𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟕𝟑: 𝐖𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐰𝐧 (4)
265 bio-planets crashed into each 25 War Harvesters. The sleek surfaces of the War Harvesters were shattered by the self-detonation caused by their own weapons, and fragments of the crushed bio-planets turned into bio-bombs that covered War Harvesters.
The fragments of that huge destruction seemed to spread out like a grenade explosion throughout the dark nebula.
Gorgo reported.
➖I’ve lost bio-planets of all the stars I possess.
Asteroid or satellite-sized fragments woke up instinctively amid the enormous crash. They hastily created tentacles to hug and stab the War Harvesters and became another life form centered around the largest fragment, preying on War Harvesters.
So, the 25 War Harvesters looked like they were being ripped apart by giant squids.
The command and instinct instilled in the bio-bombs were ‘annihilate everything they touch,’ and the bio-bombs were bombs that attacked non-Chimeraz without the dominion of the higher beings’ legion.
➖The bastards on the ground are gone. . .!
The Ycloquasar side seemed to have noticed that the War Harvesters were being infected, and they gathered all the ground forces on each planet in the Hecartra star system.
Redefiners and Phenomenon Tuners were seen moving among the fiercely agitated surface of the War Harvesters and the fragments. They destroyed the infected fragments and ruthlessly purified the substances that had become hosts to bio-bombs.
Some large fragments turned red-hot, went into thermal runaway, and self-destructed. However, there were many more fragments already infected with bio-bombs than those with intact mass capable of thermal runaway.
Therefore, the War Harvesters that succeeded in self-destruction met their end as they blew away the surrounding living dark nebula along with more than 10 bio-planets they were preying on.
However, it was not powerful enough to destroy the entire area of the Hecartra star system and the dark nebula as it had done before.
For the allies, it was an explosion that was too large in scale, so they had to watch a little longer. And finally, it was time to sort out the numbers shown by the dice of reversal.
Kreion and Lopez were each in the bridge of the Fractal and the heart of the largest mutant Euryale, but the Believers were no longer in this confined space.
“It was quite effective.”
“We destroyed 21 War Harvesters.”
“What about the remaining 4?”
25 War Harvesters were targeted at the same time, sacrificing both bio-planets and the Believers. However, there were 4 War Harvesters that survived even after the explosion and infection.
“Something. . . . . . . . . .”
Lopez looked at them carefully. They were still intact, looking like white spheres.
“I feel like something’s spinning.”
It could be faintly heard from the heart and the bridge.
It was a noise similar to the one that could be heard even in space when a large celestial body, such as a neutron star or a black hole, rotated like crazy.
Soon, Lopez’s massive computing system identified the source of the noise.
“Hey, those things are rotating at almost the speed of light. . . . . . . No, they were rotating.”
Suddenly, the noise subsided as he opened his ears.
Kreion frowned.
“. . . . . . . They defended themselves using the time difference. I don’t know how they did it, though. . . .”
Then, Lopez examined the monitors on the bridge.
“This dark nebula is still a closed space. Either the 4 intact War Harvesters are deploying a gravitational field strong enough to maintain the closed space or. . .”
“More War Harvesters outside the closed space are providing energy to the War Harvesters here.”
It’s an endless chain of imagination.
Despite destroying 21 War Harvesters, the space is still closed.
I don’t know how they are deploying the gravitational field, but the area presumed to be the wall of the closed space is still dark like an event horizon.
In other words, continuous energy is being used to deploy a gravitational field of this scale.
“I thought the closed space would open up if we reduced the number to this extent. . . . . . . Either way, it’s the worst.”
If there are more War Harvesters outside, does that mean they can exchange energy beyond the closed space?
If there are no War Harvesters outside, does that mean the 4 War Harvesters currently in this closed space are handling all that energy output?
Either way, it’s the worst.
And Kreion mentioned the worst part.
“When we came up with the idea of using time as a weapon and put it into action, they countered with time as a weapon.”
From now on, the Ycloquasar will carry out the invasion by manipulating the relative time of a specific space.
“Still, that. . . . . . That was something done using speed and gravity. It’s not like they used time itself as a weapon.”
“That’s the only saving grace. It’s proof that our opponent is not a ‘god’.”
“Anyway, there are only 4 War Harvesters left in this space, so we can defeat them somehow. . .”
➖Found them.
An eerie voice sent chills down Lopez’s spine on the bridge of the Fractal.
“. . . . . .!”
Lopez immediately turned his body to check behind him, but all he could see were artificial humans and humanoid soldiers.
“Didn’t you just hear something?”
The artificial humans and humanoids on the bridge looked puzzled.
“Transcendencer! Fractal!”
➖Did you hear something? I did not detect anything.
➖If it was not a hallucination and you really heard something, it might have been transmitted to the Administrator’s brain in a form other than sound waves.
“. . . . . . . Kreion, did you?”
Kreion in the hologram looked alert.
“Did the Ycloquasar tell you something?”
“You heard it too?”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
Kreion spoke quickly.
“Perhaps they interpreted your communication network before the wave network. Now they will pinpoint your location and come after you. So, be careful.”
Because their goal is to harvest the minds of Kreion and Lopez.
If Lopez’s location was identified before Kreion’s, the remaining 4 War Harvesters would definitely target Lopez first.
‘Ludwig. Protect him.’
➖The Machine & Lifeform Curtain is almost gone. . . . . . If I send the curtain that is currently holding the master’s pack to him. . .
‘The shield cannot completely block their transmission. Send it now.’
Ku-kung. . .! Ku-gung. . .!
Already, Lopez’s Phase Assault Troops are exploding one by one.
In the meantime, the 4 War Harvesters, which were far apart from each other, are gathering around a single point.
They’re up to something. They’re trying to do something while sending weapons to Lopez’s ship and attacking.
Kreion thought as he watched the dangerous sight.
This might be the preparation process for the ‘harvest.’
‘Hurry! Ludwig!’
The dark nebula that had faded gradually darkened as it moved all at once to the location of the main force of the Phase Assault Troops. Ludwig’s Machine & Lifeform Curtain increased its density and enveloped the Fractal.
For the time being, it seemed that the transmission of weapons inside the Ycloquasar’s ship had been blocked. If they had been a little late, the weapons would have been transmitted inside the Fractal and self-destructed.
Still, the ships around the Fractal were exploding one by one as if they had started fighting inside. Among them, Kreion kept an eye on the 4 War Harvesters that were suspiciously gathering at a single point.
‘What are they trying to do. . . . . . .’
I don’t know if they’re trying to transform by gathering like that, but Kreion was not the one to just stand by and watch.
Since they’ve gathered together, he’d rather aim for a clean sweep.
‘Gorrm, Equillocke, Gorgo.’
The three leaders, who understood his intention, took action at once. 24 out of 48 of Gorgo’s Stars extended cosmic tentacles and fired antimatter pulses, Gorrm’s Chimeraz fleet sent tens of millions of Drop Cysts in that direction, and Equillocke’s Chimeraz fleet made a frenzied group assault.
24 streaks of antimatter pulses covered the 4 War Harvesters with flashes, countless Cresecters fired crimson plasma masses, Crepitus rushed in and self-destructed, Shockphonia followed, Fleetcupper fired bio-magnetic accelerators, Lemegeton and Euryale fired Organic Accelerator Cannons, tens of millions of Drop Cysts collided with the sleek surface and stabbed their tentacles along with the Shockphonia pack.
Immediately, the legion’s grand invasion of destruction and infection began.
The 4 War Harvesters gathered around a single point even while enduring the tremendous attack. And they came into contact with each other’s smooth surfaces.
As if the dividing cells of a fetus were regenerating in reverse, the 4 War Harvesters merged with each other, becoming 2 and then 1 in an instant.
There was no change in volume.
However, there was a change in mass.
It also seemed that the total amount of energy they possessed had changed.
➖Time. . . .
➖It kills everything as chaos. . . . . . .
This time, Kreion also heard the eerie voice ringing in his head.
➖Your lives. . . . . . .
➖And even your spirits will perish to the mercilessness of time.
What just happened?
To the eye, there was light.
The War Harvester that had become one emitted a tremendous flash of light, and the 24 Gorgo’s Stars and the leaders’ packs that were attacking it were all erased in the flash of light.
And even the War Harvester that had become one disappeared in the flash of light.
🔷🔷🔷
Kreion realized belatedly in his collective consciousness that Gorrm and Equillocke were gone.
They probably perished along with the tremendous flash of light a while ago.
‘Gorrm. . . . . . . Equillocke. . . . . . .’
He felt a sense of loss, but now was not the time to dwell on such things.
He had to regain his awareness of the situation.
“Is your fleet safe? Lopez.”
“I’m fine. And I just heard the voice again.”
“I heard it too.”
Kreion and Lopez heard the cursed voice from earlier.
“Did they self-destruct. . .? Since they became aware of our existence, did they self-destruct in satisfaction with that for now?”
“I think so. . . . . . . However, I’m concerned about what they said before they were erased in the form of light. It was a warning and a curse about time.”
“I just gathered some information. It seems that the last War Harvester used the mass it had as energy and converted the surrounding Chimeraz into light.”
“Was there a transfer of mass?”
“I’ll check it out.”
“No matter if it’s mass. Was there a transfer of matter, energy, or light?”
“There was, but I wouldn’t call it a transfer.”
“Why not?”
“Because it spread out. The last War Harvester scattered in all directions like a bomb.”
Is it over?
Did they disappear by self-destructing, just like the War Harvesters had done so far?
If so, the battle in this closed space should be considered over.
But. . . . . . .
“But why are we still trapped?”
The closed space did not open up.
Still.
“The Ycloquasar in this space are all dead, but there are others outside. So the closed space is still being maintained. . . Isn’t that the only explanation?”
“If we stay trapped here, everyone outside will die.”
“After they clean up everything, more of them will come in and harvest you and me.”
The battle was won, but the war was not over.
“. . . . . . . First, let’s go back to Hecartra and regroup.”
🔷🔷🔷
Shhhwaaaak. . . .
Anima entered the heart.
Her face was full of worry.
“Kreion. . . . . . .”
“. . . . . . .”
They knew each other’s burden well enough that no words were necessary.
So, for a while, the two of them stood in each other’s arms without saying anything, simply relying on each other.
Leaving behind the Gorgo’s Stars that guarded the area of pure darkness at the end of the closed space, Kreion’s pack and Lopez’s Phase Assault Troops returned safely to the Hecartra star system.
One red dwarf star and 14 planets.
All sorts of debris were floating around like garbage in the geostationary orbit of each planet.
There was no fleet battle on any of the planets.
‘Ludwig. Why is there no report for 20 minutes?’
There was no answer.
‘Ludwig?’
I know Ludwig is currently on the 4th planet because the waves are definitely connected.
‘Phlegeth, Berne, Drexus, Pyisa, Jiannettera. Anyone answer.’
“Kreion. This. . . . . . .”
Then, Lopez’s hologram unfolded next to Kreion.
“Your AIs are not answering either?”
“No. . . . . . There are still some AIs that are working, so I was able to get an answer by reconnecting the communication network.”
“What do you mean?”
‘Still’ working AIs.
Lopez had an expression as if he had come across something shocking.
“On each planet. . . . . . Time has passed ridiculously.”
Just then, Ludwig’s voice reached Kreion.
His heart sank.
➖Ah. . .! Aaaahhhhhh. . .!
It was an agonizing wave of mixed joy and resentment.
➖Master. . .! Our ruler. . .! I have been waiting for you. . . . . . Only you. . . . . . I have been waiting for you. . .!
➖For a much longer time in this place than the days we were together. . . . . . Fighting among ourselves in the colony site that was withering away. . . . . . Everyone is dead. . . . . . .
➖Why did you come back now. . .?
➖Why. . . . . . .
➖Why now. . . . . . .
At that moment, Ludwig was not the figure Kreion knew. The colony site on the 4th planet had become a desolate graveyard with only bones left.
➖It’s too late. . . . . . .
In the center of the graveyard, for some reason, Ludwig had a body made of machinery.
TL: Damn that’s brutal.