The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

Lina's warning about the "Silver Hound" stalking them was like a drop of boiling oil, instantly igniting the already tense atmosphere on the bridge of the "Stargazer." The crew, who had just gained a clearer objective by deciding to head to "Gray Rock," felt their hearts tighten once more under an invisible iron grip. Ahead lay unpredictable dangers, behind them relentless pursuers, and they themselves were a battered, energy-depleted, and weakened starship.

"Confirm the number of units being tracked?" Luo Wei's voice remained calm, but his pace quickened noticeably. He suppressed the subtle stinging pain deep within his soul caused by the emotional turmoil of the moment, focusing his attention on the immediate crisis.

"There's only one unit... its energy signature is very concentrated and 'clean,' unlike the mixed energy signatures of the previous Spirit Guardians or 'Wardens.'" Lina closed her eyes and focused her mind, carefully probing her largely restored spiritual senses behind her. Amidst the chaotic background radiation and gravitational ripples of the "Turbulent Star Sea," she struggled to discern the deliberately concealed presence. "It's mimicking the fluctuations of the surrounding environment, hiding very well, but that cold, pure sense of 'order,' and that... predator's 'patience' and 'precision,' can't be hidden. It's about 0.1 light-years away from us, its movement zigzag, seemingly carefully 'sniffing' out the energy trails and spatial disturbances we leave behind. Its speed... isn't fast, but it's very stable, and it seems to be actively avoiding those obviously dangerous areas in the Star Sea, indicating a high level of intelligence."

A single, highly intelligent tracking unit. This aligns with the consistent style of the Silent Court's "Hound" series—efficient, stealthy, and deadly. Unlike the "Eye of Order" which makes a big show of itself, or the "Guardians of the Undead" which travel in packs, it is like the most patient lone wolf, lurking in the shadows. Once it locks onto a target, it will relentlessly pursue it until the mission is accomplished or it destroys itself.

"Can you assess its equipment and combat strength?" Barton's voice came through the medical pod communication, hoarse from injury and filled with suppressed fighting spirit. His external wounds had mostly healed thanks to the advanced regeneration fluid and his own robust physique, and his internal injuries had stabilized under Lilith's care. Although it would take time for him to fully recover, his basic combat capabilities had been restored.

"It's difficult... Its energy field is perfectly concealed, and actively scanning it would definitely alert it," Verna analyzed. "But considering that it was able to safely traverse the edge of the 'Turbulent Star Sea' and accurately track the faint traces we left behind, which had been severely disrupted by the star sea environment, its sensors, computing core, and mobility are all extremely impressive. Moreover, as a unit sent to track our 'high-threat variable' that just destroyed the 'Warden VII' (albeit a Pyrrhic victory), its combat power is by no means weak. Conservatively speaking, it possesses at least the firepower and defense of a medium-sized reconnaissance ship, and may even be equipped with some kind of special equipment targeting 'Source Species' or psionic targets."

An elite tracker whose combat power may surpass that of the "Eye of Order," possessing high stealth and intelligence. Given the current state of the "Stargazer," its chances of winning in a direct confrontation are slim.

"It didn't attack immediately, which means it's also assessing the situation," Elder Anderson quickly analyzed. "On one hand, the Star Sea environment is complex, and a rash attack could expose itself or trigger an uncontrollable space disaster. On the other hand, it may have received orders to 'capture' or 'guide' it rather than 'destroy,' after all, we hold the Star Key. It's waiting, waiting for us to leave this relatively dangerous edge of the Star Sea and enter a more 'open' or more 'favorable' area for it to operate, or... waiting for us and the potential dangers 'Gray Rock' to mutually destructively weaken each other."

"Therefore, we cannot let it have its way." A cold glint flashed in Luo Wei's eyes. His previous fatigue and trauma seemed to be forcibly suppressed by a sense of crisis, and his thinking became unusually clear and sharp. "The environment of 'Turbulent Star Sea' is unfavorable to us, and it is also a constraint on it. This is our opportunity, and our only battlefield."

He quickly issued a series of instructions: "Instructor Verna, immediately analyze all known and newly detected high-risk natural traps in our current area and along the route to 'Gray Rock'—including but not limited to large gravitational vortices, unstable spatial rift clusters, high-concentration radiation jet zones, and any possible giant debris or stellar fragments bound by anomalous energy fields. I need a detailed 'natural hazard map'."

"Elder Anderson, based on this map, plan the most circuitous and dangerous 'zigzag' route, which will maximize the use of environmental interference and potentially lure pursuers into triggering traps. At the same time, calculate the maximum time we can sustain ourselves using this route while maintaining minimum stealth and basic shields, as well as the coordinates of the 'safe points' where we must resupply or repair."

"Lilith, prepare all available 'decoys' that can survive briefly in a vacuum—whether they are energy signal simulators, fragments of old equipment, or waste materials mixed with our biological information or energy signatures. We need to create 'traces' and 'false targets'."

"Barton, you recovered the fastest. You're in charge of monitoring the ship's defenses and emergency response. Lina, your task is to rest, but maintain a minimum level of passive early warning. If you detect any abnormal acceleration, approach, or energy accumulation from pursuers, immediately sound the alarm. Annie, assist Mentor Verna in processing data and maintaining the ship's psionic stability runes."

"Our goal remains the same: 'Gray Rock.' But our method of navigation has changed. We will no longer 'escape,' but 'lure.' We will lead this 'hound' into the 'minefield' of the starry sea, using natural barriers to wear it down, delay it, and even... see if we can make it step into the trap on its own. If that doesn't work, at least we should significantly deplete its energy and patience, buying us time and initiative after we reach 'Gray Rock.'"

"Now, let's act!"

The order spread like wildfire throughout the ship. Everyone knew this was a death race, a dance on the edge of a knife, a game played simultaneously with death and its hunter. Without hesitation, everyone immediately threw themselves into their tasks.

The screens in front of Verna and Annie were instantly flooded with complex star maps, gravitational contour lines, radiation intensity maps, and spatial structure analysis data streams. They quickly sifted and marked, labeling red dots representing death zones on the flight path. Elder Anderson, like the most skilled chess player, traced a thin line, like a venomous snake, constantly weaving along the edges of the red dots on this chessboard fraught with danger. Lilith rummaged through the supply compartment for any usable "tools," even dismantling some completely damaged instruments, sealing components with faint energy residue and processed bio-pheromones extracted from medical waste into simple containers that could be released at a timed or triggered interval.

The Stargazer restarted, its engines propelling it with the lowest power and most unstable pulses, making its energy trail even fainter and harder to track. It no longer moved in a straight line, but began to wander like a drunkard along the bizarre route planned by Anderson, amidst the shattered stellar debris, the cold clouds of radioactive dust, and the ever-distorting, flickering folds of space.

Shortly after the voyage began, as planned, the Stargazer quietly launched "decoys" prepared by Lilith at several carefully selected locations at "forks" in the route or "entrances" to dangerous areas. These decoys were programmed to release "traces" at different times and in different ways (energy pulses, matter dissipation, weak biosignals) to simulate the illusion that the Stargazer might have passed by, lingered, or even been "damaged."

The real "Stargazer" relied on Lina's passive early warning (she barely maintained a weak lock on the pursuers behind) and Verna's real-time monitoring of the environment to walk on the edge of real danger. Sometimes it narrowly missed a suddenly bursting dark red spatial rift, sometimes it used the pull of the gravitational vortex to accelerate and change direction unconventionally, and sometimes it dived into a cloud of high-concentration radioactive dust to temporarily shield itself from the interference.

This silent hunt and counter-hunt unfolded fiercely on the edge of the "Turbulent Star Sea." Every minute was fraught with danger. Twice, Lina warned that the pursuers had suddenly accelerated, seemingly having seen through a decoy, and were heading straight for their true location. The "Stargazer" had to make an emergency course change, venturing into a more dangerous radiation zone, causing a sharp drop in the ship's shield energy and damage to some external sensors. On another occasion, in order to avoid an expanding spatial rift, they were forced to approach a region of unstable neutron star debris. The violent gravitational turbulence and particle storms caused the ship to shake violently, and structural stress alarms sounded in multiple locations inside.

However, their strategy seemed to be working. According to Lina's intermittent perception, the cold, "silver-white" aura behind them had become noticeably more hesitant and complex in its movements. It frequently lingered near the "bait" or at the subtle traces they had deliberately left pointing towards the danger zone, scouting and its speed had also noticeably slowed down. On two occasions, the aura even exhibited violent energy fluctuations, seemingly triggering a small spatial fold or energy turbulence. Although these quickly subsided, they were clearly being delayed and depleted.

"It's taken the bait... at least partially." Lina reported weakly but with a hint of excitement during another break in the alert. "It's become more cautious, probing more carefully, which must be quite taxing. Moreover, it seems to be starting to prioritize 'suspicious traces' before tracking the main target, which aligns with its highly intelligent but programmed judgment logic."

"Don't relax. Hunters of this level have a strong learning ability. The same trap won't be used many times," Luo Wei reminded him. He was currently sitting cross-legged beside the control chair, slowly restoring the Star Key and his own condition using the "Source Seed Nourishment" method, while immersing part of his mind in the fragments of information obtained from the "Core of Sorrow," trying to understand the action patterns of the "Silver Glow" faction (Silent Court) and certain characteristics of the "Crystal Devouring" power, preparing for a possible head-on confrontation. Under the continuous pressure and deeper contemplation of his power, the feeling of being on the verge of collapse gradually disappeared, becoming exceptionally stable, and he even faintly touched the thin barrier of the later stage, but the accumulation and opportunity were still insufficient.

Barton had left the medical bay, now dressed in a repaired, makeshift psionic protective suit, silently guarding the entrance to the bridge, wielding his battle-hardened alloy swords, their blades now imbued with a more refined high-frequency vibrating psionic structure. His aura was deep and focused; his Star Warrior cultivation, refined through life-or-death battles and recovery from severe injuries, had deepened his combat prowess and elevated his control over power. He occasionally entered the gravity training chamber, practicing in a simulated interstellar turbulence environment how to maximize the power of his combat techniques under conditions of weightlessness, multiple gravitational interferences, and energy radiation.

Three more days passed amidst intense tension and meticulous calculations.

The Stargazer's energy reserves had dropped to 11% due to the complex voyage and continuous activation of its basic shields, and the ship's structural integrity had also slightly decreased to 70% due to numerous risky maneuvers. But their efforts were not in vain. According to Lina's perception, the "silver-white" aura behind them, although still firmly locked onto their general direction, had increased slightly in distance, and the energy fluctuations showed a barely perceptible "fatigue" and "irritability."

They were already very close to the coordinates of the "Gray Rock" outpost.

Outside the porthole, the massive, shattered planetary debris serving as coordinate references was clearly visible. Like the corpses of planets torn apart by an invisible force, they floated silently in the void, their surfaces riddled with impact craters, traces of solidified lava, and cracks shimmering with strange mineral luster. High-density metal fragments and ice crystal dust filled the debris, significantly interfering with scanning and visibility. At the intersection of the shadows of the largest pieces of debris, a small, inconspicuous, irregularly shaped, multifaceted artificial structure, its surface covered in thick cosmic dust, was faintly visible. Its style matched that of the "Cradle" civilization, but was more rugged and unadorned, its surface devoid of any light source, as if long dead.

That was the "Limestone" outpost, or rather, its remains.

However, just as the Stargazer was preparing to slow down and cautiously approach to conduct a detailed scan, an unexpected incident occurred!

The base shield, which had been operating smoothly, suddenly began to fluctuate violently without warning, and the energy readings skyrocketed! Inside the ship, multiple systems simultaneously sounded alarms, and the psionic stabilization matrix emitted an overload shriek!

"An extremely high-intensity, extremely high-frequency directional psionic interference pulse has been detected!" Verna's expression changed drastically. Her hands moved like a blur on the control panel, attempting to stabilize the system. "The pulse source—is deep within the 'Gray Rock' wreckage! The frequency…cannot be analyzed! It possesses strong 'information scouring' and 'rule disruption' characteristics! It's attempting to paralyze our electronic systems and psionic devices!"

Almost simultaneously with the shield's fluctuations, the "silver-white" aura that had been following them relentlessly seemed to have seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, its speed suddenly increasing dramatically! No longer concealing itself, the cold, predatory fluctuations of order, like a drawn sword, pierced through the interference of the starry sea and firmly locked onto the "Stargazer"!

"It's charging at us! So fast!" Lina exclaimed. "It's been waiting! Waiting for us to be disrupted by the outpost's defenses!"

With unknown and active defense systems interfering from the front and the long-awaited "hounds" pouncing deadly from behind, they were truly in dire straits!

"The 'Gray Rock' defense system is still operational? And it can't distinguish friend from foe?" Barton roared, his fighting spirit already rising.

"No...it doesn't seem like a defense system..." Luo Wei stared at the chaotic yet powerful psionic pulses erupting from the depths of the "Gray Rock" wreckage on the main screen. His mind raced through fragments of information he'd gleaned from the "Core of Sorrow," records of high-risk experiments or sealing facilities at the "Cradle." A terrifying hypothesis surfaced: "These pulses...are more like an indiscriminate information storm and rule contamination released by some out-of-control or forcibly activated 'Psionic Resonance Core' on the verge of collapse! The 'Gray Rock' isn't 'destroyed,' it's 'out of control'! And it's been triggered!"

Who triggered it? Was it their approach? Or... did the "hounds" that were following them activate it remotely using some means, creating this deadly trap for them?

No time to think about it!

The "Silver Hound" had broken through the last veil of interstellar dust and appeared in the scanning field of vision behind the "Stargazer"! It was a sleek, sharply styled warship, covered entirely in matte silver-gray paint, shaped like a wingless eagle, about one-third the size of the "Stargazer." A cold, constantly rotating silver ridge at its bow was pointed directly at them, radiating a chilling energy aura! The oppressive aura of order it exuded far surpassed that of the "Eye of Order," and was even more condensed, purer, and more deadly than the control node of the "Warden VII"!

"Target locked! It's an 'Inquisitor'-class high-speed hunter! A high-level tracking unit of the Static Court!" Verna's voice carried a hint of despair. "Its main gun—the 'Order Disintegration Ray'—is charging! Our shields are extremely unstable under the interference of the 'Gray Rock' pulse; they absolutely cannot withstand it!"

With an out-of-control psionic storm in front and the Inquisitor's deadly lock-on behind, the Stargazer was like a trapped beast with nowhere to escape.

However, in that life-or-death moment, Lowe's gaze suddenly turned to the porthole, to the several huge pieces of shattered planetary debris, especially one of them, whose jagged shadows connected the "Stargazer," "Inquisitor," and "Gray Rock" debris into a vague straight line.

An outrageously crazy plan took shape in his mind in the blink of an eye.

"Anderson! Transfer all remaining energy to the attitude adjuster and port engine! On my command, perform extreme attitude adjustments! Patton, prepare for external impact! Lena, abandon the warning system and focus all your energy on stabilizing your senses! Verna, calculate the optimal moment, and the instant I give the order, actively overload and jettison the starboard shield generator to simulate a shield collapse!"

The series of orders came like a whirlwind, leaving no room for doubt.

"What do you want to do?!" Verna asked urgently.

"Let's take a gamble!" Lowe's eyes burned with an almost insane, resolute light. He stared intently at the "Inquisitor" behind him, which was completing its final lock, and then looked at the chaotic psionic pulses that were constantly erupting from the depths of the "Gray Rock" wreckage ahead.

"It wants a fatal blow. So let's... 'help' it out!"

"To deliver its fatal blow..."

"Guide" them to where they need to go!