The entire research institute had fallen completely silent, Tentacle Tree corpses littering the corridors.
One Tentacle Tree had even kept its tentacles plugged into a data port until its final moment of death.
"We were one step too late."
Alaric's tone carried obvious regret.
"After discovering the research institute, we breached the outer shield immediately, but they seemed to have activated the internal self-destruct protocol beforehand."
He pointed toward a demolished control room in the distance.
"Although we stopped the entire space station from self-destructing, the toxin extermination system had already released its payload through the life-support ducts before we found it. The database, logs, and communication records were all physically destroyed as well."
Benjamin lowered his head to glance at the circuit boards still smoking, then smiled and shook his head.
"No matter. The souls may truly be gone, but information does not disappear."
He crouched down and looked at the corpse of a young researcher.
The researcher corresponding to that Tentacle Tree was still very young. The tentacles on its crown had not even fully developed yet. He was probably only a low-level researcher who had entered the institute not long ago.
Benjamin slowly rose to his feet, his spiritual power enveloping the entire space station.
Then, the golden vertical eye between his brows abruptly opened.
Buzz...
Pale golden radiance spread like water, swiftly permeating the entire research institute.
Causal Shadow Tracing Technique, activate!!
At the same time, the Fate System activated at full power.
Threads of causality rapidly intertwined in the void, forming a vast network that covered the entire space station.
The residual information imprints left behind by those deceased researchers during their lives gradually began to surface.
Past scenes from within the space station emerged before Benjamin's eyes. Some had argued in laboratories, some had