Elegy from Another World

Ah Hui's message arrived a few days later, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a storm. When the call connected, his cartoon avatar appeared unusually solemn, even carrying a rare hint of dissuasion.

"The passage...theoretically, it's possible to establish one." Ah Hui's voice was somewhat low. "Using a rule fold we found, we can forcibly tear open a temporary, extremely unstable entrance. However, Liscia, I strongly suggest you reconsider and abandon the search for Scranton."

My heart sank: "Why? We can overcome the instability of the passage, and we anticipated the risks."

"The technical difficulties of the passage itself are not the key issue." Ah Hui shook his head. "Drones are indeed unusable. The internal signal interference is at the rule level, almost absolutely silent, and can only be perceived by biological consciousness itself. But that's not the worst part."

He paused, as if organizing his thoughts, before dropping a bombshell: "Do you remember when you threw the 'Watchman' into the core before he vanished?"

Of course we remember. That was the final resting place we chose for him, and it was also to protect the Dresden Shield.

"That's where the problem lies." Ah Hui's tone was filled with disbelief. "'Watchman,' as an anti-meme code, completely disappeared, just like dropping an 'information purification bomb' into the chaotic sea of ​​information at the core. Its characteristics forcibly deleted, simplified, and even 'decoded' a large amount of incomprehensible and entangled chaotic data within the core to a certain extent."

We all held our breath, anticipating what he was about to say.

"We've captured some scattered fragments of information that have escaped from the core, after being 'purified'," Ah Hui's voice carried a hint of coldness. "The vast majority of them point to Scranton. And the most frequent and clearest piece of information is—"

He took a deep breath and slowly, deliberately, uttered the chilling words:

"Scranton will pay the price."

"What?!"

A gasp rippled across the bridge! The words were filled with resentment and curses; they were hardly good news! Why would Scranton's own research base be filled with curses directed at him?

"What...does that mean?" I forced myself to calm down and pressed for an answer. "Who left it? What exactly happened inside the core?"

"I don't know." Ah Hui's answer was despairing. "The information is too fragmented, and the source is untraceable. But the negative emotions contained in this sentence... are very strong. I suspect that Scranton is not simply 'hiding' in the core; he may have fallen into great trouble, or even... the core itself may be a trap for him. Going in now, I feel... will definitely not be a good thing."

This news shook everyone. The search for Scranton had originally been for answers and the potential inheritance of their technology, but now, the path ahead seemed shrouded in malice and unknown danger. Even Mia Reilly and Naa, who had worked with Scranton the longest, showed extreme confusion and unease. King Xuan remained silent on the other end of the communication line, clearly also engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

Fear, like cold vines, coiled around my heart. To be honest, I was scared. Faced with this completely incomprehensible and bizarre situation, retreating was my instinct.

However, just as I was struggling with this internal conflict, King Xuan made a decision that surprised everyone. Instead of issuing orders via communication, he personally boarded a high-speed shuttle and arrived at the Dresden Shield.

When I saw King Xuan's majestic yet slightly weary face appear at the docking hatch, I could hardly believe my eyes. "Your Majesty! What's wrong...?"

King Xuan waved his hand, indicating that I didn't need to be so polite. His gaze swept over the gathered crowd, and his tone was calm yet carried an undeniable determination: "I want to go in. To enter the core."

"Are you crazy?!" I exclaimed. "You heard what Ah Hui said! The situation there is unclear and extremely dangerous! You don't need to put yourself in danger!"

"It's necessary." King Xuan looked at me, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "Lysya, you don't understand. Dr. Scranton... to me, he's more than just a collaborator or a legendary scientist. Long ago, before I reached this position, he was my mentor, a guide, even... a parent figure to me. His disappearance was so mysterious, and now that we finally have a definite location, I must see for myself whether he's alive or dead, whether it's a blessing or a curse. I need to know the answer."

"What about the technological world?" I tried to persuade him to stay by appealing to my sense of responsibility.

"I have temporarily transferred supreme authority to the council," King Xuan said calmly. "They will handle everything. If... if I don't return, the technological world will continue to operate according to its established trajectory."

Seeing his resolute expression, I knew that further persuasion would be futile. A mixture of admiration, worry, and helplessness welled up within me.

Just then, Jasmine in my mind suddenly spoke. Her voice was no longer the usual cheerful or dependent one, but carried an unprecedented firmness and gentleness: (Lissa, don't be afraid.)

(This time, I will protect you. Just like you've always protected me.)

Jasmine's words were like a warm current, dispelling some of the chill in my heart. I took a deep breath, looked at King Xuan, and then at my companions around me who looked worried, and finally made up my mind: "Alright... since you insist, then I'll go too."

My statement triggered a chain reaction.

"I'm going too!" Mia Reilly flapped her little wings and flew forward. "Dr. Scranton is also my mentor!"

Sarkozyn's cool voice rang out: "The risks need to be assessed. I'm with you."

Naa pushed up his glasses: "I can't miss such an important place."

La clenched her fists tightly, her eyes resolute: "The 'Watchers'... perhaps they left something there too... I want to go and see."

Noreljun snorted, "How could such a lively event be complete without me!"

Although Kahammerdo was frightened, he still stood behind Noreljon: "I...I'll go help too!"

Ultimately, an eight-person expedition team was formed, consisting of myself, King Xuan, Mia Leili, Sakozun, Naa, La, Noriljoon, and Kahamodo. We quickly gathered the necessary equipment, including environmental suits, basic survival supplies, research recorders, and some weapons as a precaution. At the same time, we used the "save/load generator" that Ah Hui had previously helped build to perform a complete data backup for everyone—this was our final insurance.

We boarded the last legacy left by the Watchers—a high-performance, enhanced shuttle known as the "Star Anchor." Carrying our resolve and trepidation, it slowly sailed towards the outer perimeter of that miniature galactic core, a scar on the universe.

Standing by the porthole, watching the core pulsate like a dark heart, refusing all prying eyes, I made my last communication with Ah Hui.

"Ash, we're ready. Let's build the tunnel."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line before Ah Hui let out a heavy sigh: "...Are you really not going to reconsider? I have a very bad feeling."

"We've made our decision," I said firmly.

"...Okay. Be careful. You must...come back alive." Ah Hui's voice was filled with deep worry. Then, the communication was cut off, as if he couldn't bear to see us step into danger.

A few seconds later, in the core area in front of us, where even light seemed to be swallowed up, space began to distort violently. A long, narrow crack, extremely unstable and with blinding arcs of electricity flashing at its edges, slowly opened, like the eyes of a wounded beast barely opening.

Inside the crack was an indescribable, swirling, chaotic expanse of color, emanating a chilling aura.

"Star Anchor, advance!" King Xuan gave the order.

The shuttle's engines roared, it adjusted its posture, and resolutely entered the temporary passage leading to the unknown and danger, disappearing into the core of the miniature galaxy.