Chapter 10:

Battle in Space: The arrival of guests from the Kontra empire

Rakkuhōshiten


Yorian and Ariana sat relaxing on a wooden bench located at the edge of Yuntanglian Academy Island. From their strategic position at an altitude of ≈ 79 km above sea level, a beautiful view of hundreds of merchant ships stretched out. The ships could be seen moving slowly towards the main port of Ltiktra, which was 1624.25 km away from their position—an epic sight showing how Ltiktra is an unrivaled global economic center.

Yorian let the comfortable silence envelop them for a moment. He then patted Ariana's shoulder gently. Ariana turned, her relaxed expression instantly changing to one of attentiveness.

"What is it, Brother?" asked Ariana.

Yorian smiled slightly, extending his palm which now held the holy semi-plasma fire emitting a beautiful red glow.

"Here, the Heicain Ma oy oesu that you were looking for, isn't it? To increase your strength," said Yorian, handing the fire into Ariana's hands.

"Ah yes, I forgot! This fire is so beautiful... I can't wait to absorb it!" Ariana exclaimed happily, her eyes fixed on the flame of the Heicain Ma oy oesu.

"Yes, I'm happy to see you like that. You will become as strong as you wish," said Yorian, then patted Ariana's head with the tenderness of a brother.

Ariana closed her eyes, enjoying the touch. "Ah, Brother... You doing that makes me like you even more," Ariana replied, her tone spoiled.

Not far from them, on a different bench, Yanwe, who had deliberately sat quite close—just to be near Yorian—was enjoying her tea. Hearing Ariana's words, Yanwe choked violently. She sprayed the tea in her mouth into the air.

Yanwe, who had been convinced that their relationship was just limited to brother and sister (as the image they built), was shocked by that intimate tone. She immediately stood up, ignoring the tea soaking her clothes.

"Wait a minute..." Yanwe pointed at them with a horrified expression. "You guys... Incest?!"

Yorian flinched inwardly. He was surprised, but his facial expression remained calm, a skill he honed as Professor YHM and now Yorian. He knew he had to keep his relationship with Ariana a secret. If people knew Ariana was just his creation, it could make Ariana labeled as strange or unreal.

On the other hand, Ariana almost blurted out proudly.

"What do you know? My relationship with him is between a creat—" said Ariana, almost finishing the word 'creation' with a proud tone.

Instantly, Yorian's thoughts penetrated Ariana's head via telepathy. ("Don't speak carelessly! Don't let them know!)

Ariana immediately fell silent, pouting her lips because of Yorian's intervention.

Yorian took a light breath before speaking, keeping his tone flat. "Sorry, maybe this is indeed not normal. However, you know yourself how Ariana's character is. She is indeed a bit naughty and likes to tease like that."

"But that's not how siblings joke," argued Yanwe, still suspicious.

"Ah, I just have a unique humor. You just don't understand," interrupted Ariana quickly.

"But why when I tease him instead... eh, sorry, never mind," said Yanwe, who instantly realized that she had inadvertently revealed her own feelings. Her face turned red.

Ariana saw an opportunity. Her red eyes flashed mischievously. "What did you say, Yanwe? You like him, don't you? It was already visible from the auction that you were giving codes," teased Ariana.

"Ah, no! I was just... praising a strong person... I mean, he is cool, right... But... ah!" Yanwe could no longer handle this situation. With a flushed face, she turned and ran away leaving the bench.

Yorian shook his head. "Sigh... It seems that even though she teases more often, her tsundere nature is still there."

"What is tsundere, Brother?" asked Ariana innocently.

"Well, she is rude and doesn't want to admit her feelings, but actually likes it," explained Yorian.

"Ah, I don't want you to belong to anyone else! You are mine alone," said Ariana, moving closer and hugging Yorian's arm.

"Ah, her nature is starting again, this kid... Alright, let's just go back to the base. You absorb the Heicain Ma oy oesu at the base because the Quts there is abundant for your retreat (cultivation)," said Yorian, changing the subject before Ariana got even more spoiled.

"Oh, okay, Brother. I can't wait to level up and beat that bastard princess," said Ariana confidently.

It's funny watching them fight, but yeah, it's also hard to control them, thought Yorian with a thin smile, looking at the sky.

Yorian did not wait. Using his Fundamental Gravity attribute, he wrapped his arm around Ariana's waist, ensuring his creation was tightly bound to the gravitational field he was about to use. He knew Ariana had not mastered her Light attribute to break the speed limit alone, so she had to be carried.

This is a chance, thought Ariana.

Ariana swiftly took advantage of this critical moment. She hugged Yorian back very tightly, pressing her body against Yorian's chest which was now the center of physics control.

Yorian activated the transfer. In a split second (only in 0.4 Klahprix), he curved the space between them and Paxtorovutra. The Fundamental Gravity Field pulled them across a distance of 316,921 KM at a speed almost equaling, perhaps even exceeding, the speed of light.

Yuntanglian Academy floating at an altitude of 79 km was left behind in the blink of an eye.

Yorian and Ariana now stood in the middle of a large dome room in Paxtorovutra. The room was lined with vast green grass that looked identical to Earth, a nostalgic touch he deliberately created. In the center of the grass field stood an ancient banyan tree, radiating a very abundant Quts aura.

However, Ariana was still hugging Yorian very tightly, unwilling to let go even though Yorian told her to. She acted like a whining child. Yorian sighed resignedly; logical methods would not work on this creation of his.

"Ari," Yorian started with a provoking tone, "you know if you don't train, that Yanwe could overtake your level now."

Hearing her rival's name, Ariana instantly released the hug. Her face showed an expression of overconfidence. "Yanwe will not be able to surpass my level," she said firmly.

Yorian finally managed to shift Ariana's focus. He then reminded Ariana about her mission to become stronger than Yanwe. Ariana thought for a moment and finally remembered. She then hit her own forehead, annoyed that she could forget something so important. Yorian could only laugh seeing his sister's behavior.

Yorian then instructed her to walk towards the center of the dome.

"Over there," Yorian pointed to the banyan tree, which he deliberately installed to remember his dark tragedy in the past when he was four years old on Earth.

Seeing her brother/creator suddenly gloomy, Ariana asked, "Brother? Why are you gloomy like that?"

"Oh, nothing," replied Yorian, quickly controlling his emotions and changing the topic. "I was just thinking about the calculation of the magic formation in the Central Pyramid. Come on, to the banyan tree there. You just focus and absorb the Heicain Ma oy oesu. Let the fire seed enter your body until it upgrades your fire. The tree will help provide a Quts surplus so you don't get exhausted."

Although Ariana still wondered about Yorian's suddenly gloomy nature, she remained obedient to Yorian's orders, both as her brother and as her creator. She then sat under the banyan tree, feeling the wisdom and very strong and ancient Quts energy flowing around her.

Ariana began her cultivation. She started smelting the Heicain Ma oy oesu seed until it became a golden stream flowing into her Quts meridians, then towards her body's core. There, the new energy began to fight with the existing fire attribute inside her body. Ariana felt tremendous pain, but she kept trying to stabilize and absorb the Heicain Ma oy oesu until she became much stronger.

While Ariana was doing the crucial retreat, Yorian decided to watch from afar so as not to disturb her. He then used the communication device on his wrist to summon a robot. A cylindrical coffee robot teleported to his place, dispensing a cup of warm coffee, before returning to its original place.

Yorian walked casually while sipping his coffee. His sharp eyes caught strange movement on the grass. He saw a swarm of ants spinning uncontrollably around a pile of other ants in the center. It was an Ant Mill, a circle of fallacy that would cause them all to die from exhaustion and instinctual stupidity.

Yorian bent down, blowing the ants gently, getting them out of the destructive circle, before resuming drinking his coffee. He then sat on a chair at the edge of the dome boundary and enjoyed the view of the sparkling stars in outer space, waiting for his enemy's arrival.

While Yorian was enjoying his warm coffee in the Paxtorovutra dome, his enemies, Draven and Yoezi, had arrived at Yuntanglian Academy. They saw the condition of the academy was empty—because it was already home time—then searched around.

While circling and avoiding the academy's security system, they had not found a clue where Yorian was. Draven, who had almost given up, suddenly remembered a moment in the past, when Yorian had once summoned something from the sky. His suspicion proved correct.

Draven found traces of space distortion due to Yorian's speed approaching light. The direction was only one: straight up the sky. Draven and Yoezi did not stay silent and immediately shot upwards, piercing the atmosphere towards the geostationary orbit altitude, ready for revenge.

As Yorian was relaxing enjoying the artificial cool air with the view of stars in the sky, he received a signal from ASI (Artificial Super Intelligence) that there was movement from an unknown object quickly heading towards Paxtorovutra.

When asked who they were, ASI answered that they were a psychic user (showing a very high level) and a water element user showing signs of evolution. For the psychic user, Yorian could immediately guess it was Draven. However, he did not know for sure who the figure with the water attribute accompanying him was.

Regardless of the water attribute user's identity, they remained a threat. Yorian moved quickly to the Control Pyramid and ordered ASI to open the magic formation. Instantly, four Red Tier (Yao) magic circles appeared there:

Stabilizer Formation (Makes Paxtorovutra like a low-mass object so its effect on the binary orbit is insignificant). Stealth Formation (Hides Paxtorovutra's shadow so it is not visible and to prevent eternal night in Ltiktra). Dome Barrier (Protects the base). Quts Flow Regulator (Regulates Quts flow).

Yorian then set the Stabilizer Formation to emit gravitational waves as the first threat. The gravitational force released was equivalent to that created by a Demon above the Hao realm, namely Kilyasyiq Vayai (Level 600) and Kilyasyiq Oyova (Level 660)—a power Yorian deemed sufficient to scare Draven and his ally.

Draven and Yoezi arrived in front of Paxtorovutra, shocked to feel the tremendous gravitational pressure from the silently orbiting base.

"Yorian, stop playing with your gravity toys," said Draven, trying to brush off the stifling pressure.

"It seems this gravitational energy is as strong as peak Vayai and Oyova," responded Yoezi, feeling the very real gravitational threat.

Yorian, who was now at the edge of the dome, replied with a provocative tone. "Alright, Draven, it seems from the aura of the person beside you and from her appearance, you already have a new ally from CAPAPASTAF. You are indeed a genius to make a Hao bow to you. However, your mental strength is still lacking, so you cannot fight optimally," replied Yorian, then teleported outside the dome.

"You know the reason I brought her, so let's just start the fight immediately," said Draven, ignoring the provocation.

Yoezi quickly moved behind Yorian, trying to attack from the blind side. Yorian just laughed softly. He already knew Yoezi would be useless relying on water attributes in this environment. And sure enough, just as Yoezi wanted to unleash her water attack, the water actually evaporated and froze instantly due to the vacuum condition of outer space and the extreme vapor pressure difference.

"The very small vapor pressure becomes greater than the very small vacuum pressure. So, it's useless for you to bring Yoezi," said Yorian, pretending to be arrogant to provoke Draven.

However, Draven was not offended. Instead, he laughed amusedly seeing the innocence of Yorian who thought Yoezi would rely on magic. "Even though Yoezi doesn't use magic, she is still very strong," explained Draven.

"Oh, thank you, fool, you have warned me," replied Yorian, increasing his provocation.

Draven, realizing Yorian had just called himself a fool (sarcastically acknowledging the hint), fell silent for a moment.

Yoezi moved very fast, every punch and kick she aimed at Yorian would clearly be very detrimental to ordinary beings. But Yorian, with his agile speed thanks to Fundamental Gravity control, could dodge Yoezi's deadly attacks.

Instead of attacking, Yorian deliberately kept dodging Yoezi's attacks, looking for gaps behind the strength of the strongest Hao in CAPAPASTAF. Yorian's eyes were very focused and detailed, seeing all of Yoezi's body movements even to minor details that people rarely saw.

When Yorian managed to get the Data of Yoezi's attack pattern and found a gap in her attack, he without hesitation utilized Fundamental Gravity to teleport behind Yoezi before she realized it.

Yorian did not use a massive attack. Instead, he used the Weak Nuclear Attribute (Fundamental) in a very focused and small dose. The attack hit Yoezi's back, causing mild burns. Yoezi flinched, retreating a few steps while holding her stinging hot back.

"That is beta decay (release of electrons and neutrinos) at the sub-atomic level on Yoezi's skin, which produces intense heat and localized radiation on the skin surface," explained Yorian, his tone sounding like he was giving a lecture.

Draven, seeing his ally injured by a seemingly invisible attack, reacted. He understood that the attack was Fundamental in nature and targeted the basic structure of matter, not just Quts energy.

"You attack with something far beyond elements, Yorian. You use Fundamental," growled Draven, his eyes focused on Yorian, while one hand prepared to attack mentally.

"Exactly, genius," replied Yorian casually. He sipped his warm coffee that appeared from a dimensional space that somehow was not affected by the vacuum effect. "And that was just Weak Nuclear. I just wanted to tell you, Draven, that all the magic you learned in Aerca is merely a mechanism. My true power is the Fundamental of this universe."

Yoezi, who had recovered from the pain (though still injured), was about to attack again. However, Draven raised a hand to stop her. He knew, a magic duel against Yorian in terms of Fundamental was suicide.

Draven smirked, unaffected by the gravity or radiation threat. "You focus too much on body and matter, Professor. But you forget, there is a dimension far stronger than that."

Draven closed his eyes. A very dense wave of mental pressure—like countless invisible needles—immediately slammed into the Paxtorovutra dome.

"This is my domain!" shouted Draven, launching his psychic attack.

Draven appeared behind Yorian. Yorian then responded to Draven's attack. Instead of parrying, Draven used his high-level Psychic attribute.

"You are too confident, Yorian!"

Draven easily reversed the Fundamental Weak Nuclear attack back towards Yorian using the Reverse Damage mental technique. Yorian felt his own Fundamental attack coming with intensity amplified by Draven's Psychic power (and the Fundamental Strong Nuclear power that multiplied Quts).

In the blink of an eye, Yorian reacted. He curved space-time (using Fundamental Gravity Attribute) to divert the attack. The attack redirected by Draven shot past Yorian and hit Yoezi again. Yoezi, who was still dehydrated due to the space vacuum and previous burns, could not defend herself. She was hit by that Weak Nuclear attack twofold, making her stagger severely.

While Yoezi collapsed, Draven continued his mental attack. However, Yorian's mental strength, born from the soul of a 4-year-old child who had passed the world's tests and an absolute leader as well as a professor with high wisdom, was far stronger than Draven. Eventually, Draven's mental attack was successfully neutralized.

"Time for Counterattack," muttered Yorian, his expression tense.

Yorian launched a Relativistic Jet attack—a massive energy beam approaching the speed of light, activated from his own Quts through the manipulation of Electromagnetic and Fundamental Gravity mixed with Fundamental Strong Nuclear. The power of this attack surged exponentially to match Kilyasyiq Fuva Level 142 (2.7 * 10^15 Quts). The attack injured Draven severely, penetrating his outer Psychic defense.

Draven smirked. "Too predictable!"

Draven once again activated Reverse Damage. Yorian's Relativistic Jet attack turned around and hit Yorian himself.

Yorian tried to withstand the destructive attack with Fundamental Gravity, but because the Fundamental Strong Nuclear Power strengthened Yorian's attack power, it made Yorian unable to hold on much longer due to the increase in attack power which he finally had to accept.

Draven laughed with satisfaction, seeing Yorian unable to withstand his own destructive power, even as he dashed to attack Yorian quickly.

"You are weak, What can you do now? Sova will not come to save you," said Draven arrogantly.

Despite suffering severe injuries (Meridian Damage, DNA Damage, Bone Weakness), Yorian managed to lure them. He teleported momentarily and appeared far behind Draven and Yoezi, who were now in empty space, with their backs to the planet Aelonisova.

"You made a big mistake by underestimating me," said Yorian, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

He activated the comm-link on his wrist. He had to send the emergency fire command as fast as possible.

I will no longer use old terms I remember from Earth, like 'Gibberlink', thought Yorian. This protocol is far more sophisticated; it uses Aetherish resonance, not just sound frequencies.

Yorian projected the code: AFCP-10071 (Aether Frequency Communication Protocol 10071)—a communication protocol of his own creation using high frequency through an Aetherish connection between himself and ASI.

"10071, 846150, 946050, 10071, 10071, 987650, 1282400, 10071, 10071, 846200, 970000, 10071. (TL: ASI! Launch Attack!)"

In the Paxtorovutra Military Pyramid, the Quts Flow Regulator channeled power from Sova's energy capsule. This attack was a different attack from the previous Relativistic Jet, using the base's external resources. Yorian consciously only opened the flow to a limit he deemed effective—equivalent to Level 400 Kilyasyid Vaha.

"Mass Destruction Energy Firing Active in 1, 2, 3." ASI's voice echoed.

A destructive red light, thick, and unimaginably massive shot from the Paxtorovutra base towards Draven and Yoezi. This attack was supported by energy stored in a special capsule Yorian obtained from Sova's base, which now became his emergency power reserve (not all yet, originally equivalent to kilyasyiq vayai lvl 600).

Draven, realizing the scale of the threat (around Level 400), mobilized all his remaining Psychic and physical energy. He created a protective veil, locking Yoezi inside it. A massive energy clash occurred lasting for nearly five minutes, draining the Quts of both his enemies to zero point.

They survived, but were severely weakened.

Draven knew they had lost strategically. He glanced at Yoezi, who was helpless. He launched one last Psychic punch, hitting Yorian with remaining strength. The punch landed squarely, shattering Yorian's just-healed ribs.

"This is not over, Professor!" roared Draven, before finally teleporting away with the unconscious Yoezi, retreating to lick his fatal wounds.

Severely injured, Yorian managed to use his remaining Fundamental Gravity energy to teleport back to the Paxtorovutra dome. His battered body lay near the ancient banyan tree, and he immediately absorbed the abundant Quts energy from the tree to heal himself.

As Yorian focused on the healing process, Ariana slowly woke up. The process of smelting Heicain Ma oy oesu into her fire core was complete, and she felt a tremendous increase in power. Turning to her right, she was shocked to see Yorian—her creator and brother—lying severely injured and covered in blood.

"Who hurt you, Brother?" asked Ariana, her voice filled with burning anger. Flames in her eyes blazed along with her increasing fire energy.

Yorian, still healing, asked her to be patient and not get carried away by emotion. "Calm down, Ariana. Our enemy is a peak Hao, don't be reckless."

However, Ariana's anger was unstoppable. "Whoever hurt you, I will burn them!" she said.

"Yoezi, the strongest peak Hao in CAPAPASTAF, and Draven," answered Yorian.

"Oh! Those bastards, apparently. Just watch out for them, they will burn one day," said Ariana, clenching her fists, a promise of revenge engraved strongly in her heart.

"Calm down, I must focus to heal myself," said Yorian, reminding her again.

"Eh... sorry, Brother," Ariana realized, feeling guilty for disturbing Yorian's healing process. "I forgot you are injured and healing. How about we train together?" offered Ariana, her eyes sparkling with the idea to utilize this healing moment.

"Alright, you can train with me," replied Yorian. He knew, by healing near Ariana, he could simultaneously supervise and guide Ariana's retreat.

Ariana and Yorian then engaged in deep cultivation under the Quts Banyan Tree.

Yorian, although his body was destroyed due to Draven's Reverse Damage counterattack, did not lose his focus. Sitting under the Quts banyan tree, he and Ariana began dual cultivation.

Yorian focused on using the Quantum Aether Enervation Technique (Q.A.E.T). This technique has two crucial functions:

Energy Absorption: Yorian absorbs pure Quts and abundant life energy from the Quts Tree and the Aetherish Field environment in the dome. Every broken bone and burst blood vessel is repaired at extraordinary speed, although the process takes time due to the severity of the injury. Data Extraction: Simultaneously, Yorian's mind connects to the Aetherish Field, allowing him to absorb data and information. This is similar to when he used to take data from the Yuntanglian Library. Now, he looks for gaps in Draven's Psychic techniques—especially how Reverse Damage works—while also analyzing the evolution of Yoezi's Water attribute.

This technique not only heals my body, but also fills the lack of mental knowledge against Psychics. Draven thinks he is smart, but he forgets Aetherish stores all data, thought Yorian, utilizing this emergency retreat into a deep research session.

Using Quantum Aether Enervation Technique (Q.A.E.T), Yorian pumped Quts from the banyan tree into his body incessantly. For 12 Kso (30 Earth hours), Yorian did not move, only focusing on healing. He could already stand and function normally, but his body felt heavy and wounds on his skin still showed a blackish-red color, a sign that structural repair was not yet fully perfect.

Ariana, cultivating next to him, had reached full stability. Heicain Ma oy oesu was now fully integrated, increasing her Fire attribute level.

Yorian opened his eyes, the Quts inside him now calm. He turned to Ariana, who now looked stronger and more confident.

"How is it, Ari? Have you controlled that fire seed?" asked Yorian.

Ariana stood tall, emitting a controlled fire aura. "Of course, Brother. My power is now much greater. I can feel I can burn the entire island of Ltiktra if I want to."

Yorian raised an eyebrow. He knew Ariana's pride. However, he had to correct the scale of her power.

"You are exaggerating, Ari," said Yorian with a gentle but serious tone. "Burning the island of Ltiktra means you have to destroy a land area of more than 100 Million km², the size of a continent. That is even beyond the reach of a Demon level Fuva's (160) ability. Your power is indeed formidable, but now you might only be able to destroy a region as small as Aehuin Pitra."

Ariana pouted for a while because of the correction, but soon returned to being cheerful. "Well, that's still cool! I can destroy the second smallest kingdom in Aerca!"

"Good. Remember, true strength is control," said Yorian, then stood up.

For the remaining 1 Liu (2.5 Earth days), Yorian continued his cultivation and began a simultaneous training session with Ariana.

As Yorian trained Ariana, he also used Q.A.E.T to understand his own power deeper. Remembering Draven's attack that almost killed him by reversing his own attack, Yorian realized the risk of his exponential power.

This is the risk of Fundamental Attributes, thought Yorian. His power far exceeded nominal Quts calculations.

He recalled the data he once calculated: each of his six unique attributes (Fundamental and Yin/Yang) only required 1/6 Quts to function. However, his Strong Nuclear attribute, instead of consuming, actually converted that 1/6 Quts into 1 whole Quts, then redistributed it back to all attributes for further amplification.

The enrichment and distribution process occurring in just 1 nanosecond, theoretically, would turn a 10,240 Quts attack into power equivalent to 1.1 * 10^17 Quts, exceeding the ability of any living being, and potentially destroying a planetary ecosystem.

Yorian took a heavy breath. That power was what made Sova—who saw uncontrollable destructive potential when he was just born—make a drastic decision. Sova had to seal my power so I wouldn't carelessly use that destructive power, and so I wouldn't annihilate myself or Aerca.

Yorian channeled the sealed energy, testing the limits of Sova's seal. He had to ensure he could access enough power to face Draven and Yoezi without unleashing exponential potential.

At the end of 1 Liu, Yorian had fully recovered, and Ariana had mastered her new power level.

Yorian gazed at the stars outside the dome, he had mastered Draven's data and modified his Battle Formation, ready for the revenge round.

Meanwhile, in the Kontra region, the severely injured Draven and Yoezi shocked many of Kontra's residents. Two Haosyin and Hao peaks were nearly impossible to injure by anyone except an Entity above Kilyasyiq Hao. Many speculated that they were attacked by Sova or the CAPAPASTAF faction.

Draven and Yoezi quickly sought out an alchemist for healing pills, and retreated to the mountains to recuperate for several days.

Their retreat process was very strict. No one was to disturb them (they needed to be alone to be safe), and the escort by the elite troops was also very tight. After they finally recovered, they spoke before their people in the capital.

"Most likely, we will isolate ourselves from the world to gather great strength for battle. I estimate we will do this for 1 Ovazhila, 1 Liv, 2 Virg (a total of 10 Years counted by Kontra's internal calendar) because our enemy faction is very strong. During this period, we must improve our abilities, and after the isolation, we will show the world that Kontra cannot be underestimated," Draven said.

The people dutifully followed Draven's orders. All inter-kingdom transportation and trade routes were closed.

A massive transparent wall—with the power to accelerate time inside it (so that 1 Ovazhila, 1 Liv, 2 Virg of internal time is equivalent to 1 Liv, 2 Virg (or 4 Earth Years) of outside world time)—surrounded the empire. Behind the distorted time wall, they began to build and improve the empire, including new cities and military bases.

Outside Kontra, Ying Haosheng and the other council members were still searching for Ran Yoezi (who was the Secretary and leader of the CAPAPASTAF Military division), and they finally headed to the Kontra Empire as the last place they had not yet visited.

Before reaching the coast, they sensed the energy enveloping the Kontra Empire. They wondered if Ran Yoezi was in trouble, requiring such a powerful protection Formation.

Entering the Kontra Empire and heading to the capital, they saw extensive and ongoing construction. Finally, they found Yoezi with an unknown Haosyin peak individual—who was actually Draven in disguise.

"Yoezi, what are you and this person doing, and who is this?" asked Ying Haosheng.

"Chairman, I am carrying out massive changes to the empire, and this person is the new emperor," Ran Yoezi replied.

"Why are you isolating Kontra, and where is Emperor Ran Keisu? Why must this person be the leader?" asked Que Ling.

"Council Member Ltiktra, we are isolating ourselves to protect the empire from war until a major project is completed. Emperor Ran Keisu died in a rebellion, and I chose him as the strongest after me in the empire," Yoezi said.

"Where is Ran Zi?" asked Huan Tang.

"Council Member Lontra, Tǎocain Ran Zi is in seclusion to enhance her strength. You must leave because the empire is busy following the change of emperor," Yoezi stated.

"Very well, we will leave if you are busy," said Ying Haosheng, who felt something was amiss but chose not to provoke a conflict.

After their conversation, the council members left. Draven then reverted his appearance after using high-level body and Psychic manipulation to deceive them.

"The Aerca Constitution is dead to us," Draven whispered, looking at Yoezi with a gaze full of ambition. "The Ran Clan will not perish. We are the last, and ten years behind this dome will ensure we are not only strong, but also give birth to a legitimate heir to lead the new world we will create."

Yoezi felt her heart flutter. Although she had been reprogrammed by Draven, one residual emotion from the old Ran Yoezi—a fondness that had twisted into a forbidden romantic feeling towards her half-brother—had long been rooted. When Draven spoke of multiplying their Quts, Yoezi’s mind instantly locked onto the ancient clan mandate (Article 3), using it as the ultimate justification for their union. She affirmed their path: the survival of the Ran line transcended the new Constitution, and Draven's word was law. 'Yes, Kontra will thrive,' she vowed, her commitment to her lover and the clan absolute, embracing the very act of treason (implied under Article 4) with fierce pride.

While the last two surviving entities of the Ran clan began their isolated mission to secure their lineage and produce an heir, Yorian, Ariana, and Yanwe were finally able to enjoy their time to study and increase their strength without fear of Draven's interference. They had retreated to the Paxtorovutra headquarters. During Yorian's recovery, their focus shifted to preparing for the inevitable conflict, including a secret mission by Yorian that went far beyond the Aerca continent.

Yorian realized that his current strength would not be enough to defeat Draven, who would evolve in 10 years of isolation. He had to use these four years in the outside world to gather impossible power. Yorian initiated an ambitious project to create a portal to his old dimension, although he was temporarily trapped in Warped Space. Furthermore, he was secretly preparing a Kouhantgum Quts capsule (10^⁶⁰⁰ Quts), enough energy to resurrect or bind one of the three (3) strongest creatures in the universe.

One afternoon, during their training session in the forest around the base, Yanwe broke the silence:

Yanwe: "Have you heard about the Continental Grand Tournament happening 1 Liv 2 Virg (4 years) from now? My father says this will be the biggest event in the last 100 Ovazhila (600 years)."

Ariana: "Tournament? Sounds boring. We should continue our training instead."

Yorian: stopping his attack, his eyes narrowing "A Grand Tournament? Amidst the tension with Kontra? Interesting timing..."

Yanwe: "Do you think something is suspicious?"

Yorian: "Draven is not the type to waste resources on a festival. Every move he makes has two meanings. If Kontra participates, it's a cover for something much bigger."

For the outside world, the isolation period lasted 1 Liv, 2 Virg (a total of 4 Years). During this time, Yorian, Ariana, and Yanwe disappeared from public view, focusing entirely on Yorian's recovery and the enhancement of Ariana and Yanwe's strength in the distant and dangerous Forest.

But because of the Time Distortion within the Kontra dome, the people in the empire felt that it was 1 Ovazhila, 1 Liv, 2 Virg (a total of 10 Years), giving them enough time to recover, evolve, and give birth to a new heir for the Ran clan.

View from inside the dome of Yorian's giant space headquarters

Rakkuhōshiten