The sudden appearance of the short figure instantly tightened the already tense atmosphere in the inner hall.
White Lion's low growl became even more threatening, his muscles tensed again, and his claws instinctively extended. If Mark hadn't raised his hand to signal, he probably would have pounced.
Ruijia's pupils also constricted, and her hand instinctively reached for the bone blade at her waist. But when she saw who it was, her tensed body relaxed slightly, and her tone carried a hint of surprise and barely perceptible respect.
"Endor? Why have you come?"
The old man, called Endor, bowed slightly, his movements slow and stiff, as if every bone groaned.
"The storm... has already approached... Ancient echoes weep in the void... Leader Ruijia, I can no longer sit amidst the dust of the archives."
His voice was like wind rustling through dry leaves, yet it strangely commanded all attention.
Mark's molten pupils scrutinized this uninvited guest.
He felt no powerful energy fluctuations from the other party, in fact, they were extremely faint. But his spirit was exceptionally condensed and... ancient, as if carrying the weight of countless years.
What caught his attention even more was Ruijia's obvious respect for this person.
"This is Elder Endor."
Ruijia introduced him to Mark.
"He is one of the oldest members of our Alliance, from a civilization long lost to history. He guards our largest... and almost incomprehensible ancient document archive."
"We call him the Night Watchman."
Endor raised his eyes, which were clear and incongruous with his aged face, and looked at Mark.
"Powerful stranger, your light is as dazzling as a supernova, tearing through the darkness that envelops this starfield... But because of this, you have attracted the deepest gaze."
His gaze then swept over White Lion.
"And you, warrior burned by pain... your anger is also a double-edged sword."
White Lion snorted impatiently, but for some reason, he didn't lash out at this mysterious old man as he did with others.
Mark calmly met Endor's gaze.
"You said you have information about the Great Old Ones' weaknesses and the reasons for their accelerated awakening?"
"Yes..."
Endor nodded slowly. From beneath his tattered cloak, he extended a hand as withered as a bird's claw, holding a dull, thin slab that seemed to be made of some kind of black jade or bone.
It was covered with extremely complex, twisted, and completely incomprehensible patterns and symbols.
"This is one of the fragments of the Silent Stone Slab... a remnant from the previous cosmic cycle..."
Endor's voice carried the solemnity of an epic recitation.
"It records some... essence of the Tide of Annihilation, which is what we call the Great Old Ones."
He placed the slab on the cold iron table, his withered fingers gently caressing the strange symbols.
"They are not mere destroyers... They are the embodiment of 'entropy', the... scavengers of the universe's final stage towards heat death."
"Their awakening is not accidental, but a kind of... cosmic periodic calibration."
Endor's words were like thunder, exploding in the hearts of Mark, Ruijia, and Grom.
Cosmic cycle?
Scavengers?
Did this mean that the coming of the Great Old Ones was, to some extent, part of the universe's own laws?!
"But this time... it's different..."
Endor's tone became extremely solemn.
"It has accelerated... far beyond any calibration cycle recorded on the slab, as if... something is forcefully fast-forwarding the clock of doomsday..."
He raised his eyes and looked at Mark, his gaze sharpening.
"And they, these scavengers, are not without weaknesses and... fear."
"What do they fear?"
Mark immediately pressed, leaning slightly forward.
This was the first time he had heard anyone use 'fear' to describe the Great Old Ones.
"They fear... the extreme of order, they fear... the anchor points of existence, they fear... those 'anomalous constants' that shouldn't exist, that can distort or even reverse entropy increase."
Endor's voice lowered, as if afraid of being overheard by some unseen presence.
"Anomalous constants?"
Ruijia frowned tightly, clearly unable to comprehend.
"For example... you, Mr. Mark."
Endor pointed directly at Mark.
"Your power system is completely out of place in this universe, yet it truly exists."
"You are a huge anomalous constant. Your very existence constantly, subtly disrupts the pure, death-bound order that the Great Old Ones' power relies on."
Mark's heart was greatly shaken!
He remembered what the Titan Clan had said.
"Your existence is a huge anomaly."
The two statements surprisingly coincided!
"And..."
Endor's finger moved to a specific symbol on the slab. The symbol looked like a strange heart constantly contracting and expanding.
"They are extremely dependent on a kind of... pulsation of the universe's underlying structure, which we can call... the Void Network or the Flow of Entropy. They nourish and expand this pulsation by devouring life and order, thereby accelerating the awakening of their brethren and their own strength."
"But at the same time, it is also their... shackles and their weakness."
"If... if we can find key nodes and interfere with them, or even... reverse the flow..."
Endor's voice was full of uncertainty and implied immense risk.
"Perhaps we can temporarily weaken them, or even... delay the complete awakening of certain terrifying entities."
He looked up, every wrinkle on his aged face filled with worry.
"But this is extremely dangerous... Touching the Void Network might attract the most direct, most frantic attention of all the Great Old Ones... and it might even... accelerate the final outcome."
The inner hall fell into a deathly silence.
The information Endor brought was too astonishing, and too heavy.
The coming of the Great Old Ones was actually related to the laws of the universe?
And the method to fight them was to touch those incredibly dangerous, fundamental things of the universe?
"So, you're saying."
Mark slowly broke the silence.
"We not only have to fight the Great Old Ones' armies, but also find a way to locate and attack their... lifeline?"
"It can... be understood that way, but it's infinitely more complex and dangerous than attacking armies."
Endor nodded heavily.
"Moreover, it must be precise. Incorrect interference might be worse than doing nothing at all."
White Lion impatiently flicked his tail.
"Easier said than done! Where is this damned network? How do we find it? How do we interfere?"
"I don't know..."
Endor shook his head, his honesty despairing.
"The slab is incomplete... Perhaps, those most ancient civilizations... like the long-dormant, mysterious Titan Clan might know more, but I have... long lost contact with them."
Titan!
Hearing that name again, Mark's eyes deepened.
Those cold calculators, they must know something!
Did they invite him to escape because he, an anomalous constant, had the ability to influence or even disrupt the Great Old Ones' plans?
Ruijia rubbed her temples hard, feeling overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information and a splitting headache.
"So, now we not only have to consolidate our forces, but also search for this elusive... network and information about ancient races?"
"I'm afraid... yes."
Endor slowly put the slab back into his arms.
"This is... a glimmer of hope, though faint, it's better than waiting for final annihilation in an endless war of attrition."
Mark stood up and walked to the only window in the inner hall.
It was actually just a huge natural crack, offering a view of the endless dark space outside and the occasional flash of starlight.
The information, though vague and dangerous, at least pointed to a direction.
No longer blindly resisting and fleeing, but now with a theoretically attackable target.
"Elder Endor, thank you for your information. It is crucial."
Mark turned around, his tone firm.
"Leader Ruijia, the plan needs to be adjusted."
"The first step remains unchanged: integrate information, establish rapid response teams, and integrate technology. This is the foundation."
"Second step: add a top-priority task. In all operations, observe and collect all anomalous phenomena, ancient legends, or technological artifacts related to the universe's underlying pulsation, the Void Network, or the Flow of Entropy!"
"Especially clues related to the Titan Clan, or other ancient civilizations that might know the inside story!"
"Third step: once any suspicious signs of a node are discovered, I will personally lead a team to investigate and evaluate. We will never attempt interference lightly without absolute certainty."
His thoughts were clear, instantly transforming Endor's seemingly ethereal information into actionable strategic steps.
Ruijia looked at Mark, hope rekindling in her eyes.
The chaotic situation finally seemed to have a path, though narrow, that truly existed.
She nodded heavily.
"Good! We'll do as you say! I'll immediately relay the new tasks!"
Endor looked at Mark, and a subtle, complex light flashed in his clear eyes. He bowed slightly, and his figure slowly merged back into the shadows, as if he had never appeared.
Only three people remained in the inner hall once more.
White Lion suddenly spoke, his voice hoarse.
"Titan... Do you know where they are?"
Mark shook his head.
"I don't know, but they seem... to be everywhere."
"Perhaps, when we truly begin to touch the Great Old Ones' pain points, they... will seek us out themselves."
His gaze once again turned to the boundless darkness outside.
The hunt had begun.
But this time, the roles of hunter and prey might not be immutable.
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