Chapter 46 Energy Backlash

The moment the final crystal snapped seamlessly into its groove, the entire space station's metallic framework emitted a high-frequency shudder, resembling the agonizing death wail of an ancient behemoth. The rampaging spacetime conduit erupted with an ear-splitting screech, and purple energy churned furiously like boiling liquid dark matter, its surface rippling with bizarre, distorted ancient runes. Suddenly, a blinding beam of white light tore through the void. The runaway spacetime energy, akin to a burst galactic river carrying the aura of absolute annihilation, surged backward into the mysterious organization's base. Along its path, the air was scorched by intense heat into a ghostly blue, crackling with explosive snaps.

The core area of the altar bore the brunt of the impact. The shockwave generated by the energy backlash resembled a world-ending tsunami, instantly engulfing the figures in black robes with visible ripples of air pressure. Their bodies crashed like severed marionettes against the metallic bulkheads, protective gear disintegrating inch by inch under the quantum-level energy bombardment. Muffled crunches of shattering bones mingled with piercing screams in a continuous cacophony. One of the robed figures was violently hurled into the air by the blast wave, slamming heavily back-first against the sharp edge of an energy console. His spine emitted a teeth-setting snap, and blood gushed from the corners of his mouth like a fountain. The leader of the mysterious organization had his mechanical prosthesis twisted into a pretzel amidst the turbulent vortex; splattering electric arcs instantly ignited his black robe. His roar, reeking of charred flesh, was completely drowned out by successive explosions. He struggled futilely within the flames as his mechanical joints grated harshly in the intense heat, seeming ready to fall apart at any moment.

The interior of the base plunged into a doomsday tableau. The flickering consoles suddenly erupted with a nuclear-blast-like blinding blue light, and boiling magma gushed along the wiring circuits. Twisted metallic cables whipped through the air like frenzied crimson serpents, before dropping with a wet thud onto the floor, burning smoking holes into the ground. The energy shield generator emitted a death rattle, its crimson casing melting into a waterfall of molten iron; each dropping glob dissolved a smoking deep pool into the ground, from which bizarre purple mists ceaselessly ascended. The maglev tracks of the transport conduit twisted into grotesque spirals, and cargo containers laden with antimatter collided out of control. Successive miniature nuclear detonations transformed the corridor into a sea of fire, the searing heat wave tearing everything in its path to atoms. Shattered metal fragments rained in all directions; a fleeing member of the mysterious organization had his throat slit by a razor-sharp shard of metal, his blood painting a startling crimson arc across the bulkhead.

The strike team suffered devastating blows as well. The instant Lin Yu was slammed into the bulkhead by the shockwave, a pain akin to a fractured spine flared through him. Innumerable golden stars exploded before his vision, and warm blood seeped simultaneously from his nasal passages and ears. Biting down on the tip of his tongue to maintain consciousness through the taste of blood, his mouth filled with a metallic tang. He pushed himself up laboriously against the warped wall, the blood rising in his throat blending with a hoarse roar that blasted through his communicator: "Assault through the chaos! Destroy it completely!" Ignoring the ringing in their ears and the discomfort of bleeding noses, the team members emerged one by one from behind charred barricades. Team member Xiao Zhang’s tactical goggles were shattered by the shockwave, glass shards slicing his cheek, but he merely wiped his face casually, letting the blood drip down his chin while his eyes blazed with unwavering combat spirit.

Su Yao moved through the chaotic battlefield like a black phantom. Locking onto an overloaded energy core, she vaulted into the air, riding the shockwave of an explosion, and drove her shock dagger precisely into the device's heart. A violent blast hurled her several meters away; upon landing, she rolled to evade splattering molten slag, her tactical boots hissing deep sparks across the scorching metal floor as the soles melted entirely from the heat. Ignoring her scraped knees, she immediately locked onto her next target, the blue arc of her dagger flickering intermittently through thick smoke. As she passed a burning piece of equipment, stray flames singed her hair, instantly curling it into black smoke. Without a moment's hesitation, she ripped off her tactical headscarf, smothered the fire, and plunged right back into the fight.

Ah Ken and his armor-piercing squad used heavy firearms to blast open blocking guards, every shot sending stinging pain through their shoulder guards while burn marks and bullet holes steadily multiplied on their protective suits. Squad member Da Liu had his arm grazed by a bullet, blood soaking through his sleeve, but he simply wrapped it in a makeshift bandage to staunch the flow and continued pushing forward with the squad toward the command hub. As they passed a collapsed corridor, lingering forces from the mysterious organization suddenly lunged from the ruins, plunging both sides into fierce close-quarters combat. Ah Ken swung the butt of his assault rifle, smashing it into an enemy's head with a sickening crunch of bone, and the foe collapsed instantly.

The members of the mysterious organization plunged into total madness. Some rolled agonizingly in the flames, desperately trying to extinguish the quantum fire clinging to their skin, which sizzled horribly and released a sickening stench of charred flesh; technicians hammered frantically at sparking consoles, their fingers blistering from flying sparks in a futile attempt to halt the system collapse. More fled in terrified shrieks, only to be swallowed whole by collapsing facilities and runaway machinery. A female operative tripped while running, and a runaway mechanical arm behind her mercilessly dragged her into its gears, leaving behind only a shrill scream and a patch of blood.

Yet the crisis was far from over. The spacetime turbulence raged through the base like an ancient beast broke free from its cage. Wherever it swept, the air warped into bizarre Klein-bottle shapes, and sturdy titanium alloy walls were brutally ripped apart to reveal the crazed, gushing energy fluids within. The fluids formed massive vortexes in the air, devouring everything in their vicinity. The team members leapt and maneuvered agilely through the gaps in the turbulence, dodging fatal spacetime strangulation while continuing their sabotage mission. Lin Yu gazed at the ceaselessly collapsing base, the raging infernal light reflecting in his tactical goggles. He knew deeply that in this race against time, the slightest misstep would mean absolute damnation. Every breath was laced with the pungent scent of cordite, and every movement required agonizing caution, lest the next second swallow them into the spacetime vortex.