Legacy of the Void Fleet

Meanwhile, a few hundred light-years away from the First Battle Fleet, another battle was taking place—at a scale far larger than anything the First Battle Fleet had encountered just now!! And it was proving to be even more brutal!!

”Damn! Where did these pieces of space garbage come from? How did these Minotaurs even amass that much support in such a short duration of time!!” Keal cursed as he looked at the enormous fleet ahead of him!

Their numbers totaled upwards of twenty thousand ships. Based on their designs, five thousand belonged to the Minotaur clan—the same old middle-level Tier 2 ships. (At any tier, technology, ships, and equipment are divided into three levels: low, middle, and peak.)

Meanwhile, the remaining fifteen thousand ships belonged to powers unknown to him!! From the variety of ship designs, power levels, and the insignias, they clearly did not belong to a single faction. They were divided among five different groups, with their numbers split almost equally into three thousand ships each—or perhaps slightly more!!

Their firing power and defensive strength were clearly a level above the Minotaurs.

”Those ships likely belong to some Tier 1 factions!! Damn, does the Holy Region really have such significance?” Kael spoke, though there was a growing certainty in his tone. He thought inwardly, ’What nonsense am I saying? Of course it is highly sought after!! Who could be more aware of that than me and the entire Void Fleet!!’

They were a fleet that primarily cultivated in the Galactic Domain—a place rich in mana, energy, and resources. Not only were the laws easier to perceive there, but energy was never scarce.

Though the Soul Region (the Holy Region) was only just starting to regain its former glory and was not yet at the level of the Galactic Region, it was still crucial for the development of the Void Fleet. Other galactic powers clearly had the same interest. Seeing these five factions, Kael realized they likely knew about the existence of the Holy Region and were here for it.

”Huh... these Minotaurs,” he muttered, ”really are not that dumb for once!! They know one of their most powerful fleets was taken down by us when that Minotaur Grand Admiral was released. The difference in strength should be more than clear to them!! Knowing they couldn’t keep this cake for themselves, nor did they possess the power to take the plate from our hands, they willingly sought an alliance with more powerful factions!!”

Kael laughed as he laid out the Minotaurs’ thought process. It was likely exactly what happened.

”If they think these measly Tier 1 factions—however powerful and numerous—can help them take us down... oh, they are in for a surprise!!”

With that, he clenched his fist. A dark thought crossed his mind: ’I have been itching for a way to release my frustration... and now, you all will be more than enough to quench it!!’

He didn’t forget the merits his fleet would earn by taking these space bugs down. ”Hehe... looks like even with my bad luck, I still lucked out!! Hahaha!!”

Like a man possessed, Kael rubbed his hands together. He looked at the numerous enemy ships exchanging blows with his own fleet. A flicker of greed and battle intent flashed through his eyes, and he stood up.

”Crown!! Prepare my battle mech!! It’s time I take the stage!!...”

Crown sighed, seeing the excited look on his master’s face. He felt there was no need to try and talk sense into him, so he simply followed the order. ”As you command, Grand Admiral!!”

Crown’s eyes flashed with rows of code. In a hidden hangar, a mech standing nearly a hundred meters tall was being refitted with armor. It was completely black in color and, despite its immense size, was incredibly sleek and aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Its head was shaped like a dragon’s, with two horns popping out, and it featured a dark, angel-like wing structure on its back. The design made it look not only beautiful but truly awe-inspiring. Though no weapons could be seen anywhere, its armor was made of mysterious alloys and surrounded by a strange kind of mana that only made it appear more powerful.

Beneath Kael, a small pocket opened, and he dropped into it. It was a glass transport tube that led him directly to the mech’s inner cockpit!! Once inside, he quickly started the activation protocol. ”Come online, Dark Blade!! It’s time we test your might against the trash outside!!”

As the words left his lips, the cockpit—which had been almost completely dark—suddenly lit up. Showing him the view outside, he moved toward a circular platform. He sat upon the command seat, and a mechanical arm lowered from the ceiling, connecting directly to his combat suit. It plugged into his spine, securing him in place.

His combat helmet displayed a new interface as the neural connection between him and the mech began to initialize. Then, he heard a cool yet sharp voice:

”Welcome aboard, Master Throne!! It is my pleasure to help you rid the galaxy of some space garbage,” it added mischievously.

Kael smiled, hearing this. ”Always playful, huh, Dark Blade?” He looked to his right through his helmet’s HUD. There, he could see a dark blade with a dark, flame-like aura floating in the air. This was Dark Blade’s conscious form—the shape of a black sword.

”Hehe!! I learned that from you, Master!!” Dark Blade added.

Kael: ”...”

”YOU!!” Kael was speechless, cursing inwardly. ’Learned from me? Am I like you? How could you possibly say you got this playful trait from me!! Huh? When was I ever playful? I don’t have a playful personality; if anything, I’m a serious kind of person! Don’t you know that? How dare you...’

’Whatever, I won’t talk to you about this now. I’ll deal with you once this is over,’ he thought. Kael was only keeping these thoughts to himself because he truly feared being criticized by the Dark Blade, just as others were criticized by their own weapon spirits!! Believe it or not, no matter how much he argued with Dark Blade, he knew the spirit would criticize him until his face turned black and blue with shame. Not red from blushing, but black and blue—as if he had been beaten. The only difference was that it wasn’t a physical beating, but a mental one!!

”Okay, okay... start the Spiritual Synchronization!! We are in a hurry here!!” Kael said, a hint of frustration and eagerness in his voice.

”As you command, my Master!! Do cooperate this time, unlike the last time... if that happens again, don’t blame me! It will be your fault for not synchronizing properly. Your head will pay the price,” Dark Blade warned him before starting.

Hearing that, Kael shivered with fright. He remembered what had happened the last time he tried to synchronize his spiritual power with Dark Blade’s—which was just as pure and strong as his own, if not more so!! Back then, he hadn’t taken the process seriously; he had ignored the proper method and tried to force the synchronization with brute strength, believing his spiritual power was strong enough to enforce his will.

He had been wrong—very wrong. That resulted in a backlash between his spiritual power and Dark Blade’s, damaging both of their spirits significantly!! It had taken them both a week to heal.

During that time, it felt like millions upon millions of golden spiritual ants were eating his mind and his power... the pain was truly immense. It wasn’t just a ”mere headache” like Black Wing had said; even now, remembering it made him feel a sense of dread!!

Unlike Kael, Dark Blade was lucky enough to be quickly healed by the Imperial Commander. As for Kael himself, the Commander refused to heal him as punishment for doing what he wasn’t supposed to do. The weeks following his eventual recovery were the most brutal days of his life.

He was dropped into the most dangerous zones of the Origin Planet, where he barely survived against numerous ”Absolute” beings—creatures far more powerful than he was. After finally emerging from the inner region of the Endless Mountains, he was thrown into the Void Tower. There, he was tortured by legendary warriors who beat him to a pulp time and time again for an entire week.

He was dropped into the most dangerous zones of the Origin Planet, where he barely survived against numerous ”Absolute” beings—creatures far more powerful than he was. After finally emerging from the inner region of the Endless Mountains, he was thrown into the Void Tower. There, he was tortured by legendary warriors who beat him to a pulp time and time again for an entire week.

By the end of it, he was barely able to defend himself against their brutal attacks. That feeling was truly terrible, and it was there that he learned an important lesson—a lesson he wouldn’t dare forget. After all, who knows? If he repeated a mistake like that, only God knows what the Imperial Commander would do to him in his ”Devil Form”!!