Chapter 271: Simulated Universe: Swarm Disaster 『 Part Twelve 』
〜StarCraft universe〜
The surface of Char groaned amidst sulfur storms, veins of magma pulsing beneath the fissured, scorched earth.
Kerrigan stood at the apex of the spine crawler hive cluster, her gaze following the Gondola that Stelle rode. Having witnessed countless planets swept away by the Swarm, she now followed Stelle's perspective, staring into the writhing shadow in the depths of the cosmos.
That was the Swarm born of 『 Propagation 』—no, they were not merely bugs. They were the embodiment of a concept, a blasphemous interpretation of "propagation" itself. Inorganic life within His species replicated and proliferated into insects, spreading like cancer cells, twisting cold mechanical structures into flesh and blood.
They possessed none of the Zerg's potent genetics, nor even evolution; there was only endless self-replication, like an error in the laws of the universe.
"Disgusting,"
Abathur hissed, his segmented appendages clicking beneath his carapace, a cold sheen flickering in his compound eyes.
"Inefficient proliferation. Meaningless accumulation of numbers. The Swarm should pursue individual perfection, not… this blasphemy."
"Blasphemy?"
The corner of Kerrigan's mouth lifted in a slight arc.
"Look at them, Abathur. They require no gene sequences, no evolution chambers; even inorganic life can be twisted into their kin. If the Zerg could master such power—"
"Then we would invite something far more terrible than destruction."
Abathur's vocal cords vibrated, emitting a low-frequency hum.
"My Queen, you forget the existence of the Star Gods. The gaze of The One will fall upon any fool who attempts to disrupt the order. If the Zerg descend into mindless breeders, we will merely become another pile of ash under the hammer of that Star God."
Kerrigan fell silent for a moment. Her psionic senses perceived Abathur's fear—not fear of death, but the fear that the Swarm's path of evolution would be distorted by the Path of 『 Propagation 』.
Abathur brandished his sharp forelimbs.
"Observe entities. Excavate potential. Study lineages. Adjust sequences. Twist essence. Dismantle limbs. Recombine. Perfection—the future of the Zerg should be plunder, consumption, transcendence, not descending into some blind plague of replication."
Kerrigan turned away in silence. She did not respond to Abathur's words, but simply gazed up quietly at that expanse of stars.
At the end of the unknown sector… had a Star God cast Their gaze upon her Swarm?
—
「 The starship, having sailed for several Amber Eras, finally arrived at the terminus of its voyage: the Elydichna Galaxy.
The first generation of crew within the Gondola had already passed away, and their descendants had grown old. To celebrate everyone's successful arrival at the destination, they decided to swear an oath to do one thing to commemorate the feat of these generations working in unison!
"Dance!"
It was unknown who in the crowd first proposed it, but it quickly won everyone's approval. Upon a desolate expanse of sheet metal and russet scorched earth, Stelle and the others held hands, dancing clumsy steps around the Gondola, while some accompanying Mourning Actors wept tears of joy.
As Stelle danced within the crowd, a figure standing quietly in the shadows was suddenly glimpsed.
It was a man wearing a tattered uniform, upon which hung a military emblem of Elydichna. His eyes were like two extinguished stars, bottomless and dark. When Stelle's gaze met his, this "Self-Annihilator" slowly raised an arm like a withered branch, offering a stack of yellowed fabric.
"An old acquaintance," Herta remarked with a click of her tongue from the side. "This 'Self-Annihilator' is still alive."
"Self-Annihilator?" It was the first time Stelle had heard this term.
"Just a group of pitiful people who lost the meaning of their existence under the shadow of 『 Nihility 』IX," Herta explained nonchalantly. "For people like them, their existential properties gradually fade—skin rotting, endocrine systems failing, memories and senses lost. In dreams and hallucinations, they witness their own figures vanishing into a black hole."
The man's gaze suddenly turned ferocious. Stelle followed his line of sight and discovered a Memory Bubble hanging in front of the Gondola. Stelle swallowed hard and reached out a hand.
At this moment, a strange, composite sound came from the sky—Stelle saw that the crowd on the Gondola could not resist this sound. It was difficult to comprehend which dimension these notes originated from; it was a roar, a whimper, laughter, and a horizontally arranged choral harmony. The people nearby, as if receiving divine revelation, began to ignore all obstruction and strike the Memory Bubble together with the man—until it shattered!
A patch of [Shadow of Nihility] surged forth from the Memory Bubble.
"Finally… finally…" His voice was shattered, yet his arms opened wide like a pilgrim welcoming a divine revelation.
Before Stelle could retreat, the Self-Annihilator had already lunged forward. His movements were as clumsy as a toddler learning to walk, yet as resolute as a moth flying into a flame. The instant he made contact with the Memory Bubble—
Silent annihilation.
"Inside the Shadow of Nihility is the 'reverse side' of an entire world," Herta sighed softly, like a feather landing after drifting for a long time. "He finally found the self he had lost."
"By the way, what is this sound?" Stelle looked up at the horizon; the sound coming from the heavens seemed to have absolutely no intention of stopping.
"Oh, you mean that." Herta smiled faintly. "That is the signal that the Clash of the Star Gods has begun." 」
「 ..... 」
〜Marvel Cinematic Universe〜
Thanos sat upon his cold throne, his fingers rubbing the grooves on the Infinity Gauntlet. Only when the chant of 『 Order 』 resounded through the universe did he recover from his long contemplation.
"Master… the Clash of the Star Gods is about to begin."
Ebony Maw's voice trembled slightly, whether from terror or excitement was unclear. Ever since the light screen had unfolded in the universe, his gaze had rarely strayed from it.
"I once made destroying half the life in the universe my plan. As long as this plan was achieved, overpopulation could be reduced, the suffering of countless worlds saved, and the balance of the universe maintained."
"Heh…"
Thanos suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly. He quietly watched the Swarm sweeping through the cosmos on the light screen. For a moment, he realized that the plan he had plotted for years was simply a joke.
The confrontation of the Star Gods had no plan to speak of. They merely silently exercised their Paths; one bred ceaselessly, one fed ceaselessly—two such simple actions casually destroyed two-thirds of the cosmos. Even 『 Voracity 』 needed only to move His mouth slightly, and billions of galaxies, along with all life within them, were utterly annihilated.
Proxima Midnight heard the implication in her master's words and spoke tentatively:
"Master, then the plan to seize the Infinity Stones…"
"I am like a child holding a toy sword…"
Thanos shook his head. He slowly removed the Infinity Gauntlet.
"There is no need to continue the plan. My plan cannot possibly keep up with the impromptu performance of the Star Gods. Perhaps one day in the future, a new Star God will be born, and a new disaster will emerge. For them to launch a massacre that sweeps across the cosmos is far simpler than it is for us."
—