Ye Mo stood at the edge of the ruins, his left hand still clutching the unactivated Vibranium fragment. The wind blew in from the north, carrying an inexplicable sense of oppression. He didn't move, his eyes fixed on the ridgeline, his mind filled with the image of the red light sweeping across the ground and reflecting off the stones.
This isn't right.
It's not the direct threat of an enemy attack, but rather like someone secretly adjusting a machine, fine-tuning the frequency bit by bit, preparing to deliver a surprise blow.
He was about to glance down at the debris again when a metallic glint suddenly flashed in his peripheral vision—it was Tony's armor gliding at low altitude, its exhaust nozzle pressed extremely low, almost skimming the broken wall as it flew towards him. It hovered for the last few meters, then landed gently, its helmet folding back to reveal a face that screamed, "What are you up to now?"
"I saw the note you left," Tony said, his first words being, "Don't come any closer? Then what are you doing standing here, waiting for an invitation?"
Ye Mo didn't laugh, "If I leave, who will leave you clues?"
He took the shard from his pocket and handed it to Tony. Tony frowned slightly as he took it. "It's hot?"
"Hmm. The battery level hasn't changed, but it's responding. I recorded a signal; it's a KX-9701. The hacker burned out the motherboard after only half-decoding it."
Tony immediately activated the armored wrist display and connected the fragment to perform spectrum analysis. The data jumped for a few seconds, then the screen suddenly went black for a moment before automatically switching to safe mode.
"Damn it." Tony looked up. "This thing has a countermeasure protocol and can actively identify device levels. Ordinary hacking tools can't handle it; it even kicked my system out."
Just then, footsteps sounded behind them. Emma Frost emerged from behind a pile of rubble, her face still a little pale, but her eyes were steady. She glanced at the shards in Tony's hand and held out her hand. "Give it to me."
She paused for a moment, her breath catching in her throat, as her fingertips touched the surface of the shards.
"There's something there," she said. "Not just a simple signal, but a mental imprint. It's very subtle, as if deliberately hidden in the lower frequencies; ordinary people wouldn't be able to detect it at all."
Tony looked at her. "Can you tell who it is?"
"Unlike the Hellfire Club's methods, but similar in style. They used to employ a kind of 'cognitive Anchor,' implanting suggestions at specific frequencies to mislead people into misjudging reality. This... is more advanced, able to bypass consciousness and directly influence judgment."
Ye Mo nodded. "I felt something was wrong. The wind direction changed, and there were more diagonal lines in the ground cracks, but at first I didn't realize that someone had tampered with it."
"So that's why you didn't move?" Tony asked.
"I'm not sure if what I saw was real or fake," Ye Mo said, shrugging. "What if I rushed out to save someone, but there was actually no one who needed saving? It was only when the system prompted me to 'stop active detection' that I realized—we're being watched."
The three of them were silent for a second.
Tony spoke first, "Then let's not let them control the pace. Let's set up defenses."
Emma Frost looked up. "How do you fold it?"
"Division of labor." Ye Mo pointed to the ground beneath his feet. "Although this land is in disrepair, its structure is still intact. I scanned it with my Spatial Perception; there are seven load-bearing wall foundations and pipe well openings underground, suitable for burying early warning points."
After he finished speaking, he squatted down and took out three small Vibranium fragments from the side pocket of his work pants. They were scraps he had picked up during the previous battle. He inserted two of them into the cracks in the ground, and held the third one in his hand, tapping it gently.
Buzz--
A very short vibration spread out, as if some kind of resonance had been triggered. The cracks in the ground shone faintly, but it was gone in an instant.
"I use these fragments as Anchor to form a miniature array. As long as the intrusion signal reaches a specific frequency, they will automatically sound an alarm. They don't rely on electricity, aren't connected to the internet, and are not afraid of interference."
Tony looked at the ground. "Your system is getting more and more sophisticated."
"I was forced into it." Ye Mo stood up. "What about your end?"
Tony raised his wrist and tapped a few times. "I've already deployed five drones equipped with nanosensors, which are hovering high in the sky. They will monitor airflow, electromagnetic fluctuations, and vibration frequencies, using AI to create real-time models. Once an anomaly is detected, it will be immediately flagged in red."
He paused, then continued, "I've also laid disguised EMP devices along these main roads. They look like broken cables, but they're actually energy storage units connected to detonation modules. If the enemy steps in, they'll get an electric shock first, and then all communications in the area will be paralyzed."
After listening, Emma Frost closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
When she opened her eyes again, her gaze had changed; it was as if she had pierced through the air and seen something invisible.
"I'll handle the mental aspect," she said. "I'll weave a ' Silent Barrier ' covering the entire perimeter of the area. It won't actively project outwards or reveal its location, but it can listen for any attempts at mental probing."
She looked at Ye Mo: "Last time I was interfered with because of a surprise attack. This time it's different. I'll set a threshold alarm, and once a similar fluctuation is detected, I'll notify you immediately."
Ye Mo nodded. "Okay. Three layers of defense: underground early warning, aerial surveillance, and psychological protection. Let's weave this net now."
The three split up and acted separately.
Ye Mo walked along the broken wall, scanning the underground structure as he precisely inserted the remaining Vibranium fragments into their designated positions. After placing each fragment, he tapped it lightly with his finger to confirm the resonance feedback. He knew this task couldn't be rushed; one wrong step could cause the entire array to malfunction.
Tony stood on high ground, connecting the drone swarm with armor and constantly adjusting the sensor parameters. He also conveniently modified a discarded electrical distribution box, turning it into a temporary relay station to enhance signal coverage.
Emma Frost sat cross-legged on a section of broken wall, her hands resting on her knees, eyes closed in deep concentration. Her silver hair swayed in the wind, and the surrounding air seemed to quiet down. She wasn't attacking; she was listening, she was waiting.
Twenty minutes later, the three returned to the center point and reunited.
"I'm all done on this end," Tony said. "The surveillance network is online, and all the EMP detonators are activated. We're just waiting for the customers to arrive."
"I'm all better now." Emma Frost opened her eyes. " The Silent Barrier has been deployed. The alert threshold is set to the level of Hellfire Forbidden Spell fluctuations. Too low and it will trigger false alarms; too high and it will miss some. This value is just right."
Ye Mo touched the last fragment in his pocket. "The underground array is stable too. All seven Anchor are connected, and the resonance frequency is synchronized. As soon as the other side activates the signal, we'll know immediately."
He looked up at the sky. The dark clouds were still hanging low, but the wind had returned to normal.
"Now we just wait."
Tony opened his wrist screen and brought up three sets of data stream comparison charts. The screen showed that all monitoring indicators were in the green safe zone.
"The system did not issue any alerts."
"That doesn't mean everything's alright," Ye Mo said in a low voice. "The other side might still be calibrating, or they might have already started, we just haven't noticed yet."
He closed his eyes and tried to activate the " Danger Prediction " module of the Gene Spiral Tower.
Just as my consciousness began to settle, my mind suddenly jolted—as if a signal had stalled, delayed by a fraction of a second.
He opened his eyes, his forehead slightly sweaty.
"There's a problem," he said. "I was adjusting the prediction function just now, and I encountered a lag. It's not due to cooling; it's a response delay caused by external interference."
Tony immediately pulled up the data analysis. "Is it residual fragmented signal?"
"No," Ye Mo shook his head, "It's a blockage in the connection. It's like a clogged water pipe, the water can't get through."
Emma Frost suddenly reached out and pressed her hand on his temple.
"Let me see."
She closed her eyes, her mental energy slowly probing in. After a few seconds, she released her grip. "Your nerve endings are slightly disordered, as if they've been brushed against by some kind of high-frequency signal. It's not serious, but it will affect the system's response speed."
Ye Mo thought for a moment, then suddenly activated his " Regenerative Phasing " ability. However, he didn't use it for fighting. Instead, he fine-tuned the energy to the nerve endings, clearing blockages little by little, like cleaning a clogged pipe.
Three seconds later, he opened his eyes. "It's connected."
Tony watched as the data stream returned to normal. "Alright, the entire link is working now."
Emma Frost nodded. "I also reinforced the barrier and added a double filtering mechanism to prevent the other side from using false signals to fool the alarm."
The three confirmed the final plan again.
Ye Mo is in charge of the ground and underground early warning systems, ready to lead a counterattack at any time;
Tony was in charge of aerial surveillance and technological countermeasures; he was in charge of directing EMPs and drones.
Emma Frost monitors the mental state and immediately issues the highest-level alert upon detecting any signs of cognitive interference.
All setup is complete.
Ye Mo leaned against a piece of concrete debris, his left hand resting lightly on the outside of the bag containing the fragments, his eyes slightly closed, continuously listening to the system's feedback.
Tony stood at the edge of the armored helipad not far away, his helmet folded up, looking down at the monitoring data stream on his tablet.
Emma Frost sat cross-legged on the high broken wall, her eyes closed, her silver hair fluttering in the wind, maintaining the operation of her Mind Barrier.
The three people were arranged in a triangle, able to see and connect with each other, jointly watching over the northern mountain range.
The wind is still blowing.
A blurry beam of light flashed again along the distant mountain ridge.
This time, the stones on the ground did not reflect light.
But the Vibranium fragment in Ye Mo's pocket trembled slightly.