Chapter 1240: Chapter 712: Cancer of the Universe [Epilogue Two]_2 Chapter 1240: Chapter 712: Cancer of the Universe [Epilogue Two]_2 More and more people yearned for knowledge and a distant unseen future, waving goodbye to their loved ones, friends, and their past, transforming themselves into various life forms: solid, metallic, elemental, energy-state, light-state, antimatter-state, virtual-state, and actual energy particulate state.

Even knowing that the path ahead is dangerous and there is no turning back, that they might vanish at any moment, there will always be someone among the vast human population who comes forward to fill the voids civilization requires, like water flowing into empty spaces.

This is the river of civilization, always filling the crevices within the sands.

As long as they remain eternally united and never forget their origins from the unremarkable blue planet at the edge of the Milky Way Galaxy, the human river will flow endlessly to every corner of the universe, exploring every mysterious aspect of cosmic laws.

…

In the year 5730 AD, a vast legion appeared at the edge of the Andromeda Galaxy, crossing a distance of two million light-years through hundreds of linked star gates as stepping stones.

An endless fleet fanned out, forming a sharp blade, hundreds of light-years long, and pierced directly toward the Andromeda galaxy’s center.

The Battle of Andromeda broke out.

Harrison Clark took to the frontlines, leading the charge.

Nora Camp commanded the central army, strategizing from behind the scenes.

Needham Brown, who had been frozen for two thousand years, finally unleashed his full potential, invincible like a madman.

Anaya Collins stirred up special operations in the heart of Andromeda, integrating the rebellious slave tribes she had rallied into a powerful fighting force, coordinating with the incoming human armies from outside.

The battle lasted nearly two thousand years. In 7650 AD, humans finally wiped out all resistance in the Andromeda Galaxy, expanding the multi-civilization structure of the multi-universe from the Milky Way Galaxy and encompassing the Andromeda Galaxy as well.

The total number of civilizations in the multi-universe increased nearly tenfold.

During these two thousand years, Harrison bid farewell to many people.

Some fell on the battlefield.

But even with the help of cryogenic freezing, many more eventually succumbed to the ravages of time and the aging collapse of their Thought Quantum Storm.

At this point, the differences brought about by varying levels of genetic awakening began to emerge.

The higher the awakening level, the better the structural stability, the longer it can be maintained during cryogenic freezing.

For example, Nora Camp, Anaya Collins, Needham Brown, Mr. Green, Neville Brown, Kevin Carl, and others whose genetic awakening levels had gradually surpassed 75% seemed to have many more years ahead of them with the help of cryogenic freezing.

As for those with an awakening rate just above 55%, they could only helplessly fall under the blade of time.

…

War is never-ending.

Before the Battle of Andromeda ended, humanity had already established numerous production bases within the galaxy, and further built remote stargates like constructing a ladder, which stretched out in all directions.

Like the roots of a tree, humanity’s cosmic ladder reached out to every other galaxy in their local group.

During journeys spanning millions of light-years, humans needed to cross vast distances.

Along the way, the sides of the journey were not filled with abundant stars that provided light and heat, even black holes and dark energy became sparse.

These areas were the inevitable voids of the universe, such as the famous Bootes Void, with a diameter of 330 million light-years. Inside the Bootes Void, distances between galaxy systems averaged 10 million light-years.

This meant that, within these vast distances, there were no stars or planets, only some dark energy and a few sparse actual energy particles.

Resources in these regions are extremely scarce, and it would become incredibly difficult for humans to gather energy.

The road ahead is full of unimaginable dangers and cunning obstacles.

The real danger is no longer radiation bursts, supernova explosions, or cosmic life but desolation and loneliness.

The endless desolation can wear away the human spirit, erode the history of human civilization, and lead higher beings with advanced technology to die from energy “poverty” over time.

However, this does not deter humanity.

Developed from ancient star Dyson membranes, a new type of ultra-large actual energy particle absorption Dyson membrane was invented.

These massive Dyson membranes’ wings spanned tens to hundreds of light-years.

Each hundred-light-year Dyson membrane could accumulate energy equivalent to more than a million stars by merely absorbing the low-concentration actual energy particles ubiquitous in the universe.

Humanity began to expand outward in units of tribes.

With every hundred thousand light-years, humans built a settlement around several giant Dyson membranes, forming vast communities.

The purpose of these communities was to guard and construct the “steps” that made up the cosmic ladder transportation network: the hundred-thousand-light-year ultra-long-range stargates.

Relying on these steps, humans brought war to their entire local group of galaxies and even the Virgo Cluster.

No one knew when this war would end.

But everyone knew that it would eventually end.

Perhaps they would not see that day themselves.

But that day was inevitably coming.

…

In 30210 AD, Harrison sat by an ancient wooden chair.

On the white bed next to him lay his daughter.

“Father, I hear the call of the universe. I must go.”

Harrison smiled and raised his hand to caress his daughter’s aged face.

Even with a 99.9999…% awakening rate, she still could not achieve immortality.

Her life was ultimately finite.

However, she accomplished so much over thirty thousand years.

She was the farthest-traveled, most battle-tested, most galaxy-conquering, most coordinate-leaving, most special operation-completing adventurer, warrior, commander, scientist in human history…

Her head bore many titles.

Her struggles were evident.

And he remembered them firmly.

Harrison nodded, “The call of the universe is actually my calling. You may go; we will meet again at the end of the universe.”

“Really, Father?”

“Of course, you all live in my memory.”

His daughter smiled, “Then, will the war end?”

Harrison nodded, “Of course.”

…

“You ignited the flames of war.

I saw the depths of your eyes in the light of the fire.

I have remembered your eyes.

I will keep this war burning until your civilization is burned to ashes.”

Even if the enemy was themselves, a previous generation of the universe.

But Harrison did not care.

Perhaps, as the highest leader of the Virtual Tribe, the only miscalculation was not foreseeing his own betrayal.

However…
The continuation of humanity, in a sense, left the Virtual Tribe an eternal imprint within the universe.