The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

The encounter with the remnants of the degenerated crystal-devouring bacteria was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool, creating brief ripples in the months-long silent voyage of the "Stargazer," before quickly returning to a near-frozen focus and silence. That small-scale combat test brought not only confidence in the new equipment and abilities, but also a substantial sample and data. After obtaining the samples of those dark purple energy dust particles, Lilith immediately threw herself into tireless research. She cross-referenced the faint psionic reactions, still bearing traces of "pain" and "self-destruction," with her knowledge of the "Principles of Order-Suppressing Psionic Potion," proposing a chilling hypothesis: the psionic residue at the core of these degenerated bacterial remains was not a product of natural decay; its structural characteristics resembled the traumatic imprint left by some external, forced "psionic castration" or "command overwriting." This mark distorted its original commands of "devouring" and "order," leaving only chaotic pain and the instinct for ultimate self-destruction.

"It's like... at some point, the Stasis Court conducted a large-scale 'cleanup' or 'recycling' of out-of-control or non-compliant 'Crystal-Eating Bacteria' test subjects. What we're encountering now are 'defective products' that escaped that cleanup, but degenerated due to conflicting instructions and energy depletion, and have been drifting in deep space for countless millennia." Lilith wrote in the analysis report. This deduction gave everyone a deeper understanding of the Stasis Court's ruthlessness and control, and also made them feel a more complex mix of fear and curiosity about the "Desolate Beyond," the region that might be involved in the origin of "Crystal-Eating Bacteria."

The voyage continued. After passing through the "light-stagnant dust cloud," the "eternal night" ahead became even purer and more "vast." The sparse reference points marked on the star map dwindled, and sometimes for days on end, the sensors transmitted only unchanging, almost absolute darkness and nothingness. In this environment, Lina's "Deep Space Rhythmic Listening Method" could capture some deeper, more fundamental "background sounds"—not the sounds of any specific entity, but rather the almost endless, low, and regular "humming" produced by the spacetime structure of the universe itself, the flow of dark energy, and even the slight oscillations of dimensional membranes. Navigating in this grand and monotonous "humming" is an immense test of one's temperament, easily leading to a sense of spacetime disorientation and deep-space loneliness.

To address this, Verna optimized the ship's "Psionic Immersion Matrix," imbuing its psionic fluctuations with a gentle rhythm that mimicked the natural cycle of day and night and the changing seasons of a planet. Anne, utilizing her newly acquired first-ring Astrologer abilities, also created several miniature arrays of "Tranquility" and "Energy Boost" runes in the living quarters, working in conjunction with the "Psionic Immersion Matrix" to create a relatively comfortable and stable microenvironment within the ship. Lowe also adjusted the team's duty and rest schedules, ensuring everyone had ample time for meditation, study, and relaxation, preventing them from exhausting themselves before reaching their destination.

In this routine of daily voyage, time quietly slipped into the 145th day. There were still about 35 days left until they were expected to reach the "Desolate Other Shore" region.

On this day, it was Lina's turn to monitor the main sensor array. As usual, she sat cross-legged in front of the control panel, her hands lightly pressing the sensor balls. Her spiritual senses, guided by the special frequency of the "Deep Space Rhythm Listening Method," slowly extended and diffused outwards, like a drop of invisible ink falling into an endless inkwell, perceiving the subtle changes in its diffusion, touch, and feedback. All around her was the familiar, almost hypnotic cosmic background "humming."

However, just as her senses drifted aimlessly to a patch of empty space a few light-seconds away from the ship's side, an extremely faint "vibration," incongruous with the surrounding "hum," caught her attention like a second pebble thrown into calm water. This "vibration" was very peculiar; it wasn't an energy burst, nor a disturbance of mass, but rather a very brief, highly compressed information structure that, as it passed through this space, produced a strange, fleeting "resonance interference pattern" with the cosmic background "hum." If Lina hadn't practiced listening techniques for a long time, making her exceptionally sensitive to subtle changes in "rhythm," and if her mind hadn't been in a state of extreme relaxation and openness, she would never have been able to perceive this anomaly, which was even briefer than a meteor streaking across the night sky.

"Huh?" Lina let out a barely audible exclamation, instinctively focusing her spiritual awareness on the lingering, dissipating echo of the tremor. Just as her spiritual senses were about to touch that void, the source of the tremor, as if responding to her gaze, suddenly erupted with a second, even stronger and clearer, resonance!

This time, it was no longer a blurry "interference stripe", but a short "pulse" that directly affected the spiritual level, carrying strong emotional color and fragmented image information!

The pulse contains:

—Endless darkness and cold.

—A huge, slowly rotating, indescribably complex phantom structure radiating an ominous blend of dark purple and pale gold.

—A torrent of thoughts that runs deep into the bones, a mixture of sadness, anger, confusion and a faint hope.

Finally, there was a crystal-clear spatial coordinate anchor point, as if etched with the last of its strength, and a fragmented phrase of thought: "...cradle...survivors...pleading for help...don't believe...silver..."

The pulse lasted for less than 0.1 seconds before abruptly stopping, as if it had exhausted its last bit of power, completely dissipating into the background hum of the universe without a trace.

"Ah!" Lina was struck as if by a heavy blow, falling backward violently, clutching her head tightly with both hands. Her face turned ashen, beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, and her body trembled violently from the intense information shock and mental strain! The alarm of the main sensor array sounded shrilly, indicating that Lina's psionic readings had spiked and then plummeted, and her soul stability indicators were fluctuating wildly!

"Lina!" Almost as soon as the alarm sounded, Annie, who was closest, rushed over and supported the swaying Lina. At the same time, she activated the miniature "Tranquility" rune that had been drawn not long ago next to Lina's seat. A soft, pale blue light enveloped Lina, bringing a touch of soothing to her chaotic mind.

"Medical pod! Lilith! Lina's in trouble!" Annie cried out urgently over the communication channel, using her still-unskilled soothing star power to help Lina calm down.

Lowe, Verna, Barton, and Anderson all arrived at the bridge within seconds. Lilith also rushed in carrying a medical kit.

"It's...it's a shockwave at the spiritual level! Extremely strong!" Lilith quickly checked Lina's vital signs and injected a potent sedative into the side of her neck. "Her soul is experiencing a slight tremor, and her mental energy is severely depleted, but there's no structural damage. She needs immediate rest and deep psychic reassurance."

"What happened?" Luo Wei asked in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the unusually short but incredibly powerful psionic pulse pattern that had just been recorded on the main sensor array.

"It's...it's a distress signal...no, it's...last words...and coordinates..." Lina's pain lessened slightly under the sedative, but her eyes remained unfocused. She described everything she had just perceived in broken sentences, especially the last clear spatial coordinate anchor point and those fragmented words.

"'Cradle... survivors... pleading for help... do not believe... silver...'?" Verna quickly jotted down and repeated, her brow furrowed. "'Cradle' survivors are pleading for help? But what does 'do not believe... silver...' mean? Does 'silver' refer to... the silver of 'order'? The Court of Stagnation? Is it a warning not to trust the Court of Stagnation, or not to trust the 'silver' side that sent the distress signal?"

"Coordinates! That coordinate anchor point!" Elder Anderson had already input the coordinate data described by Lina into the star map system and was quickly analyzing and locating it. "Analysis complete! The coordinate location... is to the side and slightly ahead of our current route, about twenty-two light-years away! Moreover... the relative motion trajectory calculation of this coordinate shows that it highly overlaps with the approximate area where the unknown signal source of 'The Desolate Other Side' marked on the star map is located!"

This news shocked everyone! The area they were heading to had just received a distress signal, seemingly from the survivors of "Cradle," filled with contradictions and warnings.

"Is the signal directional? Or is it broadcast?" Rowe asked.

Verna retrieved a detailed spectral analysis of the pulse: "The signal structure is highly peculiar, not a conventional electromagnetic or gravitational wave broadcast. It seems to be transmitted over long distances through some unknown method based on the 'rhythmic' resonance of deep space. Its transmission direction... has obvious directionality and filtering, and it seems... only those with a certain level of spiritual perception and the ability to 'listen' at specific frequencies could possibly capture it. Lina's 'Deep Space Rhythmic Listening Method' happens to meet these conditions. The sender of the signal seems to have foreseen that a 'listener' like Lina would pass through this area."

"Is this... a 'message bottle' left for a specific successor?" Barton guessed.

"And it's a 'message bottle' full of dangerous warnings." Lilith looked worriedly at Lina, who was gradually calming down under Annie's comforting words but was still weak. "'Don't trust... silver...' This warning must be taken seriously. If 'silver' refers to the Court of Stasis, then the 'Cradle' survivor who sent out the distress signal is likely in great danger, or even the distress call itself might be a trap."

"The coordinates overlap with 'The Wasteland Beyond'..." Lowe pondered, his gaze returning to the distant target dot on the main screen, then to the quietly floating Star Key in the isolation tank in his arms, and to Irene, still asleep in the direction of the medical pod. "Watcher Calvin said that the legacy of 'Cradle' is scattered across the starry sea. This distress signal may very well originate from another 'Cradle'-related facility, or... it may be the signal source itself from 'The Wasteland Beyond'. In either case, we must go and investigate."

"But a warning..." Anderson cautioned.

"It's precisely because of the warning that we must go." Lowe's eyes were sharp. "If it's a trap, we must find out who set it and what their purpose is. If it's a genuine cry for help, we can't stand idly by, especially since it might relate to the truth about the 'Cradle' survivors and the origins of the 'Crystal Eaters.' However, our strategy must be adjusted."

He quickly issued new instructions: "First, the objective remains the same, but the voyage plan is revised. We will first conduct perimeter reconnaissance at the distress signal coordinates, but we will not easily enter its core area. The primary task is to assess the environment, confirm the authenticity of the signal, and detect potential risks, especially to confirm whether there are any signs of activity by the 'Silver' forces (the Silent Court). Second, Villena, immediately organize a team to analyze all the data from this psionic pulse, attempting to decipher its more complete information, especially the specific meaning and context of 'Do not trust...Silver...'. At the same time, optimize the 'Shadow Cloak' system, adding extra protection and simulation deception layers for possible high-psychic detection or 'Rhythm' level scans. Third, Lina needs rest, Lilith, do everything you can to ensure her recovery. Everyone else, prepare for high-psychic environments, mental attacks, and possible encounters with Silent Court units or unknown 'Cradle' defense mechanisms. Barton, intensify your psionic resistance training. Annie, consolidate your realm; your 'Tranquility' runes may be key."

"clear!"

The command was swiftly translated into action. The course was subtly adjusted, pointing towards that mysterious coordinate twenty-two light-years away. Like an arrow guided by invisible threads, the "Stargazer" silently changed course in the "Eternal Night."

The atmosphere became even more tense and focused for the rest of the voyage. Everyone felt a sense of impending doom. They were actively approaching the center of a vortex that could hold the ultimate answer or hide a deadly trap.

With Lilith's meticulous care and the assistance of her own "Deep Space Rhythm Listening Technique," Lina recovered quickly. Just one day later, she had largely recovered from her mental exhaustion, though her face remained somewhat pale. Her memory of that pulse was remarkably clear; she could even recall more details: "That enormous structural phantom…it felt different from the crystals of 'Evolutionary Legacy' and the style of the 'Cradle of Glimmer' outpost. It was more…complex, and more 'painful.' The dark purple and pale gold lights intertwined, not like symbiosis, but more like a fierce conflict and devouring. That 'sorrow' and 'anger'…were very pure, the grief and indignation of a destroyed homeland and the suffering of one's compatriots. And the 'confusion'…seemed to be a bewilderment at some betrayal or unexpected disaster. The 'hope' was faint, but persistent, like grasping at the last straw in despair."

Her description gave everyone a more vivid imagination of the signal sender's situation, and made the warning "Don't believe... silver..." seem even more elusive and chilling.

Verna has made initial progress in analyzing the pulse data. She discovered that within the pulse signal, besides the main information, there are multiple layers of extremely sophisticated psionic encryption structures with self-verification and tamper-proof properties. The techniques used in these structures bear many similarities to the "Observatory Psionic Technology" she obtained from Twilight Remnant, but are more ancient and advanced, likely originating from the core technology system of the "Cradle." This indirectly confirms the reliability of the signal's source (at least technically, it is from the "Cradle" lineage). However, no breakthrough has been made regarding the meaning of "silver," only confirming that this word carries a very high "emotional weight" in the pulse information, closely linked to "sadness" and "anger," and subtly opposed to "expectation."

The voyage continued for another twenty days under high alert. Less than two light-days' journey remained to reach the target coordinates.

Just as the "Stargazer" was about to enter the preset starting point for a remote, high-precision scan of the target coordinates, Airi, who had been sleeping peacefully, showed signs of abnormality again!

This time, the anomaly did not originate from her, but rather from the extremely faint resonance that always existed between her and the ship's environment, especially with the Star Key that Luo Wei constantly nurtured with star power.

At that moment, as usual, Luo Wei was performing his routine "guidance" on the Star Key in the psionic-infused environment. Suddenly, he felt the resonance frequency of the Star Key in his palm shift subtly without warning. The part of its "source seed" fluctuation seemed to be "resonated with and attracted" by some distant entity, transmitting a weak but clear "pulling force" towards the side and front of the ship—in the direction of the target coordinates. Simultaneously, inside the medical bay, the rhythmic flickering of the pale golden crystalline patterns on Ai Rui's body also subtly changed, achieving a higher degree of harmony with the shifted frequency of the Star Key!

Immediately afterward, although Irene didn't wake up, her brows furrowed slightly, as if she felt some kind of discomfort from a "summoning" or "resonance" while she was asleep. The fingers of her right hand, resting at her side, unconsciously twitched slightly, and the trajectory of her fingertips across the air vaguely resembled some outline features of the enormous, illusory structure described by Lina!

"Love! Airi is responding! The resonance with the Star Key is increasing synchronously, pointing towards the target direction!" Lilith's exclamation came from the medical channel.

"I felt it too! The Star Key is... being attracted?" Luo Wei's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately stopped "guiding" the Star Key, re-stabilizing it in the isolation slot and strengthening the shielding. The Star Key's "traction" weakened slightly, but did not completely disappear. It was as if something in the target direction was creating a deep resonance and call across a vast distance with the "primordial" qualities within it and Ai Rui's body.

"Is it the automatic identification mechanism of the 'Cradle' legacy? Or... bait for a trap?" Verna's expression was grave.

"Lina, can your intuition detect any unusual changes in the direction of the target?" Rowe asked.

Lina had already focused all her spiritual senses on the target coordinates the moment Ariel and Star Key showed any unusual activity. But this time, all she "heard" was a silence that was even deeper and more "viscous" than before, as if the "deep space rhythm" of that area had been deliberately "suppressed" or "absorbed" by some invisible force, forming a "blind spot" or "void" in her spiritual perception.

"It's so quiet... unnaturally quiet." Lina's voice was filled with confusion and a hint of unease. "Before, I could vaguely sense some 'background noise' from over there, but now... it seems to have been 'swallowed' by something. Like... there's a black hole there that absorbs 'sound.' And, this area of ​​'quiet' seems to be... slowly expanding?"

"Slow down! All ships enter Level 1 silence! 'Shadow Cloak' power increased to critical level!" Lowe made a decisive decision. "There's an anomaly in the target area! We may have entered some kind of...sensing or jamming range!"

The "Stargazer" slowly came to a stop, like a reef merging into the darkness, silently hovering in the void, still more than a day's journey from its target coordinates. Inside the ship, everyone's eyes were fixed on the main screen, on that dark direction that represented the unknown and danger, seemingly capable of swallowing everything.

The Star Key continued to emanate a suppressed, resonant warmth within the isolation chamber. Airi frowned slightly in her sleep. Before Lina's spiritual sense lay an ominous, silent "void."

And they are about to step into this silence to face either the desperate cries for help from their ancient kin or the carefully laid death traps of their cold enemies.

The prelude to "The Desolate Other Shore" seems to have quietly begun even before they have truly arrived. And the truth, intertwined with pale gold hope and dark purple crisis, lies hidden deep within this suffocating, actively spreading "silence."