Chapter 137: Antarctic Giant Tower, The Leaker

Even for the Star-Bearers, the Antarctic Giant Tower remains a project so vast it is almost despair-inducing. Endless flames of war burn across the Old World, and almost every Star-Bearer is advancing on the battlefield; it seems only the players and a few Star-Bearers who have finally retreated are currently building the Giant Tower in Antarctica.

As far as the players know, the entire Giant Tower is a massive psychic node that will resonate with the World Scar in the Arctic, deploying a vast Psychic Network over the entire Old World to wipe out all demons in one fell swoop. After all, the vast majority of players truly do not know what those limbless, struggling-to-survive, and still-recovering Elves are actually writing.

The Star-Bearers have no sense of secrecy; their way of survival and logic dictate that their actions are always open and aboveboard. Although they refused the players' requests to build in terms of psychic aspects, they did allow it regarding the edges and corners. Of course, what the players asked for in exchange for their free labor was to constantly rub the countless Runes on the Antarctic Giant Tower. The Star-Bearers had no reason to refuse this and readily agreed. This process has been going on for months amidst the tide of demons.

With the powerful counterattacks of the Star-Bearers and the reason why the Order side began to react and continuously strike back at the Chaos Demons, the situation looked quite good for a time. Countless spires rose from every continent of the Old World, and a golden veil began to shroud the sky.

The tribulation fire descending from the sky and the silver Knights that followed have become a kind of benchmark, making all players and creatures on the ground feel excited and secure.

Everything seemed to be developing in a good direction, and the players also began to gradually decipher and learn the Runes on the Antarctic Giant Tower.

However, as their research deepened, some players inevitably discovered some problems.

Their people began to go missing.

Some Rune research experts in reality would sometimes appear very confused and terrified, even somewhat panicked. After contacting certain research personnel, these experts did not even make any external contact for a short period. To this day, they have vanished without a trace.

Whether it was the so-called "learning faction" that walked closely with the Chaos Demons, or the research experts on the Star-Bearer side, everyone seemed to have some unease, because their research seemed to have fallen into a predicament.

On the players' planet, there also stands a replica of the Giant Tower at the same scale, because according to their understanding, this kind of thing must be studied and experimented with to achieve normal operation and development. But recently, the research personnel of the Star-Bearer Sect have refused to open the Nanjijianta, turning instead to secret research and construction. Coupled with the disappearance of the Rune researchers, it seems to be hinting at something.

A pressure, an indescribable pressure, began to permeate these rubbings-makers and researchers. Even though they were at the deepest part of the Star-Bearer world, where theoretically no problems should arise, everyone instinctively felt that this research on psychic Runes would eventually lead to a major problem.

However, even with a premonition, the research had to continue. Because these studies did not represent their personal interests, but the interests of countless companies and national agencies behind them.

They could not just give up their research because of some rumors; after all, the higher-ups were still helping to search for their missing companions.

And to this day, they are still researching the Runes engraved inside the Antarctic Giant Tower under the supervision of a group of players. These towering load-bearing pillars are hundreds of meters wide and thousands of meters high, reinforced with psychic energy and Runes, manufactured into a network that allows the will to circulate.

Although it is not yet officially operational, the pale golden Runes on it and the traces already carved prove that this is a ritual site highly valued by the Star-Bearers. It is no exaggeration to call it a Wonder.

To clear away all the Antarctic peaks, then use the never-extinguishing Chaos Wind as a furnace to forge this Giant Tower, which is nearly 30,000 meters high and covers an area exceeding that of a country—such a massive project is so time-consuming and strained that even the power of the Star-Bearers is insufficient. So much so that the Star-Bearers have had to utilize the power of the players, having to let them help with the construction.

But even so, with the combined efforts of countless laborers, intelligent beings, machines, and Star-Bearers, the progress of this Giant Tower has only just reached a height of 5,000 meters. This is also the best time for players to rub the core Runes on it. Because their team happens to be responsible for the laying of anti-magic metal used to block psychic leakage during the construction of internal conduits. And in the process of laying, as long as they complete the task on time, they can take the opportunity to admire the great Rune art of the Star-Bearers here.

While using the automated Rune-laying anti-magic bricks provided by the Star-Bearers, these player researchers used the subtle Psychic Power brought by their faith in the Star-Bearers to begin mobilizing the ritual to constantly record the Runes on the massive structure. But the more they observed, the more they discovered something wrong.

At the base level, although they were all very common basic Runes such as strengthening, extension, and power resonance, as the conduit progressed upward and reached a height of 5,000 meters, they discovered that the Runes began to change.

Some strange Runes, as well as some Brands with very obvious directional intent, began to appear in the conduits, and they displayed their existence openly and without concealment.

"The Runes here... represent the power of tampering."

The player who was placing the anti-magic metal branded the Runes on it, blinking in confusion, seemingly unable to believe the meaning represented by the Runes he saw in his eyes.

"This is a dual-pointing towards the soul and the body, plus diffusion, diffusion, diffusion... and then here, it is a pointing towards the symbol of the Star-Bearer Lord. If I am not mistaken, this part of the Runes should be within the diffusion range of this Nanjijianta, pointing some things towards the Star-Bearer Lord..."

Pointing towards the Star-Bearer Lord within the diffusion range? It sounds like there is no problem, but it always feels like something is wrong...

Looking at the massive pillar in front of him, the player began to constantly rub the Runes on it while placing the anti-magic metal. But as the metal continued to pile up, it seemed that one Rune brick had a problem.

After the anti-magic metal was placed on it, the first layer of bricks pointing to diffusion and the Star-Bearer Lord actually produced a few inexplicable energy sparks, then flickered for a moment before vanishing into nothingness. The players exchanged glances silently, then tacitly began to pry away the broken bricks, exposing the deeper Runes inside.

"... Everyone, have you all finished rubbing?"

"Almost, but this is not quite what I imagined..."

Looking at the Runes revealed inside, the player used the Brand technology taught to them to constantly rub the characters, but facing those terrifying Rune marks, he felt that he had found some news that was absolutely unfavorable to the current situation.

The Runes that existed truly inside, beneath the surface layer, were all erasure commands. All intelligent beings, all will and thoughts, all personal ideas and souls, would be erased by the power of the Star-Bearer Lord. After activating the Antarctic Giant Tower, this 30,000-meter-high tower would use an infinitely smooth Planetary Shield to transmit concentrated, tangible shockwaves and psychic fluctuations to every corner of the planet.

By then, all personal will and all self-thoughts would be destroyed in an instant. Because the Star-Bearer Lord believes that the soul is an unnecessary existence, and only by being soulless is the only way out.

"Erase the souls of all intelligent life." "Erase the self-consciousness of all individuals."

"Erase all power of concepts and psychic energy."

"Erase all magic and defense."

"Erase all life."

"..."

Those demons did not lie.

Looking at the dense dark red characters under the diffusion Runes, the player's breathing quickened, and he felt blood rushing to his head.

He didn't care what these Runes actually were; after all, this world was just a completely real game, and even if something went wrong, it would at most be some minor issues, not a big deal. But Psionic Technology is real.

If, as the legend says, the Star-Bearer Sect is receiving guidance from the Star-Bearers one-to-one and has built the Nanjijianta on the players' planet, then inside that 300-meter-high spire, do these Runes that are meant to cleanse the entire planet and then restart everything also exist? You have to know, the instructions on it say that whether you believe in the Star-Bearer Lord or not, you will die! The recording player looked at the implied meaning of those Runes in the video, and his brain almost buzzed. And just at this moment, some tall but physically incomplete figures appeared in the room.

"... Everyone, please pause your work for a moment."

The voice was crisp, but the blue-haired Elf with an eyepatch over one blind eye looked at the players who had stopped their work and said loudly: "A rift has appeared at Di 72 Qu, 431521 Jiedian. Because there is Mouneng waste in the forging elements that needs to be corrected, we have come. We will replace this part of the external bricks; please pause your work to avoid danger and accidents."

"..."

The players quickly stopped their work, watching these limbless Elves carrying a Rune brick and walking to the edge of the load-bearing pillar.

These Elves were all Star-Bearers who had survived those cruel demon battlefields. Their body regeneration had not yet been approved, and their energy replenishment was not enough, so they were temporarily performing some installation and monitoring work around the Antarctic Giant Tower. But looking at the blue-eyed Elf, the player who had seen the leak couldn't help but speak up, exposing the truth he had seen in front of everyone.

"I just saw it, I saw the Runes inside your broken bricks! Why didn't you tell us that you actually intend to cleanse the whole world! You are going to kill all living beings, whether they are demons or other intelligent beings—is this true! Are you really going to Destroy the World?"

"Destroy the World? Of course not."

Slowly adjusting the position of the brick, the one-eyed Elf looked at the player in front of him with a pure expression, shaking their head somewhat innocently.

"We have never intended to Destroy the World; we just want to use the power of unity to make those demons retreat in the face of difficulties. We have always hoped that everyone could stand with us and fight the demons in their own way. Fighting demons is the most important cause; relying on ourselves alone is not enough."

"Then, those Runes are..."

"All of them are real."

Looking at the speechless player, the Elf showed a sweet smile and admitted the fact in the shocked gaze of all the players.

"Your academic performance is very good, and the rubbed Runes are all correct. These Runes are used to expand power, shroud the entire realm, and then connect human hearts together. We do indeed intend to destroy everyone's soul and body."

"Wh-why?! Why do this!"

"How strange, don't you already know the reason? I should have just said it."

Looking at the furious players, the Elf with clear eyes tilted their head, a trace of confusion flashing across their beautiful face.

"To destroy all demons and enemies. Because intelligent beings and everyone are too deeply entangled by demons, the soul is something that should not exist in the first place. Only by destroying all souls and replacing them with the purest biological essence can the pollution of demons be thoroughly purified."

"So we built the Antarctic Giant Tower to solve all the troubles and attacks from demons once and for all. We gather everyone's energy together, pray to the Star-Bearer Lord, and use the power of the Antarctic Giant Tower to sprinkle our blessings over the entire world. All souls and bodies will dissolve, and all demons and sins will dissipate. Seven days later, we will welcome a new life and beginning."

"Of course, you players are no exception. But I believe that you all will surely be able to understand this great sacrifice and blessing. After all, this all has your contribution, doesn't it?"

Looking at the players whose faces were deathly pale, as if they had fallen into an ice cellar, the Elf smiled and delivered the final, decisive blow.

"After all, you have even replicated our achievements in your own homelands. We are also very moved by your resolve and your determination regarding your ideals. Please continue, everyone; for the sake of our ideals and a world of glory, such a great future and beautiful outcome is at most less than three months away."

(There is so much to do, and all sorts of things to buy, let me get a chapter out first...) (End of chapter)