secret dice.

Chapter 831 Demigod
Epsilon III was originally a planet with beautiful scenery and a complex ecosystem. Due to a unique mineral found underground, the planet's native intelligent life developed a powerful civilization and became an important member of the anti-Zerg coalition.

However, three years ago, the Zerg launched a surprise attack on the planet using wormhole blitzkrieg tactics, swiftly destroying the planet's civilization and wiping out its native inhabitants.

Upon discovering the planet, the Anti-Zerg Alliance immediately launched an attack to reclaim Epsilon, the third planet. However, the Zerg reproduced at an extremely rapid rate, and by the time the Alliance organized a counterattack, the planet had been riddled with holes by the Zerg and inhabited by hundreds of millions of various advanced Zerg.

The more critical issue is that, due to the planet's unique mineral resources, the Anti-Zerg Alliance cannot directly use planet-destroying weapons.

The reason is simple: the unique rule of the deep space world is the star network, a subspace network that connects the major galaxies and planets in the universe. To traverse the vast expanse of space, where distances are measured in light-years, one must utilize this star network.

The special minerals on the third planet of Epsilon II are actually substances that can react with the Star Network and are commonly used in interstellar travel vehicles. If this planet were detonated with a planet-destroying weapon, the energy generated by the activation of a large amount of minerals could potentially affect the Star Network.

According to scientists' calculations, the resonance generated by this energy may temporarily paralyze a large number of star networks, causing various planets to lose contact for a short period of time, making it impossible to mobilize military forces and continue trade.

The problem is that the Zerg's interstellar travel does not entirely rely on the Star Network. They have evolved a unique ability to create wormholes. Although the distance is limited, their transportation capabilities are significantly superior to other civilizations without the Star Network. In addition, the Zerg's ability to reproduce and establish themselves on the ground means that even if the two sides fight separately, other civilizations are unlikely to be a match for the Zerg.

In that war, the anti-Zerg alliance will be in a very passive position.

However, if left unchecked, the anti-Zerg alliance worried that the Zerg might recklessly destroy the planet. Therefore, their only option was to retake Epsilon III through ground warfare, without resorting to planet-destroying weapons!
Hundreds of millions of soldiers and millions of mechs were deployed to the planet to fight against billions of Zerg. The battle for the third planet, Epsilon, has lasted for two and a half years and is considered one of the most brutal battles in the history of space warfare.

At this very moment, the battle for the third planet Epsilon is at its most critical. With the support of superior air power, the anti-Zerg coalition has finally captured most of the planet's surface, leaving only the planet's north pole region under Zerg control!

Although it is speculated that a large number of insects still exist underground, controlling the surface means that the coalition's weapons and facilities can be deployed to the planet relatively safely, which is of great significance for further annihilating the insectoid race!
With a phased victory in sight, the coalition launched a live broadcast while simultaneously launching a fierce attack on the Arctic, showcasing the battle situation to civilizations across the entire universe that are part of the anti-Zerg alliance!

In the broadcast footage, the human mechanical forces surged towards the Arctic like a tidal wave. The remaining Zerg on the surface could not withstand this steel torrent. The front-line Zerg warriors were constantly being crushed, with fragments and slime flying everywhere. The Zerg battle line collapsed continuously on camera, and they were on the verge of being completely annihilated...

But just then, the polar glacier suddenly cracked open, and a figure flew out from it!
The battlefield high-speed camera immediately captured this figure, and under the lens, people could clearly see that it was a young Eastern face!

Just as everyone was wondering how an unprotected human could fly out from underground, suddenly, a huge, centipede-like worm broke through the ice, opened its mouth, revealing layers upon layers of fine teeth, and bit the man!
In a close-up shot, the body of this Asian man is pierced by countless sharp teeth, then the monster's gaping maw closes, completely swallowing him...

This is the hottest video on foreign online forums right now. The person being bitten and swallowed in full view of everyone is none other than "Luo Jun"!
Clearly, this video was brought back by the explorers who were transported to deep space along with "Luo Jun".

According to the post, this giant centipede-like insect was an Omega-class behemoth. As the Zerg's last trump card on the ground, it single-handedly fought against the Allied forces, destroying a massive number of mechanical units before finally succumbing to Allied fire. The Allied forces dissected the giant insect and found some fragmented biological tissue in its digestive tract, but could not determine which parts belonged to the mysterious figure.

The reason the Allied Forces were so interested in the person who had been eaten was that after six months of ravages by the Zerg and two and a half years of war, the ecology of Epsilon III had been severely damaged. Not only had the composition of the air been completely changed, filled with radiation and toxins, but even the atmosphere had been destroyed, making it unable to block cosmic rays. In addition, the extreme cold of the polar regions meant that, apart from the Zerg, no other creature could survive in such an environment without any protection.

Therefore, the coalition was very curious about this mysterious human and suspected that he was a powerful psychic master.

Although the final result was that "Luo Jun's" body was not found, the scene of him being bitten and crushed by the worm's teeth was clearly broadcast to the entire universe, which confirms that he is dead.

To the world of [Deep Space], this was merely a mysterious figure of unknown origin. However, to the explorers of the main world, Luo Jun, who had just won the Tianyuan Tournament, was currently the hottest celebrity. Therefore, the explorers who had drifted into [Deep Space] tried to bring this video back to the main world, and once it was released, it caused a huge uproar in the cultivation community.

“Our diplomatic corps has already tried to contact the company,” Mu Lanshi reported to Wan Guiyuan and Elder Yuan. “The information we have so far indicates that Luo Jun has not been seen returning from the [Deep Space] Gate. Combined with this video, we can confirm that he is dead…”

"We can't make that conclusion so hastily..." Old Yuan coughed.

"Is there any hope for him to survive?" Mu Lanshi looked at Elder Yuan, hoping that this knowledgeable and experienced senior might have a different perspective.

"Well..." Old Yuan didn't know what to say, and Mu Lanshi's eyes dimmed again when she saw his attitude.

"Although I didn't have much contact with him, he was really... a very good person. I never expected it to end like this..."

"Don't be too sad," Wan Guiyuan comforted him. "Go back and rest first. I'll check on Luo Jun's matter as soon as possible."

After finally getting rid of Mu Lanshi, Wan Guiyuan and Yuan Shouzhen both looked at Luo Jun: "What's the deal with this video?"

“This… I need to confirm it too.” With that, Luo Jun took out the Creation Chess and summoned Ashlia.

"Master..." As soon as Ashlia appeared, she respectfully bowed and greeted Luo Jun.

"Is that you in the video?" Luo Jun showed her the video directly: "You were swallowed by bugs?"

Ashlia glanced at it, then said somewhat awkwardly, "This is indeed me... After I left that portal, I appeared in a cold underground cave, which startled these insect monsters. I ran away, and then... this is what happened in the video."

"This bug is that powerful?" Luo Jun was somewhat surprised. "Even your peak-level strength couldn't withstand it? And I didn't see you transform into a more powerful form to fight it."

“This insect is indeed very strong, but what I couldn’t resist was something deeper,” Ashlia said. “The moment I appeared, I sensed a powerful mental energy fluctuation from the depths of the earth. At the same time, that mental energy locked onto me, and then I felt my transformation ability fail; I couldn’t even change my form, and I was locked in your form, Master.” “Oh…” Luo Jun nodded: “No wonder, so you escaped while maintaining my appearance…”

"To be able to lock down and seal a peak ability with mental power..." Elder Yuan was more concerned about the existence hidden underground: "Even ascension is not easy to do... It seems that there is a rather terrifying guy underground."

"Do insects also metamorphose?" Luo Jun had never been to [Deep Space] and didn't know about it.

"The way the Zerg in the Deep Space use power is different from ours," Wan Guiyuan said. "What they call psychic energy is actually a variant of primordial energy, which can be seen as a product of the combination of primordial energy and spiritual power. The Zerg do not utilize primordial energy as well as we cultivators, and their manipulation is not as refined. However, due to their enormous size and special body structure, their energy reserves, or psychic energy reserves, are frighteningly high. In terms of absolute power, the giant Zerg above the Omega level are probably stronger than humans who have achieved metamorphosis."

“That’s right,” Elder Yuan said. “I’ve been to the Deep Space and experienced the power of those insects firsthand. To me, if cultivators are like humans wielding weapons, then these insects are like dinosaurs clad in armor. Human weapons can indeed harm these behemoths, but if you get caught by one, you’re doomed.”

"In other words, they're all a bunch of big, clumsy, numerical monsters," Luo Jun said. "Human cultivators may not have enough numerical stats, but they can still hold their own through skillful maneuvering. However, it would be much harder to deal with them using ordinary weapons."

“That’s right,” Elder Yuan said. “With the technological power of Deep Space, even a Feathered cultivator wouldn’t be able to withstand the power of those strategic weapons, but they might not be able to kill Omega-level giant insects. On the other hand, compared to weapons of mass destruction, Feathered cultivators with powerful strength and targeted technology are more efficient at dealing with these giant insects.”

"The problems with [Deep Space] are for Jin Di and the others to worry about." Wan Guiyuan waved his hand. "But what about you, kid? The news of your 'death' has already spread..."

"That's easy," said Elder Yuan. "Why don't you just take off your mask, come out and clarify things?"

As he spoke, he reached out and touched Luo Jun's face, only to find that the mask seemed to be attached to his face and he couldn't remove it at all.

“Master… I forgot to tell you…” Luo Jun sighed, “I experienced a bit of trouble in the [game] world, and I can’t take this mask off right now.”

"What's going on?" Old Yuan looked bewildered. Wan Guiyuan stepped forward, placed his hand on Luo Jun's mask, and frowned slightly.

After a while, he released his grip and looked at Luo Jun with narrow eyes: "You... saw the Protector?"

Upon hearing Wan Guiyuan's words, Luo Jun was taken aback: "You know about the Protectors?"

"It seems you did see it." Wan Guiyuan smiled slightly. "I was just wondering how you were able to use a Noble Phantasm under the rules of the [Game]. If it was the maintainer who made the move, then it makes sense."

Looking at Wan Guiyuan, Luo Jun felt that Chairman Wan was unfathomable.

"Who exactly are the maintainers?"

"To be honest, I don't know either." Wan Guiyuan gave a somewhat unexpected answer: "I have never seen him, but based on my many years of experience, I can only speculate that such a person exists. The fact that you were able to see him means you are luckier than me."

"Just based on... speculation?" Luo Jun looked at Wan Guiyuan.

“Young man, I have been cultivating for over a hundred years,” Wan Guiyuan said with a smile. “Although I don’t have your good fortune, my experience is definitely richer than yours, and I probably know just as many secrets as you do.”

"If my guess is correct, the maintainers should be the people responsible for maintaining the rules left behind by the ancient true gods. Although they are not yet at the level of true gods, they are much stronger than ordinary ascension beings. It would not be an exaggeration to call them demigods."

"Maintaining the rules?" Luo Jun said, "So, it seems that every world should have a maintainer?"

“Theoretically, that’s how it is…” Wan Guiyuan nodded. “However, based on the information I’ve gathered over the years, I’m guessing that there aren’t that many maintainers left. I’ve even wondered if any maintainers have survived.”

"Survived?" Luo Jun was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

“It means exactly what it says,” Wan Guiyuan said. “Thousands of years ago, or even earlier, there must have been a war between the maintainers, and many maintainers perished as a result. I don’t know how many are still alive today.”

"A war broke out between the maintainers?" Luo Jun asked in surprise. "How could that be?"

"What, you didn't know?" Wan Guiyuan smiled at Luo Jun: "I was able to confirm this conjecture thanks to you!"

"Thanks to me?" Luo Jun was even more confused. Old Yuan, who was standing next to him, said, "Do you remember Amjira in Utopia that we visited before?"

"Of course I remember," Luo Jun nodded.

"Back then, you finally retrieved some remaining memories from the gem, which recounted the feud between the two great gods, Calrus and Dias, thousands of years ago..." Old Yuan said, "I came back and told Lao Wan about this information. After analysis, we can basically confirm that Calrus and Dias are the two protectors!"

(End of this chapter)