I changed the timeline with the game.

Chapter 1180 Hidden in the 'Paradox' of Time

The hidden door led not to the chaotic ruins one had expected, but to a staircase leading downwards.

The steps are inlaid with fluorescent stones that glow with a faint green light, casting the path in shifting light and shadow.
The air was filled with a strange scent, like a mixture of humus and stardust. With each step, the hollow echo of the soles of shoes touching the stone steps could be heard, as if stepping on the remains of time.

Descend the stairs for over a hundred meters.
Suddenly, Su Wen's vision cleared, revealing a circular, ancient hall.

The dome of the hall was engraved with star map runes from the Tertiary civilization.

For some reason, the long-faded gilded patterns briefly lit up and then quickly went out the moment he stepped in.

In the very center of the hall, a fist-sized crystal, its entire surface a dark ruby ​​color, floated in the air.

Unlike the writhing cores of ordinary organisms, it is as clear as a meticulously crafted gemstone, with dark red and black interwoven light patterns flowing inside, as if sealing away an entire restless miniature universe.

The surface of the crystal gleamed with a cold and eerie luster. Each glimmer of light caused the surrounding air to tremble, creating a strange rhythm.

But at this moment, everyone knows:
"That's the Heart of the Swarm?"

Su Wen recalled the disgusting insect nests, creep, and insect hives he had seen outside the star ring of the thirteenth unpurified zone in the Third Era, and felt a sense of incomprehension.

Four translucent light membranes floated around the crystal, with Tertiary script embedded in them in a three-dimensional engraving. The characters were ancient and vigorous, bearing the mottled marks of time, yet still exuding a faint witch's aura.
That was the code left by Lucia Ferdinand, and the ultimate clue that Su Wen truly sought to find as he navigated numerous crises and orchestrated the overall situation.

"Witch L, this is the only message I was able to decipher after receiving this string of information."

Old Seren coughed twice. Clearly, having stopped overdrawing his remaining psionic abilities, he had reverted to being an ordinary old man.

But his life expectancy is estimated to be only a dozen or so years.

Those were the last moments they could spend with Natsume Chie, but it was already a miracle, so no one would ask for more.

Especially the old man himself; he didn't actually believe Su Wen possessed the ability to completely resolve the insect swarm crisis, but he himself was the last line of defense.
So he just smiled and shook his head.

"It's a pity,
Even the secrets I've uncovered seem like familiar stories to you.

"No, you've already done more than enough to protect this place."

At this moment, the silver-white sealing barrier surrounding the Heart of the Swarm was covered with fine cracks, and the originally condensed energy was leaking out in wisps like a leaky bellows.

Black, insect-like tentacles kept tentatively probing out from the cracks, only to be burned away by the remaining sealing power, emitting a piercing hissing sound. Clearly, the reinforced seal was on the verge of collapse, and the restlessness of the insect swarm's heart was constantly assaulting this last line of defense.

"The seal won't last much longer."
The primal force of these proliferators is more stubborn than I expected.

Old Seren stood at the edge of the hall, speaking in a solemn tone, his withered hands unconsciously clenching his sleeves.

But Su Wen did not respond; he simply walked slowly toward the heart of the swarm.

"I've seen many scenes that are far more dangerous than these."

The Azure Storm - Watcher's Sword, which he gripped tightly in his right palm, began to shine even brighter.

The azure halo flowing from the sword blade contrasted sharply with the dark red glow of the crystal, and the collision of the two forces in the air gradually intensified, stirring up subtle ripples of energy.

step.

Two steps.

Until he reached the area directly beneath the crystal, Su Wen simply raised his sword with one hand.

In an instant, the immense global influence, like a reversed stream of light, flowed from him towards the sword's edge, transforming into a massive cone of light.
"It's not time for you to wake up yet."

[Exceptional Trait: Dawn Barrier - Dawn Has Not Yet Faded (World Trait Granted, Tier 5)]

And so the cone of light, using the tip of the sword as a medium, directly pierced the core of the massive stone step.

In an instant, azure light burst forth like a tide, spreading along the stone steps to the entire hall. The star map runes on the dome were fully activated, and countless points of light converged from all directions, wrapping around the sword.

Just as the light reached its peak and the star map runes were about to form a complete closed loop, Su Wen's movements abruptly stopped. The roar of energy in his ears seemed to be instantly pulled away, leaving only a clear, piercing sound.
The sound of "click-click" echoed. The sound came in layers, rising and falling, as if there were a huge clock shop spanning a galaxy, where all the hands of the clocks awoke at the same moment, turning steadily and stubbornly.

The sound even penetrated the screen of the [Time Travel Game].

It penetrated the energy barrier.
It even penetrated his own dawn barrier.

It pierced straight into the depths of his mind, each click like a tap on his soul, carrying the weight and urgency of the passing of time.

Upon hearing this sound, Su Wen felt an urge to immediately disconnect the internet and power for the first time.

After all, this was the first time he had ever seen an ability to traverse the [Time Travel Game], and it wasn't just about crossing the spatial distance from Mars to Lorenzreel.

That was an obstacle that transcended the concept of 'time'.

If an enemy possessed this power, how would he fight against it?

But the next second...
The system notification even displayed green text:

[Residual reverse data from the 'invitation letter' was detected]

[Data error...%￥]

[Data source self-check: Error time space A6uy8$%zY113]

[Data Source Tracing: No Confirmed Information]

Before he could figure out where the strange clock chimes were coming from, a soft but undeniably weak voice, carrying the lingering echo of the clock, slowly rang in his ears.

It's as if it has traversed countless dimensions of time and space, carrying a do-or-die trust:

Mr. Rhein,
My time is running out, but yours is still here.

You said it,

I believe you.

Then I can only tell this secret to one person:
"Humans cannot conquer human nature, nor can they abandon it."

The Third Era has been deeply implanted with '@%?', and the source of destruction has been with it since the birth of the era.

According to Hap's measurements, we will never win.

Therefore, I could only conduct an experiment using termination, but the result was exactly the same as what we experienced:
'Gods can neither conquer divinity nor relinquish divinity.'

Remember this sentence,
then,

Never come looking for me.

[Data self-check complete: No issues with the timeline, no closed-loop logic found]

[You have unlocked new achievements: Paradox & Paradox? Paradox@]

Su Wen looked at the abrupt achievement notification, and for once he was completely baffled, but he didn't say anything more.

But clearly, besides this crucial statement, she also left more clues in the gene segments that killed the insect swarm.

In that case,

Whether it's the swarm crisis in Lorenzriel or the swarm crystallization in Mars Mars, he may no longer be able to ignore it.

As Su Wen pondered without wavering, the countless ticking sounds of clocks surrounding him began to dissipate.

It's as if:
All of this should never have existed in the 'fragments' of 'spacetime'.

(End of this chapter)