generation of mechs perfectly blends the pinnacle of two civilizations' technologies. Its frame remains the incredibly tough "Type III Flesh Alloy," but key areas such as the chest, shoulders, and knees are inlaid with specially polished "Resonance Crystals." These crystals can instantly activate micro-energy shields upon being attacked, greatly enhancing the mech's survivability.

The mech is equipped with a "micro-gill-like internal circulation system" modified from Deep Diver biotechnology on its back, which allows the pilot to conduct independent operations for extended periods in the deep sea environment, no longer limited by traditional oxygen supply limits.

Their weapons have undergone a qualitative leap. High-frequency cutting blades have been phased out, replaced by "crystal spears" made entirely of blue crystal that can emit high-frequency "resonance oscillation waves" to tear enemies apart, and a "deep-cold ray gun" that can directly extract energy from the geothermal core and fire enough to instantly freeze seawater.

When Kyle first piloted the brand-new "Raider IV" mech, using a deep-cold ray to freeze a Tier 5 "Deep Sea Grave Worm," which previously required a small squad to barely restrain, along with the surrounding seawater within dozens of meters, into an ice sculpture, and then used the shockwave of the "Crystal Spear" to shatter it into countless ice shards, all the guard members erupted in deafening cheers.

At the same time, the "Iron Heart" itself is also undergoing a transformation.

Hephaestus led his team to link the computational core of "Hermes" with the crystal clusters that spread throughout the entire ecosystem like a neural network.

An unprecedented "long-range crystal sonar array" was thus born.

The "eyes" and "ears" of the "Iron Heart" extend to the unknown sea area within a radius of hundreds of kilometers, leaving no room for any disturbance to escape detection.

Alai brought the deep-sea women, children, and non-combatants who had lost their homes in the disaster to the warm, dry living quarters inside "Iron Heart," which had an independent temperature control system, providing them with a much more comfortable living environment than the damp underwater structures. At the same time, she also established a "cultural exchange classroom" so that children from both groups could learn and play together.

As a result, interesting scenes began to appear frequently.

The children of Ironhearts cried out in delight as they rode on the backs of gentle, genetically modified seahorses through the Crystal Forest for the first time.

Meanwhile, the children of the Deep Divers tasted potatoes sprinkled with sea salt, baked using a new method by Ragnar's team, for the first time in the canteen. They ate with gusto, their mouths greasy and their eyes sparkling with happiness.

Everything is moving in a positive direction at "Iron Heart," except—

Shen Ge. (End of Chapter)