The thing was so close that the ever-changing, eye-like energy vortexes on its surface were clearly visible! The mental pressure it emitted was almost tangible, causing a sharp pain in Kane's head!
**"Resistance...useless...fusion...evolution..."**
80 kilometers...50 kilometers...
Now! This distance was the limit, a gamble with everything!
Kane's index finger was about to press the button that would decide his fate!
However, at this critical moment—
The rapidly approaching gray-white polyhedron, about thirty kilometers from the "Nightingale," suddenly **stopped**!
Its movement was without warning, instantly changing from steady motion to absolute stillness, displaying a maneuverability that defied the laws of physics. It hovered silently in the void, facing the "Nightingale" and Kane.
What happened? Why didn't it continue approaching?
Kane's finger froze above the button. Thirty kilometers—far exceeding the prototype's effective range. Firing now would mean the energy would dissipate before reaching the target, rendering it meaningless.
"The target has stopped moving. The energy field scanning has intensified…but…it seems to be…**hesitating**?" Leah's voice was filled with confusion.
Hesitating?
Kane stared intently at the stationary polyhedron. The energy on its surface was still flowing, but the speed seemed to have slowed. The greedy and urgent fluctuations of consciousness had also diminished, replaced by a…**cautious observation**.
What was it observing? Observing the damaged state of the "Nightingale"? Observing the rudimentary device in Kane's hand?
Could it be…that it sensed the specific resonant frequency emanating from the prototype's energy field, a frequency that posed a threat to it, causing it to stop?
A possibility surfaced in Kane's mind: this nascent aggregate, though powerful, might not be complete, or might be in some unstable state. It inherited the crystal's consciousness and energy, but it might also have inherited its **instinctive fear** of a specific threat. The theory of "Echo" might have struck at one of its weaknesses!
The standoff reached a stalemate.
It dared not easily enter dangerous range, and Kane was unable to attack it.
Time began to pass again, but this time, it was filled with an eerie calm. On one side was a wrecked lone boat and a desperate warrior; on the other was a mysterious and powerful energy aggregate. The two silently stared at each other in the cold void, engaging in a silent psychological battle.
Kane dared not relax for a moment; his finger remained on the button, maintaining aim. He knew this calm might be temporary. Once that thing deemed the threat insignificant, or found a way to counter it, the attack would come instantly.
"Leah," Kane whispered through the communicator, "Continue to monitor its energy fluctuations; don't miss any subtle changes. Also… try scanning its **core area** energy structure with low power, see if there are any particularly vulnerable or… unstable points."
Since a direct confrontation was not feasible, perhaps an opportunity to outsmart it could be sought. Besides resonance cancellation, does the theory of "echoes" include other weaknesses?
A new strategy is quietly brewing amidst the life-or-death standoff.