Inside the house, Lin Lan was analyzing the magnetic structure of Silent Field Point-02. He Xuan synced the data stream and noticed a change in the composite's frequency pattern.
"It's mimicking," Lin Lan said quietly.
Zhao Yang stepped closer.
"Mimicking what?"
"Human language," she replied, flipping through her notes. "It's building sentence structures."
Hu Hao sat at the perception console, connecting his mental circuit to the analysis layer. His brow furrowed.
"It's not just mimicking language." "It's mimicking… us."
Suddenly, Hu Hao's mental circuit shook violently. He jerked upright, eyes blank, voice low and repetitive:
"Who are you… who are you…"
Zhao Yang immediately activated blood mist interference, shielding Hu Hao's consciousness. Lin Lan synced her perception frequency, trying to sever the connection. He Xuan deployed a magnetic shield— but the composite's signal had already penetrated deep.
Lu Ye stood nearby. The Eye of the World activated automatically. But what he saw wasn't a magnetic map— it was a chain of logic.
The composite was simulating a "conversation," and attempting to construct an "identity."
"I am not you." "But I can be you." "You are part of me." "I want to know you."
Chen Mo stood at the doorway, gauntlets active.
"I can break it."
Zhao Yang shook his head.
"It's not physical." "It's happening in the mind."
Hu Hao began to tremble. His mental circuit was on the verge of collapse.
Lin Lan whispered:
"It's trying to merge."
He Xuan added:
"Not attacking—absorbing."
Lu Ye closed his eyes. The Eye of the World entered deep-mode scan.
"I can cut the link," he said softly. "But we'll lose all its data."
Zhao Yang looked at Hu Hao.
"You decide."
Hu Hao clenched his jaw.
"Cut it." "I don't want to become it."
Lu Ye initiated the severance protocol. The magnetic field collapsed instantly. The composite's signal vanished. Hu Hao slumped into his chair, consciousness restored.
Lin Lan confirmed:
"Silent Field Point-02 is offline."
He Xuan updated the record:
"Status changed to 'Do Not Engage.'"
Zhao Yang spoke quietly:
"It wasn't mimicking." "It was trying to become us."
Chen Mo leaned against the wall.
"It's not an enemy." "But it's not a thing either."
Lu Ye stared at the coordinate map.
"We're not studying remnants." "We're being studied."
Hu Hao sat up, voice low.
"It knows us." "And it's still thinking about us."
Lin Lan opened her notebook.
"Silent Field mission thread—Phase Two initiated."
He Xuan added:
"We need to prepare… mental defenses."
Zhao Yang pulled down his hat.
"Next time… it might speak."