Chapter 38 Ritual Interference

The space-time rift surged with a purplish-black halo, resembling an ulcerated wound ripped open in the universe. Faint shrieks akin to twisted metal echoed from within, as if space-time itself were crying out in agonizing pain. The "Disruptor" operation team, led by Lin Yu and Su Yao, piloted a modified dark matter shuttle. The energy patterns on the hull's surface flared with a crimson micro-glow in sync with the engine's roar, like a poisoned dagger abruptly piercing the azure barrier of the quantum tunnel. The shuttle's instrument panel emitted rapid alarm sounds, indicating abnormal fluctuations in the surrounding spatial curvature. Outside the porthole, the ritual space station suspended in the center of the asteroid belt lay dormant like an ancient mechanical giant spider. Eight energy pillars wrapped in electric arcs pierced straight into the firmament, crackling and continuously striking the surrounding floating debris. At the apex, the space-time prism twisted the surrounding light at a visible speed, emitting a high-frequency hum that made everyone's eardrums ache and caused their teeth to vibrate slightly. On the periphery of the space station, the translucent energy shield rippled like water waves, and numerous patrol matrices composed of drones shuttled outside the shield. Their searchlight beams swept like the probing gaze of the Grim Death, weaving an airtight alert net in the dark, while the sound of the drone propellers cutting through the air sounded exceptionally harsh in the silent universe.

"Activate electromagnetic camouflage, power to 120%," Lin Yu's voice came through the throat mic, carrying an imperceptible hoarseness as his fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of his tactical goggles, betraying his inner tension. The surface of the team members' nano-stealth suits instantly flickered with fine blue light, merging eerily with the surrounding environment under the cover of the asteroid's shadow. When only a hundred meters remained from the shield, Su Yao abruptly raised her hand to signal a halt. Data streams danced wildly in her pupils within the tactical goggles, and her breathing grew rapid and heavy. "Bioelectric induction matrix detected; conventional infiltration will trigger a triple alert." She quickly retrieved a black device covered in intricate wiring from her tactical backpack, her slender fingers moving like agile butterflies to rapidly disassemble and reassemble the circuit board, her fingernails turning slightly pale from exertion as she converted it into a bioelectric signal generator synchronized with the space station. During the modification, her tactical goggles continuously popped up warning windows, indicating that the enemy detection system was upgrading.

Just as Su Yao was tuning the equipment, a patrol drone suddenly veered, its thrusters emitting a teal plume of exhaust like a mechanical falcon that had caught the scent of its prey, and swooped down toward the asteroid where they were hiding. The roar of the drone's engine grew closer and closer. Lin Yu's finger locked tightly onto the pulse rifle trigger, his breath condensing into white mist on his mask, and he could clearly hear the violent pounding of his own heart. "Three, two, one..." The instant the blue light erupted, the drone exploded mid-air into a brilliant ball of fireworks, but the energy shockwave from the explosion acted like a stone thrown into water, instantly alerting the entire patrol grid. Hundreds of drones swarmed in, their searchlight beams blazing like daylight, exposing them completely. One of the drones grazed past the shuttle, leaving a deep gouge on the hull as alarms blared wildly.

"Break through by force!" Lin Yu's roar tore through the silence, and the shuttle charged toward the shield like an arrow released from a bow. The extreme heat generated by the hull's friction with the air formed a ring of fire around it. Su Yao violently jammed the modified device into the shield interface, blue electric arcs dancing wildly across her fingertips, sending a sharp jolt of pain up her arm. With a blinding flash, a fleeting breach was torn open in the shield. The team members poured through one by one, only to run headlong into two rows of mechanical guards. These guards were entirely covered in obsidian-like alloy armor, and the scorching energy streams spewing from the particle cannons on their chests melted ferocious grooves into the bulkheads. Molten metal dripped onto the floor with a sizzling sound. Lin Yu rolled on the ground, the sparks kicked up by bullets striking the armor flying past his cheek and searing his skin with a painful heat. He could even smell the scent of his own burning flesh. "Attack the joints! Those are the weak points of the hydraulic transmission!" His roar carried a trace of urgency as the team members' attacks were having very little effect.

The alarms inside the space station were deafening, the red warning lights dyeing the entire corridor in blood. Amidst the flickering light and shadow, it felt like being cast into hell. Lin Yu and Su Yao provided cover for each other, leading the team members forward toward the core area while fighting. Every step forward required dodging energy beams like a torrent, and the metal floor beneath their feet grew scorching hot after being struck by the energy beams. When they finally kicked open the alloy heavy doors of the main control room, the sight before them made everyone's blood run cold—the space-time prism, a hundred meters in diameter, was spinning at an accelerated rate, and the crystal array floating inside emitted an eerie purple glow. Within the purple light, countless distorted human faces seemed to struggle in agony. Dozens of robed figures chanted around the console, and the leader slowly turned around. Half of his robotic face cast a cold metallic luster in the dim light, and a mocking arc curled at the corner of his mouth. "Your struggle merely accelerates the collapse of space-time." His voice was as harsh as metal scraping against metal, carrying a chilling arrogance.

His response was the roar of the pulse rifle in Lin Yu's hand. The robed figure flashed and vanished on the spot. Simultaneously, a dense laser net crashed down from the ceiling, and the floor cracked open to reveal mechanical tentacles covered in barbs. At the critical moment, Su Yao hurled an electromagnetic pulse grenade. Amidst a blinding white flash, a series of electrical sparks burst from the console, and the rotation speed of the space-time prism visibly slowed. However, the robed figure emitted a harsh mechanical laugh, waving his arm as more guards equipped with plasma cutting blades poured in from all directions. The piercing shriek of the blades slicing through the air sounded like the death knell of the Grim Reaper. A team member failed to dodge in time and was grazed on the arm by a plasma cutting blade, instantly tearing the flesh and sending blood spurting out.

Amidst the deadly barrage interwoven with energy beams and bullets, Lin Yu and his team pushed forward with difficulty against the blistering heat wave. With every step forward, a comrade fell; with every shot fired, their dwindling ammunition was further depleted. Lin Yu's pulse rifle grew scalding hot from continuous firing, making it almost impossible to grip the weapon. The hum of the space-time prism grew increasingly rapid, its purple light almost swallowing the entire control room. The energy fluctuations emanating from the light caused the team's tactical goggles to frequently flicker with static interference. Lin Yu wiped the blood and grime from his face, exchanging a glance with Su Yao. In both of their eyes burned a resolute flame—they had to completely destroy this space-time-devouring demon before the passage opened. At that moment, fine cracks began to appear on the floor of the control room, and eerie black mist seeped from the fissures, portending the escalating instability of space-time.