svetikya Page 182
Page 182
Lin Ye raised his golden longsword, the tip pointing at Kronos, his voice calm yet powerful: "You have devoured three universes and harmed countless lives. Today, you must pay the price."
His figure vanished, instantly reappearing before Kronos, his longsword slashing towards the black core. Kronos released Arachne, mobilizing all the fragments of spacetime to form a thick barrier.
"Bang!" A violent burst of light erupted, the fifth universe trembled, its energy core hummed, and spacetime stability began to recover. Cracks appeared in Kronos's barrier, and the core light became unstable.
"Impossible!" Kronos roared, increasing his energy output. "How could I lose to you after absorbing so much energy!"
Lin Ye's power continued to increase, and the longsword gradually broke through the defense. At this moment, Arak used his last bit of strength to fly over, his transparent body erupting with golden Destroyer's power, all of which he poured into the longsword: "Lin Ye... protect the other universes... don't repeat the same mistakes..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yarac transformed into golden light and merged into the longsword.
"Lord Arak!" Lin Ye felt a pang of pain in his heart. His longsword erupted with even stronger light, completely breaking through the barrier and striking the core of Kronos.
"Ah...!" Kronos screamed as cracks appeared in his core, spacetime fragments disintegrated, and his life force weakened considerably.
"Damn ants!" Kronos clutched his core, his eyes filled with anger and fear. "You win this time, but I'll be back! Universe 12 will be mine sooner or later!" With that, he turned into black mist and disappeared into the spacetime rift.
Lin Ye watched as the rift closed, and the longsword dissipated before slowly landing. Where Arak had vanished, a golden badge remained—the token of the God of Destruction of the Fifth Universe—still bearing his aura.
Lin Ye picked up the badge, its surface still warm to the touch: "We've gained the approval of Universe 5. Next, we'll go to Universe 11 to find Jiren!"
"Jiren?" Goku exclaimed excitedly. "I wonder if he's encountered the Time Devourer!"
"Stop dawdling, let Alice locate us first." Vegeta wiped the wound on his shoulder; the black energy had been suppressed.
[Universe 11 located, spacetime stability: 68% (decreasing), spacetime devourer fluctuations detected.] Alice's voice was filled with worry. [Kronos's energy is heading towards Universe 3.]
“The Third Universe?” Lin Ye frowned. “We must find Jiren’s combined forces as soon as possible, otherwise Chronos will become even stronger.”
"Alright! Let's set off now!" Wukong roared, his spirits blazing.
Vegeta also unleashed his Flying Technique: "Don't let Chronos destroy another universe!"
The three took off, heading towards the eleventh universe. Under the orange-red sky, smoke rose from the ruins of the fifth universe. Although the stability of the core city had recovered to 30%, it was already deathly silent.
Lin Ye glanced back at the land, gripping the badge tightly. He knew the battle wasn't over; Kronos's escape was only temporary, and Arak's sacrifice was the driving force for advancement. Yet, a sense of unease lingered. Kronos's hasty departure suggested he might be planning something even more terrible…
Chapter 406: Spacetime Collapse
The glazed tiles of the Omni-King's Palace cracked inch by inch amidst the chaotic energy. Those tiles that once reflected the starlight of the twelve universes were now turning into black dust, drifting into nothingness with the turbulent flow of spacetime. Lin Ye ran wildly on the broken white jade steps, feeling the space beneath his feet writhe with each step, as if he were stepping on the skin of a living creature. The sticky sensation seeped into his boots, making his stomach churn.
"System! Analyze the current spacetime stability!" He roared, pressing his temples, the red warning flashing on his retina almost blinding him. Ever since Kronos absorbed the spacetime rift from Universe Twelfth, the physical laws of the entire Omni-King's domain had completely collapsed: energy blasts that should have flown in a straight line would suddenly veer off course, warriors' ki would leak out without warning, and even Goku's Instant Transmission had gone awry, almost sending him into the spacetime rift just now.
[Spacetime disorder index detected: 91%, chaotic energy erosion rate: 78%!] Alice's electronic voice trembled unusually, and a holographic projection flickered on his shoulder. [The Angel race has fallen silent, presumably controlled by Kronos's chaotic energy! The Omni-King's Palace defensive barrier has 19% energy remaining and is expected to completely fail in three minutes!]
Lin Ye looked up abruptly and saw twelve angels hovering stiffly beside the throne of the Omni-King at the top of the palace. Their white wings were entangled in black patterns, their once gentle pupils now swirling with chaotic energy, and the gems at the tips of their staffs flashing with an ominous red light. The foremost angel, Weiss, had empty eyes. Suddenly, his staff pointed towards the ground, and a beam of black light grazed Lin Ye's ankle, exploding and blasting a ten-meter-diameter crater into the white jade steps. Black, viscous spacetime fluid seeped from the bottom of the crater, instantly dissolving any rubble that touched it into nothingness.
"Whis! Wake up!" Goku's voice came from the left. The golden-haired warrior was engulfed in golden flames, but dared not attack rashly. He dodged the staff swung by another angel and shouted anxiously, "He didn't mean to attack, he's being controlled by chaotic energy! We can't hurt him!"
"Fool! What time is it and you're still being soft-hearted!" Vegeta roared, accompanied by a burst of blue flames. His fist grazed the wing of an angel, dispersing the chaotic energy attached to the feathers, but he dared not use his full strength. "If we don't act now, the Omni-King will be captured by that monster! Then all twelve universes will be doomed!"
Lin Ye followed Vegeta's gaze, his heart clenching suddenly... The small figure of the Omni-King was enveloped in a cage of chaotic energy on his throne. The two Omni-Kings huddled hand in hand in a corner, their once innocent faces now filled with fear, their small bodies trembling slightly. Outside the cage, the phantom of Chronos was slowly coalescing. His body was composed of countless fragments of spacetime, each fragment revealing scenes of destruction in different universes: some showing the destroyed Planet Vegeta, others the dissolving Namek, still others the burning cities of Earth, and even the final moments of Alark in Universe 5 as it dissipated.
"Lin Ye, your divine resonance module has been detected to be activating autonomously!" Alice suddenly shouted. The fragment of creation on Lin Ye's chest began to heat up, and the heat spread through his blood vessels to his limbs and bones. "The chaotic energy of Kronos is stimulating the potential of the God of Destruction within you, but the risk of forcibly activating the module is as high as 89%, which may cause your consciousness to be devoured by the authority of the God of Destruction, turning you into a monster who only knows destruction!"
Lin Ye gritted his teeth, watching as yet another angel was completely devoured by the chaotic energy. The angel, who had been struggling, now stared blankly at Goku, the red light at the tip of his staff growing ever brighter. He recalled Whis's patience in teaching him the "Kibo Control Technique" during the Tournament of Power, Vegeta's stubbornness in breaking through 10000 times gravity to protect Bulma, and even more so, Bulma's resolute gaze in the Earth laboratory as she held the Ark space station blueprints, declaring, "We must make Earth a refuge for the entire universe."
"Activate! Activate now!" He ripped open his collar, and the fragments of creation burst forth with blinding golden light. "Alice, synchronize my Saiyan genes and divine power. I must reach the core of Chronos before my consciousness is devoured! Even if I become a monster, I cannot let him take away the Omni-King!"
Golden light spread along his veins, and pale golden patterns resembling the God of Destruction appeared on his skin. Each pattern collided with the Saiyan genes within his body, and the resulting energy shockwaves temporarily pushed back the surrounding spatial turbulence. Lin Ye felt his senses were being upgraded. He could "see" the flow of chaotic energy, "hear" the wails coming from the fragments of spacetime, and even "touch" the most vulnerable fragment of spacetime in the phantom of Kronos. Within that fragment, the image of Kronos's true form absorbing the spacetime rift was reflected.
"Found it! The weakness of the phantom of Kronos is on its left shoulder!" Lin Ye leaped into the air, his aura changing from gold to silver-white, a sign of the initial fusion of divine power and Saiyan energy. "Goku, Vegeta! Help me hold off the angel puppet, I'm going to rescue Zeno! As long as we destroy the Chaos Cage, we can take Zeno away!"
"No problem! Leave it to us!" Goku immediately understood, his golden aura surging to its peak, the silvery-white aura of Ultra Instinct flowing around him, precisely dodging the angel's attack, while simultaneously unleashing a Kamehameha towards the phantom of Chronos. "Lin Ye, you go and save Zeno, Vegeta and I will keep an eye on things here!"
Vegeta unleashed a deep blue aura, conjuring destructive energy blasts in his hands and slamming them down on the chaotic patterns controlling the angels. As he attacked, he cursed, "Don't you dare hold us back! If you can't save Zeno, I'll be the first to beat you up!"
Taking advantage of the opening created by the two, Lin Ye dashed towards the Omni-King's cage like a streak of silver lightning. The phantom of Kronos suddenly turned its head; its "face" was a vortex composed of countless distorted fragments of spacetime. Its voice, seemingly emanating from countless dimensions, carried a mocking tone: "Outsider, you think you can stop me by fusing with divine power? Don't waste your energy. The system within you is nothing more than a failed product I discarded!"
A black beam of light suddenly shot out from the vortex. Lin Ye instinctively dodged to the side. The beam grazed his shoulder, instantly freezing the energy flow in half of his body. He staggered and crashed onto the steps. Cracks began to appear on his frozen skin, from which silver divine blood seeped out. The blood dripped onto the ground and was instantly swept away by the spatial turbulence.
"System notification: Chaotic energy intrusion detected! The God of Destruction runes are resisting, but the efficiency is only 32%!" Alice's voice was crackling with static, and the holographic projection began to flicker. "A message came from the Ark Space Station that Bulma has reinforced the spacetime anchor with Namekian magic, which can temporarily stabilize the spacetime around you, but the effect will only last for five minutes! After five minutes, the anchor's energy will be exhausted!"
Lin Ye struggled to his feet, watching as the chaotic patterns on the Omni-King's cage grew increasingly dense, and the Omni-King's face began to turn transparent—a sign that spacetime energy was being extracted. If this dragged on any longer, the two Omni-Kings might, like those spacetime fragments, completely dissipate into the chaos. He clenched his fists, and his Infinite Growth Physique suddenly erupted. The previously frozen energy began to slowly recover, and the light from the Divine Resonance Module grew brighter, with purple destructive energy gradually mixing into the silvery-white flames.
"Kronos, you're saying the system is your failed experiment?" Lin Ye suddenly laughed, silver and purple flames swirling around him. "Then don't forget, a failed experiment can also destroy the creator! You could discard it back then, but now I can use it to shatter your plans!"
He charged towards the cage, his hands conjuring an energy ball interwoven with silver and purple. This was a preliminary fusion technique of Saiyan genes, divine power, and destructive energy. Before the energy ball was fully formed, the surrounding spacetime began to tremble violently. "Smash!" Lin Ye slammed the energy ball into the cage. Golden and black light collided instantly, and fragments of spacetime flew like a rainstorm, creating a crack in the chaotic cage.
Lin Ye could feel Kronos's consciousness fiercely retaliating. Chaotic energy climbed up his arm, attempting to erode his consciousness. He even heard a tempting whisper in his ear: "Give up, join me, let's devour the twelve universes together and become the new masters of spacetime..."
"Hold on! Lin Ye!" Alice suddenly channeled the energy from the Ark space station into Lin Ye's body, and a blue technological beam shot from the sky, enveloping his body. "Bulma said this is a 'space-time stabilizer' enhanced with Namekian magic, which can help you isolate yourself from chaotic energy! Just hold on a little longer, the cage is about to shatter!"
With the aid of the blue beam of light, Lin Ye's consciousness instantly cleared. He grabbed the crack in the cage and exerted all his strength... "Smash it completely!"
With a sharp crack, the Chaos Cage shattered. The two tiny figures of the Omni-King immediately rushed into his arms. One of them, still trembling, clutched Lin Ye's battle suit tightly: "You're finally here! Those black things were so scary! They would eat up our universe, eat up Uncle Goku and Uncle Vegeta..."
"Don't be afraid, I'm here. No one can devour your universe." Lin Ye tightly protected the two Omni-Kings, then turned to look at the phantom of Cronus, who was fiercely battling Goku and Vegeta. He knew this was just the beginning... Cronus's true form was still absorbing the spacetime rifts of the twelve universes; the current phantom was merely a projection of his consciousness. The true final battle would begin once his true form was fully formed.
"Alice, notify the Ark Space Station to prepare to activate the first phase of the 'Ragnarok' plan!" Lin Ye's voice was filled with unprecedented determination as he carried Zeno backward. "Goku, Vegeta, let's retreat! We're not qualified to confront Perfected Chronos head-on yet. Let's take Zeno to the Ark Space Station first, and then we'll think of a countermeasure!"
Goku and Vegeta exchanged a glance, then simultaneously unleashed their energy, temporarily forcing the angel puppet back. Vegeta shouted as he fought, "Let's retreat! But next time we encounter that monster, I'll definitely shatter its core!"
"Alright! I'll definitely beat him to a punch before you next time!" Goku was not to be outdone. He delivered a powerful punch that sent the phantom of Kronos back half a step before quickly retreating to Lin Ye's side.
The three protected the Omni-King and flew towards the Ark space station. Behind them, the phantom of Chronos let out a piercing shriek, and countless tentacles made of spacetime fragments chased after them. Wherever they passed, even light was swallowed up into nothingness, and the white jade steps instantly turned into black dust under the touch of the tentacles.
Lin Ye glanced back at the collapsing Omni-King's palace, then touched the Omni-King's warm little hand in his arms. Only one thought occupied his mind: no matter the cost, he would protect these important people, protect this universe he had long considered his home. But just then, Alice's voice suddenly rang out in terror: [Energy fluctuations detected in Kronos's true form! He is rapidly absorbing the spacetime rift, and it is expected to be fully formed in ten minutes! Even more terrifying… residual traces of the 'Omni-King's power' have been detected within the rift he is absorbing!]
Lin Ye's steps faltered abruptly, his heart clenching as if gripped by an invisible hand. Kronos was actually absorbing the power of the Omni-King? Then his goal was never just the Omni-King, but to seize the Omni-King's power to control spacetime?
Chapter 407: The Core of Chaos
Inside the main control room of the Ark Space Station, a blue holographic star map floated in the center. Of the twelve points of light representing the universe, nine were already covered by black chaotic energy. The remaining three points—the seventh, eleventh, and third universes—were also dimming at a visible rate, their edges constantly being eroded by the black energy. Lin Ye entrusted the Omni-King to the protection of Supreme Kai Shin and the Old Supreme Kai, while he himself lay hunched over the control panel, his fingers tracing the energy analysis chart of Kronos, his brows furrowed in deep thought.
“The core of the chaotic energy is hidden in the deepest part of the spacetime rift in the twelfth universe, a place that even the perception of a God of Destruction cannot penetrate.” Alice’s holographic projection magnified the distorted area in the lower right corner of the star map. The probe beam shone into it but disappeared without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea. “What’s more troublesome is that Kronos is strengthening his core by absorbing ‘spacetime anchors’ from various universes. These spacetime anchors are the most stable planets in each universe, such as Earth, Namek, and Vegeta. They have survived many wars without being destroyed and possess extremely strong spacetime stability, which can be used to consolidate his chaotic core.”
Lin Ye suddenly looked up, his fingers clenching unconsciously until his knuckles turned white: "He's got his eye on Earth too?"
“Not yet.” Alice quickly pulled up a live feed of Earth. In the feed, Bulma, wearing goggles, was directing her research team in an auxiliary module of the Ark space station. Around them were a dozen Namekian magic crystals, emitting a pale green light and forming a complex defensive array on the ground. “Bulma has temporarily shielded Earth’s spacetime signals with Namekian magic, preventing Kronos from finding the coordinates. But this trick can only last for three days at most. Once he finishes absorbing the anchor point of Universe Twelf, he will definitely look for Earth first. After all, Earth is the most important anchor point of Universe Seven, and the planet you care about most.”
Vegeta pushed open the door to the control room and walked in. His combat suit was torn at the shoulder and stained with black residue of chaotic energy. His face was filled with lingering anger, and his fists were clenched so tightly they cracked. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go to Universe Twelfth right now and smash that monster's core! Are we going to wait for him to absorb all the anchor points and come crawling to his death?"
“No.” Lin Ye shook his head, pulling up his body data panel. The red numbers on it were particularly glaring: the fusion rate of divine power and Saiyan genes was only 41%, the control rate of the God of Destruction's authority was 37%, and the risk of consciousness erosion was 52%. “We can't even defeat a phantom of Chronos right now, let alone his core. Just now in the Omni-King's palace, if it weren't for Goku's Ultra Instinct buying time, we wouldn't have been able to rescue Omni-King. Rushing in now would just be suicide.”
Goku followed him in, still holding a half-eaten Senzu Bean, a bit of green powder on his lips. "Lin Ye is right, we need to improve our strength first. Whis told me before that the power of a God of Destruction can't be forced; you have to 'understand the balance of the universe' to fully control it. My current Ultra Instinct can only be activated in times of crisis; it's completely unstable, and I can't even use half its power normally." He patted Vegeta on the shoulder and suggested with a smile, "How about we go train in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber? One year inside is one day outside; let's try to break through within three days!"
Vegeta snorted coldly, but his eyes softened. He knew better than anyone that his current strength was a joke against Chronos, and his shoulder, injured by the chaotic energy, was still throbbing. He didn't argue, but turned to look at the porthole, his tone filled with resentment: "Don't waste time, go prepare now."
Just then, the alarm in the control room suddenly blared, and the red warning lights flashed wildly, turning everyone's faces bright red. Alice's holographic projection instantly switched to the external view of the space station. Everyone's eyes were glued to the scene on the screen. Outside the left-side defensive shield of the Ark space station, a huge spacetime rift suddenly appeared. Countless black tentacles stretched out from the rift, each wrapped with crackling chaotic energy, lashing the defensive shield like whips. The blue light on the shield had begun to flicker, clearly weakening.
"It's a clone of Kronos!" Alice's voice was urgent. "He located the space station using the chaotic energy he left in the Omni-King's Palace! The shield's energy is currently at 65%, and at this impact intensity, it can only last for ten minutes at most! Once the shield breaks, these tentacles will rush directly into the space station, and we won't be able to stop them at all!"
Lin Ye immediately grabbed the Supreme Kai Sword from beside the control panel. The sword seemed to sense the threat of the chaotic energy, emitting a buzzing vibration, and the divine light emanating from it intensified. He quickly scanned the area and rapidly assigned tasks: "Goku, Vegeta, you two go support the left-side defensive barrier. Try to buy some time and prevent the tentacles from getting in! Piccolo, Gohan, you two go to Zeno's rest room immediately and protect Zeno and the Supreme Kai. They absolutely cannot be captured by the clones! Alice, synchronize with my divine resonance module and analyze the clones' weaknesses. I'll find the clones' core; once the core is destroyed, these tentacles will disappear!"
"Understood!" everyone responded in unison, then turned and rushed toward their respective mission locations.
Lin Ye rushed out of the control room and sprinted along the space station's corridor. The portholes on both sides of the corridor were covered by chaotic energy, and the starry sky outside had turned pitch black. Only the sparks from the tentacles hitting the defensive shields occasionally illuminated the surroundings. The emergency lights on the walls were also flickering, clearly indicating that the space station's power supply system had been affected. He could clearly sense that the core of the clone was near the space station's power module, the place where the space station's energy was most concentrated. Kronos's clone obviously wanted to disable the space station by destroying the power module, at which point they would become lambs to the slaughter.
"System, activate Combat Analysis V3.0, lock onto the clone's core location!" Lin Ye kicked open the power bay door, and the sight before him made his pupils shrink—in the center of the power bay, a black core the size of a basketball floated in the air, with countless tentacles extending from its bottom, like roots burrowing into the spacetime rift. Around the core, three mechanical soldiers controlled by chaotic energy were frantically attacking the power reactor with energy guns. Several cracks had already appeared on the reactor body, and pale blue energy was leaking from the cracks, while the temperature of the power bay was constantly rising.
[Battle analysis complete! Chaos Core Weakness: The red patterns on the surface are nodes where spacetime energy flows. Attacking these nodes can cause the core's energy to become disordered, leading to its collapse! Note: The core will release a spacetime reversal attack, which may send you back to a previously injured state. Prepare your defenses in advance!]
Just as Lin Ye finished reading Alice's message, the suspended chaotic core suddenly erupted with a blinding red light, and a black beam of light shot straight towards his chest. He instinctively dodged to the side, the beam grazing his arm, and instantly a familiar, sharp pain shot through him—it was the old wound he had sustained in Universe 5 when Kronos had struck him! It wasn't an illusion; the time reversal had truly caused the old wound to flare up, and blood was even seeping from the wound on his arm.
"Damn it! That move is disgusting!" Lin Ye pressed his throbbing arm, no longer daring to be careless. He gripped the Supreme Kai's Divine Sword tightly, his silver-white aura surging, temporarily repelling the surrounding chaotic energy. At the same time, he mobilized the divine power within his body, forming a pale golden protective layer on his skin. Just as he was about to charge towards the core, a familiar figure suddenly rushed in from the passageway—it was Number 18! Blue electricity crackled around her mechanical arm, and her combat suit was covered in dust, clearly indicating she had just arrived from the front lines of the defensive shield.
"Number 18, what brings you here? Didn't I tell you to stay behind the defensive shield to provide support?" Lin Ye asked in surprise. He remembered that when assigning tasks, Number 18 wasn't asked to come.
Android 18 wiped the sweat from her face, her mechanical arm pointing at the mechanical soldiers attacking the power reactor. Her tone was crisp: "Piccolo said this place needs more support. Goku and Vegeta are keeping an eye on the defensive shield, so it's fine for now. I can help you hold off these mechanical soldiers. You go destroy the core, don't waste time!" Before she finished speaking, she had already charged towards the mechanical soldiers. Her mechanical arm condensed a blue energy blast, accurately hitting one soldier in the head, blasting him into pieces, scattering metal debris everywhere.
Without further hesitation, Lin Ye seized the opportunity created by Number 18 and charged towards the Chaos Core like a bolt of silver lightning. The Core once again released a spacetime reversal beam, but this time he was prepared and activated the Divine Resonance Module in advance. Pale golden Destruction God patterns flowed across his body, forcefully withstanding the impact of the beam. Although the pain from his old injuries was still there, it no longer affected his movements.
"Now!" Lin Ye leaped into the air, gripping the hilt of the Supreme Kai Sword with both hands. He poured all the divine power and Saiyan energy within him into it, and the sword erupted with a dazzling silver-white light. "Shatter!"
He slashed fiercely at the red node on the surface of the Chaos Core with his sword.
Click!
A crisp cracking sound rang out, and the chaotic core emitted a piercing shriek. The black patterns on its surface began to erratically, flickering wildly like uncontrolled electricity. The extended tentacles instantly lost their strength, drooping limply to the ground and quickly turning into black dust, which drifted away with the space station's ventilation system. The controlled mechanical soldiers also collapsed to the ground as if their power had been cut off, no longer moving.
Lin Ye, panting heavily, watched as the chaotic core gradually became transparent and finally dissipated completely into the air. His heart, which had been pounding in his chest, finally felt a sense of relief. But before he could even catch his breath, the space station suddenly shook violently, as if struck by something. He nearly fell, but thankfully managed to grab the control panel beside him. Alice's voice came through the communicator, filled with unprecedented terror: "Lin Ye! Something terrible has happened! Kronos's main body has begun to accelerate the absorption of the spacetime anchor point of Universe Ten! The Omni-King just sensed that one-third of the anchor point of Universe Ten has already been absorbed! He said that if this continues, the spacetime rift of Universe Twelve will completely open, and even he won't be able to stop the chaotic energy from spreading throughout the multiverse!"
Lin Ye burst out of the engine room and ran towards the control room. He reached the porthole and looked at the gradually returning starry sky, but a strong sense of urgency welled up inside him. Kronos's speed was even faster than they had anticipated. The three days of training they had originally planned now seemed far from enough.
"Alice, immediately notify everyone to return to the control room for a meeting!" Lin Ye shouted into the communicator, his voice filled with unwavering determination. "We can't wait any longer. We must execute the second phase of the 'Ragnarok' plan ahead of schedule. Contact all universes that haven't yet been corrupted by chaotic energy, gather warriors from across the universe, and launch a proactive attack on the spacetime rift of the twelfth universe! Even if we're not strong enough right now, we have to give it our all. We can't just stand by and watch Kronos absorb all the anchor points!"
Alice answered the communicator. Lin Ye looked at the starry sky outside the porthole and gripped the Supreme Kai Sword tightly. He knew that this offensive battle would be more difficult than any previous battle, and there might even be casualties. But he had no way out. Behind him were the people he cared about and the universe he wanted to protect. Even if he died, he would stand in front of Kronos.
Unbeknownst to him, deep within the spacetime rift of Universe Twelve, Kronos gazed at the energy of the Tenth Universe's anchor point he had just absorbed, a cold smile playing on his lips. On his Chaos Core, a golden pattern was slowly forming—the pattern of the Omni-King's power. His goal had never been merely the spacetime anchor point, but the Omni-King's power to control spacetime.
Chapter 408: The Gathering of the Entire Universe
The atmosphere in the main control room of the Ark Space Station was so heavy it seemed to drip water. A pale blue holographic star map floated in the center, and the light points of the tenth universe were being swallowed by black at a visible speed, like a piece of white paper stained with ink. Lin Ye stood in front of the star map, his knuckles turning bluish-white from gripping it so tightly, and even his breathing became slightly lighter. That black was none other than the chaotic energy left behind by Kronos after it devoured the universe; every inch it spread meant the disappearance of countless lives.
The surrounding warriors remained silent. Goku from Universe 7 scratched his head, his usually smiling face now tense, his battle suit collar still stained with dust from the previous battle against the clones. Vegeta crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on the black area on the star map, his knuckles digging into his arms. Cabba from Universe 6 rubbed his feet back and forth, the tears in his battle suit still unrepaired, revealing faint scars underneath. Jiren from Universe 11 stood ramrod straight, like a javelin, and although his universe was gone, the determination in his eyes shone brighter than ever before.
"Stop standing there!" Lin Ye took a deep breath, turned around, and his voice broke the silence, "'Ragnarok' Project Phase Two has only one objective... to take down Kronos!"
That was quite blunt, and Goku's eyes immediately lit up. He was about to speak when Vegeta glared at him: "What's the rush? Let him finish!"
"Tch, I'm just in a hurry!" Wukong pouted, but still obediently shut his mouth.
Lin Ye pointed to the location of the twelfth universe on the star map, which had become a spinning black vortex, its edges constantly tearing at the surrounding spacetime: "Kronos's lair is in this rift. What we need to do is use the Ark as the main vessel, carrying everyone in to rush in and destroy its core. But the prerequisite is... we need to gather enough energy to activate the Ark."
"Energy?" Gabe finally couldn't help but ask, taking two steps forward. "Cronus has already swallowed the anchor points of nine universes, and many planets have even lost their light. Where did the energy come from?"
Lin Ye didn't answer directly, but instead gestured with his chin towards Alice. She immediately pulled up another hologram, its surface covered in countless tiny points of light shimmering with a warm yellow glow, like a handful of stars scattered across the sky. "This is the 'Energy Resonance Tower' that Bulma and the Namekians built together," Alice said with a hint of pride. "Each point of light is a tower, capable of absorbing the planet's natural energy, as well as everyone's beliefs, just like Goku's Spirit Bomb."
"Spirit Bomb?!" Goku jumped up, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "I knew that move would be the most effective! As long as everyone trusts us, we can definitely gather enough energy!"
"Don't be too happy yet." Bulma's voice came through the communicator, sounding a little tired but still capable. "A dozen or so towers on remote planets just malfunctioned, but Dandy and his men fixed them with magic. Now there are a total of 100,300 towers online, which is barely enough to activate the Ark and defenses."
Everyone looked at Dende in the corner. The Namekian boy smiled shyly: "Namekian magic can resonate with the planet's energy. As long as the tower isn't completely destroyed, we can repair it."
"Thank you for your hard work." Lin Ye nodded to Dandy, then looked at the remnants of the Time and Space Administration. They had escaped from the destroyed universe. The leader, Karen, stepped forward, his voice hoarse: "Lord Lin Ye, we've discovered that Kronos's clones are afraid of 'pure energy,' and the energy of the Resonance Tower can just counter them. We're willing to stay and guard the Time and Space Anchor Point, and we'll never let the clones launch a sneak attack!"
"Okay!" Lin Ye felt a warmth in his heart. "Now let's assign tasks... Goku, Vegeta, Jiren, the three of you will be the vanguard. When the Ark starts, you will restrain the clones and buy us time to enter the rift."
"No problem!" Goku and Vegeta said in unison, and Jiren nodded slowly as well: "I will personally avenge the 11th Universe."
"Piccolo, Gohan, Cabba, you take the rest of the others to guard the Ark, focusing on protecting the energy core and preventing the clones from getting through," Lin Ye continued.