Project "Ark"
When the term slipped from Lin Mo's lips, it traveled instantly through the newly established Demon Network to the minds of all senior demon leaders in the Commonwealth—sending a cold shiver of confusion and dread down their spines.
They did not yet grasp what "Ark" specifically entailed, but a plan requiring "Level-1 Combat Readiness" and "preliminary preparations" inherently signaled an unprecedented crisis. Worse still, the source of the energy fluctuation pointed to the Thousand-Eyed Abyss—a place even Demon Lords dared not speak of openly.
Inside the Administrative Center, the atmosphere had grown as stiff as ice. The joy from their recent technological breakthrough was completely washed away by this sudden alert.
"The energy fluctuation signature has been analyzed!" The Lich in charge of Demon Network monitoring trembled with flickering soul-fire. "It is an extremely ancient, profoundly deep spatial rift phenomenon, accompanied by high-dimensional information turbulence! It does not resemble a natural occurrence; it is more like the 'awakening'... or 'descension' of some entity!"
Has an ancient being awakened in the Thousand-Eyed Abyss?
Or... has something arrived from beyond the Abyss?
Either scenario could spell annihilation for the Commonwealth, which had only just entered a phase of rapid development.
Lin Mo stood before a massive map, his gaze fixed on the western region—marked in dark gray with almost no detailed information. In the ancient forbidden legends of the Demon Realm, the Thousand-Eyed Abyss was a resting place for terrifying entities older than Demon Lords and closer to the world's origin. Even he had deliberately avoided the area during previous technical surveys; the rule fluctuations emanating from it felt obscure and dangerous, even to him.
The "investment" from "Observer Zero" had just arrived, and the Thousand-Eyed Abyss immediately stirred?
A coincidence?
He did not believe in coincidences.
"The core objective of Project Ark," Lin Mo turned to face the grim-faced (for those who had faces) demon talents, his voice clear and calm, "is to preserve the spark of our civilization and ensure the survival of core technologies and knowledge if the Commonwealth faces an unavoidable, catastrophic destruction."
He paused, then added, "Its priority overrides all current development projects."
The demons were shocked. Preserve the spark? Ensure inheritance? Had their Lord assessed the crisis as being this severe?
" The plan has two components," Lin Mo continued with his deployment.
1. Construction of the "Spark Repository": To be built deep in the Forsaken Lands, beneath the bedrock of the former Soul-Eating Marsh. Using the latest materials and technology, we will construct an absolutely defensive fortress. Inside, it will store all the Commonwealth's core technical data, genetic banks (primarily samples of various demons), critical resources, and... some core members.
2. Design of the "Wandering Ark": The goal is to build a super vehicle capable of long-term interplanar travel, ecological self-sufficiency, and stealth. Its energy core will use Star Liquid technology, its defense system will integrate Spatial Foundation Runes, and its internal ecosystem will simulate the optimal environment of the Demon Realm... This is a long-term project, but preliminary design and key technological research must begin immediately.
With the order issued, the entire Commonwealth—just cheering over its technological breakthrough—swiftly shifted into a completely different mode of operation: heavy yet highly efficient.
Large numbers of engineering demons and resources were deployed to the depths of the Forsaken Lands. The latest Obsidian Steel was prioritized for reinforcing the Spark Repository's outer shell, while complex composite defensive formations and spatial labyrinths were etched layer by layer. Technical data was categorized, compressed, encrypted, and inscribed onto special information-storage crystals derived from the All-Source Crystal technology. Tissue samples from various demons were carefully collected and cryopreserved.
Meanwhile, in a top-secret design studio led personally by Lin Mo, the Commonwealth's most elite formation masters, material scientists, and energy engineers began conceptualizing the Wandering Ark. The blueprints took shape as a colossal prototype blending the Demon Realm's rugged style with cutting-edge spatial technology—its design standards so high that even the participating demon talents felt overwhelmed.
The entire Commonwealth was like a disturbed ant colony: on the surface, production and construction continued, but beneath the scenes, silent yet resolute preparations were underway for an unknown, potentially apocalyptic threat.
Inevitably, a sense of oppression and tension spread among the lower-ranking demons. Although no official announcement about the crisis was made, the abnormal resource allocation, the lockdown of core areas, and the undisguised gravity of the senior demons all made ordinary demons feel the impending storm.
Yet, in the midst of this all-hands-on-deck tension, the energy fluctuations from the Thousand-Eyed Abyss—after persisting for days and reaching a terrifying peak—suddenly and without warning, began to subside.
No ancient being descended with overwhelming power, nor did hordes of terrifying abyssal demons surge forth.
The region fell silent once more, as if the previous violent fluctuations had been nothing but an illusion.
"The fluctuations... are gone?" In the Demon Network Monitoring Center, the Lich supervisor stared at the now-calm detection runes, disbelief in his voice.
"Is this a temporary lull... or the end?" a demon administrator asked.
The sudden release of their taut nerves brought not relief, but deeper doubt and unease.
Lin Mo stood at the top floor of the Administrative Center, gazing westward. His spiritual sense could detect that the rule layer of that region now contained some... discordant "impurities"—like a drop of discolored oil in clear water. Though they had not spread yet, they were undeniably real.
"The preparation progress of Project Ark remains unchanged," he issued a new order. "The crisis has not been resolved; only its form is unknown."
He paused, then continued, "Additionally, establish the 'External Exploration and Cultural Exchange Office'."
The name of this new department stunned all the demons. External exploration? Cultural exchange? At a time like this?
" Its objective," Lin Mo's gaze remained fixed on the west, his tone flat yet resolute, "is to proactively engage with the Thousand-Eyed Abyss."
"Find out what has changed there, understand the connection between 'Observer Zero' and this recent disturbance, and... evaluate the possibility of applying the 'Chaos Purification Sequence' to a broader realm."
Rather than passively waiting for the guillotine to fall—whenever that might be—he would take the initiative to reach out and touch the dangerous unknown.
This time, he would go personally.