Chapter 61: The Secret Debriefing
The war zone's debriefing conference room was located in the basement of the main military building. The entire room had undergone multiple layers of psychic insulation treatment. The walls were made of thickened alloy, and even the lighting had been specially calibrated to avoid interference with the Sea of Consciousness. Few people were permitted to enter this room. Aside from the surviving representatives of the Green Rock Rift mission, the attendees included a major general from the Panshi City war zone, two researchers from the Psychic Research Institute, and several operations staff officers.
Both ends of the long table were fully occupied, and the air was heavy and oppressive. On the projection screen on the desktop, the battlefield footage transmitted from inside the rift and the complete set of psychic waveform maps saved by Su Qing were playing on a loop, with dense curves undulating and intersecting on the screen.
The major who had previously led the team into the rift was the first to stand and report. He completely recounted the entire process of the exploration mission, from departure and entering the rift to the encirclement and arduous breakout. He did not deliberately exaggerate the brutality; he simply reported the casualty figures objectively: twenty-seven entered the rift, thirteen withdrew, fourteen were killed in action, and six were severely wounded.
When the numbers fell, the conference room fell completely silent.
A researcher wearing glasses reached out and swiped the screen, pausing on the waveform during the synchronized attack of the beast tide. "Everyone, look here. Multiple psychic sources are interconnected, and commands are issued synchronously. The charge, flanking, and division of the squad by the beast swarm were all uniformly dispatched. In the past, the signals from high-tier scaled beast swarms we observed radiated outward from a single central point, which is completely different from this record."
The major general lightly pressed his fingertips against his chin, his gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally landing on Lin Yan. "Lin Yan, the battlefield report records that you captured the brief blind spot of the enemy's psychic network synchronization, interfered with the node, and created an opportunity for the breakout. Tell us in detail about all the details you perceived at that time. Do not omit anything."
Lin Yan sat upright, his expression calm, and slowly spoke without exaggeration or concealment.
"After entering the rift cluster, I released extremely fine mental tentacles to explore and discovered that a large-scale psychic network was laid across the entire area, with more than one psychic control node. Multiple nodes were interconnected, sharing computing power and uniformly dispatching all scaled beasts. They were not merely exhibiting simple biological herd sensing. Information was transmitted between the nodes to adjust tactics and allocate the beast swarm's forces."
He paused briefly, continuing to describe his feelings on the battlefield.
"The advantage of this network is that, unlike a single controller, it will not experience long-term lag due to computing power overload. However, whenever they make large-scale tactical switches, all nodes must complete a signal synchronization. In that instant of synchronization, the network will experience an extremely brief blind spot, which is the most vulnerable moment of the entire psychic link. I seized that exact moment to disturb one of the intermediate nodes and disrupt the flow of commands."
An operations staff officer frowned and asked, "Are you saying that these signal nodes are some kind of intelligent entity? Not second-tier or third-tier scaled beasts?"
"Based solely on psychic perception, I cannot confirm the true body," Lin Yan answered honestly. "But from the dispatch logic, it seems more like an existence capable of thinking, planning, and weighing gains and losses. Ordinary scaled beasts do not have the ability to build a cross-regional, multi-node coordinated command network, nor would they deliberately set up traps to lure our reconnaissance squad into the rift and hunt us down in batches."
Su Qing stood up promptly and pulled up another set of data retained by the detector. "There is one more point. In the two ambushes before and after, the target was prioritized to lock onto Lin Yan. During the encirclement battle at the Green Rock Rift, while the beast swarm was attacking, the enemy separately allocated thirty percent of its computing power to release psychic suppression specifically targeting Lin Yan. If it were merely a herd instinct cluster hunt, they would not precisely lock onto a single individual and prioritize targeting one specific person in the squad."
Old Chen also supplemented the battlefield details, explaining the beast swarm's tactics of dividing, encircling, and targeting the weak before the strong. Every step carried a clear strategy, absolutely not the frenzied pouncing of wild beasts.
After the three finished speaking, low discussions began in the conference room. The researchers repeatedly compared the new and old archives and projected the smeared exploration remnant page from twenty-one years ago onto the screen. The guess left by the exploration team back then was now corroborated by the battlefield phenomena described by the three of them today.
"The evidence is still indirect," a staff officer calmly reminded. "The psychic waveforms can only prove the existence of multi-source psychic coordination. We still cannot directly photograph or capture the intelligent alien race underground. Based solely on this, reporting an underground alien invasion to the headquarters of the six war zones is too hasty. Once misjudged, it will affect the resources of the entire defense line."
The major general nodded slightly. "I understand the risks. The high command has already decided to assemble a covert exploration squad to delve deep into the Green Rock Rift to search for direct physical evidence. The squad will not have many members; they are all elites with a Sea of Consciousness above the fourth tier. The mission is highly confidential."
Saying this, he raised his eyes to look at the three of them. "In the two missions, you have a unique perception experience of this psychic network. The war zone asks for your willingness: are you willing to join this exploration squad as frontline reconnaissance members and accompany the team deep into the rift? The mission risk is extremely high. There is no mandatory requirement; you may consider it carefully."
Lin Yan's gaze flickered. This was exactly the opportunity he had been waiting for. Only by going deep into the rift's hinterland would he have the chance to see the Lizardmen with his own eyes and obtain decisive evidence capable of shaking the entire war zone's cognition.
"We are willing," Lin Yan said without much hesitation.
Old Chen and Su Qing looked at each other and nodded together.
"Very well," the major general said in a deep voice. "This matter is strictly confidential. Except for those in this conference room, you must not reveal the existence of the exploration squad to anyone. After three days, complete your physical examinations and Sea of Consciousness re-examinations, and then begin specialized training."
The debriefing meeting continued, and everyone discussed a series of matters such as rift monitoring and adjustments to the outer perimeter defenses. When the meeting ended, the three walked out of the underground conference room and returned to the sanatorium along the corridor.
The lighting in the corridor was cold, stretching their shadows very long.
"We finally got the ticket to go deep into the rift," Su Qing said in a low voice, filled with emotion. "This time, we have the opportunity to see the alien race controlling the scaled beasts with our own eyes."
Old Chen's expression was solemn. "But it also means we are stepping into their home ground. The underground is the nest of the Lizardmen, and the psychic network covers the rock strata. They can set up countless traps in advance. The danger of this mission far exceeds any previous one."
Lin Yan walked slowly, his mind sinking into his Sea of Consciousness, silently feeling the psychic power within his body. After two consecutive life-and-death battles, the barrier at the second-tier peak had trembled continuously, and its foundation had been accumulated to the extreme. But to knock open the door to the third-tier Sea of Consciousness, he must experience a desperate situation capable of shaking his very core. This underground exploration was most likely that very opportunity.
"The enemy knows that the war zone will send people deep into the rift to investigate," Lin Yan said slowly. "The Lizardmen priests underground will soon capture the news of our joining the exploration squad through their psychic exploration threads. They will not sit idly by as we enter the core area of their nest. A larger-scale beast tide is probably already brewing."
At the same time, a thousand meters underground, in the main nest of the Lizardmen.
Inside the massive resonance rock cave, the psychic wills of dozens of Lizardmen priests intertwined. A massive psychic network extended toward the entire Green Rock Rift and even the outer wasteland. The psychic scouts transmitted intelligence from within Panshi City: humans had assembled a covert exploration squad, planning to delve deep into the rift to investigate the truth, and Lin Yan and the other two had been selected.
The chief priest's cold thoughts flowed throughout the entire resonance array.
They could not allow this exploration squad to reach the core underground area. Once humans saw the Lizardmen race with their own eyes and obtained video and physical evidence, the six war zones would immediately adjust their entire strategy, mobilizing main forces to conduct large-scale cleansing of the rifts. Their twenty-five-year invasion layout would suffer a devastating blow.
The original plan to launch a large-scale beast tide across the scope of two war zones could now be activated in advance.
The chief priest readjusted the deployment. First, a massive number of scaled beasts would be dispatched to set up multi-layered ambush circles in all branch passages of the Green Rock Rift, waiting for the exploration squad to enter. At the same time, a large batch of third-tier scaled beasts that had been dormant for a long time would be activated to launch surprise attacks on multiple warning strongholds on the outer perimeter of Panshi City.
The beast tide would be used to restrain the main forces of Panshi City, leaving the city's garrison unable to care for themselves. Once the exploration squad entered the depths of the rift, they would be completely trapped in the rock maze, and not a single one would be able to return alive.
The priests' psychic commands were transmitted to various parts of the rift along the spiderweb-like psychic links. Countless scaled beasts dormant in the rock caves woke up one after another, and low roars echoed back and forth in the pitch-black underground.
On the wasteland, the alarms at multiple outer perimeter warning stations in the war zone suddenly rang one after another. Red alert signals appeared one after another on the monitoring screens of Panshi City.
The large-scale beast tide warning was officially triggered.
The urgent alarm sounded on the broadcast in the sanatorium, repeatedly announcing the elevation of the alert level for the rift cluster.
Lin Yan stopped, raised his head to look at the towering bastion walls in the distance, and listened to the alarms sounding in his ears. His eyes were calm.
The chessboard had been fully laid out.
End of Chapter.
Both ends of the long table were fully occupied, and the air was heavy and oppressive. On the projection screen on the desktop, the battlefield footage transmitted from inside the rift and the complete set of psychic waveform maps saved by Su Qing were playing on a loop, with dense curves undulating and intersecting on the screen.
The major who had previously led the team into the rift was the first to stand and report. He completely recounted the entire process of the exploration mission, from departure and entering the rift to the encirclement and arduous breakout. He did not deliberately exaggerate the brutality; he simply reported the casualty figures objectively: twenty-seven entered the rift, thirteen withdrew, fourteen were killed in action, and six were severely wounded.
When the numbers fell, the conference room fell completely silent.
A researcher wearing glasses reached out and swiped the screen, pausing on the waveform during the synchronized attack of the beast tide. "Everyone, look here. Multiple psychic sources are interconnected, and commands are issued synchronously. The charge, flanking, and division of the squad by the beast swarm were all uniformly dispatched. In the past, the signals from high-tier scaled beast swarms we observed radiated outward from a single central point, which is completely different from this record."
The major general lightly pressed his fingertips against his chin, his gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally landing on Lin Yan. "Lin Yan, the battlefield report records that you captured the brief blind spot of the enemy's psychic network synchronization, interfered with the node, and created an opportunity for the breakout. Tell us in detail about all the details you perceived at that time. Do not omit anything."
Lin Yan sat upright, his expression calm, and slowly spoke without exaggeration or concealment.
"After entering the rift cluster, I released extremely fine mental tentacles to explore and discovered that a large-scale psychic network was laid across the entire area, with more than one psychic control node. Multiple nodes were interconnected, sharing computing power and uniformly dispatching all scaled beasts. They were not merely exhibiting simple biological herd sensing. Information was transmitted between the nodes to adjust tactics and allocate the beast swarm's forces."
He paused briefly, continuing to describe his feelings on the battlefield.
"The advantage of this network is that, unlike a single controller, it will not experience long-term lag due to computing power overload. However, whenever they make large-scale tactical switches, all nodes must complete a signal synchronization. In that instant of synchronization, the network will experience an extremely brief blind spot, which is the most vulnerable moment of the entire psychic link. I seized that exact moment to disturb one of the intermediate nodes and disrupt the flow of commands."
An operations staff officer frowned and asked, "Are you saying that these signal nodes are some kind of intelligent entity? Not second-tier or third-tier scaled beasts?"
"Based solely on psychic perception, I cannot confirm the true body," Lin Yan answered honestly. "But from the dispatch logic, it seems more like an existence capable of thinking, planning, and weighing gains and losses. Ordinary scaled beasts do not have the ability to build a cross-regional, multi-node coordinated command network, nor would they deliberately set up traps to lure our reconnaissance squad into the rift and hunt us down in batches."
Su Qing stood up promptly and pulled up another set of data retained by the detector. "There is one more point. In the two ambushes before and after, the target was prioritized to lock onto Lin Yan. During the encirclement battle at the Green Rock Rift, while the beast swarm was attacking, the enemy separately allocated thirty percent of its computing power to release psychic suppression specifically targeting Lin Yan. If it were merely a herd instinct cluster hunt, they would not precisely lock onto a single individual and prioritize targeting one specific person in the squad."
Old Chen also supplemented the battlefield details, explaining the beast swarm's tactics of dividing, encircling, and targeting the weak before the strong. Every step carried a clear strategy, absolutely not the frenzied pouncing of wild beasts.
After the three finished speaking, low discussions began in the conference room. The researchers repeatedly compared the new and old archives and projected the smeared exploration remnant page from twenty-one years ago onto the screen. The guess left by the exploration team back then was now corroborated by the battlefield phenomena described by the three of them today.
"The evidence is still indirect," a staff officer calmly reminded. "The psychic waveforms can only prove the existence of multi-source psychic coordination. We still cannot directly photograph or capture the intelligent alien race underground. Based solely on this, reporting an underground alien invasion to the headquarters of the six war zones is too hasty. Once misjudged, it will affect the resources of the entire defense line."
The major general nodded slightly. "I understand the risks. The high command has already decided to assemble a covert exploration squad to delve deep into the Green Rock Rift to search for direct physical evidence. The squad will not have many members; they are all elites with a Sea of Consciousness above the fourth tier. The mission is highly confidential."
Saying this, he raised his eyes to look at the three of them. "In the two missions, you have a unique perception experience of this psychic network. The war zone asks for your willingness: are you willing to join this exploration squad as frontline reconnaissance members and accompany the team deep into the rift? The mission risk is extremely high. There is no mandatory requirement; you may consider it carefully."
Lin Yan's gaze flickered. This was exactly the opportunity he had been waiting for. Only by going deep into the rift's hinterland would he have the chance to see the Lizardmen with his own eyes and obtain decisive evidence capable of shaking the entire war zone's cognition.
"We are willing," Lin Yan said without much hesitation.
Old Chen and Su Qing looked at each other and nodded together.
"Very well," the major general said in a deep voice. "This matter is strictly confidential. Except for those in this conference room, you must not reveal the existence of the exploration squad to anyone. After three days, complete your physical examinations and Sea of Consciousness re-examinations, and then begin specialized training."
The debriefing meeting continued, and everyone discussed a series of matters such as rift monitoring and adjustments to the outer perimeter defenses. When the meeting ended, the three walked out of the underground conference room and returned to the sanatorium along the corridor.
The lighting in the corridor was cold, stretching their shadows very long.
"We finally got the ticket to go deep into the rift," Su Qing said in a low voice, filled with emotion. "This time, we have the opportunity to see the alien race controlling the scaled beasts with our own eyes."
Old Chen's expression was solemn. "But it also means we are stepping into their home ground. The underground is the nest of the Lizardmen, and the psychic network covers the rock strata. They can set up countless traps in advance. The danger of this mission far exceeds any previous one."
Lin Yan walked slowly, his mind sinking into his Sea of Consciousness, silently feeling the psychic power within his body. After two consecutive life-and-death battles, the barrier at the second-tier peak had trembled continuously, and its foundation had been accumulated to the extreme. But to knock open the door to the third-tier Sea of Consciousness, he must experience a desperate situation capable of shaking his very core. This underground exploration was most likely that very opportunity.
"The enemy knows that the war zone will send people deep into the rift to investigate," Lin Yan said slowly. "The Lizardmen priests underground will soon capture the news of our joining the exploration squad through their psychic exploration threads. They will not sit idly by as we enter the core area of their nest. A larger-scale beast tide is probably already brewing."
At the same time, a thousand meters underground, in the main nest of the Lizardmen.
Inside the massive resonance rock cave, the psychic wills of dozens of Lizardmen priests intertwined. A massive psychic network extended toward the entire Green Rock Rift and even the outer wasteland. The psychic scouts transmitted intelligence from within Panshi City: humans had assembled a covert exploration squad, planning to delve deep into the rift to investigate the truth, and Lin Yan and the other two had been selected.
The chief priest's cold thoughts flowed throughout the entire resonance array.
They could not allow this exploration squad to reach the core underground area. Once humans saw the Lizardmen race with their own eyes and obtained video and physical evidence, the six war zones would immediately adjust their entire strategy, mobilizing main forces to conduct large-scale cleansing of the rifts. Their twenty-five-year invasion layout would suffer a devastating blow.
The original plan to launch a large-scale beast tide across the scope of two war zones could now be activated in advance.
The chief priest readjusted the deployment. First, a massive number of scaled beasts would be dispatched to set up multi-layered ambush circles in all branch passages of the Green Rock Rift, waiting for the exploration squad to enter. At the same time, a large batch of third-tier scaled beasts that had been dormant for a long time would be activated to launch surprise attacks on multiple warning strongholds on the outer perimeter of Panshi City.
The beast tide would be used to restrain the main forces of Panshi City, leaving the city's garrison unable to care for themselves. Once the exploration squad entered the depths of the rift, they would be completely trapped in the rock maze, and not a single one would be able to return alive.
The priests' psychic commands were transmitted to various parts of the rift along the spiderweb-like psychic links. Countless scaled beasts dormant in the rock caves woke up one after another, and low roars echoed back and forth in the pitch-black underground.
On the wasteland, the alarms at multiple outer perimeter warning stations in the war zone suddenly rang one after another. Red alert signals appeared one after another on the monitoring screens of Panshi City.
The large-scale beast tide warning was officially triggered.
The urgent alarm sounded on the broadcast in the sanatorium, repeatedly announcing the elevation of the alert level for the rift cluster.
Lin Yan stopped, raised his head to look at the towering bastion walls in the distance, and listened to the alarms sounding in his ears. His eyes were calm.
The chessboard had been fully laid out.
End of Chapter.