N-A-A Chapter 296: The Call of the End Protocol
Chapter 296: The Call of the End Protocol
Having defeated the first guardian of the Tower of Destiny, Ares, Selena, and Wagner had no time to catch their breath. They knew the power within the tower was far greater than they had imagined. As they advanced towards the top, the space within became increasingly distorted, each step feeling like traversing a different dimension, the flow of time sometimes accelerating, sometimes halting, as if the entire tower was resisting their presence.
“This tower…it seems to be alive,” Selena whispered, her eyes filled with vigilance. Her scanner showed that the energy fluctuations inside the tower were constantly increasing, seemingly in response to their approach.
Ares gripped the rune sword, his gaze resolute: "The Tower of Destiny is not merely a structure; it is the embodiment of the laws of the universe. The closer we get to its core, the closer we get to the fundamental rules of the universe."
Wagner followed closely behind, swinging his battle axe to cleave through the energy barrier that suddenly appeared in front of him: "Whatever it is, we have to get up there. If fate dares to stand in our way, I'll smash it to pieces too!"
The spaceship could go no further, and the three had no choice but to climb on foot. The tower seemed endless, each floor filled with illusions and challenges. They saw their past selves, and they also saw possible futures—futures of failure, futures swallowed by nothingness, even futures of betrayal.
“These are all illusions,” Ares said calmly, slashing his sword through a void of illusions. “The void is trying to undermine our will.”
“But it underestimated us.” Selena took a deep breath and calmly analyzed the logical flaws in the illusion. “We are not fighting for ourselves, but for the entire universe. It cannot destroy our beliefs.”
As they climbed, the illusions gradually dissipated, replaced by an invisible sense of oppression. The atmosphere inside the tower grew heavier, as if an unseen force was scrutinizing their every step.
Finally, the three reached the top of the Tower of Destiny. There floated a huge sphere of light, radiating dazzling light, and at the center of the sphere was a complex and mysterious rune—the Protocol of the End.
"This is... the core of the Code of Fate?" Wagner's eyes widened, his voice filled with undisguised shock.
Selena scanned quickly, her face gradually turning pale: "This is not just the core of the Destiny Code, it's a reboot mechanism. Once activated, the laws of the entire universe will be completely reset, the past, present, and future will be erased, and everything will start anew."
Ares's gaze was fixed on the rune at the center of the sphere of light. He could feel the immense power contained within it. This power was beyond his comprehension, as if the fate of the entire universe was sealed within this rune.
Just then, a deep and majestic voice came from within the sphere of light: "Guardians, welcome to the end of your destiny. Your efforts have proven your courage and wisdom. But the fate of the universe has already been decided."
All three became alert simultaneously. Ares gripped his rune sword tightly and asked coldly, "Who are you?"
The voice carried an irresistible majesty, as if it came from the abyss of the universe: "I am the will of the End Protocol. The universe has long been on the verge of collapse, and the only way out is to restart. Guardian, as the agent of the universe's will, you are qualified to become the ultimate judge and guide the universe into a new era."
These words fell silent among the three. Selena reacted quickly, her voice calm but accusatory: "Reboot the universe? That would erase all life, history, and civilization! Is everything we've done just going to disappear like that?"
"This is the only way." The voice of the End Protocol was as cold and hard as iron. "The corruption of the universe is irreversible, and nothingness is just the prelude to collapse. Only by restarting can all the flaws be cleared and the universe be renewed."
Ares frowned, sensing the power and truth within the voice. The universe was indeed ravaged, the erosion of nothingness threatening the very laws of spacetime. But… was restarting truly the only path?
The Final Protocol continued, "Ares, your name is recorded in the code of destiny. You are the anchor of destiny, your existence determines the course of the universe. Choose: become the ultimate judge and restart the universe, or... let it collapse completely into nothingness."
Selena abruptly turned to look at Ares, her eyes filled with shock: "Ares, you are the anchor of destiny?!"
Wagner looked on incredulously: "Dude, when did you become a 'key figure' in the universe?"
Ares did not answer; the words of the End Protocol echoed in his mind. He had never imagined that his existence would be so closely intertwined with the fate of the universe. But now, he had to make a choice.
“If I choose to restart…” Ares began, his voice low and firm, “everything we have, including ourselves, will be erased, right?”
“Yes,” the End Protocol answered without hesitation, “but the universe will gain new life, and everything will start from scratch and be rewritten.”
“And if I refuse…” Ares continued.
"The universe will continue to collapse, the power of nothingness will devour everything, and no existence will be able to escape it." The voice of the End Protocol was like the pronouncement of death, devoid of any emotion.
Ares closed his eyes and pondered for a moment. He recalled every moment he fought alongside Selena and Wagner, the arduous journey they had undertaken together to save the universe. He couldn't accept that it was all erased, that their efforts and sacrifices had ultimately vanished into nothingness.
He opened his eyes, his gaze resolute: "I refuse."
As Ares finished speaking, the orb of the Final Protocol suddenly erupted with blinding light, and the entire Tower of Destiny began to tremble violently. The voice of the Final Protocol turned cold and furious: "You rejected the only way out and chose destruction. Then bear the price for your choice!"
Endless energy surged from the sphere of light, transforming into a massive blade of light that hurtled towards the three. Ares raised his rune sword without hesitation to meet the attack. The light from the rune sword clashed violently with the blade of light, unleashing a deafening roar.
Wagner and Selena quickly joined the battle. Wagner swung his battle axe to sever the incoming energy tentacles, while Selena bombarded the outer defenses of the light sphere with energy cannons. However, the power of the End Protocol was beyond imagination, and every attack was easily neutralized.
"Its power is too great!" Selena gritted her teeth. "We must find its weakness!"
Ares pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized: "It depends on the core of the Destiny Code to function! If we can interfere with the code's operation, we can weaken its power!"
Selena immediately began operating the device in her hand, attempting to hack into the system of the Fate Code. However, the End Protocol clearly sensed their intentions and suddenly released a powerful energy wave, blasting Selena away.
"Selena!" Wagner roared, rushing forward to block her, using his battle axe to deflect the successive attacks.
Ares seized the opportunity to rush toward the core of the Code of Fate, raised the Rune Sword high, gathered all his strength, and slashed down!
The runic sword pierced the core of the light sphere, and the Final Protocol let out a shrill scream as the entire Tower of Destiny began to collapse. The light sphere's glow rapidly dimmed, and the surrounding space gradually returned to normal.
Selena and Wagner quickly arrived at Ares' side, and the three of them stood on the top of the collapsing tower, exchanging glances.
“We did it,” Selena whispered, a hint of relief in her eyes.
Ares nodded, but his eyes held a deep worry: "But this is only the beginning. The End Protocol has been destroyed, but the fate of the universe... remains uncertain."
Wagner laughed and patted the two on the shoulder: "Who cares, we're still alive! Let's go, let's face the new challenges!"
The three embarked on their journey home, the Tower of Destiny slowly collapsing behind them, dissipating into countless specks of light into the universe. They knew that many more unknown challenges awaited them ahead.