Chapter 1038 The Great Migration (1/2)

It was like a clap of thunder that blasted the silence apart, embodying infinite might, as the incomparably grand voice echoed throughout worlds, jolting and awakening every person drowning in despair.

Although some of them were still stunned and immersed in excessively profound bewilderment and astonishment, most of the champions were quickly pulled out of their confusion and rapidly recovered their composure.

”…Joshua, do you still have any ideas?”

It was former Pope Igor who spoke first. Having relinquished all of his duties and simply coming forward as a 'Executor of the Holy Light', the old man's face was completely solemn, impassive even against the invincible darkness spreading throughout the infinite Void that could drown the entire cosmos. Even if he was feeling fear, Igor had to made a choice—he had actually been prepared to fall in battle as well, and his moment of blankness was mainly because he had imagined that his own death would be meaningless against enemies of such numbers, and was hence unable to react at once.

But Joshua was right.

What purpose would there be in not going to fight? When it was an enemy that would surely defeat them, would a miraculous victory ever come if they did not stand and fight?

Perhaps it was just like what that warrior always said: summoning your courage and fighting the darkness was in itself the greatest purpose.

Meanwhile, in response to the question from a friend, the Giant God turned and glanced once at Igor from the distance.

The determination gaze never before seen and the eyes that held a composure like no other actually left the former pontiff in such astonishment at once, leaving him speechless.

For some reason, Igor recalled a moment dozens of years ago when he succeeded the title and duty of the Pope of the Seven Gods Church, and the expression of the former pontiff then as they watched the slowly dying Flame of the world of Mycroft together.

That elderly man, who had long since passed away, had the same composed, determined gaze as Joshua did now as he watched the waning fire that could go out very soon. Igor could hardly believe that such a resolve to protect something without regard for cost could be seen from Joshua now.

Be that as it may, the voice of the warrior rang then, interrupting his trail of thought.

”Yes.”

The sonorous voice reached out and left the Void quaking, stirring ripples in the radiance of the Great Mana Tide. Joshua looked around at all the champions hurrying to gather around him, before turning to keep his eyes upon the boundless darkness in the Silent Void. ”I have been prepared,” the warrior said steadily, ”and have expected it.”

”Whether it is the arrival of so many enemies that I cannot stop them, whether it is the arrival of such powerful foes that I cannot beat them, whether it is my own inability to restrain Chaos because I have chosen wrongly, or whether it is because a clone of the Mastermind is so powerful an enemy that it is unstoppable—I have thought about every possibility, including the worst and most frightening.”

”And though the coming darkness is plenty, it is not beyond my expectations, which is why I am already prepared for it.”

”If that is the case, Joshua…”

Throwing off the mental association and the curious déjà vu, Igor asked the man who was still the Joshua he familiar with in puzzlement, ”Do you mean to say…that you could become even stronger?”

However, he only received silence in response. Joshua stared out at the distance, seemingly unable to hear Igor.

It was after a long quietness that the Giant God, who kept staring at the darkness without turning his head, calmly said, ”Yes, I could become even stronger.”

”That being said…Igor, the Seven Gods, and every other champion from other civilizations who have come here, be prepared to set our plan for the worst in motion.”

As he spoke, Joshua's words promptly increased in seriousness. ”Everyone, please contact your home world as soon as possible and notify your citizens. Activate the shelters which you have built and the last resort that our civilization has set in place, for it is now the moment to use them without delay.”

”Move each citizen who cannot fight and other technicians into safer shelter realms, because the battle soon to come would engulf the entire cosmos and no place would be safe. However, as long as they stay inside the shelters, they would still have a chance for survival before the entire cosmos is destroyed.”

Everyone could hear and clearly understand Joshua's simple meaning.

In short, it was to move every individual to shelter realms such as the Ether Ring World or the Bloodmoon Abyss Shelter, to hide the majority of most civilizations, conducting a Great Migration that must be done under the worst circumstances.

***

Thanks to the warnings from the Mycroft civilization in the past and preparations they had set in place themselves, every civilization present had basically been prepared and built shelters that corresponded to their own populations. In fact, with the help of the Redemption System, each shelter that the respective civilizations had built perfectly accommodated their entire population and more.

None of them even thought that things were not so bad that the shelters were unnecessary. In reality, the situation was so hostile that even activating the shelters was no longer effective, and as such, they did not issue the call for evacuation in the first place. That was why most of the champions did not find anything wrong with Joshua's warning, and at once reached out to their own home world, urgently notifying everyone to carry out the Great Migration.

But unlike the others, when the other champions of Mycroft started to called home to have all citizens prepare to evacuate, both Ezerg and Israel frowned at the same time, with Igor himself sensing something unusual as well.

Of the three, one of them had lived since the era of the Sage until now, and was also a god who had witnessed the growth of two Mycroft civilization Demi Saints, with one eventually ascending as a Wise One. The other two were champions most closely acquainted with Joshua, although they had grasped different meanings from Joshua words.

”I understand.”

The God of Might and Justice said pensively with a nod. ”We will do as you say.”

The elderly former pontiff nodded as well, having an inkling of what Joshua's plan would be.

To get every civilization to enter the shelters and make the target smaller, before having every champion assemble and break out of the encirclement while carrying the shelters?

It could not be helped either—not every champion had assumed of the path of a world incarnate like the warrior, and while their power could wreak great devastation, they might not necessarily have the power to move a world. Shelter realms, however, did not fall under that category since most of them were smaller than the standard worlds and much more concealed. They were more convenient, whether carried or protected, and as long as Joshua and the other champions were able to blast a way out of the net of darkness encircling the entire cosmos, they might really have been able to make a break for it.

After all, there was simply no meaning in sitting idly and wait for death to come in the cosmos with such infinite foes. They had to attack deliberately and clear a path! Though it would be regrettable in the case of the other cosmic civilizations that could not leave, there simply was no choice.

”It is definitely an idea Joshua would have,” Igor thought to himself.

Ezerg, however, was under a different impression. Even if he had likewise anticipated the breakthrough that Igor had imagined, he had a stronger instinct that it was merely an appearance the warrior wanted to show in order to prevent others from catching on.

There would certainly be another real intention behind his actions.

Be that as it may, Joshua had said no more. He simply remained where he was and unleashed his light before looking out over the Void.

Silently, the warrior calculated the speed, direction, and estimated time of arrival for every dark tentacle, along with various critical data. No one would bother him, because even the craziest and most ignorant were aware that there was no other Demi Saint in the cosmos and thus, the warrior's existence was the only hope for all civilizations.

In no time at all, the orders and instructions from every champion at the frontlines reached their home civilizations.

Whether it was the Mycroft civilization or the other Void civilizations, all of them had moved quickly since the Ultimate Crisis which engulfed the cosmos—even cosmoses a dozen years ago—had basically left no civilization untouched. Each of them had been struck, and as such, even the civilizations without no shelters back then had begun to build them in the next decade to prevent the next calamity, even actually carrying out emergency drills.

With all of them having experience in evacuating, they naturally knew their way around it.

***

The Mycroft Continent, the Lost Galaxy.

Unlike the other civilizations, the citizens of this world were much more experienced.

”Serial number 16801 to serial number 18000, please proceed to the teleportation zone and hold tight to your Spirit Terminals. Scanning spells will examine the state of your body and soul, but there is no need for worry—this is mainly to confirm that your personal details fit the information we have, preventing any impersonations or mind theft.”

”Do not move around or touch anything during teleportation, and follow the instructions of the automated machines of your local shelter after teleportation. Proceed to your allocated residence—there would be resource allocation and working arrangements provided in the shelter later, so any panic is unnecessary.”

”Friends of foreign civilizations, please head for the Fourth Teleportation Zone—the Multiverse Sacrificial Grounds has set up portals connected directly to your home world. Please head towards the front desk service counter for your teleportation ticket, and we will arrange for the teleportation according to the ticket.”

The repetitive announcements could be heard over the broadcasting systems in the cities, with various massive blue portals opening in different locations and transporting crowds of citizens one after another.