Through the thick protective glass, a twisted colossus could be seen in the distance, ramming against the pale blue outer force field.
The sight before them made even the most battle-hardened soldiers draw a sharp breath.
At the edge of the dual-layered force field of [Gravity Modulation] surrounding the stronghold, a gargantuan entity was pressing slowly and relentlessly against the barrier with its contorted body.
It was a behemoth formed from countless masses of congealed Void Filth, its shape ever-shifting.
Viscous black matter churned ceaselessly across its surface, and innumerable twisted limbs and eyeballs surfaced and submerged along its form.
The energy fluctuations it radiated were heart-stopping, far surpassing any monster they had encountered before.
“It’s an Erosive Aberrant!
It’s actually aggregated into this form!” Old Jean’s voice trembled.
“Only once in our records has this appeared.
It can absorb any type of energy attack!
We lost a third of our forces just to barely drive it back last time…” General Victor’s face was ashen.
“All defense systems, maximum power!
Target its core region!” Concentrated cannon fire and energy beams shot toward the behemoth, but the moment they met the black sludge on its body, most of the energy sank away like stones into the sea, rapidly absorbed and assimilated.
Only a scant few attacks caused minor, ripple-like disturbances, utterly unable to halt its crushing advance against the force field.
“General!
The outer force field’s energy is depleting at a critical rate!
Estimated ten minutes at most before failure!” a technician reported urgently.
Victor spun toward Dottore.
“Mister Dottore, what do you suggest…?” Dottore observed the behemoth with an expressionless face, his eyes holding no trace of panic, only pure analytical desire.
“An aggregate…
The energy core is wrapped in layer after layer, and a rudimentary energy cycle has formed inside.” “Mister Dottore, do you have a way to deal with it?” Old Jean asked nervously.
Dottore spoke with calm detachment.
“Cease all energy weapon attacks.” “What?” General Victor was stunned.
“But…” “Brute-force attacks are inefficient.
They only make it stronger.” Dottore pointed at the streams of energy being absorbed.
“We need a different approach.” He walked unhurriedly to the edge of the observation platform, his silver hair billowing in the energy storm.
The behemoth seemed to sense something, and multiple heads swiveled simultaneously in his direction, unleashing a piercing psychic shriek.
“Quiet.” Dottore spoke the word softly, and the power of [Heart of Fear] radiated outward like a tangible force.
A shocking scene unfolded.
The invincible behemoth suddenly froze.
Its colossal body began to tremble violently, and it let out a wail of terror.
It tried to retreat but was trapped in place by the dual-layered force field of [Gravity Modulation].
“A problem at the level of laws naturally requires a solution at the level of laws,” Dottore said coolly, raising his right hand.
He pressed his right hand downward in the air, and the uniformly distributed dual-layered force field of [Gravity Modulation] shifted instantly.
The gravity around the behemoth abruptly multiplied by several hundred times, dragging its massive body violently downward and bringing its crushing advance to a dead halt.
Simultaneously, along the pathways where the behemoth was attempting to absorb surrounding energy to replenish itself, the velocity rate was dropped to an extreme low, creating a “fault line” in the energy flow.
“Graah—!” The behemoth let out a chaotic shriek.
The black sludge across its surface churned violently, clearly struggling against this change that directly affected the laws of space.
“This…
this is localized gravitational law modification?” Old Jean was stupefied.
“Not done yet.” Dottore pointed his right index finger at the behemoth’s core region.
He did not directly deploy [Heart of the Black Hole] for a destructive strike.
Instead, he traced a few gestures in the air, manipulating miniature spatial singularities like the most precise surgical scalpels, and lightly “tapped” the key nodes of the behemoth’s energy cycle.
Pop!
A soft sound, like a bubble bursting.
A critical energy node inside the behemoth instantly fell into chaos and collapsed.
Like a pressure point on a human body being struck with pinpoint accuracy, the massive form seized up, and the black sludge on its surface sloughed off in huge sheets as if losing all support, exposing the deeper, darker core within.
“The core is exposed!” General Victor shouted.
“All firepower, target the core!” “Not necessary.” Dottore stopped him, his eyes cold.
“Let it also feel what true fear is.” A dark glint flashed through his eyes.
The power of [Heart of Fear] no longer radiated indiscriminately.
It transformed into an invisible spike and stabbed with precision into the exposed core, a core formed from the aggregation of countless chaotic consciousnesses.
“GRAAAH—!!!” The behemoth emitted a shriek entirely unlike before, filled with absolute terror and agony.
Dottore’s gaze sharpened.
“Time to clean up.” A miniature black hole instantly formed at the behemoth’s core.
Its colossal body began to tremble, twist, and even tear itself apart uncontrollably.
The Void Filth that made up its body behaved as though each part possessed its own independent consciousness of terror, frantically trying to flee that core.
There was no explosion, no flash of light.
The massive body simply vanished from the center outward, as if erased by a rubber.
In mere seconds, the unstoppable Erosive Behemoth disintegrated completely, dissolving into a sky full of drifting, inert black ash beyond the stronghold walls.
A hush fell over the entire observation platform.
The only sounds were the heavy breathing of the soldiers and the rustle of ash scattering in the wind.
Everyone regarded the silver-haired figure on the platform with eyes as though gazing upon a deity.
General Victor drew a deep breath, suppressing the awe in his heart.
He bowed solemnly to Dottore.
“Mister Dottore, once again, thank you for saving the stronghold.
Your power…
is awe-inspiring.” His voice carried a faint, barely detectable tremor.
Dottore withdrew his hand, his tone as flat as if discussing the weather.
“It was nothing.
Merely verified a few conjectures.
These aggregates, relying purely on instinct, have almost no resistance to interference at the level of laws or attacks at the level of consciousness.” He glanced at the inert ash on the ground.
“The real problem is the source that spawns them and gives them their drive toward unification.” Old Jean finally snapped out of his stupor.
He rushed excitedly to the edge of the observation platform, as if he wanted to throw himself at the ash.
“The level of laws…
consciousness attacks!
Mister Dottore, was that a combination of spatial technology and psychic force just now?
This completely overturns our understanding of the Void Filth!
We’ve been trying to bombard it with stronger and stronger energy.
We were completely on the wrong track!” “Your cognition limited you.” Dottore turned around, his sharp gaze sweeping over Victor and Old Jean with the cool scrutiny characteristic of a researcher.
“Physical confrontation only becomes its nourishment.
The fundamental solution is to dismantle its structure from the level of laws and consciousness.
However, until we find a way to completely purify this world, do not make pointless sacrifices.
That would only strengthen the enemy.” General Victor’s expression stiffened.
He immediately grasped the deeper meaning in Dottore’s words.
“Are you saying…
the consciousness and energy of the fallen could also be…” “Most likely,” Dottore cut him off.
“Therefore, blindly sending soldiers to their deaths is the most foolish course of action.” Old Jean asked urgently, “Mister Dottore, what should we do now?
Using your methods, is it possible for us to replicate this kind of attack?” “Replicate?” Dottore raised an eyebrow slightly, as if the question amused him.
“Given your current understanding of laws and consciousness, another hundred years might not even get you to the starting line, however.” He shifted tack.
“I can design some simplified devices that utilize the unique energy-conducting crystals of your world to amplify specific elemental force field oscillations.
They could achieve an effect similar to ‘interference,’ buying time for your defense and cleanup operations.” Hope ignited in General Victor’s eyes.
“That would be more than enough!
As long as we can effectively suppress their activity, we can gradually reclaim our lost territory!”