Soul of Searing Steel

As Elma, an Amos who was intermediately ranked amongst her people's elites spoke at length about their history, the historical resentment between the Court and the Cult became clear to Creed as a foreigner.

Before becoming a Void civilization, the Takurians encountered something beyond belief which brought about a firm conviction that the Multiverse was destined for one ultimate ruin: all that there was would be none, and none could flee or hide. That tenet hence became a cornerstone that pillared their civilization and social form, and could be considered a faith.

That idea was not actually too different from the Mycroft civilization's awareness that the Evil Gods would destroy civilization repeatedly. Likewise, the Takurians were not giving up—they had chosen an entirely different direct measure of creating a new world in Psi.

"That was one of the reasons that us Amoses had waged an all-out war against the Takurian mongrels before—the Imperator's consumption of planets was declared 'one of the causes for ruin' by the first Grand Patriarch, affirmed as part of the innumerable threats that would bring death to the stars."

At that moment, Elma had moved the infected settlement through the portal and into the sealed realm, and made space for the next transporter. In the process, she even went into detail about the previous territories of the Amos and the Ruin Cult, and it was obvious that both civilizations were merely above-average Class 3 Void civilizations, their borders and ability far from their present scale and grandness.

"Of course, it was not the full reason for war since the Takur mong—" Elma's human form frowned and cut herself short then, but though she appeared reluctant, she soon gave an objective appraisal. "The Takurians were rather friendly then, but as the Court expanded and history did not record much, both of our civilizations eventually assumed their present form."

"You might not believe this, but us Amoses are not as fanatical as before, being actually able to coexist with other races—champions, of course. Now, each Amos has a different living form, but everyone believes that our present norms have been passed down from that time."

Creed certainly could not say anything about that. He was merely the captain of a tiny corvette—how could he decide the veracity of the mysteries in regards to a civilization of disaster?

Still, it would not have been unusual if considered logically: the core belief of both the Amos Court and the Ruin Cult was to cull foreign foes and purge diversity. However, something also decisively divided them: the Amos Court's doctrine had champions placed before all else, a radical dictatorship which made it natural for them to rein in foreign champions, while the Ruin Cult's doctrine was that all things led to ruin, and they hence did all they could to foster healthy foreign relations, so as to cooperate until the fated apocalypse.

One could imagine that the terror of the war then had probably engraved violence, distrust, and xenophobia into the mindset of the two civilizations, and the very heart of their culture.

"Gone off topic there."

Noticing that she had been grumbling, Elma's sighed and turned to gaze at the direction of her own brain. "Anyway, the Takurians had maintain all efforts in understanding facts about the Ruin, although for some reason they had believed it to be the truth and future of the Multiverse. That was why they built the Sanctuaries, artificial realms allegedly to protect all life when Ruin comes—with that as their confidence and 'way out', they began to examine the reality behind Ruin."

"In other words, the Takurians were researching what could utterly decimate the Multiverse."

The lights flashed in Creed's head at that—being one who followed Joshua and who crossed the Silent Void, Creed had vaguely heard that although the Silent Void appeared empty, it was all remnants and debris of decimated worlds.

"So," Creed said forthrightly, stroking his chin with not gesture of holding back, "they began to try studying foreign worlds?"

"To be precise, other galaxies beyond this Multiverse. They've been trying that all along." Elma nodded on her bone and shell seat, calmly saying, "'Our galaxy is still alive, and that does not help the Ruin research—we need to understand the wastelands that might exist in the Void beyond the Abyss and galaxies'… that was what they said, word for word. They want to study destroyed worlds."

"They had previously researched Void Behemoths, the Silent Void, the Abysses, vanquished worlds, debris in the galaxy, and had even tried to study the World Eaters… but after trying most things, the Takurians thought of them as trivial and were unable to unravel the truth or stop the ultimate Ruin. What they seek are not in this Multiverse, but beyond."

At that, Elma turned to stare at Creed, her tone rather ruminating. "Actually, the Takurians had once seriously considered studying the Lost Galaxy, and it eventually proved true that you Mycroftians assuredly possessed truths and information beyond both the Amoses and Takurians… but it is in my opinion that even if you are closer to the truth as compared to us, it definitely isn't the whole truth either."

You're right, you're totally right…

How could Creed have answered? He simply reached for his belt by reflex, hoping that a certain Commander would hint at what the so-called truth was about…how could he be privy to such information as a corvette captain?

Elma, however, did not intend to get any answer from Creed. Her idea was to exchange part of the Truth as her reward for helping Mycroft's Commander-in-Chief…everyone was born curious, and Elma knew for one that being a remarkably active Amos, she was much more curious than others.

"Either way, the Takurians developed many powerful observation skills which they call 'prophesizing', exerting all effort in exploring beyond this Multiverse because our own stars do not have a path which allows them to comprehend beyond Ruin."

"With the plague… I think they've succeeded."

In return, Creed could not help but to turn towards the sealed realm behind him and click his tongue twice. "They've definitely found an otherworld beyond this galaxy."

"They've definitely succeeded." Elma pouted, remembering the utterly lethal super virus which reduced entire Amos colonials into dried bones. "Exceedingly, in fact—where did this virus even come from? It can actually survive in the Void for a period!"

"If I must guess, it could be a unique Extraordinary plague that only spreads widely during the Great Mana Tide," Creed answered, his eyes narrowing as he recalled the Pestilence Cultists who had once appeared in his hometown. "The energies of the Great Mana Tide could be an optimal breeding ground that keeps them alive and provides them energy—that plague would not stay alive without the presence of the energies of the Void the Great Mana Tide."

Both Starfall and the Glorious Era were Extraordinary civilizations that originated during the Great Mana Tides. Thousands of years separated them, but the near dozen-millennia-old Great Mana Tides incidentally witnessed the rise and fall of a civilization… and certainly their madness and dormancy.

Not only were the Great Mana Tides an age when civilizations prospered, it was also a time when Void Behemoths, Chaos monsters, and Evil Gods became more active than ever before, and the super virus was perhaps one of them.

And what was the actual source of the Great Mana Tide?

Nonetheless, Creed did not have the time to think about that, since Elma seemed to have received word from the leadership of the assembly area beside him and appeared bewildered.

"What…the plague is spreading again?!" She sounded shocked and puzzled. "Starmoc has fallen entirely, all contact is lost with core systems, and every inhabitant across eighteen worlds are all dead?!"

"We'll lead a team to the sealed sector? No problem, I'll go now—but what's going on? Starmoc is a frontline and there's no reason for that to happen! They have complete fortresses, quarantine measures, and several known generals leading them. The epidemic could not have wreaked such havoc!"

The total population of Amos had never been much—being a civilization that held champions in high regard, they were relatively elite but smaller in number as compared to ordinary civilizations. Therefore, having citizens of a dozen worlds dying out was not a small matter to them. It was even more significant for Creed, a citizen of Mycroft with a population reaching 3 billion only recently, and he inhaled sharply at once.

That was a dozen habitable worlds!

At present, the Mycroft civilization did not control that many habitable worlds, even with their colonies included—in fact, the loss of Amos population now could have exceeded the total Mycroft population!

Beyond his fright, Creed still felt a little fortunate…it was lucky that they managed to contact Commander Radcliffe and allowed him to notify Mycroft headquarters so that they could stay alert against the major plague appearing from the Galaxy of Bloodbath… otherwise, the pestilence would have turned out to be even more horrible, given that the Mycroftian physique was inferior to the Amos.

But it was at that moment when Creed heard Elma, who was connected to him in spirit, cry out without composure. "What?!"

"Ultimate lifeform?!"

***

At the same time, Elma, Creed, and other Amos Thought individuals still gathered in the assembly area indeed, every creature with intelligence promptly felt a chill that permeated their brains and spines, stimulating every thread of nerve.

At that instant, Elma and Creed turned at once to the sealed world not too far behind them—within were seven to eight planetary sectors with unknown zones infected by the plague, turned into actual plague sources and separated blocks.

From there, an angered roar resounded with some degree of delight and immeasurable violence!