Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 208: Now!
"It collapsed after all," Pomora said surlily as they watched the Rift vanish from where they stood.
They couldn’t strip all the monsters of their armor and some of their flesh, nor check the earth for natural resources. All in all, the Rift clear went well but came with a massive blow in human and financial resources.
It hit Vale then that none of the major ruins and now Rifts that he’d cleared gave him anything particularly useful.
’...i would have the Crimson Moon artifact if that old man... Even if I can’t use it now, I should be able to tap into its power...’
They did not linger. Vale brought out his tower and got in with his companion, while both Master Knights built their platforms. They took to the air and began to shoot toward the direction of the second layer.
With his advancement in rank, the tower was able to draw more than enough essence from him, making itself faster and keeping up with the Master Knights.
’...with this, I should be able to punch above my rank... But I still can’t reach the Master Knights in raw power. I should be able to make my escape if it comes to that...’
The day passed in a blur. Vale spent his time in the tower, right in the core, while Tiber and Slya stayed in the guest room.
Tiber seemed to be asleep most of the time, while Slya was so bored she talked their ears off and even offered to spar, but Vale didn’t think the tower would like that. So he kept her busy by having her practice her powers in a small, controlled way while they talked about how they would advance as well.
Now that Vale was an Errant Knight, they had a new limit on how far they could advance. But the problem was that Vale had no idea how construct users advanced.
The day passed this way. They left the forefront behind and moved toward the second layer. They stopped for the night and continued the next day, only reaching the second layer on the third day.
It was just as Vale remembered. The Veilwood stretched beneath them, a mass of deep green twisted trees. Vale wondered if some new outcasts had taken over.
But that wasn’t their destination. They flew above that, past the buildings at the edge, and straight to the Core.
"Well now. What do we have here?" Tiber said. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
He didn’t have to mention it; their attention was already on it. Three flying ships hovered above the Core. It wasn’t just the flying ships that made Vale stiffen. He’d seen flying ships before, and the fact that they were above the Core was weird but not alarming.
After all, the Clan sent some now and then. But these weren’t the usual flying ships. They were sleek and painted a deep purple, symbols of power etched into their massive bodies, and a coiled serpent engraved on them.
This wasn’t just a ship meant for transporting resources. This was one for fighting. Someone very powerful in the Clan had sent this, and Vale had no illusions about who they were after.
’...so they’re here... That’s faster than I expected... But why don’t they come directly to me... Oh... They want to see if I’ll die in the Rift... Right...’
Pomora stared at the ships with an expressionless face and then turned to Vale. "Things are happening fast since you stepped foot on the Borderland, Commander. But this one... it’s even more dangerous than the Borderland."
Although they were still far from the Core, Vale lowered his voice as he spoke from within his tower. "Have you made your decision then?"
She shook her head. "Only when I know the full picture... We should have some information waiting for us."
Vale smiled. He understood her. What she was saying was that her spies must be waiting to tell her what was actually going on, and she would only make a decision after that.
"I assume this applies to you as well, Takoda," Vale said, and the Chief grunted. "Alright then, don’t forget we are still in the Borderland. I am still the Commander."
It was a needless reminder. They had seen what happened in the Rift, and even though they didn’t know the full story or how Vale was still alive after facing a Rift Lord and a Master Knight, the fact remained that he was alive.
Knights respected power. Vale had proven that he was powerful and would only grow more powerful.
"Don’t act rashly, Slya," Vale warned. He didn’t need to say the same to Tiber. The man was so calm he could hold cold water in his mouth for hours.
Then they drifted closer to the Core.
They hadn’t gone more than a few meters when the three ships shifted, turning toward him. The words etched into the sides flared.
The ship in the middle jutted out slightly, and the air vibrated as a voice blasted out. "Stop! Do not come any closer! This is an order from the Captain of the Coiled Fangs! Declare yourself!"
Pomora and Takoda raised their brows, and Vale himself was shocked to hear what he just did. The Coiled Fangs?
"What’s the meaning of that?" Slya asked. She had noticed the way everyone seemed surprised and shocked.
"There are many divisions in the palace that directly work for the Clan Leader. They are headed by the Lord Lieutenant, who commands all of them, at least on the surface.
"All work for the protection of the Clan Leader and the Clan, one way or another. Among them is the Coiled Fangs. They are messengers, but not the usual types. They only carry extremely important messages that enchanted transmission isn’t trusted to.
"They deliver messages that can’t be ignored. And during war, they are often the ones to strike the first blow because they will be the ones to declare it," Vale said.
Inside the tower, Slya shifted. "What are they here for, then? Shouldn’t the Clan Leader just send some assassins your way? This seems a little overboard."
Pomora shook her head. "This just means that the Clan Leader is attaching great importance to this place again. Too late, though. This place is dead."
Chief Takoda grumbled. "This is my land. It’s not dead."
The booming voice from the middle ship split the air again in clear irritation. "Now!"
