[You have acquired the technology: "Controlled Evolution (Red)".]
[Controlled Evolution: Natural evolution has always been described by a simple and crude word: failure.
Today, we will personally define success.
Upon acquiring this technology, you can use gene compilation techniques to add or remove bytes from an organism's genes, adding or removing traits.
Each species has a fixed number of Trait Points. Within this limit, the organism will undergo benign mutations while maintaining its original form, perfectly meeting the gene compilation requirements.
However, if you forcibly add traits beyond the Trait Point limit, it may lead to genetic collapse.]
[After obtaining the "Controlled Evolution" technology, you immediately attempted to compile the human genome, inserting the unique byte string of "Salvation" to create a modified human serum.]
[Thanks to the rich and complete technology of the Herta Space Station, you easily created the "Salvation" serum.]
The text on the light screen faded, and a silhouette appeared:
In the image, Ron, dressed in a white lab coat, was using a magnifying glass to examine a small test tube on the table.
Inside the tube, pure, transparent water swirled. In the center of the vortex, running from the top to the bottom, a faint golden thread emanated a slight glimmer.
Looking through the magnifying glass, one could see that this faint golden thread was actually composed of scattered fragments of pale gold. Each piece was a minuscule triangular prism, refracting a beautiful golden light, shimmering with a magnificent luster.
The silhouette on the screen faded, and new lines of text continued to appear:
[When injected into a human's bloodstream, the serum can perfectly transform an ordinary human into a pseudo-Pathstrider of [Salvation], granting them a not-so-powerful Path force and applying the trait: "Savior (Purple)."]
[Savior: The sea of stars crumbles, but the light of hope shines upon the darkness. This is the steadfast light of a savior's heart...
Every savior has their own unique light. Though this light is minuscule, it is firm and eternal.
Know this—a single spark can start a prairie fire.
After applying this trait, you will gain the constant [Salvation] Path effects "Firm Will," "Power of Redemption," and "Holy Light." If the Path of [Salvation] exists in this world, you will find it extremely easy to step onto it and truly become a Pathstrider of [Salvation].]
[Although this serum does not allow a person to truly become a Pathstrider and gain the ability to wield Imaginary energy, it still grants a level of combat power that is unattainable for ordinary mortals, even allowing them to compete with common Pathstriders.]
[This compilation of the human genome consumes a large amount of energy. For a human, they can just barely bear this power...]
[To apply the "Savior" trait to a human population, the required Trait Points are—3.]
[Please use gene-splicing technology with careful consideration to avoid the possibility of genetic collapse.]
---o---
"Did it succeed..."
Looking at the red technology and purple trait on the screen, Ron didn't feel particularly surprised.
With the help of Herta and the staff of the Genetics Department, completing research on a technology that many civilizations in the sea of stars had already unlocked was quite easy.
After all, the staff at the Herta Space Station were rare geniuses from their respective worlds, dedicating their brilliance to research. Herta herself was an Emanator of [The Erudition] Nous. Together, they formed one of the most elite research teams in the cosmos. Completing a project with an existing foundation wasn't difficult.
The effects of the "Savior" trait were also entirely within his expectations. After all, wielding the holy sword in the Simulated Universe granted the exact same power boost.
This was all just preparation... The truly difficult part was next.
Staring at the text on the screen, Ron's brow furrowed in deep thought, and he couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh.
He didn't know when the Fated Calamity would arrive. It certainly wouldn't be the next moment, but it definitely wasn't far off...
Would the tide of [Destruction] be an Emanator of Nanook, or would Nanook himself make a move?
If Nanook came personally, although Ron would certainly fight with all his might, he knew in his heart that the current New Belobog was powerless to defeat a true Aeon.
After all... only an Aeon can stand against an Aeon.
And it was absolutely impossible for Ron to ascend to godhood outside the Simulated Universe.
The Path of [Salvation] would require tearing away too much power from existing Paths. Setting aside whether he could even manage to rip off parts of those Paths to become the [Salvation] Aeon, even if he succeeded, the end result would just be facing a coalition of [The Abundance], [The Preservation], and several other Aeons joining the battle. He would be one against many...
Even the Cosmic Locust Plague, which could once replicate infinitely and sweep across the stars, and its creator, [The Propagation] Tayzzyronth, had died at the hands of allied Aeons. What chance would he, a newly ascended [Salvation] Aeon, have of winning?
So Ron dismissed this unrealistic plan and turned to consider more meaningful possibilities.
If he tried to contact the Aeons who opposed "Fate" right now, could he get their help to stop the very likely appearance of Nanook on the battlefield?
But after a moment's thought, Ron discovered a very frustrating reality.
The number of Aeons he could be certain were in opposition to "Fate" were few and far between...
First, there was [The Preservation] Qlipoth, who was building a wall at the edge of the cosmos, constantly trying to resist the great enemy fated to devour the universe.
Although he didn't know why [The Voracity] Ouroboros was the fated great enemy, if this was the future ordained by "Fate," then Qlipoth was surely the most resolute ally in resisting it...
But unfortunately, Qlipoth was far too busy. In his previous simulations, Ron's attempts to contact Him were met with no significant response, and even when there was a response, it was just a fleeting glance.
The Amber Lord, swinging his great hammer at the edge of the cosmos, had no more energy to spare for a small corner of the universe like New Belobog.
However, seeking the help of the Interastral Peace Corporation was a viable option. The previous deal with the Corporation could finally be put to use. But a deal with the Corporation was meaningless against an Aeon-level opponent; he still had to focus on the Aeons themselves.
After the Amber Lord, there was [The Hunt] Lan, who led the Xianzhou Alliance in a relentless pursuit of [The Abundance] Yaoshi across the stellar hunting grounds. This Aeon's very existence was an act of rebellion against fate.
The former Lan was just an ordinary mortal on the Xianzhou Yaoqing. Facing the aggression of the Denizens of Abundance and the escalating erosion of the Ambrosial Arbor, he exhausted everything he had to shoot an arrow that broke the Arbor, all to defy the inherent fate of those blessed by Abundance. He then returned from the endless Imaginary Void, transformed into an Aeon like a shooting star, his bow drawn and arrows aimed at Yaoshi and the terrifying abominations that ravaged the stars under Her blessing.
But it had to be said, Lan's Path was far too narrow. He would never respond to anything besides the hunt for [The Abundance] and his personal revenge.
And the Xianzhou Alliance was stretched thin. The previous battle with Phantylia had consumed a great deal of their energy, and they still had to hunt down the endless abominations in the sea of stars. Even though the Xianzhou would definitely be interested in taking revenge on [Destruction], they probably couldn't muster much strength for now and would need to rest...
But the tide of [Destruction] was close at hand. The power of [The Hunt] and the Xianzhou was not an option he could count on.
Next...
Ron hesitated for a long time, then sighed.
Next was the last, and based on current intelligence, the only Aeon who held the deepest malice toward "Fate"...
[The Elation] Aha.
It had to be said, Aha had actually been good to Ron. Although Aha had watched Ron's entire last simulation for entertainment, He had been extremely generous, leaving Ron a rich blessing at the end, bringing him the miracle needed to fight against fate...
But Ron had always been wary of Aha. After all, no matter how much you felt this guy was on your side, when dealing with a god-tier trickster, you never knew if He would suddenly pull something just for fun, plunging you into an even more irredeemable situation...
Moreover, Ron had just confirmed in the last simulation how vile the [Elation] Emanator Sampo was. He really did not want to get deeply involved with Aha and the Masked Fools, let alone seek their cooperation.
But...
Thinking of the fearsome reputation of the Antimatter Legion throughout the stars, and of Nanook's terrifying combat prowess, Ron hesitated for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and clicking the screen, allowing the simulation to continue.
He was already facing a near-certain death situation anyway.
No matter what, the worst that could happen was death... In this simulation, the worst outcome was just a corrupted save file and a restart. What was the harm in taking a gamble?
After all, things couldn't get any worse. Seeking help from [The Elation] Aha was better than just waiting for [The Destruction] Nanook to come and slit his throat.
The text on the light screen faded, and new lines appeared:
[The personal terminal you gave Cocolia to maintain communication when you left has finally come in handy—]
[You sent the production method for the "Savior" serum to Cocolia through your self-made encrypted communication software, requesting that she directly input the data and documents into the Qlipoth Fort's databank terminal. The databank's AI would automatically convert some factories to produce the serum, preparing for the upcoming grand evolution of the New Belobog species.]
[At the same time, you requested Cocolia to use the databank terminal to completely convert half of New Belobog's industrial Ideal Cities into Fortress Ideal Cities at the fastest possible speed with the help of the Creation Engines. You also arranged for the synthetic workers on the factory assembly lines to be equipped with weapons and immediately garrison the fortresses, preparing for defense.]
[Around New Belobog's residential Ideal Cities, the true core of the planet, all surrounding areas were also to be converted into Fortress Ideal Cities. The Silvermane Guards were to be fully deployed and injected with the "Savior" serum, modifying them in batches to apply the "Savior" trait, preparing them to face [Destruction].]
[The starship fleet docked around Jarilo-VI was to immediately enter patrol mode, maintaining vigilance in the surrounding space, ensuring the absolute safety of the planet, and preventing even a single threat from [Destruction] from getting close.]
[Cocolia solemnly accepted your orders. She asked no questions and executed your plan with extreme speed, pushing New Belobog into intensive war preparations.]
[You did not waste time either. After temporarily arranging New Belobog's war plans, you immediately contacted Topaz, with whom you had signed a cooperation agreement.]
[The leader of the Strategic Investment Department's Special Debts Picket Team was very enthusiastic. Although her main business was debt collection, people from the Corporation never refused wealth...]
[Her venture investment in you had clearly paid off. You sold her the gene-splicing technology. The red-tier "Controlled Evolution" tech left Topaz extremely satisfied, and she generously allowed you to make any request, promising that the Corporation would prepare a satisfactory reward.]
[You asked her for ten Star Destroyers. The Interastral Peace Corporation's most advanced warships, according to their promotional slogans, were not born for war, but for the preservation of this universe.]
[But clearly, slogans were just slogans. The terrifying cannons of these ships were enough to shatter planets, and their crimson lances could pierce the void, vaporizing an enemy vessel in an instant.]
[These ten Star Destroyers would be delivered to the Jarilo system via Interastral Express within a week. New Belobog's fleet would receive a massive reinforcement.]
[But just as you were making all these preparations for the coming Fated Calamity, Herta came looking for you.]
The text on the screen faded, and a new scene appeared:
Herta was making simple adjustments to an astronomical telescope. The monitoring domain of the Herta Space Station scanned every wisp of activity within several thousand light-years, guarding against any incursions.
She frowned, her expression grim as she looked at the monitoring domain's data terminal.
"They're this close already...? Ron, look."
The terminal screen was faithfully displaying everything within a radius of several thousand light-years. Ron leaned in closer. Through one of the windows on the screen, he could see a surging tide of antimatter particles distorting the surrounding space. Pitch-black war machines exuding a cold aura were rushing toward the Herta Space Station without pause.
The tide of [Destruction] was close at hand.