Power Corrupts

“If what you need me for is to control the Defensive Barriers, would it be too late to back out once we reached our destination?” Clay is standing on corner inside a conference room as he asked with his arms crossed. They just had a briefing and everyone has just left except him as he still had to wait for his reward.

“And here I thought you’ve made up your mind.” Dalkaga is still on his seat as he looked at Clay. “Cultivators who can manifest Fire Dao are rare and will always have a place to any sects. Of us all, even if you are captured by pirates and even as humans, your Dao can easily buy your freedom.”

“Maybe I’m just being too cautious.” Clay forced a smile as he responded.

(Captain, we have visual in ten minutes.)

Dalkaga got to his feet when he heard the announcement. At the same time, he retrieved a dark metallic bead and threw it towards Clay and said, “Cautious or not, we had a deal. Once the implosion is triggered, you’ll have less than five minutes to escape.”

Clay caught the bead with his right hand and watched Dalkaga exit the room.

Since three months ago, he had been worried that he won’t be able to turn back. While he will eventually travel to the Upper Plane, it is far too early for him to venture out.

Part of his objective in visiting Gar Wahger Star System is to quietly seclude himself and learn about contemporary cultivation. He had been too reliant on the A.I. Dolls for knowledge and without these technology’s guidance, he reckons he will have had floated endlessly on a void.

However his plans got disrupted when Dalkaga offered him information about Mur Brung. He wanted to decline the proposal thinking that he will soon be able to obtain them but when Kyan Han Sword Sect of Andara Galactic Federation was mentioned, he had no choice but to accept.

During his past life, he had been reincarnated to a planet called MA6Z2 Planet of Andara Galaxy(Chapter 94-95). That was when he learned about his destiny being all controlled by a mysterious consciousness of the universe.

The evidences he collected so far points out that he had been expelled from that universe, and that he should be experiencing a completely different life but to be able to encounter characters of his previous life is giving him a bad premonition.

He did not want to dwell in senseless worries but since he heard about Kyan Han Sword Sect, a seed of anxiety germinated within his mind. Since he had ample time to wait, he decided get off a nearby planet and for two whole months he rode different random taxis and while expecting to meet a crazy cabbie driver who would talk about destiny, all he got is a warning from Rank 7 Ascendant.

Later he contacted Dalkaga again but his request to be able to read the information first was denied and it was then that Dalkaga said that he will only fulfill his end of the bargain once they arrived at their destination.

Clay activated his Divine Eyes and looked at the bead on his hand. He could see traces of seals encapsulating a tiny hard drive. After confirming the item did not contain anything suspicious, he stored it in his spatial ring and exited the conference room.

Zzzzk!

(Everyone, this is your Captain. In one minute, we will arrive at the perimeter of the nebula. Those who have changed their minds, this is your final chance. Proceed to south hanger for separation. Beginning countdown in 50 seconds.)

Meanwhile, 70 light years away from Astarea Forbidden Zone where Clay had completed his first mission as a Captain, a gas cloud nebula the size of a hundred earths is slowly expanding. Just 24 hours ago, an almost inconsequential tear in space appeared out of nowhere and began to release gas particles and in less than a day, the tear in space grew astronomically large creating an unstable void in space.

To this day, while the scope of science has reached an unimaginable degree, majority of studies relating to subspaces that makes up the world remains obscure. However, while these phenomena remain a mystery, it did not stop scientist to understand a few of its uses.

Take this tear in space that just appeared out of nowhere. It just manifested and created itself out of nothing and in another two days, it will disappeared leaving only gas particles and after a few hundred and thousands of years, the once empty space will soon be filled with asteroids. And thanks to a few brave souls who offered themselves to study the spatial tear, it was later discovered that this can be used as a temporary entrance towards the Upper Plane. The only problem with using this portal is that, the exits are all random for anyone who ventures in.

Since an hour ago, the nebula has reached is limits and today, a disc-shaped spaceship appeared close to its edge. It none other than Dalkaga’s ship.

(Everyone, to your stations. As you all can see and feel, that is not your ordinary 1ST level of Subspace. Everything within that cloud is unstable and the slightest of our mistake will cause our entire ship to be obliterated. We won’t even get a chance to escape. I repeat, we won’t even get a chance to escape. Activate the barriers!)

20, 19 , 18….

In the mean time, Clay is seated alone inside a control room at the heart of the ship. Before him are numerous screens showing real time images inside and outside the ship including the bridge where he could see Captain Dalkaga.

Similar to when he was maneuvering the cannons of his old ship, he doing the same step as he channel his Dao Powers towards two distinctive points within the ship which in turn creates like a magnetic field surrounding the entire ship.

5, 4, 3, 2….

As the countdown reaches zero, he calmed himself and prepared for any unforeseen accidents.

One, Zero!

Zzzzp!!

The ship went into maximum speed and disappeared from its spot.

Meanwhile, the moment the ship entered the nebula, Clay got reminded of that time when was a transformed beast and attempted to teleport himself during his first reincarnation. At that time, his boosted power elevated to the 6TH Degree could only hold on for mere two seconds.

Although he could not fully see what is going on outside the ship, as the person maintaining the first layer of the Defensive Barrier, he could feel how devastating the pressure outside. From time to time, gigantic sparks of lightning would hit the ship but the layered structure of the Defensive Barrier fortified with his Dao had made the ship impregnable.

Clay looked at the screens before him. Unlike the rest of the crew, most of them have traces of worry on their faces. Sometimes, he can’t help but wonder as to what is compelling them to go through such lengths and are even ready to become slaves just to become stronger.

Seven days ago after meeting with Dalkaga and the rest of 87 human Ascendant crew members, he did take the time to observe everyone. The strongest is Dalkaga himself with a cultivation level of 4TH rank but in terms of Dao comprehension, everyone is Half-Step.

This will be his first time encounter this many human Ascendants and when thought he could make a few friends, it was then that he realized that everyone is trying to distance themselves with each other.

He did not mind at first as he was used to being alone yet after a few more days travelling and not being able to speak to anyone within the ship, the thought of killing everyone suddenly entered his mind. Even he was surprised upon realizing he had been entertaining this thought for almost a day.

He had long accepted the fact that he will kill if he has to kill like those covetous space pirates he exterminated recently yet to kill on a whim because the other party does not want to immediately give him what he wants is alarming.

He knew he could easily slaughter everyone on a single breath yet he choose to cling to his morals. Maybe one day, when he had kill in millions, he will probably become the monster everyone will come to hate.

Clay looked at everyone’s troubled faces on the screen. If this was him in the past, he probably will have had fainted from panic and mental exhaustion yet today, even knowing how precarious their journey is, it barely illicit fear or alarm.

The ship continued to travel towards the center of the nebula and after a few minutes, Clay felt the crushing pressure outside slowly diminishing as well. As soon as he looked at the images on the screen, Dalkaga issued a command.

“Attention everyone. We’ve arrived at the Stable Zone of the Nebula. From here on in is the last step of our exit. In two minutes, the torpedoes will be launched and we will have three minutes to move. On to your pods and prepare yourselves.”

*Tish!

Clay was motionless as he observes everyone on the screen. He could feel movements within the ship like every other room is shifting creating a hangar right in front of him. At the same time, numerous escape pods appeared as the space within the hangar stretches and finally creating an exit.

(Sixty seconds before detonation.)

At the same time, everyone including Dalkaga and the crew members within the Captain’s bridge had moved towards the newly created hanger and when they arrived, and everyone entered their own dedicated capsule.

20, 19, 18, 17…

Clay calmly watched as the countdown reach zero. Earlier, he was curious as to how the center of the nebula would look like but the images projected on the screen is plain back as if the monitors are not power on.

5, 4, 3, 2…

(Attention crew members. Torpedoes had been launched!)

(Attention crew members. Torpedoes had been launched!)

Clay was expecting a “Kaboom!” yet after five seconds, everything still silent and his jaw slowly dropped wondering what’s going to happen next.

Clueless, Clay wanted to ask the A.I. Doll of the ship to enlighten him what is about to take place but before he could inquire, Dalkaga opened a channel.

“You sure you don’t want to come along?”

“We had a deal. I’ve fulfilled my end of the bargain.”

After Clay responded, it was then that Clay saw a light flickered on one of the screens. At the same time, fluctuations of spatial distortions began to radiate two kilometers from the ship.

Following the continuous ripples of energy, the escape pods within the hanger launched and one by one, they all flew towards the origin of the ripples.

“Don’t blame me for not convincing you enough.”

“May luck be always in our favor.” Clay casually responded.

“If there is a next life, I hope we’ll have some descent tea.”

With that, the transmission ended and Dalkaga’s escape pod was the last to exit from the ship.

*Exhale

Clay waited a few breaths to allow everyone to disappear just in case there will be an emergency broadcast but after ten seconds of silence, Dalkaga’s last words finally got through to him.

“What do you mean next life?” Clay thought to himself.

“Computer, respond if you can hear me?”

Clay’s eyes squinted.

“Computer, respond if you can hear me?” Clay repeated his command yet the A.I. Doll of the ship is still unresponsive.

Clay did not panic as he assessed his situation. The first thing that came to his mind is summon his ship and escape but upon recalling that his own ship is not equipped with a similar Defensive Barrier to protect him from what they just passed through, he immediately discarded the thought.

Clay got to his feet and stepped out of the room. Had he known he will thrown into this predicament, he would have had just chosen to kill everyone right before the entered the nebula.

Right now, his only option now is indeed follow everyone’s track. He just hopes he can maneuver an escape pod.

He stepped out of the room and upon confirming at least ten remaining escape pods, he composed himself and walked towards the closest one. From their briefing earlier, the reason they had to be in an escape pod is to make it look like they have been part of a crew that needed to evacuate and whoever captures or intercepts them in the Upper Plane, they will then be enslaved.

Clay released his divine sense towards the escape pod in an attempt to open it however just has his aura was released, he felt something was amiss. That feeling when he first experienced when he was enshrouded by a high level Formation called Tranquil Heart Illusion technique when he traded a Kantrafeya Tree.

Clay stopped his tracks and activated his Divine Eyes and as he looked around. While his five senses can be deceived, his Divine Eyes has never failed and he did not further investigate as he could already tell the position of another cultivator lurking not far from the exit.

He was tempted to release his aura and imbue it with full powered Dao and make the first move but he stopped himself as the hidden cultivator is not an Ascendant and exuded the same level of aura similar to one of his abductors during his past life who calls himself Rahm Rah(Chapter 112). On top of it, the bluish mist reflected on his mystical sight is the largest he had seen since coming to this world. He reckons that this cultivator should be a 2ND Phase Dao Practitioner.

Clay’s head is fixated on the same spot where is cultivator is hiding in plain sight and he wanted to initiate a conversation but after a few seconds, the cultivator finally revealed himself.

“You’re rather perceptive than I initially thought. Worthy of someone being able to exterminate a Class S Pirate.”

Clay looked at the cultivator. Unlike your regular High Elven, this expert has a third set of protruding smaller conic ears. Green eyes, silver long hair, and the white robes he is wearing further complements his young and attractive appearance and like Clay, he can perfectly hide his cultivation.

“So did you come here for revenge?” Clay was not alarmed as he carefully assessed his situation.

The cultivator forced a smile and instead of introducing himself, he said, “Vengeance? I’m not so petty to avenge some trash. I have two questions for you.” There was a slight pause, then the cultivator continued. “What is your true relationship with Immortal Green Mist Soul Sect?”

Upon hearing the mysterious cultivator’s first question, Clay was still calm but before he could answer, an almost imperceptible thin thread of aura slowly crept throughout his body it felt like thousand of ants covered him. His eyes squinted and said, “I have no relation with that sect.”

“Oh, What about Nosfera. Are you affiliated with them?”

Clay wanted to make the first move now but his opponent is at least 50 meters away. If he were to fully activate his Dao Power, instinct is telling that this cultivator can easily distance himself.

“I have no relation with that sect either. I implore this senior to hear me out. Whatever this is, it is all a misunderstanding.” Clay was still calm but his pulse started to beat faster. He could feel the imperceptible aura getting stronger and one wrong move, this would easily immobilize him and may restrict his circulation.

Clay hoped the situation won’t escalate and if it does, he hopes his Dao will work miracles again. As of the moment, he has no weapon to rely on. He did not want to release his aura any further and thought of any items inside his spatial ring.

Clay felt like an eternity has passed and aside from his ship, the only thing that came to mind is the Topaz Matter gifted to him by Mur Brung when they parted.

“And here I thought I could get something useful.” The mysterious cultivator is none other than Avash. All these while, he had been careful and patiently waited as his plan was smoothly executed without his prey being made aware. He just had activated a better of Tranquil Heart Illusion technique that no matter how trained someone is, as long as they are below Divinity Realm, he can immediately tell if someone is lying. So far, Clay had not displayed any clues of what he had been expecting.

Although disappointed, he still has something to extract from Clay.

“Your Dao, are you willing to tell me your secret or should I search your soul?”

Clay can already tell there is no use in bargaining with this cultivator. “I am willing to become your subordinate and..”

Clay was in the middle of his sentence when he felt the other party released his aura so immediately sent his Qi to his spatial ring to retrieve the Topaz Matter but as soon as the cube materialized out of his ring, an invisible blade cut off his arm from his wrist and in an instant, Clay felt a hand grabbed his neck.

*Arggghhh!

Ting!

In a blink of an eye, Avash disappeared from his spot and sensing that Clay had retrieved an item from his ring, Avash immediately cut off Clay’s hand. Blood splattered and in the meantime, a transparent cube rolled behind him as he strangled and lifted Clay from the ground.

Clay knew Divinity experts are strong but he still had underestimated their real strength. Even his eyes could not follow this man’s speed. On top of it, other party’s aura had already seeped through his skin attempting to disrupt his circulation.

“Blame your luck if you must.”

Clay’s mind went into overdrive and immediately activated his released his Essence Flame and imbued it will all his Dao Power. He no longer has time to think and hoped his Dao will work miracles and save him.

In the mean time, Avash was about to deliver a fatal blow to Clay and extract his soul but in an instant, he felt something ominous is about to be release from Clay. As an experienced cultivator with rich battle experience, his instinct is telling him to distance himself so he immediately let go of Clay but before he could take a step back, the entire area was surrounded by terrifying concentration of Fire Dao.

For a split second, his circulation was disrupted but his Sword Dao manifested in the nick of time to protect his body. If he was able to activated his full power before encountering Clay’s power, he is confident to be able to resist it but not during the activation of his aura. Even his Sword Dao could not properly manifest. With no time to waste, although it was difficult to circulate his Qi, he was still able to move however as soon as he turned around, another terrifying ripples of energy greeted him.

When he cut off Clay’s arm seconds ago, he did ignored the item that rolled to the ground yet only now did he realized how dangerous the cube was.

“Noo…!!!!!!”

Avash shouted and materialized his weapon and before he could destroy the item, the unthinkable happened.

BOOM!!!

Clay on other had just released his full power and the moment his enemy let go of his neck, he felt relief that his attack was working however when his enemy turned around to retreat, he felt a more terrifying ripples of energy and it is not coming from Avash but it looked like the Topaz Matter was ignited.

He does not know if he will survive it but he still formed a barrier to protect his body.

Time seemed to have had stopped. He can only indeed blame his luck. He still does not know why the Topaz Matter exploded this way. From what Mur Brung had explained, the condition to activate the Topaz Matter is that the environment must be at least 9TH Spatial Subspace yet it was still ignited when it was exposed to Clay’s immeasurable Dao.

BOOM!!!

With the sudden explosion, Avash was able to temporarily cast a barrier but under Clay’s Dao, his control of his Qi were chaotic that it easily crumbled making him an ordinary cultivator. The unstable forces created by spatial distortion ripped his body into million pieces.

What felt like a long time all happened in split seconds.

The center of the nebula which was devoid of light gave off a blinding explosion creating a massive tear in space absorbing everything in its path and after a minute, the spatial tear disappeared leaving a silent void in space.