The cabin fell silent for a moment. Then someone laughed.
"Specter? Are you talking about ghosts?"
"You can interpret it however you want. In any case, from what I can tell, a so-called Darksider life form is something you can't see or touch. It just floats around you… 'specter' is a more fitting description."
"Ehh, Taozi, that's disgusting. You're so creepy!" a pretty "vase" seized the chance to act spoiled.
Honestly, when Liu Tao first mentioned it, no one thought much of it. But after it was delivered in that coquettish tone, quite a few people felt goosebumps rise on their skin.
Some turned their heads to look at the billowing smoke around them. They couldn't help but feel a chill creep into their hearts.
Liu Tao clearly enjoyed this reaction. He adjusted his glasses and maintained a composed expression. "That's just the truth. The concept of Darksider life forms has only been proposed in the industry for a year or two. There are only a few published papers. Apart from high-end labs, only the military really has experience with them.
"Judging by the warship's response, they've dealt with these things quite a bit. That's actually a good sign."
The group couldn't stand his habit of dragging things out. Someone snapped impatiently:
"If you can't see or touch them, what the hell is there to research? Don't tell me this is just another excuse to scam funding!"
"Get lost!"
Liu Tao laughed and cursed back before finally getting to the point. "Why do you think I brought up the military? Because they classify Darksider life forms as a special type of mutant. But most research institutes disagree. They believe they're something entirely different. The closest theory is that they might be the Primal Virus behind mutations…"
"Ah!"
It was the same "pretty vase," but this time her reaction was genuine. She wasn't the only one—everyone's expressions turned uneasy.
The shadow of mutant species loomed over everyone. Even the rich weren't immune to that fear.
Mutants that had already taken form could still be discussed, studied—even admired in a twisted way. But the root cause of mutation? That was something everyone instinctively feared.
Liu Tao spread his hands. "Relax. That's just one of the more extreme theories. This thing barely resembles a virus. Compared to that, even calling it a 'dark matter life form' is more believable…"
The "vase" slapped him playfully, slipping into flirtation mode. The others cursed at him again.
Feeling wronged, Liu Tao dropped the theatrics and explained directly:
"In short, Darksider life forms are like specters. They exist, but you can't see or touch them.
"Lab analysis shows they almost never interact with normal matter, don't react to electromagnetic waves, and don't emit radiation. That means in most environments, there's no way to observe them using conventional methods. Under normal circumstances, they don't interact with our world at all."
Someone laughed. "If they don't interact, what's the danger? Why is everyone on edge?"
"I said under normal circumstances. Have you thought about why they're called 'life forms'? Because under certain conditions, they can interfere with the material world. And when they do, it's purposeful."
"What kind of purpose?"
"It varies. But statistically, nearly 40% of cases involve emotional interference—stimulating emotions, making people lose focus, become irritable, impulsive, overly sensitive…"
Luo Nan, who had been listening quietly, was finally stirred. He glanced again at the burning wraith. It was still in its half-dead state, but everything Liu Tao described matched it perfectly.
"The Darksider life form is extremely dangerous. Remember this—what we can't observe doesn't matter if it doesn't interact with us. But the moment we can detect it, it means it's already influencing our plane."
"How do they do that?"
"It's simple. 'Know yourself and know your enemy.' Under normal conditions, they don't interact with us. But once they have intent, they must first understand us—make contact, gather information.
"It's like active radar. If the radar is off, no one can detect it. But once it starts scanning with purpose, it exposes itself."
Luo Nan, observing the wraith, suddenly stiffened. His focus sharpened instantly.
"Of course, Darksiders are far more subtle than radar. They don't need to emit signals. They simply absorb environmental wavebands, then process them in ways we can't comprehend. And that's the only chance we have to detect them."
Liu Tao pointed at the surrounding mist, growing more animated:
"See this 'Shadow Mist'? It releases special particles that are extremely sensitive to environmental wave changes. Once they detect abnormal concentrations, they transmit the data to the central AI, which analyzes and estimates the probability of a Darksider presence…"
Lian Yu, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke. Her field happened to be communications.
"Taozi, you actually know quite a bit about this."
Liu Tao had been waiting for that. He immediately straightened up. "This 'Shadow Mist' combat system was developed by a wilderness lab funded by my family…"
Naturally, someone chimed in: "Damn, Taozi, you've been hiding your cards. You must be making a fortune off this."
"Not bad, not bad," Liu Tao grinned, thoroughly satisfied.
But Luo Nan, floating beside him, felt something entirely different. He stared at the surrounding mist, momentarily dazed.
Lian Yu asked, "If they're so hard to detect, how do you deal with them?"
"Right now, only Burners can. In fact, Darksider life forms were only discovered after Quantum Corporation introduced the Burner system and the Deep Blue Platform. In real combat, Burners show high sensitivity to them. Only they can control Deep Blue Walkers. By establishing an Archetype Format and igniting the Format of Fire, they can directly damage Darksiders."
"Then—"
Lian Yu wanted to ask more, but before she could continue, a long beep sounded as the cabin door opened.
Before the sliding metal door had fully moved aside, a powerful figure burst through the mist.
A heavy firearm was raised. Tiny red targeting dots danced wildly across the room, sweeping over the stunned faces of the rich kids.
"Get down! All of you, get down!"
The amplified voice thundered through the cabin. "Crawl forward in order! Move outside immediately! There will be personnel waiting!"
The soldier was clearly capable and decisive—but he had spent too long in the military.
He had forgotten one thing. These weren't soldiers. Faced with the sudden chaos, the group froze completely. Then, after barely half a second, someone let out a piercing scream.
It shattered the silence—and like a spark to dry tinder, panic spread through the cabin in an instant. If you want, I'll keep going exactly like this—no cutting, just clean and consistent.