The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

Like a slumbering metal behemoth, the "Stargazer" quietly repaired its wounds in the silent void on the outer edge of the Chilva continent. Time passed in a tense but orderly flurry of activity within the ship. The faint response signal sent to the southern desert disappeared without a trace, as if it had vanished into thin air. The "Eye of the Observer" crystal also returned to silence, as if the previous pulse had been merely an illusion. But this brief calm only made the air inside the ship feel heavier, like the oppressive heat before a storm.

Lowe remained vigilant. He knew that the signal from the depths of the desert was no accident; silence could mean the other side was observing, preparing, or perhaps… the signal source itself was in some kind of predicament. The starship's repairs and the team's preparations had to be completed as quickly as possible.

He devoted himself entirely to solidifying his status as a first-ring Star Speaker, and used the crystal and starship environment to deepen his understanding of stellar power. He attempted to combine "Star Shadow Step" with "Faint Light Concealment" to create a short-range "Starlight Flicker," which, while not as profound as "Astral Projection," consumed less energy and was more practical. At the same time, he continuously sensed the crystal, trying to capture that faint sense of shared origin, but the direction of the sand sea remained blurred, as if interfered with by some force or simply too far away.

Lilith's work has been remarkably effective. She not only optimized the team's standard potions but also successfully replicated several low-cost versions of "Energy Neutralizing Dust" and "Space Stabilizing Gel" using the starship database and limited materials. While far less effective than the originals, these versions might play a crucial role in dealing with sudden energy conflicts or spatial disturbances. Lina's assistance greatly increased her efficiency, and the two worked together with increasing synergy. Under Verna's guidance, Annie's mastery of the Star Speaker runes steadily improved, allowing her to reliably maintain a weak "Star Shield."

Barton and Elder Anderson repeatedly rehearsed the potential dangers in the desert region and the corresponding tactics. Anderson drew a rough map of the edge of the desert from memory, marking several legendary dangerous spots and possible water sources (although they might have long since dried up). Barton, on the other hand, adapted to several energy weapons in the starship's armory. Although he was more accustomed to the greatsword, he also understood the importance of ranged firepower in certain situations.

Verna and the Star Core have made new discoveries in their in-depth analysis of the "Observer's Eye" data. They confirmed that the encryption method used to transmit signals from the crystal does indeed mix the observer sequence's universal code with a more ancient variable exhibiting characteristics of biological consciousness, supporting Lina's perception of "life response." More importantly, they have extracted an extremely blurry record of environmental background radiation from the underlying data fragments of the log. Its energy characteristics bear a striking resemblance to the energy disturbance legend of "The Star-Eating Scar," an ancient legend from a specific region in the southern desert of the Chirva continent!

"The Star-Eating Scar" is said to be a place where fragments of a star fell in ancient times. Their power eroded the earth, forming an unhealable energy desert that gave rise to various bizarre sand sea creatures. Could the ruins of the observatory be hidden in that legendary place?

Ten days later, a report came from the star core:

[Emergency repairs complete. The warp drive cooling system has stabilized at 75% efficiency, sufficient for a short, precise warp to the continental edge. The stealth field's stability has recovered to 82%. Energy reserves have increased to 25%. The repair robot team has repaired 87% of the minor damage. Conclusion: Basic conditions are met for a high-risk, short-duration exploration mission.]

The conditions remained stringent, but time was of the essence. The signal source in the desert drew them in like a magnet.

After careful evaluation, Luo Wei made a decision: to assemble a capable reconnaissance team, aboard a landing craft whose functionality had been largely restored, to conduct preliminary reconnaissance at the southern edge of the desert. The objective was to confirm the approximate location of the signal source, assess environmental risks, and attempt to establish initial contact, rather than directly venturing into dangerous territory.

The team members were: Lowe (captain, Star Speaker Perception), Lilith (technical support, medicine support), Barton (main combat force), and Lina (environmental early warning, spiritual perception). Annie and Elder Anderson remained on the starship to assist Mentor Verna in continuing to analyze data and maintain the starship's operation.

The decision was made; preparations began immediately. Lilith prepared ample medicine, detection equipment, and survival supplies. Patton inspected the weapons and equipment. Lena adjusted her natural senses, preparing to face the extreme challenges of the desert environment.

The following day, the landing module detached from the mothership again, arced through the air, and plunged into the vast sand sea in the southern part of the Chilva continent.

……

Piercing through the clouds, a scorching, dry wind, carrying sand and grit, swept over me. Below stretched an endless sea of ​​golden sand, undulating dunes like frozen waves extending to the horizon. The sun poured down relentlessly, distorting and shimmering the air with its heat. Compared to the constant temperature inside the starship, this place was practically a no-man's-land.

The landing module landed on a relatively solid stretch of Gobi desert at the edge of the desert. The hatch opened, and a wave of heat rushed in instantly.

"Radiation levels are moderate to high, ultraviolet radiation is lethal, and the diurnal temperature range is expected to be extremely large. The elemental energy in the air is thin and volatile, mainly biased towards earth and fire, with other energies having very low activity." Lilith quickly read the environmental data, her brow furrowed. This was a significant disadvantage for them, who relied primarily on astral and natural energy.

Lina took a deep breath of the scorching air, her small face scrunching up: "The earth... is in pain, extremely thirsty, and... buried beneath are many chaotic, hungry 'voices'..." Her natural intuition was being overwhelmed by strong negative emotions here.

Luo Wei activated his stellar perception, but also felt a sluggishness. The background noise in the space was immense, and the power of the stars was thin and difficult to detect. The crystal in his palm was slightly warm, pointing towards the depths of the sand sea, but the sensation remained vague and unclear.

"Stay close to me and stay alert. Barton, watch out for quicksand and possible underground creatures. Lina, warn us immediately if you sense any strong malice. Lilith, monitor everyone's hydration and condition." Rowe gave the orders, and the team, in a diamond formation, stepped into the scorching sand.

Every step sank into the sand, making movement difficult. Under the scorching sun, even with simple protective spells, sweat evaporated quickly, taking away a lot of moisture. Lilith's concoction of "heat-resistant potion" and "moisture-releasing agent" became her lifeline.

After traveling for several hours, apart from a few scorpion-like monsters lurking in the sand that Barton easily dealt with, they encountered no major danger. However, the harshness of the environment far exceeded their expectations. Lina's complexion grew increasingly pale; the deathly silence and negative energy here made her extremely uncomfortable.

As evening fell, the temperature plummeted, and a biting wind swept through. The team found a sheltered spot under a rocky cliff to set up camp. Lilith set up a makeshift warning array and a temperature-regulating barrier. Barton was on night watch.

In the dead of night, as the two moons rose and their cool light shone on the sea of ​​sand, a strange event occurred.

The crystal in Luo Wei's palm suddenly vibrated violently, radiating an unprecedented burning sensation! At the same time, Lina jolted awake from her light sleep, pointing at the distant sea of ​​sand, her voice trembling: "They're here! So many! So fast! From underground!"

Luo Wei leaped into the air instantly, expanding his star field perception to its fullest extent! The sea of ​​sand under the moonlight began to churn as if boiling! Countless giant ants, the size of calves, with carapaces gleaming with a metallic sheen and mouthparts like drills, surged out from beneath the sand like a tide. Their compound eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty red light as they charged straight toward the squad's camp!

"It's the 'Star-Eating Ants'!" Lilith exclaimed, recognizing these nightmarish, swarming monsters of the desert. "Their carapaces can withstand most elemental attacks, their mouthparts can pierce through energy shields, and their numbers are endless!"

"Form a defensive array!" Barton roared, his greatsword plunging into the ground before him, unleashing a burst of intense battle aura that formed a barrier of flames. Lilith swiftly unleashed "Powerful Insect Repellent Powder" and "Adhesive Entangling Gel." Lina pressed her hands to the ground, attempting to encourage the growth of thorns, but the barren sand only produced a few fragile clumps of poisonous thorns.

Luo Wei's eyes sharpened; he sensed that the energy cores of these ants were extremely weak, but their numbers were simply too great! A direct confrontation would only lead to exhaustion! He noticed that the direction of the crystal's vibration was not directly in front of the ant swarm's attack, but slightly to the east!

"Don't block them head-on! Follow me! Break through to the east! The ants are attracted by something, it might be related to the signal source!" Luo Wei made a decisive move, clearing out a small patch of ants on the left with a "Starlight Ray" and rushing out first. At the same time, he injected star power into the crystal, trying to actively stimulate its fluctuations to see if it could affect the ant colony.

A miracle occurred! When the crystal was actively activated, emitting pure observer sequence energy fluctuations, the surging ant colony suddenly paused, its charge slowing down. Their simple consciousness seemed to be caught in some kind of confusion, as if trying to recognize this familiar yet strange aura. Some ants even bumped into each other, causing a brief commotion.

"It's working! Let's go!" Lowe shouted, maintaining the crystal fluctuations. The team took the opportunity to rush out through the gap in the ant colony where it hesitated, leaving most of the ants behind.

They fled for over half an hour, only stopping breathlessly when they were certain the ant swarm was no longer pursuing them. Looking back, the moonlit sands had returned to calm, as if the attack had been nothing more than an illusion.

"These ants... seem to be reacting to the observer's energy?" Lilith gasped as she analyzed.

Lina nodded, her face pale. "They...were angry, but also...afraid of that light. It's like...they were hurt by that power before..."

As Luo Wei watched the crystal gradually calming in his palm, doubts arose in his mind. The Star-Eating Ants, the Observer's Energy, the Sand Sea, the Star-Eating Mark... these clues seemed to connect.

The next day, the team proceeded with even greater caution. As they ventured deeper, the environment grew increasingly eerie. Huge, smooth, glass-like craters began to appear in the sand, as if the result of something melting at an extremely high temperature. The free energy in the air also began to carry a familiar, inert energy radiation, similar to that of star fragments.

Finally, at noon on the third day, after they climbed over a huge sand dune, the sight before them stunned everyone.

Beyond the dunes lay not an endless sea of ​​sand, but a massive, bowl-shaped impact crater! The crater walls were made of crystalline glass, and at the center of the crater's bottom, instead of sand, stood a colossal, silver-white metal structure, half-sloping and embedded in the ground! The architectural style was remarkably similar to the "Echo Station" ruins they had seen in the Shattered Starfield, but it was far larger and more ancient! The surface of the structure was covered with the marks of time and the erosion of sandstorms, but the overall structure seemed relatively intact, and faint glimmers of energy occasionally flashed in some places!

An ancient observation station buried beneath the sea of ​​sand!

The crystal in Luo Wei's palm was now burning hot, clearly pointing towards the building! The source of the signal was right there!

However, along with the excitement of discovering the ruins came a powerful sense of crisis. Lena pointed at the building, her body trembling, her voice filled with terror: "There's...something in there! Very powerful...very sad...and very...hungry! It...has found us!"

Almost as soon as Lina finished speaking, a low, mournful howl, like the scraping of metal mixed with endless sorrow, echoed from the depths of the silent observation station! The howl pierced through the walls of the glass pit, reverberating through the sea of ​​sand, carrying a chilling pressure that sent shivers down one's spine!

At the same time, the sand beneath their feet began to tremble violently again, even more violently than before! This time, it wasn't the Star-Eating Ants, but something much larger and more terrifying, about to awaken from the ground surrounding the observation station!

The veil of mystery surrounding the desert ruins has just been lifted, and a deadly crisis has already arrived!