NOVEL NEXT Chapter 469: Countdown to the Last Breath
The Path of Ethereal and the game called Ethereal—could they truly be unrelated? Ethan wasn't convinced. The thought clung stubbornly to the back of his mind. Whether there was a connection or not, he'd have to ask the old man, Morzan, when he got back.
"You said you don't have much time left. What exactly did you mean?" Ethan asked.
KH3106 glanced at the small display screen built into the armor on his forearm. "While traveling the Path of Ethereal, I crashed into something I couldn't identify. My mech sustained heavy damage and fell into a spatial rift. When I came to, I was here—this artificial world. Not long after, I ran into a Qilin-class beast. I managed to kill it, but I fell into a lava field in the process. The mech was already running low on power, and I couldn't escape. I was forced to use the last of my reserves to enter hibernation. Hibernation slows decay, but too much time has passed. At this point, I have eight minutes and twenty-five seconds left before every organ in my body shuts down. Then I'm gone."
He paused for a breath, then added with a faint trace of irony, "I never expected to meet a transmigrator from Earth at the very last moment of my life. Unfortunately, it's already too late. The ΩA001 Universe should have fallen by now, and the time flow of ΩA002 has accelerated. My data shows this world's time moves a thousand times faster than Earth's. That's the universe's own defense mechanism—accelerating time to breed more warriors capable of resisting external threats."
He pointed at the display screen. The countdown was his life ticking away, second by second.
His explanation also answered questions Ethan had been carrying since his arrival. One in particular had been gnawing at him for a while. "What kind of danger could threaten an entire universe?" he asked. Morzan had always dodged the question. Maybe KH3106 would give him a straight answer.
KH3106 frowned, his voice heavy. "We don't know either."
Ethan's thoughts wandered for a moment before he muttered, "Are there no supreme warriors across these universes?"
"There are," KH3106 replied. "But they don't have what's needed—the primal energy. Without it, they can't stop that force. In our greater universe, only those born in the Desolate Domain are born with primal energy. That's all the data I was given. Now… here."
He unfastened the high-tech wrist device from his arm and held it out. "Its systems have self-repaired over the years. It just needs a power core. If you can find one, it will be a powerful ally to you."
Ethan didn't take it. Instead, he looked at the man and asked, "Why trust me with this? Why tell me any of this?"
KH3106 blinked, then gave a faint, almost amused huff. "If you meant harm, Shatterstar would never have woken me. It doesn't make mistakes. And besides—you carry the primal aura of Earth. That's the real reason it awakened me."
Ethan didn't know whether to laugh or shake his head. This man's trust in technology bordered on religious. But then again, in a universe built on machines, what else would they put their faith in?
So it wasn't Red Snow's blood that woke KH3106—it was his arrival.
"If I can get back to Earth… can I stop this crisis?" Ethan asked after a moment's hesitation.
KH3106 studied him, realization dawning. "You're thinking of using Shatterstar to return? With Earth's current timeline, it's pointless. I'd forget about it if I were you. Here, with your abilities, you could live at least three centuries. If you go back, you'll barely have four years before the Great Change arrives. Compared to three hundred years—or even more if you grow stronger—four years is nothing."
Ethan didn't argue, but the logic was cold and clinical. If he stayed here, he could live far longer. And once you're dust, whether the world burns or not doesn't matter. But he knew one thing for certain—when the time came, he'd be sent back, whether he wanted to or not. And even if he wasn't, he'd try. His family was there, his brothers, his friends.
And from KH3106's description, Ethan was certain this catastrophe was the same one Morzan had hinted at. Which meant that one more person fighting it was still one more chance.
"You keep it," Ethan said, pushing the device back into KH3106's hands.
"But—"
"No buts. Your mech is too ugly anyway. If you want to help me later, get me one that doesn't look like scrap."
"I have one minute left," KH3106 said quietly, eyes dimming.
"Who says you're dying? It's just organ failure, right?" Ethan grinned at the man's surprised look and got to his feet. "Tree Form… activate."
A colossal, faintly shimmering tree took shape behind him. Ethan didn't notice that every time he called on Tree Form, the image shifted—its form now eerily similar to the ancient Tree of Life he'd once seen.
Rejuvenation. Healing Touch. Wild Growth. Lifebloom.
One after another, healing spells poured into KH3106. The countdown on his arm display froze, then started climbing upward.
"Swift Healing… burst!" Ethan snapped his fingers, and a wave of green mist surged forward, wrapping around KH3106 before streaming directly into him. His vitals spiked, climbing until the numbers vanished entirely.
KH3106 stared at him, voice trembling despite himself. "What kind of power is this? It's… not from our greater universe…"
No matter how ready someone is for death, life is still precious. The cold resignation in KH3106's voice was gone, replaced by raw excitement.
Ethan knew the "greater universe" he mentioned meant ΩA001 through ΩA009, and the unnumbered Earth. His own powers came from Ethereal—something even Morzan seemed to understand better than anyone. And Ethan felt… that truth was now within reach.
KH3106 flexed his fingers, then his arms, then stood straighter than he had in centuries. The half-dead man was gone, replaced by a man with life in his eyes once more.