CHAPTER 836: CHAPTER 140: SUDDEN UPHEAVAL

All gifts of fate are secretly marked with a price.

...

Galaxy Great World, Previous Civilization Research Institute.

In the shape resembling a silkworm cocoon, the Mayfly scholar was conducting experimental operations using energy in place of limbs.

In front of him, on an experimental platform, lay a very ancient remnant from the previous civilization.

This relic was a box, looking like it might belong to the Furnace Men.

The Galaxy Mayflies are unlike Wizards. The relics they excavate often contain incomplete knowledge; many times, it’s just the relics themselves.

To uncover the knowledge within, one must conduct their own research.

The scholar emitted threads of energy from his orifice, which traced over the relic, and the energy reactions from within the relic traveled along these threads into the scholar’s perception.

Everything was proceeding smoothly.

Until the relic suddenly deformed.

It was unclear whether the stimulation from the energy or the scholar’s tracing conformed to a certain pattern.

The box, with a diameter of three-quarters of a meter, suddenly softened and deformed, its original metallic texture turning asphalt-like.

The scholar witnessing this couldn’t help but feel a hint of delight.

"A new discovery! As expected, there’s a big secret within this relic."

The scholar looked on in joy at this development, but soon his delight transformed into a tinge of fear.

This slime... seemed somewhat unusual.

The slime on the experimental platform squirmed, seemingly alive, continuously devouring the surrounding matter and energy, then expanding at an astonishing rate.

Even the scholar’s energy threads were being consumed by it.

The scholar tried using energy to seal it, but no matter what kind of energy he applied, he couldn’t seal the continuously spreading slime.

Matter could temporarily hinder the slime’s spread, but it was like drinking poison to quench thirst.

Because the rate at which this slime devoured matter and grew far surpassed its rate of energy consumption.

"No, no, there’s something wrong with this. Was this box a seal?"

The scholar, observing the endlessly spreading slime, had alarm bells ringing in his heart. His intuition told him this slime was highly dangerous, and he should avoid any contact with it.

"Your Majesty Quasi-Emperor, do you have time?" The scholar contacted the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor via the Mind Network.

"There’s a problem in the laboratory. I need your help."

"You’re having issues there too?"

The Mayfly Quasi-Emperor’s voice was full of surprise.

"Too?" The scholar asked, puzzled, "Are there other laboratories experiencing problems as well?"

"Yes, just recently, three research institutes have requested my assistance... and now the fifth one has come."

Hearing this, the alarm in the scholar’s heart abruptly intensified.

"Your Excellency, could you please ask what issues the other laboratories are encountering? Are they all studying previous relics that have suddenly transformed into black slime like asphalt?"

A moment later, the voice of the Quasi-Emperor rang in the scholar’s ears.

"Indeed, that’s the case. Is it the same with yours, Scholar?"

"Yes."

As the scholar watched the rapidly spreading slime, he immediately triggered the highest alarm in the laboratory.

Although he didn’t know what this slime was, his intuition told him it warranted a major alarm.

With the sound of the alarm, the Galaxy Mayflies at the research institute began evacuating outside.

Like an Expedition Nest, the research institute was now left with only the scholar and that ever-spreading slime.

The scholar kept a safe distance from the slime and continued to record its data.

Although he was a scholar, he was also a King of Mayfly.

As long as he maintained his distance, he believed the slime was harmless to him.

[At the fifth minute of spreading, the slime’s volume increased to ten times the original. (Note: Original volume was 27/64 cubic meters)]

[At the tenth minute of spreading, the slime’s volume increased to ten times that of the fifth minute.]

[At the fifteenth minute of spreading, the slime’s volume increased to ten times that of the tenth minute. Bubbles began to appear.]

[At the twentieth minute of spreading, the slime’s volume increased another tenfold. During this time, bubbling became more intense, and the slime’s interior seemed to be organizing something.]

[At the thirtieth minute of spreading, the slime’s volume increased to a hundred times that of the twentieth minute. A... creature emerged from within the slime! Damn it, this slime is a type of Gestalt Creature. We must eliminate these as soon as possible...]

[What am I recording?]

[No, why did I just behave as if I forgot about this slime?]

[Damn it! This thing possesses the Reverse Meme Attribute! Quasi-Emperor, this thing has the Reverse Meme Attribute. You must be extremely cautious!]

...

[No good, I’ve been tainted by it, it’s corroding my soul!]

[Who are you? Who are you!]

[Your Majesty Quasi-Emperor, the incident at the research institute has been resolved, everything is normal... Don’t listen to him! Quasi-Emperor, don’t engage with it... everything is normal... Kill me, quickly kill me... everything is normal.]

[... Disconnect... network!]

[Your Majesty Quasi-Emperor, there was a bit of an accident earlier, the slime caused me to develop a secondary personality. However, I have already eliminated it, and the incident at the research institute has been resolved, the slime is now under control.]

The slime is now under control, the slime is now under control, the slime is now under control...

The same pieces of information entered the soul of the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor through the mind network, causing even one as powerful as the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor to shudder.

"Damn it, what the hell is this thing?"

The antennae of the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor tensed abruptly. How had such a big mess arisen just because he lingered for a moment?

A minute later, the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor looked at the research facility, which seemed perfectly fine, and a hint of gravity flashed in his eyes.

"Your Majesty, I apologize for making you come here for nothing."

The Grand Scholar flew out of the research facility and waved his antennae apologetically at the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor.

"The black ooze has been controlled, and we are currently studying its nature. If we can understand it, it would offer us another weapon against the Wizards."

The Mayfly Quasi-Emperor looked at the Grand Scholar and suddenly flicked a light blade with his tail strands.

The Grand Scholar could not dodge in time, and his body was instantly split open.

In the instant of the cut, a flash of black ooze, not yet fully flesh-transformed, flickered inside the Grand Scholar’s body.

"Bastard! How dare you deceive a Quasi-Emperor!"

The Mayfly Quasi-Emperor suddenly erupted with a burst of pressure, and the next moment, the enraged Quasi-Emperor annihilated the Grand Scholar’s body with energy.

But before the Quasi-Emperor could check the situation of the research facility, the originally normal research facility suddenly began to shake.

Soon after, the entire research facility transformed into a massive humanoid creature.

Looking at this thing, the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor’s heart trembled violently.

Titan!

This gigantic creature was definitely a Titan!

In the next moment, several figures emerged from the void, approaching the side of the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor, each carrying the terrifying aura of Level 6 creatures.

As a Great World, especially one that had never been weakened, the Galaxy Great World surely had its own World Guardians.

One Guardian looked at the Titan not far away and said to the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor, "The World Origin tells us that a great threat is spreading upon it, and if we cannot stop it, it will have to fall asleep to slow the rate of erosion."

"Fall asleep?"

The Mayfly Quasi-Emperor was shocked inside; World Guardians would not joke about such matters.

If they mentioned sleep, and if they couldn’t stop this thing, the World Origin was certain to fall asleep.

But, could they solve this thing?

Looking at the massive Titan, although the Quasi-Emperor was confident he could defeat it, the Galaxy Great World did not only have this one research facility!

In an instant, the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor felt as though it was the Galaxy Mayfly’s destiny to face annihilation.

He looked at the Guardians and said solemnly, "I ask you to notify the numerous Guardians and organize the evacuation of our offspring from the Galaxy Great World.

This erosion is happening in more than one place, and almost all our research facilities are experiencing this situation.

This disaster... we can no longer control it."

"Out of control!?"

The hearts of the Guardians trembled violently; this news was indeed a huge blow to them.

World Guardians are supposed to live and die with their world.

But looking at the serious expression of the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor, the Guardians knew he was definitely not joking or exaggerating.

"I’ll arrange the evacuation immediately."

The Guardian’s soul connected to the mind network, and the evacuation message was instantly transmitted to every World Guardian.

The World Guardians received the message; though they were quite puzzled, they still followed the orders from above and began to transfer the Galaxy Mayfly of this world along with the Mayflies of the Highlands of Zhi Gao.

However, they did not notice.

As they used the mind network to connect, a force was rapidly spreading along the mind network.

This force was so tiny that it could spread through the transmission of information in the mind network without being detected.

It spread from node to node along the information, although within the mind network, it remained so tiny.

However, it took root and proliferated at every node it passed through.

Very quickly, the fundamental nodes of the mind network, that is, those Galaxy Mayflies with strength not even at the First Level, were all entirely infected by this force.

How many mortal-level Mayflies were there in the Galaxy Great World?

The answer was countless.

Quantitative changes brought about qualitative change.

The worker Mayflies organizing the mortal Mayflies suddenly sensed something was amiss.

These mortal Mayflies under their command seemed somewhat different.

But soon, their unease disappeared.

Because they too had become one of the mortal Mayflies, had become one of the infected.

Some of these infected went through wormholes to other worlds, while most turned into that tar-like ooze.

In an instant, nearly the entire Galaxy World was covered by the black ooze.

Seeing this scene, the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor, who was fighting, felt a chilling fear surge in his heart.

All of a sudden, the most fragmented part of the Grand Scholar’s message flashed through his mind.

Disconnect... network.

"Disconnect the mind network?" the Mayfly Quasi-Emperor let out a helpless insect cry.

Soon after, the black tide surged in, and no one survived.