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Chapter 82: "When Allies Are in Trouble, Stand Firm as a Mountain"
🕑 Added 2025-05-02 07:42:24 +0000 UTC[Docking Zone of the Xianzhou Cangcheng, a Nearby Star System]
A strange cluster of azure flames drifted silently toward a desolate, uninhabited planet.
The moment the flames touched the planet's surface, a voice pierced through the vacuum of space as if it were nothing.
"You came."
The flames seemed startled by the sudden voice before a mature, sultry woman's voice echoed from within.
"How unusual. I never expected you to dare invite me for private negotiations. Aren't you afraid I've set an ambush?"
You appeared soundlessly nearby, a faint smirk of disdain on your face.
"An ambush? So what? With your level of strength, I come and go as I please."
"Tch!"
The flames emitted a sound of irritation. Your words instantly reminded her of hotheaded brutes like Flamestride—powerful but brainless muscleheads. She hated fools like that.
"Get to the point, pawn of Abundance. Phantylia has no time to waste with you!"
You smiled.
"Then I'll be direct. I intend to slay your master—the Destruction Aeon Nanook—and take his place."
It was as if a cosmic explosion detonated in Phantylia's mind. She froze, wondering if she'd misheard.
When she finally regained her senses, she found the idea utterly absurd. A mere underling, daring to speak of killing her master to her face? Even the maddest among them wouldn't be this audacious!
"How dare you?!" Phantylia snarled.
You chuckled.
"Why not? Nanook was once a mortal who ascended to Aeonhood. He was human, and so am I. Why can't I replace him?"
"Preposterous! Outrageous! Arrogant!" For some reason, Phantylia found herself shrieking like a furious harpy.
Yet you silenced her with a single sentence.
"Such a strong reaction? Seems your loyalty to Nanook isn't as firm as you claim."
"W-What nonsense are you spouting?!" she immediately rebuked.
But through her voice, you detected the faintest tremor of panic—the subconscious tell of someone whose deepest secret had been exposed.
Your suspicions were confirmed.
At its core, it all came down to conflicting beliefs.
Nanook viewed the birth of the universe as a mistake and the rise of civilizations as a cancer. He sought to correct this "error," to erase all stains, to become the very incarnation of entropy.
Yet his ideology clashed with that of the more intellectual Emanators of Destruction.
Take Iron Tomb, for example—he relished the collapse of advanced technology, the defeat of wisdom. But if the universe itself were destroyed, where would new civilizations emerge to create the technology he longed to ruin?
Then there was Phantylia, who thrived on civil wars and the collapse of faith. But without civilizations, how could faith even exist?
Another, akin to a sociologist, obsessed over observing civilizations and the breakdown of societal structures. Yet society, too, was a product of civilization.
These three "intellectual faction" Emanators fundamentally opposed Nanook's creed of total annihilation.
Moreover, the more knowledge one possessed, the less reverence they held—and the more they prioritized self-preservation. Nanook's path of destruction included all Emanators of Destruction, differing only in the order of their demise.
Phantylia's theft of the most vibrant Abundance energies to craft herself a physical body was proof enough—she feared death.
The other two intellectuals were likely the same. That was why they were the easiest to sway.
The "strength faction" fanatics sought destruction through sheer power, the collapse of might. Since Nanook surpassed them in raw force, they might even rejoice at the idea of being annihilated by him.
As for the "military faction," they were as loyal as soldiers, obeying Nanook's every command without question—making them the hardest to turn.
"If I were to devour Nanook, I would never uphold his ideals. The world is far too beautiful to destroy." You spoke earnestly, laying out your vision before Phantylia.
A master deceiver herself, Phantylia could instantly tell your words were genuine.
Seeing her silence, you stoked the flames further.
"Phantylia, you wouldn't have to worry about your master destroying you alongside everything else."
The temptation struck deep—after all, Phantylia's will to survive was strong.
But this scheming woman was a grandmaster of deception. You weren't naive enough to think mere words could win her over.
"Your proposal is… intriguing," Phantylia began, her tone shifting. "But why should I trust you? We are enemies, after all."
You smirked. Her words betrayed her interest—she was already hooked, merely probing out of caution.
Raising your palm, you summoned a swirling orb of jade-gold energy. The dense, life-rich power of Abundance seeped from it, palpable even in the void.
The flames of Phantylia's form flickered with hunger. As a Shouyou, she was acutely sensitive to energy.
"This is my sincerity. You may use this Abundance energy to forge yourself a perfect vessel."
With that, you sent the orb floating toward her.
Phantylia wavered—hesitant, yet ultimately unable to resist. In an instant, she devoured the energy.
A brilliant jade-gold radiance erupted from her form.
When the light faded, a voluptuous, dark-skinned woman stood in its wake. She wore lavish robes of jade and gold, styled like blooming lotuses, her regal aura that of a queen.
Recognizing the familiar visage, you raised a brow.
"Well? Does this body satisfy you?"
Phantylia hid half her face behind a folding fan, as if unwilling to let you see her expression.
"Adequate," she replied. "I acknowledge your sincerity."
Then, her voice turned sly.
"However, the three of us cannot openly betray Lord Nanook… unless—"
You stifled a laugh internally. 'Even if you dared betray him, did you think I'd trust you?'
Outwardly, you simply waved a hand.
"Naturally, I wouldn't ask you to act against your interests. All I need is for you to stand aside when I deal with the others. Surely that doesn't conflict with your goals?"
The factions already despised each other over ideological differences. "When allies are in trouble, stand firm as a mountain" was their usual stance. Had Nanook not forced them to cooperate, they'd never have united in the first place.
Your proposal aligned perfectly with Phantylia's desires.
"Deal~!"
Comments
Fuji Tatsumaki
Maybe this chapter is 82 and not 78 🤔
