Inside the Water Curtain Cave, the babbling of a stream masked most of the outside noise, and the faint glow of moss cast flickering shadows on the damp rock walls. Raymond sat leaning against the wall, holding the defunct "Sky-Patroller" rifle Energy Core that Crow had given him, closing his eyes and concentrating.
He was performing Crow's "homework" – to "feel" this Energy Core by simulating its internal frequency, without triggering Divine Authority. This wasn't for repairing it (Crow had explicitly stated it was far beyond their capabilities), but the most basic control training. It was like using one's thoughts to lightly touch a cold stone, feeling every bump and hollow without moving it an inch.
His concentration was intense, his consciousness like the finest tendril, wrapping around the dead structure within the Energy Core. He could "see" the complex, broken energy circuits inside, and feel a deep sense of past glory and present stillness. This sensation was extremely mentally taxing, and fine sweat soon beaded on his forehead.
Time trickled by. Just as he felt his mental energy about to be exhausted and was preparing to give up on one attempt, his consciousness inadvertently brushed over an extremely tiny secondary circuit node, almost covered by dust –
Hmm…
A faint resonance, as if from the depths of his soul, sounded!
It wasn't the Energy Core in his hand, but… the dim, cracked, pale golden orb deep within his consciousness! It had actually pulsed, weakly and on its own, echoing in an ineffable way with that dead node!
At the same time, the broken God Race Interface in his vision flickered violently, like a faulty screen, displaying a line of extremely brief and incomplete text:
[...detected...Race...creation...relic...resonance...]
[...system...stability...increased...0.01%...]
The text vanished instantly, and the interface returned to its dim state.The Energy Core in his hand also showed no change; it was still a waste stone.
But Raymond's heart leaped!
System stability increased? Even if only by a negligible 0.01%! And because of "relic resonance" with a creation of the God Race?
He suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Crow, who was adjusting a crude radio device not far away.
"Crow." His voice was hoarse with excitement.
Crow didn't look up, her fingers expertly adjusting a knob. The radio crackled with static, mixed with unintelligible languages and electromagnetic noise. "Speak."
"Besides Energy Suppression, does the God Race… or rather, do relics or creations related to them, have any effect on my… state?" He chose his words carefully.
Crow's finger paused slightly on the knob. She was silent for a few seconds before slowly turning her head, her silver-gray eyes exceptionally deep under the moss light. "What did you feel?"
Raymond didn't hide anything. He described the momentary resonance and the detected increase in system stability, omitting the exact figures and only emphasizing the feeling of "a trace of recovery."
Crow listened quietly, her face expressionless, but a sharp glint seemed to flash deep in her eyes.
"It seems my guess was right," she said, putting down her tools. She walked up to Raymond, squatted down, and met his gaze. "What you gained wasn't a dead object, but a... 'Seed', or rather, an authority that needs specific 'Nutrient' to grow."
She pointed at the defunct Energy Core in Raymond's hand. "These God Race relics may be more than just weapons or tools to you. They are the Keys for you to recover your strength, and even to understand the nature of the 'trouble' you have."
This information sent shockwaves through Raymond. He had always regarded Divine Authority as a tool or weapon powered by energy, never imagining that it might be a living thing that needed to "grow," and the "Nutrient" for its growth was scattered throughout this Rotten Mire, a former Heritage Planet of the God Race!
"So, searching for God Race relics isn't just about finding clues or technology to leave..." Raymond murmured to himself.
"It's also about making yourself... whole," Crow finished his sentence, her tone carrying a cold certainty. "This explains why the 'Observers' and the Secret Ring Society are so interested in you. A growing 'God's Chosen' means far too much."
She stood up and walked back to the radio, her back appearing somewhat somber. "This is both good news and bad news. The good news is, you have a clear path to getting stronger. The bad news is, your 'scent' will become increasingly 'sweet' to certain entities as you come into contact with relics."
Just then, the crackling radio suddenly transmitted a relatively clear, albeit fragmented, broadcast in Universal Tongue, translated by the converter:
"...repeat...this is 'Rust Merchant' Kadom...three days later...'Bone Pass'...northwest slope...trading post open...offering weapons, ammunition, medicine, information...buying all items of value...including...ancient technological creations...price...negotiable...repeat..."
The broadcast played on a loop.
Raymond and Crow exchanged a glance.
"Ancient technological creations..." Raymond quietly repeated the keywords from the broadcast.
"Kadom..." Crow narrowed her eyes slightly. "A cunning rat, but his information is usually reliable, and he occasionally has good stuff. Most importantly, his trading post isn't too far from a known, small 'Observer' node."
Her gaze fell on Raymond, weighing and calculating. "Your injuries still need time. But we might be able to take a risk. Not for trade, but to... verify."
"Verify what?"
"To verify if your 'resonance' ability is effective against 'Observer' nodes," Crow's lips curved into a cold smile. "If we can interfere with or even destroy one, we'll gain more time for safe operations. If not..."
She didn't finish, but Raymond understood what that meant.
"This is very dangerous," Raymond stated as a fact.
"There are no safe options in the Rotten Mire, only varying degrees of risk," Crow began adjusting the radio again, tuning it to another channel filled with encrypted static. "Rest. Tomorrow, we need to prepare for this 'verification'. You need to master Energy Suppression faster, and I need to get a more detailed map of 'Bone Pass' and the activity patterns of the 'Observer' nodes."
The cave fell silent again, with only the sound of the stream and the static from the radio.
Raymond clenched the cold, defunct Energy Core in his hand, feeling the still dim, yet seemingly more alive due to the new discovery, authority orb deep within his consciousness.
The road ahead was still shrouded in mist, fraught with danger. But this time, he was no longer passively fleeing and struggling. He had a goal, a direction that might allow him to truly begin controlling his own destiny – to actively seek out the God Race "Nutrient" scattered throughout the Rotten Mire.
And the "Bone Pass" three days later would be his first trial ground.