The sun gradually slanted westward in front of the base ruins, and the breeze carrying dust passed by. Everyone's exhaustion was slightly relieved after a short breath, but Elena's sentence "The battle is not over yet" pressed heavily on everyone's hearts like a boulder. Liam leaned against Elena, the energy in his body was still slowly recovering, his brain development progress temporarily stayed at 45%, and the energy of the spiritual energy crystal was still dormant. Only occasionally, a faint golden and black glimmer flashed at his fingertips, proving that the powerful force had not disappeared, but was waiting to be awakened again.
Dr. Gray rummaged through his backpack for the remaining medical potions, first injected one into the comatose Kane, then treated the wounds of Wang and Elena in turn——Wang's arm was deeply scratched by gravel, the wound was deep, and although it had stopped bleeding, it was still swollen; Elena's old abdominal wound tore again in the previous shock wave, her face was pale as transparent, but she still persisted, her fingers kept sliding on the terminal she carried with her, carefully browsing the R&D data copied from the Shadow base, trying to find more clues about the other spiritual energy crystal fragment.
"How is it, Elena? Is there any other useful information in the data?" Liam's voice was still weak, but with unwavering firmness. He slowly raised his hand and stroked his forehead, and occasional vague fragments flashed in his mind——those were the images that appeared in his mind instantly when the spiritual energy crystal merged into his body: a desolate glacier, an ancient stone stele, strange patterns carved on the stele, and in the center of the stele, there seemed to be a crystal fragment similar to the one in his body but more brilliant.
Elena stopped her movements, frowned tightly, and shook her head solemnly: "Most of the data is encrypted, and I can only crack a small part so far. It only records that the code name of the other crystal fragment is 'Star Core', which is hidden in the 'Land of Extreme Cold'. The specific location is not clearly stated, only a key clue is mentioned——'The Star Core guards the ancient ruins, and only those chosen by the crystal can unlock the gate of the ruins'."
"Land of Extreme Cold?" Wang couldn't help but speak, with a hint of confusion in his tone, "There are so many extremely cold areas in the world, glaciers, permafrost, polar regions... How do we know where it is specifically? Moreover, the remaining forces of the Shadow Organization must be looking for it too. Will they find the 'Star Core' before us?"
This question hit the pain point of everyone. Although the Shadow Leader was defeated, the Shadow Organization had been operating for many years, and its remaining forces must be scattered all over the world. Moreover, they might also have uncracked R&D data in their hands, and even other hidden bases and experimental products. Once they let them find the "Star Core" first and combine the two spiritual energy crystal fragments, the consequences would be unimaginable——that infinite energy would allow them to easily control the world, and by then, no one would be able to stop their evil conspiracy.
Dr. Gray sighed softly and said in a heavy tone: "Now we have no other choice but to find the specific location of the 'Star Core' as soon as possible and get it before the Shadow Organization. Moreover, Kane is still in a coma. We need to find a safe place first to wake him up, and at the same time let Liam recover his energy well——Liam is the one chosen by the crystal. Only he can unlock the gate of the ancient ruins and truly control the power of the spiritual energy crystal."
At that moment, a strong golden and black glimmer suddenly flashed at Liam's fingertips, the dormant spiritual energy crystal energy in his body suddenly became restless, and a sharp tingling pain came from his brain. Those vague images became clear again: deep in the glacier, the wind howled, a dilapidated ancient ruin stood in the wind and snow, and on the gate of the ruin, there were patterns similar to the crystal lines in his body. Outside the gate, several familiar black figures could be faintly seen——those were the costumes of the Shadow Organization!
"No!" Liam suddenly sat up, ignoring the weakness in his body and the tingling pain in his brain, and shouted anxiously, "I saw it! The 'Star Core' is in the ancient ruins in the Antarctic Glacier! The people of the Shadow Organization are already on their way there! They have the key item to unlock the gate of the ruins in their hands!"
Everyone's faces changed drastically, and the nerves that had just relaxed tensed up again. Elena immediately called up the map on the terminal and quickly zoomed in on the terrain of the Antarctic region, saying anxiously: "The Antarctic Glacier is vast and has an extreme environment, full of strong winds, snowstorms, and ice crevasses. A little carelessness will cost you your life. More importantly, since the remaining forces of the Shadow Organization have already set off, they must be fully prepared. We will be very passive if we chase them now."
"We have to go even if we are passive!" Liam struggled to stand up, and the golden and black energy in his body surged again. Although it was still weak, it was enough to support him to stand. "We can't let the Shadow Organization get the 'Star Core' and can't let their conspiracy succeed! No matter how harsh the environment is, no matter how powerful the people of the Shadow Organization are, we must get to the ancient ruins and get the 'Star Core' before them!"
Just as Liam finished speaking, a harsh roar suddenly came from a distance. Along with the sound of helicopter propellers rotating, several black figures quickly landed from the air, steadily landed around the ruins, surrounding them tightly. The man in the lead was wearing a black windbreaker and a silver mask on his face, only revealing a pair of cold eyes, exuding dark energy similar to that of the Shadow Leader, but colder and more weird than the Shadow Leader.
"It seems that we came just in time." The masked man's voice was processed, becoming hoarse and cold. His eyes slowly swept over everyone, and finally fell on Liam, with a hint of greed and killing intent in his eyes. "Liam, hand over the spiritual energy crystal fragment in your body, and tell me the specific location of the 'Star Core'. I can spare your lives. Otherwise, this place will be your burial place today!"
"Who are you? Remnants of the Shadow Organization?" Elena immediately stood in front of Liam, and the weak energy in her body gathered again. Although she was seriously injured, she did not flinch at all. "The Shadow Leader has been defeated by us. You remnants should be completely destroyed!"
The masked man let out a low laugh, full of contempt and disdain in his laughter: "Destroyed? With you? The Shadow Leader is just a pawn under Lord Leader, and his defeat was already expected. I am the 'Shadow Envoy' of the Shadow Organization, ordered to find the 'Star Core' and take back what belongs to our Shadow Organization——the spiritual energy crystal fragment in Liam's body."
"A pawn?" A trace of surprise flashed in Liam's eyes. He never thought that the Shadow Leader was just a pawn of someone else. Then, who is the real mastermind behind the Shadow Organization? How powerful would this person be? Countless questions emerged in his mind, and a strong sense of crisis was more intense than when he faced the Shadow Leader before.
The Shadow Envoy seemed to see through Liam's thoughts, and a cold arc appeared at the corner of his mouth: "It seems you are very confused, but you don't need to know so much. Now, either hand over the crystal fragment and the clues of the 'Star Core', or die!" As soon as the words fell, he raised his hand and waved. The Shadow members behind him immediately raised their energy weapons, and countless dark energy beams instantly aimed at everyone. The killing intent in the air became more intense, and a fierce battle was imminent.
"Everyone, be careful!" Liam shouted, and the golden and black energy in his body gathered again. Although the energy had not yet fully recovered, he still forced it to move. A weak golden and black energy shield instantly covered everyone, barely resisting the upcoming attack. He knew that in their current state, they were no match for the Shadow members at all——Kane was in a coma, Elena and Wang were seriously injured, Dr. Gray had no combat effectiveness, and only he could barely fight, but his energy was still recovering, and the tingling pain in his brain was getting stronger and stronger.
The Shadow Envoy's eyes turned cold, and he obviously had no patience to wait any longer. He raised his hand and waved again, shouting: "Attack!" The Shadow members behind him immediately pulled the trigger, and countless dark energy beams shot at everyone instantly. The beams made a harsh whistling sound and were extremely powerful. If hit, they would definitely be smashed to pieces.
"Bang——bang——bang——" The dark energy beams hit the energy shield set up by Liam, making deafening explosions. Dense cracks appeared on the energy shield instantly. Liam couldn't help but groan, and blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth again. The energy in his body was greatly consumed, and the tingling pain in his brain made him almost faint, but he still gritted his teeth and persisted, refusing to give up——he couldn't let his companions around him get hurt, and couldn't let the Shadow Organization's conspiracy succeed.
"Liam, I'll help you!" Elena struggled to support her body, gathered a faint crystal energy at her fingertips, and shot it at the dark energy beams. Although the energy was weak, it could barely offset part of the dark energy and reduce the burden on Liam. Wang also picked up a sharp gravel beside him, endured the pain in his arm, and rushed towards the approaching Shadow member. Although he had no energy weapon, he still tried his best to entangle a Shadow member tightly, buying time for Liam.
Dr. Gray quickly dragged the comatose Kane behind a huge gravel, blocked Kane with his body, and kept cheering for Liam. He knew that although he couldn't fight, he could protect the comatose companion and let Liam have no worries.
The Shadow Envoy looked at the scene in front of him, with a hint of impatience in his eyes. He didn't expect that these seriously injured and exhausted people could still resist tenaciously. He no longer hesitated, his figure flashed, and he rushed to Liam instantly. The dark energy around him gathered instantly, forming a huge dark energy fist, which smashed fiercely at Liam's chest——this punch was as powerful as the Shadow Leader's final fatal blow. Obviously, the strength of the Shadow Envoy was stronger than that of the Shadow Leader.
Liam's face changed drastically, and he couldn't dodge at all. He could only forcefully gather all the remaining golden and black energy in his body and inject it into the energy shield. "Boom——" The dark energy fist hit the energy shield fiercely, and the energy shield shattered instantly. The powerful shock wave threw Liam away, hitting a huge ruin hard. He spat out a big mouthful of blood, his body fell softly to the ground, and he couldn't support himself anymore. The golden and black energy in his body collapsed completely, and the energy of the spiritual energy crystal was still dormant, without a trace of glimmer.
"Liam!" Seeing this scene, Elena's eyes were full of despair and worry. She ignored her injuries and struggled to rush towards Liam, but just after taking a few steps, she was stopped by two Shadow members. Dark energy beams shot at her instantly. Elena couldn't dodge in time, her arm was hit by the beam, blood gushed out instantly, and her body fell softly to the ground.
When Wang saw Elena being injured, he was in a hurry. Distracted, he was punched in the chest by the Shadow member beside him, spat blood, and fell hard to the ground. The wound on his arm tore again, and blood stained his sleeves, but he still struggled to get up, but he couldn't move at all.
Dr. Gray looked at everything in front of him, full of powerlessness. He wanted to rush out and protect everyone, but he had no combat effectiveness. He could only hold the comatose Kane tightly, and tears couldn't help falling——Could it be that they really were going to fail here? Could it be that the Shadow Organization's conspiracy really couldn't be stopped? Could it be that this world was really going to fall into darkness?
The Shadow Envoy slowly walked to Liam, looked down at him, with greed and complacency in his eyes: "Liam, you are indeed very powerful, but unfortunately, you are still too weak. Now, obediently hand over the spiritual energy crystal fragment in your body, and maybe I can let you die quickly." He stretched out his hand and grabbed towards Liam's chest, trying to force the spiritual energy crystal fragment out of Liam's body.
Just as the Shadow Envoy's hand was about to touch Liam's chest, the spiritual energy crystal in Liam's body suddenly burst out with a dazzling golden and black light. The dormant energy was awakened instantly, and a powerful energy shock wave erupted from Liam's body, throwing the Shadow Envoy away instantly. Liam slowly opened his eyes, and his eyes were shining with bright golden and black light. His brain development progress was slowly improving under the nourishment of energy, 45%, 46%, 47%...
This sudden change stunned everyone. The Shadow Envoy got up from the ground, his face was extremely gloomy, and his eyes were full of shock and disbelief: "Impossible! How could the energy of the spiritual energy crystal be awakened suddenly? Your energy has obviously collapsed completely! This is impossible!"
Liam slowly stood up, the golden and black light around him became more and more dazzling, and the energy fluctuation in his body became stronger and stronger. The tingling pain in his brain disappeared completely, replaced by an unprecedented sense of clarity——he could clearly perceive every trace of energy fluctuation around him, could clearly see the dark energy in the Shadow Envoy and the Shadow members, and even could perceive the direction of the Antarctic Glacier in the distance, that energy fluctuation similar to the crystal in his body but more pure.
"Because you hurt the people I want to protect." Liam's voice became cold and firm, and the golden and black energy around him gathered into a huge energy halo. "The spiritual energy crystal chose me not only because I can control its power, but also because I have something I want to protect. You hurt my companions, try to seize the crystal fragment, and realize the evil conspiracy. This is something I will never allow!"
As soon as the words fell, Liam's figure flashed, and he rushed to the Shadow Envoy instantly. All the golden and black energy in his body gathered in his hand, forming a more dazzling and sharper energy long sword than before. The long sword contained infinite power, stabbing fiercely at the Shadow Envoy's chest——this time, he held nothing back, exerting the awakened spiritual energy crystal energy to the extreme.
The Shadow Envoy's face changed drastically. He quickly gathered the dark energy in his body to form a solid energy shield. At the same time, he raised his hand and waved, and countless dark energy beams shot at Liam instantly, trying to block Liam's attack. But at this time, Liam's brain development progress had reached 47%, and the spiritual energy crystal energy he controlled could easily suppress the Shadow Envoy's dark energy. When those dark energy beams approached the energy halo around Liam, they were instantly disintegrated into wisps of black smoke, dissipating in the air.
With a crisp "click", the energy long sword in Liam's hand stabbed fiercely at the Shadow Envoy's energy shield. The energy shield shattered instantly, and the long sword stabbed into the Shadow Envoy's chest unimpeded. The golden and black energy poured into the Shadow Envoy's body continuously, destroying the dark energy in his body and impacting the dark chip in his body——it turned out that the Shadow Envoy also had a dark brain chip implanted in his body, but his chip was more advanced and stronger than the Shadow Leader's.
The Shadow Envoy let out a painful roar, and the dark energy around him continued to collapse. The mask was shattered by the energy shock wave, revealing a ferocious face——it was a face covered with scars, his left eye was a mechanical eye, shining with cold red light. Obviously, he was also an experimental product of the Shadow Organization, and a more perfect and powerful experimental product than the clone.
"No——! I'm not reconciled! Lord Leader will not let you go! The Shadow Organization will not let you go!" The Shadow Envoy struggled, trying to pull out the energy long sword from his chest, trying to gather the remaining dark energy in his body to make a final counterattack. But the dark energy in his body was being quickly devoured by the golden and black energy, and the dark chip was also being continuously destroyed. He couldn't gather any energy at all, so he could only watch his strength dissipate little by little.
Liam held the energy long sword tightly and injected the golden and black energy in his body again. He said in a cold tone: "The era of the Shadow Organization is over! You have hurt so many innocent people and done so many evil things. No matter who your leader is, no matter how powerful your forces are, I will destroy them one by one and make you pay the price you deserve!"
A few seconds later, the dark chip in the Shadow Envoy's body was completely destroyed, and the dark energy in his body was completely devoured. His body began to shrink, the red light of the mechanical eye gradually went out, and he no longer had the previous coldness and power. Finally, he fell to the ground and lost his life completely.
Seeing the Shadow Envoy being defeated, the remaining Shadow members fell into chaos instantly. They lost their leader and were no match for Liam at all. Some wanted to escape, some wanted to continue fighting, but they were shocked by the powerful energy erupted by Liam and couldn't move.
Liam slowly raised his hand, and the golden and black energy around him gathered into countless small energy blades, shooting at the remaining Shadow members without the slightest mercy——these people were all remnants of the Shadow Organization, their hands were stained with the blood of innocent people, and their sins were not worthy of forgiveness. After several loud "bang bang bang", all the remaining Shadow members fell to the ground and lost their lives completely. The surroundings of the ruins finally returned to calm.
Liam looked at everything in front of him, the energy in his body was greatly consumed again, the golden and black light gradually dimmed, and his brain development progress fell back to 45%. He staggered a few steps and almost fell, but fortunately Elena rushed over in time and supported him.
"Liam, how are you? Are you okay?" Elena's voice was full of worry. She gently stroked Liam's chest, looked at the blood at the corner of his mouth, and her eyes were full of distress. "You worked too hard. Your energy hasn't fully recovered yet. You shouldn't have forced the power of the spiritual energy crystal like this."
Liam shook his head and showed a weak but reassuring smile: "I'm okay, as long as everyone is okay. The Shadow Envoy is defeated, and a group of remaining forces of the Shadow Organization are also eliminated. We are temporarily safe." He paused, and his tone became firm again, "But we can't relax our vigilance. The Shadow Organization still has other remaining forces, and that mysterious leader. Moreover, the 'Star Core' is still in the Antarctic Glacier. We must set off as soon as possible to get the 'Star Core' before them."
Wang struggled to get up and walked to Liam's side. Although he was still weak, he showed a firm smile: "Liam, don't worry. We will definitely accompany you and face all difficulties together. No matter how harsh the environment of the Antarctic Glacier is, no matter how powerful the people of the Shadow Organization are, we will definitely get the 'Star Core' and completely destroy the Shadow Organization's conspiracy."
Dr. Gray also stood up leaning against the gravel, with a relieved smile on his face: "That's right. As long as we unite as one, there will be no difficulties we can't overcome. Now, we first find a safe place to wake Kane up, let everyone recover their energy well, then prepare to set off for the Antarctic Glacier, find the 'Star Core', unlock the secrets of the ancient ruins, and completely end this battle."
Liam nodded and looked into the distance. The desolate glacier and ancient ruins appeared in his mind again. He knew that the journey to the Antarctic Glacier would definitely be full of dangers and obstacles. The remaining forces of the Shadow Organization would definitely intercept them on the way, and that mysterious leader would definitely show his true colors, but he was no longer afraid——because he had companions, something he wanted to protect, the power of the spiritual energy crystal, and that unwavering belief of never giving up.
The sun set, and the golden afterglow sprinkled on the ruins and on everyone, covering this devastated place with a warm light. Although the battle was not over, and a greater crisis was still ahead, everyone's eyes were full of hope and firmness. They knew that as long as they united as one and persisted to the end, they would definitely find the "Star Core", completely destroy the Shadow Organization's conspiracy, protect this world, and protect each other.
That night, everyone found an abandoned cave near the ruins and settled down temporarily. Dr. Gray continued to take care of the comatose Kane, Elena continued to crack the Shadow Organization's R&D data, trying to find more clues about the ancient ruins and the "Star Core" in the Antarctic Glacier, Wang was responsible for vigilance to prevent the remaining forces of the Shadow Organization from attacking again, and Liam leaned against the wall of the cave, closed his eyes, concentrated on recovering the energy in his body, and at the same time felt the fluctuation of the spiritual energy crystal in his body, trying to establish a deeper connection with it, making full preparations for the upcoming Antarctic trip.
Late at night, the cave was quiet, with only the crackling sound of the jumping bonfire and Kane's weak breathing. In his sleep, Liam dreamed again of the glacier and the ancient ruins. This time, he clearly saw that the gate of the ruins slowly opened, filled with dazzling light, and in the center of the light was the bright "Star Core". But just as he was about to approach the "Star Core", a cold black figure suddenly appeared, blocking his way——that black figure exuded a colder and more powerful dark energy than the Shadow Envoy. His face was hidden in the shadow, and his appearance could not be seen clearly, but he made Liam feel an unprecedented fear.
"Who are you?" Liam shouted, and the golden and black energy in his body surged instantly, making preparations for battle.
The black figure let out a low and weird laugh, full of contempt and disdain in his laughter: "Liam, we will meet soon. The 'Star Core' does not belong to you, nor does the power of the spiritual energy crystal. It belongs to me, to the Shadow Organization, to this world that is about to be shrouded in darkness. Everything you do is in vain. In the end, you will only become my pawn and a stepping stone for the Shadow Organization to rule the world."
As soon as the voice faded, the shadowy figure vanished into the light. Liam jolted awake from his slumber, drenched in cold sweat. The energy within him was once again in turmoil, and a trace of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. He gasped for air, the shadow's words echoing repeatedly in his mind. The sense of crisis in his heart grew ever more intense—that mysterious shadowy figure must surely be the true leader of the Shadow Organization. His power was far greater than that of the Shadow Envoy or the Shadow Leader, and he would undoubtedly be waiting for them in the Antarctic Glacier.
Liam slowly raised his hand, looked at the faint golden and black glimmer flashing at his fingertips, and the fear in his eyes was gradually replaced by firmness. He knew that no matter how powerful that mysterious leader was, no matter how many dangers were ahead, he would not flinch or give up. He would take his companions, take the power of the spiritual energy crystal, go to the Antarctic Glacier, find the "Star Core", unlock the secrets of the ancient ruins, completely destroy the Shadow Organization's conspiracy, and protect this world and everything he wanted to protect. And that upcoming final showdown would officially kick off in front of the ancient ruins in the Antarctic Glacier.