"Huh? Why do I feel pain?" Zeig said blankly.
March 7th saw Zeig get hit and immediately rushed to his side, pulling him up once more.
March 7th's face looked extremely grim:
"The Simulated Universe has been invaded by a strand of Nanook's consciousness. It's collapsing right now. If you don't get out before it completely falls apart, Nanook will follow the pathway straight into your consciousness space."
Zeig sniffed, instantly understanding.
He immediately got up and followed March 7th as they fled once again.
From the current situation,
he had been targeted by the Aeon of Destruction.
Last time it was sending millions of troops to block the containment module; this time it was directly splitting off a strand of consciousness to personally block the door.
"Did I commit some heavenly crime?" While running for their lives, Zeig couldn't help but exclaim.
"Who the hell knows? It's all your fault for insisting on testing the Simulated Universe for them so long. Now look—He followed the Simulated Universe's 'network cable' straight into your consciousness space to take you out. See what you're gonna do now," March 7th said irritably.
The ground around them kept collapsing; behind them was nothing but the color of nothingness.
"So why are you here?" Zeig raised an eyebrow.
According to what March said, this place was extremely dangerous right now.
Staying outside would be the safest, right?
"Idiot. If I didn't come in, how were you supposed to escape?" March 7th panted. "In the Simulated Universe, Herta and the others left a back door. I came to lead you out through there."
Zeig immediately understood:
"Big Sis March, that's real loyalty!"
March 7th proudly lifted her fair chin:
"Of course."
Zeig tilted his head to dodge a flying blast of force and continued asking:
"What happens after we get out? Can we kill Nanook?"
March 7th shook her head:
"How could we? Even if it's just a strand of an Aeon's consciousness, it's not something we can handle. Herta Space Station has already been sealed off. Everyone's boarded the spaceships. Once we're out, the station will self-destruct. It might buy Nanook some time; we'll just run."
"Where are we running to?"
"No idea. Maybe the Interastral Peace Corporation headquarters, maybe the Genius Society. Basically, go cling to a big thigh."
"What if we can't find a thigh to cling to and Nanook catches up?"
"Then we fight to the death. This guy's notorious—everyone's put up with him for way too long."
"What if we die?"
"Then we die. Getting personally taken out by a strand of an Aeon's consciousness—that's dying in a blaze of glory. Some people never even get a glance from an Aeon in their entire lives. We're coming out ahead big time on this one."
Zeig fell silent. He hadn't expected things to get this serious.
He couldn't help but curse:
"Nanook, your mom's dead."
March 7th frowned: "Why are you cursing like that?"
Then she looked ahead and said joyfully:
"See that stargate up there? That's how we get out."
Zeig's eyes lit up: "Nice, we're saved!"
Behind them, the Aeon of Destruction Nanook stepped through the void, slowly approaching.
He was in no hurry.
His eyes were filled with indifference, as if he had long been prepared to wage war with the outside.
"Hey, hey, hey—you're running too slow. Let me take the lead!" Zeig shook off March 7th's hand that was pulling him and instead grabbed her wrist himself.
That wrist was soft and fair.
March 7th's faint body warmth was the first warmth Zeig had felt in this barren land.
"Hah, you're pretty eager, huh? You're the expert at fleeing," March 7th teased as Zeig grabbed her wrist and dragged her forward in a mad sprint.
After all, when the Simulated Universe was invaded, March 7th had ignored all objections and charged alone into the data array.
All to bring Zeig out and give him a sliver of hope to live.
Zeig glanced back at Nanook.
At some point, He had gotten extremely close.
Just as the two were about to step into the stargate, He still didn't rush.
Nanook simply slowly raised His hand, and another blast of force weighing thousands of pounds hurtled toward the pair ahead.
"…"
Zeig pulled March 7th right up to the stargate. Under her gaze, he suddenly slammed on the brakes and stepped back half a pace.
"Huh? What are you doing?" March 7th turned to look at him, her face full of confusion.
Then she felt a hand press against her back, shoving her into the stargate.
In that moment, she slowly looked behind her.
All she saw was Zeig holding an extremely long greatsword.
Wreathed in blazing flames, he swung it fiercely down toward the stargate.
Determination filled his brow.
…
Herta Space Station.
At this moment, all equipment had been shut down.
Only the data array still emitted faint glimmers of light.
Dan Heng and Welt stood in front, brows tightly furrowed.
They were waiting for March 7th and Zeig to wake up, then immediately take them and flee.
At this time.
Inside the data array.
March 7th's body suddenly twitched her fingers. Her pink-and-blue eyes opened, and she abruptly sat up.
Her face was filled with disbelief as she sat there in a daze.
"March, you're awake." Welt said with immediate joy.
"Are you okay?" Seeing March 7th looking lost, Dan Heng crouched in front of her and asked carefully.
Her condition didn't look good.
"…"
March 7th remained stunned for a long while before snapping back to reality.
"I… I'm fine."
She stood up and quietly looked at Zeig lying beside her—he still showed no signs of waking.
Only then did Welt finally notice something.
He then asked:
"March, where's Zeig?"
He had a bad feeling.
March paused, then said gravely:
"After pushing me out, he slashed the stargate with his sword."
"What."
Welt's brows furrowed tightly.
"If that's true, the next place the Aeon of Destruction will enter is his consciousness space. He has no way to resist an Aeon. Once his consciousness body is killed, this physical body will become a vegetable."
March 7th nodded lightly.
Then she said wistfully:
"But this way, that strand of the Aeon of Destruction's consciousness will be trapped forever in his consciousness space."
She raised her head, her gaze distant. "We… won't be affected."
Welt fell silent.
If it was Zeig, he would indeed make that choice.
In his calculations, he always treated himself as a disposable piece.
March 7th had similarly rushed into the data array without regard for her own safety to save Zeig.
"Sigh, he still did it."
Welt shook his head. "There isn't much we can do now. Dan Heng, report the situation here to Himeko first. I'll think of something else."
"Mm." Dan Heng nodded.
…
Inside the collapsing Simulated Universe.
A young man with ink-black long hair stood amid towering flames erupting around him, his gaze burning as he stared fixedly at the god before him.
The god returned the stare.
"You clearly still had a chance to survive. Why give it up?"
The flames in Zeig's eyes burned fiercely, like an awakened lion:
"I won't bring danger to them."
"As for you." He gripped his longsword and pointed it straight at the head of the Aeon of Destruction.
A sharp killing intent radiated from his brow.
"I've been annoyed with you for a long time."
…