Ironclad Group Chat: Red and Black Lists Engraved with Heroic Epics

—[Next up: The Witch's Solitary Study.]

[Xi Lian: A witch? That's a rather biased assessment of her.]

[Star: Anything is fine, just something easy for the kid. You can't eat knives, can you?]

March 7th: What if...?

[Star: Stop! March, you mustn't speak carelessly with your golden words.]

As everyone watched the light screen, amidst the successive onslaught of various grand scenes, they all hoped that the Star Train's pioneering spirit was strong enough to forcefully create a different outcome.

after all……

Who knows what other great calamities await them in Onphalos? They absolutely cannot perish here!

The light screen lit up.

Black Tower and Screw Goom, aboard a spaceship called "Mistletoe," wander through the vast interior of an abandoned palace.

Houses have collapsed and ruins are everywhere.

However, the architectural style and the occasional landmarks are enough to make people recognize that this is the Tomb of the Unknown Titan.

I just don't know why it has fallen into such a state of disrepair.

[Star: No, when we were confronting the Long Night Moon, everything here was fine, wasn't it? And it seems that the Black Tower and the main bodies of Screw Gum have actually entered Onpharos.]

[Black Tower: So, the witch was talking about me? My actions will have a crucial impact on Xi Lian? Interesting... However, there's something subtly strange about this tomb.]

[Long Night Moon: That's right, this isn't the true Great Tomb. The Great Tomb I spoke of is the memory space hidden within the core of Onpharos, while this is likely the surface manifestation of Onpharos. Therefore, there's no trace of memory here. Perhaps the true Great Tomb is more of a projection of this place?]

[Walter: I see. So the two geniuses came here to find Xilian, or rather, the crucial thirteenth Titan.]

Screwgoom, examining the ship's various instruments, concluded his search: "Regarding the cause of this ruin: I found no logs; [Zandal] erased all records. But in the loop, I discovered some... noteworthy [scars]."

"High-energy radiation, imaginary internal energy pollution—in my knowledge, only one phenomenon perfectly matches these descriptions."

Black Tower waved her hand impatiently, her cherry lips uttering a word that made Starsea tremble: "That thing only has one name..."

"Star Core".

[Star: Even in a place like this, I still managed to find my relatives?]

[March 7th: Honey...you're really daring to talk like that. Wait, that's not the point at all!]

Screwgoom nodded: "The conclusion is correct. [Zandal] detonated a star core, solely to completely [cleanse] the Scepter System."

Recalling Zandal's confident demeanor, Black Tower sighed with a hint of helplessness: "So this is what they meant by 'personally strangling' him."

"In order to transform the neurons of [Intelligence] into repeaters for the iteration of [Destruction], he must eliminate them no matter what..."

"The life form called 'Demu' was the original target of the scepter's calculations."

Screw Gum wholeheartedly agreed: "A reasonable conjecture. The fact that [Long Night Moon] called it [the first intelligent species] also confirms this view."

"【The First Cause of Life】—This was the original subject of the Scepter δ-me13, and although it was abandoned, the search for its solution continues. However, the value of this problem lies in the process of solving it, rather than the answer itself..."

[Yao Guang: So, to easily change the result of the First Cause of Life to destruction, Zandal simply used a star core bomb to blow up the original hard drive?]

[Silver Wolf: Tsk, what a simple and brutal method. This can't be called deleting the database and running away; this is clearly smashing the computer in anger. It will definitely be a disgrace in the hacker world... However, it's surprisingly efficient.]

[Black Tower: This is surprisingly extravagant. A star core that would cause a huge uproar elsewhere is merely a disposable item here. However, considering it's for a senior like you, it doesn't seem too... extravagant.]

[Star: My brothers and sisters I've never met, you died so tragically! Quack~!]

[March 7th: Alright, so you finally got a chance to act silly, huh? The relationship between you and Xing He is probably even more antagonistic and hostile than the one between me and Wu Lou Jing Zi.]

[Xing: That's true. Speaking of which, if what's said here is true, does that mean Xi Lian is the result of the original calculation of the First Cause of Life?]

[Black Tower: Very likely. Otherwise, the senior wouldn't have needed to use such crude methods and be so eager to destroy it. Does this mean Xi Lian might have a fundamental ideological conflict with the Iron Tomb, or even... a special attack?!]

[Xi Lian: Hmm~~ Maybe♪]

After understanding the reason for this devastation, Screwgoom couldn't help but lower his expectations by several levels: "Does this mean that the hope of finding Demuse is no longer there?"

"No," Black Tower said, his resolve growing stronger. "No, in my opinion, quite the opposite."

"This means that [Zandar] is helpless. He cannot control Demuggle, just as he cannot control the machine head; he can only try every means to erase its existence."

"Unfortunately..." she said smugly, looking at the gate blocked by the barrier of position, "he still left traces."

However, she was also puzzled by something else: "Speaking of which, since Onpharos has another star core..."

"Why isn't the little guy reacting at all?"

[Star: I'd love to see a reaction, but where is it? Who can even see it anymore?]

[Fireworks: Who said you can't see them? They're everywhere!]

The mistletoe darted back and forth through the vast ruins, eventually managing to enter the core of the scepter after several twists and turns:

"Operation authorized. Fate Energy readings: [Wisdom] - Decreasing. [Destruction] - Full. [Memory]..."

Screw Gumm hesitated before uttering the final reading: "Zero?"

Black Tower also began to doubt itself: "What's going on?"

Could she have guessed wrong? Had Demogue really been completely wiped out?

Screw Gum expanded the scope of his analysis, but still shook his head: "The reason is unknown. He left no trace in the Reality Matrix."

Something's not right, something's really not right.

Even if someone was really blown up in the tomb, at least you should be able to find traces of blood and limbs.

But this place seems a bit too clean.

unless……

[Star: Unless our comrades have already safely evacuated unharmed before Zandal makes his move!]

[March 7th: Phew~~ Finally, some good news. Although, considering what came before, it was pretty obvious.]

[Black Tower: Even the senior has miscalculated this time...]