Star Whale

In the following days, supplies arrived in batches, and Ivan initiated the demolition of the primitive tribe's structures, transforming them into a modern military base. Among the various buildings, Ivan ordered the expansion and conversion of a cavern into his private laboratory. Red Devil had utilized his spatial abilities to transport and modify high-tech equipment, much of which Ivan had developed using the advanced technology of the Kryptonian spacecraft, exceeding Earth's current technological standards by nearly a century.

The base, although rudimentary at the moment, was in its initial phase of operation. After Ivan formulated a plan, he entrusted the execution to others. Subsequently, he began to explore Skull Island. However, he encountered a setback early on.

Ivan employed nanorobots for a comprehensive island search but found that Skull Island possessed a unique magnetic field that interfered with signal transmission. Signals were disrupted when they exceeded a two-kilometer radius, posing a challenge for Ivan and heightening his curiosity about the island's enigmatic secrets. Skull Island was veiled in fog, obstructing spacecraft exploration and blocking transmission signals. Combined with the presence of various strange creatures, these factors kept Ivan on edge.

After some contemplation, Ivan devised a solution. By studying the spacecraft's technology and space knowledge gleaned from the Tesseract, Ivan utilized some of the energy crystals extracted from the Cube to equip each nanorobot with a small space energy crystal. This would enable information transmission across space, theoretically transcending spatial limitations, even extending to different planets and galaxies, creating miniature wormhole impulses for information transmission.

Thus, a swarm of nanorobots, resembling nearly invisible mosquitoes, began fluttering their wings and infiltrating the island, conducting a thorough exploration of Skull Island's interior. Starting from the base by the sea, they gradually extended their reach into the island's heart.

Ivan's initial focus was to track the whereabouts of the primitive people. To his surprise, after Ivan and his group had driven them away, the primitive people had relocated only a dozen miles away and established a new tribe. While this location was somewhat inferior to the previous one, it still suited their needs.

In this new primitive people's tribe, Ivan observed numerous dead wild animals all bearing wounds. These creatures appeared to have been slain by King Kong, implying that the beasts were casualties, sacrificed to maintain the primitive people's stability. The rationale behind King Kong's dedication to this group of savages remained a mystery.

Ivan paid only passing attention to the primitive people and wasn't overly concerned. As long as they maintained stability and refrained from provoking him or his group, he had no intention of causing trouble. The primitive people were no longer a threat.

With the nanorobots handling exploration, Ivan now had time on his hands. The robot control operations were delegated to the Red Queen, and Ivan waited for updates. These days, he occasionally checked the progress on the large screen in the cave, observing a multitude of creatures such as dinosaurs, monitor lizards, giant pythons, and multi-headed worms. He initially experienced some surprises but later grew somewhat fatigued by the variety.

One day, while inspecting the base, Ivan received a message from Hong Hong, who reported a significant discovery. Ivan didn't hesitate and immediately returned to the cave. He was eager to learn more and asked, "What have you found?"

A beam of light projected from the cave's ceiling, displaying the image of a young girl in red. The image revealed a serene lake scene on the large screen. The girl spoke leisurely, "I believe I've stumbled upon the island's most significant secret."

Ivan was visibly excited and urged, "Please, tell me everything."

The red queen nodded and initiated a change in the screen's display. It transitioned to an underwater view. These images had been captured by the nanorobots, which had submerged in the water.

Initially, the underwater images were clear, but as the nanorobots descended deeper, the light diminished, and the images became somewhat blurred. However, it wasn't a problem as the nanorobots possessed soundwave detection capabilities, enabling them to generate images. Consequently, the screen displayed a black-and-white scene.

Beneath the lake, a winding passage became apparent. The nanorobots traversed underwater for over ten minutes and eventually reached a vast underground cavern. Inside, enormous creatures lay in slumber. They possessed skull-like heads, bodies resembling snakes, and robust forelimbs. These creatures were undoubtedly another type of formidable beast, capable of rivaling King Kong, as seen in the movie "Kong: Skull Island." These were the Skullcrawlers, and it appeared that Ivan had discovered their lair.

The images on the screen continued to shift, revealing that the Red Queen's mention of the island's most significant secret did not pertain to the Skullcrawlers. Instead, it led to something else.

The final image settled on an underground cave, displaying a massive, smooth oval-shaped stone, measuring over a hundred meters in length. Its surface exhibited extreme smoothness, leaving its formation shrouded in mystery.

Just as Ivan was pondering the enigma of the stone, the screen relayed information about it as detected by the nanorobot. Ivan only needed a glance to become utterly stunned. The amazement in his heart defied description.

The "stone" was, in fact, not a stone at all but an egg – a colossal egg laid by an unknown creature. What's more, the egg emitted signs of life.

Astonished, Ivan blurted out, "Whose creature's egg is this? Is it left behind by some malevolent entity or deity, intending to unleash destruction upon the Earth?"

Initially, Ivan had simply expressed his curiosity, not anticipating that the Red Queen possessed information about the creature residing within the egg. To his surprise, the Red Queen immediately responded, "This is the egg of a Star Whale, and it's not meant to bring about destruction but to serve as Earth's Noah's Ark for all its inhabitants."

"You... How do you know such details? Is it even possible?" Ivan turned to the virtual image of the Red Queen, his astonishment evident.

"Information about Star Whales is present in the spacecraft's database. I found legends about Star Whales in the database."

"Legends? Are you suggesting that Star Whales are exceedingly rare in the universe, possibly even extinct?" Ivan swiftly gleaned the implications from the Red Queen's words.

"Yes, according to the spacecraft's database, Star Whales have been hunted relentlessly and have not appeared in the universe for hundreds of thousands of years."

"How is that possible? An egg is this enormous; can you imagine the creature that laid it?" Ivan's disbelief was palpable.

"Although it may seem incredible, it's true. The Star Whale, despite its power, has a fatal vulnerability. As long as this weakness is exploited, it is relatively straightforward to kill a Star Whale. Extracting a particular substance from the Star Whale's brain can make others more intelligent and allow them to experience cosmic creatures' dreams. This substance is the source of their misfortune."

The ability to perceive other creatures' emotions was a remarkable trait, but it was also the genesis of their downfall. While empathizing with other creatures' emotions, the Star Whales also felt the same emotions. If other creatures suffered, the Star Whales shared their pain.

In the universe, planets face destruction at any given moment. When planets with living inhabitants confronted impending doom, the pain they experienced simultaneously resonated with the Star Whales. To alleviate this suffering, Star Whales willingly approached endangered planets. They enabled the planet's inhabitants to board their backs, shuttling them to find a new, habitable planet. Star Whales bore these creatures as their passengers.

This Star Whale characteristic was widely known throughout the cosmos, leading to mass migrations from threatened planets. Those with advanced technological capabilities transported their populations using spaceships, while those with limited technological resources relied on the Star Whales' power. Some built cities on the backs of Star Whales, while others settled directly on their backs. These creatures possessed peculiar fur that grew on their bodies. They collected life force from those onboard, putting them into a deep sleep state before releasing them upon reaching a new planet.

In the early days, Star Whales were hailed as saviors, commanding the respect of creatures throughout the universe. Until one fateful day when researchers stumbled upon a dead Star Whale's corpse. Further examination revealed a substance within the Star Whale's brain that enhanced intelligence. This substance was said to accelerate brain development.

Word of this discovery rapidly spread, arousing the avarice of creatures across the universe. While some made considerable efforts to prevent such research, greed was a formidable adversary. Once unleashed, it was challenging to confine. Secret studies commenced to devise techniques for hunting and killing Star Whales, yielding successful results.

Although Star Whales possessed formidable powers, their vulnerability lay in the ability to sense others' emotions. Taking advantage of this, hunters kidnapped ordinary people, torturing them mercilessly not far from the Star Whales. The pain inflicted upon these individuals was reflected directly in the Star Whales' minds. One person after another was subjected to extreme agony, with the constant cycle of suffering ultimately pushing the Star Whales to collapse and meet their demise.

The individuals who hunted Star Whales reserved a portion for personal use and sold the rest on the black market, amassing great wealth. The situation spiraled out of control as more people joined the ranks of whale hunters. Even though numerous individuals throughout the cosmos united to protect the Star Whales and penalize those who hunted and sold them, the liquid derived from the Star Whales' brains was too incredible. Many individuals discreetly acquired the liquid at high prices, and the immense profits fueled an increase in whale hunters. Ultimately, this tragic course led to the complete extinction of the Star Whales.