Amid the massive explosion and the ceaseless stellar tremors, Zhuom finally tore apart.
The complete death of the Firstborn caused the planet's end to arrive several hours early. The tentacles buried deep underground released all the primordial energy they contained, and powerful forces from before the dawn of time washed over the land. Witnessed by the drone swarm and the Examiner, Zhuom first erupted with a burst of dazzling light at the equator. Then red radiance spread along the cracks covering the planet's surface. Within a minute, it had become millions of fragments, flying heroically toward the sun.
Among the fragments, an object with dimming radiance was exposed from the planet's core. It released a tiny spark of electricity, and then that glimmer vanished in a flash.
It was the core energy station built by the Zhuom people—the last material relic left behind by that civilization. Now, everything was over.
The drone swarm circling the planet's orbit showed not the slightest reluctance to leave. Having completed the data transmission mission, they began dismantling the temporary antenna array they had previously assembled, following their programmed procedures. Like a swarm of bees, the small drones rapidly dismantled the ring-shaped antenna under the guidance of the mothership, then opened Space Gates in space and departed. In the end, only a silver-white Examiner's flagship remained at the place where Zhuom had once been. With its bow pointed toward the sun, it watched that once-Life's Prosperity planet complete its final journey. Only after the scattered fragments of the shattered celestial body had turned to dust one after another in the sunlight did Giant Turtle Rock Platform change course. At the same time, a small hatch opened in its lower half, and a silver-white rectangular object with flashing lights floated out. It began orbiting along Zhuom's