Chapter 48: Its Name is Love
[Death is a calamity that the vast majority of intelligent life forms, no matter how they try to avoid it, will inevitably face.
A general who never loses a battle, an emperor who rules the world, a researcher who surpasses their era... No matter who, no matter how outstanding an individual may be, they will all feel powerless when facing death.
Because of death, because there is no eternal life, fragile mortals need to reproduce, need to bear offspring, and need to pass down knowledge and power to those who come after.
Because of death, all selfish beings, whether forced or willing, choose to make sacrifices. Because of the inevitable end, in order not to be forgotten, they choose to pass down everything they have to their descendants, or to the 'inheritors' who carry on their thoughts. And this is the original prototype of 'inheritance and education.'
It could almost be said that death laid the foundation for civilization.
But, what if.
Just what if.
A civilization conquered death—would its members then reclaim their instinctive selfishness, abandon the cooperation and inheritance that had lasted for tens of thousands of years, and live on alone, as solitary but complete individuals, forever?]
Who knows?
"——My parents passed away many years ago. Even though centuries have passed and my physical body has begun to age, I still miss them very much."
An aged voice echoed in the immensely vast hall. The voice was not deliberately amplified; it was merely an old man's somewhat indistinct muttering to himself: "I always want to tell them about every important decision I've made. I want them to know about my life. I want them to be proud of everything I am."
"But I made a mistake."
The voice rang out with a hint of regret, then faded away, as if it had never existed.
——Takur Annihilation Order, Twelve Sanctums · Canopy World——
They are twelve unique artificial worlds, entirely composed of psionic energy.
Before the ten-thousand-year-long racial war with the Amos people began, there was only one Canopy World, serving as the Order's capital. But now, the world collective of the Twelve Sanctums has become a behemoth spanning several star domains. They serve as the Order's political center, cultural center, commercial center... in short, the central hub of all civilization.
They are the pride of the Takur people. Both the Amos and the Takur clearly know that the Twelve Sanctums are the Takur people's last and most formidable fortress—in the distant past, there was a time when the Amos Royal Court breached the Takur Order's defenses, igniting the flames of destruction upon the Order's capital. But during that long world siege, the aggressive Royal Court army hit a wall against the complete defenses of the Canopy World and was ultimately forced to retreat under the threat of reinforcements.
In the rumors spread by the Amos with disgust and fear, at the central point guarded by the Twelve Sanctums, a core hub unknown to any outsiders, lies the Takur people's greatest secret.
They were not wrong.
Because at the center of the Twelve Sanctums, there truly exists a thirteenth Canopy World, unknown to outsiders.
Bloody Star River, Takur Annihilation Order, the center of the Twelve Sanctums. In a void shrouded by surging tides of psionic energy and divine power, a small world could be seen quietly rotating.
And the Grand Patriarch of the Takur Order, Georg Takur, was within this small world, slowly advancing inside an incredibly massive, super-gigantic celestial-scale hall that occupied over ninety-five percent of the world's volume.
This was a magnificent hall entirely composed of silver-blue psionic medium. Its design was simple and upright, without any superfluous decorations or runes. Aside from the nearly endless rows of seats and platforms on both sides of the hall, two rows of colossal pillars reaching into the sky and an infinitely extending staircase formed a descending path leading to the world's core.
Above, beneath the hall's dome, a cyan-blue composite super-sun of psionic energy and divine power shone like a chandelier, illuminating this world.
[Faith guides the direction, wisdom forges the path ahead]
[Do not be lost, pour out your doubts]
[We are always with you]
Faintly, amidst the psionic energy and divine power filling the world hall, one could hear soft sacred words echoing, then falling silent.
In the midst of these faint sounds and lights, the Grand Patriarch moved forward in silence, descending step by step towards the world's core. His face bore an expression of pain and exhaustion, as if his heart was undergoing immense torment.
"The foolish me made a mistake..." he whispered to himself. "But it is my kin who suffer the calamity."
——Wisdom and foolishness are relative.
[Intelligent beings will naturally commit foolish acts: because of emotions, because of stupidity, because of impulse, because of instinct... and finally, because of faith.
Faith is fanatical worship, the farthest distance from the truth. It is hard to admit that within a super-gigantic void power spanning a world star river, there could still be primitive religions—excluding worlds and civilizations with true gods, because in those powers, even the worst true god is merely the ruler of a fanatically worshiped autocratic empire.
When a god is merely the highest class, a realm attainable through mortal effort, the boundary between them and humans blurs. So-called faith weakens into adherence to correct and true teachings.
But the Takur Annihilation Order is different.
Their faith is true faith. It is not the offering of 'awe' and 'worship' to an idol, a tangible god, or the real and undeniable power of a true god.
Furthermore, they do not believe in 'Annihilation,' not in 'Prophecy,' not in a 'concept,' and they do not even believe in a 'conviction.'
They believe in themselves.]
"Ah, hello."
"Hello to you too."
Walking on the increasingly dim staircase that had plunged deep into the earth, the silent Grand Patriarch suddenly spoke. He turned his head towards an area that appeared empty, forcing himself to be energetic as he raised his hand in greeting—and astonishingly, a gentle voice responded to him. One could even faintly see a colorless, translucent afterimage flash by, a smile on its face.
[Intelligent beings forever reject death. Aside from the desire to 'survive,' their greatest desire might be to defeat 'death.'
The vast majority fail. They die, disappearing from this world. A small portion succeed partially. Though their bodies decay, their spirit endures.
The former are the common masses; the latter are the top elites in the history of civilization. Perhaps because of this, perhaps not, but it must be admitted that the driving force behind intelligent beings' pursuit of 'eternal life' must also partly merge into the desire to 'become an elite and leave one's name in history.'
Thus, spurred by this motivation, civilizations persistently progress and persistently change.
To conquer death, to not be forgotten, to... prove one's existence.
——I exist, both now and in the future.]
The Grand Patriarch's forward speed seemed slow, but it was actually very fast. Walking in a world entirely shaped by psionic energy, his speed was determined only by 'thought' progression. The movement manifested in the external world was merely a symbol, a ritual to activate something.
And this ritual was gradually reaching its end. One could see more and more translucent figures appearing and disappearing within the world hall. The seemingly infinite seats were filled with densely packed figures who appeared to be contemplating, praying, or meditating.
Until finally, even the sky, the earth, and every inch of space in the hall were filled with translucent ripples, as if the entire world was beginning to awaken. At that moment, the Grand Patriarch precisely arrived at the very center of this mysterious world hall, deep underground.
He looked up at the center of this magnificent hall, forged from a world as its raw material.
It was an incredibly massive, translucent, colorless, burning orb of light.
——On the surface of the orb, countless faces were appearing and disappearing. Countless translucent figures were flying out of it and diving back in, as if entering and exiting a door. The Grand Patriarch gazed at the orb. His tired and self-reproachful expression shifted slightly, tinged with a hint of pride, a touch of self-satisfaction.
Because that was the supreme creation of the Takur people, the object of their faith. That was the miracle forged by their civilization, the proof that the Takur had conquered death and reached their current state.
——Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source——
Psionic energy requires wisdom and thought to condense (ningju) into a tangible, real power.
Divine power requires the most extreme emotions, concepts, and thoughts to be released from the Great Source and flow into the real world.
The two are of the same lineage, naturally integrated transcendent powers. So-called nearly infinite psionic energy and divine power essentially represent nearly infinite thought and wisdom... In a sense, for a psionic or divine civilization, if a place can provide infinite psionic energy and divine power, then that place must be a paradise, a true heaven on earth.
And the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source is the paradise the Takur people created for themselves.
The Grand Patriarch stood before the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source. He could see within the burning orb countless translucent afterimages appearing. They were behind him, in front of him, on his sides, above and below him—this sounds very frightening, very terrifying, but these afterimages gently gazed at the Grand Patriarch, without a trace of malice in their eyes.
"Hello, our Grand Patriarch."
They spoke thus, their tone kind and intimate, like greeting an elderly neighbor: "What's wrong? You look a bit tired."
"...I hope you are all well too."
Hearing such a harmless voice, the aged Grand Patriarch couldn't help but choke up. Suppressing this sadness and guilt, he said tremblingly: "Truly... I hope you are all well too."
"Of course we are well."
All the afterimages said in unison. The sound was layered, rising like a mountain roar or a tidal wave, but in the next instant, because everyone stopped speaking, the entire world hall fell silent—the power contained in this voice was so vast, yet so pure. They were perfectly synchronized, as if they were the collective will of the Takur people.
——In fact, this is the collective will of the Takur people.
Under the gaze of all the afterimages, the Grand Patriarch did not stop his actions. He exhaled, then stepped forward step by step, preparing to touch the surface of that orb, the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source, like an ant trying to touch an ocean of souls.
"Be careful. Too many of our kin died recently. Their resentment hasn't fully dissipated yet. You will suffer greatly—their memories of death are all there."
Just as the Grand Patriarch was about to touch the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source, some gentle voices rang out, warning him: "Do you need us to help bear it?"
"No need. This is my responsibility."
Without any hesitation, the Grand Patriarch reached out his hand to touch the orb: "Because their deaths are all my fault."
"I must bear all of this alone."
Flesh and blood fingers touched the light of psionic energy and divine power, like raindrops falling from the sky, creating ripples on a lake—the moment the Grand Patriarch touched the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source, an infinite amount of psionic energy mixed with an infinite amount of memories erupted. In that instant, the old man felt the memories of hundreds of billions of souls, whose souls had been consumed and burned away by the transcendent virus, surging towards him. All the pain was converging on him.
But he did not evade. The old man opened his arms and accepted it all calmly.
——The so-called Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source is an artificial psionic world created by condensing (ningju) the power of all Takur people, their exclusive heaven on earth.
Unlike the Canopy World, which required sturdiness and stability and was forged by the power of successive (lidai) Takur Grand Patriarchs alone, without mixing in the psionic energy and souls of others, the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source is essentially a backup of the thoughts of all Takur people, a condensation (ningju) of the souls, psionic energy, thoughts, and memories of all Takur people.
Strictly speaking, this thought backup does not require the existence of a real soul. Over the long years, people would always die in battle or for other reasons, leading to the annihilation of their souls. However, the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source can track and record in real time the thoughts of any Takur person with 'correct faith.' As long as this 'faith' exists, regardless of whether their soul has been annihilated, it can perfectly preserve a backup of the individual's thoughts.
That is enough—undoubtedly, the existence of the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source has conquered death. Its existence can prove that all Takur people, whether successful or failed, whether commoners or elites, have all existed or are existing. Someone will always remember them. As long as the civilization continues, they will live forever.
Even death cannot become an obstacle for the Takur people; instead, it becomes their aid.
Moreover, this miracle that shattered life and death did not separate the Takur people but instead bound them tightly together.
One could feel nearly infinite power erupting. Because infinite thought and wisdom condense (ningju), they could create infinite psionic energy and divine power. This is also the origin of the name 'Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source.' A civilization that connects to the Great Source through the collective 'Takur people' can be said to have formed a deity named 'Takur people' through the collective. It is a peak creation in the field of psionic energy and divine power, an eternal wonder.
Of course, this is not without cost—precisely because it records all thoughts and memories of all individuals, emotions also accumulate, forming a vortex that devours everything. Precisely because the number of people who died in external wars over the long years is too vast, infinite hatred has accumulated, affecting all existing Takur people. This obsession named 'Hatred' has turned this originally relatively gentle civilization into the Annihilation Order that kills all outsiders.
Of course, all Takur people don't care about this. Because of eternal existence, they will never forget, and they never intend to forget their hatred.
The Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source fluctuated violently. In a mere instant, the colorless orb transformed through all the colors that exist in this multiverse, as magnificent as a dream. And with the Grand Patriarch's touch and communication, a door leading to the deepest part of the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source was opened.
With a hum, from within the orb that had turned incandescent white, the eleven most powerful souls, along with other powerful souls or thoughts, flew out and stood before the Grand Patriarch, who was slowly withdrawing his hand.
Compared to the countless, translucent afterimages around them, these powerful souls had bodies solid enough to use psionic energy to shape physical forms—in other words, this wasn't really death at all. As long as they were willing, they could return to the material world at any time. But to prevent their own thought patterns, which had begun to age, from affecting the civilization's future, they actively chose to merge into the Source.
Faced with eternal life, these souls chose to continue the inheritance, leaving better hope and future for the next generation.
The Grand Patriarch knew this was also his own future.
He looked up, watching the souls of previous Grand Patriarchs and other successive (lidai) prophets and powerful beings emerge (fuxian) before him, standing in front of him.
"So, this is the successor I chose? What do you think? Isn't he better than all of us?"
"Haha, good choice!" "As expected of my successor, even the successor you chose is better than mine!" "Not bad, just a little better than me."
The bustling voices echoed in the center of the world hall. The old man met the gazes of these souls. He could feel encouragement, comfort, appreciation, gratification, and pride. All kinds of benevolent emotions converged, leaving him somewhat at a loss.
The Grand Patriarch himself could not accept it.
"I'm sorry."
Facing these souls who were curiously examining him, he lowered his head, clenched his teeth, and said word by word: "Because of my mistake, while exploring the source of psionic energy, I connected to a strange other world... The sudden spread of a transcendent virus caused countless kin to die."
Clenching his fists, his straight back nearly buckling under the suffocating weight of self-blame, the old man recalled the transcendent plague that had recently swept through the Order, spreading from the Twelve Sanctums, killing countless Takur civilians and a vast number of elite talents... The Grand Patriarch's voice was bitter. He could only mutter to himself bit by bit: "It's all my fault... It was my mistake. I ruined the future of our civilization's rise..."
The Limit Plague spread at the speed of thought. Even with the fastest blockade (fengsuo) and suppression, it still caused the death of a quarter of the total population of the Takur Annihilation Order. Especially since they were probably the first civilization in this multiverse star river to encounter the Limit Plague, with no warning and no defense techniques. By the time the Grand Patriarch and other powerful beings found a way to block the plague's spread, the most essential (jinghua) quarter of the Takur people had already died.
Even the most advanced soul preservation technology could only preserve the souls of a small portion when facing the Limit Plague. For the rest, either their souls were annihilated, leaving only recorded thoughts and memories, or their souls were partially damaged, requiring a long period of nurturing to recover within the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source.
This was the greatest disaster in Takur history. As the leader who oversaw all of this, the current Grand Patriarch was inexcusable.
But no one blamed him.
"It's alright, our Patriarch. All of this was our collective decision. It is not your fault alone."
A voice like a tidal wave sounded—not just the eleven most powerful souls and the souls of successive (lidai) prophets, but all the translucent afterimages, all the souls filling the world hall, said in unison: "Even if you were wrong, we all forgive you."
"Do not blame yourself, do not regret. The future is so changeable. Even if faith guides the direction and wisdom forges the path ahead, what we will encounter on the road is unpredictable."
"Everything is the fault of the alien races. It is the fault of those hateful alien races."
"Our kin, do not blame yourself. This is a necessary sacrifice in the face of the unknown. Although regrettable, you have been very cautious. There is no 'mistake' in all of this. It's just that the enemy was too strong, beyond our imagination."
In this wave of voices, the previous Grand Patriarchs nodded slightly. That was their true thoughts.
For their successor, they all knew that the current Grand Patriarch had done very well. Even they could not have avoided this disaster. It could only be said that as long as they wanted to explore the origin of psionic energy, encountering the Limit Plague was an inevitability.
Being able to pull the entire Takur Order out of the abyss brought by this great transcendent plague at the cost of only a quarter of the population only showed the outstanding talent of the Grand Patriarch. It could not be said that he had done poorly.
"You have done well enough, my child."
As the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source returned to its colorless light, a female Takur stepped out from the sea of souls. She gazed gently at the Grand Patriarch and came before him.
In response, the old man opened his mouth. With his strength, he was at a loss for words for a moment... because the old woman was his mother, one of the prophets of the previous generation, the most powerful psionicist under the previous Grand Patriarch. She had died in a rear-guard action during a large-scale border conflict with the Amos, protecting the retreat of the rear forces.
His long-dead father did not have such strong strength to manifest a complete psionic body, but he could be seen smiling in the nearby afterimages, watching his wife and child.
"We have always been watching you, child."
Even though he had grown old and his body had begun to decay, in his mother's eyes, the Grand Patriarch was still her child. The equally aged woman looked seriously into her son's eyes. Without speaking, she already knew why he had come here and what he intended to do.
"Georg Takur, the powerful one who inherited the surname of the Grand Patriarch, my son whom I am proud of... Is there anything else you want to say?"
She asked gently: "At the very end, at the end of your life, is there anything else you want to say?"
We will remember it for you, remember everything about you.
"...Thank you, Mother."
The old man named Georg, with his civilization as his surname, raised his head. His single eye gazed at his mother, then at the other Grand Patriarchs who were looking at him seriously: "Thank you, my kin."
He looked around at the translucent afterimages, at the great world hall where all Takur people resided, and met the gazes of all the souls and memories of the Takur people that filled the hall.
"To receive your forgiveness... I am very happy."
He murmured to himself: "To fight for our civilization, to fight for you, has been the mission of my life."
The incredibly massive world core, the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source, began to rotate. The colorless orb started to burn fiercely. As the Grand Patriarch solidified his resolve, infinite power began to pour into him.
One could see that at the outermost edge of the world hall, the most peripheral, illusory soul afterimages began to dissipate one by one. Because they actively entrusted all the power that maintained their existence to Georg—they still existed within the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source and would not dissipate, but they confidently handed over the right and power to decide the future to their Grand Patriarch.
——Keep going.
——Don't give up.
——You are our strongest.
——So please continue forward.
Silent information spread, echoing in this soul domain. At the center of this world, enveloped by the souls of all Takur people, Georg Takur's power rose step by step. It soared, like the waters of the seven seas pouring into a lake, like ten thousand mountains layering upon each other (cengceng diejia), causing it to expand and rise without limit.
"I know... I know... I know that behind this infinite world lies such darkness and unreasonableness."
"I know that this multiverse is filled with malicious enemies and dangerous beasts."
"But I know—I know! By my side are my loving family, my supporting friends, my kin who walk with me!"
Above the Grand Patriarch's head, a twelve-fold crown lit up. Infinite psionic energy and divine power converged, causing a smaller colorless fireball, a smaller Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source, to appear at the center of the crown, becoming its most brilliant gem. One could see Georg's aged body beginning to turn transparent. His physical form was dissolving under the effect of infinite divine power, because he was bearing the power of the entire Takur civilization as an individual.
This undoubtedly brought infinite pain and torment, enough to drive any mind mad—but none of that mattered.
Because he knew, he knew the outcome of all this.
"I know that at the other end of time and space, there is an enemy so powerful that it is beyond compare, a powerful foe that can annihilate the future foreseen by my prophecy."
Most of the translucent afterimages dissipated. Even the prophets of successive (lidai) generations, those colored humanoids, began to gradually dissipate. And before Georg, the old woman calmly reached out her hand, caressing her child's wrinkled but incredibly resolute cheek.
"I know that this time I go, it is likely that even my soul is destined to be annihilated, that even my thoughts cannot be preserved and return here."
And her child smiled, without a trace of regret.
"But I know that I must go. I will do everything in my power to destroy the enemy who killed a quarter of our kin, to destroy this enemy who might threaten the entire Order, an enemy far more terrifying than the Amos people."
Because I am the Grand Patriarch of the Takur people. This is the life I chose.
——Because memory is eternal, the Takur people never forget any hatred——
——Because memory is eternal, they also never forget any love——
[Enveloped by cruel malice in the multiverse, placed within this cycle of sorrow.
Even so, still hold hope in your heart, look forward to tomorrow.
Whether facing the inevitable end of death,
Or the destined future of annihilation.
In the hearts of all Takur people, they are never alone, never solitary.
Because in that Canopy World where faith and soul is linked——
Everything is connected by the deepest love.]
——So please do not show a sad expression. This is 'my' most sincere, most genuine choice.
Completely psionically transformed, his body now a tangible (shiti) psionic singularity, the old man raised his hand, wiping away the virtual psionic tears flowing from his mother, who was dissipating.
The light dissipated, turning into blurry specks of light.
"I want to protect you."
A voice full of awakening, incredibly firm, rang out. Before Georg at this moment, the souls of the previous Grand Patriarchs also began to dissipate. All their power merged into the body of the current Grand Patriarch: "To be forgiven by you is already enough for me."
For life, for me, merely being born into this world, being born as a Takur person, is already enough.
So, thank you, Mother.
Goodbye, my kin.
——I am going to fight——
Bloody Star River, in the void, at the center surrounded by the Twelve Sanctums, one could see the light of the world hall extinguish.
The light that was once bright, representing the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source, was rapidly dimming.
But in the next instant, a light surpassing all previous brilliance lit up, illuminating the void!
In that moment, even the combined world light of the Twelve Sanctums was completely suppressed—this light even transcended time and space, awakening another vast will within the Bloody Star River.
At the deepest level of the Bloody Abyss, an incredibly vast will raised its head in astonishment, staring in shock.
"Depart——————"
Around the world hall at the center of the Twelve Sanctums, clusters of afterimages remained undissipated. These translucent psionic afterimages surrounded the world outside, waiting patiently.
——The memories of the warriors lost to the plague were waiting for revenge.
And now, they had found it, the voice leading them forward.
[In the extreme crisis, the Annihilation Order, having lost a quarter of its citizens in just seven days, had its internal production structure completely disrupted. A huge fault line (duanceng) appeared in the entire civilization system. Even if the inheritance was not lost, they no longer had the capital to fight the Amos people, let alone the unknown powerful being that caused all this.
Therefore, from now on, the Twelve Sanctums · Canopy World will abandon their homeland with the vast majority of their people, abandon the tens of thousands of years of war with the Amos, and flee into the void beyond the star river to hide. And Grand Patriarch Georg Takur will take all the available power of the Infinite Divine Energy Variable Source and the warriors determined to exhaust everything for revenge, go to the source to eradicate the enemy, and ensure the safety of the evacuating people. If they truly cannot defeat the enemy, they will completely destroy the transmission traces they inadvertently left behind while exploring the source of psionic energy.]
"...Goodbye."
Outside the Twelve Sanctums, the former First Prophet, now the current Grand Patriarch, stood in the void. He silently watched the Grand Patriarch and the soul legion transform into light, opening a door to the distant reaches of time and space. Just before they were about to leave, he softly bid farewell: "I hope we can meet again."
It wasn't just the Takur people who saw this light.
Bloody Star River, around the Amos Royal Court, human captains and rebels from alien races also saw this radiance. They stared blankly at this light, shining like a meteor in the world star river, until it disappeared.
And even more people saw it.
——At the end of causality, at the origin of causality——
——At the other end of life and death, at the other end of love and hate——
Because of selfishness named ego, because of devotion named love, the individual named beast and the collective named civilization, two completely (jieran) different wills, intersected and collided.
Therefore...
With the location of the silver-core black hole as the center, with the desperate battle formation as the origin point.
All possibilities are converging.