Chapter 1039: The Nemesis of the Alien God's Fate! (Thanks to Mo He Wu Liang 0's alliance leader 100,000 reward!)

Chapter 1039: The Fated Nemesis of the Alien Deity! (With profound gratitude to Patron Maha Wu Liang 0 for the generous reward of 100,000!)

The Abyss of Stars, the dominion of Myriad Shadows, the primordial cradle of the Umbra.

The obsidian gas giant still hung suspended beside the shadowy ancestral realm, a dark satellite veined with thick, churning energies that periodically stirred into tidal undulations across its surface.

A vessel drifted motionless beside the blackened moon, its hatch yawning wide as expressionless, calamity-tier shadow servitors shoved a procession of captives—snatched from distant star domains—into the void below, mostly calamity-tier entities, though a few lower-grade paraclasses with peculiar aptitudes were interspersed among them.

Bound in restrictive apparatuses, these prisoners lay utterly enfeebled, their faculties suppressed, stripped of any means to resist; the spectacle resembled dumplings dropped into boiling water, for each figure that struck the satellite’s dark crust was instantly swallowed by a surging wave of black energy, vanishing without a trace.

This grim ritual of feeding served only to replenish Myriad Shadows’ essence, and nearly a thousand captives in this batch were devoured whole by the planet-sized entity.

Just then, the space beside the ship rippled, and a phantom materialized, cloaked in a hooded black robe that concealed all features and form; its edges flickered like flames, shedding mist as it drifted, resembling a solitary dark cloud, yet this was no quantum-network projection but a psychic emanation, visible only to Myriad Shadows and his shadowed attendants.

In the next instant, the planet’s surface convulsed violently, birthing black tsunamis that coalesced into contours, and soon a visage emerged from the swirling mass, fashioned merely from energy vortices for eyes, nose, and mouth, devoid of true likeness, its maw agape in a silent, thunderous roar.

Two invisible psychic currents pulsed from both entities, intertwining to forge a telepathic bridge.

“How progresses the work? How long until the transmutation is complete?” the phantom spoke first.

“Uncertain. Myriad Shadows proves remarkably resilient.”

“How much of his consciousness remains?”

“Little enough. I have long seized dominion over his flesh and inherited every memory; once I consume his final wisp of awareness, the transformation shall accelerate dramatically.”

“Hasten it. You are the linchpin of our design. After years of futile endeavors, we discovered that the Third Sanctuary yields only to paraclass resonance, making you the foundation of our synthesis ritual, the vessel destined to house the other primordial paraclasses.”

“Rest assured. When Myriad Shadows coveted eternal life, he borrowed your arts to animate me. Ha, that greedy fool sealed his own ruin; in shedding his mortal chains, he invited my backlash. You granted me life and sentience, and once I become a true primordial paraclass, I shall serve your purposes.”

“See that you do. Upon the plan’s completion, we pledge you your liberty.”

With that, the phantom swept its wide sleeve and dissolved into nothingness, as though it had never been.

The churning waves upon the dark planet’s surface subsided, the features faded, and the restless black energy settled into stillness.

...

The news of the chaotic arcane energy’s emergence held the headlines for but a few days; in the present Radiant World, conflicts bloomed endlessly, and public attention flickered and died, swiftly replaced by fresh scandals that captured the gaze of star citizens and great factions alike, usurping the chaotic energy’s spotlight.

As the final victor of the contest, the Black Star Mechanical Legion’s movements drew considerable scrutiny, yet they soon vanished into silence, their whereabouts slipping beyond external detection.

At this very hour, Han Xiao’s cloaked vessel drifted through a sector of the Emerald Star Cluster, not far from Hela’s domain, as he conversed with Emrys.

“...The situation stands thus. I summoned you as a guest to safeguard your student, Hela. On one hand, it masks my true presence at the stronghold, lulling hidden foes into complacency; on the other, I require your aid to guard the base and watch over Aurora... So truly, I did not intend to stand you up.” Han Xiao’s tone carried a note of helpless resignation.

On the screen, Emrys toyed with a sphere of green force field, her lashes lowered, her voice calm yet laced with an inexplicable, perilous undertone.

“Had you been direct, I would have aided you all the same. Do you distrust me?”

“How could I? Did you not primarily wish to witness Aurora’s ascension? You have now, and when I invited you, I scarcely claimed it was for my own sake.” Han Xiao scratched his head, jesting, “I merely wished to be tactful. I knew you would agree if I asked outright, but given my current stature, I feared you might mistake my request for a command.”

“Heh, you did not command me, yet I sense you are manipulating me. Does that not feel rather worse?” Emrys narrowed her eyes, a sliver of green light flashing within them.

“Ah, that is hardly fair. Given our bond, why draw such lines? To speak of manipulation is too heavy a word.” Han Xiao waved a dismissive hand.

“Is that so? You have made ample use of me in the past.” Emrys smiled faintly, though her expression remained unreadable.

“The past is past. Circumstances have shifted. Our factions are now intertwined, you in me and I in you, a harmonious family. And family, after all, may indulge in occasional jests...”

“Tch. Who is family with you? Shameless.” Emrys frowned, letting out a soft, disdainful click of her tongue.

Seeing this, Han Xiao chuckled, teasing, “Heh, do you truly miss me so much? Shall I return to keep you company?”

“...Flattering yourself. Who wishes to see you?”

Emrys paused, dissipated the force field, and waved casually. “Stay and guard my student. Do you require my presence as well?”

“No need.”

“Do you deem me too weak?” Emrys’s brow lifted slightly.

“Ahem, hardly. There is merely another matter requiring your aid. Remain at the Black Star Palace and feign my presence there.”

“If it is for my student’s sake, I shall continue to play along... But do not thank me prematurely. Let us settle accounts separately; you have yet to answer for your deception.”

“Then, upon my return, shall I accompany you on a journey through the sub-dimensions?” Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. “Just the two of us.”

Conveniently, I must soon venture into the sub-dimensions to harvest holy light particles, so this shall not hinder official business... I am truly brilliant!

“Very well. It is settled.”

Emrys raised no objection.

Though she had traveled far only to be toyed with, her irritation had long since cooled after days spent indulging in Aurora’s company.

Were another to mock and exploit her thus, Emrys would surely rage, yet when the prankster was Black Star, she cared little; only those intimately close could afford such liberties with her.

Moreover, it stirred memories of Black Star’s earlier, weaker days, when he constantly leveraged her, evoking an unexpected nostalgia.

After a few more exchanges, Han Xiao terminated the call and turned his gaze toward the workbench nearby.

He stood within the vessel’s mechanical workshop, his mechanical prowess directing an array of fabrication apparatuses as he forged a Sovereign-class mecha, while several discarded prototypes lay stacked beside him.

Though termed failures, they were all orange-tier artifacts, rare and formidable enough to command respect elsewhere, yet they fell short of the cosmic treasure grade specified in the blueprints; their performance lagged significantly, they lacked the wondrous effects, and their costs were frightfully high, rendering them failures in his eyes.

Stowing his communicator, Han Xiao finally shed his distractions and devoted himself to the Sovereign before him. The Divine Artifice specialization on his attribute panel glowed steadily, activating only when crafting cosmic treasures.

Yet, halfway through the construction, Philip suddenly chimed in, reporting that several deployed mechanical soldiers had secretly brought Evans aboard.

“Then bring him here.” Han Xiao’s eyes brightened.

Moments later, the workshop doors slid open, and several mechanical soldiers escorted a man inside: it was Evans.

Upon entering, Evans found a handsome, imposing figure in black regarding him with a faint, knowing smile, and tension instantly seized him.

“Are you Lord Black Star?”

“I am.”

Han Xiao nodded with a gentle smile, his gaze sweeping over Evans, his first impression one of utter ordinariness, almost painfully so.

Evans felt as though Han Xiao’s eyes could pierce through him, leaving no place to hide, and he grew immediately uneasy.

Though usually composed, facing a cosmic titan of Black Star’s stature unraveled his calm.

Evans drew a deep breath, mustering his courage to ask, “Lord Black Star, I am merely an ordinary man without paraclass genes. I cannot fathom what you see in me.”

Hearing this, Han Xiao smiled with quiet amusement. “Your constitution is rather peculiar. It intrigues me.”

“Peculiar constitution?”

Evans blinked, glancing down at himself, feeling he was the very antithesis of the word peculiar.

“Rest assured. As a Super-A rank entity, I have no desire to make a spectacle of an ordinary man. You face no peril here; I merely require your cooperation in some experiments. Afterward, you may take a clerical position within the legion, with compensation far surpassing your former consortium. How does that sound?”

“...You have already brought me this far. How could I possibly refuse?” Evans offered a bitter smile.

Having recently left prison, his journey to the Radiant World aimed both at broadening his horizons and securing livelihood; working for the Black Star Legion suited him well enough, given the substantially higher wages.

Seeing no resistance, Han Xiao picked up a syringe, approached Evans, gestured for him to stand still, and drew a vial of blood.

Han Xiao had not lied; seeking Evans did indeed carry experimental intent.

As a dual host of chaotic arcane energy and holy light particles, Evans’s physiology naturally held unique properties, and since Han Xiao sought to forge a mechanical vessel for primordial paraclasses, extracting Evans’s cells for study would illuminate the principles of compatibility and accelerate development.

Furthermore, the needle prick inflicted minor harm, triggering combat data.

Opening his interface to review Evans’s attributes, Master Technician Han’s eyes instantly lit up.

The attribute panel of a common mortal was stark and unadorned, laid bare at a glance, yet two peculiar talents caught Han Xiao’s eye. One was the [Intermediate Aura of Fortune], a clear marker of a protagonist’s soul; Han Xiao surmised its intermediate rank stemmed from the fact that Evans, in his ascension to power, had also inherited the Alien Deity as a destined nemesis.

The other, christened [Supreme Psionic Affinity Constitution], revolved entirely around the arcane arts. It could drastically elevate compatibility with primal psionic cores, grant a chance to siphon back vitality and stamina when struck by a psionic assault, slash the arduous path of self-cultivation, amplify the devastating yield of every technique, and even passively elevate one’s latent psionic ceiling by a full tier.

“No wonder he could cradle two primal psionic cores in his embrace. This talent is practically the psionic equivalent of a flawless mechanical resonance, and its effects are utterly tyrannical.”

Han Xiao let out a low whistle of astonishment.

With such a gift, one ought to awaken as a psionic adept without fail, yet Evans remained a mundane soul, squandering this endow……

Wait a moment!

That makes no sense. How could one possess such a trait yet lack superpower genes entirely? Something was gravely amiss!

Han Xiao whipped his head around, his gaze burning with sudden intensity.

Under Evans’s reluctant expression, Han Xiao ordered him to strip bare and submit to a meticulous, head-to-toe examination. Evans had been destitute in his youth, utterly incapable of affording elite institutions to screen his genetic makeup, leaving room for fatal oversights.

And indeed, the scrutiny unearthed a grave anomaly.

Han Xiao studied the diagnostic report, his brows knitting into a deep frown.

“W-what is it?” Evans asked, pulling his clothes back on, his voice trembling with nervousness.

“You are not devoid of superpower genes. I do not know who you consulted, but their examination was woefully superficial.”

The words hung in the air, and Evans froze utterly.

He had long accepted his lot as an untalented commoner, yet here stood someone shattering that illusion, revealing a hidden gift. Even though he had grown accustomed to his mundane existence, shock still painted his features.

“But do not celebrate just yet,” Han Xiao interjected, his tone shifting as he raised a hand. “Your superpower genes are compromised. They appear to have been suppressed by some pharmaceutical agent. Over the years, they have atrophied to the point of near invisibility, rendering awakening virtually impossible. This was no accident. Have you harbored any enemies since childhood?”

Evans forced down the turbulent storm within, searching his memories with grim focus. “I underwent my genetic screening at ten. If someone did this to me, it must have happened before then. But how could a child like me have made enemies… unless it stemmed from my family. Yet we were just an ordinary household. How could this have happened…”

His complexion shifted through a kaleidoscope of emotions. If he had truly been talentless, he could have accepted it. But today he learned the bitter truth: he had possessed a gift, only to have it systematically destroyed from his earliest years.

What was shattered was not merely potential, but decades of his very existence.

Evans had long surrendered to fate, but now a roaring inferno of wrath ignited deep within his chest.

Snap. Snap.

Suddenly, Han Xiao clapped his hands, severing the man’s spiraling thoughts.

“Enough. If the truth eludes you now, let it rest. You may investigate later. Let us speak of what matters: I may yet possess a means to guide your awakening.”

Evans’s entire frame jolted. Struggling to contain his surging hope, he asked in a low, steady voice, “What price must I pay?”

“Simple. I assumed you were merely a commoner. Should you awaken your abilities, you will fight for me. That is all.”

Han Xiao paused, a faint smile touching his lips as he spoke deliberately. “I have reviewed your records. When you were still an ordinary man, you orchestrated the assassination of a low-tier superpowered individual to protect a friend, driven by sheer fury. Not every commoner possesses such audacity. You harbor a warrior’s instinct, and you have not always bowed to destiny. Perhaps years behind bars cooled your fervor… but now, you may stand at the threshold of rebirth. I only ask that you do not squander it.”

“Agreed.” Evans replied, his voice ringing with unshakable resolve.

In that instant, his eyes blazed with ironclad determination. His demeanor had shed its former resignation, transforming like a rusted blade finally wiped clean, its lethal edge gleaming forth in all its glory.

Observing this, Han Xiao produced a vial of Life Elixir, crafted by Aurora.

Evans’s affliction was one of genetic atrophy, his superpower strands stripped of all vitality. A sufficient infusion of life energy could coax them back from the brink, and the Life Elixir was the perfect antidote.

Drawing forth a medical injector, Han Xiao carefully administered a tenth of the golden serum into Evans’s veins, wary of overwhelming his frail constitution.

A low hum resonated through the air.

In the next breath, Evans’s entire body erupted in radiance, his form suffused with an overwhelming tide of vitality.

The luminescence lingered for several minutes before finally fading. Evans stood motionless with his eyes closed, his complexion utterly transformed, radiating a health so profound it seemed almost unnatural. Every ache, every hidden wound left by his prison years had vanished without a trace.

“How do you feel?”

“As if reborn.”

Evans opened his eyes. The golden light within his irises slowly dissipated, and he turned his gaze to Han Xiao, his eyes brimming with profound gratitude.

“Have you sensed your psionic ability yet?” Han Xiao asked, nodding in satisfaction.

At this, Evans furrowed his brow, attuning himself to the shifts within, his expression tinged with hesitation.

“…It feels somewhat different. I seem to have gained an entirely new sense. It must be the ability.”

“Manifest it. Let me see,” Han Xiao prompted, curiosity piqued.

Evans nodded, straining with all his might, yet nothing occurred. “I cannot seem to command it. Has my ability truly awakened?”

Newly awakened individuals invariably began at Rank E, yet even the weakest adept could never be entirely severed from control over their power… Han Xiao’s brows drew together. This was no ordinary complication. He administered another injection to Evans, then accessed the combat interface to review the data.

Yet a single glance froze him in place. He rubbed his eyes, half-convinced his vision was playing tricks on him.

It took a full dozen seconds for his mind to catch up. He fixed Evans with a profoundly bewildered stare, his lips moving in a quiet murmur:

“No wonder… no wonder…”

“Do you know what my ability is now?” Evans could not help but ask.

Han Xiao exhaled slowly, his expression layered with unspoken weight as he patted Evans’s shoulder. He pressed his lips together, then spoke with solemn gravity:

“You must strive to be a good man from this day forward…”

With that, he ignored Evans’s bewildered little frown, turned his back, and fought to keep his lips from trembling as a silent roar echoed in his mind.

Holy heavens!

This kid’s ability… it’s also psionic absorption!

Identical to the Alien Deity’s!!

No wonder… all those peculiarities from his past life suddenly clicked into place!

You truly are the destined nemesis of the Alien Deity! Could this be the convergence of the Steins Gate?!

By seizing the Chaos Secret Energy, Han Xiao had inadvertently stripped Evans of his chance to alter his fate. He had felt a pang of guilt and intended to offer some form of restitution.

But looking at it now…

A primal psionic core is hardly worthy of you!

You are the true prize of this entire journey!

——

(Recommended reading: Title: The Era of Celestial Descent)

(Synopsis: At the twilight of an epoch, the primordial world shattered, the immortal realms collapsed, and the celestial courts fell from grace. The heavens fractured into billions of fragments, drifting across the chaotic void. In the aftermath of this apocalyptic rupture, the Great Celestial Navigation Era dawned. Adventurers descended upon the scattered shards of myriad worlds, plundering resources and ancient legacies, ascending step by step toward the heavens to reforg the immortal domains anew.)