Chapter 44: Blake Simone
Are you certain? What if you are wrong?" Old Mo said in a surprised tone. What this girl is claiming to have happened is very disturbing.
"If I am wrong then we have nothing to lose. I am just worried because the leader went up North and now something so unbelievably shocking happen in that area." Zhu Li said as a reminder that the leader's safety is at stake.
"I have been here for so long and I have always kept the most watch just for my own amusement but this is indeed a deliberate opening of space. Whatever came from the other side is not simple." Zhu Li warned.
"How do you know it's not someone with a space power?" Old Mo asked hopefully.
"The frequency is not the same. I can explain in detail but I doubt any of us want that." Indeed, Mo started waving his hand in the air refusing her kind intentions.
"We need to call the leader."
"Zhu Li I appreciate your concern but if the leader goes to investigate, can we guarantee her safety from and unfamiliar source of danger?" Old Mo said with a headache. Amelia is very strong but she is too bored and might end up jumping in to a pit.
"My robots have reached the place. Lets watch the feed." Just as she finishes speaking, a crash site appeared in front them. It seems a heavy object collided with the ground in this location, a large patch in the snow has been created, the ground is cracked and a large unknown object is sitting quietly a distance away.
Zhu Li ignored old Mo and called for a group of shadow guards to take her to the site. Mo called her back but Zhu Li didn't listen. What a joke. This is alien technology and possible alien life form. As a knowledge humanoid sponge how can she possibly resist such temptation?
When they got there the small spaceship is abandoned and the hatchet is opened. Zhu Li put the item inside a large space ring and went to the secret lab in the North to conduct tests so she can understand what is going on.
Unlike before, she can now control when the information is downloaded into her brain. Otherwise according to the previous events, she would have passed out on the cold snow outside.
A distance away a wounded man hid behind a tree, he used some unknown methods to hide her life signals. His arm seems to be almost cut off from the shoulder by a sharp object. He opens his left pocket and found a small tube. He drank it all in one go. The man's previously bleeding arm stopped bleeding and he passed out directly.
When he woke up his eyes sight has became blurred because of the poison his cousin had administered on him. This poison will affect the source of his abilities. The brain and the crystal nuclei. It's sips inside the crystal nuclei until the subject wishes for a quick merciful death.
As the Marshal he had personally administered this poison to possibly millions of people over the centuries. Because of the depth of his mental power, his enemies had wanted to ensure he will never recover. This poison has no known cure.
The difference between poisoning someone with this poison and killing them directly is that one is a hellish existence while the other allows a person to rest without suffering. His cousin will not allow him to be at peace after so many years of attempt at his life an the subsequent failure to kill him.
He will ensure his last moments are full of anguish and loneliness. For daring to refuse joining him and openly supporting his claim to the throne. Blake Simone was hunted down like an animal and then after a battle where he has fought thousands alone, he was poisoned and had been on his way to a waste planet.
Blake had managed to steal one of the smaller spaceships and tries to escape. He had crushed the locator and typed a series of nonsense coordinates so that no one would find him but he ended up in a place like this. At least he went off grid.
The poison is very sinister. It will erode his mind and turn him into a fool if he ever used his power again. It will give him thunderous migraines and pain to the channels where his supernatural power used to travel.
If he is lucky he will die faster, or he will die slowly and very painfully. A normal life is completely out of the question.
He looked at the useless arm and made a decisive decision to cut it off before it rots and he is sick from the infection. He took out a sharp dagger from one of his inner pockets. In one ruthless motion he cut off the right arm gritting his teeth in pain.
He pulled out what seemed to be the last tube and drained it empty before throwing it away. His arm will be gone, from now on he is a cripple.
The large wound stopped bleeding and started healing but the arm is not growing back just closing the wound.
He started walking South knowing the cold snow is denser upper than in the South. This is Marshall Blake Simone the most talented man in the star empire. He was schemed against by the royal brother who feared for the position of the royal family when Marshall Blake holds so much power.
The problem began with the death of the ancestor of the Star Empire who had personally appointed Blake as a Marshal all those centuries ago. Marshall has a very intuitive sense of danger and he had already prepared to flee when the old man had died but he had underestimated the fierceness of the fight for the throne.
All the royal children want to rule the thousand planets under rule of the Empire. Marshall himself is royal blood but was kicked out when his mother was accused of stealing something and was driven to an early grave.
The ancestor of the star Empire just died but the current king is still alive. However, the rest of the family is fighting for his crown as if he is already dead. This is because the king doesn't have any descendants.
Marshall was targeted because as a young talent who was conceived naturally, he stood a better chance to be appointed as a successor. The king will have to choose from the existing younger generations to rule if he ended up not able to produce an heir.
The technically advanced world of the empire has one glaring shortcoming. Their DNA has less than 10% human and is mixed with other DNA sequences to improve the level of talent to be able to breed strong warriors, they compromised their human DNA.
This resulted in less and less natural birth rate. Most people were born after an arduous process is performed and even then, the child will grow in a tube until their vitals are stable. Marshall was one of a few people to have been conceived and born through the natural process.
This alone made his talent very stable. This made him a threat as a contender for the throne. The babies conceived naturally are superior in talent than the tube babies.
The Marshall looked at his missing arm and wanted to sigh. All these years he hasn't gone back to the palace or bothered getting his uncle's approval. He showed complete ignorance when it came to politics, this was meant to show how he is not interested in the throne but it didn't save him.
Luckily he had disbanded his men and got them to blend in the society after he managed to erase their old records and replaced it with ordinary citizens IDs after having them go through a little bit of surgery to alter their appearance.
When the royals came for him he was alone. This is the only way he can thank the men who served him loyally over the centuries. Blake does would be glad for a retirement if not for the pain in his brain. He kicked away the snow and saw rotten black grass that looks to be infected with some sort of sinister virus. This place probably doesn't have food.
He can survive in a dead planet it just he has always wanted to retire and live a leisurely life. But how can that be possible in such a frozen place?
He had worked for half a millennial for the Empire but in the end they wanted to destroy him in the most painful way possible. The anger made his pain even worse. He fell on the ground and wanted to roll around in agony when a soothing tune found him and made him calm down.
Standing up he ran to the place where the music is coming from. That small tune had made him regain his sanity. He has to get more, he has no other choice.
Reaching a battle field, he saw the humans fighting against what seems to be infected humans who have lost humanity. The tune continued to play. He sat down and meditated. Even the best medical pot would be useless against this poison, what type of music can heal the pain of such a sinister poison.
The tune also agitated him and made him want to fight. It filled him with a heroic spirit that he can achieve anything. Blake narrowed his eyes and saw the appearance of the woman playing an ancient instrument.
By the time she finished playing, he had healed at least for now. There will be episodes in the future and he will not always be lucky. This place is outside the empire, perhaps just like that song, there may be ways to cure his poison.
He looked at his clothes that are very different what the locals are wearing. He turned and went to change. It seems this world is going something catastrophic that the world has become hell on earth.
Finding the clothes to wear is nota problem. The problem is that he is too unique. He will stand out no matter what he does. He has the purple colored eyes of the royal family and deep black hair with many purple strands.
He is ethereal and beyond beautiful. What helped his is his above 2 feet tall sturdy body with hard muscles. He looks like a strong beautiful unshakable wall. The long hair is also unusual for modern men but he makes it look in place.
He had one arm though, how does he approach anyone without them thinking he is one of the creatures from before. Blake has superior mental strength but his ability type is something else. It is the shadow supernatural power. At his level, it really is hard to kill him which is why they wanted to destroy him completely with the poison.
He decided to wait for that woman to appear. But who knew she wouldn't come out even after someone cut off her arm. Instead she crushed the other party's arm and turned it into paste.
He watched the entire scene. From his observation that woman is powerful, mysterious and petty. She is a black bellied woman who will retaliate at the smallest of grievance. But from the conversation, she is also a little lonely.
He used the cover of the night to try and enter the place but he's body is too painful when all his supernatural power channels are cracked and poisoned. He can feel that soon he will have another episode.
.........
Amelia studied the young man who walked in and sat in front of her. "You must be the god of Slaughter Amelia." He smiled when he saw her frown.
"That's what the soldiers who went berserk under your music call you. Some call you the soul of the army. As if without you, they would surely lose. But your presence gave them power and the will to fight. How does this make you feel?" Wei Lin paid a closer attention to her expressions.
"Are you a reporter? Why so annoying?" Amelia continues to frown. She stood up and looked at the old couple.
"I am going back home now. Please thank Wei Jie for me. I won't wait for him after all." She walked to the main door but a hand grabbed her arm.
"You can't leave. There is a dinner party in your honor. How can the guest of honor be absent from her own party? Better question is why are you suddenly leaving? Was it me just now?" The young man seems flustered to have ruined Amelia's mood.
"Alright, I will just take a walk and come back to the dinner party." Amelia walked out. She has no intention of going back.
Looking at the base that has put itself back together again after losing many of it's defenders, Amelia feels sorry for the grieving. It must be hard to see the world move on immediately after they have lost someone they care about.
She walked in the market, her clean face and beautiful clothes made her look particularly rich so many stall owners were enthusiastic about her.
She heard the clamor from them but walked straight to the place where she was hoping what she is looking for is still there. In the novel, a pair of mother and daughter were kicked out of their home when the soldier father died in the war and they came to sell what little belongings they had so they can eat.
Of course their stuff has spirit power so Liang Mei took them in and bought their mother daughter jade bracelets. They claimed to have gotten it from family heirlooms. The important thing is that these had space with land and water inside.
Nothing as special as what the female lead had but it was enough to store items and grow food. Liang Mei bought the heirlooms and gave them to both her parents who then began having space and having a place to hide things from their relatives.
As for the mother and daughter pair, they became servants of the Liang family eating rice every day. Just like in the book, she found the two people huddled together in a corner with a few things in front of them.
"Hello." She tried to get their attention.
"Hello, would you like to buy some accessories?"
"This pair of bracelets tell me about them."
The woman's eyes became misty. "They were given to us mother and daughter by my father who said women in our family have been wearing it for generations."
"Then why are you selling it?"
"To eat."
"Do you not have a place to stay?" She looked at the buddle of items behind them.
"Not anymore." Even the injured person has been left under a pile of rubble to keep warm.
"Take your things and follow me. Put these bracelets back on your hands quickly." The two looked dazed but did as told.
"I have a base, in my base we still have a few jobs that people can apply for and live a good life. Don't worry I am not a swindler, my name is Amelia." Amelia gave them a kind smile. The two people packed up hurriedly but when they were done, a lot of people around them have also packed up their things.
Amelia realized these two were not the only ones who needed a residence now that some of the soldiers had died, the novel had focused on these two because they had something for the heroine.
"About everyone else, I will talk to the base leader." What a joke, taking so many people should be discussed with the base management lest she become a thief. Also such tremendous things shouldn't be done for free. Hehehe.
She ignored everyone else and teleported the mother and daughter to her base. She saw them looking around in wonder. This place is busy and people are walking around chatting. It is not like where they come from with many dirty and ragged people loitering on the outside.
All the people are wearing warm clean clothes and the place seems like in the past. Large screens advertising products and stores in the base, there is a large green flame in the middle of the base warming up everyone.
The mother and daughter pair looked around with sparkling eyes. The mother looked at Amelia with tears in her eyes. "Young miss, my husband is still in the house, he injured his arm in the war a few days ago. Can I trouble you to help bring him back?"
Amelia is stunned hearing this, the man didn't die? She is sure e had died in the novel.
"Alright but first get a place to stay from that office." She walked with them and watched them get a factory job each and a two bedroom apartment. They put their things and washed up. Amelia took them back.
When they appeared again, the people became surprised by their visibly improved mood. "Alright let's go get the father. I will be going to the Wei family to talk to them about taking these people back first. I will find you when I am done. She pointed at their pair of bracelets. Don't lose them."
Amelia left after seeing the place where the father is lying in the cold. She shook her head and returned to the Wei family. It was lunch time and the people were seated in the lounge chatting. Luckily she found the Wei brothers together.
"May I have a word?" She looked dignified, her words sounded like a request but the tone carried an air of a leader.
She followed Wei Jie and Wei Lin to a study. They felt like she is disappointed with them for some reason.
"What do you offer the families of the fallen after the war?" She went straight to the point. The brothers became stunned. Wei Jie understood, it seems she went outside and saw something disconcerting.
"Even if we want to give them something, we can't afford it. We can barely feed the current army and their families." Wei Jie answered honestly. This is what is happening in all the bases.
"Alright then." She pulled her bracelet and called old Mo.
"Leader is still alive!" Old Mo said sounding like he is eating.
"Are you stealing from orphans again?"
"Cough cough...slander...ahem...why did you call?" He answered dejectedly.
"Listening to your guilty tone, I am right to suspect. I need to know how many non combatants can we accommodate?"
"Ahem...several positions have recently been abandoned for positions in the nine districts."
"The old people's home have space for a few thousand since there are three buildings allocated to them now."
"Who authorized this?"
"I did." Old Mo looked at the two silent young men. "Did you finally found a husband?" He looked at the two men with a critical gaze.
"What about the other places?" Amelia ignored him and continued with a serious topic
"Plenty of space. Many people applied to go live in the new cities because of the skyscrapers, the night life and the new jobs. Many farmers and factory workers went to do administration and other fancy jobs."
"So we have plenty of accommodations and open spaces for employment?"
"Yes. Why are you asking all these?"
"The B base doesn't give allowance to the families of the fallen soldiers. They were under attack a few days ago now the place is littered with starving people."
"That's disappointing, but don't you always say I have a bleeding heart? Are you going to bring thieves and hooligans to our home?"
"Are you also a king now? Should I build you a city of your own as well?" She asked kindly but old Mo felt a shiver up his back.
"Don't joke, an old man like me is happy just eating and drinking." Cold sweat fell from the back of his neck.
"Oh? Are you sure?" The expression didn't change but old Mo felt very uneasy looking at her. His hologram form flickered a few times.
"I'm sure. About the space, we have a lot. Bring as many as you like." His tone has suddenly become respectful.
"Alright." She is about to hang up when old Mo stopped her.
"When you have time, call me as soon as possible."
"Alright." She turned to the people in the room. "It seems I can take these people you can't feed off your hands." The word "Can't" made them feel like are failures.
"But....." Amelia made a face. If old Mo were here he would immediately bolt for the door, this is the expression she makes when she is about to grab money.
The two brothers looked at her and waited for her next words. "I do want payment for my good deed."
"Miss Amelia, you must be joking. We brothers can't even feed these people, what can we possibly do to pay you back." Wei Lin said the word can't with a lot of resentment.
"People eat food, I want you to pay me with money." She smiles like a flower as if the two humans are a pile of cash.
Wei Lin chocked on air upon hearing her words. This woman...
"Are you going to pay me or stand there looking speechless? I am doing you all a big favor here. It's winter, if these people continue to live outside like this, they will die and turn and....do I even need to say the rest?"
Wei Jie looked at the woman in front of him trying to remember her ruthlessness as she crushed her half sister's entire arm, the skill she has with a long blade as she nimbly cut stabbed and beheaded zombies with a deadly precision. Why does he feel like she has suddenly turned into a hooligan?
"Money? Are you lining up the crystal nuclei from the war?" Wei Lin saw through her intention.
"Yes. That is my goal. I want all your money." She said without shame a bright smile on her face.
"You.." Wei Lin wanted to rant..
"This...." Even Wei Jie is speechless.
"It's just money Mr. Wei, what's a bit of money compared to hundreds of human life? Besides, you have been to my humble abode. People are very warm there even at this time of the year. I can take the two you you to check it out, I am not cheating you out of your money." Amelia continues coaxing.
"Ghosts will believe you. Grandma was right beautiful sisters are not a good thing..." Wei Lin mumbled to himself when he saw a thoughtful expression on his brother's face. He became even more convinced, even his brother has been deceived. Now he will lose all the family's savings.
"You want to swindle us miss Amelia, your base need people and you can feed them without our contribution." Wei Jie said in a calm voice suddenly.
Amelia took out a purified crystal nuclei. "I was just looking to trade with you. Give me all your money and I'll agree to become trading partners with you. For every 10 level 1 crystal nuclei I will give you 4 purified level 1 crystal nuclei." She threw the purified crystal nuclei to Wei Jie and waited for their decision.
'Bang'
'Bang'
'Bang'
The three people looked at each other. Even from where they stood, they can feel the tremors on the ground. What could make such a large movement?
Amelia is the first to teleport away. She stood on top of the base wall looking at a single large figure running into the wall trying to go throughit. The intention is to enter the base. Amelia frowned and sent out her mental power to scan that crazy large figure.
She frowned when she saw this internal structure of this man. Highly poisoned channels and a completely compromised crystal nuclei.
He seems to be in immense pain. The pain is so much that he has gone crazy but why does he keep bulldozing the base wall? Does his pain reduce when he hurts himself? This doesn't seem to be true, then what is going on?
Did he wonder into the wild and encountered mutated plants? But she has never seen such a sinister poison. This man must have lost his mind because of the pain. He also has only one arm. The soldiers became agitated seeing the wall cracking.
Amelia's thinking is different. She looked at the man and wondered if perhaps he inhaled something that has made him overly strong to the extent that he will be able to use his body against a wall like this? What sort of plant is it? Can she study and make use of it? As an alchemist and a plant type supernatural power user, this made her very excited.
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