The moment Su Xiaolan's body settled into the [Witness-5]throne, a dazzling white light swallowed her silhouette. The light was not warm, but carried a kind of primordial coldness, as if from the end of time itself. A violent energy shockwave made the entire cavity tremble; the server ship let out a low roar, and the indigo circuits on the walls flared brightly, pulsating like blood vessels.
Her consciousness was violently dragged into an abyss.
This was not an illusion, but a complete fusion. A torrent of immense memories washed over her every thought—she saw the glorious rise of Atlantis in radiance, and its sinking into the black abyss during the Great Tearing; she felt millennia of loneliness, like icy steel needles slowly piercing deep into her soul. These were P.D.'s memories, and also her punishment. imprisoned here, becoming part of the system, witnessing the cycles of civilization again and again, yet unable to intervene.
"..." Su Xiaolan tried to speak, but no sound came out.
"The time for choice has come, Witness," a calm yet weary voice sounded in her mind. It was P.D., yet it also felt like herself. "The system has laid out the paths for you. But each requires a price."
Before her "eyes," three indigo options materialized, each accompanied by a clear vision of the future:
[Final Reset]: Completely format the Ψ System and global anchors. Current civilization ends, but the purest spark of civilization is preserved to slowly rebirth from the ruins.
[Release Ψ Core]: Accept global synchronization. Human consciousness will be unified, individuality lost, but a kind of eternal, painless peace will be entered.
[Sever and Shut Down]: Forcefully sever Ψ from the global network. But it requires a massive energy backlash, highly likely to trigger a chain explosion, destroying Zero Station and all life within its radius.
As Su Xiaolan was consumed by this internal trial, the external situation spiraled out of control.
Zero Station's energy fluctuated wildly due to the throne's activation, its defensive barriers flickering unstable.
"Now!" the leader of the collaborators shouted sharply. "Seize control! That heritage belongs to us!"
Soldiers in dark armor fired simultaneously, energy beams shooting towards Li Chenyuan and the others.
"Protect Su Xiaolan! Stop them!" Li Chenyuan roared, shoving a teammate aside to avoid a fatal shot and returning fire.
A calculating glint flashed in Lu Xingze's eyes. He didn't immediately attack the collaborators, instead ordering, "Star Shield units, secure the perimeter around the throne! No single faction can be allowed to monopolize it!"
The platform instantly descended into a three-way melee. Beams of energy weapons crisscrossed, exploding against giant metal structures. Screams, weapon reports, and the persistent hum of the system wove into a chaotic symphony.
Wang Jing took advantage of the chaos, crawling to a suddenly exposed system interface and forcefully jacking in his portable terminal.
"Just need a little time... just a little..." he muttered, sweating profusely as he frantically decrypted the data stream.
Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he gasped in disbelief, "Their genetic markers... these people aren't modern humans! They're direct descendants of the Atlantis 'Traditionalist Faction'! They never wanted to save anyone; they wanted to control Ψ from the start!"
As if to confirm his words, the fanatical voice of the collaborator leader cut through the battlefield: "This power should have been inherited by those of pure bloodline! The impurities of this era must be purged!"
However, the fighting did not last long.
An invisible force suddenly descended.
On the cavity walls, the indigo energy ceased its regular flow, twisting and coalescing into the shapes of countless agonized, struggling human figures, emitting silent screams. Thick beams of energy extended from the ship's hull like tentacles, indiscriminately sweeping across the edges of the platform. Where they passed, metal melted and people vaporized instantly.
"The system's going haywire!" someone screamed in despair.
Su Xiaolan's voice, layered with P.D.'s chilling tone, echoed through the cavity via the PA system, carrying an inhuman authority:
"Equivalent Sacrifice... is not a clause. It is a mechanism. To halt the process, equivalent consciousness energy must be paid."
Her voice faltered, betraying a trace of very human tremor,
"Anchor Alignment is 39% complete. Terminating it requires... the complete annihilation of over 87% of the consciousnesses present here."
The truth fell like ice water, dousing the flames of battle.
Everyone froze, friend and foe alike. Sacrifice almost everyone, or allow the globe to be synchronized?
Su Xiaolan slowly opened her eyes within the throne's light, tears streaming down her face silently. She looked at Li Chenyuan, at Lu Xingze, at all the terrified or desperate faces.
"Senior," she whispered, so softly only she could hear, "is this what you wanted me to face..."
Then, she raised her head, her gaze piercing through the chaotic energy flows, becoming incredibly clear and resolute.
"I reject the choices you have given."
This declaration was made to the system, and to all who sought to control it.
[Anchor Alignment: Progress 40%]
[Warning: Candidate rejects preset path]
[Requesting parameter redefinition——]
All of Zero Station fell into an unprecedented stasis and uncertainty because of her refusal.