"So it's that great universe."
Aether's eyes widened, then quickly calmed, though deep within them flickered intense emotions.
Before arriving in Teyvat, he and his sister had already traveled through many worlds and even several great universes. Among them, the strongest was that very universe—the one where the Aeons dwelled.
And now, at last, it was time to annex that universe.
When the Aeon of Elation invaded Teyvat, he had already known that Lord Heavenly Principle would sooner or later deal with that universe.
Now that time had finally come.
"This mission belongs solely to your Abyss. You know the old rules. There's nothing more I need to say—you may begin now."
Noah's golden eyes shimmered faintly. Even with Aether's current weak single-universe power, he could not detect the slightest trace of the descending higher-dimensional force.
The half-opened World Gates all flung wide in an instant.
Over one hundred thousand World Gates opened at once, and the cosmic power of the Abyss Universe surged madly into them like a black hole devouring everything.
ROOOAAAR—
At the same time, the immense black nebulae—stretching millions of light-years—that had gathered here under the Abyss will were drawn in with irresistible force.
These black nebulae were filled with roaring, howling Abyssal beasts.
Among them, those that had reached True God level and above were known as True Beast Queens.
Each True Beast Queen was itself equivalent to an Abyssal source, possessing the ability to create lower-tier Abyss beasts from its own black blood.
If its body were destroyed by external force, its spilled flesh and blood would still become clone-like existences.
The more injured it became, the more clones it produced. This granted them near-complete immortality—unless struck down by a being capable of burning galaxies, the chance of killing a True Beast Queens was almost zero.
By comparison, the broodmothers of the Swarm in the Star Rail Universe were far inferior. Only the Emanator-level Starshatter Broodworms possessed comparable power.
But the number of Starshatter Broodworms was not even one ten-thousandth that of the True Beast Queens.
As soon as the World Gates fully opened, Aether wasted no time in broadcasting his will throughout the Abyss.
"All Abyssal gods—by the will of the Abyss, march forth!"
Aether's will was the Abyss's will. Instantly, every Abyssal creature understood what was happening.
No matter their rank, all Abyssal gods instinctively rushed toward the World Gates.
"By your command—!"
They were ecstatic, shouting in near-madness.
In past annexations, the Abyss always had a role to play—but it was mere scavenging. When had they ever been the main force?
Without contributing real strength, they could not earn large amounts of merit. Without merit, the Abyss could never compare to the main universe.
But now, fortune beyond measure had finally descended upon the Abyss.
Run fast and you gain. Run slow and you lose. Every second mattered.
All of the Abyss roared in excitement, contorted in savagery, and rushed into the great universe beyond. Their eyes glowed blood-red with ferocity.
Adding to it all were their shrill, cackling voices, making the scene even more horrifying.
Watching the endless flood of Abyssal monsters surge into the Star Rail Universe, Aether's face revealed a faint trace of cruelty.
For all the ages he had been Abyss Monarch, he had longed to unleash the full fury of the Abyss.
But in Teyvat, he could not unleash it upon the main universe, nor truly spar with gods on his level.
I, Abyss Monarch, today shall… unleash slaughter.
He had absolute confidence he could fight against multiple Aeons.
Even if the enemy had over a dozen Aeons, he would not flinch in the slightest.
His Pseudo Star Map Creation was not to be underestimated.
Among the countless Pseudo Star Map Creations, his ranked among the top three.
Aether released his aura without restraint and strode into the World Gate without hesitation.
...
Meanwhile, at the very center of the Abyss Universe,
This place was similar to the Supreme Divine Domain, though half a rank lower in hierarchy and only a third its size.
It was known by the intelligent life of the Abyss Universe as the Abyss Domain.
Even though countless Abyssal beasts and Abyssal gods had departed, the place remained immensely bustling.
Those left behind were all intelligent beings who had not yet reached godhood.
The lives of Abyssal beings were not much different from those in the main universe—except when it came to food, which was entirely distinct.
At the center of the Abyss Domain lay the Abyss Temple of the Abyss Monarch.
At this moment, only a single god-level existence remained within the domain.
That was the one known in the Abyss as the Creator of Beasts—the Alchemist Witch of the Abyss, Rhinedottir.
Having created the vast black beast tide, she had earned such monumental merit that she successfully ascended to Supreme God.
She was now the third-ranking figure in the entire Abyss Universe.
Before her stood only the Abyss Monarch and the Apocalypse Emperor Beast.
Those Abyss Heralds and Abyssal Lectors were also on the verge of breaking through to Supreme God, needing only a bloodbath in the Star Rail Universe to achieve it.
Rhinedottir herself, with the merit of the black beast tide, was set to soar directly toward Primordial God.
And since she had once been granted the knowledge of Ouroboros by Noah, she might even reach weak single-universe level after the annexation of the Star Rail Universe was complete.
At this moment, that future weak single-universe being knelt reverently before the Abyss Throne.
Noah sat casually upon the Abyss Throne, gazing down at Rhinedottir.
"The last time you knelt before me was ten thousand years ago, wasn't it, Rhinedottir?"
"Yes, Lord Heavenly Principle~" Rhinedottir's muffled voice replied.
Though her contributions to the Abyss Universe were great, she had already been granted the reward she had long dreamed of—more than sufficient.
She could not expect Noah to treat her as he did Furina and the others.
Besides, the mere act of beholding him was already the greatest blessing in the universe.
Noah extended his hand, casually tracing a circle with his finger.
Like flowing water, the space before him transformed into a mirrored projection.
Scenes from another universe appeared within.
An endless tide of black beasts suddenly emerged in the vast emptiness of space, then roared as they charged toward the glowing regions.
Reflected within their countless crimson eyes were the planets of this universe that bore the breath of civilization.
God-level Abyss beasts instinctively sought out the flames of civilization, devouring the filth and impurities hidden within that light.
To the Abyss beasts, such filth and impurity were the most delicious nourishment.
These impurities were the wicked and corrupt intelligent beings—those burdened with Alaya's hatred, and the rulers steeped in endless sin.
As for intelligent beings without such impurities, the Abyss beasts would not pursue them. To the beasts, such beings were like poison. They would even retreat into space itself to avoid contact with kindhearted intelligent life.
Of course, Abyss power inevitably polluted the environment to some degree. But that pollution was minor compared to the destruction wrought by interstellar civilizations expanding across the cosmos.
...
At the same time—
One hundred thousand World Gates appeared evenly throughout the Star Rail Universe.
Some opened within black holes, some within the territories of galactic empires, and some directly inside the headquarters of cosmic-level powers.
RUMMMBLE—ROAR—
The Pier Point Galaxy.
This galaxy was named after Pier Point, headquarters of the universe's largest power: the Interastral Peace Corporation.
It was not only the IPC's headquarters, but also the most prosperous sector in the entire universe.
The lifeblood of the entire cosmic economy flowed here before being redistributed across the universe. It was also the hub of countless connections between major powers.
Here, even throwing a random stone might strike a great figure of some galactic force.
Even IPC employees needed to reach the rank of branch leader of at least a P35-rank before they could be transferred back here to begin anew.
Yet now, this galaxy that held the economic lifeline of the universe and its greatest prosperity had plunged into chaos. Screams, shouts of fear, roars, and cries of despair filled the air.
"AAAAHHH! Monsters! Monsters everywhere!"
"Too many to count! Monsters, monsters!"
"Help! Security forces! Save me!"
"Fire! Attack with everything we have!"
"Activate all standby planet-buster cannons! Deploy planetary defense systems! Maximum-scale extermination protocols, now!"
"All advanced annihilation tech from the R&D Department, deploy everything!"
"Do not let a single monster through the planetary defense array! Not one!"
RUMMMBLE—
Brilliant beams of light burst forth across the galaxy, weaving together into dense networks that shielded the inhabited planets.
ROOOAARR—
Ear-piercing howls echoed through the cosmic void, fusing into an unending psychic shockwave.
A massive gate of light, nearly fifteen astronomical units across, stood tall in the center of the Pier Point Galaxy.
From it, endless black nebulae spewed forth like smoke.
Among them emerged terrifying beasts the size of entire planets.
The moment they appeared, Pier Point detected them and immediately initiated defensive measures.
Every standby weapons system came online at once.
In that instant, the ring defense network deployed across the entire star system flared to life like a colossal magic array encompassing the galaxy.
Countless interstellar warships, moving like marching ants, leapt through the void—each carrying planet-buster cannons aimed squarely at the anomaly.
RUMMMBLE—
Whoosh, whoosh—
The colossal Abyssal beasts were at first slowed by the interstellar defense arrays, but the smaller ones—those below god-level—slipped through with ease, breaching the defenses and pouring down onto the planets.
As the most prosperous galaxy in the entire universe, the number of intelligent beings here far surpassed that of other galaxies, and chaos erupted instantly…
Within the planetary cities, the black beast tide descended like a tsunami from the heavens, unleashing wholesale slaughter.
Abyss beasts, with their ability to ignore material barriers, treated skyscraper walls as illusions, phasing through them as they hunted for the dregs of civilization.
Whoooosh—
The passage of the black tide brought with it terrifying gales.
Mixed with screams, shouts, and wails of despair, the entire planet had become a living hell.
"AAAAHHH! Help me!"
"Don't come closer! Stay away!"
"AAHHHH—"
Some screams cut off abruptly—their owners torn apart and devoured by Abyss beasts.
The black tide was no different from a swarm of piranhas. Wherever it passed, the population was halved.
Some megastructures collapsed, flames and lightning erupted, energy cores exploded, and devastation spread.
These disasters were not caused directly by the Abyssal tide, but by panicked people fleeing for their lives.
The IPC's security forces, riding personal flyers and wielding weapons, opened fire desperately at the beasts.
Even though these security personnel—stationed in Pier Point—were already elites among elites, their minds broke under the onslaught. Blindly firing, they no longer heeded the commands coming through their earpieces from headquarters.
"Why are there so many monsters?!"
"AAHHHH! Don't eat me!"
"Die, die, DIEEE!"
As order on the planet teetered on the brink of total collapse beneath the black tide, a clear voice resounded across the world.
"Do not panic, all of you. Especially now—this is Pier Point, the world under the protection of the Amber Lord!"
"Therefore—"
[I will judge. I will reckon. I will reclaim.]
[I see the gloom veiling the skies.]
[I summon the storm.]
[Clouds shall part, and the amber sun shall shine—]
As the words fell, a pressure capable of shaking the planet crashed down from orbit.
A radiant, amber-hued sun blossomed in the upper atmosphere.
[All to the Amber Lord—]
—
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