The base's alert level was fully raised, and Elliott's team was being thoroughly investigated overnight. Every member's background and communication records were verified one by one by AI, and the air was filled with a tense atmosphere. Wang sat in front of the console, his fingers flying across the touchscreen. More than 80% of the encrypted file had been cracked, and the specific location of the spiritual energy crystal gradually became clear—it was located under an abandoned glacial research station on the edge of the Arctic Circle. Once the world's most advanced polar geological exploration base, it was abandoned for unknown reasons and is now covered by thick ice, becoming the first target of the remaining Shadow forces.
"80% of the encrypted file has been cracked, confirming that the spiritual energy crystal is in the geological sample library on the third basement floor of the 'Ice Ridge Research Station' in the Arctic Circle." Wang rubbed his swollen temples, his tone tired but excited, "The file also mentions that there is an unknown energy fluctuation hidden under the ice there, which is suspected to be emitted by the spiritual energy crystal. Moreover, the Shadow Organization's exploration team set off for there three days ago. We must speed up, otherwise they will get there first."
Elena stood aside, holding the physical examination report of Liam submitted by Dr. Gray, her brows slightly furrowed: "Liam's physical condition is more complicated than we expected. Although the dark energy, symbiotic energy, and brain energy have formed a temporary balance, they will be disrupted once stimulated strongly, and may even affect his mind. Dr. Gray, you must accompany him throughout the journey. Once he shows signs of energy loss, take suppression measures immediately."
Dr. Gray nodded, his medical kit already packed with emergency suppressants for energy disorders and real-time monitoring equipment: "Don't worry, I have prepared all emergency plans and will monitor Liam's brain energy, symbiotic energy, and dark energy fluctuations throughout the process. Once there is an abnormality, I will intervene immediately to prevent him from falling into danger and ensure the smooth progress of the exploration mission."
Liam stood on the base's tarmac, feeling the surging energy in his body. The crack on the collar was still clearly visible, with golden light and faint black light intertwined in the crack, emitting a stable but weird fluctuation. After the accidental breakthrough yesterday, his physical strength had doubled, and his speed and strength had also achieved a qualitative leap. He could even vaguely perceive the faint dark energy around him, but the clearer this perception was, the more he could feel the restlessness of the dark energy in his body, as if there was a force trying to devour his consciousness.
"What are you thinking about?" Kane walked to his side, his energy rifle already adjusted, and his security equipment fully dressed, "Worried about the dark energy in your body? Or worried about the Shadow Organization's ambush?"
Liam shook his head, looking at the distant sky with a firm tone: "I'm thinking that once we find the spiritual energy crystal, we can completely break the suppression of the collar and control the dark energy in our bodies. At that time, we can truly stop the Shadow Organization's conspiracy and protect everyone. I'm not worried about the ambush. My current strength is enough to deal with their small units, but I'm afraid... I'm afraid I can't control the dark energy and hurt you."
Kane patted him on the shoulder, a firm smile appearing on his face: "Don't worry, we won't give you a chance to hurt us. Elena and Dr. Gray will help you control your energy, and I and the security team will defend the line. We are partners fighting side by side, not enemies. No matter what danger we encounter, we will face it together and won't let you bear it alone."
At that moment, Elliott walked quickly to the tarmac, his guilt replaced by firmness: "Everyone, sorry to keep you waiting. My team has been thoroughly investigated, and three latent Shadow spies have been eliminated. The rest are reliable partners. I will arrange the follow-up base security and equipment transportation properly, and there will be no more mistakes. The supplies, vehicles, and exploration equipment of the exploration team are all ready, and the helicopter is also full of fuel, ready to take off at any time."
He paused, turning his gaze to Liam, his tone filled with apology and admiration: "Liam, I'm sorry that due to my negligence, you were put in danger and the team encountered a crisis. Thank you for your hard work in the follow-up mission. I have arranged the most elite security team to accompany you, equipped with the latest energy weapons and defense equipment, which is enough to deal with the Shadow Organization's ambush. In addition, I have used global resources to contact a temporary supply station near the Arctic Circle. We can stop there for supplies on the way to ensure the smooth progress of the mission."
"No need to apologize, Mr. Elliott." Liam shook his head, "The Shadow Organization is too cunning, and no one can predict their conspiracy. Now, our most important task is to find the spiritual energy crystal as soon as possible and prevent them from developing the dark brain chip. Other things are not important."
Elena nodded, signaling everyone to board the helicopter: "Okay, time is pressing. The Shadow Organization is three days ahead of us. We must speed up to reach the Ice Ridge Research Station before they find the spiritual energy crystal. Liam, Dr. Gray, Kane, and the security team will take Helicopter No. 1, responsible for front-line exploration and vigilance; Dr. Wang and I will take Helicopter No. 2, responsible for real-time data analysis and contacting the base and supply station; Mr. Elliott will stay at the base to coordinate the overall situation and ensure follow-up support is in place."
"Received!" Everyone said in unison, boarding the helicopters one after another. With the roar of the helicopters, the two helicopters slowly lifted off, flying towards the Arctic Circle. The fuselage broke through the clouds and raced towards the extremely cold land. A battle for the spiritual energy crystal officially kicked off.
The helicopters flew for a full eight hours. The scenery outside the window gradually turned white, the sky became dark, the temperature dropped sharply, and the dashboard of the helicopter showed that the outside temperature had dropped to minus 40 degrees Celsius and was still falling. Wang sat in front of the console of Helicopter No. 2, the real-time map on the screen was constantly updated, and the location of the Ice Ridge Research Station was getting closer and closer, with less than two hours of flight left.
"Dr. Elena, it's not good!" Wang's face suddenly changed, his fingers quickly operating the equipment, his tone filled with urgency, "AI has detected strong dark energy fluctuations 50 kilometers ahead, and multiple unknown aircraft are approaching us rapidly, suspected to be the Shadow Organization's ambush force! Moreover, their aircraft are equipped with high-intensity energy weapons and signal jammers made of star-patterned ore, and our communication signals have started to fluctuate!"
Elena's expression turned solemn instantly, and she immediately contacted Helicopter No. 1 through the encrypted communicator: "Liam, Kane, attention! There is a Shadow Organization ambush 50 kilometers ahead, multiple unknown aircraft, equipped with energy weapons and signal jammers, communication signals may be cut off, prepare for battle immediately. Once ambushed, prioritize protecting Dr. Gray and exploration equipment. Dr. Wang and I will rush to support you as soon as possible!"
"Received!" Kane's voice came from the communicator, with a hint of urgency, "We are ready for battle, the security team is in position, all energy rifles are adjusted, and Liam is also on alert, ready to deal with the ambush at any time!"
Just as Elena finished speaking, the helicopter's communication signal was suddenly cut off, the map on the screen went black instantly, AI issued a sharp alarm, the fuselage began to shake violently, and the pointer on the dashboard jumped wildly, obviously suffering from signal interference and energy attacks. "No! We are under attack!" Wang shouted, his fingers quickly operating the equipment to try to restart AI, restore communication and navigation, "It's a jammer made of star-patterned ore. AI's signal is completely blocked, we can't locate, and we can't contact Helicopter No. 1!"
Inside Helicopter No. 1, the situation was equally critical. Several black aircraft suddenly rushed out of the clouds, hovering around Helicopter No. 1. The energy cannons on both sides of the fuselage were aimed at the helicopter, emitting dazzling red light, and一the energy beams shot towards the helicopter. Kane shouted, commanding the security team to fight back. The sound of energy rifles rang out, and一one by one the energy beams shot towards the Shadow Organization's aircraft, hitting the wing of one aircraft. The aircraft lost control instantly, crashed to the ground, hit the thick ice, made a loud noise, and raised a lot of snow and ice.
"Liam, there are two more aircraft on the left, leave them to you!" Kane shouted, firing another energy beam from his energy rifle, hitting the engine of another aircraft. The aircraft smoked and slowly crashed.
Liam nodded, the energy in his body surged instantly. The golden symbiotic energy and black dark energy intertwined, spreading to all parts of his body along the blood. His eyes turned red, his speed and strength soared instantly. He pushed open the helicopter door and jumped out. The biting cold wind howled past his body, but it did not affect his movements at all. He shuttled in the air like a ghost, rushing towards the two aircraft on the left.
Seeing this, the pilot of the Shadow Organization's aircraft turned pale with fear, and immediately controlled the aircraft to fire energy beams at Liam, trying to stop him from approaching. Liam sneered, his figure flashed, easily avoiding the energy beam, gathered a ball of energy intertwined with gold and black in his hands, and threw it towards one of the aircraft. The energy ball hit the fuselage of the aircraft, exploded instantly, and the aircraft was completely destroyed. The pilot had no time to escape and was swallowed by the shock wave of the explosion.
Seeing this, the pilot of the other aircraft was scared out of his wits, and immediately controlled the aircraft to turn around and try to escape from here. Liam's eyes turned cold, his figure flashed again, caught up with the aircraft, grabbed the fuselage of the aircraft with one hand, the energy in his body surged wildly, twisted hard with both hands, the fuselage of the aircraft deformed instantly, the engine made a harsh roar, then exploded, turned into a fireball, and crashed into the ice field.
Just as Liam solved these two aircraft, the dark energy in his body suddenly began to stir, frantically impacting his consciousness. His eyes became more and more red, and his movements began to stiffen, as if he was about to lose control. "Liam, calm down!" Dr. Gray's voice came from the helicopter. He held an energy suppressor and fired a light blue energy beam at Liam, hitting his body, "The suppressor has taken effect, calm the energy in your body as soon as possible, don't be swallowed by the dark energy!"
The light blue energy beam entered Liam's body, and the restless dark energy gradually calmed down. His eyes slowly returned to normal, and the energy in his body gradually stabilized. He took a deep breath, his figure flashed, and he returned to the helicopter again, with a hint of tiredness on his face: "Thank you, Dr. Gray, I almost couldn't control it just now."
"You're welcome, it's my duty." Dr. Gray nodded, the monitoring equipment in his hand showing that Liam's energy fluctuations had gradually stabilized, but the value of dark energy was still high. "Your dark energy is very unstable. The battle just now stimulated it. Try not to overuse your energy later to avoid losing control again, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."
Kane walked to Liam's side, his tone filled with a hint of worry: "Are you okay? Do you want to rest? We can handle the remaining aircraft."
"I'm fine, I can still fight." Liam shook his head, looking out the window, only to see three more Shadow Organization aircraft in the distance, flying towards Helicopter No. 2. "No, they're flying towards Dr. Elena and Dr. Wang's helicopter. We must rush to support them as soon as possible!"
Kane nodded, immediately controlling the helicopter to race towards Helicopter No. 2. At this moment, the situation of Helicopter No. 2 was already precarious. The fuselage had been hit by multiple energy beams, the wings were damaged, and it was shaking constantly, on the verge of crashing at any time. Wang tried his best to restart AI and restore communication and navigation, but he could never break through the interference of the star-patterned ore, and could only watch as the Shadow Organization's aircraft continued to attack.
"Dr. Elena, the helicopter's fuel is running out, and the wings are severely damaged. We can't continue flying, we have to make an emergency landing!" The pilot shouted, controlling the helicopter to make an emergency landing on the ice field below. The fuselage hit the ice heavily with a loud noise, stirring up a lot of snow and ice. After sliding for a distance, the helicopter slowly stopped.
Elena and Wang climbed out of the helicopter, both with slight scratches and pale faces. The three Shadow Organization aircraft landed slowly, hovering around them. The cabin doors of the aircraft opened, and more than a dozen Shadow members wearing black combat uniforms and carrying energy weapons got out of the aircraft, surrounding them. Leading them was a tall man with a ferocious scar on his face, exuding a strong dark energy, even stronger than the previous spy.
"Dr. Elena, Mr. Wang, long time no see." The scarred man sneered, his tone full of contempt. "Didn't expect it? We have long anticipated that you would go to the Ice Ridge Research Station, so we set up an ambush here to catch you, seize the clues of the spiritual energy crystal in your hands, and that monster Liam. As long as we catch you and get the spiritual energy crystal, we can develop the dark brain chip and control all humanity. At that time, the entire world will belong to our Shadow Organization!"
Elena clenched her fists, the energy in her body surging slightly, her eyes firm: "You休想! The spiritual energy crystal is ours, and we will definitely stop the development of the dark brain chip. Your conspiracy will never succeed!"
"Is that so?" The scarred man sneered, waving his hand behind him. "Go get them, don't hurt them. We still need to use them to lure Liam out!"
More than a dozen Shadow members immediately rushed towards Elena and Wang, the energy weapons in their hands emitting dazzling red light. At that moment, a beam of energy intertwined with gold and black suddenly shot over, hitting the foremost Shadow member, who fell to the ground instantly, breathless. Everyone turned their heads, only to see Helicopter No. 1 landing slowly. Liam, Kane, Dr. Gray, and several security personnel got out of the helicopter and rushed towards them.
"Elena, Wang, are you okay?" Liam shouted, his figure flashing, rushing to their side and standing in front of them, staring coldly at the scarred man and the Shadow members. The energy in his body surged wildly, the crack on the collar became bigger and bigger, with golden light and black light intertwined, emitting a strong energy fluctuation.
"Liam, you're finally here." Elena breathed a sigh of relief, a relieved smile appearing on her face. "We're fine, but the helicopter is damaged and can't continue flying."
The scarred man looked at Liam, his eyes full of greed and fanaticism: "Liam, you really came, great! As long as we catch you, extract the symbiotic energy and dark energy in your body, and then get the spiritual energy crystal, our dark brain chip can be successfully developed. At that time, you will become the most powerful weapon of our Shadow Organization!"
"Dream on!" Liam sneered, the energy in his body soaring instantly, his figure flashing, rushing towards the scarred man. "I won't let your conspiracy succeed. Today, I will completely eliminate all of you remaining Shadow members!"
The scarred man's face changed, the dark energy in his body surging wildly, meeting Liam head-on. The two instantly fought together, with golden and black energy intertwined, emitting dazzling light. Energy shock waves spread continuously, shaking the surrounding snow and ice all over the sky. Kane and the security team launched a fierce battle with the other Shadow members. The sound of energy rifles, the explosion of energy collisions, echoed on the empty ice field, and the scene was extremely intense.
Dr. Gray stayed by Elena and Wang's side to protect their safety, while real-time monitoring Liam's energy fluctuations. Once Liam showed any abnormalities, he would take suppression measures immediately. Wang took the opportunity to take out the portable AI equipment he carried, trying to crack the Shadow Organization's signal interference, restore communication with the base, and seek support.
The battle between Liam and the scarred man became more and more intense. Both of them were very powerful, evenly matched. The scarred man's dark energy was very strong, and his moves were vicious. Every attack was fatal. Liam, relying on the fusion of symbiotic energy and dark energy, as well as his strengthened body, kept fighting back with flexible moves and amazing strength.
At that moment, the scarred man suddenly sneered, taking out a black chip from his waist. The chip emitted a strong dark energy, as well as a faint star-patterned ore aura: "Liam, try this. This is the prototype of the dark chip developed by our Shadow Organization. It contains powerful dark energy, enough to devour your consciousness and make you my puppet!"
He threw the dark chip into the air, and the chip exploded instantly. A strong dark energy swept towards Liam, wrapping his body. Liam's face changed drastically, and the dark energy in his body suddenly became restless, frantically impacting his consciousness. His eyes turned red again, and his movements began to stiffen, as if he was about to lose control again.
"Liam, calm down! Don't be swallowed by the dark energy!" Elena shouted, the energy in her body surging, firing a light blue energy beam towards Liam, trying to help him suppress the dark energy in his body.
Dr. Gray also immediately took out the energy suppressor, firing a light blue energy beam towards Liam, which merged with Elena's energy beam and entered Liam's body. Under the action of the two energy beams, the restless dark energy in Liam's body gradually calmed down. He gritted his teeth, tried his best to control the energy in his body, and slowly dispelled the dark energy surrounding him.
A few minutes later, Liam finally dispelled the dark energy surrounding him. The energy in his body gradually stabilized, and his eyes slowly returned to normal. He took a deep breath, and the golden symbiotic energy and black dark energy in his body intertwined again, condensing into a powerful energy ball, which he threw towards the scarred man: "You asked for this!"
The energy ball hit the scarred man's body and exploded instantly. The scarred man let out a shrill scream, the dark energy in his body collapsed instantly, and his body was swallowed by the shock wave of the explosion, turning into a cloud of black smoke and dissipating in the air. Seeing this, the remaining Shadow members were scared out of their wits, no longer having the courage to fight, and turned around one after another, trying to escape from here.
"Don't run!" Kane shouted, commanding the security team to chase them. The sound of energy rifles rang out, and一 energy beams shot over, knocking down all the escaping Shadow members and completely eliminating the Shadow ambush force here.
After the battle, the ice field was in a mess, with aircraft wreckage and Shadow members' bodies everywhere. The snow and ice were still falling, and the temperature was still minus 40 degrees Celsius. Liam collapsed on the ice, a hint of tiredness on his face. The energy in his body was exhausted, and the value of dark energy rose again, but there was no sign of restlessness.
Dr. Gray immediately ran over, checking Liam's physical condition with monitoring equipment: "Fortunately, there's nothing serious, just excessive energy consumption. Although the dark energy has increased, it has stabilized. You can recover as long as you rest well. However, the dark chip prototype just now has a strong stimulation on your dark energy. You must be careful later and avoid contacting similar things again."
Elena and Wang also walked over, both with relieved smiles on their faces. Wang held the portable AI equipment, his tone filled with a hint of excitement: "Great, I have cracked the Shadow Organization's signal interference and restored communication with the base. Mr. Elliott has received our message and is arranging support troops and new helicopters, which are expected to arrive here in six hours. In addition, I found an encrypted file from the Shadow members' communicator, which mentions that under the ice of the Ice Ridge Research Station, there is not only the spiritual energy crystal, but also a small R&D base hidden by the Shadow Organization, where a more powerful dark brain chip prototype is being developed!"
Everyone's expressions turned solemn instantly. Elena frowned: "I didn't expect that the Shadow Organization actually hid an R&D base under the ice of the Ice Ridge Research Station. It seems that their conspiracy is more complicated than we expected. We must rush to the Ice Ridge Research Station as soon as possible, find the spiritual energy crystal, destroy their R&D base, and prevent them from developing a more powerful dark brain chip."
Liam climbed up from the ice, the energy in his body slowly recovering, his eyes firm: "Don't worry, I'm fine. After resting for half an hour, we will set off for the Ice Ridge Research Station. No matter what conspiracy the Shadow Organization has, we won't let them succeed. We will definitely find the spiritual energy crystal, destroy their R&D base, and protect the future of humanity!"
Kane nodded, commanding the security team to clean up the battlefield and collect the Shadow Organization's weapons and clues: "I will arrange two security personnel to stay and guard the helicopter wreckage and the battlefield. The rest of us will rest for half an hour, then we will set off together for the Ice Ridge Research Station. On the way, we will strengthen our vigilance to prevent another ambush by the Shadow Organization and ensure everyone's safety."
Half an hour later, everyone rested, packed their equipment, and set off towards the Ice Ridge Research Station. The cold wind howled on the ice field, and the snow and ice filled the sky. The ice under their feet was hard and smooth, making every step very difficult. The distant Ice Ridge Research Station was faintly visible, covered by thick ice, like a sleeping beast waiting for their arrival.
Liam walked in the front, the energy in his body surging slowly, constantly perceiving the dark energy around him. The golden light and black light on the collar intertwined, emitting a stable energy fluctuation. He knew that the road ahead was full of dangers. The Shadow Organization's R&D base was hidden under the ice, and there were more powerful enemies waiting for them, but he had no fear at all, because he knew that he was not fighting alone. By his side, there were partners fighting side by side and the future of humanity that needed to be protected.
Just as they were less than ten kilometers away from the Ice Ridge Research Station, Liam suddenly stopped, his eyes turning solemn, and the energy in his body suddenly became restless: "No, there are strong dark energy fluctuations ahead, as well as the energy fluctuations of the spiritual energy crystal. Moreover, the dark energy fluctuations are getting stronger and stronger, suspected to be the main force of the Shadow Organization. They have already arrived at the Ice Ridge Research Station and are trying to dig through the ice to find the spiritual energy crystal!"
Everyone's expressions turned pale instantly. Elena frowned: "I didn't expect that their main force would arrive at the Ice Ridge Research Station so soon. It seems that we must speed up, otherwise the spiritual energy crystal will be seized by them first!"
Liam nodded, the energy in his body soaring instantly, his speed and strength improving again: "Everyone follow me, we speed up, rush to the Ice Ridge Research Station before they dig out the spiritual energy crystal and stop them!"
With that, he took the lead in rushing towards the Ice Ridge Research Station. Kane, Elena, Wang, Dr. Gray, and the security personnel followed closely behind, racing towards the Ice Ridge Research Station. The cold wind howled, and the snow and ice filled the sky. Their figures left deep footprints on the white ice field. A final battle for the spiritual energy crystal was about to officially break out under the ice of the Ice Ridge Research Station.