What had happened to Shouji? What had happened to the surface?
The people stationed on the orbital platform stared down at their home planet in terror. They watched as it underwent earth-shaking changes over a period of time, saw bizarre pale matter spread across the planet's surface like a nightmare spilling over, until even the heavy rain clouds near the equator could no longer conceal the terrifying mutation that had overtaken the entire planet—a mutation that had occurred centuries ago, yet had only now entered their field of vision.
The cognitive barrier enveloping Shouji was disintegrating. This powerful cognitive interference had once extended from the planet's surface into space, even dragging those stationed in high orbit into a dream where "everything was normal." Now, the dream was over.
But it was not because the Star Proliferation Body had ceased its activity—it was because the "angel" parasitizing the planet had already prepared for ascension.
The Ascension Body was severing its connection with the Eclosion Nest. As the enormous neural systems buried deep underground and the crystal branches spread across the globe broke apart one by one, the cognitive interference field that had operated on Shouji for centuries naturally shut down as well.
The Star Proliferation Body had decided to abandon this nest ahead of schedule—the many abnormal circumstances occurring within the nest had made it sense an immense danger.
Mo Ran looked pale as she stared at the Spiritual Echo Mirror brought by her subordinate, watching the image projected within it.
It was the view of Shouji from space, just sent by the orbital platform.
Bizarre pale matter writhed and surged across the planet's surface. From the polar regions to the equator, every surface structure was changing. A terrifying "face," covering nearly a third of the planet's surface, had already taken