Galaxy Sector: Jagan
Planet: Helen
"Finally."
"My cure… to this accursed trait."
A deep voice echoed in the boundless void.
The voice belonged to a handsome, white-haired man seated atop a planet-sized creature. To the beast, he was less than an ant. It was a World-Devouring Whale, a being whose very presence once screamed terror and power, but now was dead, its life of swallowing planets over.
The mysterious man raised a beautiful crimson blade.
"Have a drink, Cil," he offered. Blood seeped from the colossal corpse, drawn to the blade until it was coated. The weapon glowed, humming with enjoyment.
The man returned his gaze to the corpse.
"So hungryyy…" His eyes glowed with a predatory light, saliva dripping from his lips. Like a beast, he began to devour the whale. It was almost comical—he ate himself into the beast, then continued from the inside out.
Time passed, but his goal was set: to devour the World-Devouring Whale whole. He was entranced.
This strange man was Dax Godfall, the Black Researcher.
Halfway through the beast, Dax was drenched in blood, yet he continued to eat; this was a familiar ritual to him.
"Hungry…. So hungry."
Silver flames burst from his body, enveloping him completely.
Dax raised his head, a charming smile gracing his lips. "The second stage has begun."
Covered in blood, he looked less like a man and more like a demon from hell smiling. With precision, the flames hovered above his skin like a tailored suit.
"Synthesis," he whispered, closing his eyes.
Veins bulged across his body. In an instant, the remaining mass of the whale rewound into him, as if it had always belonged there.
His new form was revealed: not human, but a strange, cosmic being. His body was a strange crimson, adorned with star-like patterns.
What is this?
This was not the plan. His plan was to steal the absorption system of the World-Devouring Whale—to fix his trait.
"This outcome…" Dax looked at his hand. "Inerous, what is the current condition of my body?" he asked, speaking as though to himself.
`Master, a battle has broken out between Insatiable Hunger and your newly created Absorption System.`
"Hmmm. I see. I'm still on the right path."
He floated into a lotus position.
Woosh!
The gentle silver flame covering his body ignited fiercely, as though drenched in oil. In less than a heartbeat, it feathered across his skin.
Then, sudden silence.
He drifted softly in the endless void as the silver flame settled on his pineal gland, burning gently.
In the midst of this phenomenon, two halos manifested—one black, one silver. In calamity, he had achieved a breakthrough, stepping into the realm of a Trait Emperor.
The black halo burst with an intense suction force. In a split second, it pulled in a wandering asteroid, shattering it into fragments and dust.
"Hmmm." Dax hummed comfortably as his body was nourished. Entranced by the sensation, he was oblivious to the chaos unfolding around him.
He drifted toward a nearby planet, descending upon its surface like a comet.
Boom!
Floating in a lotus position mere inches above the ground, a massive shockwave erupted beneath him, shattering the terrain.
The devastation was only beginning. Flying craters and clouds of dust were instantly sucked inward. The ground split, opening a path of descent. In that moment, all hell broke loose. The planet released a deafening sound capable of shattering minds.
Then came the screams. Alien life across the planet wailed in despair. Many perished instantly. Others clutched their loved ones only to explode into fragments.
Chaos. The few survivors who endured the sound slammed their heads into the ground, desperate to escape the nightmare.
As disaster consumed the planet, Dax floated above its core. Like a dragon, he inhaled deeply, and soft wisps from the core crumbled into his nostrils.
The collapse was swift. Soon, only a quarter of the planet remained—a sight terrifying beyond words.
Blu!
A massive gold-plated starship tore through space, radiating dominance.
"What the hell is this?"
A man in a golden military uniform stepped out. He wasn't human: two tentacles protruded from his forehead, his skin was a deep purple, and a powerful tentacle swayed as a tail.
His presence was commanding, but his caution was greater. "What an apocalyptic scene…" His face wrinkled.
What could have caused this? he asked himself—only to witness fragments of the planet gathering together vanishing into nothingness.
Could that be the cause?
He pulled a small lens from his pocket and placed it before his eye. The lens floated, splitting into nine layers that hovered above one another.
His reaction was immediate. "No, no, no… We have to get the hell away from this place."
"Turn the ship!" he roared, sprinting back inside. "We need to escape this demon!"
Inside, his assistant asked why he had retreated so suddenly. In a flash, an image of Dax appeared on a massive screen.
Her face turned ghostly pale. She began to shiver.
"St-Starry White Demon," she stammered. "Please, Commander, let's blink out of here. I have loved ones waiting for me."
Without hesitation, they blinked far away from Dax. The commander did not need anyone telling him to flee.
Meanwhile, Dax's silver halo began to burn. The moment the flame of Synthesis touched Insatiable Hunger, the insane devouring stopped—as though it had never happened.
In the stillness, Dax opened his eyes…
...and in that instant, exploded into stardust.