"Beware of the Mimic's trap," Harmonic Leaping Note warned. "Could this backup itself be a trap?"
"It's possible," Lin Ye admitted. "But the Source of Myriad Colors' final thoughts were filled with sincerity born of despair. Besides, they mentioned research into 'existence and definition,' which is vital to our current defenses. It's worth the risk, but we must proceed with the utmost caution."
He swiftly issued his instructions. "Order's Dawn Coordinator, design a 'Shadow Extraction Protocol.' We won't operate directly in Realspace. Construct a completely sealed virtual environment isolated from the network, import those coordinates, then use the residual frequency of the Source of Myriad Colors that we captured to simulate activation. Observe the response after activation before deciding whether to proceed."
This was how one handled a highly dangerous viral sample.
"But the threat of the Mimic..." Radiant Stilllight said anxiously.
"Circulate the Source of Myriad Colors' warning to all core nodes and priority defense civilizations under the highest security classification," Lin Ye said. "Strengthen identity verification and existence-checking protocols within the network. Above all... maintain the highest vigilance toward any individuals or information about civilizations that suddenly appear after an antimeme incident, behave abnormally, or offer 'critical assistance.'"
He felt a larger, more insidious net drawing tight. The enemy did not merely delete you head-on; it might also mimic you from behind, infiltrate you, and tempt you with the knowledge you craved.
"We must accelerate the forging of the Myriad Forms Epic: Prototype." Lin Ye looked toward the brilliant radiance gradually taking shape within the concept furnace. "We need a weapon that can not only resist 'deletion,' but also distinguish 'truth from falsehood' and even accommodate 'contradictions.' It must be complex enough, resilient enough, and... 'alive' enough."
The struggle for survival had spread beyond clashes of ideals and