NABC Chapter 294: The Time Watcher's Choice
Chapter 294: The Time Watcher's Choice
At the center of the spacetime abyss, it was as if a rift had opened up the entire universe. The surrounding space was extremely distorted, past and future intertwined, and the boundary between reality and nothingness almost disappeared. Here, the flow of time lost its meaning, and the existence of any matter was gradually swallowed up by the power of nothingness. The spaceship's systems were severely disrupted, and it would intermittently lose contact with the outside world, as if all existence had fallen into an endless void.
“The power of nothingness is even stronger than we expected.” Selena stared intently at the instrument, her expression tense. “The energy fluctuations here are far too complex. All the rules are being distorted, and it’s impossible to repair them using traditional methods.”
Ares stood on the deck of the spaceship, his gaze fixed intently ahead. The abyss of nothingness seemed to swallow everything. He said in a deep voice, "This is the core of nothingness, the abyss of the laws of the universe. We thought we had destroyed the rift and annihilated the embodiment of nothingness, but we were wrong. Nothingness does not depend on physical existence; it exists at the foundation of spacetime. It is a consciousness that transcends the rules."
Wagner stood behind them, his battle axe twirling lightly in the air. "Speaking of which, since it dares to wait for us here, don't blame me for smashing its core!"
“You know, Wagner, brute force won’t do,” Selena reminded him. “We’re not facing a simple enemy, but a force that alters the very laws of the universe. If we can’t destroy its core, all our efforts will be in vain.”
The spaceship continued its descent, and finally, they approached the core region of the spacetime abyss. Here, the space no longer conformed to any known laws of physics. All energy fluctuations were absorbed by the void, and everything around them began to blur and become indistinct.
“This is…” Selena’s voice suddenly stopped, “Do you see that ahead? That’s…that’s the Time Watcher!”
Within the abyss of nothingness, several indistinct figures float. They are enormous, seemingly woven from light and shadow, mysterious and powerful. These beings are the Time Watchers, beings transcending time and space, responsible for upholding the spacetime laws of the universe.
"Time Watchers?" Wagner's eyes lit up. "Weren't these guys supposed to have disappeared? How come they're here?"
“They haven’t disappeared.” Selena’s voice carried a hint of shock. “They have always existed in the depths of the universe, monitoring the flow of spacetime and ensuring that the laws of the universe are not violated. The interference of nothingness has awakened them from their slumber. They are not only guardians of time, but also maintainers of the rules of the universe.”
These Time Watchers appear to have no physical form, like embodiments of time and space, floating in nothingness. Their figures are indistinct, but their eyes gleam with wisdom that transcends countless timelines.
"Your existence is a challenge to the laws of the universe." One of the Watchers' voices was deep and solemn, echoing in their ears. "The power of nothingness is destroying the foundations of time and space, disrupting the order of the universe. If you do not end this, the entire universe will never be able to recover."
Ares gripped the runeblade tightly, his eyes resolute: "We will not allow the power of the Void to completely destroy the universe, but we need your help, Time Watchers. Can you support us in finding a way to destroy the Void's core?"
The Time Watchers' gazes remained profound, as if they were pondering Ares's proposal. After a moment, they slowly spoke: "We cannot directly intervene in the origin of nothingness. Nothingness is not a simple enemy; it transcends our control over spacetime and challenges the very nature of the universe."
Selena asked anxiously, "Then what should we do? How can we restore order to the universe and defeat the Void?"
The Watcher of Time slowly replied, "The core of the Void exists at the core node of the Abyss of Time and Space, the source of the flow of time and space. If you can destroy this node, the power of the Void will be severed. However, this is not an ordinary battle, but a choice of destiny."
Ares was startled upon hearing this: "A choice of fate?"
“Yes,” the Watcher of Time continued, “The Fate Node connects the past, present, and future of all universes. Once you enter the core of the node, you will face the final judgment of fate. Only by understanding the laws of fate can you truly destroy the core of nothingness.”
Wagner was somewhat puzzled: "You mean, to destroy nothingness, we need to understand the laws of fate? Do we need to learn how to 'manipulate fate'?"
Selena clearly recognized the seriousness of the problem, and she frowned: "We've faced nothingness before, a consciousness beyond matter that tries to erode all rules. Now, if we're going to break through it, we might really need to understand the fundamental laws of the universe."
Ares took a deep breath, his gaze resolute: "The Fate Node, the Abyss of Time, the Core of Nothingness... these are the final barriers to the laws of the universe. We must go there and end it all."
Guided by the Time Watchers, the guardians finally entered the core node of the Time Abyss. Here, space and time are extremely distorted; all matter, warped by the flow of time, is almost impossible to define clearly. The rules of the universe do not exist here; memories of the past and visions of the future intertwine, forming countless illusory images.
“This is a trial of fate.” Selena gazed at the scene before her. “All the choices, all the possibilities, seem to be intertwined in this space. Every decision we make will have a huge impact on the future.”
“But that is the power of nothingness,” Ares said. “It controls the fate of the universe by distorting these choices. We must find a way to destroy it.”
Suddenly, the spacetime scene before them became even more chaotic, and the power of nothingness began to retaliate. The image of the nothingness avatar reappeared, appearing before them with a cold laugh: "Do you think you can destroy me? The laws of fate are already under my control. Your efforts are nothing but futile."
Ares gripped the rune sword, its blade radiating a dazzling light, pointing it directly at the avatar of nothingness: "You are wrong, nothingness. We are not slaves to fate, but its true masters. You cannot destroy our will."
The avatar of nothingness's smile grew even more sinister: "Your will is nothing more than part of my design. Every choice you make is a result I have already predetermined. You want to defy fate? You are already trapped in the game I have designed, and there is no escape."
The avatar of nothingness began to grow larger, its power spreading wildly, distorting everything in space and time around it. The guardians faced an unprecedented test; each of their attacks seemed unable to inflict any real damage on the nothingness.
“We cannot be misled by its mockery,” Ares said firmly. “The empty ‘fate’ is nothing but its own prejudice. What we grasp is not a meaningless rule, but the true law of the universe.”
Selena took a deep breath and quickly adjusted the equipment in her hands: "I have solved some of the puzzles. Although nothingness can distort time, it cannot control the core of destiny. We must destroy its source before it completely controls spacetime."
Wagner raised his battle axe and roared, "Come on! I'll show you what true power is!"
As the battle axe swung, cracks appeared in the Void Avatar's body. Ares and Selena quickly took action, coordinating with Wagner's attack. The three worked together and finally found a weakness in the Void Avatar.
In the final strike, the runic sword pierced the core of the Void Avatar, causing the entire spacetime abyss to tremble violently. The power of the Void collapsed instantly, and time and space began to return to order.