Chapter Sixty-One: The Dark Triangle

Ael had left that realm of illusion and reality, only to discover, to his surprise, that he had appeared on a planet. Clearly, during the battle, Nyarlathotep had lured him to some unknown place.

Though the other had kept insisting that he merely wished to cooperate, the environment Ael now found himself in made him even more wary. Nyarlathotep’s intentions were certainly far more complicated than he had claimed.

Once he had broken free of the planet’s gravity and taken a moment to orient himself, Ael realized that he was in the Dark Triangulum.

The Dark Triangulum was the Star Spirit Empire’s name for a bizarre star system. Every star in that system was a black hole, not a trace of light existed there, and its gravitational fields were in utter disarray, while the laws of the universe themselves were tangled in primordial chaos.

Because the cosmic laws here were so chaotic, scientific research was impossible. A theorem discovered one day might be useless the next, and even normally valid scientific principles could not function properly in this star system. As a result, the Dark Triangulum had always remained a blind spot in the Star Spirit Empire’s vision.

It seemed, then, that this star system was the stronghold of the dark forces. Though scholars had once made that speculation, the Star Spirit Empire’s exploratory vessels had never detected any useful information here.

Now that Ael was inside the Dark Triangulum, he could naturally sense the reason for this system’s disorder.

Hidden within this star system was the true body of the God of Chaos. Combined with the alterations brought about by the Reality Stone, it had transformed this place into a star system closest to the cosmic barrier. Ael even suspected that this had become a kind of enclave of the real universe.

Because he was within that enclave, if he wanted to leave he would have to obey the local laws, or simply destroy the place outright. But if he did that, he would face the God of Chaos directly, and for now Ael had no intention of severing ties with that being.

So all he could do was fly outward at full speed, constantly dodging the spacetime bubbles in his path. In such a chaotic star system, it was impossible to tear through space-time directly to his destination. He could only fly slowly and patiently.

...

After Ael departed while feeling the force of Nyarlathotep’s power in opposition, Artanis relayed the news to the Star Spirit Empire, enraging the elders.

Confronted with the dark forces’ relentless provocation, the Star Spirit Empire convened a meeting on total war.

“We should expand our armaments. The dark forces are making more and more moves,” one elder said with deep concern for the war to come. In his view, since the dark forces had dared to declare war on the entire world, they must have the corresponding strength, and the Star Spirit Empire had to be prepared.

“Right now tensions are already rising. If we suddenly expand the military, it will have a bad effect on the other cosmic civilizations. It may well widen interstellar tensions and lead to war,” another elder objected. The Empire’s fleets had already caused unrest by purging darkness across the universe; if they expanded again, it would be difficult to maintain the current peace.

“Foolishness. This so-called peace is nothing more than the calm before the storm. The dark forces are watching everything from the shadows. If we do not prepare, in the end all life will sink into darkness. Is that future really more desirable than interstellar war?” the hot-tempered Elder Carlos snapped, condemning the other for destroying the future.

“But we do not know how strong the dark forces truly are. Besides, interstellar war may itself be the result of dark forces pulling strings behind the scenes. If we act like this, won’t we simply be doing their work for them?” Elder Mantos, slow and measured, offered his objection. In his opinion, although the Star Spirit Empire had broadcast warnings of the Dark Tide across the universe, there was no guarantee that those interstellar empires would respond as the Star Spirit Empire imagined. For all anyone knew, there might be countless traitors to life among them.

The two sides argued endlessly, until Gasquel’s head ached. Each side had a certain amount of reason, yet the world’s development would never proceed as smoothly as their debate suggested. The dark forces were best at corrupting hearts and minds, and no one knew how many lives would ultimately fall to them. It was something the Star Spirit Empire strove desperately to prevent, yet could do nothing about.

While the Star Spirit Empire was still debating, the other civilizations of the interstellar community had already begun making their own moves in silence.

The Skrull Empire had always styled itself as a subordinate of the Star Spirit Empire, so upon receiving the Dark Tide information, it launched a nationwide inspection and a crackdown on illegal religions. The results were already taking shape: the dark church members who had begun to emerge could not withstand the Skrull Empire’s power at all, and were all turned into accomplishments for the local governments.

The Kree Empire, of course, responded in the exact opposite way. Having long been a race secretly controlled by the Brood Mother, once they learned of the dark church, they not only refrained from suppressing it at the official level, but also supported it covertly. Of course, they did not dare offer support openly. The Interstellar Court had monitored the universe for many years, and with the Sentinel Array the Star Spirit Empire had previously established, no matter how much the Kree Empire wished it, they would not dare throw themselves openly into the arms of the dark forces. Otherwise, one day the Kree Empire might find itself erased from the roster.

As for the Shi'ar Empire, the third empire of the cosmos, they too began cleansing the dark forces at home after receiving the news. However, as a multiracial commercial confederation, the Shi'ar Empire’s control over its various regions was not strong. In some remote areas, local governments paid lip service while acting otherwise, not only failing to purge the dark forces but secretly promoting the dark church on a massive scale, causing all residents there to believe in it. Naturally, all of this was done in secret and not known to the higher authorities, but the power of the dark church was nevertheless eroding the Shi'ar regime bit by bit.

As for the other interstellar empires, some resisted the dark forces as firmly as the Skrull Empire, some secretly pledged themselves to them as the Kree Empire had, and more were like the Shi'ar Empire, being quietly corroded without yet realizing it. The Dark Tide had already descended without warning, and no one knew who would become the first sacrifice to its crest.

...

Upon Midgard, the dark church had already received divine revelation: the best moment had arrived. They were to spread their faith with all possible speed, and America, that historically young nation of immigrants, was naturally their first choice.

A brief history meant they were easily influenced by foreign cultures; a nation of immigrants meant its culture was diverse. On either count, America was an ideal target for the dark church.

Moreover, America was powerful. If the dark church could seize control of that nation, their next steps would become much simpler, and it would be far more difficult for the other nations to organize any resistance.

So from the very beginning, the dark church had no intention of leaving the Bermuda Islands, and had been quietly influencing Hydra all along. By now, S.H.I.E.L.D. had basically become a tool in their hands. Their next target was the American government. Presumably, the government would be reluctant to part with the gift bestowed by the great Cthulhu—that power of eternal youth and immortality.