The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

Like an insect frozen in dark amber, the "Stargazer" fell into absolute silence in the void, still more than a day's journey from the coordinates of the distress signal (which also marked the edge of an unknown region overlapping with the "Desolate Beyond"). Inside the bridge, even breathing was deliberately suppressed; only the almost inaudible hum of the equipment operating at its lowest power consumption and the heavy pounding of everyone's heart in the oppressive atmosphere could be heard. On the main screen, the star map representing the target area was blurred, and the conventional sensors transmitted only a chaotic noise indicating "no signal" or "strong interference." The "silent void" that Lina had described, slowly spreading and absorbing all the "rhythms of deep space," seemed like an invisible, malevolent behemoth, crouching in the darkness ahead, opening its gaping maw to devour their senses.

The Star Key continued to emanate a warm, faint resonance within the isolation chamber. This resonance wasn't directional; rather, it was more like a passive, continuous "resonance," as if another entity of the same origin, or a vast, synchronous "psychic resonance chamber," was calling out from afar. Airi's furrowed brow remained in her sleep, and her fingertips occasionally moved unconsciously. The pale golden crystalline patterns flickered with each slight increase in the Star Key's resonance, as if performing a silent, instinctive "response" or "resistance" in her sleep.

"This 'silent void' is expanding outwards at an extremely slow rate of approximately 0.1 light-seconds per standard hour." Instructor Verna stared at the ever-expanding gray area representing "no psionic feedback" on the psionic scanner, her voice low and menacing. "It almost completely absorbs conventional electromagnetic and gravitational waves, and its suppression and distortion effects on psionic perception are extremely strong. Our current 'Shadow Cloak' system is expected to experience a more than 30% drop in stealth effectiveness as it approaches its edge, because the background psionic field upon which the system relies is almost nonexistent there. Even more problematic is that we cannot determine whether this 'void' is a naturally occurring celestial phenomenon, or... an artificially created interference field or defensive mechanism."

"If it's artificial, to be able to create a psionic suppression field of this scale and characteristics, the level of technology involved..." Elder Anderson didn't finish his sentence, but the implication was clear—far beyond their current understanding, and likely involved the core legacy of the "Cradle," or some advanced technology of the Stasis Court.

"Lina, in your current state, can you still sense anything?" Rowe looked at the girl, whose face was still somewhat pale, but whose eyes had regained their clarity. She had just experienced a strong information shock, and at this moment she was the team's only and most sensitive "eye" to probe this "silence."

Lina closed her eyes and focused her mind, carefully extending her senses forward once more. This time, she no longer tried to "listen" to specific "rhythms," but instead focused her perception on the boundary between "existence" and "non-existence." It was like touching an invisible wall that could absorb all tactile sensations.

"It's... 'thick'." She described her sensations, her brow furrowed. "It's not entirely 'empty,' more like a... viscous, inert 'psychic sludge,' capable of absorbing and assimilating all 'fluctuations.' When my spiritual sense probed in, it was like a stone sinking into a mud pit; I couldn't feel the bottom, nor could I hear any 'sound,' and I couldn't even feel the consumption—it just... disappeared. Moreover, the edges of the 'sludge' seemed to have an extremely slow, inward-rotating 'flow,' gradually 'dragging' the surrounding normal 'deep space rhythm' into it, transforming it into this 'silence.' That's probably why it spread." She opened her eyes, a hint of weariness and lingering fear in them. "I dared not go deeper, afraid that my spiritual sense would be completely trapped inside. And... I feel that if Sister Airi were awake, or if the resonance of the Star Key were stronger, it might have caused a more noticeable disturbance to this 'sludge,' or even... been actively 'captured' by it."

This speculation sent a chill down everyone's spine. Xingyue and Airi were like two special "keys," and the "silent void" ahead was likely a "door" or "trap" that required a specific "key" to open, or that would actively recognize and lock the "key."

"We can't risk sending the entire starship into this area," Lowe assessed. "The 'Shadow Cloak' effect is reduced, and our stealth is greatly compromised. If this 'Silence' is some kind of defense or detection mechanism, we'll likely be exposed. Moreover, the ship's massive size means that our maneuverability and ability to handle risks will be significantly reduced in an environment without effective perception."

"You mean, send someone to scout?" Barton immediately understood Rowe's idea, and his eyes blazed with fighting spirit.

"Yes, small-scale, highly mobile, elite reconnaissance." Luo Wei nodded. "Objective: Infiltrate the edge of the 'Silent Void,' conduct close-range observation without causing significant disturbance, attempt to collect environmental data, assess risks, and search for possible 'entrances' or 'loopholes.' If the danger is deemed too great, or signs of the Silent Court's activity are detected, withdraw immediately."

"I'll go with you," Barton said without hesitation.

"I have to go too," Lina said firmly, despite her still pale face. "Only I can clearly perceive the boundaries and changes in 'silence' and warn of potential dangers. Moreover, my 'listening technique' might be able to find the weak points in this 'mud' at close range, or... sense the more precise location of the person sending the distress signal."

Looking at the unwavering determination in Lina's eyes, Rowe then turned to Verna. Verna pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Lina's perception is indeed irreplaceable. But we must ensure thorough protection. I will immediately modify the 'Shadow Shroud' reconnaissance vessel, adding the highest level of psionic shielding and mental stabilization matrix. Lilith, prepare the most effective nerve stabilizer and psionic supplement for Lina. Barton, your protective suit needs to be enhanced to resist psionic erosion. Rowe, you are responsible for carrying the Star Key, but you must maintain the highest level of suppression at all times. Do not actively stimulate its 'Source Seed' resonance unless absolutely necessary."

"clear!"

"Leave it to me!"

Preparations commenced swiftly. Verna and Annie used their stockpile of high-purity inert psionic crystals extracted from the "Psionic Essence Pool" of Twilight Remnant to engrave a complex array of runes on the surface of the "Hidden Shadow," designed to maximize the absorption and scattering of psionic fluctuations. Lilith prepared specially formulated subcutaneous, slow-release medications containing highly effective mental protective ingredients for each person, as well as several injections of mental stimulation and repair for emergencies. Barton's makeshift psionic protective suit was treated inside with a newly developed gel coating by Lilith, which had a neutralizing effect on the erosion of "Order" energy.

Two hours later, everything was ready.

The reconnaissance vessel "Shadow" hovered silently in the shadow of "Stargazer," its surface shimmering with a faint, almost imperceptible light from the newly engraved runes. Rowe, Barton, and Lena, fully armed, boarded the vessel.

"Remember, your primary mission is reconnaissance and assessment, not combat and exploration." Before departing, Verna reiterated, "Maintain communication silence. Do not initiate contact unless there is unforeseen circumstances or crucial intelligence is discovered. We will remain on high alert here, ready to provide support or assistance at any time. If we receive an emergency signal from you, or if you fail to return by the scheduled time, we will execute Plan B (evacuation and attempt to remotely deploy beacon observations)."

"Don't worry, we'll be careful." Rowe patted Verna on the shoulder, then looked towards the medical bay, nodded to Lilith, and finally looked at Anderson and Annie who were staying behind, "The ship is in your hands now."

The hatch of the "Shadow" closed silently, and the engine started at its lowest power, producing almost no detectable energy disturbance. Like a shadow detached from the mothership, it silently glided towards the ominous darkness ahead.

As the distance closed, the view outside the porthole began to change strangely. The faint starlight in the distance, which should have been part of the background, seemed to be erased bit by bit by an invisible hand, quickly dimming and disappearing. The surrounding darkness became more "pure" and more "thick," as if it had been soaked in thick ink. Inside the reconnaissance boat, the faint energy exchange with the outside environment caused by the "Shadow Cloak" and the array of psionic runes was rapidly weakening, as if the hull was being wrapped in an invisible insulating layer.

"We've entered the edge of the 'Silent Void's' influence," Lina's voice crackled through the encrypted communication channel inside the submarine, tinged with tension. "Regular perception has failed; even the echoes from the submarine's equipment are extremely weak and delayed. My intuition... feels like it's wrapped in a thick blanket. I can 'feel' the 'mud' outside, but the information transmitted back is very blurry and sluggish. However, I can sense that this 'mud' isn't completely uniform; the 'flow' and 'viscosity' seem slightly different in some places."

"Can you discern the general direction from which the 'distress signal' is coming?" Luo Wei asked, while simultaneously sensing the resonance of the Star Key in his arms. After entering this area, the resonance of the Star Key did not strengthen. On the contrary, due to the "inertia" of the external psionic environment and the powerful shielding of the reconnaissance boat, it seemed to be suppressed and isolated even more effectively. Only a faint, almost imperceptible warmth hinted at its connection with something in the distance.

"The direction... is roughly slightly to the left of directly ahead, but the sense of distance is very vague, as if there are many layers between us." Lina tried hard to discern, "And... I seem to 'feel' that in that direction, besides this 'mud,' there's also a... very, very faint, intermittent... 'silver-white' 'light spot'? No, it's not light, it's more like a... cold, regular 'presence,' embedded deep in the 'mud,' occasionally 'flickering,' carrying a... different from the sadness and anger of this 'mud,' a more... cold sense of 'order'?"

"Silver-white? A cold sense of order?" Barton immediately became alert. "Is this something from the Court of Stasis?"

"Similar, but not exactly the same...more...rigid? Or rather, more like a machine with a pre-programmed sequence that only operates mechanically, rather than the cold, 'Eye of Order' or 'Shadow of Libra' with a clear will." Lina's description made the situation even more complicated.

"Keep moving forward, stay alert, and follow Lina's directions," Rowe said in a deep voice. "Barton, keep a close eye on the outside. Report any unusual activity that isn't in the dark, even a change in the brightness of a single pixel, immediately."

The "Shadow" continued its slow, agonizing journey through absolute darkness and silence. Time seemed to have lost its meaning; only the fluctuating numbers on the dashboard, representing their distance traveled, served as a reminder that they were venturing deeper into uncharted territory. Occasionally, Lina would give subtle directions, guiding them away from areas where she perceived an unusually strong "viscosity" or "fluidity," as if searching for a relatively safe path through a quagmire teeming with undercurrents.

About half an hour after they infiltrated, something unexpected happened!

Patton, who had been keeping watch outside the porthole, suddenly growled, "Left front! Distance... indiscernible! Something's moving! No, not moving... it's 'emerging'!"

Luo Wei and Lina immediately looked over. To the left of the reconnaissance ship, in the previously absolute darkness, a blurry, distorted phantom, seemingly composed of shattered light and shadow, slowly "emerged" without warning! The phantom's outline was indistinguishable, but one could vaguely discern some enormous, broken crystalline structures, stylistically different from the "Evolutionary Remnants" and Twilight Remnants platforms, with more angular features, and some veins flowing with a dim, dark purple light, like blood vessels or energy channels. These veins intertwined with the crystalline structures, presenting a morbid, as if forcibly grafted and fused state. Deep within the phantom, one could vaguely see the outline of an extremely dim, silvery-white, regularly shaped geometric object, like a cold, foreign object embedded in this sorrowful, distorted wreckage.

This phantom is not a physical entity, but rather a residual, highly decaying psionic field that was briefly "activated" or "projected" in this "silent silt" due to their approach (perhaps due to the faint resonance of the Star Key?).

At the same time, Lina groaned, pointed in the direction of the illusory figure, and said urgently, "That's it! That 'silver-white' thing! It...it just 'flickered'! That illusory figure is the lingering 'echo' from where it was...! Such intense sorrow and anger...and...the pain of imprisonment!"

At this moment, the resonance of the Star Key in Luo Wei's arms suddenly intensified several times! Despite the isolation and shielding, the sudden and clear "traction" was like iron filings attracted by a magnet, abruptly pointing towards the direction of that phantom! The silver-white cracks on the surface of the Star Key also slightly increased in light, faintly creating a kind of extremely weak yet unsettling "echo" with the silver-white light spots deep within the phantom!

"Damn it! The resonance of the Star Key has been amplified! We've been discovered?" Barton gripped the hilt of his knife tightly.

"It doesn't seem like active detection... more like... the resonance triggered some kind of residual mechanism's 'replay' or 'identification'!" Verna's voice suddenly rang out in the encrypted channel, tinged with anxiety. Although the signal was extremely weak and filled with static, it was barely discernible. "We detected an extremely brief but distinctive psionic resonance peak in your direction! Although it was quickly absorbed by the 'silent' environment, it may have already been recorded! We recommend retreating immediately!"

However, just as Rowe was about to order the evacuation, another unexpected event occurred!

The blurry phantom seemed to be further "activated" by the enhanced resonance of the Star Key, and the silver-white light at its core suddenly became clear for a moment! Immediately afterwards, a cold, mechanical, and emotionless wave of thought, as if a pre-programmed program had been triggered, was projected from the silver-white light, swept across the "Shadow" reconnaissance vessel, and finally settled on Luo Wei (or rather, on the Star Key in his arms).

"...Unauthorized 'source species' fluctuations detected...carrying traces of 'order contamination'..."

"...Meets the default protocol's 'Recycler' characteristics..."

"...Execute secondary protocols: guide, isolate, purify..."

"...Coordinates locked...Cradle Fragment: The Echoing Corridor..."

A chilling message flooded the three men's minds. At the same time, the "silent silt" that had been slowly spreading before them suddenly surged, as if controlled by an invisible hand! A relatively "thin" path, resembling a passage, automatically "parted" in front of the phantom, pointing straight towards the direction of the silvery-white light spot deep within the phantom! The "silt" around the path churned violently, emitting an even stronger repulsive and suppressive force, as if warning them not to deviate from this "designated" path.

Further away, deeper within that silvery-white light, Lina's spiritual senses detected a faint yet incredibly clear new fluctuation of thought—originating from the same source as the previous distress signal, but more urgent, more desperate, as if screaming from the depths of her soul:

"...Don't come any closer! It's a trap! The servant of 'Silver'...guards the 'Cage'...it's using the 'Key'...to open a deeper...seal...run away!!"

Two completely different thoughts: one cold and mechanical, carrying the connotations of "guidance" and "recycling"; the other sorrowful and desperate, issuing a final warning. The truth seems to be right before our eyes, yet it remains elusive.

"We've been discovered by 'it,' and a route has been 'assigned' to us." Lowe stared coldly at the automatically parting "passage" leading to an unknown destination. "'The Lamentation Corridor'... fragments of 'Cradle'... 'The Cage'... 'Silver Servant'..."

"What do we do now? Retreat or advance?" Patton asked, his eyes a mixture of fighting spirit and wariness.

Retreat might be safe, but it would mean missing out on the core secrets about the "Cradle" legacy and the origins of the "Crystal Eater," which could be right before your eyes, and possibly even losing the chance to find the way to repair the Star Key and awaken Airi forever.

Entering means actively stepping into this clearly unknown and malicious "designated" path, facing the cold existence known as the "Silver Servant," and the "cage" guarded by it that may imprison the remnants of the "Cradle."

Lina's face was pale, but her eyes were resolute. She looked at Rowe: "That plea for help... was very real. It was trying its best to warn us. The 'Silver Servant'... felt completely out of place with the sorrow and anger of that 'mud,' more like a 'cold core' that was later 'implanted' to control everything."

Luo Wei remained silent, his fingers unconsciously tracing the warm surface of the Star Key in his arms, feeling the call of the "Source Seed" within and the stinging pain of the cracks in "Order." He seemed to see Ai Rui's sleeping face in the medical pod, as well as the countless remnants of civilizations destroyed by the Silent Court and the "Crystal Devouring Bacteria" that he had seen along the way.

"We..." he began slowly, his voice exceptionally clear in the silent reconnaissance vessel, "There's no turning back. The Star Key is marked, Airi is resonating, and the shadow of the Silent Court is everywhere. Running away will only allow the problems to accumulate, until there's nowhere left to escape."

He raised his head, his gaze sharp, looking ahead at the deep, dark passage shrouded in "silent silt."

"Since 'it' has opened the way for us, let's go in and take a look. Let's see what this 'Silver Servant' really is, what's hidden in the 'Wailing Corridor,' and also... what those 'Cradle' survivors who issued cries for help and warnings are going through."

"However, we're not going to 'walk into a trap'." Luo Wei's tone shifted, becoming resolute. "Instructor Verna, could you use the psionic resonance peak we just detected and the energy characteristics of this 'channel' to perform reverse analysis and roughly determine the energy level and control range of that 'Silent Servant,' as well as the possible weaknesses or operating rules of this 'Silent Field'?"

After a few seconds of silence in the channel, Verna's voice came through, broken but unusually focused: "Analyzing... Data is limited, but we can try to build a preliminary model. Judging from the energy fluctuations from the opening of the 'channel,' that 'servant' has a high degree of control over the 'silent field' of this area, but its energy output seems to have obvious 'periodic troughs' and 'patterned operation' characteristics, like an old machine operating according to a fixed program, lacking flexibility. The 'silent field' itself reacts to high concentrations of homologous 'source species' psionic energy (such as star key resonance), perhaps... we can use this to create localized, brief 'psionic resonance disturbances' during its 'periodic troughs,' interfering with its control over the local area, creating a brief window of opportunity or a way out for us."

"Very good." Lowe nodded. "Barton, Lina, check the equipment and prepare for high-concentration psionic environments, mental shocks, and possible attacks from mechanical or psionic constructs. We won't take the 'easy road' that 'it's' provided."

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"We'll go our own way. We'll tear a hole in 'its' program."

The "Shadow" reconnaissance boat slightly adjusted its attitude, not entering the automatically separated, straight "designated passage," but instead staying close to the edge of the passage, like the most cunning fish. With the help of the "Shadow Cloak" and Lina's perception of the flowing "silt," it began to quietly infiltrate along the edge of this "forcibly opened" path, towards the depths of the "Wailing Corridor," towards the direction from which the silver-white light and desperate cries for help came together.

The real adventure begins now. Ahead of them await the cold "Silver Servants," the sorrowful remnants of the "Cradle," the long-forgotten "Wailing Corridor," and the final stage they have been searching for—a stage where truth and crisis intertwine.