Chapter 260: Simulated Universe: Swarm Disaster 『 Part One 』
「 Stelle frowned amidst the chaotic haze as a pungent odor assaulted her nostrils—like disinfectant spray mixed with cheap tobacco, laced with the scorched scent of burning lubricant. The taste clung to the roof of her mouth, refusing to dissipate.
"Where is this…" Stelle rubbed her temples, addressing the empty air beside her.
"The Simulated Universe." Sure enough, Herta's familiar voice echoed in her ear. "Stephen made some adjustments, so your experience this time will differ from the past. Your current identity is the Navigator of the Elydichnan Fleet—to use a metaphor you're familiar with, your current status is equivalent to Himeko aboard the Astral Express."
"Oh…"
Her vision gradually returned, her hands subconsciously groping at her side until she felt a notebook with a yellowed cover.
"The 13th Reminder." She murmured the words written on the title page, the ink having already bloomed into a blurry blue.
The lights on the bridge flickered like a broken neon sign, casting shadows on the metal bulkheads that twisted like worms. From the distance came the mechanical footsteps of soldiers, their boot soles sticky with some dark red debris—the corpses of insects. It seemed these soldiers had just returned from the front lines.
"You're awake."
A man in an old-fashioned military uniform stood at the door of the medical bay, half a wing missing from the Elydichnan insignia on his chest. He looked as if he hadn't rested in ages; his eyes were terrifyingly red, as if countless red spiders were baring their fangs and brandishing their claws within them.
Seeing this man, Herta seemed to recall something: "Oh, right, I almost forgot. There's still a portion of memory data I haven't uploaded to you." Her voice quickly faded, and then Stelle found her mind flooded with unfamiliar memories.
The man's identity also gradually became clear.
He was the leader of the Elydichnanmilitary. He suffered from a strange affliction that limited his memory to only three days. Before arriving at the Lepismat, he had received a murmuring whisper from the cosmos—a whisper concerning the Lepismat.
He hoped Stelle could remind him every "three days," ensuring that on his path of conquest, he would not forget that half-deciphered, reversed whisper.
"He initiates conquest; he establishes civilization; he ultimately finds the lost self."
Stelle read aloud, following the blurred handwriting in the notebook. 」
「 .....」
〜StarCraft Universe〜
Atop the high cliffs of Shakuras, Zeratul's ghostly green eyes flickered in the shadows. He gazed up at the vessel within the sky's light screen, searching his mind for the nation known as "Elydichna."
"Artanis, these humans are not from the Terran Dominion."
Zeratul's voice was low, like wind sweeping over dry bones.
"If we infer based on the timeline of the Simulated Universe, the time in which this vessel appeared is likely ten thousand years before the current universe. Did such a glorious civilization exist ten thousand years ago?"
A trace of awe flashed through Artanis's azure pupils.
"Truly remarkable… However, to rashly intrude upon the territory of the Zerg is to be destined only for destruction."
"Not necessarily, Artanis…"
Zeratul raised his hand, void energy gathering at his fingertips. The image in the projection switched to Aiur—on their fallen homeland, the veins of the hive clusters writhed like living things. Newborn Zerg broke from their shells within the fleshy creep, their speed far exceeding anything seen before.
"Do you see it? The evolution of the Zerg… is drawing ever closer to a certain 'essence'."
Zeratul's voice carried a heavy premonition.
"It is possible that the Zerg of today are the remnants of the ancient 『 Propagation 』, and this planet named 'Lepismat' is the very origin of the countless insectoid races in the universe. Therefore, I wish to know how the 『 Propagation 』 was born. If we understand its origins, perhaps it might aid us in reclaiming Aiur."
—
「 "These whispers might originate from the Star God of 『 Finality 』," Herta said in her ear. "『 Finality 』 is a creature that moves against the flow of time; both a Star God and a specter traversing the universe, murmuring prophecies of a destiny that is bound to be realized."
"Isn't that just like spoilers?"
"Interpret it however you like." Herta urged impatiently in her ear. "Have you lain there long enough? Hurry up and leave the medical bay; we need to head to the next sector."
Stelle left the medical bay, but her next step did not land on the master control deck. Instead, her foot crushed the head of an insect with a sickening squelch.
In the blink of an eye, she was already standing amidst a twisted, dense forest. The branches of towering, gigantic trees were covered in clusters of dense insect eggs, gleaming with a nauseating sheen under the dark red skylight.
"Maintain formation!"
A hoarse voice crackled from the helmet's built-in speakers. Stelle looked down to see herself fully geared in combat armor, which she didn't remember putting on. Her gloves were stained with fluorescent green bug blood, which was corroding the fibers and emitting bursts of white smoke.
The rising and falling cries of insects all around sounded like a rusty saw tearing through metal. In the distance, every flash of blue light from the pulse rifles illuminated fragments of the swarm dancing wildly through the rainforest.
This was, without a doubt, a massacre.
The leader's words appeared in her mind at just the right moment. He believed this was the inevitable path of civilizational conquest, and he wanted Stelle to properly record everything before her eyes. 」
「 .....」
〜OVERLORD World〜
"They call it civilization, but in reality, they are just a group of barbarians who only know slaughter."
Ainz carefully observed the insect remains drifting through the sky in the light screen. He had been anticipating the appearance of Tayzzyronth, the 『 Propagation 』, but strangely, even though the home planet was suffering slaughter of this magnitude, He had not appeared.
(So many bugs have already died. If the 『 Propagation 』 doesn't show up soon, these insects will be completely exterminated. Does he possess no normal emotions?)
(Hmm… no, I cannot use conventional human logic to fathom the thoughts of a Star God… Could it be that the 『 Propagation 』 has not noticed His kin? Or perhaps in the eyes of the 『 Propagation 』, "death" is trivial, and the "new life" responsible for the concept of propagation is what matters more?)
Thinking it over yielded no answers, so Ainz simply turned his gaze to Cocytus. Among the Floor Guardians, he was the only insectoid.
"Cocytus… do you sense anything?"
"Absolutely nothing… Ainz-sama,"
Cocytus replied respectfully.
Just in case, Ainz ordered Demiurge to scan Cocytus's entire body again with mental magic. Only after confirming there were indeed no abnormalities did he feel slightly more at ease.
Before this Simulated Universe began, he had early on instructed Demiurge to erect a barrier specifically against mental attacks, to avoid a repeat of the last battle between Emanators, where several Guardians suffered mental breakdowns.
After all, what appeared this time was a Star God, not an Emanator; no amount of preparation could be considered excessive. Although it was merely a virtual existence within the Simulated Universe, the effects the Path of 『 Propagation 』 might bring remained entirely unknown.
—
( Translator-kun: If I used the wrong term in this arc, let me know. I only know a little about the Swarm Disaster adventure mission from some notes I read in-game, but my knowledge is limited to that. )