"Does Allspace still have the teleporter device?" Zenith asked, a feeling of fascination welling up, something more akin to humans passed down: curiosity, a normal yet dangerous trait.
Fable laughed a little. "Like hell, who would want to be close to something that holds a being which may as well be a god. You know, the researchers of the federation and others thought it was a human at first, but it was proven not to be. As for the device, the federation confiscated it. All we know is that after that, in any territory and even unclaimed territories, there is a hidden law that prohibits ownership of any possible S rank teleporter. If you are known to have one, you will be chased down to the ends of the galaxy and possibly further to either destroy you or take it. That's how scared those so-called powerhouses are of those places."
Zenith was a little confused. "I don't get it though, those creatures and stuff can't come out of teleporter devices, right?" In response to him, Fable remained silent. Zenith suddenly realized something: there's nothing really stopping them from doing so.
No wonder such a thing was so taboo that information was only available to the top 1% and anyone would be hunted down if they owned it. This wasn't even greed; it was pure and simple survival. Materials, Eltanians, Retoran's—they may be different races, but instinctually, every living being wanted to survive. An A rank relic site was good to handle, but an S rank site was, as Fable said and what Zenith saw, home to a being that could create what looked like a black hole as if it were nothing—a creature or being that equaled a fundamental force.
The remainder of the journey back to the teleporter, both Fable and Zenith were quiet, clearly neither in a mood to talk anymore. When they reached the teleporter and exited it, Mirabell raised her head and waved excitedly before pressing some inputs on the nearby console and shutting the device down before running over and grabbing it. She looked eagerly at Fable, releasing a sound like a soft church bell.
Fable suddenly smiled and laughed. "Relax, sis! We got a great haul! Grandma's gonna be happy; I bet she won't hit me anymore for at least a month!" Jenabell's voice then sounded out as she scoffed and approached. "Ha, you talk a big game, brat. That thing better be 100% full." Fable's expression became bitter as he forced a laugh, bringing the backpack to show Jenabell and his sister.
Looking at the charge on it, Jenabell nodded in approval. "I'll give you 2 weeks free, but don't push it!" she spoke firmly, but she held a twinkle of joy in her eyes at their safe return as well as the haul. Soon the four of them returned to the freighter's main armor chamber. Mirabell was going over the backpack's input; she nodded approvingly before shuddering with an ominous tone.
Jenabell walked over and took a look. "Eh?... There were actually these things in there?" She appeared thoughtful. "The kid smacked the smaller one on his own, pretty good, right!?" Jenabell looked stunned, ignoring Fable as she knew he could handle himself, but she then looked at Zenith. "Great job! You're gonna get a bonus for it. You have more than paid off for the gear we gave you; in fact, Allspace owes you a lot. Truly our golden ticket!" She smiled warmly at Zenith, who appeared a little guilty, as Fable didn't mention that he had done so on his own. Jenabell had assumed Fable was there to look after Zenith so there would not be any danger.
"Let's see..." Jenabell then went over some information on her own console, with numbers and information that made both Fable and Zenith dimwitted while looking at it. "Darling, can you handle the transaction and orders for these pieces?" Jenabell asked her granddaughter, who nodded with excitement.
"This is more than enough to restock the outfits to the bare level. We'll have a little over a dozen free sets for any potential members; otherwise, we can keep a few extras and sell the rest of the materials. The federation started an expedition in the southeastern part of the galaxy again. They are hounding all the relic organizations for materials to purchase, adding an extra 15% to market price."
Fable looked curiously, folding his hands with a thoughtful look. "Isn't that a bit too dangerous? Last time that happened, they got their asses kicked and came running back with their tails between their legs," he laughed.
Zenith tilted his head. "Hmm?" he mumbled. Jenabell smiled towards him. "Every now and again, the factions will coordinate with each other to expand in their respective regions. These places are filled with regions known as fracture spaces, often hiding powerful resonant creatures or things from beyond. Depending on the value of these spaces, they are either stabilized using special methods and sealed up to get rid of the danger, or they are monopolized by whoever found it first and is powerful enough to control it."
Fable then added, "The larger relic organizations often claw at the feet of the federation for a chance to work with the relic syndicate and try their luck. The relic sites found in these places are not ordinary at all. You might just find the corpse of a powerful resonant creature or some object that has incredible research value. The 2 millennium crystals not from Allspace were actually found in fracture spaces."
Zenith was stunned, a look of greed and excitement on his face. "Why don't the factions put all their attention on those places then? With their combined strength, they can just focus on those?"
Jenabell laughed at Zenith's innocence, or maybe it was his naivety. "Kid, nothing in life comes cheap. Those spaces are as dangerous as the goods they give. You might encounter a resonant creature that can turn a fleet into a graveyard or, worse, destroy a planet. There are a few cases of those at or near the leader level dying or disappearing. The Eltanians, Materian's, Retoran's—all have lost powerful people there. Which is why this is a 100-year event, amassing resources and strength before pushing forward."
Fable picked at his inner ear and yawned as he added his own opinion. "I'm happy just doing relic sites from the comfort of my own home, nice and simple and going with the flow." Jenabell sneered, pointing her cane suddenly at Fable, which made him jump in fright. "Going with the flow? You little brat, because of you, this teleporter device is going to be considered High Storm or even Empty Sea!"
Fable felt wronged. "B-but grandma, it just means we can sell it for more!" Jenabell scoffed as she grumbled while turning around. "And pay more for each activation due to the danger level increase!"
Soon, Zenith and Fable went off to do their own things, with Fable cursing under his breath. Zenith headed to the training hall after devouring several specialized protein meals. Despite finishing today's mission, he was rearing to train.
Wearing his training gear, he began to do a pre-workout routine Fable had taught him from Allspace's methods. He could feel a big difference compared to when he entered the relic site this morning. Fable was in his room, using a small knife to carve a small piece of lumber. On the left side of his room were shelves lined with amazingly detailed wooden carvings, a hobby of his that he had picked up and a form of mental training.
His device sounded out. "Fable, come talk to me." Fable stopped for a moment, hearing Jenabell's words. Whenever his grandma called him by his name, it was always something important. He soon quietly put his stuff down and made his way to see her.
Inside Jenabell's room, which was cozy and comforting, Mirabell was sitting beside her, a serious look on both their faces. Fable walked over. "Yo yo!" he spoke casually. Jenabell got to the point. "When you and the kid were at the relic site, Mythica Aralune challenged us to fight. If you win, our debt with Scorpius is paid off. Beat her and make it fast. The kid will handle the relic site alone, and you deal with the redhead."
Fable looked casually, giving a surprised look but giving a thumbs up. "Whoa! Talk about a free meal ticket, easy! Tomorrow morning, right?" He seemed excited, but more so, extremely confident.
Currently, in a special area within the relic outpost, Mythica had just finished bathing, a bath towel wrapping around her body, yet it didn't do much to hide her incredible figure. She currently had a tender, gentle smile on her face as she looked at her device. She was speaking with Aleren, who sent a reply to her latest message.
"Be careful, ok?" Mythica's face turned a soft red as she sent her own response. "Tsch... Who do you think I am? It's only the descendant of a fallen organization." Unable to hide the tone of her pride, she suddenly blinked in surprise as she received a notification from Jennabell. "Tomorrow at 8:00 AM, Arena 003, crowd allowed or not?"
Mythica sneered a little, remembering Jenabell's words. She wanted to get even with her and shame her a bit. "Done, obviously crowd." Soon the arena was reserved, and when the information was made available on the screens outside the arena, showing the duels that were often used to spar or settle scores, the entirety of the relic outpost was set ablaze with a frenzy.
The crowd was roaring with excitement as they watched Mythica chase Fable around, seemingly gaining the upper hand. Mythica herself, though, was a bit annoyed. "How long are you going to keep fleeing? My Resonance reserves are definitely higher than yours if you think you can outlast me. I've consumed the best elixirs, trained in the finest methods, and been to relic sites to temper and sharpen my resonance that people like you can't even dream of! Know your place!"
Mythica suddenly raised her sword into the sky. "Burning Skies and Weeping Winds, Spread and Fly Free!" Her entire blade shone with a deep orange light, growing several times larger and wider. She then swung it towards Fable, a wave of resonant energy, almost like the cry of a phoenix, burned towards him. This covered the entire direction, with the edges hitting the resonance forcefield and causing it to stretch somewhat. The crowd backed away as the heat from the attack could be felt.
Fable's eyes blinked as he stopped in a corner. Without worry, he moved both his hands out, then stabbed only his fingertips into the ground. Soon, leaves made of blue resonance shot up and encased Fable like a flower bud.
When Mythica's attack hit Fable's defense, it caused the bud-like shield to contort and bend, with several layers breaking and turning to energy-like ash that scattered. However, after blocking the central force of the attack, the rest of Mythica's attack dispersed, leaving Fable's defensive ability retaining a bit. It soon also dissipated, and Fable whistled a little.
"Wow. You do seem to go all out. That would have given me a pretty bad tan if it hit." Mythica's eyes focused seriously for the first time in this battle. The rune ability Fable used was a medium-tier defense. Although she could also use it, she couldn't do so without the incantation. What's more, Fable used it individually with both hands and no incantation—this was frightening!
"So you've got some hidden tricks up your sleeve. But if all you can do is run and protect yourself like a mouse, you're going to find I'm not easy to fend off. Eventually, I'm going to crush you into the ground."
Fable clicked his tongue, thinking about something. He unsheathed his blade and sighed. "Well, I just wanted to see what your new generation of talents are capable of. It's not like I get to fight you lot every day."
Mythica sneered but saw that Fable was finally taking her seriously. She dashed towards him, and Fable rushed towards her. Soon, the two began to trade blows, attacking and parrying.
Zenith didn't react much, other than the concealed joy in his heart. He knew and understood that this was not a level he couldn't reach; he had confidence in his own skills.
Jenabell, sitting on a chair, chuckled softly. "The brat is playing with her. He still can't bear to hit a lady." Zenith turned, looking a bit surprised. "You mean Fable is holding back on purpose?" Jenabell added, after hearing Zenith, "The only way he can lose is if his own stupid moral judgment stops him. Other than that, this girl has no chance." The crowd was enjoying the fight; this was at a level most of them couldn't dream of. Those at the level of Mythica and Fable were also watching eagerly. Despite reaching this level of combat, for the majority, if not all, of them, they were much older than the two.
An elderly man sighed in amazement. "The young really are something. The federation keeps advancing, and even an old man like me is left in the dust." He sounded a little melancholy. Another individual, a middle-aged man with several scars on his face and a missing eye, also chimed in. "Makes me wonder what the Retoran's and the Eltanians have. Both are a bit bigger than the federation."
Back to the fight between the two combatants, Mythica's armor was slashed, and her attire was cut in several places, revealing a bit more of her tantalizing body. Fable, meanwhile, didn't have a single mark on his clothing. His strength matched Mythica's, and his agility, too.
Zenith, though focused on all this, still understood from Jenabell that Fable was very much holding back. When Mythica and Fable traded a heavy blow, they knocked each other back a considerable distance, the air between them cracking and making a sonic boom. Fable pointed his index finger towards Mythica, using another rune ability with no incantation.
Mythica gasped as she was suddenly covered in earth pillars, sealing her movement. It was the same ability Fable had taught Zenith. She didn't have the room to swing her weapon and used her sheer strength to crack and finally cause the earth pillars to explode out. But just as she did, Fable was in front of her. Controlling himself, Fable felt it was time to end the fight as he had seen her abilities. Mythica suddenly thought of an incantation.
"The Mountain Moves The Heavy Heart!" Resonance flooded around her skin, forming a layer of resonance that encased her in a metallic-like earth substance, acting as a second armor. Yet what came next didn't just shock her but also the crowd, which went silent.
Fable's right hand emitted a soft light. He had used another resonance ability with no incantation, imbuing his blade and then cutting at her right sword arm. First, there was a chink, then an almost grinding sound of sparks, before a cleave downwards. The ground below was cleaved just like Mythica's first attack in the battle.
But this was different. A lone arm and blade went flying a few feet away. "Finally, the crowd was getting annoying…" Jenabell picked at her ear. It was clear where Fable had picked up the habit from.
Mirabell emitted a soft tune, not surprised. In her mind, she imagined herself eating the best of cuisines. Zenith, though, admired Fable's capability. Rune ability after rune ability with no incantation—wasn't this simply a level of power that was unfair?
Mythica screamed out in pain for a moment before stifling herself and clenching her teeth. The silence of the crowd was deafening as no one wanted to speak. For Lieutenant Amada, she sighed a bit. This would cause some issues but not anything big. At least she couldn't interfere unless someone gave up or if one's life was in danger. That being said, she wasn't even confident in her strength to stop these two.
"Are you done yet, Miss New Generation Princess? I have to thank you, though. You're making my grandma a lot of money, and you're handling the Scorpius issue for us. So I took an arm. Can we end this fight now?" Fable pressed the tip of his blade on the ground, with both hands atop the back of it, the hilt, leaning against it.
Mythica struggled a little, calming herself and remaining silent. "This… is… perfect." Fable looked confused. "Perfect?" He tilted his head. Mythica added, "My resonant ability is Flaming Bird… I'm sure you know about it."
Fable nodded. "Yep, able to imbue flame-based attacks, heal your wounds quickly, and all that stuff. Though I gotta say, you're pretty bad at implementing it in combat. I can teach you to better use it for a fee, of course. Heh." Fable laughed quietly, clearly thinking of a way to make money.
Mythica sneered a bit. Seeing this, Fable felt his heart skip a beat. His instincts kicked in, and he was about to dash away, but it was too late. A tyrannical fiery inferno blasted out from Mythica, encasing not just her and Fable but the entirety of the arena. The forcefield pressed and distorted, cracks forming around it. "STRENGTHEN IT!!!" Lieutenant Amada shuddered. The engineers gritted their teeth, pushing the forcefield to its maximum limits, having to draw power from other arenas. It took until it was 300% stronger before it settled. By then, the air was like a wave of twisted heat.
The heat from Mythica's attack forced the crowd to back away. Jenabell, though, felt her eyes narrow. She didn't move an inch. Mirabell then blinked and focused. Zenith quickly looked on in amazement. "Unleashed resonance…" he spoke under his breath.
When the inferno calmed down, Fable looked worse for wear. His outfit was tattered in some spots and burnt nearly everywhere. Even his hair was unkempt. But he managed to hold himself barely behind what looked like a bulwark shield, made of resonance. From the attack, it couldn't stop everything, and it was something he used on the fly.
The shield cracked apart, clearly unable to hold any longer before it dissipated. Fable stood with a serious expression as he looked at the sight in front of him. Mythica's body was seemingly made of fire, with flaming wings while retaining a humanoid form with her upper body. Her lower half resembled that of a phoenix. All were covered in pure red and orange fire formed of resonance. Even her missing arm had healed. Her face definitely had a more beautiful look to it, her hair dancing wildly, and the weapon in her hand seemed to be part of her right