Bad Boys
The blue light of the spacetime anchor pulsed rhythmically across the bridge of the Zhulong, like the breath of a severely wounded beast. Siqi leaned back in the control chair, medical nanobots gliding beneath his skin, repairing the backlash from the forced reshaping of the laws of physics. His gaze was fixed on the holographic star map—the star region they had recaptured from the Spellweavers was undergoing incredible changes.
"The newborn nebula is evolving at an unusual rate." Shao Wei's voice, even flatter than the synthesized voice of a medical AI, echoed from the secondary control position. Dozens of data screens hovered before him. The aftereffects of mental overload had left him pale as a sheet, yet his calculations had increased to a terrifying degree of accuracy. "According to the standard model, this type of nebula takes at least a million years to form. It's currently condensing at a rate of three percent per hour."
At the center of the star map, a patch of empty space, supposedly devoid of anything, was blossoming into a magnificent nebula. Gas and dust swirled at high speeds, pulled by some invisible force. In the nebula's core, the embryos of newborn stars pulsed with light, like their first cries. Even more disturbing, all scans detected faint fluctuations of consciousness—as if a dormant giant were awakening.
"The remnants of the Spellweaver?" Si Qi frowned. His battles with those ancient beings had made him wary of any supernatural phenomena.
Shao Wei pulled up a comparison chart of energy spectra. "The frequencies are completely different. The Weaver's consciousness moves as slowly and heavily as a glacier, while this..." He pointed to a strange peak in the fluctuation curve. "It's more like the spontaneous discharge of a neural network."
At this moment, the navigation officer issued a warning: "Gravitational anomaly detected! Something is jumping out of the core of the nebula!"
The nebula outside the observation window suddenly began to collapse inward. Countless streams of light seemed to be swallowed by an invisible vortex, converging at its center into some indescribable structure. It was neither a ship nor a living being, but more like an entity composed of pure information—a constantly self-repeating geometric fractal, each angle reflecting a different physical law.
"Reality structures." Shao Wei's breathing quickened slightly. "I've seen records of them in the Spellweaver's memory fragments. They are the embodiment of the universe's self-regulating mechanism."
Ripples appeared on the fractal's surface, and a stream of information poured directly into the Zhulong's main systems—not through any known communication protocol, but by directly rewriting the underlying data code. The ship's AI instantly overloaded, and all screens flashed garbled characters simultaneously.
"It's... asking questions." Shao Wei forced himself to stabilize his mental image and tried to interpret the chaotic data. "About the source of our authority to reshape the laws of physics."
Si Qi had already drawn his energy blade. His battle with the Spellweaver had taught him that, facing beings of this level, communication was often less effective than force. "Tell it to get lost or be torn apart into its constituent particles."
The fractal's response was simple and direct - it projected a reality reconstruction wave, and the area it hit instantly returned to the quantum state before the Big Bang.
The Zhulong made an emergency evasive maneuver, but a large area of its port side armor was still wiped off. Worse still, all its weapon systems were rendered inoperable by the reality wave.
"Conventional attacks are ineffective." Shao Wei's fingertips traced a shadow on the console. "It is immune to any weapon based on existing physical laws."
Si Qi spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva: "Then use unconventional methods."
He looked at Shao Wei. Needless to say, the twin consciousnesses activated once more. But this time, they didn't attempt to reshape the physical laws of the entire star field—the target was too small, and the precision required was too high.
"I need to completely open up my mental landscape," Shao Wei suddenly said. This meant that he would be defenselessly exposed to the cognitive attacks of the reality structure.
Si Qi's eyes flashed: "Too dangerous."
"This is the only way to calculate its core algorithm." Shao Wei had already closed his eyes, his mental image unfolding like a blooming flower. "And... it doesn't seem to want to destroy us."
The reality construct's attack suddenly ceased. It hovered in the center of the nebula, its fractal structure pulsating with a rhythmic rhythm, as if... waiting.
Shao Wei's consciousness was like a probe diving into the deep sea, struggling to navigate the data deluge of reality. He witnessed the first light of the Big Bang, the magnificent birth of galaxies, and the intellectual imprints left by the rise and fall of countless civilizations—this existence was truly a carrier of the universe's memory.
"It sees our reinvention as... some kind of evolutionary stress response." Shao Wei's voice trembled with disbelief. "It's assessing whether we're worthy of inclusion in the universe's permanent record."
Si Qi immediately understood the implication. He sheathed the energy blade, released control of his mental image, and allowed his twin consciousnesses to manifest in their truest form—not as weapons, not as tools, but as the perfect synergy of two independent consciousnesses, achieved through absolute trust.
The pulsation of reality's fabric began to shift. Ripples of something like approval emerged from the fractal's surface, and then a second stream of information was projected. This time, it was no longer an attack, but a vast gift of knowledge—the secrets of dimensional construction, the understanding of the nature of consciousness, and even the origins of the Spellweavers.
"It's... educating us." Shao Wei struggled to digest the flood of knowledge pouring in. This information far exceeded human comprehension, and each data packet was enough to revolutionize the entire scientific community.
The gift lasted a full three hours. When the information flow finally ceased, the reality construct slowly dissipated, becoming part of the nebula once again. Only a single coordinate remained in the Zhulong's main system—a faint signal at the edge of the universe, emitting the same aura as the remaining contamination in Shao Wei's mental image.
Si Qi supported the nearly collapsed Shao Wei. The medical nanobots issued warnings of overdose, but they were too busy to respond.
"The Spellweavers are not the source." Shao Wei leaned on Si Qi's shoulder, his voice weak but clear, "They are just... infected tools."
The scarlet coordinates on the star map were like festering wounds on the skin of the universe. The knowledge they had just gained was both an antidote and the beginning of a heavier responsibility.
The Candle Dragon adjusted its course, and its newly installed dimensional engine began to warm up. Behind them, the newly formed nebula blossomed with an unprecedented brightness, as if bidding farewell to the expedition.
Si Qi engraved the coordinates into the navigation core and turned to look at Shao Wei who was recovering rapidly.
“This time,” he said, “we’ll need better equipment.”
Shao Wei opened his eyes, and starlight was flowing in his reshaped mental picture.
"agree."
The hum of the dimensional engine vibrated deep within the Zhulong's hull, like the roar of some ancient beast before awakening. Siqi stood at the main console, his fingertips tracing the newly marked coordinates on the holographic star map—a void rift at the edge of the universe, emitting a decaying aura similar to the Spellweaver's contamination.
"The navigation system is calculating the optimal route." The AI's synthesized voice was filled with a rare hesitation. "Warning: There is a strong reality rejection reaction in the target area."
Shao Wei sat at the secondary control station, his pale fingers tapping the data stream. His mental image had completed its third reconstruction, now exhibiting an inhuman precision. "It's not rejection, it's digestion." He pulled up the spectrum analysis of the energy readings. "That area is being physically decomposed and absorbed by some entity."
Si Qi frowned. Disintegrating the universe—this was beyond anything the Weaver had ever demonstrated. He activated the weapon system's warm-up program, and the Zhulong's newly installed causal weapon began to charge. "We need more intelligence."
"Reckless exploration is tantamount to suicide," Shao Wei replied without even looking up. "The target area's reality stability is below the critical value of 67%. Any conventional detection method will be assimilated the moment it enters."
"So unconventional means are needed." Si Qi called up the twin consciousness synchronization interface, "You stay at a safe distance and observe, and I will project my consciousness."
There was a brief silence. Shao Wei looked up from the data stream, his eyes flickering with stars. "The synchronization rate must be maintained above 95%, otherwise your consciousness will be forever trapped in the reality rift."
There was no further discussion. When the two streams of consciousness merged once again, the familiar feeling of tearing was mixed with a new sense of dimension. Like a probe diving into the deep sea, the "Zhulong" slowly approached the wound at the edge of the universe.
The moment the jump ended, all sensors wailed simultaneously. The scene outside the observation window made even the calmest crew members feel physically ill—there were no stars, no space, not even nothingness. Only a kind of chaos that constantly devoured itself, like the digestive organs of the universe exposed.
"The physical constants are collapsing." Shao Wei's voice came through the consciousness link, unsettlingly calm. "Even the dimensions of time and space are being broken down into basic information units."
Si Qi maneuvered the starship, narrowly avoiding a sudden reality fault. The laws here were like rotting flesh, constantly peeling and regenerating. "Find the core of the contamination."
"Trying to locate..." Shao Wei's response was suddenly interrupted by a violent interruption. Through his twin consciousness, Si Qi felt a hungry malice gnawing at Shao Wei's mental picture.
"Retreat immediately!" Si Qi ordered.
"It's too late..." Shao Wei's voice was filled with suppressed pain, "It has noticed us..."
The main screen was suddenly covered in a flesh-like texture, and a mass of countless mouths slowly emerged. Each mouth was chewing on a different fragment of reality. As they all turned towards the "Zhulong", an incomprehensible gluttonous desire surged into their consciousness:
They call themselves the "Maw of the End." Born only at the end of the universe, these beings feed by devouring reality. The Spellweaver is merely their spread of spores, and this area is their incubating nest.
The Zhulong's shields quickly crumbled under the erosion of cognition. Siqi felt his very existence being chewed up, countless universes being digested screaming in his consciousness—
"Stick to the origin!"
Shao Wei's cry was like an anchor chain driven into the raging waves. Through the remaining connection of consciousness, he constructed a temporary existential firewall. "Their devouring relies on analyzing the target's origin! Reconstruct your proof of existence!"
Si Qi immediately grasped the idea. He focused all his mental energy on the most indestructible core of his self-awareness—the figure standing shoulder to shoulder with him in the Jiangnan rain.
As this realization solidified in his consciousness, the greedy devouring of the surroundings suddenly froze for a moment. Shao Wei seized the opportunity, increasing his observation accuracy to the limit, and finally locked onto the true form of the pollution core.
Not some entity, but the devouring process itself.
"What they're eating isn't matter, it's possibilities!" Shao Wei's voice was shaken with shock. "The entire future of this area is being digested!"
This discovery made all tactics meaningless. How to stop a process? How to kill a feast?
The structure of the Zhulong began to crumble. Armor plating crumbled like chewed biscuits, and existential erosion was erasing their traces from a conceptual level.
In desperation, Si Qi looked at Shao Wei. Without words, his twin consciousnesses had already conveyed the final solution—a paradox they had never imagined, a theoretically impossible solution.
"Are you sure?" Shao Wei asked. His mind was unusually calm, as if he was checking the dinner menu.
Si Qi laughed crazily: "Anyway, it can't get any worse."
Both of them simultaneously liberated their entire existence. But this time, instead of resisting the engulfment, they actively integrated into it—using their own possibilities as bait, guiding the Maw of the End's engulfment toward a specific future.
This process was like weaving a trap with oneself. Si Qi constructed the bait, while Shao Wei meticulously calibrated it. They began by laying the groundwork from the smallest probability branches, then progressed to key event nodes, ultimately pointing to a future that was absolutely impossible to digest.
The newborn nebula they had just left.
For the first time, the Throat of the End showed hesitation. All chewing movements stopped simultaneously, and those mouths opened and closed in confusion, trying to comprehend this anomalous future that could not be digested.
But it was too late.
As the paradox closed its loop, an incredible backlash occurred—beginning with the Candle Dragon, the possibility of being swallowed surged forth like a backflowing flood. The fabric of reality recondensed, the dimensions of time and space expanded once more, and even the Maw of the End began to be eroded by the future it could not digest.
The Maw of the End burped and groaned. For them, this was more painful than extinction—they were forever stuffed with indigestible food.
The Zhulong drifted on the edge of a universe returning to silence, its hull as battered as the remains of a digested and then regurgitated vessel. Inside the bridge, Si Qi and Shao Wei slumped over the control consoles, their presence as thin as ghosts.
"Next time..." Si Qi's voice was as weak as quantum fluctuations, "find... an easier target."
Shao Wei didn't respond. He was intently watching the data coming back from the sensors—something entirely new was beginning to sprout in that saved area.
Not the Maw of the End, nor any known form of existence.
It's a prototype of something...freer and full of infinite possibilities.
He slowly raised the corners of his mouth.
"interesting."
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