Chapter 257 - Desperate Measures
The night sky was filled with smoke and dust. The beasts and birds in the woods were silent, not daring to come outside after experiencing the shockwaves from explosion before. They patiently waited in fear for Kiba and others to leave this area.
The revolutionaries were rooted on spot, their jaws slacked to the ground. Their eyes were as wide as saucers with an absolute look of disbelief on their faces.
The world has evolved and the generations have changed. There was no more racial confrontation, at least not on the surface. Everyone had the right to love and marry anyone they wanted without caring about cast, race or even gender. Society was now more liberal with concepts of love and sex.
Despite this, the revolutionaries felt nausea and a vomiting sensation as they witnessed the first kiss between Count Viper and cobra. They wanted to believe they were not racists but seeing the kiss made their blood cold.
If the reaction of the spectators was such then the reaction of Viper could be imagined. Due to earlier shock, his mouth was wide open, and before he would close it, the mouth of Cobra on him... they were kissing!
Cobra's tongue made a slurping sound in his mouth. Viper felt bolts of lightning coursing through him. Normally, such response was from excitement but he knew this was from horror.
The rock spikes continued to lock him in one spot but he could no longer bear this kiss of his date. The scales on his body shot out like blades and broke through the spikes.
"How dare you!"
Viper shouted in absolute fury. He was a revolutionary and for him, honor was everything. The respect of his subordinates mattered to him the most.
But now, he was humiliated in the worst possible way. Death was just momentary but the humiliation of today's episode was something that would live even after he was no more.
Just how can he look in the eyes of his subordinates knowing they have witnessed such a shameful episode of him?
What truly terrified him was the possibility of others learning of this kiss. How would he be able to face the world knowing very well the comments they would make behind his back?
'Isn't he the revolutionary who made out with a cobra?'
'I know his facial features resembled a snake but he is a human! How can he kiss a snake?!'
'Maybe he has a fetish or something.'
'Well, love is blind.'
'To be honest, I have heard rumors of him making out with snakes but never believed them until this episode.'
Hundreds of such imaginary comments run through Viper's brain. He was sure people would talk more about his kiss than the contribution to the revolution. This thought made his blood boil in anger and frustration.
Viper roared furiously and pounced on the cobra. His entire body was filled with protruded scales in the form of armor.
"Die!" Viper's nails turned into steel claws.
The cobra was frightened. It was just a level II beast and it stood no chance against a Level IV mutant like Viper.
"Hey, your date gave you the first kiss of her life," Kiba's voice entered Viper's ears. "And here you are being violent instead of thanking her. You are making us men look bad with your lack of manners."
Kiba moved the cobra out of Viper's reach.
"You know she trusted you and yet you..." Kiba shook his head in disappointment. "I never took you for abusive husband material."
Viper was devoured by madness. Kiba's words were arrows piercing through the remains of his honor.
"You are lucky we are in not civil society otherwise she would have pressed battery charges on you," Kiba concluded with a sigh.
Viper clenched his teeth so hard that they make a breaking sound. In his life, he has never felt so anger. All he wanted was to wipe out the shame he was feeling.
He twisted in the air and lunged on Kiba. His scales shot out first with a screeching sound, breaking through the air, leaving trails of shadows.
Kiba waved his other hand and the scales stopped in front of him. He made a twisting motion and the scales shot back at incoming Viper.
Viper made a summersault in the air but a few scales struck him. The armor on his body prevented any injury but the fury in his eyes burned more strongly.
"Kill him and that snake!" Viper commanded loudly. There was no more rationality left in him.
Kiba's lips curled up in a smirk. He could have defeated Viper easily but he didn't. Viper's scheme has harmed the person who mattered the most to him so how can just a simple death be enough? He wanted to humiliate and degrade Viper in the worst possible way. Only then would his thirst for vengeance be quenched.
The revolutionaries leaped on him from all sides. Kiba threw cobra like a ball and it passed through revolutionaries like a bolt of lightning. The revolutionaries jumped to catch it but failed badly.
Cobra was startled. A few minutes ago, it was resting on a tree and then it in the hands of a human. The next moment, the human forced his mouth on a snake-like man. And now, once again, it was returning to the woods.
Just what was going on today?! It was angry of course but it knew the world followed the law of jungle. The weak got no right to complain.
Cobra was thinking this when a crimson pill appeared in front of its eyes.
"Thank for your help. Here is the reward."
A strange voice ringed in its mind. Cobra was stunned but its eyes were filled with genuine happiness. The scent from the pill rejuvenated its body, making it feel stronger than ever.
Without thinking further, it devoured the pill. Cobra felt a force of evolution coursing through its body, making its insides powerful. It was sure in a day or two it could advance to the next level.
The cobra was more than just happy. It has reached its nest but it wanted to return again.
Just a job of few seconds gave it such a miracle pill. Then what would happen if it did what it did for a few minutes?
"Humans are sure eccentric," Cobra thought. "I hope I meet that snake-like man again."
This time Cobra would be more than willing to touch its mouth with that snake-like man...
***
An enormous air blade sliced through the torsos of four revolutionaries who were jumping on Kiba. Blood spluttered like a geyser as their corpses crashed on the ground, dying the grass with fresh, hot blood.
Chris appeared behind Kiba. Hundreds of jaws shot out of his body, filled with hook-like teeth.
Ted opened his four muscular arms wide before he lunged at Kiba. White, energy balls appeared on his palms, after which he clenched his fist tightly. His hands were engulfed by blinding flash as he punched at Kiba's vitals.
"You guys just don't know when to give up."
Kiba moved his body such that he was standing in the middle of two attackers. He stretched one hand towards Chris while others towards Ted.
Ted shot one powerful punch after another at explosive speed. The air was filled with sharp sound as it twisted under the might of his punches.
Kiba raised his index finger to tackle the punches. As one punch was stopped, his finger moved at lightning speed to stop the other punch.
Ted was horrified. Every time his fist made a contact with Kiba's finger, a destructive force would sweep through him. His muscular arm would expand rapidly like a balloon on the verge of breaking.
One after another, his arms exploded in a shower of blood and flesh. It didn't even take ten seconds before he collapsed on his knees, letting out a tragic scream.
Chirs was in no better state. Hundreds of jaws were about to clamp on Kiba when he flicked his finger.
A terrifying wave of energy swept out, directly colliding with the hook-like teeth, shattering them into pieces. The energy wave showed no sign of stopping after it destroyed the jaws, and it then crashed on him.
Like a kite with a broken string, he flew through the air while coughing up blood. His body spasmed for a while after which he fell down on the ground.
Three revolutionaries were about to launch their best attacks when three energy beams pierced through their heads. They collapsed on the ground with a loud thud sound.
Kiba lowered his hand before looking at Viper and his two remaining followers.
"You leave me with no choice but to use my desperate measures."
Viper gritted his teeth with absolute hatred. After the loss of so many subordinates, he has gained some clarity.
He recalled the responsibility given to him by the honorable Elders and he knew he couldn't afford to die here. Much depended on him and he refused to give up due to his hatred.
Viper tapped on his storage ring. Threads of smoke emitted from the ring which transformed into a treasure box.
Viper opened the box and took out the dark flute he was granted by the Elders. The snake-like runes on the flute released a powerful archaic aura.
"This aura... Impossible!" Kiba's pupils dilated in shock.
He was far too familiar with this aura. In fact, to guard the owner of this aura, he has spent a fortune to construct Section IV below his Dream Rise House.
Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose!
Chapter 258 - Old Snake
The treasure box returned in the storage ring while Viper firmly grasped the black flute. The surface of the flute was engraved with dark, menacing runes of snakes.
The two surviving subordinates of Viper looked at him in confusion. They could not understand why Viper would associate some ancient flute as a part of desperate measures against an enemy like Kiba.
The two were in the middle of thinking when they noticed Kiba's face. They were startled by his heavy expression.
Kiba furrowed his bows deeply. He was sure he was not mistaken with the presence he was feeling from the flute. There was no way he could forget the aura of Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose who was resting in a coffin below his house.
"There is only one reason why that flute could have her presence," Kiba's eyes flickered as he thought of something.
He recalled the alien serpent he has faced a few days earlier and then Viper who carried the faint bloodline of the reptile family. The serpent was living in a cave formed from a small asteroid that has broken from the meteorite that formed the core region of this forest.
After looking at the engraving on the flute and remembering the above details, he has a pretty good idea on the core region.
"Haah."
Viper brought the flute to his lips. He blew a stream of air across the sharp end. A soft, ethereal and melodious sound came from the flute. The musical notes carried a graceful tune as they penetrated through the night sky and resounded throughout the forest.
Everyone, whether human or beast, stopped every activity. Those who were asleep woke up with a happy expression while those awake entered into a peaceful trance.
Ashlyn - who was rushing towards the explosion site - stopped in her path as the first note entered her ears. She forgot every bad memory about her cursed existence and felt happy like never before. Her cold expression relaxed and a joyful smile formed on her lips.
Similar scenes happened throughout every part of the forest. No matter whether it was an ordinary human or a powerful mutant, they all fell under the charm of the melody in the air.
Kiba was the only person to be not affected. It was not due to his evolved psychic powers or willpower. Instead, it was thanks to the golden lightning coursing through his body which was responsible for his current form.
Viper was rather startled by Kiba's clear state. He gritted his teeth and blew out more air in the flute.
"No choice but to..."
The melody turned heavy and everyone who heard it suddenly felt weaker. Their expressions were still peaceful and happy as strength left their bodies.
Their powers transformed into threads of energy that shot in the sky with explosive speed. With a loud sound, out of nowhere, a thin crack appeared in the sky. It was like the sky was a mirror and someone was ripping through it.
CRACK
The crack expanded and a claw came in sight. The claw was enormous and slowly it broke through the crack, expanding it further.
In no time, the sky ripped apart into a gigantic space gate. Dark chaotic mass was visible in the background and a humongous mouth of a snake appeared through the gate.
The snake carried an air of vicissitude. Its body was incorporeal and transparent as if it didn't exist in this space. Yet, just its mere presence resulted in pressure so strong that the entire forest caved in a few meters.
The beasts and humans alike continued to be in trance despite the earth-shattering presence of the snake and the space gate.
On the ground, Viper was trembling from exhaustion but he continued to play the flute. He was given the flute by the elders, not because of his strength. After all, there were hundreds of revolutionaries far more powerful than him. Rather, he was given the flute due to his compatibility and also due to his absolute loyalty.
"Who dares disturb my rest?" The snake's angry voice broke like thunder through the peaceful night.
"Reverend," Viper communicated through the flute. "My apologies but I need help."
The snake's pupils observed Viper with contempt but when it noticed the flute, its gaze turned soft.
Some distance away from Viper, Kiba was observing every reaction of the snake.
"Seems like that snake is truly one of those ten," Kiba felt a severe headache as he confirmed his suspicions. "The slave beasts of Scarlet Leila De Rose."
He just wanted to kill Viper but now the things were turning far too complex for his own liking.
"Oh well, its aura is filled with death so at least that's a slight relief," Kiba mused in his heart.
In the sky, the enormous mouth of the snake broke through the gate.
"I shall help you," The snake communicated to Viper before releasing a small breath of air.
The breath carried green mist and it shot towards Kiba. The air melted into a hazy mass of chaotic energy as the mist coursed through it.
Kiba turned into a bolt of lightning and rushed towards the sky to evade the deadly mist. Not to his surprise, the mist changed directions and followed him. The ground below, in the meantime, melted in a matter of seconds.
"Old snake, you are barely clinging to your life," Kiba said coldly as he bolted through the sky. "So why involve yourself in some unwanted conflicts instead of having last bit of fun with some old lovers?"
"Impudent! How dare you speak like that?"
The air in front of Kiba exploded in waves of destructive force while the green mist caught up from behind. The air was filled with destructive waves so teleportation was out of options.
"Why not?" Kiba asked in return.
He raised his right hand towards the green mist. Streams of energy concentrated on his palm and shot at the mist.
The energy streams transformed into a golden whirlpool that sucked the mist like a hungry beast. Yet, much to his surprise, the whirlpool disintegrated, and the green mist shot out.
Kiba took a deep breath and released a chilling mass of air towards the green mist. Like water freezing into ice, the mist solidified into an enormous green block.
The green block collapsed heavily on the ground, creating a large crater. Beasts and humans nearby instantly melted into green vapor from the shockwaves.
In the sky, the snake eyed the human for the first time. Instantly, its pupils dilated as it sensed a powerful but familiar presence from him.
Its vision passed through him and stopped in the middle of his chest. The snake was sure the human's power was originating from his chest but even with its strength, it could not sense the power source.
The snake's vision then moved on his forehead and entered his mind. There, it saw a cocoon made of golden lightning, inside which a sinister gray particle was confined.
As soon as it saw the gray particle, the snake started trembling. It was ancient and powerful, but just the sight of the gray particle made it age hundreds of years in an instant.
"Genesis Matter!"
Chapter 259 - Old Snake's Dilemma
In the sky, the enormous mouth of the snake stretched out from the gigantic space gate. Its pupils bore through Kiba's forehead and sighted the gray particle.
The particle's size and shape were like a blood cell except it released a sinister presence that was confined by the cocoon made from the golden lightning.
"Genesis Matter!"
The snake didn't dare believe what it has just seen. It has been thousands of years but its memories on Genesis Matter were as fresh as today.
"That human is infected by Genesis!" The snake thought to itself. "No matter what, I must avoid physical contact with him otherwise..."
Just the very thought, made its body crawl with a dreadful sensation. With its age and power, the snake didn't fear death. The snake knew how the world functioned and ever since its homeworld was destroyed, it was ready to accept its fate.
What terrified the snake was not death but rather the nature of Genesis Matter.
Currently, the snake's present form was intangible and transparent. The power from the flute and strength from everyone in the forest was not enough to bring its true body here.
The snake was now grateful for the situation. Even if it was intangible, it wanted to avoid any direct contact with Kiba. While its main power was in its body so avoiding any contact would reduce its potential by almost 90% but the snake didn't care.
"If I kill him then wouldn't Genesis seek a new host?!" The snake flinched with the possibility.
On the ground, Viper continued to play the flute. His body was drenched with sweat and he couldn't understand why the reverend existence has suddenly stopped attacking his enemy.
Shouldn't it be just a matter of seconds for someone like the snake to destroy Kiba?
"?" Kiba was floating in the sky as he quizzically looked at the snake. He didn't know if his eyes were playing a trick, but for a second, he noticed terror in the eyes of the snake. That truly startled him.
Sure he was strong and he hasn't mobilized his true powers, but the snake was a powerful existence that could rival him despite being this close to death. After all, unlike the serpent, this snake was a slave beast of Scarlet Leila De Rose.
"Has it sensed Cosmic Spark?" Kiba creased his brows tightly.
The high-tech equipment in his advanced lab could never detect the presence of Cosmic Spark. Heck, even he could not actually fell the existence of Cosmic Spark fully. It was like it existed in another dimension.
But Kiba thought there was a high probability of the snake being able to detect Cosmic Spark given its identity.
Kiba shook his head. He pretty much knew how things would turn out if the snake knew of Cosmic Spark inside.
With a sigh, he turned around and shot towards Viper. He has to take away that flute in order to stop the materialization of the space gate.
Just then, from the ground, hundreds of poisonous darts boomed out with explosive speed. They split up into thousands as they dashed at Kiba. Every single dart was razor-sharp, almost indestructible, marked with a deadly and corrosive force.
"Old snake, don't involve yourself in my business."
Kiba clenched his right fist tightly before slamming it down heavily. Destructive waves surged out like a tidal wave and collided against the incoming darts.
Energy ripples fluctuated wildly as two opposite force struck each other.
The darts shattered into fragments but the poisonous force inside them fused together and transformed into an incorporeal cobra. The cobra opened its mouth fully, exposing its deadly teeth as it bolted on him.
Kiba aimed a finger at the cobra. A stream of light shot out from his fingertip and struck the throat of the cobra.
With a loud hissing sound, the cobra disappeared into thin air. But much to his annoyance, hundreds of vipers conjured around him.
They hissed loudly while they surrounded him into a cage of vipers. Almost on a cue, they opened their mouths and let out a poisonous mist.
"Stop being so predictably annoying."
Kiba started spinning in the air. As the mist reached him, he has transformed into an enormous vortex.
The mist was ripped to atomic level before it dispersed into nothingness. The countless vipers were sucked into the vortex, before being erased from very existence.
At the same time, a titanic virtual claw gripped on the vortex from all sides. As the vortex slowly disappeared, countless beams of golden light shot out.
The beams turned into blurry golden lines as they exploded into all directions. With a bang sound, the claw shattered into pieces of energy fragments.
Kiba stepped out through the energy fragments before while looking at the space gate.
"Old Snake, age has made you senile," Kiba said in a mocking tone. "You are far more predictable than the sex life of an old aged couple."
The eyes of the snake twisted in anger. It has lived for such a long time that it didn't even bother to count years, but in all its life, it has never been humiliated like this.
Even its worst enemy has never used abusive words during their conflicts. After all, in a battle, the fight is not just for victory but also for respect. That's what it meant to be an opponent or an enemy.
But now, a human - who has lived for a time that could be best described as a blink of an eye - was mocking it with a perverted sense of humor.
Are all humans like this man?! Do they not know the code of moral conduct?! If so, this perverted race was destined to be doomed.
"Go to your nest and conceive some eggs while you still can," Kiba continued with a smile. "Oh wait, your body is reeking of death, so I doubt you can. Sorry!"
"Cocky human! How dare you use such abusive language?!" The snake thundered angrily.
"What abusive language? I'm just stating the truth," Kiba retorted.
The snake responded with a shower of energy spikes. They penetrated through the air with a screeching sound while the ground elevated to catch him in binds.
"Seriously? If you were using physical attacks I might be injured but you continue to use energy attacks?!" Kiba felt offended by this slight. "Are you out of our mind?!"
The snake didn't reply. It was incensed but it hasn't lost rationality. How could it dare touch someone who was infected with the sinister Genesis Matter? That would be simply seeking a terrifying fate.
Kiba, in the meantime, evaded the incoming attacks and counterattacked with a series of energy explosion. He has launched an air blade at Viper but he was surrounded by a transparent barrier.
"Haah."
Kiba let out a heavy sigh. There was only one way by which he could end this but he didn't want to resort to that method.
He could sense the presence of Ashlyn and countless others in two hundred kilometer range. If he went all out, then he knew they would die just by the pressure from the golden lightning phenomenon.
He wanted to kill Viper and that was something he would do sooner or later. But killing Ashlyn in the process didn't seem fair to him. She has helped him previously and he actually enjoyed her company.
"Hang on! There is another way!" Kiba's eyes flashed with a devilish glint. "It might not work but even if it fails, I would definitely get some satisfaction."
He adjusted his demeanor before raising his head towards the snake.
"I never expected a slave beast would betray its master," Kiba said in a venomous tone.
"WHAT?!"
The snake was stunned by his words. How does this human know its existence as a slave beast?!
Wait.
Betray master?!
Surely he couldn't mean Empreyean Scarlet Leila De Rose?!
No!
Didn't she sacrificed herself to stop that apocalyptic---?!
Yes! There is no way a human can know about her!
"But his power is Cosmic in nature and he is also infected!" The snake was not sure on what to think.
"What do you mean?" The snake enquired, trying to probe for more information.
Kiba's eyes were bloodshot as he looked at the snake.
"You are a slave of Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose," Kiba replied, his voice filled with anger. "Yet you are wasting your time on these unimportant tasks while she is suffering from brutal torture."
Chapter 260 - Unpleasant Memories
"You are wasting your time on these unnecessary tasks while Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose is suffering cruel torture," Kiba said in a high voice. His tone and expression were filled with anger, frustration, and disbelief at the 'betrayal' of the old snake.
In the sky, the snake was shocked out of wits. Even though its present body was just a projection, and that too intangible and incomplete due to limitations of Count Viper, the snake started sweating heavily.
A bone-numbing chill passed throughout its real body in the core region of the forest. Its breathing turned rugged while its eyes almost popped out of the sockets.
This human truly knows about the master!
The snake was terrified. Earlier, it was not sure but now the human has spoken the Empreyean's name.
Does that mean she is alive?!
Wait.
She is suffering torture?!
How is that even possible?!
The snake knew very well the true strength of her master. Just her one gaze could destroy the foundation of this blue planet.
But the words of the human shouldn't be false, right? His aura contains the power of Cosmic and he is also infected by Genesis. Not to mention his attitude from the start to now. He has been outspoken and rash with an arrogance that knew no bound.
So he has to be speaking the truth!
When the snake thought of this, its pupils turned cold. Who dares torture the esteemed master?!
Its body could not leave the core region of Desolate Blood Forest but it swore to do everything within its power to free her master and punish those who dared harm her.
Kiba continued to maintain the angry expression but in his heart, he was chuckling. Only he and Claudia knew the master of the snake was safe and resting below his house.
As for someone torturing her... That was impossible. He knew it better than anyone. Even he didn't dare visit the shrine -Section IV - he has built for her without enough preparations. Just the nonexistent aura from her coffin has made the shrine a land of death.
Months ago, during his conflict with Akshobhya, he has thought of using Section IV to destroy that monk. Of course, his plans changed and he defeated Akshobhya on his own, but just the fact that he had such confidence on Section IV could tell how powerful Scarlet Leila De Rose was.
Then there were the recent events where Cosmic Emperor visited the shrine. Claudia was frightened by the possibility of opening the shrine for a long time. She knew if her aura leaked outside the house, then the entire city might be exterminated.
In this entire world, the only person Kiba truly feared was her. The only point of relief for him was that she was in an eternal slumber.
"Who dares harm my master?!" The snake loudly asked. Its voice thundered in the forest and resulted in strong winds that swept out giant trees from their roots.
On the ground, Viper was shocked. Why is the esteemed being wasting time in a discussion instead of killing Kiba?!
He was already on the verge of collapse due to exhaustion. He was afraid he wouldn't be able to continue playing flute if this goes on for any longer.
"Why do you pretend to care now?" Kiba angrily continued without waiting for a reply. "What were you doing when the world government started performing cruel experiments on her?!"
The snake became furious by the words.
The master was being used as a guinea pig by the humans?!
"Even now, those insane scientists in Holy City extract her blood every day for research under the orders of World Council," Kiba's eyes were red as he continued. "But what are you doing?! Involving in other business instead of helping your master! Shame on you!"
Kiba's angry voice roared in the sky night. His expression was filled with righteous fury as he questioned the snake.
Usually, his award-worthy acting skills were used to seduce women but from time to time, they benefitted him in some miscellaneous tasks as well.
From the enormous space gate, the mouth of the snake continued to stretch out. It was silent for it didn't know how to counter the allegations of the human.
Even the snake felt angry on itself for being so ignorant. Sure it was confined to the core region but it knew about the happenings in the world. Every two years, when the core region opened up, hundreds of humans would enter. From them, it has learned about the world.
Obviously, the snake knew those humans wouldn't know or even share the true secrets of the human race.
But this was no justification.
The snake then thought of Holy City. From what it knew, the city was located in the State of Avalon and it served as the capital of the territory ruled by World Government. The state of Avalon was the power center of the world and it wouldn't be wrong to say it was the strongest habitat of the human race.
"People from the nine families would be entering the core region when it opens up," The snake thought. "They would suffer the wrath for the actions of their lords."
The snake lowered its head and gazed at Kiba.
"I was not truly aware of the events you mentioned," The snake said in a low voice. "But how do you know about her and my role as her slave?"
"Well, it's a long story," Kiba answered honestly, his voice filled with bitterness. "Something I would rather not recall."
He didn't want to, but unconsciously some unpleasant memories resurfaced.
*-*-*-*-*
Around 4.5 years ago:
Delta City.
The BSE79 Meteorite was located in the easternmost point of the city. It spanned for a little over 50 sq. miles.
The outer surface of the meteorite was as dark as ink, filled with occasional holes from which fumes emitted out. Decades ago, the government extracted every mineral resources in the meteorite. After confirmation by experts, the government reached a conclusion that the meteorite has no more importance. From then on, it started serving as a tourist spot, bringing people from far and near.
Every year, thousands of tourists would explore the meteorite, marveling at the wonder from a world beyond their own.
What the masses or even the government didn't know was that this meteorite was far too special. The part they explored could not even be described as 1% even though they strangely felt they have explored every corner of the meteorite.
Inside the vital zone.
Zed was sitting against a glass wall. The wall showed no sign of beginning or an end, covered with decorative runes.
The floor was white but it was stained with thick blood paste. Mechanical hands were lying on the floor, drenched in blood.
Zed was clad in an advanced hazmat suit. The suit was such that it could even survive against a nuclear blast but currently, it was shredded in pieces.
His face was pale while his eyes were filled with terror. He wiped the cold sweat from his face before looking at his surrounding.
"Huff."
He regretted his decision instantly as he threw up what little lunch he was served with other slum dwellers.
"Slum insect, stand up." A cold, disdainful voice called out from some hundred meters ahead. "Unlike you worthless bunch, my time is precious."
Zed took a deep breath before raising his head and looking ahead. The owner of the voice was covered in a transparent liquid-like substance.
He has shoulder length white hair, his face filled with wrinkles. He was wearing thick glasses which showed his cold, brown eyes.
This man was none other than Castor Damon.
Suddenly, behind him, a giant robot appeared out of nowhere. The robot punched out, destructive ripples cascading outwards like a volcano.
With lightning speed, he evaded by stepping towards the right. He twisted his body and retaliated by sending a palm crashing down on the back of the robot.
Substance-like waves erupted from his palm. With a shrill keening sound, the waves penetrated the body of the robot and it started malfunctioning, emitting a buzzing sound.
Castor Damon then adjusted his glasses before shaking his hand. He was a rank 9 scientist from the world government.
His influence and authority were no less than a councilman from the world council. After all, in the age of evolution, genetic research was the most explored field. Science was the only way by which one can not only get stronger but also seek everlasting youth and even immortality.
On Earth, there was no one who could match Castor Damon when it came to genetics or the meteorites from the foreign world. He has spent his entire life dedicated to research on these two fields. After years of studying and understanding an alien language, he reached a conclusion that BSE79 was far too special.
He didn't share his foundings with others in the government. He was afraid the old fools in the council would steal the fruits of his hard work so he schemed to extract the treasures himself. To further boost his chances, he collaborated with the revolutionaries before arriving in Delta City.
Of course, for successful exploration of such a dangerous meteorite, he knew he needed lives he could throw without batting an eye. With his influence, he could easily gather an army of volunteers but he didn't dare. After all, the government spies were observing his activities. To avoid suspicion, he decided to use slum dwellers. Unlike the cities, the slums were rather forsaken by the government. No one cared what truly happened to those who lived in the slums. They have no biometric identities or such so there was no danger involved.
After five long days, Castor Damon has reached this part of the meteorite. Hundreds have died and as of now, only two remained: Him and Zed.
Castor Damon was actually surprised by Zed's performance. He was a few months short of 18 and his powers could at best be described as Level I. Yet he survived when those stronger and older than him died in painful ways.
Castor Damon has observed Zed so he understood how he actually lived. He was not strong so he actually relied on wits. He schemed and sometimes he even played dead by taking advantage of others corpses.
Regardless, Castor Damon didn't care. Slyness was useless in front of absolute strength.
"Yes, sir." Zed rose to his feet with great efforts. In his life so far, he has learned one thing - The weak and poor don't get right to complain. They can only survive by lowering their heads and following the orders of those above them.
This was not a life anyone wanted to live but that was what they had. There were times when Zed wanted to escape this life by taking the coward's way out.
Whenever such thoughts occupied his mind, he would remember what Veronica taught him years ago.
"To dream is to hope."
He muttered the words she spoke to give him a reason to live.
He recalled he still has not eaten any ice cream from Misty Ice Cream House so how could he give up yet?
He wanted to survive, build a home in the city and live a life where he didn't have to worry about daily needs. And if it was possible, fulfill his dream of robbing the men of their most treasured possession: women.
If living for such a time meant respecting a man like Castor Damon, he didn't mind. After all, only a fool would take stupid actions when chances are not in favor.
So Zed continued to bid his time. Just like the slums, he considered the meteorite as another part of the world where strong fed on the weak.
He would do whatever it takes to survive, no matter what others taught of his action. Besides, he knew he has no reason to feel bad. At least he was still living and has skin on his bones, unlike the poor skeletons in graves.
"Let's go."
Castor Damon commanded as he proceeded ahead. Zed nodded and followed from behind. In the five days, his horizons have expanded. In the slums, there were no formal education much less lessons on basic science.
Before arriving here, he didn't even know what was a planet. Now, he knew things which even the educated masses didn't.
He followed a pearl of simple wisdom to expand his knowledge: The fool chatters while the wise man listens.
As for how he survived, Castor Damon was only partially right on his guess. The true reason was his other ability - his sixth sense by which he could sense danger ahead.
His body was tickling with a numbing sensation from the last five days but after arriving in the vital region, his skin was crawling.
Zed shook his head to clear his thoughts. He knew it better than anyone he couldn't afford to be distracted.
Just then, his face turned yellowish pale and he staggered. Castor Damon noticed his movement so he turned around and flicked a blue pill to him.
Zed grasped the pill and hurriedly consumed it. In no time, his face regained its color.
"Phew~" Zed breath out in relief. Just now, he suffered from the poison he and others consumed before they were brought to BSE79.
If they didn't take the antidote pill from time to time, then they would die in a tragic manner. This served as enough motivation for everyone to do their best and have no thoughts of betrayal.
Zed and Castor Damon continued their journey. After an hour of walking, they arrived in a corridor filled with heavy wirings and doors.
The ventilation system along with the oxygen in the area made Castor Damon believe this part of the meteorite was actually a spaceship.
"Wonderful."
Castor Damon marveled at the futuristic design of the control panels. They were far more advanced than the current tech of humanity.
If others were here, then they would have no idea on how to operate the control panels. After all, they were in a language unknown to humanity. But Castor Damon was a rare exception since he has done detailed research on the communication aspect of the alien world.
Soon, a large door opened up, letting out white gas.
As soon as the door opened up, Zed started trembling, his senses warning him of a crisis far dangerous than he has faced ever before.
He gulped down and followed Castor Damon inside after which the door closed up.
The room was actually an enormous hall filled with hundreds of hypersleep chambers. The chambers were made of glass so those resting in them were visible.
Zed could not identify a single race. Some people in the chambers had an octopus-like body while some had humanoid structure but grotesque. There were even a few which were in gel-like form.
Castor Damon's eyes flashed brightly at the sight. For a scientist like him, the hypersleep chambers were no less than a lottery.
He controlled his emotions and stepped ahead of a virtual console system. He started studying the information on the console.
Zed, in the meantime, looked around carefully. He wanted to see if there was a way out in case of emergencies.
His entire body was numbing and he knew there was some danger here. He didn't think even Castor Damon could handle it much less him.
He slowly checked each hypersleep chamber and their structure. He observed the tubes, the wires, the crystalline liquid... he checked everything. He wanted to know anything that could help him in whatever the upcoming danger was.
Just then, Zed noticed a hole behind a hyper chamber. After confirming Castor Damon's attention was still on the console, he stepped to check the hole on the floor. The diameter of the hole was enough for his thin body to enter but not for a healthy adult.
He most likely thought the hole was leading to some duct or to another sector. He didn't know much, but he was sure that his sense of danger faded after he arrived near the hole.
Zed then continued checking the hall to know more details. After all, he just couldn't leave just because he wanted to.
"Wait! Castor Damon knows how to operate this area so there should be no real crisis...yet my sense of danger is tingling."
His eyes flickered with understanding.
Crisis could be created! Even an insect could be actually responsible for a famine that could kill thousands!
"Slum insect... Never thought this insult would give me such a good idea."
Zed suppressed a smile before looking at Castor Damon.
"Be careful whose toes you step on today because they might be connected to the foot that kicks your ass tomorrow."
Chapter 261 - Unpleasant Memories (Part II)
(The flashback from 4.5 years ago continues).
In the center of the enormous hall, Castor Damon continued to read the data on the virtual interface. He pretty much ignored Zed's existence in the hall.
After all, Zed was just a Level I mutant with no scientistic knowledge. Not to mention, he was poisoned and he needed the antidote pills from time to time to live. So Zed would have no choice but to be loyal to him if he wanted to survive.
In the meantime, Zed continued his observation of the hypersleep chambers. He tried to guess what purpose the particular wires and tubes connected to the hypersleep chamber served. After some twenty minutes, he was able to identify the power chord though he was not fully sure. He mainly guessed based on how the chord extended to the roof of the hall and merged with the sensor-sensitive light system.
He then observed a large metallic container, marked with some alien text he couldn't understand. The metallic container has hundreds of tubes which connected to every hypersleep chamber.
"Is this oxygen tank?" Zed wondered. In the last five days, he has seen similar metallic containers with the same text. The vital zone of the meteorite was separated from the world and yet it had oxygen. Earlier, he has noticed ventilation systems connected to such containers so he made this guess.
"Mind truly works super fast in desperate situations," Zed bitterly thought. Everything he has seen and heard in the last five days was proving some use. He hoped this new effectiveness from his brain would give him a chance to survive.
After confirming Castor Damon's attention was fully on the virtual console, Zed stepped behind one of the hypersleep chambers. He tapped a finger on a tube connected to the oxygen cylinder.
A spark surged out of his fingertip and entered the tube. He then sent another spark in the pin-size exhaust grilles of the hypersleep chamber.
Zed's forehead was drenched with sweat and he wiped it out with his hand. He prayed he would not be caught as he carried out similar tasks on other hypersleep chambers.
After this, he once again studied the hole he has found behind a particular hypersleep chamber. He theorized this hole was some sort of pipe leading to a duct or another room. Regardless, it could serve a use to him and not Castor Damon due to their body size.
"Never thought having a famished body would prove useful," Zed bitterly mused in his heart. He then walked to the end of the hall.
The walls, ceiling, doors, and pretty much everything was white, created from unknown metals. There was not a single scratch on the surface despite the passings of centuries.
"Just what are these meteorites? Where did they originate from and why did they crash on Earth?"
Zed has many questions but no one to answer him. He observed the wall at the end of the hall and noticed a virtual command panel.
After five days in BSE79, he has some basic understandings on the functioning of these panels. He studied the options and graph-like figures on the interface to guess what the command panel was for.
Just like before, he transferred a spark on the circuits which were responsible for the command panel.
Dringgg
A loud sound reverberated in the hall. Shocked and frightened, Zed looked towards the center of the hall where Castor Damon was standing.
A large virtual screen has popped in front of him. Zed sighed in relief that he was not caught and berated himself for being so tensed. He then quickly joined Castor Damon to understand what was happening.
The screen was filled with a chart of Milky Way. The spiral arms, solar bodies, asteroids, dust, and everything in the chart seemed far too real to be just a projection. Everything was life-like including the perilous inner regions of Milky Way.
"Our planet was formed about 4.5 billion years ago," Castor Damon said after Zed arrived. "Do you understand how long a time period of billion years is?"
Zed didn't really know, and even if he knew, he was wise enough to know he has to play the role of an ignorant fool. Castor Damon didn't think much of him, much less care about his knowledge. After all, for him, he was just a slum insect, a person whose life was on his mercy.
Zed understood the concept of engaging people like Castor Damon so he said, "No, sir. Can you explain?"
"As expected, you slum insects know nothing," Castor Damon said in a disdainful tone.
Zed lowered his head in shame. To be honest, he was not really ashamed since he never got any formal education. In the slums, every day was a struggle to survive and feed himself. He has no time, energy or resources to seek education.
"Around 3.7 billion years ago, the first trace of life came in existence on this planet," Castor Damon tried to enlighten the ignorant slum insect while observing the virtual screen. "And you know the funny part of our existence? Of course, you don't. So let me tell you: For centuries, we thought our planet was the center of the universe. We are the greatest planet in existence.
"But this was just a bunch of nonsense spread by ignorant masses who call themselves educated. Our planet is not even the core of our own galaxy, much less the universe. What's more, the main reason Earth has life is that we are thousands of light years away from the core of our own galaxy! It is just due to sheer lucky coincidences that life even appeared on Earth. But in the grand scheme of things, we don't even matter.
"Our evolution history doesn't deserve to be recorded much less admired," Castor Damon's eyes sparkled as he continued. "That was until 1900 when the meteorites from that world appeared."
Zed silently listened while observing the projection of Milky Way. He was mesmerized by its beauty while feeling smaller than ever before knowing he was not even worth a grain of sand in this galaxy.
"No one knows from which galaxy those meteorites originated, but we know they coursed out of the core of our galaxy, traveling at a speed far greater than light before crashing in our solar system," Castor Damon explained.
"How did those meteorites survived such a long journey? Just what powered them?" Zed asked, playing his part.
Castor Damon's lips curved up.
"We have reasons to believe that world has a power source," Castor Damon answered. "A source so strong that it could power hundreds of galaxies! If I have to hypothesize, it was this power source that fuelled the meteorites."
"Oh!" Zed was stunned by the answer.
Just one galaxy was so vast and filled with wonders then what was the concept of hundred galaxies? Just what sort of world has such a terrifying power source?
Castor Damon, in the meantime, clicked a few options on the virtual console while studying some things from the Milky Way. After a few minutes, he chose another option, and the images on the screen changed.
"Success!" Castor Damon was delighted as he finally got information on what he wanted.
On the screen, an object resembling an amethyst crystal appeared. A six-sided prism at the center and pyramids on both the ends. It was as long and as thick as a baby's fist.
"Cosmic Spark! The power source of that world!" Castor Damon muttered, his mouth agape in shock and wonder. He was in a trance as he stared at the screen.
As soon as Zed saw the image of Cosmic Spark, he started shivering. His entire body was drenched with cold sweat, every pore precipitating heavily. His skin was filled with a numbing and crawling sensation while his heart thumped loudly.
"What's going on?"
His breathing stalled as he felt a crisis countless times stronger than he has felt ever before. The danger he has sensed from this hall or other areas in BSE79 so far seemed nonexistent compared to what he was feeling now.
Every cell in his body was desperately warning him of a life and death crisis. No matter how he tried, he couldn't calm himself. His instinct wanted him to escape from whatever this object was even if it was just a virtual image.
The next moment, the image on the screen changed.
A white casket, covered with decorative and beautiful runes appeared. Cosmic Spark was embedded in the center of the coffin.
"Why is Cosmic Spark embedded in a casket?" Castor Damon furrowed his bows. "And how is it safe despite the radiation from Cosmic Spark?"
Castor Damon was processing this when he noticed the structure of the room where the casket was located.
"Unbelievable!"
Even though it was just an image, but with his knowledge, he was instantly able to judge the quality of the room. The heat from a powerful nuclear blast was about 100,000,000° Celsius, the same as the interior of the sun. But the metals from which the room was build could actually handle a million times the heat and radiation from nuclear blasts. Such numbers were not just shocking but they were terrifying.
He was sure that even in that world, such metals were rare and supreme. So why were they used just to prepare a room to contain the coffin and Cosmic Spark?
As a rank 9 scientist in the world government, he knew the government has a shard of Cosmic Spark. The shard was as thin and long as a hair. Even after a century, the government failed to fully exploit its power.
If the Cosmic Spark was embedded in a casket then how did the government get a shard?
For years, he has hypothesized that Cosmic Spark was shattered in pieces due to the long journey. Yet the records so far were pointing to a different scenario.
Castor Damon was in the middle of contemplation when the image on the screen changed once again.
"WHAT?!"
Castor Damon was horrified. His jaw dropped while his eyes popped out as if he was witnessing the end of the world.
Zed was equally stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief. Both of them were shocked out of wits with what they were seeing.
On the screen, inside the room, hundreds of laser beams were aimed at Cosmic Spark embedded on the casket.
Every single laser beam was as thin as a silk thread but the energy was countless times stronger than the power from an atomic bomb explosion.
What's more, the hundreds of beams were aimed at only one spot on Cosmic Spark. Yet, there was not a single scratch on Cosmic Spark.
"Are they insane?! Why would they harm the power source of their world?!"
Chapter 262 - Warning
The room on the screen was made from layers of nine rare treasured materials: Celestial Bronze, Adamantine, Gallium, Chronoton, Vajra, World-mending stone, Xinite, Misolzinyl, and Timonium. This ensured the radiation from the casket and Cosmic Spark didn't sweep out, protecting other areas from destruction.
From the walls and ceiling, hundreds of laser beams boomed out, attacking a single spot on Cosmic Spark. Each beam was as thick as a filament but it carried destructive power enough to eradicate an entire solar system.
Yet the collision of hundreds of such beams didn't create a single scratch. Colorful lights bloomed out along with destructive waves, colliding against the walls, resulting in explosive sounds.
Time passed, perhaps decades or centuries, and finally a shard fell from Cosmic Spark. The shard was as thick and long as a fine hair, and as soon as it fell, a spatial force emerged from one of the walls. The next moment, the shard was teleported out of the room.
This process continued for a very long time, and finally, there were more than twenty to thirty shards missing from Cosmic Spark. Perhaps the energy source in the walls depleted or for some other reason, but there were no more beam attacks on Cosmic Spark.
While there were faint cracks on Cosmic Spark, its dimensions were hardly affected. It was still the size of a baby's fist with some crevices in between.
In the hall, Castor Damon refused to believe the image on the screen. Every piece of his research was collapsing by the scene in front of him.
Why would the supreme races of the highest world try to destroy their power source?
Castor Damon tried to make a sense of things without any success. Till now, he was sure Cosmic Spark was an energy generator, powering the empyrean world.
Castor Damon was processing this new knowledge when suddenly his body turned cold. His breathing stalled while his heart skipped a beat. Zed was same, his body turned numb with a painful sensation while a severe headache attacked him.
He tried to close his eyes, not daring to look at the new scene on the screen any longer.
Menacing, pitch-black darkness surged out from the crevices in Cosmic Spark. The darkness then whirled and twisted in an ominous fashion as it covered the room.
Even though this was just a virtual image, Castor Damon felt his very consciousness shutting down. A powerful devouring force erupted from the darkness on the screen, making Castor Damon feel weak. He shuddered in dread, not able to believe an entity could create such a phenomenon just from a projection.
Zed was in equally bad condition. Perhaps due to his weak and fragile status, he was not the main target of the darkness but the agony he suffered was no less.
The baleful darkness continued to swirl while golden and gray particles materialized on its surface. The particles were as small as cells, carrying a spellbinding charm that struck the soul.
"Genesis and ----" Castor Damon thought in his heart. He has read about them in records from other meteorites and even the world government has done research on them along with him.
The golden particles were like the spiral arms of galaxies but there was something atrocious about them. The gray particles resembled the primal chaos at the birth of the universe, and yet they carried a sinister presence.
"No! They are corrupted!" Castor Damon muttered to himself, his heart filled with dread. His entire body was soaked with sweat while his face has turned deathly pale. With great efforts, he took out pills from his ring and consumed them.
He regained enough strength to tap on the console system. Anything was fine than witnessing this corrosive darkness.
Zed took a deep breath as the screen changed. He knew Castor Damon wanted to seek a shard of Cosmic Spark in this meteorite, but after the warning from his senses about Cosmic Spark, he has already sworn to get away. No matter what, he promised to not help Castor Damon in seeking this Cosmic Spark. He has no interest in sacrificing himself so that Castor Damon could have this supreme treasure.
Castor Damon rose to his feet with great efforts. A buzzing sound came out as the screen disappeared while a video projection activated due to his earlier actions.
The projection was of a woman, clad in noble red attire. The background was filled with apocalyptic fumes and destructive lights.
As soon as Zed and Castor Damon saw the woman, they both entered into a trance. Their faces flushed with warm blood while their knees bent on their own.
No matter how they tried, they could not observe the facial features of the woman. There was no obstruction and yet they could not look at her face. It was like there was an invisible vein masking her beauty.
The only thing they noticed was a violet jewel embedded in the space between her eyebrows along with her silky, lush violet hair.
"In the end, everything was in vain," The woman in the projection said. "His Majesty failed and so did his army and my loyal slave beasts."
Her tone was ethereal and carried a regal charm that bound very consciousness.
"My people address me as Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose," The woman continued, her voice filled with sorrow. "But do I deserve to be called a princess when there is no kingdom to govern?"
Zed felt distressed while his eyes turned moist. Her emotions affected his own, making him experience heaviness of heart. He didn't have any loved ones, at least none he knew, but her voice made him feel the true despair of loss.
"The Fate truly toyed with me but I can't blame anyone," Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose continued. "These might be my final words so let the destruction of my world serve as a warning to the universe..."
Castor Damon and Zed listened to her words carefully while wondering about her warning. Could it be related to the death of her world?
"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Chapter 263 - Blackmail
"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
In the hall, Zed and Castor Damon tried to make a sense of these words. Was this warning related to the destruction of the supreme world?
The holographic projection of Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose warned further, "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the mind of the one who possesses it."
Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose's voice was filled with sadness and grief as she muttered the final words. The projection then faded into ripples of light, bringing back serenity in the hall.
Castor Damon rose to his feet while thinking of the status of the woman. From her words, he knew she was a princess but was she the princess of the entire destroyed world or only a part of the empyrean world?
How strong was she for her projection to make him kneel on his own? Has she died seeing she said they might be her final words?
Furthermore, what did she meant when she said The Fate toyed with her?
Castor Damon had many questions but no answer. He suddenly thought of Sovereigness Parcae - One of The Nine Sovereigns who founded the World Government.
Parcae was someone who hypothesized Fate was one of the greatest and powerful natural laws along with time and space. These ethereal concepts were the very foundations of the universe upon which the reality was established.
Fate determined the development of every existence in the universe. It didn't matter whether the existence in question was a living being, a planet, a star, or even a galaxy.
In a way, the basic function of Fate was to ensure everything that has a start has a definite end.
Castor Damon wiped the sweat from his face while contemplating his new knowledge. He failed to notice Zed has already risen to his feet and was now rushing to one of the hypersleep chambers.
"There is a risk but then again, life is made of risks," Zed took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination.
He didn't wish to risk his life by trying to seek Cosmic Spark so he wanted to escape from this meteorite as soon as possible. He hoped the preparations he did before would prove their use now.
"Castor Damon is weakened by that image of darkness and he is now distracted by that message from Princess," Zed thought as he snapped his fingers. "No better opportunity than now."
One of a hypersleep chamber near Castor Damon started emitting a burning smell. Castor Damon shook his head and cleared his thoughts quickly before bringing his eyes on the hypersleep chamber.
"Son of a bitch!"
The veins on his neck bulged out while his eyes turned bloodshot. He turned into a series of phantoms as he rushed to the hypersleep chamber.
Threads of smoke were streaming out from tubes and wires connected to the hypersleep chamber. The wires and tubes were extremely strong and durable but now, on each of them, there was a burning mark.
The mark was pin-size but for Castor Damon, it was no less than a tragedy. He dreaded activating the self-defense mechanism of the room or the worse- awakening the beings inside the hypersleep chambers.
His hands moved in lightning speed as he stopped the melting while extinguishing the fire sparks responsible for the situation. He let out a sigh of relief knowing he has avoided a great tragedy.
"Hey rotten scum," Zed loudly called out from behind. "An insect can create a famine, thereby killing thousands indirectly. I wonder if a slum insect like me can send a great scum like you to your makers."
Castor Damon turned around, his vision filled with hatred. How could this insect act with such disrespect and cockiness?
The transparent liquid armor emitted a dreadful pressure that enveloped the entire hall.
"Scum, harm me and every spark in those chambers would explode," Zed said, his face soaked with sweat. He knew he was playing with fire and risking his life but he had no choice. If he didn't take advantage of the situation now then he was sure he would be sacrificed just like other slum dwellers in the journey ahead.
"How dare you speak like that!" Castor Damon stretched his hand. A formless expanse of energy concentrated on his palm, converging into an orb.
"Well, the answer to your question is in your surrounding," Zed replied while gritting his teeth. "Find your answer otherwise you will regret."
He was standing a step away from the pipe leading to a duct or another sector.
Castor Damon furrowed his brows. His senses covered the hall, and the next moment, his face was filled with disbelief and shock.
He realized Zed's earlier threat was not empty words!
Every single hypersleep chamber was infected with fire sparks. And unlike the ones he extinguished, they were on verge of explosion. They were being controlled by an invisible thread linked to Zed who was already tensed.
If he was harmed the slightest, he might lose control and the sparks would definitely explode.
For someone as powerful as Castor Damon, the might of the explosions created by the powers of a Level I mutant was like a breeze. What terrified him was the possibility of the sparks creating irreparable damage in the tubes and wires.
There was no way the sensors in the hall would not activate if such destruction was created. Then there was the chance of the powerful beings awakening from their long slumber.
"This damned insect!" Castor Damon cursed as he lowered his hand.
"Give me the antidote pills and I will leave," Zed said while trying to calm his rapidly thumping heart. "We both can live by this method."
Castor Damon didn't reply. He now understood how Zed was able to insert so many sparks without him realizing.
Earlier, Castor Damon paid no attention to Zed and has focused on the virtual console to check the data on the spaceship. After all, Zed was weak and poisoned. Every few hours, he needed to consume pills to stop the volatile poison from killing him.
What could he do other than follow Castor Damon's commands if he wanted to live a little longer?
Alas, Castor Damon now realized this confidence in Zed's weakness and despair proved useful to Zed. He took advantage of the distraction to seed an opportunity for himself by using the danger of this hall.
"You think your pathetic scheme can kill me?" Castor Damon asked in a disdainful voice.
"Not really sure about killing you," Zed answered with a smirk. "But this pathetic scheme can definitely ruin your plans of grandeur."
"Kid, stop this stupidity and I will forgive you," Castor Damon coldly said. "Otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Are you really a scientist?" Zed continued in a mocking tone. "If you are, then you must be the dumbest scientist out there to sprout such nonsense even after I made my intentions clear."
Castor Damon released dreadful murderous intention. Those words made him angry out of shame and he swore to torture this slum insect in the worst possible ways.
"I'm already at my limit," Zed said, his voice filled with exhaustion. "If you drag this then I might die but so would your aspirations. Is my life as important as your dreams? Decide now before I snap out."
Castor Damon's complexion turned ugly. He never thought he would be blackmailed by an insect he could kill with a flick of his finger.
In his entire life, he was always respected with great reverence by the echelons of society. Even the councilmen treated him with admiration and praises.
Yet a lowborn from the dirty slums was being so rude and arrogant. There was not the slightest bit of politeness or respect in his tone.
Castor Damon tapped on his storage ring and took out a glass bottle filled with blue pills. Zed observed the bottle carefully and remembered the bottle was the same he noticed before. He sighed in relief knowing at least this was not a trick.
But then again, a person of Castor Damon's status would not resort to petty tricks.
"Wait!" Zed said as Castor Damon was about to throw the bottle towards him. Zed pointed a hand at a hypersleep chamber near him. A fireball shot out of his palm, leaving behind a trail of fire.
"Stop!" Castor Damon was shocked.
"Relax, I'm not insane," Zed motioned his hand, stopping the fireball above the wires of hypersleep chamber. "If you play any trick, then you already know."
Zed believed it was never wrong to have more cards. After all, he didn't know the extent of Castor Damon's powers.
Acting crazy like this at such a crucial moment would be a nice incentive for Castor Damon to not go overboard.
"You!" Castor Damon was in the middle of cursing when his eyes turned wide in shock.
The fireball split into two, the new fireball floating behind the exhaust grills of the hypersleep chamber.
"Now you can give me the pills," Zed was already drenched with sweat from head to toe.
Castor Damon threw away the pill bottle. With one hand, Zed controlled the sparks and the fireballs while with the other hand, he caught the bottle.
"Fucking bastard, don't think I will ever forgive you!" Castor Damon was not the type to suffer such humiliation from a weakling.
Zed arrived near the hole. He put the glass bottle in his pocket while looking at Castor Damon with a provoking expression.
"I might be a bastard," Zed said as he jumped in the hole. "But you are the one who is going to get fucked."
"What?!"