Chapter 64: I'm Done Being an Eternal, All Eternals Deserve to Die, Die, Die!
That's right, it was completely impossible. Fury fully agreed with Coulson's assessment.
Progress is born from conflict, and the will to survive unearths extraordinary potential. This is the essence of life, true for both humans and extraterrestrials.
This also highlighted the enormous problems with the philosophy of the Eternal named Druig. No wonder his relationship with all the other Eternals was so terrible that they were completely estranged.
He had even fallen out with a leader like Ajak.
"Druig possesses mental powers and can perceive others' lies. It's impossible to deceive him with words."
Fury believed that as long as he didn't appear before Druig, Druig was the most useful tool available.
In any case, he absolutely refused to believe that anyone in this world could satisfy Druig's unrealistic fantasies.
...
Druig gazed at the vast number of Xenomorphs surrounding him, a hint of excitement welling in his eyes.
"So many... so many pure minds..." Druig released his mental powers, and he had the faint illusion that he was in a blissful ocean of minds. It was clean, though a bit cold.
This was because the Xenomorphs' thoughts were pure and frigid, but Druig's standards weren't that high. He couldn't fault a species with such an excellent inner nature for trivial details like that.
"Truly perfect."
Meeting their gazes, Druig finally managed to speak. He looked as satisfied as if he had just awoken on a hundred-meter-wide bed, basking in warm sunlight.
"Perfect in what way?" Du Wa asked.
"In every way. These Xenomorphs are practically creatures meticulously selected by the Celestials." It had been a long time since Druig had experienced such an obvious emotional fluctuation.
"The Celestials are not qualified to select my Xenomorphs."
"You've never left Earth, let alone seen a Celestial! You don't really think becoming Thor makes you comparable to a true Celestial, do you?"
"No, but I know that the group of Celestials led by Arishem is not worthy."
This time, Druig sized up Du Wa with surprise.
He even knew of Arishem? And he spoke his name directly, with no reverence.
The way Druig looked at Du Wa changed subtly.
"What is he doing? Why doesn't he make a move now?" Gilgamesh frowned deeply, completely unable to understand.
Why all the chatter? Just use his mental powers to control these Xenomorphs and turn them against Du Wa. The battle would be over in a flash.
But he had no choice. If Druig didn't act first, were they really going to kill so many Xenomorphs in one go? That would be far too much trouble.
Moreover, Du Wa's subordinates weren't just Xenomorphs; there were other abnormally terrifying individuals.
While dealing with the numerous Xenomorphs, they would very likely reveal a weakness, giving a powerful opponent an opportunity to strike.
Sentry was impossible to ignore, and the newly appeared Lady Deathstrike was also a cause for dread. Even though they didn't recognize Lady Deathstrike, the fact that she could stand at Du Wa's right hand just like Sentry told them she was no simple character.
"I am different from them. I am here to judge your qualifications. All your thoughts will be exposed before me."
Druig activated his ability. A massive amount of mental power began to spread like a plague, rapidly covering the numerous Xenomorphs.
With every passing moment, large numbers of Xenomorphs were linked to him, becoming his followers—at least on the surface.
Druig hadn't come to fight, but merely to scrutinize Du Wa. The moment he determined that Du Wa was unworthy of possessing the Xenomorphs, he would unhesitatingly strip him of his control over them.
But faced with this situation, Du Wa wasn't the least bit panicked. He sized up Druig with great interest.
The instant he saw this guy, Du Wa had recognized him.
Therefore, he didn't blame Druig's words or actions at all. He said seriously, "Mental powers? You can't defeat me with just that. Besides, what makes you think you've controlled my Xenomorphs?"
"You'll see."
Druig immediately unleashed his ability on Du Wa himself.
A mental assault was incredibly fast. In what felt like an instant to the outside world, Druig had already invaded Du Wa's mind.
But the moment he entered Du Wa's brain, Druig sensed that something was wrong.
"What is going on?"
Druig's originally cold thoughts were now filled with endless horror.
Du Wa's brain was like a terrifying abyss, breathing out an extreme cold capable of freezing everything.
Deep, despairing, screaming, deathly silent...
At this moment, it was as if all terror, all the evil in the world, was concentrated in this human's mind, forming an insurmountable chasm.
Druig swore that in all his memories spanning thousands of years, he had never encountered such a situation, never probed a mind so unfathomably terrifying, like a black hole!
If this hellish place could even be called a "mind."
"As expected, a sinner evil to the extreme. Let me see who you really are..."
Druig gritted his teeth, but in the next second, he was stunned.
Within that terrifying abyss of will, there were flowers and applause everywhere.
Countless Xenomorphs transformed into innumerable points of light, emitting a faint glow in this vast, empty void.
Just as Druig was observing in shock, countless more points of light appeared, adorning everything in this Mind Realm.
A few of these light points were exceptionally bright, emitting mental fluctuations far surpassing those of ordinary Xenomorphs.
Druig gradually understood.
Every single Xenomorph, in the mental world, had become a spiritual barrier protecting Du Wa.
To exert mental control on Du Wa was, in essence, to simultaneously fight against all the Xenomorphs.
Did such a person really exist in this world? No, rather, why would such a person exist?
On what grounds? On what grounds could he use the Xenomorphs' consciousness in this way?
Why could an ordinary human achieve a feat that Druig wouldn't even dare to imagine?
At this moment, Druig understood how laughable and utterly wrong his previous assumption had been—that he had suppressed Du Wa's consciousness and taken control of the Xenomorphs.
"No wonder, no wonder... No wonder you dared to ignore external mental powers, no wonder you always had such confidence in your Xenomorphs..."
What was this? What was Du Wa? The collective consciousness of all Xenomorphs?
No, it was a collective consciousness with a primary consciousness.
Here, Druig saw the thoughts of every Xenomorph or Xenomorph host and could clearly hear their every thought and feeling.
Even more, with an unprecedentedly clear sense, he could read the instinctual praise all the Xenomorphs had for Du Wa.
Was this what a Deity was like, to be surrounded by countless pure, immaculate hymns?
Druig felt it was hard to say. Could Du Wa be more special than Arishem?
He didn't know.
Without realizing it, tears streamed down Druig's face. Having been isolated from the world for centuries, at odds with humans and Eternals alike, he had almost forgotten what a true inner self felt like.
Icy yet warm, complex yet orderly; all the world's contradictions seemed to freeze at this moment, turning into eternal silence and tranquility.
Outside.
"...Why is he suddenly crying?" Gilgamesh didn't understand.
Thena rubbed her head and said irritably, "Who knows? A few hours ago when he was arguing with Ajak, accusing us of not leading humanity, wasn't he also weeping bitterly? Who knows what strange things are going on in his head!"
Coming from the crazed female warrior, those words weren't very convincing.
The few Eternals were a bit dazed. Only a few seconds had passed, and they had no idea what was wrong with Druig again.
That's right, "again."
None of them were good at dealing with the sensitive and paranoid Druig, especially now. The crying Druig was like an emotional audience member who had just finished watching a melodrama, lost in his own world and unable to escape.
"He simply understood me. It's that simple."
Du Wa spoke, his voice very soft. He said with immense seriousness, "Druig, following Ajak is simply wasting your precious life. Can you bear to let your abilities go to waste?"
"Shut up! Druig, don't listen to his nonsense! No matter what you saw, this is his conspiracy! He's that kind of person!" Ajak's expression changed drastically as a strong sense of foreboding rose in her heart.
Du Wa shook his head. "Who can fake their own mind? Or are you saying I can deceive myself? Even if I could, doesn't that prove the truth of my heart even more?"
He extended a hand towards this Eternal, who was millions of years old in actual age but only a few thousand psychologically.
"Come, Druig. Come to my side. Someone like you was born to stand by me." His voice carried a weight and steadiness like that of a mountain.
"No, I can't do that!"
Druig couldn't help but take a step back.
Ajak was completely dumbfounded. Even as their leader, she couldn't figure out what the hell was going on!
What on Earth had Druig seen?! And why was he weeping like a frightened child seeking comfort?
Du Wa's face was calm. "Do you still identify more with your Eternal origins? Don't worry about it. I never care if you are an Eternal, a human, or any other race, because everyone who stands by my side is the same."
The same kind of Xenomorph.
Du Wa added this sentence in his heart.
Druig also instantly understood Du Wa's meaning.
Like a demon luring someone to their fall, Du Wa whispered, "Aren't you confused about your own existence? You feel you should have done more for humanity, to make them better, but you didn't because of Ajak's command? Then let me tell you why. Because the very reason the Eternals exist is to destroy Earth and exterminate all of humanity."
"That's impossible!"
"Why don't you ask your leader? She can communicate with the Celestials. Why not ask her face to face?" Du Wa said with complete certainty.
Druig turned his head stiffly, looking at Ajak in disbelief.
With just a single exchange of glances, meeting that complicated gaze, a master telepath like Druig immediately understood who had been lying all along.
"Listen to what he's saying! We've protected humanity for thousands of years, only to destroy them?"
"Ajak, Du Wa has gone mad. We should hurry and... Ajak?"
Druig's face was ashen, his eyes hollow.
The other Eternals looked at the pained expression on Ajak's face in disbelief.
Was it true? Could this absurd claim actually be true?
"I will explain everything to you after we deal with him!" Ajak was interrupted by Du Wa before she could finish.
"A brief destruction is to welcome a better rebirth. To incubate a new Celestial at the cost of Earth's humanity—this is what your leader has been hiding from all of you."
Du Wa suddenly laughed. "But I refuse to accept it. Does humanity deserve to be exterminated, to become nutrient for a Celestial? To sacrifice themselves for a new Celestial who will go off to who-knows-what galaxy to create some unknown species?"
Druig suddenly said in a low voice, "Du Wa is telling the truth. I can feel it."
Ajak suppressed the pain in her heart and shouted sternly, "I command you, attack! Don't listen to him!"
The other Eternals were half-convinced, but they still faithfully carried out Ajak's command, just as they had for the past several thousand years.
But the instant they made their move, Druig also made his.
Countless Xenomorphs, at Druig's gesture, roared into action, abruptly switching from a stationary state to a slaughter mode, and pounced all at once... toward the Eternals!
"Druig, what are you doing!" Ajak was aghast.
"I've had enough of you people! All our past efforts were nothing more than being tools for a god, yet we lacked the self-awareness of being tools!"
Tears streamed down Druig's face. Experiencing such an extreme contrast in such a short time, he finally couldn't bear it anymore.
"From this moment on, I am no longer an Eternal! I have found a more reliable method, a purer and more beautiful path!"
Druig lost his composure. Sadness, pain, despair, and a hope he had never imagined before—countless complex emotions mixed together as he roared in anger.
Du Wa's gaze on Druig was incomparably peaceful from beginning to end.
Because he knew from the start that this was Druig's personality, that this was the ideal he held.
You could mock this Eternal for taking himself too seriously, for actually thinking he was qualified to lead humanity.
You could also ridicule him for being fanciful, like a fool who had watched too many fantasy dramas.
But there was one thing you couldn't doubt: his ideal was sincere.
Druig genuinely felt that he could do more for humanity, that he could better fulfill his duty. This was his obsession and his conviction.
And now, Druig had abruptly learned that the belief he held dear was a joke from the very beginning. The more he did for humanity, the more he was contributing to their destruction?
His already sensitive mind completely collapsed, and then he went mad.
"I'm done being an Eternal! To hell with the Eternals, so despicable and vile! From now on, I will be—a Xenomorph!!"
It turned out that deceiving an idealist about their ideals was the cruelest truth, one that was enough to drive an idealist mad and make them do a complete one-eighty.
Not to mention, this idealist was a master telepath who could perceive the hearts of others and witness their truest inner selves.
The Xenomorphs began a large-scale siege against the unprepared Eternals.
Every Eternal had a look of utter bewilderment on their face, staring at Druig in disbelief.
Their rapidly processing brains had now completely stalled.
In an instant, a large-scale battle erupted in a manner so unexpected that the Eternals were at an absolute disadvantage from the start, pressed so hard they felt dizzy and overwhelmed.
Their numbers were already small, and now the most critical master telepath had defected on the spot!
"Druig, use your mental powers to their fullest. Let me see your strength," Du Wa said.
Druig looked at his former companions with a cold expression as his powerful mental energy spread rapidly, eroding their thoughts and wills.
"You are all so pitiful, living as tools for millions of years. Ajak is Arishem's running dog and accomplice, but I am not! I have found the truth, so let me save you." Druig's eyes were bloodshot; he was like a fanatical follower.
Bang!
Gilgamesh struggled to resist Druig's area-of-effect mental invasion, sending Xenomorphs flying with each punch. He was very cautious, immediately retreating after a punch landed on its target to avoid being splashed by the Xenomorph's blood.
But soon, the strongman met a powerful opponent. Heavy footsteps echoed from within the Xenomorph swarm, and an extremely strong, muscular Xenomorph locked onto him and charged straight at him.
"You again?"
A look of deep helplessness crossed Gilgamesh's face.
The last time he had met this ridiculously strong Abomination Xenomorph was in New Mexico.
With that, the two powerhouses engaged in a fierce melee, trading brutal blows that landed with exceptional ferocity.
But among the Eternals, the best fighter right now was actually the female warrior Thena. With a golden energy shield in one hand and a golden energy sword in the other, she moved with astonishing speed, easily dismembering every Xenomorph in her path.
Phastos wasn't bad either. This guy was skilled at creating various precision instruments with energy. Multiple golden rings of light flew out, rampaging through the Xenomorph horde.
Sentry had originally targeted the female warrior Thena, his eyes turning into a field of golden light as a powerful golden heat vision was about to be unleashed.
"I'll deal with her." Druig's voice was transmitted to Sentry's brain through the Xenomorph on Sentry's chest. "I know better than you how to take her down with the least cost."
Sentry pursed his lips. He really wanted to ask, who the hell do you think you are to make a decision when Du Wa hasn't spoken? Even if you have Du Wa's tacit approval?
"Reynolds, let him do it. Not only that, but if we want to achieve the greatest gains with the smallest losses in this battle, Druig is the key," Du Wa commanded.
Sentry immediately changed direction. His heat vision, powerful enough to pierce mountains, instantly slammed into Phastos, forcing him to move all his weapons in front of him to block.
However, at this moment, the advantage of numbers became apparent.
A mutated Xenomorph lunged forward, tackling Phastos to the ground.
"Kill him. This one is useless," Du Wa said casually, sealing Phastos's fate.
"You manipulative fiend! I won't let you get away with this!" In his despair, Phastos threw his meticulously crafted energy instruments to the other Eternals.
According to the plan, these weapons were crucial. They could gather the power of all the Eternals into one point for an instantaneous burst.
Phastos was quickly dismembered, another Eternal tragically killed.
The other Eternals would also soon meet their own fates.
Ajak, who possessed a superhuman healing ability, turned pale as she watched her side being rapidly suppressed and gradually submerged in the Xenomorph horde. She especially saw Druig cast a glance that drove the female warrior Thena mad again, causing her to attack friend and foe alike, letting out beast-like roars.
Druig's defection on the battlefield had a fatal impact on the situation.
Originally, according to Ajak's plan, Druig would have instantly seized control of all the Xenomorphs and driven this powerful army to attack Du Wa in turn, deciding the battle in one fell swoop.
But unfortunately, the reality was the complete opposite.
"Kingo, watch out!!" Ajak suddenly roared.
Kingo, who was continuously firing his energy cannon with both hands, had already killed more than a dozen Xenomorphs. A ranged gunner like him was normally well-suited for clearing Xenomorphs from a fixed point, but unfortunately, his Eternal comrades had not created a safe enough space for him.
Lady Deathstrike's fingers grew Adamantium claws over half a meter long as she rushed toward Kingo.
Bang, bang, bang!
Kingo aimed at her, his hands trembling as he fired rapidly. But the shots only caused superficial wounds on Lady Deathstrike. The scene was bloody and ferocious, with flesh and blood flying, but it had no real effect.
"What is with this woman?!" Kingo couldn't help but scream. He saw silver bones revealed on Lady Deathstrike's body, indestructible and completely ignoring his energy attacks.
Lady Deathstrike charged forward expressionlessly, like a cold fighting machine. She leaped into the air and plunged her claws into Kingo's chest, slamming him to the ground.
Several Xenomorphs had already rushed over, their coordination flawless. They swiftly severed Kingo's limbs, gouged out his eyes, cut off his tongue, and deafened his ears, neutralizing any threat he posed.
All of this happened in just a few seconds. Kingo's miserable state shocked the other Eternals.
Even so, Kingo wasn't dead, and everyone knew why.
"Druig, is this what you wanted to see?" Ajak, protected within a circle of several Eternals and using her superhuman physical prowess, had managed to take down a few Xenomorphs. She couldn't help but question him.
"You people understand nothing. You haven't seen that beautiful scene with your own eyes, so you could never understand me." Druig's voice echoed in Ajak's mind, which also meant that Druig was officially making his move against Ajak.
"I am doing everything in my power to save you!"
"Save us? Phastos is dead, you turned Thena into a lunatic, and Kingo has been captured! You know what will happen next! Your betrayal has pushed the entire Eternal race into the abyss!"
"The abyss? You don't understand. I have personally experienced the abyss. The future and the truth are there, and I will lead you all to that place—as Xenomorphs, of course!"
Ajak couldn't understand a word Druig was saying. At that moment, she felt Druig was even more of a madman than the crazed Thena.
The battle had only just begun, yet the situation had already collapsed into this hellish state. They hadn't even managed to harm a single hair on Du Wa's head, yet they were losing people one after another.
"It's time. I didn't think we'd actually have to use what Phastos prepared."
Ajak was sprayed with the blood of a Xenomorph, and a large area of her body was corroded, but she relied on her terrifying healing ability to quickly repair the damage.
She caught the few energy instruments that Phastos had thrown before his death and began to draw on the power of the remaining Eternals.
This was the final battle plan, decided long ago. The one to execute this plan was... the quiet Sersi.
Ikaris's lover.
Concentrating all the Eternals' power into Sersi alone would be enough to instantly eliminate all the Xenomorphs.
"But that guy named Sentry is a bit too strong..."
They had no other choice.
Ajak glanced at Sersi, who had been well-protected the entire time.
Sersi's expression jolted, and she nodded imperceptibly, already prepared.
The instant Ajak threw the energy instruments, Du Wa's figure transformed into a terrifying bolt of lightning, appearing not far from Sersi.
Swish!
The suddenly thrown hammer of Thor struck Sersi with a single blow, causing her to vomit a large mouthful of blood. The next second, Druig's mental control suppressed the heavily injured Sersi.
"Did you think I didn't know what you were planning? I won't give you the chance." Du Wa's voice seemed to come from Hell, each word radiating an extreme terror that made Ajak's heart feel as if it had been plunged into an icy cavern.
It was over. This guy had made all sorts of meticulous preparations; he would never give them the slightest opportunity.
"Bewitching Druig was also part of your plan from the start?" Ajak's face was full of unwillingness. She couldn't believe that the Eternals she led, who had existed for millions of years and witnessed the destruction of countless living planets and the birth of numerous Celestials, were about to be wiped out on the planet Earth.
And the one eliminating them was a human from Earth, not someone from a high-level cosmic civilization.
"Who do you think I am, to be able to predict everything? I'm not a prophet. It was Druig who made the correct choice, to get away from you lot who are rotting away in your endlessly repeating lives."
Du Wa walked up to Ajak.
Gilgamesh roared, trying to charge over, but unfortunately, the Abomination Xenomorph seized the opportunity. With one punch, his entire body staggered, and several mutated Xenomorphs immediately pounced on him, extending fleshy tubes that could absorb life force and piercing them into Gilgamesh's body.
The strongest Eternal was finished as well. What awaited him was the destiny of a host.
Puchi!
The seemingly unremarkable Elektra suddenly drew her blade. She had been inexplicably slashing at Du Wa's neck, but she abruptly swung in another direction, stabbing into a patch of empty air.
Sprite, who possessed the ability of invisibility, slowly revealed her form, looking down in disbelief at her pierced chest.
"I hear you're the illusion sprite? A pity that for people like us, illusions are ineffective." Elektra slowly pulled out her blade, taking the life of the petite Eternal.
The heavily injured Sersi lay on the ground, struggling to mobilize the energy in her body, trying to create a large-scale ice field to freeze as many enemies as possible. But unfortunately, along with the appearance of an afterimage, she was instantly hammered dozens of times by a Speed Xenomorph and was on the verge of death.
"You're Makkari's..." Sersi looked at this Speed Xenomorph that appeared like a phantom, struck, and then vanished like lightning, completely losing her will to resist.
The continuous fall of the Eternals had already announced the final result of this battle to everyone.
"How pathetic. You who have been stationed on Earth for seven thousand years will now have your curtain fall forever. Your era is coming to an end."
Du Wa looked at Ajak calmly. "I, on the other hand, am different. My era is just beginning, and I quite like using your sturdy bodies as its foundation."
The chaotic battlefield gradually fell silent. More and more Xenomorphs gathered around, silently raising their heads.
Ajak looked around. Besides her, there were no other Eternals left standing.
"You're finished, Ajak. You will thank me." Druig slowly closed his eyes, hot tears streaming from the corners. "I was right. I have seen the truth."
"The truth you acknowledge is to kill all your compatriots?"
"This isn't killing. You will be with me in another form—as Xenomorphs! When you see that place as I have, you will understand what I mean. Only the spirit is immortal."
"Madman." Ajak shook her head in disappointment. What else could she say? To a person who had changed their faith, was she supposed to argue that the new faith was untrustworthy?
It was useless. Otherwise, why would Druig have betrayed them and defected to Du Wa at such a critical moment?
Lady Deathstrike attacked from behind Ajak, skewering her with a claw and dragging her across the ground like a dead dog, step by step back to the 93rd floor of the Weyland Tower. There, Ajak, as well as the other Eternals, would meet their destiny.
Floor 93.
Alien eggs continuously blossomed, each finding their respective hosts.
Ajak, Thena, Kingo, Gilgamesh, Sersi... these most capable Eternals would all become a part of Du Wa.
In Druig's perception, this "becoming a part" included both body and mind.
"I am one with the Xenomorphs..."
This was Druig after waking up from being face-hugged. He sensed the Xenomorph inside his chest cavity and simultaneously established a close mental link with all the Xenomorphs. The feeling of no longer being alone gave Druig a deep sense of security and comfort.
Then, he coldly watched as his Eternal comrades were subjected to chestbursting one after another, meeting their resentful gazes without a trace of fear.
"I was right. They were all wrong," Druig whispered once more.
"Buddy, I don't know what you're thinking, but you must be right."
Reynolds walked over and patted Druig's shoulder. He put some force into that pat, nearly shattering Druig. It was hard to say if he was taking the opportunity to retaliate for Druig bossing him around during the battle.
"We are on the right path. Ahead of us is a bright future, an endless blue ocean of opportunity."
Robert Reynolds looked at the newly born, powerful Xenomorphs before him and said with absolute certainty.
Du Wa said nothing. Such matters no longer required his personal attention. Compared to personally witnessing the fate of the Eternals, he had more important things to do.
In a Secret Room several kilometers away, Coulson looked dejected and let out a deep sigh.
He had already heard the sounds of battle from outside, which had then quickly fallen into an eerie silence.
"Who is it?" Coulson's voice still carried its characteristic gentleness and composure.
"It's me."
Du Wa walked in. "For old times' sake, I came to see you off personally. I thought I would face a tough battle and that it would take some time to deal with the guards around you, but I didn't expect you to be protected by only these ordinary agents."
(end of chapter)