Not long ago, everyone on Terra had just gone through something unimaginable. The sky darkened without warning, and a vision was descending. Three terrifying and otherworldly astrological phenomena emerged above the heavens.
While people trembled in awe and speculated wildly, none could explain the cause. And just as attention was fixed on the Immortal Warrior account surpassing 100 million activity, another miracle unfolded.
The weather across the planet shifted in unison. Storms, clouds, and rain vanished. The night itself melted away, daylight poured down even at midnight. High above, a luminous cloud blossomed. Shimmering with shifting hues, it spread wider and wider until it blanketed the entire sky. Every gaze lifted to it, unable to turn away. Then, the whole firmament flared brilliantly.
From beyond the clouds, countless petals of radiant colors drifted down. They seemed to fall gently, yet crossed the sky with startling speed. A fragrance filled the air, subtle yet intoxicating, as if the world itself were exhaling. Billions of petals cascaded like rain, weaving a dreamlike storm across the land. Hearts grew light. Minds calmed.
The entire planet of Terra sank into a hush of profound serenity, and then it came, like a great bell struck across the cosmos. The resounding tone reverberated in every person's chest. There was no malice in it. Instead, it swept through their souls, cleansing thought and clearing burdens.
The sick found their pain fading. Those weakened by age or disease suddenly breathed easier. Again and again the celestial bell rang, until the final note dissolved into silence. Then, a whisper echoed in the heart of every being: "All sentient beings receive the gift of strength! Hear this, hundreds of millions of lifespans shall be extended!"
The vision began to fade, the celestial blossoms scattered into nothingness, and the sky returned to its ordinary blue. But the shock lingered. The Terra Federation erupted with shouts and disbelief. Across the planet, people swore the world itself looked sharper, more alive.
On every feed of the Network, messages poured in, trying to describe the indescribable. In only a few heartbeats, the entire planet felt reborn with boundless vitality. Then all eyes turned once more to the live broadcast. The bell's words had been heard clearly by all.
"Hey! Congratulations to the Immortal Warrior who has broken through 100 million activity!" With that declaration, the universe had rewarded him.
"The flower of all sentient beings, those petals were proof!"
"My rhinitis, it's gone after ten years!"
"I feel like I could start my life all over again!"
"My lifespan increased by a century, really? A hundred years!"
"I never imagined the Network could be this miraculous!"
"To be celebrated by Heaven itself, this is like smoke rising from the ancestors' graves!"
"Gan! Whoever this Immortal Warrior is, come out and show yourself! I'll bow right now!"
Elenora sat on the floor, numb to the cold beneath her. Her eyes were vacant, fixed on the distance. She too, had seen the blossoms descend, petals drifting through walls as if matter itself could not stop them. Heaven's blessing had touched even her. And yet, instead of hope, it tore apart the last fragile thread she clung to.
"100 million activity, the universe itself descended in congratulations…" She muttered, a bitter smile tugging at her lips. The gulf between her and that brilliance was too vast to bridge.
Inside the director's office, the Secretary felt stronger than he had in years.
Old pains, once buried deep, had been washed away by the heavenly blossoms. But his face carried no joy. The weight in his expression only deepened.
This was an act of the universe, and it had caught them utterly unprepared. The Federation had always believed they controlled the Network, but now it was clear, such a belief was nothing but arrogance. Their connection to it had begun by accident, and they understood far less than they thought.
Tonio tilted his head curiously. "Director, why do you look so troubled?"
The director forced a smile. "Because the truth may be worse than we admit."
The historian Johan chuckled softly. "Then tell us. What weighs so heavily on your mind?"
The director exhaled. "It's Terra's history. Why did the age of Earth vanish? Did it fall to some enemy none could withstand?"
Faces turned grim. This question had haunted their councils many times, yet the fragments they recovered offered no full answer.
Xiaotian spoke gently. "I think I understand. You fear the past will not stay buried, that it may still shape our future."
The director nodded slowly. "The World Tree once bridged the Nine Realms. In Earth's age, gods walked freely. Was it their invasion that ended humanity's golden era? Are they preparing to return?"
His gaze darkened. "And if they destroyed humanity once, then why… why do we exist now?"
Silence gripped the room. A more terrible thought crept into his mind. Perhaps humanity had not been extinguished before. Perhaps it had been cultivated, like seedlings planted in soil. Today's Terra Federation might still be in its feeding stage, fattened and nurtured until the day comes when it will be harvested by the very powers that once shattered Earth's era.
The director shuddered at his own conclusion. It was more terrifying than anything he had ever imagined. But he dared not speak it aloud, not even to the Supreme Court. For what if it were true? The idea that humanity was nothing more than livestock for a higher-dimensional world… Unthinkable. Yet impossible to dismiss.
Had the willpower blossoms not steadied his heart, he might have collapsed under the weight of that revelation.
The room fell silent. Each expert wrestled with their own doubts, their own fragments of truth. Only one thing remained certain: The mysteries hidden in the past lives of the Immortal Warrior might be the only key to clarity.
Historian Johan sighed. "How could such a thing even be real?"
Meanwhile, beneath the helmet, Tanner felt his thin frame surge with new vigor as the blossoms fell upon him. Every cell pulsed with energy, hiding an untapped strength.
"A hundred years…? Can I really live another century?" He whispered, unsure.
Yet one thing was undeniable: his feat had been proclaimed to the entire world. The universe itself had recognized him. What greater honor could exist?
In the Supreme Court, the Eight Elders rejoiced like children. The blossoms had swept away their frailty. Though each had passed a century in age, their minds and bodies now shone with renewed vitality.
Hyeon laughed in delight. "We truly know too little of the universe!"
Another elder nodded gravely. "Two visions in one day, and this time even a voice… it is no longer a mystery of silence. It feels alive, like a will, or perhaps like a vast program we can barely comprehend."
Gladwin stared at the live screen, where the counter had frozen at one hundred million. His voice was hushed. "What kind of memory will it take… to ignite such power?"
As he spoke, the broadcast shifted. At the center of the darkened screen, a cube appeared, rotating slowly. Its surface glowed with pale, ethereal blue light, like a fragment of infinity itself.