harleyscars Chapter 289: Cracks in the Rules of the Universe
Chapter 289: Cracks in the Rules of the Universe
The Guardians sat inside the spaceship, gazing at the star map, their faces still weary, yet a lingering unease remained in their hearts. Although the rift core had been destroyed and the ethereal image had vanished before their eyes, a sense of unease still enveloped them.
The spaceship's engines whirred silently, and outside lay a vast universe, its stars twinkling. But beneath this tranquil surface, the rules of the universe were quietly crumbling, and the cracks in its laws were still widening.
Selena examined the surrounding area through the star map: "The disappearance of the rift did not stop the collapse of the laws of the universe; it may even have accelerated the process. In the previous fluctuations, we sensed an unusual energy originating from a distant region."
Ares frowned, his gaze fixed on the far end of the star map, where almost imperceptible fluctuations lurked. Even so, a sense of unease lingered in his heart: "The rift is a distortion of the rules, but behind it, it seems a deeper darkness is slowly rising. We destroyed it, but has the very foundation of the universe undergone an irreparable change?"
Wagner leaned back in his chair, laughing nonchalantly, "I've always felt that you two have been preoccupied lately. Now that the rift is over, this is probably the best outcome. We should take a good rest and enjoy some long-awaited peace."
“Rest? Calm?” Selena’s eyes turned cold. “The source of the rift has been destroyed, but the will of nothingness still exists. It has not disappeared. It is just dormant, waiting for the rules of the universe to completely collapse.”
Ares stood up, his gaze no longer fixed on the star map, but fixed on the vast starry sky outside the spaceship. His voice was deep: "Selena is right. Although the battle of the Rift is over, we have not yet faced the most deadly enemy. We will continue to pursue the Void until the universe is completely restored to balance."
The spaceship gradually approached an area of unusually concentrated energy, and an indescribable sense of oppression permeated the surroundings. As Selena adjusted the instruments, she noticed that the energy fluctuations in the area were becoming increasingly intense, as if some undetected force was spreading rapidly.
“We’re close,” Selena whispered, her fingers moving rapidly across the instruments. “The source of these fluctuations is unusual; the energy density far exceeds our expectations.”
“This is…” Ares’s gaze narrowed slightly. Suddenly, the scene outside the spaceship became unstable, the starry sky began to distort rapidly, and the surrounding space seemed to be torn apart.
"What happened?" Wagner stood up abruptly, gripping his battle axe tightly, and looked around warily.
“It’s the power of nothingness!” Selena quickly analyzed the data. “It’s eroding the entire area, trying to erase it from reality. We’re in contact with the expanding area of nothingness, and it’s accelerating its expansion through these cracks.”
As the spaceship entered the edge of the rift region, the scene before it was like an abyss swallowing everything. The surrounding stars began to blur, the light in space was swallowed up, and time lost its inherent laws.
"This area will be the battlefield for our final showdown with the Void," Ares said slowly, his voice filled with resolute determination. "No matter how difficult this battle may be, we must stop the spread of the Void."
“I’d love to see how it devours us.” Wagner grinned, raising his battle axe high. “Come on, let it taste our power!”
As the spaceship ventured deeper into the expanding void, the entire space became extremely distorted. Selena's scanner could no longer display any data accurately, and even the spaceship's propulsion system was disrupted, making the flow of spacetime extremely unstable.
“Time here is no longer flowing linearly.” Selena detected the anomaly in her surroundings using a handheld device. “In some areas, time flows extremely fast, and there’s even a phenomenon where the past and future are intertwined!”
Ares narrowed his eyes, his gaze profound: "The void is not only destroying space, it is also tearing apart the rules of time. If we don't find the source soon, this chaos will be irreversible."
Wagner, however, seemed less tense, casually swinging his battle axe: "This place is too chaotic; I've been prepared to deliver a heavy blow. If it dares to show itself, I'll let it know that the power of rules is not to be underestimated!"
Just then, the spaceship suddenly shook violently, and the entire cabin emitted an unsettling metallic scraping sound.
"Warning!" Selena activated her command quickly. "The ship's hull is being eroded by a time rift, and the energy shield is beginning to disappear!"
"Damn it!" Wagner's expression changed. "Time and space are collapsing together. How long can we hold out?"
“We must find the source.” Ares’s eyes were unusually calm. “Time and space no longer matter here. Our only option is to delve into the heart of nothingness and destroy its root.”
The spaceship finally crossed the edge of the time rift and entered a suffocating space. There, there were no stars, no light, only endless nothingness. The Heart of Nothingness hovered in the air, its existence like a twisted planet, radiating a cold, indifferent attraction, devouring the surrounding space and time.
“We’ve arrived.” Ares’ tone was grave as his gaze swept over the pitch-black Heart of Nothingness. “This is the source of Nothingness. Its existence determines everything in this region—time, space, reality… its essence is to destroy these.”
“How are we supposed to fight this?” Wagner grinned. “This thing doesn’t look like something that can be dealt with with knives and axes!”
Selena paused for a moment, then quickly said, "Nothingness is not a physical entity, but a loophole in the rules of the universe. We must find its energy source and destroy its 'core'."
“Then let’s do it.” Ares’s words were concise and powerful. “We don’t have time.”
They began to approach the Heart of Nothingness; however, with each step forward, space became more distorted, and the flow of time became more disordered. An invisible force constantly pressed down on them, as if trying to erase their existence.
“This feeling…” Selena suddenly stopped, her face pale, “It’s like… every move we make is a battle against time. We can no longer rely on our original rules here.”
Ares's gaze was sharp as he slowly said, "This is the power of nothingness. It is distorting everything, not just space and time, but even our memories and existence."
"Then we absolutely cannot let it succeed." Wagner brandished his battle axe. "We cannot afford to lose this battle!"
As they approached the Heart of Nothingness step by step, suddenly, the Heart of Nothingness erupted with a strong energy fluctuation, the entire space collapsed instantly, and the originally distorted spacetime instantly solidified into an irregular vortex that devoured everything.
Ares swung his sword fiercely, the runic blade unleashing a blinding light that illuminated the surrounding darkness. "We must destroy its core!"
However, the Heart of Nothingness was not easily affected. The dark vortex continued to distort its shape, and its interior seemed to contain no concrete matter, only an indescribable sense of emptiness.
"It's draining our power!" Selena gritted her teeth. "The energy here is rapidly depleting even our own power!"
"Hold on!" Ares shouted, and the rune sword shone even brighter, its blade resonating intensely as if drawing upon the power of the entire universe. "We must completely expel the void from the universe!"
Working together, the three finally located the very core of the Void Heart. A single strike from the runic sword pierced through it, and with a deafening roar, the Void Heart exploded. The entire space collapsed instantly, and the distortions and fluctuations of time and space began to return to normal.