Chapter 264: Simulated Universe: Swarm Disaster 『 Part Five 』
「 "The inhabitants of this world revere the act of procreation as a means to defy the terror of solitude and death. It is precisely for this reason that this place was chosen by 『 Propagation 』," Herta added.
"But there aren't any bugs here," Stelle remarked, looking around. Although there were buildings and traces of human habitation, not a single person was in sight.
"Let's walk around the vicinity. We might find some clues," Herta suggested.
Stelle wandered toward a nearby hospital, where she finally encountered people—no, to be precise, these humans could no longer be called 'people.' They were like a swarm clustering around a queen, mere biological entities enacting the Path of 『 Propagation 』, densely exchanging pheromones.
The hospital corridors were thick with a viscous scent, a metallic sweetness reminiscent of rust; mottled bloodstains marred the floor everywhere. From within the nursery, the chittering of dozens of newborns erupted in unison, accompanied by a briny, fishy stench that made Stelle sway on her feet, nearly losing her balance.
"Wait… insect chittering?" As if suddenly realizing the horror, Stelle shoved open the doors to the nursery and the delivery room. On the small beds where infants should have been lying, without exception, there were only bugs!
In the adjacent hallway, a young pregnant woman was letting out weak, breathless wails.
Beneath her massively distended abdomen, countless irregular protrusions squirmed and surfaced, as if thousands of larvae were frantically gnawing from within. Her features were twisted into a knot of agony as she crawled, dying and struggling, toward the operating room, dragging a long, winding trail of blood behind her.
"What's in her stomach is…" Stelle swallowed hard, the words dying in her throat.
"…It's all bugs," Herta sighed. "Under the influence of the Propagation Path, any organism will only give birth to insects. Furthermore, under the dominion of this Path, 『 Propagation 』 is the only thing they can think about." 」
「 .....」
〜Dragon Raja World〜
Caesar's pupils constricted slightly as the screen in the sky shifted along with Stelle's perspective. In that hospital, nearly every woman capable of childbearing, regardless of age, had a swollen belly. The authority of 『 Propagation 』 appeared to have modified their bodies to some extent.
Some gave birth directly to insects, while others expelled clusters of eggs slick with bloody membranes. The moment those translucent egg cases touched the air, they ruptured, and wet larvae burrowed out, their fine, dense legs still draped in human amniotic fluid.
"Revolting."
Caesar shook his head, his voice as cold as quenched steel.
"According to data observed from across the globe by the college, nearly all insect life on Earth was just influenced by the Path of 『 Propagation 』 for approximately ten minutes."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that in those ten minutes, the world has likely gained an unknown number of new insect species,"
Chu Zihang stated expressionlessly.
"The good news is that we humans were not affected; we are still giving birth to normal humans."
"Giving birth to normal humans… such a mundane thing, yet I actually detect a hint of relief in your voice,"
Caesar said with a bitter smile.
"It is indeed worth celebrating. This is merely a virtual product of the Simulated Universe. If it were a true Star God… the influence would likely extend far beyond just bugs. The authority of 『 Propagation 』 would probably completely suppress the dragon blood within us, turning us into—"
"Ahem… enough. I still have to eat dinner today,"
Caesar interrupted him just in time.
"Thinking about scenes from Alien and realizing they are realities occurring in the universe… I… well, I really want to vomit right now."
"If you truly detest insects, I could recommend a few movies about exterminating bug aliens. They are quite stress-relieving and might alleviate your psychological state somewhat."
—
〜Marvel Cinematic Universe〜
Tony's mouth twitched before he abruptly stood up, turned his head, and strode toward the restroom. The moment the door slammed shut, the sounds of dry heaving and flushing water drifted out.
Strange crossed his arms, his expression even grimmer than usual. According to the message just received from the Sanctum Sanctorum, insects all over the world had behaved strangely—though the duration was short, the potency of the Path's influence was evident.
When Tony returned, his face was pale, and he held a glass of whiskey in his hand—even though he knew alcohol would not affect him now.
"I've seen a lot of disgusting things,"
He rasped.
"But this… this really sets a new low for me."
Strange did not respond immediately; his gaze fixed on the "newborns" in the hospital on the Light screen. Their compound insect eyes flashed with a metallic sheen, and from the very first minute of their birth, they began gnawing on the food in the room—they spared nothing that could be eaten or bitten.
Just like a swarm of locusts.
—He suddenly understood why Herta had named this catastrophe the "Swarm Disaster."
"The manifestation of the 『 Propagation 』 Path… twisting life into pure tools for reproduction, where everything becomes fodder for the bugs."
After a long silence, Strange finally spoke.
"If things develop like this, a locust plague is enough to annihilate the entire universe. So, how was it stopped?"
Strange pondered. According to Herta, the Swarm Disaster was a thing of the distant past, which implied that the Star God of 『 Propagation 』 had already fallen.
Kafka had said that Star Gods could be killed, and indeed, several Star Gods had fallen in the cosmos… but saying it is one thing; no one here had ever witnessed it.
"A Star God killing another Star God seems more plausible. Could it be the Star God of 『 Destruction 』 or the 『 Hunt 』?"
Tony replied subconsciously.
"Those two Star Gods are very young; they seem to have ascended to Aeonhood only after the Swarm Disaster,"
Strange mused for a few seconds.
"Could it be… the Star God of 『 Elation 』, Aha?"
"Ugh…"
Tony forced a smile.
"If a war broke out between Aeons, I don't know if Aha would be the first to charge in, but He would definitely be the first to run away."
—
「 The swarm, nourished by flesh and blood, burst through the windows, taking flight toward the cosmos. On the distant horizon, more black specks were rising.
From the ruins of cities, from the stripped-bare wilderness, from the mud of dried-up riverbeds—every fissure in the earth spewed forth the swarm. They converged into tributaries, then wove into dark undercurrents, blotting out the entire sky like storm clouds.
"They held out for twenty-one days," Herta's sigh echoed in her ear. "Twenty-one days later, Planet Lapole announced global capitulation and requested interstellar support."
Looking up, Stelle saw transport ship after transport ship descending into the city. The vast majority of survivors were shouldering supplies, preparing to flee. Only a small cluster of people remained gathered together, trying to persuade a madwoman who had locked herself in her room to leave. 」
「 .....」
( Translator-kun: When did you think this was a Space comedy!? )