Chapter 451: Dead Planet

The lead elder, watching the SUV accelerate while the toxic mist devoured the complex, screamed with a face red with fury.

"Brian! What are you doing?!" shouted the lead elder, coughing up blood as he pointed at the vehicle.

"I can’t stop them," said Brian, keeping his voice calm as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Deactivate your ability! You’re useless!" screamed the elder, desperate as he saw the vehicle cross the perimeter of his range.

As soon as the asteroid-alloy SUV crossed the border of the Nullity domain, its phase-jump drive overloaded. The space surrounding the vehicle tore open in a flash, and the SUV vanished, leaving behind a shockwave that rattled the ruins.

The capital planet was plunged into chaos. The poison of [Desolate Earth] continued to seep through the ground’s mana veins, liquefying the fortress’s structures and turning soldiers to ash in its wake.

Hours later, the surviving elders and commanders gathered in the planet’s orbit aboard a war cruiser, gazing down at the surface, now turned into a black mass.

"There is nothing left to salvage down there," reported one of the commanders, looking at the holographic readouts. "The contamination has reached the core."

"Abandon the fortress and declare it a dead planet," ordered the lead elder, his eyes fixed on the extinct surface. "The war against TMC has entered its bloodiest stage."

As soon as the SUV stabilized after the spatial jump, Alexander shouted in euphoria from the back seat, laughing from the adrenaline rush of escaping that slaughter.

"Fuck them, they’re not as strong as they make everyone believe!" exclaimed Alexander, leaning over the front headrests. "Who does that old man think he is? He thinks he’s hot shit because he can disable abilities."

Stephen and Scott exchanged a glance, shaking their heads with a laugh.

"So you think we managed to escape on our own strength?" asked Scott, looking at him through the rearview mirror.

"Wasn’t that the case?" asked Alexander, raising an eyebrow. "They couldn’t hold us back."

"If they were that weak, they wouldn’t deserve the title of the Federation’s Pillars," said Stephen, adjusting his grip on the wheel. "There’s something you need to understand, Alex: that Pillar let us escape. If he were that weak, he wouldn’t be the Federation’s secret weapon, nor would he carry such a reputation."

"Why would he let us escape?" asked Alexander, puzzled.

"It’s an internal war; the Federation isn’t as united as it seems," explained Scott, reclining his seat. "When they turned us into scapegoats, it was driven by a political faction trying to seize leadership. They accused them of being incapable of maintaining control over the planet and exposed scandals. However, not everyone agreed with them, given how radical they became."

"Radical in what way?" asked Alexander.

"They adopted the mentality of cleaning house first by eliminating internal threats, which led them to attack major organizations," said Scott. "We were the first target. Shortly after, they declared that other organizations were part of the revolution and labeled them as rebels. Only those that swore loyalty were spared; others were branded as terrorists, triggering a purge."

"But they forgot these organizations aren’t newcomers," interjected Stephen with a smile. "Even if they keep a low profile, they aren’t something you can strike whenever you feel like it. They counterattacked, and that’s why we managed to survive over these ten years. Though we suffered losses, they were unable to deploy their full military force to crush us."

"The old man wants to make his move," said Scott in a calculating tone. "In this world, who doesn’t have ambitions? He wants his piece of the pie, which is why he’s looking to weaken this political force. The Twelve Elders don’t have the military’s full backing, whereas the old man has been in this game too long. If anyone can cause trouble in this place, it’s him. From what I’ve heard, he’s convinced the other Pillars to join his side; if the other three support him, it’s going to be tough."

"For us too?" asked Alexander, furrowing his brow.

"Of course," said Scott, staring at him. "How do you think he’ll prove that this new government is incompetent and that they can accomplish what the others couldn’t?"

"By annihilating all of us to demonstrate their power," whispered Alexander, piecing the game together.

"Exactly," agreed Scott, nodding. "Eradicating all the pests to prove that they are the fit ones to rule the world. And with no internal or external opposition... who could stop them?"

Alexander looked at Scott with a furrowed brow as he pieced everything together.

"So with what we just did, didn’t we give them every reason to attack us?" asked Alexander.

"Yes and no," said Scott, shrugging his shoulders. "They don’t need a reason to attack us; we’re their primary target, so whether we do something or not, the strike is coming either way. But we managed to stall their advance. With that planet destroyed, it will take them longer to reorganize their troops and regroup. I just hope this window gives us the chance to keep them at bay and gain ground."

"At least we made it clear that we aren’t easy prey," added Stephen.

Stephen and Scott stepped out of the car and Alexander followed as they climbed a flight of stone stairs.

"Where are we?" asked Alexander, staring at the rock walls covered in protective inscriptions.

"In the last stronghold we have left," said Scott, looking toward the end of the hallway. "It’s the place we could consider safe."

"Why is that?" asked Alexander, sensing pressure in the air.

"The entrance to this place lies through a location; it’s known as the Poisonous Valley of King Yama," said Stephen, turning to him with a grin. "One day, while I was searching for ingredients for my poisons, I stumbled upon this place and we established the base. Reaching this place requires a mass of resources: the toxic miasma isn’t easy to dissipate, and I’m the only one who knows how to cure it. The Federation hasn’t discovered it yet."