Chapter 1708: Chapter 1144: As Expected
The entire building was eerily silent, seeming to pose no danger.
However, Duanmu Huai did not think so.
It was evident from the traces here that an incredibly fierce battle had taken place in this area. Although most of the bodies had weathered over ti, almost turning into fossil-like remains, the plasma and bomb gun marks on the walls were not so easily erased.
And those weapons.
The flesh may decompose and decay, but weapons aren’t easily destroyed. So even though the bodies were no longer visible, Duanmu Huai could still find so clues from the weapons.
From the remnants here, Duanmu Huai managed to analyze and reconstruct parts of the scene.
Clearly, a force had attacked the building, and Duanmu Huai judged it might have been the rebel army—because they used laser weapons, jokingly called “flashlights” by players, that were mainly equipped to ground ard forces and the Star Realm Army, as they were the most accessible weapons to the rebels.
The chanical Religion didn’t use them much.
From the current wreckage, it seed the rebels attacked the building and encountered fierce resistance from the chanical Religion, initially losing many. But they did not waver, becoming even fiercer—resembling the followers of Brutal Wrath, for whom fleeing was not an option. Charging to their deaths was the only way to uphold their dignity as believers. Moreover, the power of Brutal Wrath lay within the battle itself: the more intense the fight, the more deaths, the stronger its power.
Duanmu Huai had encountered a similar situation in the Novice’s Village, where the followers of Brutal Wrath had occupied a fortress and initiated an evil desecration ritual, making it such that entering to fight only fed Brutal Wrath energy, potentially summoning a Subspace Demon in the end.
So, Duanmu Huai first destroyed their altar before dealing with those cultists.
For the followers of Brutal Wrath, charging recklessly was the truth, regardless of how many died… they didn’t care.
Clearly, the chanical Religion could not withstand the rebels’ assault. They charged through the gates and advanced, leaving behind thousands or even tens of thousands of bodies, the rebels finally ca to…
Stopping in front of the gate, Duanmu Huai paused.
“What is this place? It doesn’t seem the sa as what we’ve seen before?”
Even Ann was curious as she looked at the gate. This was understandable, as their journey had familiarized them with the Tribunal’s and Imperial’s styles—similar to chanical Religion’s in many ways.
However, this gate was different. It discarded the Empire’s usual gold tones, appearing black and looked more like stone than tal.
“Because this isn’t an Imperial structure.”
Duanmu Huai stared grimly at the gate, speaking coldly—its appearance resembled ancient Egyptian styles, making it clear what lay within.
Space Undead.
One of the oldest existences in the universe, and the first race to practice “Flesh is Weak, chanical Ascension.”
Though persuaded by the Star Gods to do so.
And if there were Space Undead ruins here, given their entanglents with the Star Gods, there was a high probability of Star God fragnts.
Furthermore, at the gate, Duanmu Huai found sothing even more surprising.
A suit of Power Armor collapsed in the dust.
Naturally, the person once wearing it had long since weathered away, but the emblem on the Power Armor remained clear, unmistakably proving its origin.
The Tribunal!
Of course!
Seeing the Power Armor, Duanmu Huai suddenly understood.
He had been curious why both the rebels and chanical Religion ended in failure if they fought. Was it mutual destruction?
Besides, another answer suggested a third party’s involvent.
Who was this third party?
The Tribunal!
The rebel army worshipped Evil Gods, which by the Tribunal’s standards, must be eradicated.
And the chanical Religion? Building on Space Undead ruins and secretly researching and using alien technology?
Not killing them would be strange!
If Duanmu Huai had seen this scene then, he would definitely have taken out both sides without hesitation.
Damn heretics, they all deserve purification!
So, it seed that during the fierce battle between the chanical Religion and the rebels, the Tribunal intervened, waging war on both, forcing the chanical Religion and rebel army into hiding—one in the space elevator, the other underground… but then what?
Did the Tribunal’s mission succeed?
Duanmu Huai thought not, at least the Tribunal didn’t issue an extinction order on this planet.
The reason was simple: if the Tribunal had issued such an order, those hiding underground might have escaped, but the people on the floating island would certainly have perished long ago, leaving none now.
Duanmu Huai shook his head, withdrawing his thoughts.
“Let’s go in and take a look.”
Along the way, they encountered no obstacles, or rather, this place should have been heavily guarded, but the “pioneers” had already cleared the path for Duanmu Huai and the others. As they advanced, the wreckage along the way revealed that from the mont they entered, the intensity of the battle had escalated to an unexpected level. Duanmu Huai even saw several Titan remnants…
The chanicus Cult even deployed Titans here, which almost indicates what lies below.
However, the Titans also couldn’t stop the Tribunal, suggesting both sides truly fought fiercely.
As for the rebels… well, Duanmu Huai hadn’t seen any, probably all dead. After all, in front of the battle-ready chanicus Cult and the Tribunal, even the cultists revering the Evil God were insignificant, without a sense of presence.
Following Duanmu Huai, Ann and Lorena, as well as Ogis, curiously observed the surroundings. The style here was entirely different from any place they had seen before. Though Ann and the others had accompanied Duanmu Huai to various ruins and alien civilizations, many of which were unique, they all conveyed a sense of life.
But here was entirely different.
Here felt like a steel tomb, with no trace of life or signs of ever existing. The eerie, dark green glow and these bizarre structures seemingly made of so tal gave a cold, inorganic feeling.
In fact, this is a consistent trait of the Space Undead, which players criticize and refuse to acknowledge as life. To be honest, even the buildings and warships created by those WAGGGGG Greenskins exude life (though the degree of threat is high), but the creations of the Space Undead show no signs of life. Thus, many players believe the Space Undead are no longer living entities, rely akin to the Evil Intelligence.
Or, when they were tempted by the Star Gods and uploaded their consciousness to the chanical body, they were already dead. After all, who can prove that what they consider their consciousness is truly theirs and not just a mory?
Similar scenarios have appeared in sci-fi movies, where a person wakes up thinking they are A, only to discover in the end that they are just a clone, their supposed past mories rely copies implanted in their brain, thus mistaking themselves for A when in fact, they’re not A.
Is there any difference with the Space Undead? They think they possess the Fear of Death’s consciousness, but in reality, it is rely the Fear of Death’s mories uploaded into the Space Undead’s bodies.
Are they still the Fear of Death? Or are they Space Undead?
What truly is a soul?
These philosophical questions are not Duanmu Huai’s concern. Whether Fear of Death or Space Undead, they are all his enemies.
Finally, they reached the lowest level.
“Honestly, I’m not surprised at all.”
Looking at the towering structure resembling a tal pyramid, Duanmu Huai remained incredibly calm. It confird the players’ forum speculations were right; a shard of the Star God truly lay sealed in this world, evident from the connected pipelines, it had been under the chanicus Cult’s control for a long ti.
“What is this, Mr. Knight?”
Ann cautiously gazed at the pyramid ahead, inquiring in a low voice.
“I sense a terrifying force within.”
“A fragnt of the Star God, part of the monster that existed since the dawn of this universe.”
Duanmu Huai swung his War Hamr, staring at the pyramid.
“Rember the stories I’ve told you about the Space Undead and the Fear of Death?”
Ann nodded. Anyone joining the Tribunal undergoes training courses; Ann, too, learned about the Fear of Death’s tale—those who, dreading death, uploaded their consciousness into steel bodies at the behest of the Star God, leading to their extermination and the ergence of the Space Undead.
“Is this the Star God?”
Gazing at the pyramid, Ann swallowed hard.
“I can feel an incredibly terrifying and powerful force, sowhat distinct from magic, but extrely frightening…….”
“I can feel it too.”
Duanmu Huai nodded in agreent. As a player, he could only comprehend the Star God’s imnse power through data, but now, having beco a deity himself, he genuinely experienced the terror of beings that erged with the universe and still exist—honestly, things like the True Gods in the Faelun World pale in comparison to the Star Gods.
The last ti Duanmu Huai felt such pressure was in the Type-Moon World, witnessing Yog Sothoth through a certain girl, an Outer God’s presence.
Of course, this Star God fragnt wasn’t as powerful as Yog Sothoth, but it was noteworthy even among the Ancient Dominators—certainly stronger than Cthulhu.
Thankfully, Duanmu Huai wasn’t weak either.
Otherwise, he would’ve struggled to even stand here, like Ann and Lorena—both considered quite powerful. Yet, facing the Star God, they still felt an overwhelming tension and fear. It wasn’t rely skill disparity but rather oppression from ti itself.
Like a child standing before an elder nurous tis their senior, feeling the imnse pressure of ti’s passage.
Even Ogis, usually nonchalant, appeared tense, perched on Duanmu Huai’s shoulder, staring fixedly at the pyramid as if a cat whose fur stood on end.
“What do we do now?”
“Open it.”
Facing Ann’s query, Duanmu Huai responded directly.
“And utterly annihilate it.”
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