I. The Nebula
The Valdos Nebula.
A small nebula located at the junction of the Doghead Galaxy and the Wulo Galaxy. Two stars reside within it. The Valdosians call them the “Apocalypse Twins”.
Apocalypse-α is a white dwarf.
Apocalypse-β is an artificial star comparable to the Sun.
They maintain the internal gravity of the Valdos Nebula. As a result, the Valdos Nebula is unaffected by the gravity of either the Doghead Galaxy or the Wulo Galaxy, belonging to neither. It is an isolated stellar system.
There were originally five planets inside the Valdos Nebula. Hundreds of millions of years ago, however, the outer two broke free and became rogue planets, drifting in the Doghead Galaxy. Through the efforts of the Valdosians, the remaining three planets were merged into one—what we currently know as planet Valdos.
Its mass is approximately 9.8 Jupiters.
Most of the structures on it are composed of transparent metal. The tallest reaches up to 9,000 meters. It is Valdos’s observation base. They affectionately call it the “Valdos Tower”.
They observe everything in the universe at all times.
II. The Source Stone
The first basement level of the tower.
A vast, circular arena of white glazed glass. In the center, the Source Stone is protected by black, opaque metal. This Source Stone is more transparent than the one on Earth. And larger.
Surrounding the circular arena is a curved fence built from crystal ore. It is a blue mineral containing psychic energy, often called a substitute for source energy. Yet it is not as practical.
This is a shuttle.
Once activated, the circular arena generates a massive psychic storm, driving the Source Stone at its center. Anyone standing upon it will be teleported to any location in the universe.
Of course, the destination is determined by the consciousness of the Valdosians.
Their consciousness resides in the deeper central portion of the light orb. This is also their source of power.
Serving as their primary power source, Apocalypse-β has always been a sacred site. It absorbs the surrounding source energy and dark matter, causing spatial collapse within the Valdos Nebula.
A portion of the Valdosians chose to migrate away and become ordinary people.
The Valdosian elders once prophesied: in less than a thousand years, the Valdos Nebula will completely collapse into an outer universe, breaking free from the gravitational pull of this universe. It might be the Mu Universe, or perhaps a new universe altogether.
As early as ten thousand years ago, the first batch of migrating Valdosians reached Earth.
III. Kasar
Kasar Rim is the leader of Valdos. He is also their longest-serving leader.
The leadership system of Valdos was established by the Master. It is a lifelong tenure system.
Kasar has been in power for 12,000 years. His body remains remarkably healthy today, thanks to the artificial star. He modified Apocalypse-β, expanding its range for absorbing source energy and dark matter.
The border systems of the Wulo Galaxy and the Doghead Galaxy, however, suffer for it.
The energy of these stars has been drained completely by Apocalypse-β. Stripped of stellar gravity, even the border planets of the Doghead Galaxy now wander wildly through its interior.
This is the root cause of why the Doghead Galaxy is the most chaotic galaxy.
IV. The Rift
The Doghead Rift.
The Mussa Rift originally appeared in the Tong Universe. It was located in the central region of the Doghead Galaxy.
After it appeared, the surrounding black holes all collapsed. A cosmic void took form. Within it, no life could emerge, nor was there any matter. The void neither absorbed light nor produced light. Independent of this universe, yet existing undeniably within it.
As the rift grew larger and larger, these voids gradually evolved into smaller rifts, becoming the Doghead Rift cluster.
V. Designations
According to the files of former Anomaly Task Force Leader Weber McCarthy—
Designation 001 · The Invisible Ones
The lowest grade of anomaly organism. Invisible to the naked eye. Their arms are scythes like a mantis’s. Arrived on Earth alongside Gao Fangwen. Killed Claude. Killed Gao Fangwen. Killed Shi Xunchao.
Still searching for the Source Stone.
Designation 002 · The Devourers
The first large-scale anomaly.
Gigantic anomaly organisms. Upon death, smaller Devourers burst forth from inside their bodies, continuing the attack on their enemies.
Humanity discovered them on Mars. Ever since humans established bases on Mars to mine Martian minerals, these uninvited guests arrived. Humanity was forced to abandon several Martian bases as a result. After paying a heavy price to capture one, they discovered it feared flame. Only then were the Devourers completely wiped out.
Designation 003 · The Ghouls
Deceased organisms. Possess extraordinary self-healing capabilities. Their wounds close automatically. They move slowly, but operating in swarms, they pose a formidable threat.
They were discovered on Triton.
Ever since Gao Fangwen’s team was sent to Triton and perished, humanity dispatched countless people to investigate. All vanished without a trace. The final piece of video footage showed—these people had all turned into monsters.
Humanity defined them as Ghouls.
Triton. The place Tohdienhara wrote about in Remnants of Earth. The story Milo Barry wrote about Gao Fangwen. It was taken down by the platform. Then he became a billionaire. Then he stood up.
But those people on Triton did not stand up. They became something else.
Designation 004 · The Deathsworn
Roughly eight feet tall. Fleshy longswords grow from their arms, capable of easily piercing human bodies, though unable to pierce armor.
It was discovered in the tropical rainforests of East Asia. It began with an attack on an expedition team. Non-human cells were extracted from their skin tissue.
Officially defined as the Deathsworn.
VI. Quilla β
Quilla β.
Quilla’s small black hole.
Collapsed after Claude’s research.
Yet currently, a new star is forming.
Far beyond human understanding.
Epilogue: The Green Light
When Claude first observed Quilla β in the basement of Waldo Polytechnic University, it was a black hole. He wrote his findings into a paper and handed it to Douglas. Douglas said the technology could not be used on living humans. Then Claude died. A plastic bag pulled over his head.
Weber said Claude was killed by the Invisible Ones.
Later, the Alliance deleted Claude’s name from all documents. His radio wave became “the hypersignal”. His engine became “the Bray Engine”, and then “the Bruce Engine”.
Now, Quilla β is becoming a new star.
No one knows why. A collapsed black hole, beginning to shine hundreds of years later. Like a dead man opening his eyes beneath the soil.
What color the light is, no one has yet observed.
But if you ask the readers of this book—
When the youth who followed Gao Fangwen from Chapter 1 saw the Source Stone for the first time in the laboratory at Waldo, the light seeping from those fissures—
It was green.
Omen-α is expanding. Within half a century, it will breach the protective membrane.
The Valdos Nebula is collapsing. Within a thousand years, it will break free from the Tong Universe.
The Doghead Rift is expanding.
Apocalypse-β is draining the surrounding stars dry.
And humanity—
Duanmu Xi is in a Warsaw prison. Thirty years.
Colin is at the Bruce Institute. A Chemistry Prize.
Louise is on Brown Star. Jason. An X-shaped scar.
Monica is in her Los Angeles office. The curtains drawn.
Milo has stood up. Minister of Finance. Minister of Education.
Kenneth Kenan sits in the top seat of the Alliance Council. Seven Furred. Two humans. An empty bottom seat.
Weber is dead. Green liquid.
No one remembers Claude’s name.
No one remembers Gao Fangwen’s name.
And the universe does not care.
It simply continues to expand. Continues to collapse. Continues, in the crevices between the rifts and the Aether Sea, to swallow race after race, and spew them out again.
The light of Quilla β grows brighter and brighter.
Deep within that light, something is awakening.
Or perhaps it never slept.
—The End.