It Is the Big Crunch

There were three possible futures for this universe.

The first was that the universe stopped expanding and entered a stable state.

"There'd be no need to run."

The second was that the universe, like a balloon blown to its limit, would explode in a colossal blast, turning everything to ash.

"Even if you wanted to run, you couldn't."

The third was that the universe would not grow, but instead shrink inward, ultimately collapsing into a single point.

"Then running is the only option."

When you read this passage, you extended your spiritual power, covering the cosmic membrane hundreds of light-years away.

It was not obvious enough.

So, in the future, you descended twenty-six times in succession, extending your spiritual power across a full hundred million light-years!

Under the coverage of sufficiently vast spiritual power, the cosmic membrane you sensed was finally no longer a flat wall. It showed a faint curvature.

That slight curvature sank inward.

You were not outside the universe, watching the cosmic membrane expand toward you.

You were now inside the universe, and the cosmic membrane was contracting toward you!

"No, what is this situation?"

Somewhat muddled, you continued reading Yellow Star's historical records.

In the earliest records, the pioneers of Yellow Star from a million years ago knew that a catastrophic disaster was highly likely to occur in later generations. Though that disaster would not arrive within their lifetimes, for the sake of those who came after, they resolutely chose to begin striving from their generation onward.

The "Fleeing Yellow Star" plan was launched.

It was a grand and great Escape Plan. All humanity's scientists gathered together. They spent twenty thousand years solving the energy problem, then devoted all their efforts to transforming the planet and building thrusters. Fifty thousand years later, they successfully propelled Yellow