PGVCW 83

Playing God in Various Catastrophic Worlds

Chapter 83: The Slaying of Stellar Beasts

"All stellar beasts in the R34 sector have been wiped out?"

"U90 sector as well?"

"And Y32 sector..."

Yunxing erupted into pandemonium early that morning. Across military channels, federal broadcasts, and the Interstellar Net, citizens flooded all communication forums discussing the sensational news: overnight, hordes of stellar beasts across numerous star sectors had been completely exterminated.

【What is happening? Did the military launch an aggressive offensive?】

【It cannot be official forces. If it were the military, they would not keep it tightly sealed; besides, clearing this many stellar beasts overnight is beyond even their operational capacity.】

【What on earth is going on? First, new space-breathing technology, and now stellar beasts are cleared out by the thousands overnight. I have a bad feeling that something massive is about to happen!】

【Look at the imagery feeds—the military has cordoned off these star sectors, inspecting them inch by inch. That confirms the military didn't do this.】

Across the cleared stellar sectors, carcasses of slain stellar beasts drifted in the void. Investigative teams shifted into their beast-forms, meticulously combing the debris fields for any trace of evidence.

The interstellar civilization's reconnaissance technology possessed formidable capabilities; within a short span, multi-layered analytical reports were transmitted directly to the command flagship.

"Reconnaissance telemetry indicates the perpetrator was a single individual? The weapon utilized was a blade? Wait a moment... this blade—is it a primitive, old-fashioned weapon devoid of any auxiliary technological functions?"

A technical specialist delivered the official report: "Affirmative. It is merely a pure, unadorned blade, with a visual length estimated at approximately 2.8 meters, wielded single-handedly."

"Strictly speaking, based on the residue patterns left upon the stellar beast carcasses, combat operatives numbered two individuals, though the primary combatant was the blade-wielding entity, while the second acted in a supporting capacity."

The military commander pinched the bridge of his nose: "So, your professional conclusion is that this immense quantity of stellar beasts was eradicated by a single individual wielding a cold weapon archaic enough to belong in a historical museum?"

The technician maintained a solemn expression: "Affirmative."

"Is there any possibility of a calibration error in our scanning arrays?"

The technician replied: "Evaluating striking habits, wound depth profiles, and associated physical factors, no errors were detected."

The commander’s leopard-like visage instantly furrowed into deep wrinkles.

Even with a full military mobilization, clearing such a vast horde of stellar beasts overnight represented an impossible undertaking.

Yet an unknown human had accomplished precisely that with a cold weapon deemed obsolete a decade ago.

Was this rational? Was this scientific?

As a wave of sheer absurdity brewed in his chest, he suddenly recalled the ethereal figure that had manifested in open space the previous day.

"Wait a moment... can you extrapolate the physical appearance of that blade from the residual scarring data?"

The technician checked his neural interface: "Weapon render is generating; please stand by for three minutes."

Three minutes later, an image of a long, slender blade materialized before the commander.

He transmitted the visual file immediately to higher command: "Have them cross-reference this instantly. Does the geometry of this blade match the hair ornament worn by that young female yesterday?"

Moments later, the return dispatch arrived.

【Identity confirmed as the identical weapon. Through unknown technological principles, it possesses the capacity for arbitrary volumetric scaling.】

Yunxing possessed comparable compression technology; however, regardless of the degree of compression, mass remained constant, and weapons compressed to minimal dimensions invariably featured a hollow internal core.

Yet this blade was calculated by all diagnostics to possess solid mass.

The commander's leopard face furrowed tighter still as he reached up with his paw to support his throbbing head.

"This defies science... utterly defies science..."

Regardless of how many individuals protested the absurdity of a hair ornament transforming into a massive, tangible blade, nearly all informed officials now concurred that the entity who rescued the starship and the entity who slaughtered the stellar beasts were one and the same.

The logical deduction was straightforward: if an individual could breathe freely in the vacuum of space with the casual ease of walking upon solid earth...

Why couldn't she effortlessly exterminate hundreds of thousands of stellar beasts overnight?

While the elimination of half the stellar beast population and the rediscovery of natural flora were undeniably favorable developments for Yunxing citizens, the realization that an entity of such unfathomable power resided within territory controlled by Yunxing caused the grand marshals of the Federal Military Department to experience total piloerection.

How can one slumber peacefully by the couch of another?

Especially for Yunxing citizens who harbored innate wild genetics, inherent territorial instincts, and deep-seated xenophobia.

Do not attempt to argue that this entity had merely targeted stellar beasts. This scenario mirrored an isolated, peaceful nation suddenly discovering a hyper-powerful foreign empire establishing military drills directly along its borders.

Could that nation smile benignly and declare, "These are merely military drills, not actual combat; we champion peace, hence we trust your peaceful intentions"?

Negative. No sovereign state would extend such trust unless it possessed military parity or superior deterrence.

Under historical circumstances, Yunxing citizens would have long since succumbed to genetic frenzy, throwing caution to the wind like beasts tracking prey, hunting down the anomalous entity to interrogate her absolute motives.

Yet presently...

Within the holographic conference chamber, the assembled grand marshals sat staring in deep contemplation at an ancient archival volume recovered from their Mother Planet.

"Therefore, you propose that this entity... is an immortal cultivator evolved from our ancient Yunxing forebears?"

The speaker deliberately omitted the specific designation of "Primeval Ancestor."

"Rather than an immortal, I lean toward defining her as an entity originating from an alternative dimensional plane. The archives explicitly record that immortals inhabit celestial realms inaccessible to mortal mortals—does that not signify a divergent dimensional plane?"

"Consequently, I postulate that ten thousand years ago, a faction of our Mother Planet's population achieved dimensional ascension due to specific catalysts, migrating to external planes until now, when she has traversed from her plane into ours for unknown reasons, bringing along long-extinct natural flora."

Another grand marshal voiced skepticism: "Then what constitutes her fundamental objective? To assist us in clearing out stellar beasts out of sheer altruism?"

Occupying their lofty rank, he discarded any notion of unprovoked benevolence.

A dissenting voice countered: "If she is truly an immortal, the puzzle resolves itself. As chronicled in ancient texts, she represents our progenitor; when junior generations encounter existential crises, senior figures stepping forth to resolve the predicament is entirely logical, is it not?"

The skeptical marshal chuckled drily: "Allow me to pose a question. You possess a son, correct? You naturally cherish your offspring's offspring. But suppose you survive ten thousand years into the future, would you regard the countless generations of distant descendants left behind by your great-great-grandchildren with the same parental devotion you grant a beloved grandchild?"

The dissenter fell silent.

Realistically, they would not; at best, a superficial sense of familial obligation might persist.

Distant descendants separated by ten thousand years of separation functioned essentially as total strangers.

The Grand Marshal exhibited the most volatile temperament of all. Possessing supreme martial might, she suffered the most acute degradation from the genetic frenzy. Listening to the chaotic bickering echoing across the holographic channel, she felt an unbearable ringing in her ears.

Such a chaotic environment represented the ultimate trigger for a frenzied Yunxing citizen.

Furry facial features rippled across her visage as she abruptly transformed into a massive canine beast-form, driving her snout downward to shatter the flooring.

"Silence!"

The bickering terminated instantly.

With another grand marshal having entirely lost rationality to genetic frenzy, no peer dared challenge her supremacy.

Should she genuinely be provoked in a society where every citizen balanced on the precipice of psychological collapse, public arguments on the Interstellar Net frequently escalated into individuals traveling across planetary distances out of sheer spite to hunt down their adversary.

The massive canine beast stamped its paw upon the conference table, the manic gleam in its eyes unappeased by the sudden quiet.

She shook her head laboriously, forcing maximum cognitive clarity:

"Since we remain uncertain whether she is an immortal, why not test the hypothesis directly?"

"I have perused every retrieved ancient text. Every single mythic narrative details rituals of worship dedicated to deities—presenting sacrificial offerings, igniting incense, and offering sincere veneration yields a statistical probability of divine manifestation. Let us arrange ceremonial offerings first; if that proves unavailing, we shall explore alternative vectors."

Concluding her directive in a single breath, she curled her long snout, huffing and puffing heavily: "General Huxing."

The senior general who had maintained absolute silence rose immediately: "Grand Marshal, I am present."

"I shall depart for the Sanctuary of Purification in ten minutes. Yunxing is entrusted to your command."

With those words, the holographic projection of the canine grand marshal blinked to black.

Silence pervaded the holographic conference chamber.

The Sanctuary of Purification represented the incarceration facility designated for Yunxing citizens whose genetic frenzies had crossed the threshold of personal control.

Termed a sanctuary, it functioned essentially as a prison; however, unlike ordinary felons, occupants committed themselves voluntarily to prevent losing sanity and inflicting harm upon loved ones.

Another grand marshal had entered three years prior; now, had even the final grand marshal lost mastery over her faculties?

The prior topics of contention instantly lost all significance. Without natural flora, every attendee recognized that the grand marshal's...

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