"Hah?" Robin's expression twisted in disbelief, his brows furrowing sharply. "Planet Verilion, in the Young Sector 101, was attacked by a space beast? Verilion itself? The Seed of the Galaxy?!" His tone was almost a shout, laced with shock and refusal to believe.

"You haven't heard about this either?" Althera's expression turned from surprise to confusion. "Everything surrounding Verilion has always been the focal point of this entire quadrant of the universe! How could you not have heard about the attack? Don't tell me you've been living in a cave all this time?"

"Literally, yes," Robin answered with a dry chuckle that didn't match the tension in his face. "Now tell me, what happened?!"

"All we have for now," Althera said, crossing her arms, "are early reports and witness statements from Nexus State experts who were stationed within the Allied Army's main fleet. Every one of them testified that a creature the size and magnitude of a Young Space Beast suddenly appeared. The Marshals immediately ordered an emergency retreat." She exhaled deeply, shaking her head. "Both sides suffered devastating losses—thousands upon thousands of ships and carriers were obliterated. And contact has been completely lost with both Marshal Fargus and Marshal Brontor."

"What about the planet?!" Robin's body tensed as he leaned forward, gripping the edge of his seat as if the answer might slip away.

"No one knows for sure," Althera said quietly, raising her shoulders in helplessness. "The planet isn't in its place anymore. It's gone. Either it was devoured completely, or it was shifted elsewhere through planetary displacement artifact. But if it really was moved, then one question remains…" she paused for a moment, her tone lowering, "…where exactly are Marshals Fargus and Brontor?"

She took a deep breath before continuing, "The Stellar Academies of the Mid Sector 101 have already begun a full-scale investigation. They've sent exploration teams to probe the area, analyze the dimensional disturbances, and search for the missing planet. They're also hunting for the space beast itself—which, apparently, has vanished without a trace. Everything about this incident is wrapped in uncertainty."

"...." Robin nodded slowly, his expression darkening.

That was expected. Even if Verilion had truly been moved using displacement gear, its inhabitants would never be able to reach the Mid Sector to report their coordinates for months—perhaps even years. And the Allied Army? They would need just as long to spin their political webs, to conceal their failures and manipulate the information—assuming, of course, that the planet had indeed been moved, and not simply devoured whole by that monstrous being.

The only reason Althera received this news within mere days was most likely because the Nexus State soldiers under the Allied banner had used some kind of emergency interlink technique to send distress signals across the stars. Even so, they themselves hadn't yet returned to the Middle Belt.

No wonder the Shadow Swords hadn't sent him any report—transmitting across sectors at that speed was impossible even for them.

Robin's jaw clenched, his teeth grinding together in frustration. Even with the supposedly advanced interstellar communication network, he still couldn't transmit a simple message between two sectors. Pathetic!

And worse still…

…Of all the billions upon billions of planets scattered through the universe, Verilion—that specific planet—had to be the one attacked by a space beast? What kind of cursed misfortune was following Hedrick this time?!

"The current working theory," Althera resumed, "is that the space beast was drawn to the planet's weakened fabric after centuries of endless wars. The constant bombardments had thinned the cosmic veil there, making it fragile enough for a creature of such size to tear open a rift and enter through it." Her eyes dimmed as she continued, "But that's only part of the truth. The real reason this could happen is because the beast had been lurking in that region all along, drifting on the far side of the galactic boundary—waiting, patiently, for the chance to break free."

"…That happened because its predecessor appeared decades ago—and it's still alive." Her tone grew colder, more serious. "If this new one—the so-called Bearded Whale, as the soldiers described it—also survived, then the balance of the universe itself will shift. More and more space beasts will begin to surface. The cosmos will once again turn into their hunting ground."

Her gaze hardened, her voice dropping into a grim whisper. "And if that happens… a far greater catastrophe will follow."

"A catastrophe greater than space beasts?" Robin blinked in disbelief. "What could possibly—" He suddenly froze mid-sentence. His expression drained of color, the realization sinking deep into his bones. "Oh…"

Althera nodded slightly, seeing the pale dread on his face. "Yes… The possible return of the Abyss of Doom. The reawakening and unification of the Three Plague Forms—and with them, the rise of the hidden Plague Emperors. That event will inevitably unfold… if the rumors of the Cosmic Elder's death are proven true."

Damn it, damn it, damn it!!!

Robin nearly crushed his own hands beneath his tightening grip, the tendons in his arms straining as fury and frustration surged through him like fire.

He had only just begun to gain momentum—his influence spreading across multiple sectors, his army growing stronger, his research finally yielding results—and now, of all times, the universe decided to stab him in the back with this disaster? Was it written in the stars that he would never, ever know peace? Not even for a fleeting moment of reprieve?

The appearance of a single space beast in the Young Sector 101 was already enough to classify as a cosmic-level calamity.

If even one of those creatures were to appear near Nihari, which is just one sector away, what then? What would happen if such a thing chose to feed there? Althera had mentioned how they consume planets whole and swallow dwarf stars… just how massive were they?

And even if, by some impossible miracle, he survived this impending horror, he would still have to face something far worse—the possibility of the Abyss of Doom's return, that ancient calamity which had once torn through half the known universe!

"...."

Robin's arms trembled as his head dropped, falling heavily into his palms. His shoulders shook—not from fear, but from the unbearable weight pressing on his mind.

No wonder Althera had been so harsh with him earlier, ready to push him to the edge the moment she heard he wanted to take Morgana away. Now that he thought about it, he could only commend her restraint. The fact that she hadn't attacked him outright or had him detained on the spot was nothing short of mercy. Weakening the Academy's strength at a time like this could easily be considered a betrayal of the highest order.

She wasn't just contending with the rebellious academies breaking formation, nor merely fending off the arrogance of the Behemoths who constantly meddled in the affairs of mortals. No—she had to remain vigilant against the countless dark powers slumbering in the depths of the void, powers that would inevitably begin to stir now that many academies had abandoned their sacred duty of hunting down criminals corrupted by black karma. And as if that wasn't enough, she now carried the responsibility of safeguarding not one but two entire sectors—the Mid and Young 99—from the rising threat of space beasts and the dormant plague lurking beneath reality itself.

That damned old man…

Even though he rarely appeared, and most beings in the universe hadn't seen him for centuries, just a single rumor about his possible death had sent shockwaves rippling across every corner of existence. Entire civilizations were whispering about it; fleets were changing course; even the most powerful organizations were trembling in silence.

"…You said it's just a rumor spreading around—so why isn't it confirmed?" Robin asked finally, his voice muffled as his head remained buried between his hands. "Sure, the public spreads lies all the time, but you—the heads of the academies—you've got ways to reach him directly, don't you? Didn't you personally go to that planet and take me from there? He's ninety-nine percent likely still in the same place, wounded or not. If he's alive, he's probably still sitting on that miserable island, eating that disgusting sea fish he loves so much. And if he's dead, then his corpse should still be there, rotting on that cursed shore."

"Please," Althera said sharply, frowning as a hint of irritation crossed her face, "speak about him with a little more respect." She exhaled slowly, steadying her tone. "...Things don't work that way with the Cosmic Elder. You can't just visit him whenever you feel like it. His worlds are completely isolated from the rest of the cosmos—cut off by barriers of his own creation. No one can enter, or even spy on them, without his explicit permission. When I went there with you, it was only because he himself opened the gate and allowed it. That's the problem we're facing now. We've been using every emergency communication method available—every signal, every resonance—to try and contact him, to check if he's alive or to request an audience. But he's not responding. Not even once."

She paused for a moment, her expression darkening. "Some academies have even started spreading false reports, claiming he's safe and alive, and that anyone spreading the death rumors will be punished. But no one is buying it. Not when a fully matured space beast is still rampaging through the Mid Sector 911, leaving a trail of chaos and destruction behind."

"…" Robin finally lifted his head, his face pale but his gaze focused, steady and intent. His eyes lingered on the floor for a few seconds before he slowly looked up at Althera. "Can you… try to contact him again?" he asked quietly, his voice softer now, almost pleading. "Please—do it for my sake."

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