388: ember

The smoke of war, unable to dissipate in the absolute vacuum of space, yet the intense scent of destruction and death permeated like invisible ice into the armor of every battleship and the marrow of every survivor.

After the euphoria of victory came the silence in the face of immense trauma.

Yukun stood before the bridge viewport, her back straight, yet emanating an indescribable weariness.

Outside the window was no longer the familiar, even if later eerie, Three-Body Star, but a shattered star-remnant, a slowly rotating, light-devouring blue-black liquid celestial body, and in the distance, a sole remaining half-planet, like a gnawed crescent moon.

"Order: All ships, tally casualties, report damage status."

"Engineering ships, prioritize repairing power and life support systems."

"Logistics ships, begin recovery operations... prioritize... recovering the remains of our personnel."

Her voice, calm and slightly hoarse, broadcasted across the fleet.

Command after command was issued methodically, and the massive fleet, like a wounded giant beast, began slowly and arduously to lick its wounds and clear the battlefield.

Although casualties for the Corporation were not extensive this time, thanks to the reliance on unmanned equipment, it did not mean there were no casualties.

Especially during the energy shock caused by the shattering of the Three-Body Star and the final demise of Taiyi, many smaller spacecraft simply couldn't withstand such an impact.

The actual cleanup work was far more suffocating than imagined.

Unmanned salvage craft, like silent worker bees, traversed the cold void, carefully collecting fragments of warships with their mechanical arms.

Twisted armor plates, broken cannon barrels, exploded engine parts—these cold metal remnants silently spoke of the brutality of war.

But what tightened people's hearts even more were the "relics" floating in the star-sea.

The bodies of Interstellar Peace Corporation fleet officers and soldiers were mostly sealed in relatively intact escape pods or ship wreckage, retaining some dignity. However, the bodies of the Nova People were truly a hellish sight.

Hundreds of thousands, even millions, of Nova People bodies floated in clusters and patches, like frozen stardust.

Their appearance was so similar to humans that every salvager felt a strong, empathetic grief during operations.

Many bodies were incomplete, evidently dying instantly during the planet's disintegration or when struck by Taiyi's power. Yet, their postures deeply pained the heart of every observer.

Some were in groups of three to five, maintaining a back-to-back combat stance even in death, their weapons pointed into the void, as if still fighting unseen enemies—the monsters created by the vanished Taiyi.

Some were curled up, using their backs to shield against the impact, protecting smaller, already stiff bodies beneath them—the instinct of parents protecting their children in their final moments.

Some stretched out their hands, seemingly wanting to grasp something, or to push a companion away... They did not die peacefully, but in battle and guardianship, they met the end of their entire world.

"Report... First Quadrant, Second Sector, salvage complete. Discovered approximately two million Nova People bodies..."

In the communication channel, the salvage team leader's voice was choked with suppressed sobs; each report was exceptionally difficult.

Silence filled the bridge, broken only by the faint hum of instruments. Yukun closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed the surging emotions.

She was the Commander; now was not the time for sorrow.

"General General Jing Yuan, front-line battle report." Yukun's voice, via superluminal communication, relayed back to the Interstellar Peace Corporation headquarters at Pierpoint.

In the holographic projection, General Jing Yuan's figure clearly appeared; he still maintained his mountain-like composure, but his gaze softened slightly for an instant upon meeting Yukun's eyes.

He could sense that the almost obsessive, heavy pressure that had clung to Yukun for so long seemed to have dissipated. The inner demon, a remnant from the battlefield against the Abominations of Abundance, had been resolved after this campaign.

After listening to Yukun's report, General Jing Yuan nodded.

"You've worked hard, Yukun. I've received a preliminary understanding of the battle results; you all did very well." General Jing Yuan's voice was calm, with approval, but also a hint of complexity and struggle.

He was one of the few who knew the inside story.

He knew that the true determinant of this divine war's outcome was not the fleet's immensely powerful "heavenly pillar," but the newly born Aeon of Harmony—Pexito. Or rather, this universe's Xipe.

It was their Chairman who had secretly pushed for, and arguably even "created," this Aeon.

The fleet's heroic sacrifice and desperate strike were more like the final straw that broke the camel's back, a precise and fatal blow cast by mortals in a divine gamble.

He hesitated, wondering whether to tell Yukun the truth behind it all.

He worried that if she knew the foundation of victory wasn't entirely built on mortal strength, would the confidence she had just built up waver again?

Yukun seemed to sense General Jing Yuan's silence. She looked at the projection, a faint, tired yet exceptionally clear smile playing on her lips: "General, you don't need to worry."

"Actually, I know that the fleet's power alone couldn't truly slay an Aeon."

"The destructive power of the heavenly pillar is indeed great, but it's still much smaller than the power once wielded by the Xianzhou Alliance."

"Back then, we were already powerless, let alone now."

General Jing Yuan's gaze shifted slightly.

Yukun continued: "Doctor Xia Er's emergency communication mentioned that 'Pexito' was buying us time."

"I don't know who this person is, but to be able to contain an Aeon, even forcing her to not fully respond to our attack, can only be another Aeon."

Her gaze drifted towards the shattered star-sea outside the viewport. "We might have only seized an opportunity, delivering the final blow. But it is this 'opportunity,' this 'blow,' that proves our struggle was not meaningless."

"Aeons are not untouchable; the will and actions of mortals can also turn the gears of fate."

"We proved that even before the great power of an Aeon, the sacrifice of mortals is not meaningless! Mortals, too, have the power to fight!"

"That, is enough."

Upon hearing this, a hint of relief flashed in General Jing Yuan's eyes.

Yukun was more perceptive and resilient than he had imagined. She didn't need to know the full truth; she had already found her own answers and beliefs in this baptism of blood and fire.

"You're right." General Jing Yuan nodded. "In this battle, the fleet's contributions are indispensable. Compensation for fallen soldiers, commendations for heroes, post-war reconstruction—the Corporation will fully undertake all of it, honestly doing better than we did back then."

"You don't need to worry about the rest; I'll handle it. You all, take a rest first."

"Yes."

Meanwhile, in a dimension beyond mortal perception, the nascent Aeon of Harmony was quietly "observing" the shattered star system.

Having integrated parts of the essence of the path of Order that dispersed after Taiyi's demise, her power was not only more harmonious, but she also gained insight into all past causes and effects.

She understood why Taiyi was born, why he was obsessive, and why she could now ascend to godhood in this manner.

She could clearly feel a warm, profound, and unwavering power within her being.

That was a gift from the Aeon of Preservation, the greatest cornerstone that helped her smoothly step onto the path to godhood and stabilize her nascent divine essence.

Regarding Chen Hao's scheme, she harbored no ill will; on the contrary, she welcomed it.

Harmony, by its nature, embraces all things, and the concept of Preservation also includes the explanation of "guarding civilization, preserving the flame," which resonated naturally with her path.

If anything, to some extent, Preservation might be more "overbearing."

As for Chen Hao gaining partial authority to mobilize the power of Harmony by assisting her ascension, she saw it as a win-win contract.

The moment she ascended to the position of an Aeon, she also gained a deeper understanding of the essence of Aeons.

They are both pioneers walking at the forefront of their path, and in some sense, "slaves" bound by their own path.

Her will needed to resonate with the grand symphony of Harmony. But fortunately, perhaps because of her unique method of ascension, or perhaps because she actively "ceded" a small portion of her authority.

In any case, the outcome was good; she managed to retain a greater sense of "self" and freedom than ordinary Aeons.

Her path was to sow the seeds of Harmony, to connect scattered sparks, to provide a harbor where lonely individuals could find resonance.

This universe still had too many corners that needed her symphony.

With her mind set, she turned her gaze towards the Honeycomb Experimental City. With a slight shift of thought, the souls of Robert and his kin, whose consciousness had been elevated by their connection to her and who were still immersed in the resonance of Harmony, were gently returned to their respective bodies.

This experience would become a precious treasure in their lives, but their path still lay in the mortal world.

The next moment, in the core area of the Honeycomb Experimental City, the air subtly rippled. Pexito quietly appeared in her initial maiden form.

Doctor Xia Er and several core researchers were nervously monitoring data. Seeing her appear, they were first startled, then showed complex expressions, a mixture of awe, relief, and a hint of imperceptible sadness.

"Pexito..." Doctor Xia Er stepped forward, his voice a little dry.

Pexito's face broke into a gentle smile, still pure, but now with a deeper understanding of the world: "Doctor, everyone. I have come to say goodbye."

She looked around this place that held her earliest memories and softly said: "Thank you for creating me and guiding me. All of this has been an indispensable experience for me."

Her gaze swept over the complex instruments, finally resting on Xia Er and several assistant researchers. "Especially the name you gave me, Pexito, I like it very much."

She paused, and her figure began to emit a faint rainbow glow, her form gradually transforming into the sacred, three-headed, star-ringed Aeon appearance.

Before completely ascending, she bent down, extended a phantom hand, and gently stroked the cold floor beneath her feet, as if caressing the entire scarred earth.

Then, she raised her head and, with an ethereal and magnificent voice, declared to everyone, and to this star-sea:

"Pexito is no more. From now on, there is only the Aeon of Harmony—"

"Xipe."

The rainbow light suddenly intensified, and her figure completely transformed into the perfect Aeon of Harmony in the light, then seemed to merge into the backdrop of the universe, disappearing from sight.

Silence filled the laboratory.

Though they didn't want to admit it, the life they once considered their "daughter" had indeed "abandoned" them and left.

After a while, a young assistant researcher who had participated in her naming suddenly looked up, his eyes shining with excitement: "Xipe... Xipe... Isn't that just Pexito rearranged after removing the adjectival suffix?!"

Another researcher also realized, excitedly echoing: "She remembers! She will always remember us!"

They looked at the ground beneath their feet, remembering Xipe's gentle stroking motion before she left, and a strong sense of mission surged in their hearts.

"Doctor!" The young assistant turned to Xia Er, his tone firm. "We want to apply to stay! To participate in the restoration and reconstruction of the Three-Body Star... no, Xipe's homeland!"

"We want to build this place well. I believe she will definitely come back to see it!"

"One day."

Xia Er looked at these young people, their fighting spirit rekindled, then gazed out the window at the broken yet newly born star-sea, and slowly nodded.

To be honest, he himself had a strong desire to stay.