The Doomsday Beast had a humanoid form, a mixture of dark silver, light purple, and jet black, with giant photon wings sprouting from its back.
The Primordial Doomsday Beast, the template from which all others were born, was no exception.
But.
As the power of [Root Regression] continued to extend through the Primordial Doomsday Beast, the form of this Stellar-class monster began to change rapidly. Its wings, which radiated countless photon rays, gradually enveloped its body. Its floating black and white arms extended toward its head, and the light from its antimatter engine caused the multifaceted sphere of its head to spin faster and faster.
The next moment—
"BOOM!!!"
The Primordial Doomsday Beast, which previously retained some humanoid features, transformed directly into a completely bestial form!
It now had gleaming crimson fur, razor-sharp claws, magma spewing from the nape of its neck, and curved, scorched-black demon horns on either side of its head.
[Twilight Neutron Star · Cerberus]
That was right.
The Primordial Doomsday Beast had inexplicably taken on a form resembling the "Cerberus, the Hound of Hell" from the Monarch's memories. And the transformation wasn't over. After becoming a true "puppy," it began to shrink rapidly.
Cerberus, whose original body was over 2,000 kilometers long, in less than two seconds, became a being with a length—no, a height—of less than 1.7 meters...
A dog girl!?
She had deep crimson twin-tails that reached her hips, short and alertly perked dog ears, leather long gloves and over-the-knee socks, an outfit that resembled a non-existent bikini, and two white canine heads, like plush toys, fitted over her forearms.
Not only was Huititedan taken aback, the Monarch was also stunned by this scene. The sudden appearance of a literal "sycophant" hardly seemed to fit the current situation.
However, after carefully savoring—no, observing... hmm, after a careful perception check, the Monarch discovered the peculiarity of this three-headed hound.
"Twilight Ancient Beast."
The Monarch directly stated the true identity of the three-headed dog.
The soul fragment of the Twilight Ancient Beast had resided within the husk. By imperceptibly "stealing" a minuscule portion of Nanook's Dominion with the power of an Ancient Beast, and by absorbing Huititedan's power over the long years, it had managed to create a "resurrected" individual.
"Shouldn't you be a wolf?"
Correct. The Twilight Ancient Beast was supposed to be a colossal wolf-like being. [Twilight Ancient Beast · Star-Devourer · Fenrir] was her original name.
Her current, appropriately bizarre appearance was born from a combination of Nanook's Dominion (Path of Destruction), Huititedan's power (Stellar Fire), and the Monarch's will (dog girl?).
Make no mistake.
The "will" here referred to the Monarch's unique life experience of being "human-beast-neither-human-nor-beast," not anything strange.
"Awoo~?"
"..."
"Woof~!"
"Ding."
A super-gravity field, comparable to the pull of a white dwarf, instantly bound Cerberus in place. Although she didn't seem to possess much intelligence, the Monarch couldn't be sure if this "puppy" was about to lick him or take a clean bite.
In the era when the Ancient Beasts were active and the Paths of the Astral Gods had not yet been codified, the Twilight Ancient Beast was as famous for "eating" as "Ouroboros, the Astral God of Voracity." The latter was a black hole and also a member of the Ancient Beasts, who long ago bore the title of [Drinker of Worlds].
Even if the energy level he sensed from her wasn't high, no one could guarantee what special abilities these Ancient Beasts, whose names were on par with the Astral Gods, might possess.
---o---
While the Monarch was contemplating the Primordial Doomsday Beast's transformation, Huititedan had managed to regain control of his emotions. Whether it was reversing a supernova or twisting the form of the Primordial Doomsday Beast, the [Dominions] displayed by this unknown Grand Monarch were each more heaven-defying than the last.
If this continued... Huititedan worried he might lose his will to fight.
"I can wait no longer."
"WHOOSH!!"
Having made his final decision, Huititedan's body began to twist, like a ray of light captured by a black hole!
Yes, twist.
Huititedan was not originally an [Emissary] of Nanook. The high-dimensional being he first served was actually "Ouroboros, the Astral God of Voracity." To be precise, in the age after the Astral Gods roamed the universe and the Ancient Beasts were hunted in large numbers, the various surviving descendants of the Ancient Beasts (akin to retainers of Astral Gods) had mostly gathered under the banner of Ouroboros, the last of the Ancient Beasts.
That's right.
Huititedan was a descendant of an Ancient Beast, his body carved from the core of a star. As a scion of [The Beast of the Sun · Main Sequence Star · Sourglaur], it was only natural for him to become an [Emissary] under his "old kinsman" Ouroboros.
As for why he defected to the [Antimatter Legion]... that's a long story for another time.
Now, facing an unprecedentedly powerful enemy, Huititedan prepared to forcibly activate the [Path of Voracity] that he had long since abandoned.
By using—
"Drip."
A drop of crimson liquid coalesced into a sphere, appearing conspicuously at the core of Huititedan's twisting body.
[Red Matter]
Of the 143 types of star-destroying weapons possessed by the Antimatter Legion, fewer than ten could directly destroy a star.
[Red Matter] was one of them. It could hyper-accelerate a star's transition from a "main sequence star" to a "red giant," causing the star to enter its final stage directly.
The mass of the star that was Huititedan's true body was immense.
When he applied the [Red Matter] to himself, the effect produced was singular and fixed:
A massive black hole!
This was not a [Simulated Black Hole] created by a gravity field, nor was it the micro-black hole or stellar-mass black hole produced when an "ordinary sun" explodes. This was a supermassive black hole, large enough to generate a naked singularity and a ring singularity!
To put its power simply: the frame-dragging effect produced by a massive black hole could tear apart the spacetime of its region.
Faced with such a suicidal attack...
"Quite impressive," the Monarch praised sincerely.
"The fusion of the [Dominion of Destruction] and the [Dominion of Voracity] can actually produce such a terrifying celestial field."
"What Nanook saw in you was likely this very potential."
The power of an Astral God was extremely pure.
And when beings like them tried to peer into other Paths... even one as strong as the Astral God of Order ultimately met a swift end.
Of course, the Astral God of Order's experiment was indeed a success. Lu Xing's very existence proved the possibility of an Astral God treading upon other Paths. When the [Paths] in question had a certain degree of overlap, this possibility increased dramatically.
"A pity."
Huititedan's final, life-staking blow, at the peak of an [Emissary]'s power, had touched upon the realm of a Grand Monarch: Galaxy-class.
If this black hole were allowed to fully form, the entire galaxy (as in, a Milky Way-level galaxy, not a solar system) would be swallowed as the black hole continuously expanded.
In that case, at least half of the Monarch's long-laid plans would go down the drain.
Moreover, once the black hole entered its expansion phase, the balance of the Tree and Sea would become difficult to control. The main fleet of the Sky People was basically annihilated; acting now was equivalent to protecting the subordinate civilizations in this large galaxy that hadn't been wiped out by them.
Not to mention, he could give them plenty of fulfilling tests later on.
All of this... was experience!
---o---
"Crick— -"
The Emperor Ball, like the black hole formed from the twisting Huititedan, began to rotate, slowly at first, then faster.
The diamond patterns on its surface were brilliant and dazzling. Iridescent streams of light continuously extended and connected across the sphere's surface, causing it to become increasingly ethereal and translucent.
Until—
"BOOM!!!"
The true form of the Grand Sovereign Entropy Dragon was displayed, without reservation, for the civilizations of the cosmos to see!
"Hmm..."
The Monarch fell into deep thought.
Was dealing with a massive black hole troublesome?
If it were a natural celestial body that had existed for some time, it would definitely be a thankless task. But this newborn black hole, birthed from the [Dominion of Destruction] and the [Dominion of Voracity]... he need only seal the destructive power of the [Dominion of Destruction] with the [Dominion of Preservation], counteract the gravitational field of the [Dominion of Voracity] with the [Dominion of Trailblaze], and then reverse its existence with the [Dominion of Finality].
The Monarch possessed eight different Dominions.
Using three of them simultaneously was about as taxing as catching his breath after a hundred-meter dash.
The real question that required the Monarch's contemplation was—
Did this transformation count as moving one millimeter?
"..."
Of course not.
The core spatial coordinate of the Grand Sovereign Entropy Dragon was identical to its position in the Emperor Ball state. The peripheral details of its body did not count.
This wasn't sophistry, but the Monarch's余裕.
"I know exactly what you are thinking."
Huititedan's goal was clear. Whether the Monarch chose to push him away or lead his retainers out of this star system, he would have successfully escaped. It wouldn't matter even if the other party didn't keep his promise.
Before the black hole's radius expanded to forty astronomical units, he could pay a certain price to revert to his main sequence star state. Although his lifespan would be greatly reduced and he would need a very long time to recover, he would have at least escaped with his life.
Moreover, he could bring the intelligence from here back to the Antimatter Legion, and even present it to Lord Nanook himself. The appearance of a Grand Monarch-level powerhouse, currently without any faction, would cause considerable waves throughout the cosmos.
Whether to recruit or eliminate, the Antimatter Legion would need to formulate a strategy quickly.
But...
"Regrettably."
At the edge of the black hole formed by Huititedan, within the "ergosphere" just outside the event horizon, a countless number of white electrical flashes were appearing.
A completely reversed, invisible field enveloped the entire massive black hole.
"Among your Paths,"
The majestic dragon's body shimmered in the sea of stars.
In the center of its open claw, a swirling vortex of black and white gradually transformed into what looked like a crystal bubble being steeped in ink.
"There is a Dominion I require."
"Pop."
Fragments refracting the starlight scattered from the Monarch's hand.
The crimson lightning that had been erupting from the naked singularity at the black hole's center vanished without a trace, as if brushed away by an invisible hand. The black hole, which had been spinning with the "inertia" of a star, ground to a halt like a jammed clock.
The next instant—
"CRACK!!!!!"
---o---
"..."
The star system had never been so lively, nor had it ever been so quiet.
[Emissaries] were beings chosen by the Astral Gods, the most honored "mortal" individuals in the entire cosmos.
Their birth and death were always accompanied by the gazes of the Astral Gods.
But Huititedan's death did not attract Nanook's attention.
The Monarch was certain that the "stasis" had indeed killed Huititedan. The operation to erase the black hole had been simpler than he'd imagined. Lu Xing had chosen a more direct and brutal strategy: he used the [Dominion of Finality] to separate the time inside and outside the black hole. The ring singularity continuing to spin inside and the stationary "ergosphere" outside created a "friction," grinding Huititedan into nothingness like a millstone.
With Huititedan's death, the power of the [Dominion of Order] spread out like a spiderweb, firmly locking onto the [Dominion of Destruction] and the [Dominion of Voracity] that were about to dissipate (and return to their Paths) and absorbed them completely.
One level up.
Five points to all attributes.
One brand new Dominion and a new understanding of the Path of Destruction.
This was the entirety of the Monarch's harvest from this trip...
"Fenrir."
No, that wasn't all.
With Huititedan's demise, the Grand Sovereign Entropy Dragon in the starry sky slowly turned its body, its gaze falling upon the dog girl "locked" by the gravity field.
"I do not know how you completed your 'resurrection,' but if you intend to continue playing the fool..."
"I don't mind letting you experience Huititedan's fate."
"..."
"Woof~?"
"VWOOM—"
The Grand Sovereign Entropy Dragon raised its head.
Incandescent white light gathered before it. There was no doubt this [Divine Flame Impact] contained thermal energy several times that of a star. If he charged it a little longer, he could probably incinerate the sun he had just saved!
"Ah~"
A slightly exasperated, mature female voice came from Cerberus.
"It took me so long to create a carbon-based unit in a form that would suit your 'preferences'."
Cerberus regained her mobility, the gravity field around her seeming to not exist at all. Even if it was a casual move from the Monarch, it was still a "Super-Stellar" class field, absolutely not something Cerberus's displayed "Stellar-class" power could break.
"Are all the 'Clan Chiefs' of today so lacking in sentiment?"
Cerberus stretched languidly, clearly displaying a perfectly defined V-line.
By the way, in the era of the Ancient Beasts, a "Clan Chief" was equivalent in power to a "Grand Monarch" today.
"No."
"The union and reproduction of individuals in the Empire have already transcended the barriers of gender and race."
Lu Xing was referring to "individuals of the Empire," a point that needed to be emphasized.
"The ways of the Ancient Beasts have passed away along with your kind."
"..."
"Alright, fine~"
Cerberus abandoned her seductive—no, to be precise, her "in-heat" posture.
"This 'Grand Monarch'," the dog girl's voice and expression became solemn simultaneously. Her form of address for the Monarch reverted to the formal term used in the cosmos.
"I wish to make a deal with you."
"A deal?" the Monarch asked with a hint of "curiosity."
"Yes, a deal," Cerberus nodded.
"Then what is your bargaining chip?"
"Using the 'Blood of the Ancient Beast' hidden within Huititedan's body to conceal the fact of his death, thereby preventing Nanook's gaze from falling upon this place?"
"!!"
"Resurrected Ancient Beast, are you looking down on a 'Grand Monarch'?"
There was a hint of mockery in the Monarch's voice, and the "Grand Monarch" he referred to was not just himself—
"Nanook's gaze has indeed not fallen here."
"But Annihilation..."
The brilliant, glowing vertical pupils gazed into the distance.
"Has just 'greeted' me."