Free Web NovelChapter 394: Chapter 386: The Story of the Active Wormhole
It was a being born within a Wormhole.
A borer worm.
From the moment of its birth, it stood at the apex of the food chain. Its innate talents granted it the ability to bore through space itself and the power to corrupt and devour all things.
"Boring" was its instinct.
No matter how sturdy a substance was, it could not withstand erosion from within.
As long as there was an opening, a flaw, or a crack, it could find a way to slip inside. It would then gnaw and devour the host from within, turning it into sustenance. Even a seemingly indestructible object, like a celestial pillar that had stood for millennia, would topple with a single push once it rotted from the inside out.
It was never satisfied.
In this way, it devoured countless creatures and even Curios. It reached the pinnacle of its tier and, through this accumulation, swiftly touched the threshold of the Holy Hall Tier, successfully evolving the ability [Carrion Sanctuary].
In the vast universe, those who could evolve a Holy Hall Origin on their own could be called the chosen ones. To evolve a Holy Hall Origin within ten years of birth was to be the best of the best.
It gave itself the name "Quintetra."
From then on, it roamed the Vast Star Sea for several thousand years.
After evolving [Carrion Sanctuary], the range of targets it could bore into expanded immensely.
Before, it could only bore into and devour things on a material level, such as the starry sky, physical forms, life, and metal. But now, it could create "carrion ruins" in abstract and intangible things. It could corrupt thoughts, bore into civilizations, and consume ideologies. A civilization with tens of thousands of years of history could not withstand corruption from within; it would collapse as quickly as a dike breached by an ant hole. Even something as ethereal as "power" was an easy meal.
The borer worm had evolved from the material plane to the conceptual plane.
Decades ago, while corrupting an ordinary civilization, it unexpectedly encountered the consciousness of the Creation Celestial Pillar, which was visiting.
The consciousness of the Creation Celestial Pillar was ethereal, formless, and substanceless. It was like a passing gaze—impossible to attack and impossible to be struck. However, the Active Wormhole found a flaw in its consciousness. Through a "civilizational invasion," it bored into the Creation Celestial Pillar’s mind and lay dormant within its thoughts. As the Pillar traveled, the worm quietly returned with it to Earth, tracing its path back to the Creation Celestial Pillar’s true body.
It lay dormant, corroding and gnawing away at the Creation Celestial Pillar from the inside.
It was very patient.
Like a cancer cell.
A thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant hole.
By the time it was discovered, the quantitative change had already led to a qualitative one.
Irresistible corrosion festered deep within the solid Pillar’s core and roots, devouring its endless life. Leveraging the power of its Life Sanctuary, the Creation Celestial Pillar engaged in a decades-long tug-of-war, but it ultimately ended in failure and death. The corpse of the Creation Celestial Pillar, a toppled pillar rich in Life Energy, became a breeding ground for even greater terror.
After devouring the Creation Celestial Pillar, the Active Wormhole was delighted to discover that there were seven more equally delicious meals on this planet!
’What a treasure trove!’
Most importantly, the bottleneck it had been stuck at for a thousand years was finally showing faint signs of breaking! It eagerly chose the nearest target: the Crystalized Giant Beast in the north that specialized in the Power of Space-Time!
Empowered after devouring the Creation Celestial Pillar, it took only three days to kill the Candle Mirage. Afterward came a similar process of consumption, lasting about thirty days.
CRUNCH, CRUNCH.
The Active Wormhole grew more and more excited.
The last piece of crystal was bored open and devoured. The Space-Time Holy Hall Origin was also transferred into its stomach. The Active Wormhole had consumed the Candle Mirage completely, and the Holy Hall Origin within its body underwent a qualitative change.
This was a sign of ascension.
...
...
...
Shi Ming hid within the glacier, constantly monitoring the Active Wormhole’s condition.
He had been here for two and a half days.
During this time, he had used the Eye of Destiny to successfully obtain information on the Curio [Miniature Wormhole]. He now had a clear understanding of this vicious beast’s other trump card.
[Miniature Wormhole]
[Curio Rank: 4]
[When the Space-Time Origin of the "Candle Mirage" entered the Active Wormhole’s stomach, the Space-Time Power and Wormhole Power combined for the first time, spawning a Curio separate from the Origin itself. It takes the shape of a small, collapsing nebula. Within the nebula are three wormholes, each leading to an unknown location. It requires three seconds to activate. Upon activation, any target it touches will be instantly teleported.]
A consumable item.
For a consumable item to hold the fourth rank was a testament to its domineering power. Its effect was simple and brutal: regardless of the target’s strength, they would be directly banished to an unknown Star Domain!
Its only weakness was a three-second activation time.
This was a newly born Curio, currently stored within the Active Wormhole’s stomach. The Active Wormhole itself had the ability to bore open wormholes, but it was extremely time-consuming. In contrast, this Miniature Wormhole, created with the help of the Space-Time Origin, was efficient, convenient, and incredibly useful.
CRUNCH.
The last crystal was devoured.
’Has it started?’
Shi Ming sensed the anomaly in the creature.
The red, blood-like tendrils floating in the Ice Lake were sucked back in. The entire azure Air Lake returned to its frigid clarity. The shadow at the bottom of the lake expanded and contracted, refining itself into countless strange threads. Then, these threads began to wrap around the shadow, layer by layer.
Words flickered before Shi Ming’s eyes.
[How miraculous! The evolution of a "borer worm" from a Wormhole also requires spinning a cocoon!]
[This is a great moment, one to be recorded in the history of the Active Wormhole!]
[At this moment, the Nirvana Tier is within reach! Only the final membrane remains! For an ordinary being, it would take at least three years to go from touching this stage to truly entering it. But the Active Wormhole is a life-form that excels at finding bugs and exploiting loopholes. The "tier membrane" is merely an abstract concept, just like thought or civilization—so why can’t it be bored through?]
[It will complete its ascension within 25 days and fully enter the Nirvana Tier!]
[If you choose Plan A, you must make your decision before the 24th day!]
[During the evolution process, its consciousness will be focused on its main body.]
[If you choose Plan B, you can observe this nirvanic transformation and perhaps benefit greatly from it.]
The words disappeared.
Shi Ming’s usually calm heart now stirred. This next juncture was critically important!
’Set the course of destiny!’
’Activate!’
’It seems like there’s no danger, but something unexpected could still happen!’ He had to ensure the Active Wormhole entered its irreversible ascension phase with 100% certainty.
The River of Destiny and its countless tributaries appeared once more within the Eye of Destiny.
[Tributary 1: Peaceful Evolution]
[The Active Wormhole cannot suppress its desire for ascension. Acting on instinct, it immediately spins its cocoon and begins the process. This planet is so safe; what place could possibly be better suited for its ascension?]
[Probability: 93%]
Shi Ming breathed a sigh of relief.
This was the tributary of destiny he wanted.
But there was still time, so he continued to look at the other tributaries.
[Tributary 2: Hm? Where’s the Food?]
[The Active Wormhole cannot suppress its desire for ascension. However, before beginning, it casually scans the planet for its food reserves, only to find they have all vanished. It senses with horror that a crisis may be at hand.]
[Probability: 6%]
