Devouring World Dragon

Chapter 267 End Calendar

Galactic calendar year 20549, Last Calendar year 1976, the four hundredth galactic year since the birth of the World Devourer.

"Dear visitors, what you are about to witness is the World Eater..."

Inside the sub-light-speed psionic spaceship, the calm voice of the AI ​​rang out, while the girl sitting in the passenger seat leaned against the transparent window, her eyes wide open, gazing at the colossal object hundreds of millions of kilometers away, that incredible myth.

Unbelievable.

Gazing at that enormous creature, whose entirety could not be seen even from hundreds of millions of kilometers away, that monster roaming in space, the girl felt only horror and awe.

Even if you've seen it in various images before, those lifelike 3D images are in no way inferior to the original in terms of realism. But only by getting up close in person can you feel that powerful, ethereal energy, that composed demeanor, and that chilling majesty that can penetrate your soul. These incredible and strange senses of power cannot be simulated by mere images.

"It's incredible, isn't it? Even though I've seen and heard countless stories about it, I'm still amazed by it, aren't I?"

A soft voice sounded from behind.

sound?

The girl turned her head to look behind her, and a silent young man stood behind her, gazing at the giant serpent in space.

"Hello."

Some people stammered as they answered the other party.

In this interstellar age where everyone possesses psychic abilities, it is rare to find someone who still communicates using their voice. Generally, only a few psychic ascetics choose to do so, following their primal instincts in order to deepen their exploration of themselves.

However, since the other party is speaking to you using their voice, it is only basic courtesy to greet them in the same way.

"Aren't you used to speaking? ... Sorry, it was my oversight. Let's communicate using psionic energy instead."

Upon hearing the girl's stammering voice, the young man seemed to realize what was happening, and then emitted a gentle wave of psionic energy, carrying a hint of apology.

The girl blushed, her eyes filled with gratitude, and then asked with some curiosity.

Have you been here many times?

After the World Eater appeared before interstellar humanity, many things happened. The Second Republic tried everything to kill this monster, but ultimately failed. However, as time passed and humanity's understanding of this space monster deepened, a strange industry emerged—World Eater tourism.

Using sub-light-speed spaceships, humanity from all over the galaxy observed the appearance of the World Eater from a distance of a certain range.

It's interesting, isn't it? But that's human nature. Even with the inherent dangers, countless tourists still risk their lives to come here every year, just to witness this incredible sight.

In the girl's opinion, the young man must have been here many times.

"Many times? No, this is the first time I've been here, and the first time I've seen it... this nemesis I knew I was destined to face since birth."

The young man's gaze was deep as he stared intently at the giant snake in his line of sight.

For some reason, although the young man was just standing there calmly, the girl felt an invisible sense of oppression emanating from him. Although it was faint, it did make people instinctively feel afraid.

Only then did the girl begin to carefully observe the young man in front of her.

His eyebrows were long and sharp, his dark pupils revealed nothing of his thoughts, and his thin lips turned down in a serious manner, as if to suggest that the owner of those lips had a somewhat cold personality.

Is her age... a hundred years old? Or two or three hundred? In this era of long lifespans and generally youthful appearances, even those with lifespans approaching a thousand years don't show any signs of aging, so the young woman really didn't know how old the young man was.

But judging from my impression, he must be quite old, at least not like me who is under twenty.

"Nemesis... Indeed, many people believe that the World Eater is humanity's nemesis."

Turning her head, widening her eyes, and looking at the monster in the distant space, the girl seemed to be deep in thought.

“I heard about it when I was very young. ‘Primordial gods,’ ‘eternal and immortal monsters,’ ‘the end of mankind,’ ‘the loophole in the universe’…that’s what everyone said about it.”

"Back then, there were frequent news reports about which star system the World Eater had approached or which star it had devoured. There were also many military operations by the Second Republic, but all of them ended in failure. To this day, it continues to wander and move forward in this vast space, gnawing at the stars, and we can do nothing about it..."

She stared blankly, her bright eyes filled with unease.

Do you think it's possible that one day it will really eat up the entire world?

Suddenly, the girl asked.

What is the ultimate goal of the world devourer? Everyone would answer without hesitation, "a black hole."

This monster feeds on stars, and it is predicted that it will eventually travel countless light-years to reach the supermassive black hole at the deepest part of the Milky Way. Before that, it will also devour something else along the way—a ring world.

The magnificent Ring World, the glory of humankind, the supreme brilliance, a miracle created over tens of thousands of years, a miracle unique in the entire universe.

This wonder is inhabited by interstellar humans, numbering in the thousands, whose total population accounts for more than half of the entire galaxy. It is the permanent capital of the Second Republic, the pride of all mankind, yet that monster is trying to devour it.

The World Eater is traveling at near the speed of light. According to human predictions, after 1976, the World Eater will reach the Somol star system and then devour that ring world and more than half of the entire galaxy's population.

Based on this date, something called the "End Calendar" was created at some unknown time. Every galactic year, the number of years decreases by one. When the End Calendar reaches year 0, it will be the end of the world... or rather, the end of all mankind.

Of course, the time is still very far away, two thousand years away, and countless talented people are still fighting for it, trying to prevent the end of the world from happening in 0.

Currently, the Second Republic is striving to unify this chaotic galaxy. Every moment, administrative planets are brought under the rule of the Second Republic, and every moment, wonderful inspirations are born on the Ringworld. Humanity throughout the galaxy is working towards this goal.

This is a glorious era.

Human unification is foreseeable. All sorts of rapidly evolving technologies are emerging. Under the guidance of the Second Republic, the interstellar humans who occupy the entire Milky Way are attempting to explore more distant extragalactic systems. The spaceships heading towards the Andromeda Galaxy set off as early as two hundred years ago. Humanity will not be confined to this small Milky Way. Humanity's steps will not stop, they will never stop.

But beneath the gleaming staircase, beneath the feet of humanity as they climb, a small, dark shadow has appeared, slowly eroding this glorious path, as if to swallow humanity into darkness.

This process, though slow, is unshakeable, just like... just like...

"Just like lifespan."

Just as the girl was lost in thought, the young man seemed to see through her mind and calmly said...

"Woo..."

The girl, whose thoughts had been read, was taken aback at first, then realized what had happened. She was both ashamed and annoyed, and couldn't help but release angry spiritual energy fluctuations.

"How rude of you! How could you... how could you spy on my inner world..."

Powerful psychics can indeed glimpse into the minds of others, but such behavior is clearly extremely impolite and illegal. The young man had pinpointed her thoughts, obviously using psychic abilities to spy on her mind.

But the young man shook his head.

"No, I didn't spy on your thoughts, I just guessed from your expression. You see, the spaceship AI didn't issue any warnings, did it?"

Upon hearing this, the girl realized that the spaceship's AI was equipped with psionic detection devices, and if someone had actually used psionic energy, it would be impossible for them not to be detected.

Realizing she had misunderstood someone, the girl blushed deeply, quickly stood up, and repeatedly bowed in apology. "I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I... I thought..."

"It doesn't matter."

The young man wasn't angry; he just chuckled.

The seemingly aloof and solemn young man had an unusually hearty laugh, which made the girl feel at ease.

And so, on the spaceship, the two chatted from time to time, and after several hours, their short journey came to an end.

Spaceport.

"Um... if it's okay, could we hang out together again sometime?"

Amidst the bustling crowd, the girl stood with her hands behind her back, head bowed, looking somewhat uneasy, and asked cautiously.

The young man looked calmly at the girl in front of him and chuckled softly.

"sure."

"really?"

The girl suddenly raised her head, her bright eyes sparkling like stars.

"certainly……"

……

The excited young girl piloted her space shuttle and happily left the spaceport, while the young man watched his new friend depart. And somehow, an elderly man draped in a cloak appeared beside the young man.

The old man stood quietly beside the young man, waiting patiently.

The youthful smile had faded, leaving only indifference. His dark pupils now held a strange brilliance, and upon closer inspection, one could vaguely discern countless nebulae rising and falling within them, as if the entire universe were contained within them.

"An era where everyone possesses psychic powers and communicates using psychic powers... What an unimaginable era, Husoluan, you've done a great job."

A deep voice sounded.

Unbeknownst to them, the crowds around them had disappeared, leaving only the vast void and twinkling starlight.

Looking down at the spaceport below, the young man was quite interested.

Meanwhile, the old man who heard this lowered his head and said humbly.

"Your Majesty, I am filled with trepidation."

Your Majesty the Emperor? In this era, there are still many warlords who control their own territories, but there is only one who can be addressed as Your Majesty the Emperor by a psionic master: the legendary psionic emperor, the demigod who created the First Empire.

The emperor's face remained calm.

"It's alright. This is not the era of the Empire. I am a person from the past, and I am a guest in this future era. You are the hosts and I am the guests. Guests follow the hosts' lead. There is no such thing as ruler and subject."

As he spoke, the Emperor gazed at the distant points of light in space. Even from such a distance, the radiance emanating from that colossal object remained remarkably bright. And as the most powerful psionicist in history, the Emperor could perceive even more.

"Husoluan, what do you think of the girl calling snakes 'lifespan'?"

"I dare not lie."

"I think that's quite apt. Everyone knows they will eventually die, it's just a matter of how long or short. Life's pace is slow but steady. Regardless of joy, anger, sorrow, or any other aspect of life, life will eventually come to an end, just like the snake's advance. Two thousand years, is that all the lifespan humans have left... Husoluan, gather the psionic troops, it's time to kill the snake."

The psychic master remained silent in the face of the emperor's words.

"Your Majesty, the era you have arrived in is the year 17653 of the Galactic Calendar. That year... was the year before your death. Forgive my frankness, but I fear that after this battle, regardless of victory or defeat, you will die from your injuries."

In the year 17654 of the Galactic Calendar, the Psionic Emperor, who was only 2,300 years old, suddenly fell seriously ill and died while he was still in the prime of his life. It was because of this that the Second Republic came into being.

The lifespan of powerful psychics is often difficult to estimate; living for more than ten thousand years is not impossible.

The reason for the sudden death of the most powerful psionic emperor in history is the subject of much speculation. Some believe it was a conspiracy by dissidents; others think the emperor gained too much power, exceeding the limits of human endurance. And as things stand, it seems to be due to the current operation.

The emperor's expression was calm, seemingly unsurprised, and then he appeared lost in memories.

"Husoluan, from the moment I was born, I knew I had a mission, a destined nemesis. I have been to the old Earth era, to the early Galactic Era, and met the scholars of the Supreme Scientific Council. I have tried to stop its awakening, and together with those Grail Knights, I founded the Priory of Sion; I have also helped Leonardo da Vinci search for fish, angels, and humans; I have tried to stop it from destroying the Serpent People civilization... but all of this was powerless, and it still awoke."

The emperor spoke, recounting many secrets that even psionic masters had never heard of, yet he spoke of them with such nonchalance. Husoluan remained silent, offering no reply. The emperor didn't need an answer; he simply wanted a listener.

He could sense that the emperor was also uneasy; perhaps even he, who was regarded as a demigod by the world, was not so sure.

"Husoluan, I cannot change the past, only the future. I will die after this battle, but who can say whether I will take anything with me before I die? Perhaps it is the life of a snake..."

The emperor spoke to himself, then fell silent, his resolve already firm.

"Let's go."

Suddenly, he remembered the question the girl had asked him.

Do you think it's possible that one day it will really eat up the entire world?

He didn't answer then, but changed the subject, but now he felt he could give the girl a definite answer.

"No, absolutely not."

How could the circular world I painstakingly built fall into the mouth of a beast like you?

……

Around the world.

"The day before yesterday, the largest psionic force in the history of the Second Republic had already..."

Within the psionic network, all sorts of information circulate. For example, the recently much-discussed Second Republic assembled the largest psionic force in history, attempting to storm the World Eater, only to be completely annihilated. This sparked a great deal of discussion, with most lamenting the loss of these valuable psionic troops and condemning the Second Republic's incompetence.

But girls in love don't care about that.

The girl lay happily on the bed, legs crossed, looking at the strange landscapes of various planets, dreaming of how wonderful it would be to travel there with the young man.

"Hmm... what clothes should I wear then?"

Her mind wandered, and as she thought about it, her face gradually flushed, until she finally buried herself in the blankets...

"Aaaaaah... I can't take it anymore, it's too embarrassing..."