The brief but wary respite passed in the deathly silence of the Small Purification Station.
Rust Eater curled up in the corner like a boulder, the tar-like black gelatinous layer on its body slowly writhing as it absorbed the chaotic energy Ming Xin provided and repaired the wounds left by Dust Explosion.
Its dark red "blood" had long since stopped flowing, and dark, metal-oxide-like scabs had formed over its wounds.
Its ghostly green eyes were half-lidded, occasionally sweeping over the dark-gold fragment where Ming Xin was. Its vigilance had not lessened, but there was now a trace of a collaborator's scrutiny.
Ming Xin used the time to regulate his breathing and recover. Deep within his soul, pale golden veins fused with his father's imprint slowly circulated, nourishing the somewhat weakened core caused by consecutive battles and energy expenditure.
The "Key" frequency pulsed steadily. Its dark gold core had grown increasingly solid, and its perception of the surroundings had become clearer and more detailed.
He could "hear" the soft rustle of dust settling, "smell" every subtle change in corroding metal, and even faintly catch the extremely weak energy pulses and vibrations in the distance.
--
That was the "heartbeat" of this colossal wreckage, which had not yet completely died, and a warning of the dangers lurking within.
The Stealth Suit's energy tank reading had dropped into the dangerous red zone, with less than five percent remaining.
He had no choice but to shut down all its functions completely, relying only on the dark gold glimmer of the fragment itself and the concealment of the "Key" frequency to reduce his presence.
The Ning Guang fragment clung quietly to the surface of the fragment like an ancient lamp that had run out of oil.
The tiny runes within it were dim and lifeless.