"Let's end this," Ziak said, his voice still slightly shaky from the psychic assault but firm with resolve. He raised his hands, gathering a potent blast of emerald energy.
"Wait!" Ethan interjected. "It felt… psychic. Maybe a direct energy attack won't be enough. Or worse, it could trigger a stronger defense."
Kiaz examined the crystalline structure, his luminous eyes narrowed in thought. "It's resonating with neutrino energy, similar to the tracker, but… twisted. Perhaps we need to disrupt its resonance."
He turned to Ethan. "Remember how the tracker reacted to your specific neutrino signature? Maybe you can use that. Try focusing your own neutrino energy, channeling it through the tracker, and directing it at the crystal."
It was another risky idea, relying on Ethan's still-developing control. He closed his eyes, focusing on the energy within him, the same energy that had caused his accelerated growth and now linked him to the alien technology. He channeled it into the wristband, feeling the familiar hum intensify.
Opening his eyes, he pointed his arm at the crystalline structure. A beam of pure, focused neutrino energy, tinged with a faint blue, shot forth from the tracker, striking the crystal.
The crystal pulsed violently, its internal light flickering erratically. The low hum intensified again, but this time, it sounded strained, like a discordant note. Cracks began to spiderweb across its surface.
Ziak, seeing the crystal destabilizing, unleashed his emerald energy blast. It struck the already weakened structure, and the crystal shattered into a thousand glittering fragments. As it did, the low hum ceased completely, and a palpable wave of silence washed over the chamber. The faint, unseen light source above seemed to brighten.
"Did it work?" Ethan asked, his chest tight with anticipation.
Suddenly, sections of the obsidian walls began to slide open, revealing small alcoves. Within each alcove rested clusters of translucent, pulsating spheres – the Cellucas eggs. They glowed with a faint, internal red light.
"Yes," Kiaz breathed, a grim satisfaction in his voice. "The psychic defense was linked to the eggs. With the core destroyed, they are vulnerable."
Ziak immediately raised his weapon, ready to уничтожить the eggs. "Let's make sure these never hatch."
"Wait," Ethan said again, his gaze fixed on the pulsating eggs. "There are so many… How are we going to deal with them all?"
The sheer number of eggs was staggering, far more than they had anticipated. The deeper they had ventured into the dungeon, the greater the reward, as the tracker had indicated. Now, they faced the daunting task of eliminating this vastCellucas brood.