IMC Chapter 134

This predestined outcome of destruction left everyone momentarily unable to accept it. Worse still, this conclusion came from the universe’s most advanced race—the Mechanoids. If even they were powerless, it meant the others were even more helpless.

Compared to the others, Shu Bao’s mindset was calmer. After all, the Treasure-Seeking Mouse could cross barriers of space and time, so he wouldn’t truly be trapped in this universe. Yet, the mouse couldn’t remain indifferent. He had friends here and countless adorable beings who revered him as a deity. How could he leave without any attachments?

The unsolvable ending cast a heavy gloom over the starship’s atmosphere, though it didn’t slow the pace of data analysis. The half-mechanoids and Tesla quickly adjusted their mindsets; for them, acquiring knowledge mattered more than life itself.

Upon entering the Qing Wang Star System, the group was immediately captivated by its transformation. In just seventeen years, Dyson spheres nearly enveloped the star system. Each habitable planet was encircled by space stations. Within the system, warp points and teleportation nodes were everywhere, and warships of various models navigated in every direction.

The moment Shu Bao’s starship entered the Qing Wang Star System, it was detected. Before the welcoming party could arrive, countless messages flooded in. The virtual screens within the starship displayed an endless stream of excited greetings, making Shu Bao feel as though he were watching a barrage of bullet comments in a live stream.

“The Divine Lord has returned!”

“Divine Lord! Lord Lan Qing! Lord Tesla!”

“Welcome home, Divine Lord!”

“The Divine Lord is finally back! Welcome home, Divine Lord!”

The Qing Wang Star System erupted in celebration. Since Shu Bao and the team’s departure, their expedition had become the stuff of legend. Even those born afterward were intimately familiar with their names.

As Shu Bao watched the rapid stream of comments before him, he felt as though he had returned to that very first day when he crash-landed near the Xia Wang Tribe. Back then, those strangers had gazed at the mouse with eyes full of fervent hope, as if he could create a haven for them. Yet, in hindsight, it seemed that the mouse ultimately failed to provide that haven. This place was destined to become chaos.

Thinking of the comments, Shu Bao recalled the long-neglected live-streaming system. He wondered what kind of impact their journey to the Mechanoids’ star system might have had on the base universe. Considering how deeply intertwined the two universes were, it was remarkable that, after countless years, their group had accidentally traveled to a time-space once visited by humans from their base universe.

Suddenly, the mouse blinked and muttered to himself, “Where was the wormhole between our universe and the chaotic universe?”

The others turned to look at Shu Bao. After a moment, Yu Lingqi spoke up. “How would anyone know? It’s been so many years. If there were clues or the chance to reopen it, the Mechanoids would’ve succeeded long before us.”

“Then how did we get here?” Shu Bao continued to press.

“Obviously, we encountered an accidental wormhole that transported us…” Yu Lingqi trailed off mid-sentence, realizing what Shu Bao was suggesting. That’s right— they had come to the chaotic universe through a wormhole.

In an instant, everyone’s previously low spirits were reignited. Could the wormhole they had traveled through be the same one the humans of their original universe once used to enter the chaotic universe? Perhaps it had remained unknown to their universe due to the passage of time. For some reason, when the Noah starship passed by, the wormhole was activated, forcing all the participants into the chaotic universe.

“Provide me with some of the data from that time and I can attempt a basic localization of the wormhole you’re referring to,” said T33674. “The challenge won’t be locating it—it’ll be figuring out how to activate it.”

“Perhaps this wormhole cannot be activated from the chaotic universe; otherwise, the group of people left behind here would have already reactivated it and returned to the main universe. The key to activating the wormhole lies in the base universe.”

Although the discovery of the wormhole was exciting, Fu Qing had to douse everyone’s enthusiasm. After the war ended, the humans of that era undoubtedly understood the wormhole better than they did. Yet, they were unable to escape and instead scattered throughout the chaotic universe, struggling to survive under the relentless pursuit of the Mechanoids. If there had been even the slightest chance of returning, how could they not have seized it?

“But we have the livestream system! Right now, everyone in the base universe is watching our livestream!” Upon hearing this, Yu Lingqi suddenly found the situation much simpler. He waved at the empty space before him and began greeting the invisible audience. “Hi, everyone! You must be aware of our predicament by now. Can you research the wormhole from your side and help us reactivate it?”

The Third Prince let out a derisive snort, flicking his tail across Yu Lingqi’s face. “Are you stupid? If the wormhole is opened, it won’t just be us crossing through—the Mechanoids could also get through. Even though only Wei Lai has self-awareness now, that doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous.”

Yu Lingqi had been brimming with indignation but deflated immediately at the Third Prince’s words. That’s right—how could he have forgotten? They weren’t the only ones in this chaotic universe.

“Even without the Mechanoids, there are countless other living beings here. Do you think people in the base universe would welcome a population explosion?” The Third Prince, already displeased with the often-useless Yu Lingqi, especially after the latter had cowardly hidden in a corner while the two snake princes took a beating on the Mechanoids’ home planet, spoke his mind.

Though the Third Prince’s words were harsh, they weren’t without truth. In fact, the base universe’s current situation was very much as he predicted.

Through the live stream, the people of the base universe learned about the crisis unfolding in the chaotic universe. They felt immense sorrow and regret and brainstormed tirelessly to help. But as the idea of reactivating the wormhole emerged, the situation began to shift.

The base universe was already overpopulated, which was why survival-themed live streams about developing barren star systems had become so popular. If the wormhole were reactivated, the threat of the Mechanoids aside, the sheer influx of people from the chaotic universe would be enough to disrupt the base universe’s delicate balance. The harsh reality was that the majority of people leaned toward not activating the wormhole.

As for the minority who wanted the wormhole reactivated, their voices gradually faded under a barrage of criticism. No one dared to claim responsibility for the fate of the entire base universe. The weight of life from two universes was far too heavy, beyond the scope of impassioned declarations and rash actions.

“So what do we do now?” Realizing the gravity of the situation, Yu Lingqi fell into despair once again. However, after a brief moment of dejection, he quickly regained his composure. His swift emotional recovery unexpectedly earned the Third Prince’s grudging respect.

Yu Lingqi, now revitalized, unexpectedly said, “Well, the total chaos of the universe is still a long way off. It’s not something I’ll see in my lifetime. Might as well enjoy life while it lasts!”

Everyone: “…”

It wasn’t an unreasonable thought, but not everyone shared such a laid-back attitude—especially within this group, which included the immortal half-mechanoids, Lan Qing the Ancestral Dragon, and Shu Bao and Fu Qing, who were both striving for eternal life through cultivation.

Not to mention that even within the Qing Wang Star System, the increasingly powerful mages occasionally produced individuals with extraordinarily long lifespans. These individuals couldn’t simply sit back and wait for the great chaos to arrive.

“If we could gather sufficient data about the base universe, we could attempt to create a wormhole ourselves. After all, the humans of the base universe initially created a wormhole to the chaotic universe because Lai Mi continuously transmitted data back to them. Acquiring data about another universe is a necessary condition for creating a wormhole,” T33674 said calmly.

These words plunged the room into silence. Shu Bao had no data to offer, having barely seen much of the main universe before crashing into Fu Qing’s head and boarding the starship. Fu Qing, similarly, had an incomplete understanding of the main universe.

The others, however, felt conflicted. The base universe was their home, and forcibly reopening the connection between the two universes could lead to unimaginable consequences. Even if they wanted to provide data, they weren’t certain they could do so comprehensively. The kind of data T33674 referred to wasn’t just general knowledge but detailed information on physical and mathematical laws, as well as chemical and quantum properties. They weren’t Lai Mi, lacking the supercomputer-like intellect capable of encompassing and calculating all knowledge.

“Oh, I forgot—your brains aren’t up to the task,” T33674 remarked with a hint of regret.

For a moment, no one knew if T33674’s words were accidental or a deliberate jab. After all, from the chaotic universe’s perspective, the humans of the base universe had been invaders. Now, as the chaotic universe faced impending doom, these visitors from the base universe seemed utterly powerless.

The room fell into silence again. For a long while, no one spoke. The more enthusiastic the Qing Wang Star System’s welcome, the heavier their hearts became.

Meanwhile, back in the base universe, people were growing increasingly uneasy over the wormhole issue. Some even reopened investigations into the Noah’s Ark starship’s encounter with the wormhole, suspecting that it had not been an accident. How could it have been so coincidental that Noah’s Ark followed that particular route, only to pass by and activate the wormhole?

Upon further investigation, the inquiry team was shocked to uncover how bizarre the event truly was. From the discovery of the barren star system to the survival competition, the route planning, and the celestial anomalies near the wormhole—all these seemingly coincidental factors combined to cause the incident.

The sequence of coincidences was so intricately interlinked that even the absence of a single element would have prevented the disaster. The precision of this chain of events was terrifyingly uncanny.

Coupled with the ascension of the Mechanoids’ consciousness to a higher dimension, the people of the base universe began to entertain a chilling hypothesis: those Mechanoids had indeed succeeded in their ascension. However, for reasons unknown, they didn’t directly intervene in the chaotic universe. Instead, they had orchestrated a subtle scheme to reconnect the two universes.

What exactly were those Mechanoids planning?

---