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Celestial Warriors: Doomsday Silence
墨書 Inktalez
"Thousands of years ago, as the Four-Dimensional Divine Domain gradually proved to be real, our great Inner Clan scientists embarked on their relentless journey. Generations of effort were devoted to understanding our origins, the mysteries of the universe we inhabit, and the sources of Spell Arts that emerged in our world..."
"How many years ago was that documentary?"
Inside the capsule resembling a meteorite launch pod, a wounded person sat slumped over. Covered in a layer of gray dust, he curled his legs and gazed at the dimming lights on the ceiling of the pod. The entire gray cockpit of the spaceship was filled with silence, interrupted only by his labored breathing.
"Seven generations ago, twenty renowned scientists of our tribe issued a joint statement, asserting that to explore the origins of our people, it is necessary to start with the origin of the universe."
The term "our people" really struck a chord with him.
Nars let out a long sigh, as if spurred into action, and stood up as if driven by something. With the coordinates of the landing site already confirmed, if he was really going to Vamulel, he needed to quickly prepare some antidotes, just in case.
"They provided us with the latest explanatory model for understanding the entire universe—the 'Ink Drop Cup': before the universe was born, it was like a cup of still water, just as dropping a single drop of ink into perfectly calm water creates ripples. The singularity from which the universe grew originated from that one drop of ink."
This documentary about Nars is not the first time he has seen it; he can even recite certain segments by heart.
A vial of liquid was dropped into saline solution, and the sudden 'plop' finally brought some life to the cabin, creating ripples in the liquid. Behind the test tube, refracted by the liquid, Nars's moonlight-like pure white eyes were clearly visible.
"Next, we continue to increase the frequency, continuously dripping ink. The surface of the water in which we live begins to show significant fluctuations. These ups and downs, along with the spreading ripples, create various dimensional spaces of our current lives with every infinitesimal change. The ink we just mentioned is the substance and energy that guides the operation of the universe, collectively referred to as 'Yase.' According to the records of our ancestors regarding our neighbor Vamulel, they named it: Dark Matter and dark energy."
"Because of the infusion of these ink droplets, the dimensional space of the universe begins to emerge; the blending of ink with the original liquid adorns the fundamental materials that constitute the universe, such as light, Time lines, and various celestial bodies."
Nars gazed at the gradually visible blue planet outside the window, shaking his self-prepared medication, remaining silent.
"Currently, we believe that the universe inhabited by the Kumler People is a digital one. Within this known and existing Time Structure, the entire space is divided into five integers, ranging from negative two to positive two, with each integer representing a different cosmic civilization within this Time Structure. We refer to this Time Structure as the Yulou Layer."
"The civilizations within the positive two layer are fundamentally composed of Four-Dimensional Space beings, with the most advanced civilizations capable of observing and manipulating any three-dimensional events in our positive one layer. We reverently refer to their civilization as the Divine Realm."
"As for the black holes in the zero layer, they connect the positive and negative poles. Once we enter a black hole, we will witness the world composed of Antimatter in the negative one layer, as well as the realm of civilizations existing in negative four dimensions and below in the negative two layer—known as the Demon Realm."
After the destruction of his family, what remained was often silence. The memories of the past began to stir the quiet, forcing Nars to listen to these long-standing documentaries to ease his painful heart.
"Among them, the Divine Realm and the Demon Domain within the Yulou layer each hold two supernatural cosmic life forms regarded as ultimate existences—the Life Crystals and the Chaos Crystals. Millions of years ago, the Divine Realm Envoy who granted us life reshaped our Kumul and left behind the Life Crystals governed by the Divine Realm, with the purpose of hiding them away to prevent the war-torn Divine Realm from being threatened by enemies using these crystals."
"War, huh."
Nars stared at the spark flying towards him from Vamulel, as if it were a mutual journey with the spaceship he was on.
"The High-Dimensional Divine Realm is safe, but what about us? My people, our kingdom, should we sacrifice for your world?" Nars murmured to himself while gazing at the fireworks from the blue planet outside the cabin.
"Why must we repeat the mistakes of Vamulel? War truly is an unavoidable lesson for every civilization."
Nars, feeling despondent, shut off the documentary inside the escape pod and cast a final glance at the missile targeting him in outer space before entering the backup emergency ejection pod.
April 2, 2057
"Director, this is the latest visual record of the moon's direction."
Yang Meng gently placed a stack of images on the Director's desk, her expression tinged with a hint of nervousness. The Director initially did not look at the pictures but instead scrutinized Yang Meng. "Why so tense, young lady? Afraid I might fire you?" the Director said with a warm smile.
After graduating from university, Yang Meng stood out among numerous candidates due to her excellent interview performance and smoothly secured a position at the Satellite Bureau. According to the date marked on her calendar, today was her two hundred twenty-sixth day of work. "No, the pictures, the pictures," Yang Meng said, pointing at the folder on the desk. The Director looked at her with some confusion, but she kept her head down, staring at the folder as if afraid something might jump out.
What's wrong with Xiao Yang today? Director thought as he absentmindedly opened the cover of a folder, revealing a report about asteroids.
Records of asteroids entering the Earth's orbit have been countless throughout history, but none have posed a substantial threat to the Earth. Even the Tunguska event a century and a half ago could not have caused the same devastation as the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs. Director believed that this time would also be just another day for modern young people to look up at the night sky and make wishes upon shooting stars.
However, as the images of the same meteor appeared one by one in front of Director, his nerves suddenly tensed up.
"Is it in the direction away from the Earth-Moon system?" the Director tried to reassure himself.
"No," Yang Meng pointed at the instantaneous coordinates captured by the Satellite. "It's coming towards Earth."
"What about the data?"
"It's several times smaller than the impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, but calculations show that the velocity is not high enough. It has already been captured by Earth's gravity and is now in a circular orbit."
"How much time do we have left?" Director chose to immediately move on to the next question he deemed more important.
"143 hours and 54 minutes."
"Estimated impact point?"
"Within China."
Director's face changed drastically, turning as white as paper: "Any news from other observation stations around the world?"
"Yes, the United Nations unit is consolidating information."
"Quickly report the situation to your superiors in the name of the Satellite Bureau, hurry!"
April 4, 2057
Liu Xuan, who had always been self-conscious, never dared to imagine that one day he would stand on the front lines of the world alongside his brothers in arms. Years later, when he recalled everything he had gone through, he would still shed tears for An Xiaotian's departure then and now.
The beginning of everything is Liu Xuan living in Shengfeng Village since childhood. Although it is already 2057, it does not mean that the urbanization of the countryside should be incompatible with the lush greenery of the countryside. In the reed bushes along the river, smooth stones polished by the water stand guard, witnessing Liu Xuan's twenty years from birth to the present.
Since the end of the college entrance examination, An Xiaotian was selected for military conscription, and Liu Xuan seemed to be lacking a backbone. From childhood to adulthood, he had grown up under the protection of An Xiaotian. Before this, he had been bullied at school because of his own inferiority and sensitivity.
After An Xiaotian left, that sense of oppression swept over him again. Just like when he met a high school classmate on the street and was asked about his retake exam results, Liu Xuan stuttered for a long time and dared not speak. His classmate saw his embarrassment but did not show him any mercy: "Didn't do well again, did you?"
Liu Xuan lowered his head in shame.
"I remember how well An Xiaotian performed back in the day. Now I hear he’s a reserve member of the Special Forces in the military. Look at your former good brother; he’s about to become a great hero protecting the country, and what about you?"
"I..." Liu Xuan wanted to try to salvage his dignity. "I’ve worked hard too; at least this time I didn’t get into a vocational school."
His high school classmate helplessly smiled and said, "Yes, after all, you had an older brother looking out for you. Now that he's gone, it's already quite an achievement for you to have come this far."
"How can you say that about me?"
"I still remember the first class of moral and political education, you and An Xiaotian together declared to the teacher your ambition to become great heroes. But the reality is, without An Xiaotian, what can you amount to?"
Liu Xuan found himself unable to come up with a reason to refute him. Looking back on his educational journey, the failure in the middle school entrance exam had separated him from his first love, the girl he cherished most. Then, during high school, he still failed to get into the school he desired, watching helplessly as An Xiaotian drifted further away from him—he could never prove that he was as excellent as those who once accompanied him.
The long-standing resentment built up inside him led him to finally dial An Xiaotian's smartwatch account today. This smartwatch was something An Xiaotian had picked up from somewhere, and it was even brand new. Now, An Xiaotian used it to check the news or to answer Liu Xuan's calls. Although policies had relaxed and mobile phones were allowed in the military camp, An Xiaotian's instructor did not permit them to use phones, at least not in front of him. This made An Xiaotian's seemingly randomly found smartwatch all the more precious.
"Xiaotian?"
"It's so late, why are you calling? Is something wrong?"
In that moment, Liu Xuan smiled through his tears. He was always so familiar with himself, yet once the call connected, he suddenly found he had nothing to share. Just hearing An Xiaotian's voice was enough to satisfy him.
The starry sky at midnight was gradually tinted orange by the village lights, the dark night sky serving as a backdrop for all the unknown miracles unfolding.
Summer is coming. Liu Xuan thought to himself, exhaling a hot breath gently. Due to the news of intercepting a meteorite, every household in the village was brightly lit, and no one was willing to sleep. Liu Xuan was no exception, but what set him apart was that he was standing at the intersection of black and orange, reminiscing about the past. The peak of summer carried so many golden years for him and An Xiaotian.
We met in elementary school, stayed up late playing games together in junior high, and continued our friendship through high school and college. But unfortunately, An Xiaotian was conscripted, leaving high school amidst the tears of many girls, the envy of many boys, and the bitterness in Liu Xuan's heart.
Liu Xuan had only one friend, An Xiaotian. He was from the countryside, and his introversion and lack of knowledge made some classmates look down on him. What hit Liu Xuan even harder was that he failed the college entrance exam twice, with his grades declining each year. This drove his father to drink heavily, and one day, while crossing the street against a red light, he was hit and killed by a car.
All of these events in his short 20 years of life weighed heavily on Liu Xuan's heart. He hated his own weakness and incompetence, feeling unable to even protect his own family, which became the source of his self-doubt.
"Xuan?"
"Ah? I'm here."
"You don't seem right today." An Xiaotian leaned against the dormitory's toilet and asked quietly, "Is something on your mind?"
Liu Xuan choked up for a moment, but even so, he simply said, "I'm fine. Without you, besides my mother, I don't know who else to talk to. I really wish I had a friend here right now." Liu Xuan couldn't help but sigh in the end.
On the other end, An Xiaotian remained silent for a long time. He knew about Liu Xuan's family situation—his father had just passed away, and the entire family must be feeling very fragile. He tried to comfort Liu Xuan and change the subject: "Xuan, today we had a 5000-meter endurance run at the new barracks, and I still finished first. What do you think? Isn't my brother impressive?"
"Hehe." Liu Xuan forced a smile. "When have you not been impressive, Xiaotian? You've always been a peak I can't reach."
An Xiaotian fell silent once again upon hearing this, finally letting out a sigh and solemnly saying to Liu Xuan, "Take care."
"I know, you don't have to say it."
"Liu Xuan, I want to tell you that hope always exists, and darkness always has an end. Keep moving forward, okay? After we part ways for college, whether I'm by your side or not, you need to live well. We still have a long way to grow. Promise me, alright?"
Liu Xuan leaned against the brick wall outside his own cabin, tears quietly sliding down his cheeks, dripping into his own silhouette under the light. He and An Xiaotian seemed to be back to back, silently lifting their heads to gaze at the night sky tonight.
Tonight is very special. It is said that a meteorite has entered the Earth's gravitational pull and is on its way to Earth. The United Nations has called an emergency meeting, and China and the United States will launch intercontinental missiles to intercept it. China's "Dongfeng-43" intercontinental missile will serve as the first line of defense. If interception fails or large debris is about to enter the atmosphere, the US will immediately launch "Tomahawk" missiles as the second line of defense for interception.
"I will, Xiaotian, I promise," Liu Xuan teased with tears in his eyes. He didn't want to convey all of his heavy emotions to An Xiaotian. "But let's see if we can survive tonight."
"It's just a big meteorite. Now which developed country doesn't have missile interception technology? You can rest assured." An Xiaotian had just finished speaking when he quickly covered his watch. "It seems like they're coming to check the room. I'll go first, take care of yourself."
Liu Xuan put down his phone and watched as An Xiaotian's profile dimmed on the screen. He turned back to look through the glass at his mother, who was being broadcasted on TV, feeling a mix of emotions.
Liu Wenxin is Liu Xuan's mother. Seeing her son looking at her through the window, she immediately waved to signal him to come back inside and sit down. Liu Xuan leaned against his mother and rested his head on her shoulder. "Mom, I'm so nervous. I heard that this meteorite is the largest in size that humanity has seen in centuries. If it falls, will we disappear?" His mother reached out to stroke Liu Xuan's hair.
"How is that possible, Mom? Don't be so alarmist," Liu Xuan said. "You need to trust our country; this kind of small matter won't be a problem for us. Just think of it as watching a fireworks show."
On the television, a live broadcast from the missile launch base was being shown. The support frame of the Dongfeng-43 missile launcher had already been lowered, and in the lower left corner of the screen, the countdown to the final launch was underway. The director was trying hard to match the tense atmosphere, shouting along with the countdown: "Ten seconds left! 9, 8, 7..."
Liu Xuan noticed that her mother's grip on her arm was tightening. Unlike Liu Xuan, who looked forward to seeing the meteorite being destroyed by the missile, her mother seemed more afraid that the meteorite would actually fall to the ground.
"Launch!"
The voice of the director made Liu Xuan turn his head. On the live TV broadcast, the "Dongfeng-43" nuclear missile was officially ignited, and sparks gushed out from the tail, accompanied by billowing white fog and splashing iron pieces, sending the "Dongfeng" missile into the night sky. Soon the missile disappeared into the sky, leaving only a small cluster of light and shadow, as if an artificial star had appeared in the sky.
The TV was no longer showing the live scene of the director, but instead displayed a real-time trajectory map of the meteorite and the missile approaching each other. "Estimated collision in five minutes!" the director shouted at the screen.
Liu Xuan gently strokes his mother's hair, hoping she can relax.
"Three minutes!"
His mother nervously grips Liu Xuan's hand tightly. Liu Xuan helplessly smiles and says, "Mom, why are you so nervous?"
"But this is a meteorite, son, aren't you afraid?"
"Trust me, mom, as long as your son is here, no one can harm you!"
After saying this, Liu Xuan himself felt ridiculous, perhaps he could only show off his masculinity in front of his mother.
"One minute!"
This time, Liu Xuan also fell silent. He and his mother watched as the Dongfeng missile broke through the atmosphere, heading straight for the red dot representing the meteorite. In that moment, he suddenly shared his mother's concerns. However, even so, he felt he had nothing left to lose. If this meteorite could destroy human civilization, he would embrace his mother until the very last moment of the world, without any regrets. Living with painful regrets felt more like a punishment compared to death.
With this thought in mind, Liu Xuan chose to close his eyes at the last moment before the missile collided with the meteorite. Through his closed eyelids, he felt the silent brilliance erupting in the vastness of space. Then came his mother’s voice rising in excitement, followed by the director shouting, "We survived!" Outside, their neighbors unexpectedly set off fireworks, filling the air with explosive sounds. For those few minutes, Liu Xuan felt like a person floating on the river of Time, drifting until he opened his eyes to see his mother gripping his shoulders, saying we survived. His mother's voice was so soft that even the firecracker sounds outside became mere scattered embellishments.
Since the problem was resolved, Liu Xuan said goodnight to his mother and went back to bed. However, he slept very fitfully that night. He felt like he had opened his eyes, or perhaps he had just dreamt that he had opened them. The half-drawn curtain by the bed was blown by a gentle breeze, revealing the rusty iron bars on the window. He seemed to see a shooting star enter his field of vision and then disappear in an instant over the mountain outside the window.
"Blue..."
He seemed to see that it was a shooting star with a blue tail, as if he remembered making an impossible wish in his dream, as if he wished that the people he loved wouldn't leave. Then he could hardly remember anything, and eventually fell asleep, only remembering that the blue shooting star was quite beautiful.
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