Quest for Answers

(Captain, Data about Mur Brung has been received. Would you like me to open it for you?)

“What does it say, Alice?”

(He’s a distinguished physicist hailing from Mur Clan, an Ancient High-Elven Family from GXP31 planet of Gar Wahger Federation. He proposed a theory called Mana Relativity and Conservation which is believed to shorten the time Synthetic Mana Veins are produced by one eight period.

At age 40, he joined the Rumevar Ministry of Science but fifty years later, he went missing for another 50 years after a mission. While his work is valuable, it cannot be proven in a short period of time.

When he was found, he was missing one limb and refused to go back to the Ministry but despite that, Rumevar Ministry of Science continued to support him and funded any experiments he conducted.

Ten years later, he contacted the Felinghan Clan of Minraca and for 400 years, he had been sheltered by Ordoti Felinghan. Eventually, he did retire and decided to become a Professor at A”U planet.

Captain, his life and work had been locked by Rumevar Galaxy Which means this is all the information you will get.)

“Do you have information about Ordoti Felinghan?”

(Yes Captain. She is the current Magistrar of Division 156 School of Minraca Star System.)

Clay was then again surprised as upon hearing that Ordoti is the old Elven temptress who referred him to become an elite. And what is more interesting is the name Felinghan. Back at Crescent Moon Sect, he had an elder sect sister by the name of Fara Felinghan who later invited him to watch glittering insects which later inspired him to figure out the Barnachea Pill Technique.

“Looks like I have to visit her.” He thought to himself. But for now, he needed to breakthrough to Ascendance. It’s getting tiresome being toyed by these Ascendants.

“Tell me how many points do I have?”

(You currently have 8,000 Merit Points, Captain.)

Clay did need to look where the 2,000 went but he is positive it tax with some fancy name.

“What’s the least expensive way to become an Ascendant?”

(One set of ingredients will cost for a total of 1358 Merits. We may be able to buy 1 pill for 400 Merits if we trade with other ships.)

“Buy five sets of ingredients for now.”

(Captain, consuming multiple Ascendant Breakthrough Pills will not equate to higher chances of breakthrough. This pill only acts as a stimulator which is similar to how Qi Sensing Pills works on someone who has not cultivated. Most cultivators would rather buy a Cultivation Vials as they are infused with far greater Heaven Qi quantity saving at least a thousand Heaven Qi Crystals.)

“Then buy one vial and ten Crystal Collectors.”

(Aye, Captain.)

*Zing!

Clay disappeared from his spot leaving a spatial ring on his chair. The ring is one of the spatial rings he asked Kolas to construct a far bigger floating island in it.

Similar to his designs, the floating island is illuminated by simple light producing Formations. The only difference is that, it does not have a Spiritual Vein.

Clay took out a cage from his storage and observed the unconscious Ascended Rabbit. It looks harmless but its beast core is that of Heaven Qi and if enraged, it can kill even Nascent level cultivators.

He activated his Godly Eyes and observed its circulation circuit.

He remembered the first time he attempted to create Spiritual Veins. At that time, he was unaware of that mysterious energy that were initially produced, then later discovered that the plants that came in contact with it all had been infused with rich Spiritual Qi. It was only at Arizan Conservatory that he had an idea what the energy was for.

For regular plants, it becomes Qi but for specific trees like The World and Naraheim Enlightenment Trees would cause it to accumulate a shapeless blue mist in the soul space dimension reflected in his Godly Eyes. And blue mist is the ever elusive and mysterious Dao Power.

Since the rabbit is unconscious, he nothing to worry about and extended his divine sense and guided his Qi towards every Qi Nodes the beast has. And after securing the circulation circuit, he drilled a hole to the rabbits head killing it and the same time, slowly extracted the circuit. He surrounded it with dirt then submerged it into the water.

Back at Gar Wahger, he thought that anyone can do it but according to Lord Lao who had seen countless of his futures, this ability to produce Veins is an innate property of him being a foreign soul and it is because of this ability that the consciousness of the universe was trying to expel him out of its system.

Clocked ticked and Clay patiently waited for any changes.

Clay lost track how many times had he already created Spiritual Vein within this universe. For the most part, he destroyed all of them as he was only after increasing the size and amount of blue mist within him. And now, if indeed this universe has the ability to maintain the balance of its primordial energies and following the same principle on how he created Spiritual Veins, then he should be able to create Heaven Qi Veins.

*Wing!

Clay felt a slight spatial distortion coming out from the beast core. He wanted to immediately halt and destroy the core but what happens two seconds later exhilarated him that he wanted to jump and celebrate in joy.

“I knew it!”

Clay smiled. Usually, Spiritual Veins derived from magical beast would initially release the mysterious energy before it releases actual Spiritual Qi yet his first attempt directly released pure and concentrated Heaven Qi.

He extended his aura and cut a tree nearby and used it branch to house the newly created Heaven Qi Vein. Then after an hour, he placed it slightly submerged near the water before moving out.

“Alice, did you buy the items?”

(Yes Captain. You currently have 6,415 remaining Merits after the purchase. I have sent it to your quarters.)

“Great!”

Clay was about to walk when Alice interrupted.

(Captain, Base Zero just relayed an A-2 distress signal. It’s from Falcon Cutter 1 and their report states that they have spotted a Matured Maligna Flea. They need our cannons to break its defenses.)

“And why us?”

(Considering our destination and since we are not on a mission, your ship is the logical choice. If refused without valid reason, this will be a ground for demerit up to disownership.)

“Set course and ready for lift off.”

Meanwhile, 780 light years away from Ramdaman Star System, a three kilometer wide disc-shape silver spaceship is currently in space.

Not far from the ship is an endless sea of red dust clouds and visible thick lightning sparks could be seen at random and within this forbidding and desolate place of space, a life form has managed to survive and has grown at 20 kilometers in length and since it just eats away almost everything on its path, it accumulated unknown corpulent rocks and minerals around its bulky body that it looks like a flea from afar.

“Captain, we’ve received an intel about the reinforcement ship. You’re not gonna like it.”

One of the crew members placed a paper thin ipad before their Captain whose hands are currently crossed. The captain’s name is Mtello, a Rank 7-Ascendant and Class A 4-Star Silver Captain.

Indeed, it irritates him just looking at the profile of the captain Base Zero sent. Not only is the captain a human but also has a cultivation below Ascendance and on top of it, he was just promoted. And worse, the ship only has one crew member.

“It’s ok. All we need is his ship’s firepower.” Mtello was not swayed by his emotions. After all, those cannons can only show its potential when operated by 1ST Phase Dao which none of his crew has including him.

“Captain, reinforcement ship will be out of warp in twenty seconds.”

“Signatures patterns are now readable.”

“Sir, confirmed Federation ship.

“In 8, 7, 6, 5, 4”

“It’s a Luvianga Cat-1, sir.”

“3, 2, 1”

“Be ready to receive him.” Mtello instructed.

“Captain, we have visual.”

“Open a channel.”

In the meantime, it has been six hours since he set off. The expected travel time for any given ship given such distance should be three hours but since he is lacking Defensive Guardian Avatars, so he was forced to take longer safer routes.

Since there were no imminent threats, he took the time to create nine Heaven Qi Veins and set up all the Crystal Gathering Formations on each floating island he has on his spatial rings.

After everything was arranged, he took a seat and waited.

(Captain, we are getting out of warp in 5, 4, 3, 2)

*Zing!

(Captain, we’re being hailed.)

“Open the channel, Alice.”

*Shhzzzzk

*Shhzzzzk

Soft radio noises were generated before the screen in front of him became clear.

“Greetings. My name is Captain Mtello and beside me is Vice Captain Ordoom. Thank you for answering our call.”

“I am Captain Clay. Due to circumstances, I am currently alone. My Doll is ready to implement your plans.

“Unfortunately, since you’re alone, we will need to change our plans. Will you allow us to control your ship?”

(Alice, begin uplink and let them have full control of the ship.)

(Aye, Captain.)

“Do you have other instructions, Captain Mtello?”

“You really are new, Captain. Please ready ignition.”

Clay touched the arms of his chair then focused his Qi on two barrel-sized bullets that will be used for bombardment.

“Everyone, this is your Captain Mtello speaking. In two minutes, we will be entering the beasts hunting range. Although it is a Matured Maligna Flea, it has not gained sentience. I want everyone to be ready, and may luck be on our side.”

Clay ignored the other side’s broadcasts.

(Alice, tell me why that beasts needs to be eliminated?)

(All void beasts have the ability to continue evolving that when it becomes sentient, it will learn to seek out preys including and devastate planets. It becomes twenty times harder to kill as they will have had acquired a profound skill to send out shockwaves imbued with Dao, an ability that can incapacitate a ship at great lengths.)

“Captain Clay, we will fire 30 seconds after entering the gas cloud belt. Please ready ignition now.”

“Ready when you are.”

(And do we get any rewards on this mission, Alice?)

(Yes, Captain. You get Qi Fuels and ammunition refill.)

“Countdown in 10, 9, 8”

(After this mission, locate the closest habitable planet without any inhabitants)

(Locating M-Class Planets.)

“4, 3, 2 and ”

“Fire!”