Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 435 The Aura of Dark Servants

“That’s the Teardrop Nebula,” Rowan decided. “We’ll head there immediately.”

“Wait,” Carol suddenly remembered something, “I must warn you, the Teardrop Nebula is an extremely dangerous place. Not only is there intense radiation and spacetime distortion, but there are also some unknown dangers.”

"What kind of danger?" Thor asked.

“According to historical records, many exploration teams that entered the Teardrop Nebula never came out again,” Carol said solemnly. “Moreover, there seems to be some kind of strange spiritual influence there, which can induce intense sadness and even lead to self-destructive impulses.”

The warning put pressure on all three of them. But there was no turning back now; no matter how dangerous it was, they had to go.

“We will be careful,” Silvermoon said firmly. “Now, please provide us with the detailed coordinates and navigation data for the ‘Teardrop Nebula.’”

“I’ll transmit it to you immediately,” Carol began sending the data. “Also, I recommend you bring mental protective equipment to counteract the negative effects there as much as possible.”

Soon, a large amount of data was transmitted to their spaceship. In addition to detailed star maps and navigation routes, there were also various research materials and exploration records about the 'Teardrop Nebula'.

“It normally takes three days to travel from here to the Teardrop Nebula,” Silvermoon calculated the distance, “but if we use maximum speed, we can arrive in a day and a half.”

“The shorter the better,” Rowan said, glancing behind him. “The Lord of Darkness could detect our movements at any moment.”

“Then let’s depart immediately,” Thor activated the spaceship’s propulsion system. “Target: Teardrop Nebula.”

The spaceship began to accelerate, quickly reaching its top speed. In hyperspace jump mode, the surrounding stars became streamlined, indicating that they were traversing the universe at an astonishing speed.

During their voyage, the three began to study detailed information about the 'Teardrop Nebula,' a nebula with a tragic legend surrounding its formation.

Around 50,000 years ago, in the central part of the Milky Way, there was a highly advanced civilization called the Artemis Civilization. They possessed advanced technology, were able to communicate with stars, and even influence stellar activity.

But a massive catastrophe changed everything. A supermassive black hole suddenly appeared in their galaxy and began to devour everything. The entire civilization faced the threat of extinction.

At this moment of despair, the Artemis civilization made an astonishing decision. They persuaded the largest star in their galaxy—a supergiant thousands of times the mass of the Sun—to detonate itself, using the energy of the explosion to propel the entire galaxy out of the black hole's gravitational pull.

The plan succeeded, and the Artemis civilization was saved. But the great star was destroyed as a result, leaving behind a very special neutron star. This neutron star is known as the "Star of Sorrow" because it bears the sorrow of a star that sacrificed itself to save others.

“If this legend is true, then the ‘Star of Sorrow’ truly fits the description of ‘the purest love,’” Hong sighed. “To sacrifice oneself to save others—that is the greatest love.”

"Moreover, this spirit of sacrifice is very similar to the essence of the Heart of Light and Darkness," Rowan analyzed. "The Heart of Light and Darkness is the last light left behind by the Lord of Darkness before his fall, and it is also a symbol of sacrifice and redemption."

“If the Heart of Light and Darkness is indeed hidden within the Star of Sorrow, then our speculation is correct,” Silvermoon concluded.

But the voyage was not peaceful. After entering the central region of the Milky Way, they began to encounter some unusual phenomena.

“There’s an energy disturbance ahead,” Thor reported the detection findings. “It looks like something is tracking us.”

“Dark servants?” Rowan immediately became alert.

“Uncertain, but the signal is very weak, as if it's deliberately hiding,” Thor continued to observe. “And its movement is peculiar, unlike that of an ordinary warship.”

Silvermoon immediately activated the ship's cloaking system and changed course in an attempt to shake off its pursuers. But the mysterious signal still lingered faintly behind.

"Could it be a special spy sent by the Lord of Darkness?" Hong guessed.

“It’s possible that once the Lord of Darkness regains his power, his perception range will also expand,” Rowan analyzed. “We must be even more careful.”

To avoid revealing their location, the three decided to take a detour to the 'Teardrop Nebula'. Although it would take longer, it would be much safer.

After a day of intense sailing, they finally approached the outer edge of the 'Teardrop Nebula'. From a distance, the nebula did indeed resemble a giant teardrop, emitting a pale blue light, just as its name suggested.

"So beautiful," Thor couldn't help but exclaim, "but also so sad."

Indeed, the first impression of the 'Teardrop Nebula' is one of beauty and melancholy. Its blue light seems to contain endless sorrow, involuntarily weighing on one's heart.

“We’re starting to feel the psychological impact,” Silvermoon cautioned. “Everyone, be careful to control your emotions and don’t let negative emotions affect you.”

The three immediately activated their mental protection equipment, advanced gear provided by Virtual Universe Company, which could resist mental attacks and emotional influences to a certain extent.

Upon entering the nebula, the surrounding environment became even more peculiar. The spacetime structure here was extremely unstable, with time flowing at varying speeds, posing significant challenges to navigation.

“The time distortion is too severe,” Silvermoon struggled to control the spaceship, “our navigation system is almost completely unusable.”

“Use the ancient methods,” Rowan suggested, “observe the energy flow within the nebula; those energy lines should point to the location of the ‘Star of Sorrow.’”

Indeed, deep within the nebula, countless streams of blue energy could be seen dancing in the air, all pointing in the same direction. Following these energy streams, the three gradually approached the core of the nebula.

As they went deeper, the sadness grew stronger. Even with protective gear, the three began to feel a deep melancholy.

“This feeling… it’s like I can sense the emotions that star felt back then,” Hong said softly. “It must have been in so much pain, but it chose to sacrifice itself to save others.”

“Yes, this pure love and spirit of sacrifice is truly moving,” Rowan was also affected by this emotion, “but we cannot wallow in grief; we must remain clear-headed.”

Just then, the core region of the nebula appeared before them. It was a colossal celestial body surrounded by countless streams of energy, the legendary "Star of Sorrow."

This neutron star is much larger than ordinary neutron stars, with a diameter of about twenty kilometers, and its surface shimmers with a deep blue light. Most peculiarly, a huge energy cocoon has formed around it, as if the entire star is enveloped in a sorrowful mood.

“This is it,” Rowan said confidently. “If the Heart of Light and Darkness truly exists, it must be on this star.” But approaching the “Star of Sorrow” was not easy. The intense gravitational field and spacetime distortion made the spaceship unstable, and the surrounding radiation intensity was also rising sharply.

“We can’t land directly,” Silvermoon analyzed the data, “we must find a way to get through that energy cocoon.”

“That energy cocoon looks like some kind of protective barrier,” Hong observed. “Perhaps a special method is needed to get through.”

Just as the three were pondering a solution, something unexpected happened. The spaceship suddenly began to move on its own, as if being pulled by some force towards the "Star of Sorrow."

"What's going on?" Thor tried to regain control of the spaceship, but found that all controls were malfunctioning.

“It’s gravitational attraction, but not ordinary gravity,” Silvermoon examined the various data, “it’s more like some kind of spiritual resonance.”

Indeed, as the spaceship drew closer, all three felt a strange calling. It wasn't a sound, but a sensation that reached their very souls, as if something was beckoning them to come closer.

“It’s the Heart of Light and Darkness,” Rowan suddenly realized, “it’s calling to us.”

The spaceship continued to be towed forward, easily passing through the seemingly solid energy cocoon. At the moment of contact, all three felt a warmth, and their sorrow began to be neutralized by a gentle light.

“This feeling… it’s like something is purifying our souls,” Hong said in surprise.

“It’s the power of light,” Rowan felt the changes within his body. “This proves our judgment was correct; the Heart of Light and Darkness is indeed here.”

After passing through the energy cocoon, they arrived at the surface of the "Star of Sorrow." The sight was breathtaking: the entire planet's surface was covered in a crystalline substance, radiating a soft glow. At the planet's center lay a vast, bottomless crystalline cavern.

“The Heart of Light and Darkness should be in that cave,” Silvermoon said, pointing to the central cave. “Let’s go down and take a look.”

The three left the spaceship and stepped onto the surface of the "Star of Sorrow." The gravity here was strong, but not uncomfortable. Even more amazingly, there was a breathable atmosphere, although its composition differed from normal air, it was harmless to humans.

“The environment here has been artificially altered,” Hong analyzed the surroundings, “It should be a relic left by an ancient civilization.”

The path to the central cave was uneven. Countless small crystal structures lined the way, each recording a different fragment of memory. As the three passed, these crystals emitted a soft glow, playing ancient images.

“These are records of the Artemis civilization,” Rowan observed the images in the crystal, “They preserved the entire history of their civilization here.”

Through these records, the three witnessed the earth-shattering rescue operation that took place 50,000 years ago. Scientists from the Artemis civilization communicated with a great star, persuading it to sacrifice itself to save countless lives. The star agreed, but in its final moments, it cast its purest energy core into the nascent neutron star—this energy core later became the Heart of Light and Darkness.

“I see,” Rowan understood the origin of the Heart of Light and Darkness. “It not only carries the light of the Lord of Darkness before his fall, but also the spirit of sacrifice of a great star.”

“No wonder it has the power to purify darkness,” Silvermoon exclaimed. “This pure love and spirit of sacrifice can indeed overcome the deepest darkness.”

Finally, the three arrived at the entrance to the central cave. The cave was bottomless, but a warm light emanated from its depths, making them feel at ease.

“Let’s go down,” Rowan said, stepping forward first. “The Heart of Light and Darkness is waiting for us down there.”

The three began their slow descent. Countless small crystals of light were embedded in the cave walls, illuminating their path. As they descended, the surrounding light grew stronger, and the warm sensation was like a gentle breeze.

After descending about a kilometer, the cave suddenly opened up. At the bottom of the cave was a huge circular hall, the entire hall illuminated by a golden light.

In the center of the hall, a beautiful crystal ball floats. This crystal ball is about the size of an adult's fist, and its interior contains a pure golden light. Even more amazing, deep within the light, a miniature galaxy can be seen slowly rotating, seemingly containing the mysteries of the entire universe.

"This is the Heart of Light and Darkness," Rowan said excitedly, "the legendary artifact capable of purifying all darkness."

But as they approached, the crystal ball suddenly emitted an even brighter light, and at the same time, a gentle voice echoed in the hall:

"Young warriors, you have finally arrived. I have waited a long time for this moment."

"Who's speaking?" The three looked around warily.

“I am the consciousness of this planet, and the last will left behind by that great star,” the voice continued. “The Heart of Light and Darkness is indeed here, but it is not something anyone can take away.”

"What conditions do we need to meet?" Silvermoon asked.

"You must prove that you possess the spiritual qualities that match the Heart of Light and Darkness," the planetary consciousness explained, "a pure heart, selfless love, and the courage to sacrifice yourself to save others."

"So what should we do?" Rowan asked about the specific testing method.

“Each person must face a test alone, and only when all three pass can they obtain the Heart of Light and Darkness,” the planetary consciousness said. “The test will take place within your hearts, revealing your deepest character.”

As soon as the words were spoken, three beams of light appeared in the hall, each enveloping one of the three individuals. Enveloped in the light, they began their respective inner trials.

But just then, a tremendous tremor suddenly came from outside the cave. It seemed that some powerful being was approaching the "Star of Sorrow".

“Not good,” the planetary consciousness's voice grew tense, “The Lord of Darkness has found this place. You must hurry and complete the trial, or everything will be in vain.”

The tremors grew stronger, and the entire cave shook. The dark energy fluctuations emanating from outside the cave made all three of them feel an immense sense of oppression.

“It’s the aura of dark servants,” Rowan frowned, “and there are quite a few.”

“It seems the Lord of Darkness has dispatched elite troops,” Silvermoon’s expression also turned grave. “They are moving faster than we anticipated.”

(End of this chapter)