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墨書 Inktalez
The morning after the successful mission, Lin Xi and her team returned to the base. Despite the destruction of the Shadow Stone Device's node, there was no sign of relaxation among the team members. Lin Xi sat in the command room, surrounded by a pile of unresolved intelligence reports. The screen displayed data recently collected from the battlefield, and the most striking piece was the last message left by the shadow:
"The core of the Abyss is not here; it lies deeper."
"Deeper," Lin Xi repeated those words, her brow furrowed. What could it possibly mean? The deep sea? Or perhaps it was some sort of metaphor related to the enemy's plans?
She glanced at Chen Rui, who managed the Abyss Network's main control system. "Have you pinpointed a more specific location?"
Chen Rui shook his head. "I only know the general direction; it's in a certain area of the deep sea in the South Pacific, but the exact coordinates remain unclear. The magnetic field there is abnormal, even disrupting satellite signals."
"Why choose the deep sea?" Zhou Zheng couldn't help but ask. "Even for concealment, it seems impractical to pick such a difficult-to-maintain location."
"Perhaps there's something hidden there," Lin Xi speculated. Her intuition told her that this deep sea might be key to the enemy's plan.
"The Technical Team will continue tracking data from the Deep Sea Area; we need to locate our target as soon as possible," Lin Xi ordered.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the base in the medical area, team members were undergoing physical examinations after their mission. Although everyone had returned safely from their last operation, many felt unwell due to the aftereffects of the shadow's attack.
"Xiao Zhang, are you really okay?" a medical staff member asked, frowning at the abnormal readings on the monitor.
"I'm just a bit dizzy; I might be tired," Xiao Zhang replied, scratching his head dismissively.
However, the examination revealed that Xiao Zhang's brainwave frequency was significantly higher than normal, and this condition was gradually intensifying.
Upon learning about this situation, Lin Xi rushed to the medical area. She found Xiao Zhang sitting on the edge of a bed, looking fatigued but not visibly in pain.
"I'm really fine, Leader Lin," Xiao Zhang said as he looked up. "I can continue with my duties."
"This isn't just about whether you can continue or not," Lin Xi said sternly. "We still don't know what impact the shadow's attack has had on you. If this is related to the Abyss Network, you may have already been marked by them."
"Marked?" Xiao Zhang looked puzzled.
A nearby medical staff member explained, "Based on the energy released from the Shadow Stone Device, it seems capable of disturbing or even controlling human brainwaves. Your condition might be a result of temporary erosion by that energy."
"What if I can't control it?" Xiao Zhang asked anxiously. "What would happen?"
The medical staff member paused for a moment before responding quietly, "You could become part of a Shadow Entity."
That night, Lin Xi organized an emergency meeting. She highlighted Xiao Zhang's situation as a critical issue and proposed comprehensive brainwave scans for all team members to identify any potential risks.
"I don't want anyone losing their autonomy due to unknown risks in our upcoming missions," she stated firmly.
However, this proposal immediately sparked controversy, especially among members of the frontline units.
"Leader Lin, we cannot doubt our teammates over a slight possibility." A senior team member voiced his opposition. "If every mission ends with us being treated as potential threats, what morale will we have left?"
"I understand your concerns." Lin Xi's voice was calm yet authoritative. "However, the enemy is infiltrating and attacking us in ways we cannot even imagine. A moment's carelessness could plunge the entire team into crisis."
The meeting room fell silent until Chen Rui finally broke the stalemate. "I support Leader Lin's decision. A comprehensive scan is not just for safety; it’s also to uncover more flaws in the enemy's plans."
Though the meeting was difficult, everyone ultimately agreed to cooperate with the scan.
The results of the scan were released early the next morning. Aside from Xiao Zhang, three other team members exhibited abnormal brainwave patterns.
"It seems several of us have already been affected by the Abyss Network," Chen Rui analyzed. "The good news is that these effects are not too deep. If we take action promptly, we should be able to restore normalcy."
"What should we do specifically?" Lin Xi asked.
"There are two methods. One is to use the Shadow Stone's reverse energy pulse to eliminate the brainwave anomalies; the other is to directly sever the Abyss Network's influence over them, but this requires locating the core control system of the network."
The second method was evidently more effective. Lin Xi nodded. "We must act quickly."
Meanwhile, in the Deep Sea Area, a massive Undersea Base was operating methodically.
In the central control room of the base, a man dressed in a black uniform stared intently at the Shadow Stone Energy Fluctuation data on the screen. His expression was stern, and his eyes held an inscrutable depth.
"The research station's node has been destroyed," an assistant reported, "but the core plan remains unaffected."
The man nodded, seemingly indifferent to this: their resistance was merely a futile struggle. The completion of the Abyss Network was a foregone conclusion.
He turned to gaze toward the abyss deep beneath the sea. "When true awakening arrives, they will realize that this world no longer belongs to free will."
The assistant hesitated before quietly asking, "But what about those Shadow Entities that lost control during combat? Will their abnormal fluctuations expose our whereabouts?"
The man scoffed. "There's no need for concern. Shadow Entities are merely tools; if one is damaged, it can simply be replaced."
With that, he pressed a button, and a system diagram of the Abyss Network appeared on the screen. The bright points gradually connected into a complete web structure.
Unbeknownst to Lin Xi's team, they were inching closer to an unprecedented and colossal conspiracy. Behind the Abyss Project lay even deeper secrets.
This war over free will had only just begun.
To be continued...
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