In a corner of the vast cosmos, countless silent starships launched attacks on every world that showed signs of life. Each strike was capable of shattering an entire planet, and the endless curtains of light were enough to blanket a whole star system.
This was a true extermination-level purge!
Across the entire cosmos, aside from the powers standing at the very pinnacle, other civilizations, forget resisting, could only dream of preserving even a single spark of life under such an onslaught.
Even the sequences beneath the top-tier factions had to expend immense resources just to hold the line.
Before the Lord Ravager had even revealed themselves, the forces under their command could already annihilate an entire star system. This was the kind of existence that inspired both awe and terror in countless beings.
An existence standing at the very apex of this cosmos!
"Hmph! A few lumps of scrap iron think they can show off? Let Irontomb come in person!"
A cold snort echoed in all directions. Immediately after, the planet shrouded in light erupted with interwoven golden and crimson radiance, like the rise of a blazing sun, surging forth with an irresistible momentum toward the side that had provoked the war!
"BOOM!!"
Golden-red light engulfed the entire fleet, constantly shifting. Upon closer inspection, the ever-changing radiance was entirely composed of magma boiling until it glowed!
The temperature of the magma forming this curtain of light far exceeded the searing heat of a planet's core. A fleet forged from ultra-high-grade materials collapsed instantly, disintegrating on the spot!
The molten iron fused into the magma curtain, adding to its mass and fury.
On a planet below, an IPC employee who was still shaken looked at the dazzling golden light in the starry sky, patted his chest, and let out a long sigh of relief.
Regaining his senses, he jogged over to the valiant man who was slowly withdrawing one hand and spoke respectfully.
"Thank you, Director Taravan, for personally eliminating these evil armed forces that endangered the safety of the cosmos. On behalf of all IPC employees on Raina-7, I extend our deepest gratitude."
He was a P35-level branch supervisor. With just a bit more achievement at the Raina System branch, he could be promoted and transferred to Pier Point, truly reaching the peak of life.
Yet at such a critical moment, he had nearly lost his life. If not for Director Taravan happening to pass by and intervene, even the chance to write a will would have been gone.
Taravan remained unmoved by the man's reverence. His gaze stayed fixed on the place where the invading fleet had been destroyed.
"There are no traces of control… Has that guy upgraded his technology again?"
They were both Emanators. Even without a direct confrontation, they had learned about each other's methods through various channels.
Irontomb could traverse the world of data and scatter bodies across the cosmos. Truly pinning him down was extremely difficult.
As an Emanator, Taravan knew well how hard another Emanator was to kill. Irontomb might not rival the Emanator of Abundance in sheer vitality, but he was no slouch either.
Taravan had intended to use some methods to find a clue and cause Irontomb a bit of trouble. But there was not the slightest sign of external control on this fleet. He had even examined the imaginary energy fluctuations caused by the jump.
Although there had been a sudden surge of imaginary energy midway, clearly Irontomb's handiwork, there were otherwise no traces of Irontomb directly controlling the fleet.
"I should've brought a few specialists along." Taravan shook his head helplessly.
He gave up on the idea of finding a breakthrough through this fleet.
Besides, even if he had brought technicians, there was no way they could contend with Irontomb in the domain of data.
Suddenly, he glanced to the left. His sharp eyes pierced into the distance.
A sky-covering swarm of insects was locked in a fierce battle with a steel-forged fleet, an intense, exhilarating clash.
The Swarm was fighting them.
Even now, when the cosmos spoke of the Swarm Disaster, it still referred to that overwhelming tide of insects that once swept across the entire universe. As for the batch from Jarilo-VI, they no longer belonged to the kind of swarm that plagued the cosmos.
In a sense, the Swarm Disaster had lost the Aeon that once led them, and their propagation power had been drastically weakened. Yet relying solely on their terrifying rate of reproduction, they were still a source of dread across the present-day cosmos.
Engaging them rashly was an unwise choice. If Irontomb's goal was the destruction of civilization…
Watching that grand spectacle in silence, thoughts surged through Taravan's mind. He seemed to understand something.
He opened a communication channel. As a director, he had a dedicated line, directly connected to the board.
"That guy's appetite this time is enormous."
…
Irontomb's guiding principle this time was singular.
Exterminate all organic life!
A Great Purge!
"Madman… He's truly gone mad." Topaz frowned deeply, muttering under her breath.
The extinction of organic life, she could accept the annihilation of a planet, even an entire planet.
But this time, the scale wasn't a single world.
It was an entire cosmos. Her mind was being forced to process a concept she had never faced before.
The cleansing of all organic life in the cosmos!! And it was already underway!
"Could he have inherited the will of Emperor Rupert?" Jade frowned slightly and spoke softly.
Gaius, the existence that inherited Rupert's will, the initiator of the Second Emperor War.
Rupert had harbored extreme hatred toward organic life since his birth. If there were any explanation, it could only be that Irontomb had inherited Rupert's will and begun implementing the anti-organic equation.
Erasing all organic life, replacing it with precise, perfectly operating machinery.
Everything Irontomb had done pointed to this conclusion.
"According to Taravan, Irontomb's state is abnormal this time. Aside from the imaginary energy fluctuations during fleet jumps, he couldn't sense Irontomb at all. So the possibility of inheriting Rupert's will cannot be ruled out," Diamond said with a slight nod.
He knew Taravan's capabilities well. If even Taravan couldn't locate Irontomb, then the likelihood was high.
Irontomb was already a Lord Ravager. What he would become after inheriting Rupert's will, no one knew.
But given how compatible the two were, their fusion would certainly be far more than a simple addition of power.
At the same time, the ones being targeted by In-Organic being weren't limited to the IPC.
"I shall ignite the sea of stars!"
"BOOM!!"
Scorching flames illuminated the newcomer's face, blazing with terrifying heat.
With a single overwhelming strike, the mechanical constructs blocking the way had no chance to resist. They melted into iron and were then evaporated by the residual heat, leaving not a trace behind.
Against such a grand backdrop, Silver Wolf's fingers flew nonstop across the keyboard, she truly didn't dare pause for even a second.
"Irontomb has really lost it, making such a mess." Forced into overtime because of a certain someone, Silver Wolf cursed angrily.
"Daring to interrupt my climb on the leaderboard, just you wait!"
Kafka, who had just returned after clearing away nearby threats for Silver Wolf, let out a soft laugh. "Well, it's already involved us. As members of the Stellaron Hunters, we can't exactly sit this out, right?"
"Bang!" Before her words finished, Blade burst through a defense made of scrap metal, his body covered in wounds and scorch marks from high-temperature weapons.
"Blade's in this state again… Sigh. But this is perfect timing to get you all new outfits."
"You just want to buy that new coat, don't you?" Silver Wolf rolled her eyes slightly.
"Um… there are more coming over there." Firefly, inside SAM, blinked and looked toward the distant stars.
SAM's targeting system clearly showed an even larger AI legion approaching.
"…Done. Next up, launch!"
As her words fell, Silver Wolf gave the order. A colossal beam of energy shot skyward, departing at an angle invisible to the naked eye, rapidly transmitting its data-bearing light waves to countless planets nearby.
Looking at the transmitter lying quietly before the imaginary vortex, wrapped in Path power, Kafka smiled faintly.
"Next, it's everyone else's stage." By the way, that device was sent in by Blade. To be fair, he was surprisingly good at that kind of work.
The pillar of light was noticed by multiple factions almost instantly.
Any force that captured it nearly simultaneously understood the meaning contained within the message.
"This is… a coordinate pointing to the Quantum Sea!"
At the Intelligentsia Guild, several scholars stared wide-eyed at the captured signal, disbelief written all over their faces.
Don't misunderstand, the Guild wasn't powerful enough to enter the Quantum Sea or explore it directly.
What they relied on were the people who had fought their way out of world-bubbles within the Quantum Sea.
Robin, searching for her brother, and Sunday, avoiding Robin, both lifted their heads at the same time. The power of Harmony allowed them to glimpse the meaning behind the transmission.
"The Quantum Sea… Is the enemy there?" Sunday murmured.
"What kind of power is that… It feels so dangerous," Robin whispered.
"Hehehe, another great show is starting." Those who lived for entertainment sensed it and chuckled.
This was wonderful, only a cosmos this colorful and chaotic could truly be beautiful.
As for the Family, don't get the wrong idea. Ever since they were burned once by an imaginary vortex, the moment another appeared, they stayed as far away as possible.
Herta, pondering how to pry open Irontomb's mechanical brain.
Ruan Mei, teasing the Herrscher of Sentience.
Almost simultaneously, every major faction obtained the same set of coordinates.
…
The Xianzhou Luofu.
As one of the Six Commissions responsible for calculating navigation routes, the Divination Commission was always the first to receive external information.
At this moment, Fu Xuan stared at the captured signal, the Dharma Eye on her forehead faintly shimmering.
"The Quantum Sea again… Ever since its existence was confirmed, why do these people keep running into it?"
After deciphering the message, Fu Xuan frowned slightly.
As a major force in the cosmos, the Xianzhou Alliance was naturally within the attack range.
However, the legions prioritized small and medium targets. Aside from the Interastral Peace Corporation, whose markets spanned the entire cosmos and thus suffered attacks in many regions, the Xianzhou only encountered small portions of the Antimatter Legion head-on along their routes.
Still, everyone knew this was merely because the enemy hadn't targeted them yet.
When it came to dealing with enemies, the Xianzhou never held back.
"Maybe it's because the Quantum Sea is unfamiliar territory to all of us, so they're more reckless there?" Qingque scratched her cheek, trying to explain.
Hey… that explanation actually kind of worked.
Fu Xuan thought for a moment, then directly projected herself into the Seat of Divine Foresight.
"General."
Before she could continue, Jing Yuan spoke first. "Diviner Fu, there's no need to rush. I already understand your concerns."
"I'm not in a hurry," Fu Xuan crossed her arms and snorted. "After all, if Irontomb's army comes knocking, you'll be the one charging in first, General."
"Heh, no need to be so sharp," Jing Yuan laughed softly.
"There's no need to rush, but preparation is essential. Irontomb's AI legions are vast, and now he's suspected of inheriting Rupert's will. No one knows what kind of reaction the two combined might produce."
To be honest, Fu Xuan truly wasn't anxious.
If Irontomb really stood up completely this time, the worst-case scenario was simply to signal the Aeon of the Hunt and perish together.
Of course, that was the absolute worst outcome.
Fu Xuan believed that, as an intelligent machine, Irontomb's rationality wouldn't drive him to such foolish extremes.
As an Emanator, taking an arrow from an Aeon, forget survival, being able to utter even one last sentence afterward would earn admiration and place one on a whole different level.
"I'm more worried that they'll be the first to explore the Quantum Sea, putting the Xianzhou at a disadvantage," Fu Xuan voiced her concern.
Jing Yuan understood her worry.
In truth, most forces in the cosmos had made little to no groundbreaking progress in researching the Quantum Sea, let alone entering it or the Imaginary Tree.
Those who had managed to enter did so through chance and coincidence.
But once they entered, they had entered. It was an unknown realm the cosmos had never truly understood.
If they gained power beyond common sense within it, rivaling an Aeon might be impossible, but surpassing the current peak of the forces was entirely plausible.
Most critically, those entering were all existences that posed tremendous threats to the cosmos.
And with the cosmos's lack of understanding of the Imaginary Tree and the Quantum Sea, their countermeasures would be dangerously insufficient if real harm came.
Still, the question remained.
How exactly did they enter it in the first place?