[Commission Task: Do You Believe in Propagation?
I truly admire whoever first tested the Swarm Disaster Simulated Universe, because they might well have gotten wrecked by the Swarm.
Tayzzyronth, once I've gotten the hang of this, I'll definitely awaken you.
And one last time—Propagation must accelerate!
[Wormhole Corridor]
[Pupa of the Amber Era]
[Gnawed Star Rails]
[Ovary]
[Molting]
[Crimson Cradle]
[Rhinoceros Beetle]
[Throne]
[Womb]
[Aeon of Propagation]
Made In Heaven!]
[Details: A great wind rises and the clouds go flying; where shall I find brave warriors to guard the four corners of the land! The Swarm must be exterminated, at any and all times! There is no other option! The best days are the days without the Swarm!
Exterminate the Swarm of Propagation.
Note: Points are calculated based on the type and number of Swarm units destroyed.]
[Reward: Calculated based on final score.]
"Skip."
"Skip."
"Skip."
"Herta, where's the skip button?"
After browsing through the System's task, Caelus understood one thing.
This trip through the Simulated Universe required no fancy tricks whatsoever—it was all about slaughtering and slaughtering some more.
"There is no skip button."
A purple sprite-dumpling bounced over in front of Caelus, holding a silver-black fountain pen and a sheaf of white paper, its cover stamped with the words 'Simulated Universe Observation Record.'
She cocked her head and, in Herta's signature deadpan monotone, shot back:
"Do you want to skip your own life, too?"
At the same time, from inside the dumpling came her habitual muttering:
"Hmm, maybe I could drag Stephen into this too?"
Nearby, the Stelle-Asta fusion had been doing freestyle backstroke, butterfly stroke, and spread-eagle floating through the vacuum of space. Hearing this, she flipped over like a salted fish and poked her head over curiously:
"Are you all trying to get a table together for some Celestial Jade?"
"Huh? What's that?"
The purple dumpling gave a startled little shudder—Herta was clearly clueless about this Xianzhou pastime.
"I don't think Stephen's input would be of any help to our research on the Aeons."
A crisp, cool voice rang out; Ruan Mei was concise as ever.
"Aw, come on! Wouldn't it be way more fun to invite them over and liven things up!"
Caelus, on the other hand, was all enthusiasm. He grabbed the Stelle-Asta fusion's fair, slender wrist:
"I've never even seen a live Stephen before!"
He spun on the spot like a top, and using the centrifugal force like a hammer thrower, he flung the giggling Stelle-Asta fusion off toward the distant depths of the stardust with all his might.
"Wheeee——!!!"
The Stelle-Asta fusion's laughter echoed through the vacuum like a silver bell, exactly like a carefree girl pushed to the highest point on a swing.
"By the way, who designed your digital avatars? I never would've guessed you had a girly heart in there too, Screwllum."
Caelus's gaze fell back onto the top of the dumpling's head—its lines smooth, glowing with a warm silver-gray metallic sheen—where a vividly colorful virtual bow was pinned, a jarring contrast to its mechanical-gentleman air.
"Of course that was me! So cute, right? This is the aesthetic sense of a Genius!"
Herta puffed out her chest, taking full credit without a shred of modesty.
"I am most honored to bear this design."
Screwllum's voice carried an air of noble elegance.
"This butterfly is much like your arrival—it adorns this Galaxy of data, and it is precisely these seemingly minute elements that render the entire picture of the Simulated Universe complete and vividly lifelike."
Truly a mechanical gentleman—his words were simply delightful to hear!
"As you can see."
The purple dumpling was rapidly jotting notes on the floating white paper with that virtual pen, surrounded by six purple holographic screens constantly refreshing with data.
Complex symbols danced across the screens, along with two dynamic silhouettes sketched in clean lines, representing Caelus and the Stelle-Asta fusion.
"The three of us will stay online at all times, keeping an eye on this test run."
Herta was using the Simulated Universe to observe and record the state of the fused warrior.
The Stelle-Asta fusion, whom Caelus had hurled away, came swimming back like a human comet, and Caelus casually grabbed her and tossed her off in another direction like a volleyball, while raising a question at the same time:
"As I recall, Screwllum, your primary research field is inorganic life of the mechanical variety, right?"
"So how come you're so invested in the Path of Propagation?"
"Affirmative: yet the Path of Propagation does not act upon carbon-based flesh alone."
Screwllum explained with refined courtesy:
"Trace back that Swarm Disaster which swept across the cosmos—its logic of destructive expansion, its pattern of emergent collective will, bears a profound correlation to certain ultimate forms of inorganic life. Studying it is vital to understanding the broader boundaries of 'life.'"
"Come on, let's get started already! I can't wait any longer!"
The Stelle-Asta fusion, who had just been launched off by Caelus and swum back on her own, was now perched in an extremely lively pose—straddling Caelus's neck and shoulders.
Her soft, tender legs, carrying the elegant scent of white roses, gently squeezed both of Caelus's cheeks as she threw her arms up high and let out an excited cheer.
Herta's purple dumpling avatar drifted over in front of the two of them and tapped at her nonexistent chin:
"The test direction I briefed you two on earlier—you haven't completely forgotten it, have you?"
"Because there's way too much redundant data in the Simulated Universe, in order to study the Swarm King, we've fixed the Simulated Universe's timeline to a historical fragment of the Swarm Disaster."
As Caelus listened, he suddenly threw himself into a tactical backward lean.
"Eek!"
The Stelle-Asta fusion riding on his neck yelped in alarm, instantly losing her balance and pitching downward like an uprooted willow branch.
But her reflexes were lightning-fast—her waist displayed astonishing flexibility and explosive power as she executed a clean, crisp back handspring, landing steadily like a gymnast and even giving a playful clap of her hands.
"So this time... nothing's going to go wrong again, right?"
Once the Stelle-Asta fusion had steadied herself, she blinked her big eyes and asked.
"You've actually got the nerve to bring that up!"
Herta shot the tactless Stelle-Asta fusion a fierce glare, then planted her hands on her hips with total confidence.
"Those two times—one was because of Preservation and Elation, the other was because of The Hunt. This time we're simulating Propagation, which went cold hundreds and thousands of Amber Eras ago. I refuse to believe——"
Herta took a deep breath and sneered:
"You lot could actually make Tayzzyronth rise from the grave and mess with my Simulated Universe again?"
She paused, and a glint of inquiry seemed to flash inside the dumpling as she added:
"Then again—if you two really could make Tayzzyronth rise from the dead, that would be all the more interesting."
"Indeed."
A blue-green-toned dumpling, looking for all the world like an exquisite pastry, swayed gently and let out a murmur of agreement.
"I think your line of thinking is pretty dangerous, you know."
Caelus shook his head and clicked his tongue as he listened.
The Stelle-Asta fusion looked around at the dazzling yet silent starscape, her face full of confusion:
"So, the point in time we're at right now is the Swarm Disaster era? Then where are the bugs? Why can't I spot even a single one?"
"Correction:"
Screwllum turned gracefully toward Caelus and the Stelle-Asta fusion: "At this moment, we remain at the starting point. Tayzzyronth has not yet ascended to godhood, and the Swarm's tide has only just spread its wings—its shadow has yet to blanket this expanse of stars."
Having explained, he turned to the light-clusters of Herta and Ruan Mei and posed a rigorous inquiry:
"Query: based on the current precision of the anchored data, is it sufficient to deduce and verify the exact spatiotemporal coordinates of the Aeon of Propagation's birth?"
"Not yet enough."
Ruan Mei shook her head.
"Which means—it's your turn to go exploring."
Herta's chubby little hand tapped and swiped across the holographic screen, calling up the coordinate parameters.
"Go try and find the missing pieces of the puzzle~!"
Herta glided down, and Caelus and the Stelle-Asta fusion felt their viewpoint suddenly rise, as if their souls had left their bodies and begun roaming freely through the boundless simulated starfield.
By convention, Herta would normally grant the two of them the identity template of the Trailblaze Aeon Akivili during the test, allowing them to move freely through the Galaxy.
But given all the 'surprises' Caelus had cooked up in the previous few tests—Preservation hammers, Aha stirring up trouble, Hunt snipers, and so on—this time Herta had learned her lesson the hard way!
She didn't grant them a shred of Trailblaze authority, only tossing the two of them a few of the most basic survival BUFFs!
She refused to believe it!
Surely they couldn't stir up any monkey business like this!?
"We'll start from here."
As Herta's voice fell, the macro view of gazing down upon the Galaxy vanished from before Caelus and the Stelle-Asta fusion, replaced by a normal, restored human field of vision.
"Where is this?"
Crescent brows and starry eyes, as if holding a curved stream of clear water, the purple-haired girl glanced about radiantly.
With all the curiosity and liveliness of arriving somewhere new, the Stelle-Asta fusion's gaze was quickly drawn to the scene before her, locking onto that star system up ahead that looked especially lonely amid the sea of stars.
"This dump is where that Propagation guy ascended to godhood—the Verminstar System, Verminstar itself."
The pen in Herta's hand spun in a circle:
"From here on out, you two are free to act."
"Free to act?"
Caelus pillowed both hands behind his head:
"This star system looks pretty huge—the least you could do is give us some practical BUFFs! How about a teleportation blessing? Or do you expect us to fly there?"
Even though he had flight capability himself, crossing astronomical distances on a star-system scale?
In his dreams!
"Running around the map is the most boring thing ever," the Stelle-Asta fusion chimed in.
Caelus repaid kindness with kindness, riding on the Stelle-Asta fusion's shoulders, his thighs resting on that perky, ample softness:
"You start out with a dog and have to scavenge everything—how about you carry me and run?"
"You wish! You're my Peppy~ Quick, transform into my cosmic mount!"
The Stelle-Asta fusion, half-annoyed and half-amused, gave a twist of her waist and executed a clean, crisp shoulder throw that flipped Caelus right off, the movement as fluid as a dance.
She clapped her hands smugly and, riding the momentum, tried to turn the tables by mounting the Caelus who had just been thrown to the ground, to win back her pride.
But in the very instant she looked up, her line of sight was seized by a scene higher above.
"Wait... Caelus-cub, look up there!"
The Stelle-Asta fusion pointed toward the dim heavens above Verminstar.
A strategic starship fleet of considerable scale, like a herd of silent steel behemoths, hung quietly in the outer orbital space of Verminstar. The cold metal hulls reflected a chilly, ghostly luster under the faint glow of the distant sun, radiating an intangible sense of oppression.
"I've deployed teleport anchor points on several key planets within the star system—their function is similar to the Domain Anchors you use for Trailblazing. For long-distance travel, just rely on those. As for short distances~"
Herta also glanced up at that suspended steel shadow overhead, the purple dumpling's finger tapping at a few planets and character templates within the star system.
"I've loaded up two ordinary templates for you. Right now you're... let me see... the name's a bit long, so let's just call it the Sieglin Army—you're their Navigators."
"What army?"
Both Caelus and the Stelle-Asta fusion froze.
"Sieglin. Is there something special about that name?"
Herta asked, puzzled.
Caelus raised his right hand to a forty-five-degree angle:
"Long live victory!"
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