Ascension Mission (Part 2)

So, strictly speaking, this entirely new form of life that Huo Gu wanted the Collectors to study was more advanced—at least more advanced than Huo Gu, the Supreme Will.

Through the individual's explanation, its kin recalled the past and became enraged by the suicides Perpetuity had incited. On the path of the species' evolution, the direction had been personally indicated by the Supreme Will—it neither desired nor cared about being revered as the Supreme Will. What it wanted was for every Collector to become like it.

"A collective?"

Collective organisms, also known as ecosystem organisms, had evolved by chance from a group of Collectors struggling to survive within a gas giant. They were networked organisms formed from multiple low-intelligence life-field organisms. They appeared immensely powerful, but were actually extremely fragile. Once their ecosystem was disrupted, even normal information exchange became a problem.

The Supreme Will had also clearly stated that these collective organisms were not what it had hoped for, merely something with considerable reference value.

"More advanced than those."

The previously hesitant Collector answered thus. Hearing that answer, its kin became even more confused.

"Then that's a good thing. The species will finally no longer need us. Stronger brethren will take our place. I long ago considered that such a day would come, when we become the past and the species embraces the future. That proves we have taken a great stride forward. What is there to agonize over?"

Its kin was puzzled. It examined the troubled individual's life field and confirmed that it had not fallen into becoming a traitor, which only made it stranger.

"You say that because you still don't understand what I am expressing... nor do you understand what is troubling me now."

"What exactly is troubling you? If you don't explain it clearly, how