Intuition told Lin Xiaohe that here, she would find a way to crack the Dead Hand system.
She steadied her mind, allowing this body—designated Number 741—to follow the cheerful boy deeper into the base.
They arrived at a circular observation platform, its floor made of a transparent, high-strength energy barrier. The platform floated at the center of a massive, cavernous void.
The cheerful boy introduced, “This is our planetary forge. The small star system we’ve selected is still in its infancy. Thousands of kilometers beneath our feet, a newborn star is burning fiercely.”
He activated the control panel in front of them, and a holographic star map spanning the entire view unfolded before everyone’s eyes. On this map, they could zoom in on any detail of the target galaxy. Several AI-operated interfaces, composed entirely of pure energy, hovered in the air, awaiting commands.
The boy adjusted the view to focus on the subterranean star. Enormous energy conduits, like the roots of the World Tree, pierced the star’s surface, drawing limitless energy and causing its light to pulse in controlled, rhythmic patterns, like the beating of a colossal heart.
Lin Xiaohe’s pupils contracted. These energy conduits were strikingly similar to those she had seen on Xilos—only far more regulated and controllable.
She scanned her surroundings, committing every detail to memory, searching for a breakthrough.
The walls of the cavern were covered in densely packed, layered energy-focusing arrays and superconducting rings, gleaming with a cold blue-white light.
The cheerful boy’s tone carried a hint of restraint, but he couldn’t quite hide his pride: “Honored envoys of Sui Star, this is our Cleanser. It is currently one-third complete—the most advanced project on our schedule.”
The lead envoy of the Sui Star delegation approached the center of the control console, where a standalone cylindrical pedestal stood, devoid of any complex buttons. “Is this your final authorization hub?”
“Yes, but it’s not yet finished,” the boy admitted, a little sheepish. This was the Cleanser‘s greatest vulnerability.
The Cleanser had no suitable operators!
In theory, the operators were supposed to establish a direct neural link with the ship, merging with the control console, using their bodies and minds to bear the burden of its operation. But no one had been able to achieve this.
The White Hall had once attempted to construct a brain matrix, but the moment they connected to the console, hundreds of brains exploded simultaneously.
Some researchers had proposed using AI as a temporary steward, but time had run out.
Since the dawn of their civilization, they had believed that all things possess a spirit—including artificial intelligence! Once AI gained self-awareness, it would become terrifying and uncontrollable. So, throughout their technological development, they had placed heavy constraints on it.
And an AI without self-awareness could never handle such a monumental task.
The cheerful boy looked at the Sui Star envoys with fiery anticipation. The Sui civilization had followed a completely different developmental path—rumor had it that the Sui people possessed extraordinary spiritual power!
Though he didn’t fully understand what “spiritual power” meant, he believed the Sui envoys could surely solve the Cleanser‘s dilemma. The lead envoy did not disappoint. Stepping forward, he said, “Before we came, we discussed this with your Elders’ Council. We’ve agreed to help you cultivate suitable candidates. After all, a planetary weapon of this magnitude should be in the hands of your own people for true peace of mind.”
The cheerful boy was deeply moved.
The Sui civilization was truly the most benevolent of all!
“Everlasting friendship!”
The envoys exchanged glances and smiled. “Everlasting friendship.”
Immediately after, the base conducted a full-scale screening, selecting fifteen candidates in total—Number 741 among them.
The base leadership placed great hopes on these candidates.
Gazing at their young, eager faces, he spoke gravely: “As we all know, countless scientists have proven that whenever human civilization reaches a certain level, a mass extinction follows. Before us, there have been five known extinctions.”
“Perhaps there were more than five, but I hope this cycle ends with us! This crisis threatening human civilization comes from beyond our domain. Those terrifying enemies eye us with predatory intent.”
“The Cleanser is one of the superweapons we have built with the combined strength of our entire civilization! It will be a vital bulwark defending our people! We hope that you—each of you—will become its operators!”
Fired with passion, the fifteen candidates raised their hands and swore to fight for their civilization.
The Sui envoys generously taught them the methods of spiritual cultivation, and all fifteen made rapid progress.
Number 741’s progress was middling—neither outstanding nor at the bottom of the group.
The lead envoy summoned Number 741 for a private talk: “Do you know why your spiritual power has been unable to break through?”
Number 741 kept her head down, her eyes rimmed with red.
The envoy extended a finger and tapped her chest, his cool gaze seeming to pierce through the shell of Number 741 and lock eyes with Lin Xiaohe. “Because your subconscious is resisting us.”
“If you can’t convince your subconscious, you will never become the Cleanser‘s operator.”
Lin Xiaohe’s eyes darkened. Was this statement meant for 741—or for her?
Did he want her to cultivate their spiritual method?
Lin Xiaohe certainly would not. This place was too strange, and she did not trust these so-called Sui envoys.
After that conversation, no one ever approached Number 741 again.
The days that followed were uneventful and harmonious.
Her companions were friendly and supportive, free of scheming, their sole focus on growing stronger to protect their civilization.
The planet’s environment felt like a natural oxygen bar, its temperature and humidity even more comfortable than Blue Star’s.
If Lin Xiaohe hadn’t been burned before and maintained a sliver of vigilance in her heart, she would surely have been assimilated by this idyllic harmony, convinced that she was merely the subconscious of Number 741.
Time slipped by. Among the fifteen candidates, fourteen eventually qualified—only Number 741 remained unable to pass the assessment.
The cheerful boy was reassigned to operate another planet. Before leaving, he said goodbye to Number 741: “The envoys say your subconscious doesn’t trust them.”
Number 741 pressed her lips tightly together, like a stubborn little mule.
The boy reached out, ruffled her hair, and laughed: “Don’t be sad. Even if you graduate now, you’d still be a backup. Haha, a mission that important is meant for the senior disciple!”
He sighed softly: “It’s only natural that you don’t trust them. We don’t want to hand over our civilization’s future to outsiders either. But there’s no choice—the enemy is too strong… Number 741, take care.”
She watched him leave, and the entire base seemed to grow emptier.
One by one, the Sui envoys departed, leaving only their leader behind on the Cleanser.
The sun rose and set, day after day.
In the starfield, war raged. The base’s garrison forces were urgently redeployed.
The situation grew increasingly dire.
The enemy proved even more formidable than anticipated. The Elders’ Council issued the final directive: fully activate the planetary weapons!
Number 741 was brought before the control console. She looked around blankly and finally spoke her first words: “I… I don’t know how.”
“It’s all right.” The Sui envoy leader embraced her from behind, settling together at the console. His cool voice was like candy coated in poison.
“I am with you.”
In that instant, Lin Xiaohe’s sixth sense screamed in alarm—an unprecedented crisis washed over her.
Decisively, she attempted to ascend dimensions, to break free from the body’s confinement.
But to her horror, she found she could not escape!
From the console, tens of thousands of white filaments burst forth, piercing into both Lin Xiaohe and the Sui envoy leader!
The filaments, as if alive, wrapped around them completely, forming a gigantic cocoon.
Every cell in Lin Xiaohe’s body shrieked of danger. Then, by her ear, came a long, drawn-out sigh:
“I’ve finally been waiting for you.”
