CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 199: END OF THE WORLD

Zhyr’Kaath Prime, the heart of the Krill Empire, pulsed with a dark, frenetic energy. Four hundred light-years from the Sol System, this arid world of colossal, obsidian-like spires pierced a perpetually twilight sky, bathed in the glow of countless orbital shipyards that ringed the planet like a malevolent halo. The very atmosphere hummed with the raw power of a civilization geared entirely for war, a chilling efficiency that spoke of centuries of galactic conquest.

Across the planet-spanning cities and vast orbital facilities, Krill nobles, generals, and engineers moved in a frenzy of preparation. This was not a mere invasion force; it was the culmination of centuries of conquest, a gathering of might designed to crush entire star systems.

Massive transport vessels, each capable of carrying legions, ascended from the planet’s surface in an endless, silent stream. These were not the Harvester Motherships seen at Earth, but dedicated troop carriers, their holds cavernous. The sheer number and diversity of forces being loaded was horrifying: elite Krill warriors, their scales gleaming with polished armor; multiple enslaved species, their eyes dull with resignation, a chilling metal ring around their necks signifying their status as cannon fodders; vast numbers of Krill cavalries mounted on Grak’Toruun Dreadmaws, their roars echoing even through the vacuum; and swarms of winged riders – Volriths and Zal’kren – taking to the skies, their bio-engineered forms blotting out the distant stars.

High above Zhyr’Kaath Prime, a leviathan of dark metal and pulsating energy dwarfed even the largest Harvester Motherships. This was the Imperial Flagship, the largest capital ship ever seen in the Krill fleet, five times the size of a standard Harvester, a true mobile fortress. Its difference was not just size, but firepower, ship carrier capacity, and an unprecedented number of integrated drone swarms. It was the spearhead of the true Krill might, the vanguard of the Imperial Armada.

On its command bridge, a vast, intimidating space of dark, polished chitin and flickering holographic displays, stood the "4 Kings": Vurmak, Vanak, Krinkak, and Lashrak. Each was a formidable Krill, larger and more imposing than any seen before, their silver scales bearing the intricate, ritualistic marks of countless battles and high lineage. They surveyed the assembling armada, their expressions cold and calculating, a chilling reflection of the immense power they commanded.

On the bridge of the colossal capital ship, a holographic message from Chancellor Shuha’dar flickered into existence, detailing the unexpected failures at Earth. The Kings listened, their eyes fixed on the image of their subordinate. Shuha’dar’s report was a litany of unforeseen human resistance, of initial fleets failing, and ground forces being pushed back. A flicker of annoyance crossed Vurmak’s face, his mandibles twitching.

"Pathetic," Krinkak rumbled, his voice a low, gravelly sound that seemed to vibrate through the deck plating. "To be stalled by primitives. Shuha’dar’s reputation was clearly inflated."

"Indeed," Vanak added, his tone dripping with disdain. "He promised a swift harvest, a mere formality. Instead, he sends us reports of unexpected resistance and lost fleets."

"Shuha’dar’s incompetence is tiresome," Vurmak’s voice was a low growl, resonating with a deep, guttural power. "Still, it matters little now. The primitives have merely delayed the inevitable." His dismissive tone belied the true, horrifying purpose of this main Krill force. Their objective is not merely conquest or even harvesting in the traditional sense. It’s a race against time. The purpose of the Krill’s main force was to get to Earth first, before their Emperor reached the Sol system.

The "dragon" Emperor, a being of immense power and ancient lineage, had not truly abdicated the throne. This was a lie, meticulously crafted by the 4 Kings. They had managed to convince almost all of their Emperor’s loyalists to their side, spreading the false word that their Emperor, consumed by his "avaricious and gluttonous craze," had willingly relinquished his power. It was a conspiracy of cosmic proportions, a betrayal woven into the very fabric of the Krill Empire.

Their true allegiance now lay with a new, terrifying entity: Xa’mharr the Unshaped, an eldritch entity of immense, unknowable power, a being from beyond the veil of their known universe. The Kings’ purpose now was to execute a dark, blasphemous task for their new God and leader: to launch the "dark orb" into the sun, just after their dragon Emperor arrived in the Sol system. This way, their new god, Xa’mharr, would descend through their Emperor’s very body, consuming him and taking his place as the ultimate power, a horrific apotheosis.

Secondary objectives for the invasion force were grimly practical: keep the human forces in check, and continue with the "last harvest" – a final, desperate collection of sustenance before the transformation of the system, before the sun itself became a conduit for their new, monstrous deity.

The vastness of space around Zhyr’Kaath Prime shimmered with the assembled might of the Krill Empire. The main fleet, an unimaginably huge armada, had fully gathered. Thousands of ships, from the smallest drone carriers to the largest Harvester Motherships, formed a dark, menacing cloud that stretched for light-minutes, a testament to a civilization’s singular focus on domination.

The capital ship, housing the 4 Kings and their allied Dukes, positioned itself at the very head of the fleet, its colossal form a dark silhouette against the distant stars. On the bridge, the Krill bridge officers, their faces grimly determined, locked in the destination: Earth’s moon, Luna, which acted as the beacon for their wormhole jump.

"Wormhole coordinates locked. Beacon confirmed: Luna, Sol System. Initiating jump sequence," a Krill Bridge Officer’s voice was steady, devoid of emotion, yet the weight of his words was immense.

In the void of space, a ripple appeared in the fabric of reality before the capital ship. With a silent, terrifying distortion of space, a massive wormhole tore open before the fleet. It was colossal, a swirling vortex of dark energy and distorted stars, large enough to swallow the entire armada whole. The bridge officers confirmed the stable opening, their multi-faceted eyes reflecting the swirling maw.

"Wormhole stable. All vessels, commit to jump," the Krill Bridge Officer’s voice was tense, but triumphant.

One by one, the Krill ships, led by the colossal capital ship, began to plunge into the maw of the wormhole, disappearing into the unknown, a silent, inexorable movement into oblivion. The 4 Kings watched with grim satisfaction, their betrayal complete, their new god’s ascension within reach.

Back on the Sol System, deep within the Krill harvester headquarters on Luna, the command chamber was eerily quiet, save for the low hum of life support. Chancellor Shuha’dar paced, his reptilian features contorted by the multiple failed invasion and control attempts. The last harvester ship had indeed "went up in flames," presumably destroyed by the Krill to prevent further human recovery, or by a desperate act of the captured crew.

He sighed, a rasping sound in the sterile air. The grim reality was undeniable: "ground forces most of them made it below" to Earth, but the harvest leaders were "nowhere to be found, god who knows where" – a clear sign of their defection and betrayal. These "worthless fools," he knew, were plotting to rebel, take a few hundred thousand humans, then colonize the next star system, cultivate it, and escape the Emperor’s wrath.

After disappointing his lords, the 4 Kings, Shuha’dar thought, his frustration palpable, he couldn’t bear to sit in his office anymore. If those damn worthless fools can’t even complete a simple task, then he’ll descend on Earth himself. At the very least, he won’t be seen as useless bumpkin hanging around. It’s also been long since he’d fought. His warrior pride, though wounded, still burned.

He walked towards the end of the hall, a large platform awaiting him. What little left of the Luna station were just Krill operators and staff, their faces gaunt with fear, their scales dull with exhaustion. All of the remaining combat forces were sent to Earth, either fighting, dead, alive or dying.

As the platform activated, Shuha’dar took a deep breath. 4th Krill Evolutionary stages like him needed no suit in the vacuum of space, even the emperor himself can breathe in the vacuum of space with who knows how. With a powerful, tearing sound of chitin and muscle, he unfurled his massive, leathery wings, a sight rarely seen, a taboo broken in his desperation. He launched himself from the platform, accelerating rapidly, and took off from the dark side of the moon, traveling at sublight speed towards Earth, a colossal, living projectile.

Back at the TRC Command Base, in the Command and Ops Nexus, the holographic Earth now showed a terrifying new development. Lina’s calm, synthesized voice cut through the tense silence, a stark contrast to the escalating crisis.

"Sir, we have a massive energy signature. Coming in 0.2 AUs away from the moon. Estimated arrival in Sol System: minutes."

She projected a footage onto the holographic display: a vast, impossibly huge armada of ships, dwarfing anything seen before, a dark, menacing cloud that filled the void. It was the "entire Krill Empire invasion fleet," the main force from Zhyr’Kaath Prime, now emerging from the wormhole. The UEDC commanders and politicians gasped, their faces draining of color. The scale was incomprehensible, a nightmare made real.

"Sir," Lina continued, a slight, almost imperceptible shift in her tone, "we also have a secondary energy signature, inbound to Earth’s surface. High velocity, single entity."

The holographic display shifted to a live feed, showing a colossal Krill, at least 50 feet tall, plummeting through Earth’s atmosphere like a meteor, a burning, living projectile. It landed in Los Angeles with a devastating impact, "smashing down cities with 5 kilotons of force from the landing." Buildings buckled and collapsed, concrete turning to dust. Anyone within a "0.8-mile radius" was "dead or heavily injured," their bodies pulverized by the sheer force. Those within "1.5 miles" were "lightly injured" but still affected by the shockwave, thrown to the ground, their ears ringing with the thunderous impact. The simultaneous arrival of the Imperial Armada and Shuha’dar’s personal, devastating landing highlighted his elite status and the new, direct threat he posed. The UEDC’s fear was palpable, a cold, creeping dread.

The Command and Ops Nexus was consumed by fear. UEDC commanders and politicians stared at the footage in horror, their minds reeling from the sheer, overwhelming scale of the new threat. Richard, however, remained perfectly calm, his aura flaring slightly, a beacon of absolute resolve amidst the panic. His eyes, luminous with inner power, remained fixed on the footage of the colossal Krill in Los Angeles.

"Lina," Richard’s voice was steady, cutting through the fear, "deploy all our forces. Prepare for full invasion force engagement. Held nothing back."

Lina nodded, her systems already whirring with the immense computational load, calculating optimal response strategies. "What about the Warp Driver Cannon, sir? For the Imperial Fleet?" she queried, a rare moment of analytical curiosity in her tone.

"Only fire when I say so," Richard replied, his gaze unwavering from the screen. "I’m going."

With that, Richard released his controlled energy. His aura exploded outwards, a blinding, radiant white light that momentarily overwhelmed the cameras and the UEDC personnel, forcing them to shield their eyes. He launched himself towards the massive egress hole, a blur of pure power, rocketing towards the sky above the Amazon rainforest, heading straight for Los Angeles, for the colossal Krill, for the ultimate confrontation.