The Concept Furnace was utterly silent.
News of Lin Ye's return had caused only the faintest ripple within the core circles. To the outside, they still claimed he was in "deep contemplation." But deep within the network, the undercurrent had already become a raging vortex.
Order's Dawn's coordinator projection solidified, its voice unusually grave. "Tuner, the internal purification processes of three civilizations subjected to Mimic emotional attacks have been hindered. The conceptual structures of three elders from the Mindscape Scroll Clan have collapsed, and they have entered stasis repair. Dissonant noise has appeared in the core movement of the Melody Weavers, and we suspect a deeper Mimic is hiding within. The most serious case is the Resonance Forest. A Withered Zone has appeared within their collective consciousness forest, and it has begun to spread."
Radiant Stilllight let the light of order flow around his fingertips. "That strike from the Mimic hit us where it hurt. The trust we built is being turned into poison."
Harmonic Leaping Note's rhythm tightened. "More troublesome still, the voices of doubt have begun joining together. Led by the Lattice Thought Hall, seven civilizations have formally proposed the Risk Reassessment Motion, demanding a renewed review of the strategy against the Cleaners. They claim... we are dragging the entire network into a war we have no chance of winning."
"No chance of winning?" Lin Ye finally spoke.
His voice was calm, yet the flames of light within the furnace faltered.
He slowly rose, and an invisible aura made the space around him ripple. [Myriad Forms Epic: Prototype] appeared in his palm—its light now restrained like the deep sea, a chaotic star vortex slowly turning at its center while tranquil silver radiance flowed around its edges.
"The Prototype has begun absorbing the gift left behind by the Pathfinder