Duality of Shadows-Chapter 970: Sunlight In The Darkness

Standing on the deck, the whale held Meru, who wore a broad smile as she watched space, stars, and planets pass around them. She felt the space and the ship move with speed, and her clothes swayed gently.

She moved her arms, affectionately hugging their head. Alm and Bruno just held her, feeling their chests fill with calm. Being with her was like diving into an ocean full of life. Flowing through that ocean made them feel small, yet deeply at peace.

It was only by realizing how insignificant they were that they remembered what it meant to be an ordinary commoner, something they had once been. They relived the sensation of being newly reborn on Earth, full of hope.

Sometimes, they wondered if it would be possible to live a normal, peaceful life even after defeating the queen. But, sadly, life wasn’t a peaceful sea; it was a turbulent river. They needed to be strong enough not to drown.

However, maybe now, with their daughter by their side, feeling what they felt in that moment, they realized they already had enough mental strength to achieve that peace and, at the same time, their goals. The chaos inside them easily dissolved in the face of something so simple. They felt that bringing happiness to someone important was worth much more than any personal achievement.

"Sir, the food is ready."

Suddenly, a calm voice pulled them out of their thoughts. Zian had arrived. It was already the third day on the ship, and she was now familiar with them. She brought a large amount of stored food, cooking and sharing with Meru, who enjoyed it a lot. Alm and Bruno, on the other hand, hadn’t brought anything, since neither of them needed to eat.

The two were near the edge of the ship, while everyone else stayed in the center, as far from that area as possible. Meru warned:

"Sister, be careful. This is the lowest level, and there’s no defensive protection from the inscriptions here."

The gigantic ship was covered by protective inscriptions at various levels. It wasn’t clear if it was intentional or not, but the lower level had almost no protections and showed small spatial blades moving dangerously through the area.

Since people didn’t have cultivation, even the spatial radiation was dangerous. However, some had pills made from planetary resources that offered protection. Even so, the risk of death wasn’t unlikely; the weaker ones there were playing with danger.

"It’s okay, I’m not that weak. With the pill your father gave us, I can stay here all day without a problem," Zian declared calmly. Meru nodded and ran to eat.

Soon after the first day, seeing the weaker ones suffer injuries, Meru felt sad. Alm and Bruno, noticing this, couldn’t stand it. So, they pretended to be alchemists and asked for Zian’s pills, and while pretending to examine them, they used their tattoos to manipulate the laws within them, improving their effectiveness.

The pills had a minimal residue of spatial laws. Those who consumed them could more easily sense the spatial blades and dodge them. Now the effectiveness was multiplied several times.

They returned the pills to Zian, who had given them a dozen, and with just one pill at that level, they could last over a month. The whale then told her that she could sell or do whatever she wanted with the rest. Certainly, the profits would be astronomical. However, Zian didn’t hesitate and distributed the pills among the weaker ones around her.

Alm and Bruno felt great sympathy for the siblings. After helping so much, Zian started to open up. She told them they belonged to a grand clan, but their enemies massacred them, destroying everyone along with their family. Only the three of them managed to escape from a clan that had once sheltered over three billion people.

Meru listened attentively and asked the obvious question. Zian confirmed: they were from the same planet they were on now, the last survivors of that destroyed clan.

They had managed to hide for almost a decade. Rian was just a baby, while Zian was the same age as Meru. Their mother was the other survivor. She cared for them until Zian was 15, but she ended up dying after they were discovered and had to flee again. Since then, Zian had taken on the responsibility of looking after her brother and hiding.

She really managed to do it; her instincts and talent weren’t bad. After five years, their pursuers gave up, believing they had left. Finally, Zian decided to board that ship to try to start over far away, seeking a better future for her brother.

To do that, they sold everything they had to pay for the tickets. Now, they didn’t have a single crystal left.

They had no experience in the world, having lived in dark caves, far from any interaction. If it weren’t for Alm and Bruno’s help, they could have easily revealed their origins to everyone with little provocation.

For others, that clan was a place to pursue their dreams. But for the two of them, it was a place they were fleeing to escape their enemies forever and to live for the first time without fear.

After learning more about their story, Meru became even kinder to them. Zian, however, wasn’t so naïve. She knew the little girl was incredibly powerful, especially after easily defeating the bald man. Her father, on the other hand, must have been much stronger; he was certainly a world-destroying demon when he got serious... little did she know that she wasn’t far from the truth. Being able to befriend such a person was an unimaginable fortune for them in their current state.

After eating, while Meru was talking, the whale snorted and frowned, looking up. He noticed someone was watching them from the middle level. Whether intentional or not, the person pretended they were just looking around before turning their gaze away.

Meanwhile, several people on the lower level were already suffering many injuries due to the spatial blades. Fortunately, the weaker ones had received the pills, while the others were surviving as best they could. No one had died yet.

The most irritating thing was that, on the middle level, people were having fun, completely protected and without any danger.

Seeing this, Meru grew more and more irritated by the second. It was obvious that the clan responsible for the ship had done this on purpose. However, the passengers didn’t dare to complain or express their anger. They could only swallow their indignation and endure.

Soon after, several figures dressed in clothes from that clan appeared. They all had the cultivation of a low-level King, intimidating figures for most of the people there.

Zian also sensed something was wrong and became tense. However, to avoid worrying her brother, she pretended not to notice anything.

Suddenly, a group of experts in luxurious attire entered. The leader declared:

"Gentlemen, this is the lower level, and our clan is not obliged to activate the protections for you. The cost of your tickets doesn’t cover this service, and everyone knew that when boarding. However, considering your fragile constitutions, we decided to offer special care. The clan will activate the inscriptions to protect you."

Meru looked at that person and sneered. It was the same guy who had tried to extort them at the entrance. Meru studied him closely, wanting to see just how dark this clan was and how shameless these humans could be. Her worldview was truly expanding thanks to them.

Applause echoed throughout as people learned the defenses would be activated. They were safe now, but no one was confident they’d make it to the destination. After all, just a few days had passed, and people were already getting injured and quickly using up many of their pills.

However, that man sneered: "But don’t get happy too soon. Activating the defenses requires a large number of crystals. This must be paid by you, but my clan is dignified and understanding, so we decided to help you pay for most of it. We’ll still suffer losses in the end, but you all need to pay a little more so it won’t be so significant. Just one single crystal from each should be enough."

A hissing sound followed. It seemed they wanted more money.

However, those on this lower level were essentially broke. Every crystal was immensely precious to them. As for the siblings, their pockets were empty. They couldn’t even afford a single crystal.

For the others, every crystal was being saved for emergencies. And what if, when they reached the clan, they didn’t have even a little bit of money left? How would they survive? Would they even be accepted in the clan under such conditions?

"Don’t blame me for not warning you. We’re still approaching the main galaxy. As soon as we enter the region closest to the clan, the laws are much more powerful, and the danger will be a hundred times greater. If you want to risk your lives to save money, that’s up to you. Just pretend I didn’t say anything," the man said coldly.

Hearing that it would be a hundred times worse afterward, everyone was scared. In the end, they had no choice but to accept and take out their crystals. At least, with their lives, they could try to find a way.

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Alm and Bruno almost let out a laugh. There were millions of people there. This clan was truly a group of scammers. What kind of inscription, in one single area, required millions of crystals? If they needed only a hundred, it would already be absurd.

It wasn’t just them who understood this. However, there was nothing they could do. The price of a crystal was at least somewhat bearable for them.

The whale snorted and paid for the siblings. Soon after, the defenses were activated, and the spatial blades stopped appearing immediately. Everyone was excited, now feeling much more comfortable.

Minutes later, Zian approached the whale and whispered softly: "Sir, I have something to discuss with you. I have a treasure from my clan in my possession, but others might have set their eyes on it. I beg you to protect our lives. I’m willing to give this treasure to you."

Meru also listened and sighed. If people had been chasing them for so long, it was obvious something like this existed. But she couldn’t accept it. The lives of these two’s mother were taken, they were chased, and their lives turned into hell just for a treasure?

People just wanted to rob weak individuals, thinking it would make them powerful. No one wanted to go after things and take risks; that’s why stealing from the vulnerable was easier. The world was truly cruel, and these two had no one to help them.

"This treasure caused the death of everyone in my family and clan. Now it’s just the two of us. I didn’t expect them to refuse to let us go even now," Zian said with hatred.

"I don’t care if I die. But I’m worried that my brother won’t survive alone. He’s afraid of the world and probably wouldn’t last much longer like this... I beg you to help us," she added, looking at the whale, pleading.

At that moment, Rian was sleeping in his older sister’s lap. He was blissfully unaware that a crisis had already befallen them.

"As long as you stay by my side, I can guarantee your safety," the whale nodded slightly. "As for the treasure, I don’t need it. I’m helping you because I think you deserve it. My daughter likes you, and to me, that’s a small thing."

Zian’s eyes trembled, and she was speechless. Meru, on the other hand, snorted, understanding: The two had no malice or ill intent. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be seen as easy targets by others.

"Hey, don’t cry, I’m the only daughter he spoils," Meru said calmly.

Zian nodded, her eyes red, holding back tears. Since they were forced to flee to save their lives when she was Meru’s age, he had been the only good person they had met.

When they were sure the pursuers had given up, a year ago, she and her brother left their hiding place. Originally, they had many crystals with them, but due to their lack of knowledge about the traps of the world, they ended up suffering some losses. Everything was stolen.

If they hadn’t bought the tickets for the ship in advance, and some pills and food at the beginning, they might not even have this last hope. Without experience and plagued by bad luck, they had only met bad people.

Originally, Zian had hoped to negotiate his support after reaching the clan. She didn’t want to be constantly deceived until learning the hard way. So, she would ask him to teach her about the world for a while.

Unexpectedly, even on the ship, they were targeted again. If they had stayed on the planet they were on, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. But living like that, isolated and lonely, seemed hopeless. Their treasures were the only things they had to live in this world. If they simply abandoned them, they would die quickly like beggars.

Now, feeling very scared, she begged for help, and he readily agreed, not wanting any reward. This made her feel the sunlight in her world of darkness.

The ship continued on.

Meru and the whale often went to the deck and just looked at the space. The siblings were very obedient, never leaving his side. As for the enemies who were targeting them, they seemed to be quite patient and experienced. They were like snakes waiting for the right moment to strike.

Until...

"Hey, ogre, this is your tablet for the upper level. Go to your room." The swindler who had deceived them earlier appeared, throwing a tablet in their direction.

Zian tensed up. But the whale didn’t pick up the tablet. So, the tablet that many people on the lower level dreamed of getting fell to the ground.

"What do you think you’re doing?" The man’s expression darkened.

"Me? I’m just enjoying the trip and the view from here. Staying in a room would be boring. So, I’m not interested anymore," said the whale indifferently.

"You’re asking for death?" The murderous intent appeared fiercely in the man’s eyes. It seemed like he had been holding back for a long time and couldn’t take it anymore.

"That’s exactly what I was going to say to you." The whale suddenly stared at him and smiled.

Suddenly, the man froze, feeling like he was falling into an abyss.

But, at that moment, more than ten men surrounded the whale. Several of them were brought by this man, while the others had been keeping an eye on the siblings the whole time.

"If you want to die, I’ll kill you right now," said another man beside the whale.

Only then did the whale turn around. His smile met that man’s, making him feel his soul freeze.

"What did you just say?"

"FUCK YOU, DIE!" shouted another man behind, drawing a sword.

*BOOM!*

He had just spoken when the whale’s leg kicked like lightning, hitting him right in the chest. The man was sent flying like a cannonball, slamming into the wall.

The immense power made the ship shake. However, this kick was even more brutal than they had imagined. The wall, which was several meters thick and made of the best steel, almost split open with that violent shock. Countless cracks appeared, revealing this, making everyone’s eyes go wide.

His head tilted as he collapsed to the ground. It was unclear whether he was alive or dead.

"Die!"

The others were furious. They hadn’t expected him to dare to strike first. But... after that, a cold light flashed, and more than ten heads flew through the air at the same time.