Even after the battle had ended, faint tremors lingered in the air—echoes left behind by the Interference Entity. Lu Ye activated the deep scan mode of the Eye of the World, and beneath the scorched earth, he detected a strange anomaly: a Residual Field—a spatial fissure formed by the collision of higher-dimensional energy and fractured reality.
Eye of the World – Temporary Analysis Type: Interference Residual Field Traits:
Localized disruption of spatial laws
Unusually stable energy structures
May trigger ability mutations or awakenings
Standing at the edge of the fissure, He Xuan's metal disc floated out on its own, resonating with the field. The symbols etched into the disc began to glow, projecting a complex geometric pattern onto the ground—like a kind of language or protocol.
Qin Hao attempted to analyze the pattern using his threads of light, but they were absorbed by the disc and transformed into metallic light veins, flowing through He Xuan's body. Zhao Yang frowned. "Your ability… it's not just metal anymore."
He Xuan paused. "It's rewriting me. Not enhancing—reconstructing." He raised his arm. The original metal blades had morphed into floating components, which could reconfigure into shields, blades, chains, or even rune arrays.
Lu Ye documented the transformation. "This isn't evolution. It's contact with some kind of source protocol." He didn't say it aloud, but a thought stirred in his mind—this might be connected to the legendary Star Abyss Fragments.
Chen Mo looked uneasy. "Are you sure this isn't some kind of contamination?" He Xuan replied coldly, "If it were, I'd already be dead."
Zhao Yang cut in, "Whatever it is, we need to understand the cost." Qin Hao focused on He Xuan's condition. "Can you still control it?"
He Xuan didn't answer. He simply recalled the disc and stared into the fissure, his gaze deep and unreadable. "It's not about control anymore. It's about understanding."
At the deepest point of the residual field, Lu Ye discovered a tiny crystal. Its surface was etched with symbols similar to those on He Xuan's disc. He didn't tell the others. Quietly, he pocketed it and marked it in the Eye of the World as an Unknown Fragment.
Eye of the World – Hidden Marker ID: X-11 Status: Unanalyzed Note: Strongly linked to He Xuan's mutation. Possibly a materialized shard of a higher-dimensional source protocol.
Night fell. The team set up camp at the edge of the ruins. He Xuan sat alone beside the residual field, the disc hovering near him, emitting a low hum.
Far off in the sky, a barely visible crack began to widen. And behind that crack… a pair of non-human eyes were watching.
Squad Overview
Lu Ye
Mid Tier 2
Spatial Freeze, Eye of the World Scan
Tactical leader, precise control, low damage
Qin Hao
Mid Tier 2
Life Threads, Healing, Perception
Support and control, strong endurance
Chen Mo
Mid Tier 2
Bronze Form, Shockwave, Physical Break
Frontline tank, high durability
Zhao Yang
Mid Tier 2
Blood Mist Domain, Kinetic Drain, Blood Blade
Strong in night combat, high burst, great growth potential
Hu Hao
Peak Tier 2
Mental Command (effective on humans)
Crowd control and psychological interference, cooldown-limited
He Xuan
Peak Tier 2 + Mutation
Metal Fusion, Component Restructure, Rune Construction
Undergoing mutation, linked to higher-dimensional protocol