Chapter 206: The Target is the Xianzhou Alliance
"Let us meticulously plan... a grand destruction."
Phantylia's voice was a velvety purr, echoing with satisfaction in the desolate, crystalline cavern. She glided towards a massive, jagged black crystal that dominated the space. As she approached, its dark surface shimmered and came to life, displaying a stunning, three-dimensional star map of the Xianzhou Alliance. The great, leaf-like vessels of the Luofu, the Yaoqing, and the other flagships hung suspended in holographic light.
"Not simple sabotage," she continued, her long, pale finger tracing the orbital path of the Yaoqing, Feixiao's home. "That is the work of brutes and fools. No, our method must be... elegant."
Her finger drifted and then tapped lightly on the largest vessel, the Luofu. The map zoomed in, revealing the intricate structures of the ship-city. "We will make The Hunt... we will make the entire Xianzhou, completely crumble from within."
You, Phantylia, and the silent, hollow-eyed Feixiao gathered around the glowing map. Feixiao stood unnervingly close to you, her hand clutching your arm in a grip that was less affectionate and more possessive, her knuckles white. You endured the contact, your focus locked on the Lord Ravager.
Phantylia's plan was insidious. She detailed how Feixiao's "resignation" would be timed, how her status as a revered General and Emanator would sow the deepest seeds of doubt. She would become a public figure of dissent, accusing the Alliance of corruption, of abandoning its people—all while being secretly backed by Phantylia's own resources.
"She will be the crack in the jade," Phantylia whispered, her smile captivating. "And you, Orion... you will be the poison that seeps into it."
When the final, intricate detail was settled, you stared at the complex, multi-layered plan. It was brilliant. It was also insane.
A hint of doubt, a purely logical and tactical concern, rose in your mind. "This plan sounds perfect on paper," you stated, your voice flat. "But... can it truly be executed perfectly? We are facing an Aeon. We are facing the entire Xianzhou Alliance. Their precognition, their generals... one slip, and we are all annihilated."
Phantylia laughed, a light, musical sound that sent a chill down your spine. "Worry is such a mortal affliction, my dear. But you are right to be cautious."
She turned from the map, her gaze sweeping over you, appraising and... hungry. "Of course, we will not rely on planning alone. Our Aeon, the great Nanook, will naturally bestow power upon you."
She glided closer, her presence almost suffocating. "Power sufficient to destroy everything that stands in your way. Power to rival the very Emanators you despise."
She leaned in, her lips almost touching your ear. "Succeed in this, Orion... and Nanook might even permit you to become a new Lord Ravager. How does that sound?"
Your heart stirred. A Lord Ravager. The same rank as the monster before you. A position of absolute power.
You gently pushed Feixiao's clinging hand away and stepped back, putting a crucial foot of distance between yourself and the temptation. "Let's not talk about that for now," you shook your head, your voice cold and steady. "The current enemy is The Hunt. Let us focus on that."
Your rejection didn't offend her; it only seemed to amuse her more. "As you wish."
The cooperation was officially established. For Jiang Li. For Neergul. For the fire of vengeance that burned colder and deeper than any star... you were willing to pay any price.
In the days that followed, you did not immediately return to the Stellaron Hunters. You, Feixiao, and Phantylia separated, the plan set in motion. Feixiao returned to the Yaoqing to begin her "resignation," her final act of loyalty to you. Phantylia vanished, leaving you alone on that barren rock.
You found a quiet corner in the crystalline caves, far from any prying eyes, and activated your Stellaron Hunter terminal. The message was brief, coded, and sent into the void.
TO: ELIO
FROM: ORION
SUBJECT: EXTENDED LEAVE
Need a long vacation. Time undetermined. Will contact when objectives are met.
You hit send, expecting a delay, a query, perhaps even a refusal. The reply was instantaneous. A single word flashed on your screen, confirming what you already suspected: he knew. He had seen all of this.
GRANTED.
It was as if he had known this day would come, as if your pact with Destruction was just another line in his intricate script. The thought was unsettling, but you pushed it aside. Elio's games were for later.
A day later, Phantylia reappeared, as silently as she had left. "He is ready for you," was all she said.
She brought you to a mysterious location, a place that felt... wrong. It wasn't a structure or a planet. It was a rift, a tear in the fabric of space itself, where the veil between the physical realm and the pure energy of the Aeons was thin. It was a wound in the universe, and it pulsed with a cold, dark energy.
"He is watching," Phantylia whispered, her voice tinged with a reverence that bordered on fanaticism.
Then, you felt it.
It was not a sight, or a sound. It was an... absence. An indescribable, all-encompassing gaze cast upon you from an impossible distance. It was the gaze of Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction.
It wasn't the raging fire you expected. It was a cold, absolute, indifferent entropy. A vast, cosmic hunger that saw you, acknowledged you, and judged you. It was a raging fire, igniting your very soul, burning away the trivial mortal concerns, leaving only the pure, hard diamond of your hatred.
The sensation was agonizing. It felt as if your soul was being simultaneously torn apart and reforged, incinerated and frozen. It was a pain beyond all compare.
But it was also… power.
When the presence finally receded, you were on your knees, gasping, sweat and frost covering your body. A brand new power, cold and dark, surged within your veins. It wasn't just an urge; it was a blessing. The blessing of Destruction. You felt stronger, sharper, and colder than ever before.
"How do you feel?" Phantylia asked, her voice soft.
You clenched your fist, the black crystal beneath your hand cracking under the newfound, effortless strength. You felt the cold, thrilling urge to shatter everything around you, to reduce this entire planet to dust. A slow, dangerous smile spread across your face.
"Very good."
"Then," Phantylia's own smile mirrored yours, "it's time to act."
Meanwhile, on the Stellaron Hunters' starship, the atmosphere was thick with frustration.
"Ahhh!" Silver Wolf screamed, yanking her headphones off and slamming them onto her console. "Where in the world did that scoundrel Orion go?!"
Her game console, tossed unceremoniously onto a nearby couch, flashed a mocking, crimson "GAME OVER" across the screen. This was the tenth time today. Her reflexes were off, her concentration shattered.
"It's been weeks," Firefly said softly from the sofa. She was staring at her personal terminal, her thumb endlessly refreshing a message interface that remained stubbornly blank. "He... he clearly said we'd train together every day. He promised he'd help me with SAM's recoil calibration..."
Her voice was small, laced with a genuine, quiet hurt. He had just... disappeared.
"Exactly!" Silver Wolf said indignantly, jumping up from her chair to pace. "He's not fun! He just leaves! Now even 'Cosmic Warfare 7' isn't fun anymore. What's the point of getting a high score if he's not here to see it?"
The two young women looked at each other, seeing the same raw emotions reflected in each other's eyes. Worry. A deep, gnawing longing. And the sharp, biting grievance of being abandoned.
"How about... how about we ask Kafka again?" Firefly suggested, her voice hesitant.
"I already asked," Silver Wolf slumped back onto the sofa, pulling a pillow over her face. Her voice was muffled and angry. "She just sipped her tea and said, 'Orion is on a long vacation.' That's it! Just 'long vacation'!"
"A long vacation?" Firefly frowned, her worry deepening. "Why would he suddenly...? He didn't say anything to us. What if he's in trouble? What if those Xianzhou people caught him?"
"Who knows?!" Silver Wolf rolled over, hugging the pillow tightly. "He's not replying to my messages either. The nerve! Ignoring me!"
"Could something... have really happened to him?" Firefly's expression changed, her worry hardening into resolve. "No! We can't just sit here and wait like this! I'm going to find him!"
Silver Wolf's eyes lit up from over the pillow. "Go find him? How? We don't even know where he—" She stopped, and a slow, mischievous grin spread across her face. "Oh. Wait."
She sat up, tossing the pillow aside. "Right. Why are we waiting for that old woman Kafka?"
Her fingers began to dance, flying across a series of holographic keyboards that materialized in the air around her. Data streams, planetary maps, and network traces flashed across the screens.
"Tch. He's sloppy. His Stellaron Hunter signal isn't even encrypted properly. He's practically begging to be found," she muttered, her fingers blurring. "Accessing IPC network... cross-referencing ship sightings... triangulating signal..."
"Got it!" Silver Wolf snapped her fingers, and a single, glowing star map coordinate stabilized in front of them.
"Orion is in... huh. Why would he go there?"
Firefly leaned in, her eyes wide. "Where?"
Silver Wolf zoomed in on the coordinate, and the elegant, ancient characters for the flagship appeared.
"The Xianzhou Luofu."