Chapter 26: The Death of Rebirth
At first, things were not so easy to understand.
The elven analyst worked quietly at his desk, wearing the characteristic elongated full-coverage headphones of his kind, listening to the various echoes concerning the Void within the database. The profession of analyst required sensitive perception and exceptionally keen hearing—perfectly suited for elves. The vast majority of analysts were elves, and their patience, honed by their long lifespans, also met the requirements.
The database of the Dawnlight Void Exploration Ship was not large, as its journey had only just begun before it was urgently recalled. The elven analyst estimated it would take him about four or five days to finish the task. At that point, he would receive an incentive bonus. This bonus was sent separately each time an analysis of a void exploration ship's database was completed, so he particularly enjoyed tasks with little data.
"Speaking of which, this money, plus my savings, is already quite a bit. Where should I spend it... My mother already has enough jewelry. Maybe buy some new clothes for Jenny? Hmm... send my father a small submarine. He's been talking about it these past few days, wanting to go to the deep-sea world to see the fish of another world."
Although many thoughts about the future flashed through his mind, the moment he began working, the elven analyst immediately calmed his mind and focused on the task. Listening to the echoes of the Void required complete concentration—a technically demanding job that consumed a lot of energy. That's why the pay was not low. Even if only to be worthy of his salary, he would diligently fulfill his responsibilities.
Time passed. After several hours, the analyst had already filtered out most of the worthless noise. The remaining fragments, which could not yet be analyzed, would be repeatedly confirmed in subsequent work to assess their value. That was the key point.
Because if the information within that noise truly had value, then the Void Exploration Department would not mind issuing another bonus. This was also the motivation that drove the vast majority of analysts to persist in their work diligently.
"Almost at the limit."
However, after working for so long, he indeed needed a rest. Feeling somewhat fatigued, his concentration began to waver. While listening to the voice of the Void, the analyst muttered to himself, "After I finish listening to this segment, I'll go get a cup of coffee."
The final segment of Void echoes was a seemingly meaningless noise, devoid of any tone or beauty. Yet, unexpectedly, this noise was not harsh. Compared to the sharp, wailing-like distortions caused by temporal rifts, it was remarkably gentle.
"Indeed, no value."
Although the gentleness of this noise made the analyst somewhat curious about its peculiarity, after listening carefully several times, he found it still had no value. It was neither a shockwave from temporal rifts caused by anomalies in certain worlds, nor an echo from the movements of Void Behemoths. It was just ordinary Void background noise.
Putting the matter aside, the analyst went to get himself a cup of coffee, ate some pastries, rested for a while, and then continued his day's work. Since overtime came with extra pay, he voluntarily worked until nine in the evening, completing a twelve-hour workday before returning to the residential area of the Jetram Void Base to sleep.
In the darkness of the residential area's artificial night, the analyst, lying in bed and dreaming, frowned in his sleep, then suddenly woke with a start.
"Just now... my dream..."
He felt as if many things had been added to his mind—shadows of strange creatures—but he couldn't remember anything... This strange sensation gave the elven analyst an odd sense of danger. But because he was too tired, he lay back down and continued sleeping.
For the rest of the first night, he did not wake again. In his dreams, something was sprouting, taking root. Something had been forever changed, but the one changed did not know it.
The next morning, the elven analyst arrived at his work area on time. After greeting a few familiar colleagues, he sat down at his station and continued the previous day's work.
But as he resumed listening to the echoes of the Void, for some unknown reason, the analyst inexplicably found that he could instinctively and directly discern which echoes contained which information.
"This... is the sound of that nearby medium-sized world! Its movement, along with dozens of small worlds in the same star domain, causes its echoes to become complex and chaotic, turning into noise-like static!"
"And this! It should be the energy interaction wave between a certain high-energy small world and the Great Magic Tide! Good heavens, a high-energy small world—that's enough for me to earn a bonus!"
"Yes, and this one too. I can understand what it means... This should be the aftermath of a Void war from a few hundred years ago. Both sides in the battle were very strong..."
The astonished analyst found that he could analyze the strength of the warring parties from the past just by listening: "Both sides have already broken through the limit and reached the mature level... Huh, what do 'break through the limit' and 'mature level' mean?"
Although he found his choice of adjectives somewhat bizarre, he categorized it under "too shocked to choose words carefully" and didn't pay it much attention. His most urgent task now was to report all these special, valuable findings to his superiors, and later, after confirming the accuracy of his information, claim his bonus.
Even though the recent lockdown meant bonuses couldn't be paid immediately, his credit limit would increase significantly. Maybe after saving for a few more years... he could buy a fixed property in the Void base!
Maintaining this excitement, he worked until nearly the end of the day, then eagerly compiled the information and submitted it to the headquarters of the Void Exploration Department.
"It seems my long-dormant talent has finally been unearthed."
With the joy of a windfall, the elven analyst lay contentedly in bed, slowly drifting into sleep. Just before losing consciousness, a smile still lingered on his lips: "So this is what it feels like to be a genius? How wonderful..."
The second night passed without dreams. In the hazy darkness, something began to spread, to envelop, influencing physical reality from the realm of abstract thought.
The next day, around one in the afternoon by Mycroft World standard time, the elven analyst, after finishing lunch, suddenly felt unwell. He wasn't sure if it was a stomachache or a bellyache, but he went to the bathroom several times. However, he had neither diarrhea nor any other symptoms—just constant dry heaving. Since he had submitted a large amount of proven valuable information and analysis the day before, the head of the analysis department personally came to check on him and even took him to the medical center for a comprehensive examination.
"There's no problem... but you need to eat properly."
A gnome physician jumped down from his chair, used magic to float in mid-air, and wrote him a prescription. This distant relative of dwarves, with graying hair and a body two sizes smaller than a dwarf, said in a rather dismissive tone, "Look here, malnutrition, irregular eating habits over a long period, plus your elves' peculiar dietary culture—if you're not careful, it leads to sudden gastrointestinal spasms."
"Here are some military-grade high-energy supplements. Don't take too many, but when you have an episode, take a little. The nutrients and slime gel in them can effectively relieve pain and repair the stomach lining. To cure it completely, you need to change your eating habits and consume more animal protein."
"Yes, yes..."
Although he wanted to retort with "My diet is perfectly healthy!", because his stomach was indeed hurting and he felt weak, the analyst had no strength to argue... If it didn't work, he could always see another doctor. After the physician issued a certificate, the analyst returned to his workstation and continued his work.
That night, the analyst felt his gastrointestinal tract spasm uncontrollably again, causing intense pain. He immediately pulled out a small can-like container of the military-grade high-energy supplement, opened it, and poured the glowing gelatinous substance into his mouth. He could feel the supplement, primarily made from slime gel, wriggling through his esophagus like a living thing, entering his stomach, and beginning to soothe the rebellious organ... Just as the doctor had said, the pain was temporarily relieved. The shaken analyst put down the supplement and let out a breath.
"What kind of strange illness is this... But, oddly enough, have I gotten a bit stronger?"
Looking at the deformed can in his hand, the analyst frowned slightly. He remembered how sturdy these military cans were—even professional martial artists would need some effort to open one without tools. The fact that he had twisted it open in a moment of urgency was indeed peculiar.
With an uneasy mind, he turned off the lights, went to bed, and began to sleep.
On the third night, dreams were hazy and surreal. The elven analyst felt he had become a strange, colossal beast, swimming in the ocean, devouring every living thing before him. He felt exhilarated, comfortable—nothing could be more enjoyable than this.
Upon waking, the analyst got up to wash. When he raised his head to brush his teeth and looked in the mirror, he was startled.
"Who is that?!"
Whether it was an illusion or not, the analyst felt his face seemed to have changed—but upon closer inspection, comparing it with selfies on his psychic terminal and photos with his parents, there was no difference. Green hair, blue eyes, a straight nose, a handsome face—in short, still as handsome as ever.
But for some reason, facing this face that was clearly his own and quite good-looking, the analyst felt no sense of connection. Instead, it felt like looking at a stranger.
On his way to work, the analyst also felt that passersby, even his familiar colleagues and friends, were looking at him with strange eyes. But when he met their gaze, they just greeted him normally.
Vaguely, his exceptionally sharp hearing allowed him to overhear a passing colleague muttering to himself.
"Strange, hasn't Noipel always been this energetic?"
"Yeah, it's like he's a different person. He was handsome before, but it felt normal... Today, there's something different about him."
"Ah, elven bloodline is just great. Any change in style stands out. I wonder how the bloodline optimization research in Moldavia is going. If we humans could all be handsome men and beautiful women..."
The discussion quickly shifted topics. The elven analyst named Noipel, still harboring some self-doubt, had most of his doubts dispelled by others' secret envy.
"Anyway, it's not a bad thing," he thought to himself, even feeling a bit of ethnic pride. "Speaking of which, I remember I have a distant cousin, Constantine or something, who joined the bloodline modification research team in Moldavia. I think he's an alchemist in some elite squad of the External Exploration Department... I wonder how he's doing."
Today's work also went smoothly. The elven analyst could now even directly discern the origins of Void background noise just by listening. Even the department head was greatly shocked upon learning this.
"Good lad! You know, even many professional Star Shepherds who have coexisted with Void Behemoths for over a thousand years don't have this ability!"
In the head's office, watching the analyst correctly solve several difficult test problems on the spot, the head, also an elf, patted his junior's shoulder and encouraged him with satisfaction, "Your talent is extraordinary. Working here is truly wasting it—like this, in a few days, go to headquarters to gain some experience and pass the tests. If you really have this talent, you might even board a 'Dreadnought-class Void Battleship' and become a glorious expeditionary force's onboard Listener, directly guiding our army!"
—That way, I'll also get credit for recommending you. The two of us can look forward to promotions and raises.
"I will work hard!"
Although he could listen to the echoes of the world, he still couldn't hear the subtext. But that didn't stop the analyst from being overjoyed—an onboard Listener and a data analyst working behind the lines were not even on the same level! The former enjoyed "elite high-level transcendent benefits," with treatment equivalent to a senior technical position of a high-rank Ultimate-level expert—one in a million. The latter only enjoyed basic transcendent allocations, a common technical position with a generous bonus system.
Having received encouragement from his superior and hope for the future, the analyst consumed another can of high-energy supplement and fell asleep with hope in his heart.
"Speaking of which, I'm almost out of supplements," he thought uneasily just before falling asleep. "The doctor said just a little is enough, but I'm having a whole can at once... Isn't that a bit abnormal?"
With these thoughts, he entered dreamland.
On the fourth night, strange and fantastical, the elven analyst, for some reason, saw his entire life in his dream—from birth to adulthood, from naivety to maturity. The flutter in his heart when he saw the sky as a child, the excitement of first love as a teenager, the determination to rise above others as an adult and the persistent effort to achieve it... Everything, every detail, was compiled into a single star.
The analyst instinctively knew that this was the life of the one called "Noipel," his essence. These memories and information were the true him. Without them, even if the body were the same, he would be someone else.
The star shimmered, illuminating the dark dream, giving the watching analyst an inexplicable sense of peace.
Then, at the moment the dream was about to end.
Pure white threads began to appear, wrapping the star layer by layer... And so.
It became a giant "cocoon."
The next day, during work hours.
"Strange, where's Noipel?"
"I don't know... Seems like he took leave?"
"Just called in by the boss yesterday, and now he's slacking off? That doesn't seem right. He's not that kind of person."
"Maybe he's really unwell—you know, he went to the doctor a few days ago. Could be side effects from awakening his transcendent talent?"
"Who knows."
The colleagues' discussion ended there. After all, it was just one day of absence—nothing major. Everyone has their off days. As colleagues who had worked in the same unit for over a year, with no competition or personal grudges, there was no reason for malicious speculation.
Meanwhile, in the residential area of the Jetram Void Base, Noipel's room.
On the analyst's bed, there was no longer the green-haired, blue-eyed elf. Instead, there was a "cocoon" with a fine, soft surface, made of countless threads.
The "cocoon" was vibrating, but not from something struggling inside. It was a natural movement, emitting subtle sound waves. These sound waves were incredibly faint, gentle like the noise quietly transmitted in the Void—without any distinctive features or signs. But if one listened carefully, trying to hear the emotion within, one would find that the sound waves were like a low hum, a call, even... a joyful praise.
[There is such a strange question]
Can sound change matter?
—Of course. Sound waves are vibrations transmitted through various media. Overly intense sound waves can shatter glass walls and harm the human body. Subtle sound waves can subtly irritate people and make sensitive creatures uncomfortable.
Can sound contain information?
—Of course. Human language relies on sound waves of different frequencies to transmit different information. In fact, sound waves can carry surprisingly rich information. It's just that humans can only produce, hear, and utilize a limited range of sound wave frequencies, leading them to believe sound waves are a primitive language. But in reality, sound waves are merely not a universal medium of communication. If other waves were used, the situation would be much better.
No, no, the real meaning of this question is: can the wave itself serve as a carrier, such that even if the listener doesn't understand the language, it can still, like an image, convey information that any life form can comprehend without explanation?
—The answer is, of course, yes.
Special sound waves. No, special waves in general, can essentially change everything. Ripples imbued with transcendent power, upon contacting a living body, can imprint the information they carry, transforming compatible flesh on a material level and directly instilling pre-prepared knowledge.
In other words, ordinary life forms are powerless against these special waves. Like shattered glass, disturbed eardrums, or subtly altered emotions, they are gradually, bit by bit, eroded and transformed by the echoes, becoming a completely different form from before.
To the extent that it can achieve such fantastical things as making the old life "die" and a new life be "born."
The sixth day, early morning.
"The elven analyst Noipel" awoke from his own corpse.
He calmly looked down at the withered skin that had once wrapped him and the naturally degrading cocoon threads, then revealed a meaningful smile.
[There is such a philosophical question.]
If the parts of a ship are gradually replaced until all the original parts are new and the old ones are completely swapped out, is the ship still the original ship?
For objects without self-awareness, it doesn't matter either way. But if a sentient, conscious life form experiences this, what happens to its self-perception?
Suppose there is a powerful super-lifeform larva, born within an ordinary intelligent life form. It absorbs all the original's memories, consciousness, and soul, inscribing them onto its own memory banks as if they were its own, carefully storing a backup.
Then, based on that, it completely simulates and replicates the original's thought patterns... No, that's not quite right. Because several days ago, the super-lifeform larva had already infiltrated the original's brain along the nervous system, thinking alongside the original, and then gradually replacing every cell in the original's body. But even so, the original was still "thinking" on its own. The super-lifeform larva did not interfere; it merely became a part of the original.
Then, it became him, and he became it.
Store, copy, record, restore, calculate, test, optimize, sublimate. This is the mission of the Ultimate. The Ultimate life form will possess everything the original had, including but not limited to the original's bloodline, memories, preferences, personality, and thought patterns. In a sense, it is the original person, because memory is the essence. The super-lifeform larva merely became part of the original and then assimilated with it.
But is this true?
"Though I died, I am reborn."
The former elf elegantly dressed himself. He felt an endless hunger causing his stomach to spasm, but the pain that had once caused him such discomfort was now a pleasurable urge. He savored this urge, then raised his hand and clenched his fist. An incredibly powerful transcendent force surged within his flesh and blood.
Baring his teeth, the Ultimate being Noipel smiled easily: "The death of rebirth."
"I love this feeling."
Year 848 of the Falling Stars Era, April 8th. A mature-level Ultimate being appeared in the Jetram Void Base, causing 370,000 deaths before escaping. Dozens of civilization ambassadors stationed in Jetram were among the casualties. The Third Expeditionary Fleet's sub-fleet was ambushed, with most ships sunk. Within the Jetram world, the myriad realm star gates were temporarily closed. The Mycroft World homeworld and all its colonies entered full military lockdown.
The universe was shocked.