NOVPUBIn a damp, cold cave on an unknown planet, Nan Ma rubbed his hands by the fire. A creature resembling a goat was being roasted over the fire, its meaty aroma making Nan Ma's mouth water. He was very keen on eating, yet the other Pilgrims sitting beside him all had grim expressions.
"Nan Ma, can you really still eat at a time like this? Our Star Warrior Sect has been utterly destroyed! It was our only force in this universe, and now, aside from a few of our subordinates, we are weaker than any other civilization's military force," said a Pilgrim with a child's body but an old man's face, Xue Jiu, accusingly.
Nan Ma didn't take it to heart and replied, "Are you planning to stick to me now that the Star Warrior Sect has been entirely devoured by the Swarm? If it weren't for me, that Duke from the Swarm would probably have killed you all."
The mention of the powerful Swarm Duke caused several Pilgrims to shudder involuntarily.
A Pilgrim with crimson eyes, bearing an indelible fear, said, "That Swarm Duke, why is he so powerful that he can wipe out planets with a wave of his hand? He might even reach the level of a Star God."
"This Swarm produces Insectoids by parasitizing human bodies. The Insectoids that emerge from the host's body inherit some of the host's abilities and knowledge. If the host is a Star Warrior, then the resulting Insectoids will have a sense of self. I don't know why this is the case, but these self-aware Insectoids are indeed very formidable. That Swarm Duke, known as Kanbei, alone destroyed our Star Warrior Sect's device for protecting against larvae eggs and even eventually shattered the Star Warrior Sect's planet completely. Even for a Star God, possessing such power is somewhat astonishing," analyzed a short-haired Pilgrim, An Hong.
Laughing carelessly, Nan Ma said, "Either way, we essentially have nothing left. The task of strangling Genus One now seems hardly feasible."
The mention of Bai Zhongqi made the other Pilgrims even more worried.
"This universe we merged can only maintain separation from the outside world for a hundred years. If a century passes, Genus One will be able to contact the other genotypes freely and enter and leave the Void at will, which will put us in great danger."
The goateed Pilgrim, Bo Na, cursed, '"What the hell is up with the Galactic Emperor? It was good that he was in a fierce battle with Genus One; why has he disappeared without a trace, retracting back to his Fallen Empire?"
Nan Ma then spoke, "From the beginning, the High Priest never told us exactly who the Galactic Emperor was or what he planned. We only know that he opposed the calamities and that he would target Bai Zhongqi. But why he chose to disappear after losing the battle in the Orion Arm, probably no one knows."
"The Iridium Star's Unified Empire is pulling something like galacticization, having absorbed hundreds of civilizations already and even formed a Unified Empire Army. At this rate, the whole Galaxy will become the possession of Genus One, and our chances of fighting against Genus One will be impossible. He might even discover our hiding place and execute us," rambled Xue Jiu, the fear evident in his eyes.
Nan Ma looked at these Pilgrims mockingly, "Are you scared now? Didn't you swear at the time of merging the galaxies that you would certainly exterminate Genus One? Now you're afraid of being killed by the genotype, with no spirit of martyring yourselves for the true gods of the universe?" 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝒐𝒎
Bo Na, angered and embarrassed, said to Nan Ma, "Nan Ma, you led the initiative against Genus One; you can't evade responsibility for this huge problem. If you can lead us to kill Genus One, it's fine, but if we truly fail, considering your deep feud with Genus One, even dying won't be easy for you."
"I don't care, but it's not yet time for us Pilgrims to talk about giving up. Although the whereabouts of the Galactic Emperor are unknown, the three major calamities have risen within the Galaxy. It won't be easy for Bai Zhongqi to confront these three calamities at once, even if he pulls in other civilizations."
"Hmph, I hope your prediction holds true!"
Nan Ma continued to eat his roast meat, paying no further attention to his fellow Pilgrims.
The destruction of the Star Warrior Sect was also unexpected for Nan Ma. Since the Pilgrims took control and merged three galaxies into a new universe, many unforeseen situations had arisen. The power of the second Swarm, the disappearance of the Galactic Emperor, and even the disturbances caused by AI civilizations and Void Demons scattered across different parts of the Galaxy added many variables to their fight against Bai Zhongqi.
Nan Ma mused, "Bai Zhongqi seems to have mastered prime matter. Even among the Elder Race, very few can handle prime matter, making them difficult to defeat and giving them the chance to become creators of the universe. The Pilgrims dream of obtaining the power of prime matter, but ultimately, they stand no chance. Both the Galactic Emperor and Bai Zhongqi possess the power to control prime matter, further using it to create an unstoppable army. To defeat Bai Zhongqi, we still need the strength of the Galactic Emperor. The Galactic Emperor must have retreated back to his Fallen Empire territory, the key is how to draw him out again or make Bai Zhongqi and the Galactic Emperor clash."
Despite his repeated deliberations, Nan Ma came up empty.
"After all, the Galactic Emperor isn't someone the Pilgrims can control. His origin is too mysterious, his power too overwhelming. Using the Galactic Emperor against Bai Zhongqi is probably a double-edged sword, potentially backfiring on the Pilgrims. But without doing so, relying on our own strength, we still can't defeat Bai Zhongqi."
Nan Ma finished the meat in a few bites, stood up, and walked outside the cave. The cold wind blew, making him seem more sober.
Since being sent to this universe, he knew he was essentially a sacrifice for the Pilgrims. The Pilgrims, fearing death and unwilling to leave the timeless, false world, would likely face death by time's punishment once they emerged. But the more this was the case, the less they were truly able to exert effort against the Elder Race.
The Pilgrims coveted the eternal bodies of the Elder Race, regarding them as beings that disrupted the balance of the universe, vowing to eradicate them.
"Ultimately, they are just pitiful creatures full of envy, jealousy, and hatred for what others have. They are for eternity, but what am I for?"
