The Wizard of Truth: Starting with Analyzing All Things

The "Watcher's" calm, ancient, weary, rule-based, informational, and intentional thoughts, like a final, long sigh spanning over 70,000 epochs, slowly dissipated and fell silent in the core, rule-based, informational "structure" of the souls of Lovi and others.

What remains is an endless, heavy, rule-bound, informational silence, and... a cold, clear, cruel choice that carries the last glimmer of hope.

"The Core of Eden." A lost beacon of the "Garden of Origin." The core legacy of the ancient "Cradle" civilization, of the same origin. Corroded, studied, and polluted by the "Hole of Myriad Structures," it ultimately sealed itself here with its last strength, constructing an "Eternal Stasis" field, and has been a solitary guardian for over 79,000 epochs... a slumbering, tragic wish.

Now, the bearer of this tragic wish, on the eve of utter silence and complete assimilation by pollution, has been met by a successor of the same origin, carrying the "key" and the "sample." But what it can offer is not salvation, not protection, but a final gift of knowledge, a brief respite, and an encrypted path that may lead to more legacies, but is also inevitably more dangerous.

Moreover, each gift accelerates its own ultimate, dormant, and polluted eruption.

Time... is running out.

Luo Wei's consciousness forcibly broke free from and coalesced from the impact of that epoch-making, heavy thought. His soul "cluster" structure, which was more stable yet also more "cold" and "rational" as a third-ringed star speaker, was now rapidly operating, analyzing, and weighing its options.

What he first "felt" was the rapid deterioration of his own and the team's condition.

The collapse and failure of the "Stillness" has transformed the structural, final, physical disintegration of the "Stargazer" wreckage from a possibility into an ongoing process. He could "feel" that deep within the ship, at the edges of those silver-gray "Stillness" areas eroded by the judgment of "Order," the ripples of "collapse," rules, and information, were slowly spreading like deadly cracks towards the still "intact" areas of the ship after the absolute suppression of the "Stillness" force field was lost. Each ripple of "collapse" was accompanied by the ship's structural, real, physical, metal fatigue and stress collapse "groans," and the final, futile, overloaded, and short-circuited "explosions" of the energy circuits.

Barton's vital signs, having lost the protection of "stasis" and the continuous nourishment of the "life source," teetered on the brink of danger once more. The grayish-white, regularly eroded wounds on his arms seemed to show a faint yet chilling sign of "activation" and "spreading." Lina's spiritual senses, having lost the isolation of "stasis," were once again exposed to this environment filled with "contamination" and "chaos," its already damaged network of senses sending sharp, chaotic, and piercing pains, eroded by the "contaminated" information. Lilith, Anderson, Verna, and Annie—each of them, body and soul, were enduring the slowly intensifying, cold, sluggish, dissolving, and excruciating pain of the trauma and pollution backlash following the failure of "stasis."

Externally, in this spherical space temporarily isolated by the "eternal stasis" force field (on the verge of collapse) of the "Core of Eden," the dark silver chains and tentacles deeply embedded in the shell of the "Core of Eden," filled with the will of "pollution" and "erosion," and governed by the rules of the "mechanism of all things," seem to have "sensed" the violent fluctuations and decay of the "stasis" force field. Their "creeping" and "erosion" activity is intensifying and becoming more frenzied at a speed visible to the naked eye (based on the rules of perception), constantly releasing more, more chaotic, more aggressive, more regular, informational "pollution" noise waves into the interior of the "Core of Eden." Under this combined attack from within and without, the entire dark gray, protective "shell" has begun to show more, denser, finer, dark silver, regular "cracks" on its surface.

They were like passengers in the last sealed life pod of a leaky, storm-torn small boat. The Watcher's offer was this: trade the life pod's last reserves of energy and oxygen—essential for maintaining its seal and power—for an ancient nautical chart (knowledge), a brief period of reinforced sealant (a harmonizing force field), and… a vague coordinate pointing to distant, potentially existing other lifeboats or islands, but requiring a decipherable code.

Exchanging them would mean the life pod would lose its seal sooner and sink faster.

If not replaced, it will sink quickly under the influence of storms and leaks, without any warning.

"Velna, Anne," Rowe's thoughts, transmitted with maximum efficiency at the level of rules and information, were calm, swift, and unquestionable. "Assess immediately! Given our current state (physical body, soul, starship structure), the theoretically maximum time we can withstand the combined effects of external 'contamination' erosion and internal structural collapse! And, the anticipated intensity and time window of the devastating impact of the instantaneous influx of external 'contamination' if the 'Core of Eden' completely falls silent and the 'stasis' force field completely collapses!"

"Assessing..." Verna and Annie's minds moved without hesitation, immediately engaging in the final, extreme calculations. They mobilized the structural stability deduction model based on the "Engineering Spark" concept, combined with the cold, mathematical description framework of the "chaos-order" mixed pollution erosion rate in the "Hybrid Structures" knowledge base, and their own most detailed understanding of the damage to the "Stargazer," to conduct a frantic, yet exceptionally "rational," countdown calculation.

"Airi," Luo Wei looked at the girl beside him, whose state remained strange and whose "vortex" of eyes spun slowly. Her harmonizing power was the most crucial core that kept their "mark" from being instantly dispersed by external "contamination" and that would allow them to be guided by the "Eden" force field later. "Concentrate your mind and sense the 'stability' and 'attenuation rate' of the pale golden glow emanating from the 'Core of Eden.' Assess how strong and how long its 'harmony force field' could provide us with protection and shielding if it were guided out. At the same time, sense the most intense 'cycles' and 'weak points' of those external 'chains' of erosion, and look for any... theoretically usable, regular, informational 'gaps'."

Ai Rui nodded forcefully, closed her eyes, and immersed herself completely. She could "see" that the pale golden, orderly, informational radiance, though still "shining," was slowly but irreversibly weakening and becoming increasingly sluggish in its internal, orderly, informational "pulse" and "flow." Meanwhile, the external dark silver "chains," their corrosive "waves," were like a vicious, orderly "tsunami" about to reach its peak, accumulating its final, destructive power.

"Lilith, Elder Anderson," Rowe's thoughts swept over the medical bay and the control panel one last time, "Prepare for... the most violent structural tremors and energy shocks. Secure Barton, Lina, and yourselves. We... may soon be about to perform our final... 'jump' or 'impact'."

"Understood." Lilith and Anderson's thoughts were simple and heavy, yet they carried a final, resolute, and firm resolve.

Seconds later, Verna and Anne's assessment results, like cold, deathly verdicts, were transmitted to everyone's consciousness:

"Under the current conditions, considering both internal and external erosion and the rate of structural collapse... the most optimistic estimate of the support time is no more than 180 seconds."

"The moment the 'Core of Eden' falls into complete silence and the 'static' force field collapses, the peak of the external 'contamination' impact is expected to far exceed any previous collision of rules... enough to completely 'cover,' 'assimilate,' or 'annihilate' our current, rule-based, informational, 'imprint' structure, as well as the physical wreckage of the 'Stargazer' within seconds."

"The period of receding pollution 'tidal wave' and relative 'calm' after the peak impact (if it exists)...theoretically, it may exist, but the duration is unpredictable, and environmental rules will be extremely chaotic and unstable."

One hundred and eighty seconds. Three minutes. This is the price they pay for the slow deterioration of their condition after their "stasis" fails—the final time they can gain for thinking and acting.

Immediately afterwards, Ai Rui's senses also came through:

"The light of Eden... is dimming... soon... its internal force... if drawn out... could probably... create a very small, thin, pale golden shell around us... able to withstand the squeezing and biting of the 'dirty things' outside... for a while... but the shell itself... will also be eaten... at most... maybe... thirty seconds? Forty seconds? After that... once the shell breaks... the 'dirty things' outside... will rush in like... a flood bursting its banks..."

"And... those 'chains' outside... are moving the most now... they seem to be... drawing something out... from very deep... to pour into this 'golden ball'... between each draw and pour... there's a very, very short time... the 'dirty stuff' outside will loosen up for a moment... like... taking a breath?"

A fragile, pale gold "protective shell" that lasts for thirty to forty seconds.

One hundred and eighty seconds, a slow countdown to death.

External "pollution" erodes the periodic, extremely short-lived, "loose" gaps.

These cold, cruel, yet precise data and perceptions, accurate to the second, collide, integrate, and deduce rapidly within Luo Wei's three-ringed, rule-based, rational, and soulful "crystal cluster" structure.

"The choice is clear." Luo Wei's thoughts echoed again, calm, cold, and rational, yet carrying a deep-seated, weary, and resolute quality.

"We cannot simultaneously acquire 'knowledge,' 'force field,' and attempt to unlock 'coordinates.' Energy, time, and risk all prevent it."

"Knowledge" is fundamental; it is the ultimate and primal theory and blueprint for the cradle civilization to fight against the shadows. Its value is immeasurable, and it is the 'spark' we must take with us. However, transmitting knowledge will accelerate the slumber of the 'Core of Eden' and shorten our already limited time.

"The 'force field' is the only guarantee that we can live to receive and potentially utilize this knowledge. Without this 'protective shell,' we might be consumed by pollution before the knowledge transmission is complete, or we might be annihilated along with the 'Core of Eden' after obtaining the knowledge, without having time to interpret and utilize it."

"The 'Coordinates'... require higher permissions or purification verification, which we do not currently possess. Forcing an attempt would only waste precious time and the last vestiges of 'Eden's' power, with extremely high risks and unknown returns."

"Therefore, choose one and two." Luo Wei's thoughts were resolute. "Request access to the knowledge and records sealed within the 'Core of Eden.' At the same time, request a one-time, low-power 'Eden' harmonizing force field resonance guidance to stabilize our state and temporarily shield us from external pollution perception."

"We need to complete the initial interpretation and key information extraction of the most core part of the acquired knowledge within those thirty to forty seconds after the knowledge transfer is completed and the 'protective shell' is formed. We also need to find and execute... the last, theoretically possible, solution to leave this place by taking advantage of the extremely brief 'loosening' gap in the external pollution 'chain' that erodes the activity."

"The goal of the plan is not to return the way we came (the 'broken line' channel is unstable, and the return to the 'static space' has also collapsed), but rather... to utilize the unstable 'turbulence' or 'cracks' that may arise during the moment of 'Eden's Core's' dormancy and its violent conflict with external 'contamination,' or... to attempt to 'jump' or 'penetrate' into... this eroded 'Hyperstructure' facility, into deeper, other, not-yet-completely-swallowed, regular, informational areas, or... directly, tearing through, into other 'rule-based' levels of the universe outside this facility."

"Whichever option it is, it will be a one-time, extremely high-risk, no-turn-back, death jump**."

"But this is our only, theoretical, way to survive."

Luo Wei's choice was clear, calm, and cruel, yet it was also filled with a final, rational glimmer of hope.

No one objected. In dire straits, a clear, actionable plan, even if the hope is slim, is the most valuable and reassuring force.

"Confirm your choice." Verna's thoughts, representing everyone, resonated with the final, rule-based, informational request towards the central, pale golden "Core of Eden," whose light was rapidly dimming.

"Request to accept..."

"Request...force field guidance...**"

"...Request confirmation."

"...Transmission begins..."

"...Force field construction..."

The calm, weary thought of the "Watcher" rang out for the last time, then vanished completely, transforming into a pure, orderly, informational, "executive" silence.

Om-! ! !

At the center of the "Core of Eden," the pale golden, regular, informational "core of light" suddenly, one last time, violently "pulsated" and "burned"!

An unprecedented, vast, pure, ancient, and gentle torrent, yet filled with ineffable sorrow and heaviness, order, information, "light," and "light," surged forth like this beacon, dormant for over 70,000 epochs, its final act of life and memory, its burning and dedication, splitting into two streams—

A more condensed, more "orderly," pale golden, rule-based, informational "data stream," containing unimaginable density and depth of knowledge, like the most primordial "seeds" of wisdom and civilization, precisely infused and imprinted itself into the core, rule-based, informational "structure" of the souls and consciousness of Luo Wei, Ai Rui, Verna, and Annie! This was the most primitive and core theoretical model and technological blueprint of the "Garden of Origins" regarding the essence of the "Source Seed," the origin of civilization, and the ultimate conflict between "order" and "chaos"! The sheer volume and profundity of the information far exceeded the universal knowledge base of the "Myriad Structures Mechanism," instantly plunging the four's consciousness into an extreme state of dizziness and stinging pain from information "saturation" and "overload"!

Another, gentler, more "diffuse," and imbued with powerful, "harmonious," "stable," and "purifying" concepts—a pale golden, orderly, and informative "radiance"—rapidly spread, condensed, and constructed outward from the "Core of Eden," forming a pale golden, orderly, informative, semi-transparent "egg of light" or, in other words, a "protective force field"—approximately fifty meters in diameter—completely enveloping the wreckage of the "Stargazer" and everyone inside!

The moment this "protective shell" formed, the pervasive, dark silver, orderly, informational "noise" and "pressure" outside, filled with the will of "pollution" and "erosion," was suddenly cleared away! It was forcibly "isolated" and "purified" outside the "shell"! The intense, cold, stagnant, and dissolving pain deep within everyone's souls was instantly lessened by more than half! Even the constantly "groaning" and "cracking" structure of the "Stargazer" wreckage seemed to be forcibly "soothed" and "delayed" from collapse by this gentle, "harmonizing," and "stabilizing" force!

"Thirty-second countdown... Begin!" Verna roared hoarsely, suppressing the dizziness from the onslaught of knowledge and information. At the same time, she and Annie focused all their attention on the fastest, most crucial keyword search and information extraction from the massive stream of knowledge they had just received! Their goal wasn't understanding, but finding any clues or formulas, even the most vague and theoretical ones, regarding "rule conflicts creating fissures," "the construction of high-dimensional information channels," or "using external contamination energy for reverse jumps."

"External pollution erosion...entering a brief 'trough'! 'Chain' activity decreased by about 18%! 'Trough' window expected...fifteen seconds!" Ai Rui's thoughts rushed in, her "vision" fixed on the dark silver "chains" outside the "shell," their erosive activity periodic and changing.

"Love! Find the 'jump' path! Combine knowledge, perception, and Airi's data!" Anderson's thoughts roared like the final, navigator's roar.

Luo Wei suddenly opened his eyes! Before him, the two regular "star vortexes" were now spinning wildly, flashing pale gold, milky white, emerald green, dark gold, and the even more ancient, profound, pale gold, complex, regular, and informational radiance of the knowledge he had just received from the "Garden of Origins"! He pushed his own third-ring, rule-based perception to its limit, combining it with the most basic and primitive theoretical fragments about "rules," "dimensions," and "information channels" from the massive amount of knowledge he had just imprinted, as well as the real-time data on external pollution activities provided by Ai Rui, frantically scanning, analyzing, and deducing the chaotic, conflicting, annihilating, rule-based, and informational "polluted" field outside the "protective shell"!

He was searching for that theoretically existing, unstable, regular, informational "turbulence," "crack," "weak point," or... a relatively "calm" or "different," regular, informational "exit" or "connection point" that could be pointed to by the reverse, regular, informational "path" eroded along some "contamination chain"!

Time, under the steady illumination of the "protective shell" and its pale golden glow, amidst the frantic burning and calculation of everyone's souls and information, and in the relentless passage of the "low point" of external pollution, flies by second by second!

Twenty-five seconds...

Twenty seconds...

"Found one! Port side, azimuth 113, about seventy meters from the 'shell' wall! Along the end of the regular, informational path of the third main erosion 'chain,' where the reverse energy attenuation gradient is greatest! There... the regular, informational structure is abnormally 'thin' and 'distorted,' seemingly connecting to... a regular, unknown region with even lower information density! But the path is extremely unstable, filled with polluted 'backflows,' and the state of its end is unknown!" Luo Wei's thoughts, like cold, regular lightning, suddenly pierced the darkness of consciousness!

"That's it!" Verna's thoughts echoed almost simultaneously. "There's a similar description in the knowledge fragments! By utilizing the reverse energy gradient and structural distortion of a high-concentration rule-based pollution field, it's possible to briefly open unstable information 'gaps' leading to adjacent rule-based 'shadow zones' or 'low-energy membranes'! However, it requires extremely strong rule-based 'anchoring' and 'guidance,' and passing through it will involve enduring enormous rule-based, informational tearing and pollution impacts!"

"Path window predicts remaining time... ten seconds!" Airi screamed.

"Protective Shell" time remaining... fifteen seconds!

"Everyone! One last preparation!" Lowe's will transformed into a final, commanding roar! "Velna, Annie, transmit the path coordinates and stabilization algorithm to me and Irene! Lilith, Anderson, fix! Barton, Lena, may 'Origin' protect us!"

"Engine overload! All remaining energy! Concentrate to port attitude adjuster! Prepare for impact!" Anderson's withered hands seemed to be infused with life again, and driven by the last bit of emergency power remaining on the main control panel, he issued the final control command! The wreckage of the "Stargazer," which had long lost its main thrust, emitted a final, hysterical hiss from the few remaining small attitude adjustment nozzles on its port side, propelling the massive, broken hull slowly, yet with immense difficulty, turn, aligning the port side with the regular, information-rich, "thin and distorted" area that Rowe had pointed out!

"Protective shell" time... ten seconds!

Path window... five seconds!

"Airi! Guide all the crystals to resonate! Construct the final, rule-based 'anchor' and 'guide'!" Luo Wei roared, clenching his hands with Airi's again. He poured, resonated, and condensed the Star Key, the final essence of the three "Spark" crystals, and all the power of his own three-ring soul without reservation, transforming it into a supremely refined, pale golden, rule-based, and informational "Spear of Light"—or rather, a "path-opening wedge"—that blended concepts of "Source Seed," "Record," "Creation," "Life," "Harmony," and "Origin."

"Protective shell" time... five seconds!

Path window... open!

"Now! Charge in!!"

Anderson, Lowe, and Airi, their minds united!

The wreckage of the "Stargazer," propelled by the final, futile thrust of its port attitude nozzles, slowly, yet with a tragic and resolute air, crashed into that regular, informational, "sparsely distorted" region!

At the same time, the pale golden, regular "spear of light" that Luo Wei and Ai Rui condensed took the lead and, along that unstable, reverse-contamination path, fiercely "pierced" into the very core of that "thin and distorted" region!

Buzz—! ! ! ! ! !

A thunderous roar, surpassing any previous one in its rules, informational intensity, intensity, "tearing," "connecting," and "reconstruction," simultaneously exploded deep within everyone's soul!

The protective shell shattered the moment the spear of light pierced it! It transformed into countless pale golden, regular, informational specks of light, which were quickly swallowed and annihilated by the surrounding surging, dark silver, polluted tide!

The wreckage of the "Stargazer" followed closely in the trajectory of the "Spear of Light" and plunged headlong into the "rift" that had been forcibly "torn open," filled with violent, orderly, informational backflows, pollution, and the unknown, dark, and unstable!

Before my eyes, I was instantly engulfed by an endless, chaotic, indescribable, colorful, and incomprehensible chaos filled with destructive rule conflicts and information annihilation!

The final echo of consciousness was an unprecedented, utter, disintegrating lament emanating from the ship's structure; it was the soul being completely scattered, diluted, and reduced to cold nothingness by an indescribable, orderly, informational torrent...

as well as……

The other end of the "crack"...

A faint sound came from within...

A completely different, deathly silent, cold, orderly, informational "emptiness" and "echo"...