A low hum within the cavity gradually swelled into a deafening roar. On the colossal, mountain-like metal hull of the server ship, countless indigo energy circuits lit up layer by layer, like a giant dragon sleeping for millennia slowly awakening, its blood vessels and nerves gradually unfurling. Currents of light traversed the ship's surface, akin to the pulsation of an ancient heart, illuminating the entire subterranean cavity.
The air was thick with the pungent smell of ozone and ancient dust, so heavy it pressed on everyone's chest, making breathing difficult. Everyone on the platform held their breath—Li Chenyuan's special ops team, Lu Xingze's security personnel, and the newly arrived collaborators—all trembling before this majestic, ancient authority.
Su Xiaolan stood at the platform's edge, swaying unsteadily. She felt her mind being violently invaded by a torrent. Countless fragmented images, broken sounds, and unfamiliar emotional shards washed over her consciousness like a tidal wave. The boundary between her and P.D. was blurring rapidly; she could clearly feel the thoughts of another ancient existence entangling and merging with her own.
She clutched her head, a low groan escaping her throat, her vision constantly tearing between reality and illusion.
The collaborators burst in abruptly.
"Not another step closer!" Li Chenyuan's roar cut through the oppressive air. His figure stood like a solid wall between Su Xiaolan and the enemies ahead, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's.
The collaborator squad barged in aggressively, over a dozen members clad in dark combat armor, energy rifles charged and ready. They quickly occupied the opposite side of the platform, forming a tense three-way standoff with Li's special ops and Lu's security forces. Red targeting dots crisscrossed in the air, the atmosphere poised to explode at any moment.
Yet, the central server ship, now awakening, made everyone hesitate to act rashly.
At that moment, Su Xiaolan's body jolted violently; her consciousness was completely dragged into another layer of illusion.
She saw a city of indescribable splendor—spires of white jade piercing the clouds, domes constructed from pure light energy, streets flowing with liquid-like streams of light. It was a marvel beyond any modern city.
But soon, the sky shattered. Thunder and fire intertwined, and massive waves, like divine punishment, crashed down one after another. The light domes instantly collapsed, spires toppled amidst the howling gales, and the entire continent sank into an endless black sea, wailing in despair.
The scene shifted. She found herself in a circular council chamber. Thirteen thrones woven from crystal and light encircled the room. Seated upon them were the "Witnesses."
Their voices overlapped, sharp, filled with despair and fury:
"We must seal it! Otherwise, we will have nothing left!""It's too late! The energy core is out of control. The only way is to initiate the 'Reset'!""Civilization cannot end! We must preserve the spark!"
The argument spiraled out of control, ending without consensus. What followed was an irrevocable sinking.
In the final image, Su Xiaolan saw the survivors, bearing a massive ship—the prototype of the server ship before her—leaving their homeland in sorrow and silence, migrating north into the extreme cold, where they built this "Zero Station."
P.D.'s voice echoed deep within her mind, both ancient and young, carrying endless vicissitudes and compassion:"We did not perish... we were forced to migrate. Ψ is not the master, but the original prisoner... Our mistake, our punishment."
"Xiaolan!" Li Chenyuan supported her anxiously; she was drenched in cold sweat, gasping as if struggling after drowning. "What did you see?"
Trembling, she haltingly recounted everything she saw in the vision: the sinking of Atlantis, the witnesses' dispute, the origin of Zero Station, and the truth about Ψ.
Everyone was stunned into silence upon hearing it.
Wang Jing was dumbfounded, his lips trembling. "Ψ... is actually a legacy of Atlantis? It's not a god, but a prisoner..."
Lu Xingze, however, had a fanatical gleam in his eyes. He chuckled lowly, "This proves my theory. The technology here surpasses all modern civilization... We can control it! The true domain of gods!"
"Control?" Li Chenyuan interrupted coldly, his tone as hard and cold as iron. "Wasn't the history you just saw enough? Atlantis was destroyed precisely because of this 'power.' Do you want to repeat it?"
As the two argued, the leader of the collaborators stepped forward, removing his faceplate to reveal a cold, ambitious face. His voice was low and confident:"You are both wrong. This heritage belongs to no one individual—it belongs to us, the true inheritors. We have waited decades for this day."
The atmosphere on the platform instantly solidified, the three opposing stances now clear.
A piercing system alert suddenly sounded. All screens were flooded with data streams, finally freezing on:
[Anchor Alignment: Progress 34%][Second Stage Verification Commencing]
BOOM!
The entire cavity shook violently. The core of the server ship released a beam of blinding white light, locking directly onto Su Xiaolan. She was instantly enveloped in a net of light, the second heart within her body pounding wildly in sync with the light currents.
P.D.'s voice pierced her consciousness once more, icy yet urgent:"Witness, you are not just to record... You must choose. Life or extinction, reset or continuation—everything depends on you."
Su Xiaolan's pupils contracted violently. Her body trembled within the beam of light as her consciousness was pulled away once again.
Her vision went black. The next second, she found herself in that circular chamber. The thirteen thrones stood silently, one among them, marked [Witness-5], flashing with an urgent light.
She saw her own form, moving uncontrollably towards that empty chair.
The light covered her silhouette, gradually merging with the throne.
A cold, systemic voice rang in her ears:
[Fifth Witness — Candidate Identified]
Within the cavity, red and white warning beams crisscrossed frantically. The roar of the giant ship shook the heavens and the earth.
Everyone held their breath, watching Su Xiaolan step by step towards the core of her destiny.