The scorching sun hung high, baking every grain of sand in the desert, as if trying to burn the earth to ashes. Su Na, Li Chuan, and Xiao Bai rode their sand bikes across the endless dunes, drawing closer to the wreckage of the Command Ship of the Unification Bureau.

Debris lay scattered everywhere, and shards of metal reflected blinding rays. Smoke still rose from the fractured hull, and the air carried a faint scent of charred remains.

“We’ve arrived,” Li Chuan said softly, eyes fixed on the wreckage ahead.

The three halted their bikes. Xiao Bai immediately pulled out a device, his fingers swiftly gliding across the screen. The data appeared quickly, and his expression turned grim in an instant.

“I found the source of the interference.” He pointed behind a collapsed piece of metal. “There’s a jamming device there. It’s not only blocking our communication signals, but it’s also disrupting energy waves, hiding our location.”

Bang! Bang! Two shots rang out, and Su Na lowered her gun. “Handled.”

A crisp notification sound chimed, and the trio eagerly opened their communicators to check the unread messages.

“Congratulations on destroying the Command Ship. Unification Bureau forces are retreating. He Ling has fallen... Noah—the Reconstructor—fused her with himself. He said... he’s completing his evolution.”

A heavy silence fell over them.

Xiao Bai’s hands trembled slightly as he rasped, “He Ling… she really… sacrificed herself.”

He Ling—both mentor and friend. The sense of loss spread from his chest to his fingertips, leaving him drained. Xiao Bai stood there, dazed, his eyes hollow. All he could see was He Ling’s smile, that unyielding grin that would never grace her face again.

Li Chuan clenched his fists, muttering a low curse, “Damn it…”

His knuckles turned white, as if he was trying to grasp something invisible, attempting to undo the irreparable. He had promised He Ling they’d fight side by side. Now, she was gone. The unkept promise stabbed at his heart, a painful mix of sorrow and helplessness tearing him apart.

Su Na lowered her head as silent tears fell, the strong façade she had maintained finally crumbling.

He Ling had always been the one she trusted most—her mentor and her friend. Her hands trembled as she clung tightly to her sleeves, trying in vain to keep herself from breaking. The image of He Ling on the training grounds flashed in her mind—the woman who always said, “Fighting isn’t for victory, it’s to survive.”

She reached out, placing a hand on Xiao Bai’s shoulder. Though she was crumbling inside, she knew Xiao Bai needed support.

After a brief silence, Su Na took a deep breath, her voice shaky. “Noah… he’s not just a robot anymore. He has consciousness now.”

Xiao Bai choked back his emotions, remaining silent for a moment before lifting his head, eyes filled with confusion. “What… is he now?”

Li Chuan didn’t respond immediately, his brow furrowed as if deep in thought.

Su Na gently patted Xiao Bai’s shoulder, wiping the tears from her face. Though the pain still echoed within her, they couldn’t stop now.

He Ling’s sacrifice couldn’t be in vain. Taking a deep breath, she suppressed the grief in her heart and whispered, “We have to keep moving.” Her voice was resolute, as if it was the only path forward.

The wind howled as dust scattered underfoot. Li Chuan’s gaze swept the surroundings, searching for a clue. Just then, his foot hit something glowing faintly in the sand.

“This isn’t an ordinary module,” Xiao Bai said softly, looking up at Su Na and Li Chuan. “It looks like it was separated from some system... maybe related to the Unification Bureau’s experiments.”

Su Na stepped closer, her brow furrowed. “Connect the device. Let’s see if we can pull the data.”

Xiao Bai quickly pulled out a portable decoder and connected the energy module to it. Lines of data began to flash across the screen.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Moments later, a sharp electronic beep echoed. Xiao Bai glanced down at the screen, his frown deepening. “Wait… I’ve seen this before in the Moon Base’s experiment footage, that green light...”

“That’s right,” Li Chuan affirmed.

Strange geometric patterns flickered on the screen, drawing their attention. Su Na’s face paled as her eyes locked onto the symbols, as if she was seeing something unimaginable.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck her head, causing her to stumble. She pressed her hand against her forehead, struggling to recall fragments of a memory.

Her voice trembled, confused. “I… I think I’ve seen these symbols somewhere before.”

Li Chuan moved closer, concern in his eyes. “Where?”

“In the Kingdom of Sha Yue... during a mission a few years ago, I saw these patterns in a ruin.” Su Na’s voice grew quieter, as if she were talking to herself, and the confusion in her eyes gradually turned into fear. The fragments of past memories, the underground caverns, the ruins, and these symbols overlapped in her mind.

Xiao Bai continued sifting through the data, his tone growing more serious. “The Unification Bureau… they’re trying to use these symbols to activate some kind of ancient energy!”

Li Chuan looked at Su Na, his gaze intense. “The energy source in that ruin... it might be the core of their experiments.”

As they delved deeper into analyzing the experimental data, the low rumble of engines approached, kicking up clouds of dust in the distance.

The sound of off-road vehicles grew louder, and Li Chuan, Su Na, and Xiao Bai took cover in the wreckage. Su Na caught sight of a familiar face among the approaching group—Lao Zhao!

She quickly interrupted Li Chuan’s defensive stance. “That’s Lao Zhao!”

Li Chuan paused, dropping his attack posture. They exchanged a glance, immediately realizing the approaching group wasn’t the enemy—it was an ally. Su Na stood up from behind cover, calling out to the leader of the Awakened.

“Lao Zhao! It’s us!”

Lao Zhao signaled his team to stop upon hearing Su Na’s voice. The Sha Yue Kingdom’s Awakened fighters eased out of their battle stances. He walked over, a proud smile on his face, though his eyes carried a hint of curiosity.

Lao Zhao stomped lightly on the wreckage, chuckling. “So, this mess was your doing?”

Li Chuan grinned, “Of course! With your Rupert flyer.”

Su Na chimed in, smiling, “Fast and steady, perfect hit!”

Lao Zhao’s grin grew wider, just about to boast about his handiwork.

Xiao Bai, in his usual calm demeanor, added, “Though… that escape pod was pretty sturdy. Almost threw us out.”

Lao Zhao froze, his lips twitching slightly. “You… crashed my flyer into the Command Ship?”

Li Chuan laughed. “Worked like a charm.”

Su Na nodded. “Spectacular results.”

Lao Zhao rubbed his forehead, sighing in dismay. “Ah, my Rupert flyer... Talk about ‘making the most of it’—you used it as a battering ram…”

Sha Yue Kingdom’s Awakened leader, Zhang Nan, glanced at Lao Zhao. “They’re your people?”

Lao Zhao nodded, his tone light. “Yep, I mentioned them before—Li Chuan, Su Na.”

The convoy stopped, and Lao Zhao approached Li Chuan and Su Na. Behind him, the Awakened troops quickly unloaded their equipment.

It turned out that Lao Zhao had made contact with the Sha Yue Awakened after leaving the undersea cave, and a new plan was in motion.

“The Rupert’s Tear bombs and Rupert firearms are ready.” Lao Zhao’s voice was low but brimming with confidence. “This time, we’ll show the Unification Bureau what true suppression looks like.”

Li Chuan furrowed his brow, skepticism in his voice. “Are these weapons really going to change the tide of battle?”

Lao Zhao’s lips curled into a confident smirk. “Not only will they turn the tide, but they’ll also completely destroy the Unification Bureau’s defenses. The Rupert’s Tear bombs and firearms we’ve got will make their energy shields useless.”

Lao Zhao held up a Rupert’s Tear bomb, cradling it in his palm. It resembled a teardrop, crystal clear, flawless, and gleaming faintly with cold light.

“You’d never imagine something so beautiful could be the deadliest weapon on the battlefield.” He smiled faintly, his voice deep and full of confidence.

“The explosion isn’t powered by traditional explosives.” Lao Zhao tapped the bomb, the crisp sound echoing. “Its core is a high-pressure stress system, using special crystal structures compressed during manufacturing. It looks fragile, but it’s tough.”

He paused before continuing, “When it detonates, the internal stress releases instantly. It’s not just an explosion, but a collapse of extreme energy. Imagine a Rupert’s Tear—its shell is hard, but if the tip breaks, the entire structure collapses, unleashing a powerful shockwave. This energy far surpasses traditional explosives.”

Lao Zhao pointed to the fine cracks on the bomb’s surface. “It doesn’t just pierce energy shields. Upon impact, it collapses in a specific way, obliterating everything around it.”

He glanced at the distant battlefield, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes. “No matter how strong their shields are, they can’t withstand the destructive force of this stress collapse.”

Li Chuan and Su Na exchanged a long look before sighing. “We finally have weapons that can challenge them.”

Su Na nodded, pausing to reflect before adding, “Their defenses are strong, but we need to ensure the results are decisive—it’s not just about destroying the base.”

Lao Zhao nodded gravely. “Exactly. Our real target is the Unification Bureau’s ‘Green Light Project.’”

Zhang Nan pointed to a marked spot on the map, his tone grim. “This is the core of the ‘Green Light Project.’ The Unification Bureau is manipulating the sun’s spectrum to control human thoughts and memories. If we destroy this facility, we’ll have a chance to reverse it, restoring the sun’s normal light.”

Li Chuan stared at the map, then at the eerie green glow that hung over the horizon. The sun’s light was cold and twisted, like an invisible shackle looming over them.

He gripped his weapon tighter, a single thought in his mind: This time, they had to win.