Chapter 69: A Single Proton

The droplet had spent hours obliterating the two defensive lines at Tianyuan A and Tianyuan B without sustaining the slightest damage. Now, it had crossed the asteroid belt and was heading toward the inner planets.

Had it chosen to strike Tianyuan A directly, Xiao Yu would have been utterly defenseless, unable to fight back or escape—left with no option but to await death.

However, since the droplet seemed intent on toying with him, like a cat playing with a mouse, Xiao Yu saw a slim chance of survival, no matter how faint.

It was a race against death.

At the starting point of the collider, a proton had already been launched. For fifteen minutes, it would accelerate along the two-billion-kilometer pipeline, propelled by over 200,000 fusion reactors to reach speeds approaching the speed of light, attaining an extraordinary energy level.

Meanwhile, at the cannon’s muzzle, a high-powered laser cannon fired an invisible, high-energy beam across millions of kilometers, striking the droplet.

As expected, the laser had no effect on the droplet. Its outer shell effortlessly reflected all wavelengths and frequencies of light. The droplet showed no reaction, maintaining its trajectory and speed as it charged toward Xiao Yu.

The laser’s purpose, however, wasn’t to damage the droplet. It was to create a vacuum corridor in space, clearing the path between the collider and the droplet of any stray particles. This ensured the proton would travel unimpeded until it struck the droplet.

Watching the droplet inch closer, Xiao Yu felt his anxiety growing but maintained strict focus, steadily guiding the robots as they installed the miniature propulsion engines on the collider.

The proton had already traveled half its journey. Xiao Yu had seven minutes left to complete the preparation work.

Hundreds of robots toiled at the cannon’s muzzle, following Xiao Yu’s precise commands without wasting a millisecond. Finally, one minute before the proton’s arrival, the last propulsion engine was installed.

“Finally done,” Xiao Yu murmured, allowing himself a brief moment of relief before immediately moving on to the next task.

Throughout the Tianyuan IV star system, countless observation satellites continuously tracked the droplet’s position. The real-time data was transmitted to Xiao Yu via superluminal communication systems, with no delay.

Xiao Yu swiftly calculated the droplet’s trajectory. Thousands of miniature engines fired, slowly adjusting the cannon’s aim to target the droplet.

At this moment, the droplet was still 5.4 million kilometers away. At its current speed, it would arrive in 30 minutes. If it got too close, Xiao Yu would have no chance of stopping it.

Xiao Yu began the countdown.

The proton, carrying Xiao Yu’s hopes, continued its acceleration within the collider. In 20 seconds, it would exit the cannon.

By then, it would be traveling at nearly the speed of light, armed with enough energy to potentially shatter the droplet’s shell.

“Ten, nine, eight… two, one, zero.” Xiao Yu mentally counted down.

The laser cannon continued firing, clearing the proton’s path. The moment before the proton reached the muzzle, the laser ceased firing.

The proton, following the laser’s cleared path, hurtled toward the droplet.

High-sensitivity instruments installed at the cannon’s muzzle detected faint radiation—emissions from the proton as it moved at near-light speed. This confirmed that the proton had exited the collider and entered space.

The proton had 5.3 million kilometers left to travel to the droplet. At its velocity, it would reach the target in less than 18 seconds.

“Eighteen, seventeen…” Xiao Yu began another countdown.

When the countdown reached six—when the proton was less than 2 million kilometers from the droplet—satellites monitoring the situation detected a faint gamma-ray burst.

Xiao Yu’s heart sank into a cold abyss.

A gamma-ray burst at this moment could mean only one thing: a black hole had briefly formed and died. The black hole could only have been created by the proton’s collision with another particle.

This meant the proton hadn’t reached the droplet. Instead, it had struck a stray particle en route, creating a microscopic black hole that evaporated instantly.

Despite the high-powered laser clearing a path, stray particles had managed to drift into the proton’s trajectory the moment the laser stopped.

Xiao Yu had two chances. This was the first—and it had failed.

Xiao Yu didn’t have time to dwell on his failure. Five minutes later, after the collider’s cooldown, he launched the second proton. At the same time, the high-powered laser cannon resumed firing, clearing a path once again.

The droplet would reach the collider in 25 minutes. The proton would launch in 15 minutes. If this second attempt failed, there would be no time to fire a third proton. This would mark the end of Xiao Yu’s fight—and his life.

One proton carried the weight of Xiao Yu’s survival.

The proton began its acceleration. Over 200,000 fusion reactors poured their energy into the particle, pushing it to speeds approaching the speed of light and granting it unmatched energy levels.

The proton started its long journey, a 15-minute traversal of the two-billion-kilometer pipeline, circling Tianyuan IV before aiming at the droplet.

Meanwhile, the droplet sped closer.

Fifteen minutes later, the proton reached the cannon’s muzzle. Xiao Yu immediately ceased the laser fire.

The proton now followed the same path as its predecessor, charging toward the droplet.

This time, the droplet was only 1.8 million kilometers away. The proton would take just six seconds to cover this distance.

As the proton exited the cannon, Xiao Yu disconnected himself from the outside world.

Everything that could be done had been done. Everything he was capable of doing, he had done. Xiao Yu had given his all.

The rest was in the hands of fate.

In this life-or-death moment, Xiao Yu’s thoughts wandered to unrelated matters.

“Does the underworld of mythology truly exist? In my current state, would I even qualify to enter the underworld after death? I hope so. Being alone is unbearable. At least in the underworld, there would be others to keep me company.”

Xiao Yu thought about his glorious days on Earth, about everything he had accomplished, and… about Chen Mo.

In just 0.1 milliseconds, Xiao Yu revisited all his memories of Chen Mo, recalling every moment they had shared.

For the first time in years, Chen Mo’s image was clearer in Xiao Yu’s mind than ever before.

“In my final moments, I want to be with you,” Xiao Yu murmured, activating a holographic projector aboard his ship to display an image of Chen Mo.

She smiled, carefree as always, her lips curling playfully. Her long, soft hair draped down her back, and her eyes gazed at Xiao Yu with gentle affection.

“I knew you’d find a way,” Chen Mo said softly.

“I do have a plan… I have a plan. But I don’t know if it will work. I don’t know… Chen Mo, if I am about to die, I want to spend my last moments with you.”

“But you weren’t with me when I died,” Chen Mo replied with the same gentle smile.

Her presence was only a projection, a simulation controlled by Xiao Yu. Even her words were orchestrated by him.

Yet, in that moment, Xiao Yu—who had endured the apocalypse, humanity’s extinction, and thousands of years of solitude—felt “pain” for the first time.

“Forgive my selfishness. I wasn’t there when you passed, but please, stay with me as I go,” Xiao Yu’s spirit trembled slightly.

Thirty seconds passed. The outcome had been determined. If the proton failed, the droplet would already be on its way to destroy the collider.

Nine and a half minutes later, the droplet would annihilate the collider. Another hundred minutes later, it would reach Tianyuan A’s orbit.

Xiao Yu stopped thinking about the future. He waited silently—for death or for survival.

Time ticked away. One minute, two minutes, ten minutes, a hundred minutes, a hundred and ten minutes…

By now, if the droplet still existed, it should have begun its slaughter at Tianyuan A.

At 130 minutes, if the droplet were still active, it would have wiped out every last ship.

But Xiao Yu was still alive. He knew he was still alive.

“Death… hasn’t arrived?” Xiao Yu thought, trembling as he reconnected to the outside world under Chen Mo’s gentle gaze.

The satellite network across the Tianyuan IV system transmitted an image to Xiao Yu.

He saw an incredible sight.

In space, 1.7 million kilometers from the collider, the droplet hung motionless, suspended in the void.

It remained perfectly still relative to Xiao Yu.

Its shell still boasted its 100% reflectivity, flawless and dust-free, just as pristine and beautiful as when it first appeared—like a perfect work of art, and as fearsome as death itself.

But then, as Xiao Yu continued to watch, a crack suddenly appeared on its surface—a crack resembling shattered glass.

Xiao Yu thought he could hear it—the faint sound of something breaking, a sharp, brittle crack.