Chapter 880: Echoes of the Origin

Buzzing…

Lu Xin vaguely felt his head throbbing.

Arriving at the Dark Queen’s domain, he had only planned to glean some news about his Mom.

But he hadn’t expected the Dark Queen to suddenly flood him with so much information.

It was like broken, chaotic threads—seemingly random. Yet once they were absorbed into his mind, they intertwined, forming a vast blanket adorned with vivid patterns that narrated ancient secrets.

The connection between the Thirteen Ultimate and the first successful Experiment Subject, Lu Tianming.

……

……

“So…”

After a long moment, Lu Xin finally exhaled deeply and urgently asked the Dark Queen, “Was the birth of the Ultimate just a coincidence?”

“A coincidence…”

The Dark Queen, upon hearing this, let a faint smile tug at the corner of her mouth before gently shaking her head:

“Nothing happens by chance…”

“You must understand that all life eventually returns to its origin.”

“And the original life is pure, intangible.”

“All consciousness, emotions, memories, and instincts are mere impurities to the origin…”

“Just like pure mental power—an ability untainted by corruption.”

“They only serve to connect our inner worlds, much like a deep blue mental ocean…”

“Yet each person possesses unique traits: their mental core, their emotions, memories, and temperament.”

“When returning to the origin, they are absorbed. Given the vastness of the origin, all these traits eventually break down and dilute—but at a certain critical stage, the impurities within reach their peak…”

“For instance, when each generation of civilization is on the brink of returning to the origin.”

“……”

At that, her expression turned reflective, as if she were witnessing the endless river of time spanning billions of years.

“At the onset of a civilization’s return, the maximum amount of impurities are drawn into the origin.”

“You could see it as a mutual contamination between the origin and civilization.”

“This is the very nature of the Ultimate.”

“The unique traits within the origin are akin to an individual’s myriad emotions.”

“Thus, the Ultimate emerges when a generation of civilization nears its end, tainted by the world’s impurities and acting as its spokesperson. We stand between the origin and civilization, as the final witnesses to a civilization’s demise—both guides for life’s return and mourners of its passing…”

“We are the strongmen before the throne of God, and the angels by the Creator’s side…”

“……”

By this point, her gaze seemed to become infinitely distant.

Lu Xin watched her standing by the window, bathed in the red moonlight outside that lent her an almost sacred aura.

“We eternally stand between the origin and civilization, the tether that binds them.”

“We divide civilization’s very traits, becoming its final spokespersons before returning to the origin.”

“We slumber, diluting these impurities until we awaken once more under new influences.”

“In a sense, we are truly alive only when the origin begins to engage with a new civilization.”

“From that perspective, the emergence of the Ultimate is inevitable.”

“It’s just that…”

“……”

She sighed softly, saying, “A variety of complex factors have made this generation of the Ultimate somewhat different from before. Originally, the Ultimate was meant only to gather human traits for a purer return to the origin, but this generation has changed…”

“Because after the first Experiment Subject entered the origin, a mental tsunami triggered by the flutter of butterfly wings caused it to awaken slightly earlier than usual. Moreover, the cascade of emotions from that subject amplified our self-awareness. Though we would have awakened regardless, something had inevitably shifted…”

“Even a slight contamination makes the Ultimate different from before.”

“This is most evident in our Sister…”

“As a Keeper of Fate, she may have inherited more memories than we have—witnessing too many endings. Or perhaps her authority burdened her with relentless weariness. Maybe it’s simply that, generation after generation, impurities were never fully diluted, accumulating within her until they took their toll. This cycle has truly exhausted her…”

“……”

At this point, the Dark Queen’s tone grew unusually somber:

“I know Sister has suffered greatly over these decades.”

“Though she has the power to glimpse fate, she has always been constrained. She should have simply followed her destined path, yet she chose to remain by your side, watching you grow step by step…”

“For a time, I even thought she had been tamed by Gaoshan Laboratory.”

“Until I came to understand the sacrifices she made for you…”

“For instance, by yielding to your will and helping you become the person you were meant to be.”

“Or by helping you attain the Unique Consciousness…”

“……”

She spoke on without regard for Lu Xin’s repressed feelings, then took a measured breath and looked at him seriously:

“Do you now understand what the Unique Consciousness represents?”

“The Unique Consciousness is the mental program that ensures our implantation into the origin while preserving our consciousness intact.”

“Among the several hundred Experiment Subjects at the time, it was the only one that succeeded and could never be replicated.”

“It was precisely because this program, together with that sole surviving consciousness, formed a wondrous unity—a unique existence that Gaoshan Laboratory, for many years afterward, could never recreate.”

“Thus, finding that Unique Consciousness became Gaoshan Laboratory’s only option.”

“……”

When mentioning Gaoshan Laboratory, a complex glimmer flashed briefly in her eyes.

It was a blend of resentment, hostility, and a hint of wistful admiration.

“Those people were, without a doubt, formidable…”

“Not only because they dared to confront the origin ahead of time, but also for their courage to attempt a dialogue with it.”

“But also for the way they reacted after that chaos erupted back then.”

“In fact, when the Ultimate emerged and the Red Moon incident occurred, they were at a loss for quite some time.”

“Fortunately, they were relatively well-prepared, quick to react, and unafraid to embrace new ideas. Moreover, even the newly awakened Ultimates, due to their distinctive traits, displayed both obsessive thinking and irritating foolishness…”

“Some acted recklessly, eager to absorb fresh blood from the real world…”

At this, she purposely glanced at Lu Xin, who pretended not to notice her look.

“Others, upon awakening, were desperate to seize control of the origin—even forgetting to return to reality…”

“There were those inherently antagonistic and hostile to one another, maintaining a dazed indifference toward everything…”

“And some were willing from the very start to side with humanity…”

“……”

“So in its early stages, the Ultimate wasn’t particularly powerful. In fact, some never fully grew, which gave Gaoshan Laboratory the opportunity to capture and exploit us, right?”

“And that, too, was inevitable…”

“After all, we were tainted not only by your generation of civilization, but also by that first Experiment Subject.”

“His cascade of emotions hastened our awakening and, to some extent, influenced us—some grew inherently close to humanity, some even willing to protect it, while others developed an even stronger sense of self-awareness…”

“……”

Lu Xin listened to her words, processing them until he finally understood.

The emotions released by Lu Tianming before his death had affected each Ultimate differently.

Some longed for truth, others pursued fairness, some were willing to protect the world, while others became numb and bewildered…

And it wasn’t limited to just those.

How many psychological shifts did the first person—forced to become a ‘God’—experience before his demise?

There was terror and reluctance, which is natural.

But who can guarantee that in that moment he didn’t harbor the desire to become a God, to control the world, to seize the ambition filling the origin, and subconsciously endorse the ruthless methods employed by a generation of Researchers?

“That is why the Cangzhang Sect, the Abyss Worm, and the Fire-Thief emerged, right?”

“The birth of each Ultimate mirrors Lu Tianming’s inner world at that time—worthy of an entire thesis…”

“……”

“……”

“And Gaoshan Laboratory, through what could be seen as a failed experiment, unlocked a new approach.”

The Dark Queen continued, “After witnessing the risks brought by the first Experiment Subject, they realized that they simply couldn’t resist the arrival of the origin. Yet, astonishingly, they held the power to control reality even after the origin descended. All it took was to run the experiment again—to pre-program that consciousness destined for the origin.”

“It’s like a controlling Pollution Source is about to emerge, one that no one can oppose.”

“Then why not let oneself become the primary consciousness of this Pollution Source?”

“……”

“Is the coming apocalypse truly terrifying?”

When that question came up, the Dark Queen suddenly smiled, laughing heartily.

Yet that smile carried a trace of mockery: “Not necessarily…”

“If one could become the emperor in the apocalypse, who knows how many would eagerly await its arrival…”

“……”

“……”

“That familiar schadenfreude…”

Lu Xin listened in silence to the Dark Queen’s sarcastic words, then pulled the nearby Black Child over and gave him a kick.

The Black Child let out a miserable scream, and the Dark Queen’s expression turned exasperated.