Adrian watched the distant specks of light as the pirates continued their escape, their figures shrinking rapidly into the void. Even with his raw speed and space concept, which most considered the fastest back in the Milky Way galaxy, was not enough to catch them.
The only possible way to catch them now was he should use his authority within his domain to alter the rules of space, just like the pirates did, and grant himself a tremendous burst of speed to overtake them.
However, the pirates were already far ahead, and the problem was not whether he could do it, but how much it would cost.
He had no clear estimate of the mana and willforce required to rewrite spatial rules across such a distance. If the expenditure proved too great, he would place himself in danger, potentially draining himself in hostile territory. The universe was not like the Milky Way, where he could afford recklessness. Here, unknown threats lurked beyond every star cluster.
And it was also possible that the cost might be manageable, but he felt this was not the right situation to experiment blindly. The temptation to test his limits pulled at him, but reason held firm.
He felt a brief sense of regret at losing his test subjects, but he accepted the outcome for what it was.
The pirates vanished completely, swallowed by the infinite dark.
Adrian dismissed his domain. The white-grey radiance faded gradually, and the void returned to its natural state.
He turned back toward his starship, which floated quietly in the distance, and began moving toward it.
...
When he reached the ship, everyone was waiting.
They had witnessed the entire exchange, and their faces carried questions and confusion.
The UNI-OS alert had also reached them. Adrian could see it in one of the projections; the system had identified him as a Peak Rule Stage cultivator. This was something none of them had expected.
Previously, Adrian had mentioned that he possessed a divine concept, but he had also said that he was only at the Mid Rule Stage. So, how had the system suddenly detected him as a Peak Rule Stage being? Had he grown stronger without telling them?
Strangely, this did not feel entirely unbelievable to anyone present. Most of them were well aware of Adrian's terrifying comprehension speed. If he had obtained a divine spell from the Edge and advanced rapidly, it would not have been impossible. His growth had always defied common sense.
Draven chuckled softly from the back, "Why are we even surprised?"
Still, another question lingered.
If Adrian truly was at the Peak Rule Stage, then why had he allowed the pirates to escape?
None of them could see rule symbols or authority flows clearly. The invisible mechanisms of divine concepts remained beyond their perception, hidden beneath reality's surface.
So from their perspective, it appeared as though Adrian had simply watched the pirates flee without acting.
Selena leaned forward in her seat, "Why didn't you stop them?"
Noticing their expressions, Adrian calmly explained what had happened.
"They used their authority to manipulate spatial rules," he began, "Within their divine domains, they rewrote the rules governing distance and speed. It drained their reserves significantly, but it allowed them to escape beyond my reach."
He paused, letting the information settle.
"I could have pursued them using the same method, but the energy cost would have been substantial. I don't have precise measurements for how much mana and willforce that technique requires over such distances. Experimenting in unknown territory seemed unwise."
He also clarified that he was not truly a Peak Rule Stage being, though he did not elaborate further.
Sensing that Adrian did not wish to explain more, no one pressed him.
They had learned long ago that Adrian carried burdens he could not share. Secrets woven into his very foundation, truths that would unravel if spoken too soon. Trust meant accepting that.
Yet this moment had an unexpected effect. The helplessness they had felt earlier was replaced with resolve.
This encounter had shown them the gap between themselves and the universe beyond their galaxy. The realisation that they had been powerless against Early Rule Stage cultivators made one thing painfully clear.
They needed to grow stronger.
Selena was the first to voice what everyone was thinking, "We really need to start comprehending the concepts Adrian mentioned before." Her tone was firm, edged with frustration. "Maybe we've all been too leisurely for too long."
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the deck.
Everyone nodded.
Back when Adrian had revealed that he possessed a divine concept, many had asked him to share the divine spell so they could cultivate it as well.
But Adrian had explained that his divine concept was formed from multiple arcane concepts like life, devour, and others. And none of them possessed all the necessary essence seeds to cultivate such a divine concept. The requirements had been too steep.
At the time, no one had minded. Comprehending so many concepts would take an enormous amount of time; peace had dulled their sense of danger, and life had finally become something to enjoy rather than survive. Even when they planned this excursion, it had been driven by curiosity, the natural desire of sentient beings to understand more about existence.
Now, after this encounter, that complacency was gone. Even if all they wanted was to understand more or merely explore, they needed power.
Adrian understood their feelings. He had faced this same helplessness countless times himself, and he refused to let his people be crushed by it. He spoke gently, "Don't worry, we have time. Once we reach the Andromeda Galaxy and learn more about the universe, I'll look for more suitable divine concepts so everyone can ascend to the Rule Stage. For now, remember this is just an excursion, enjoy it. If any problems arise, I will take care of them."
He deliberately avoided creating a sense of urgency or fear. He had felt it personally when he first entered the galaxy, and that feeling was never a good thing to have. So he was ready to carry this burden for them.
His reassurance lifted the mood aboard the ship. Anticipation replaced anxiety, and their eagerness to reach Andromeda only grew stronger.
As the crew dispersed and returned to their stations and quarters, Adrian remained where he was for a moment longer. A faint weight settled in his chest.
He did not truly possess a divine concept. That part was a lie, even if it protected them. The Source was something entirely different, something he did not yet know how to explain or reveal safely.
For now, he felt this was the only way to keep everyone secure.
And if the Guardian Spirit had heard what Adrian told them just now, it would have been utterly confused. Adrian was the one who wanted to grow stronger together with his people, yet here he was deliberately shielding them from the burden, choosing to carry it alone.
But this contradiction was deeply human, something it would never understand.
Just like a father who hides financial hardship from his family while working himself to exhaustion, choosing to bear the weight silently so others can remain at peace. Such a person would never abandon his family just to earn more, nor would he burden them with his worries. They would manage both, no matter how difficult that balance became.
Adrian was doing the same. He wanted both things at once. He wanted his people to be safe, and he wanted to walk beside them.
He shook his head slowly.
The starship resumed its journey, accelerating smoothly as the void blurred around them once more.
Ahead, Andromeda waited.
...
Far away from Adrian's vessel, the escaped pirates had finally come to a halt.
Their bodies trembled as exhaustion set in. Both floated motionless in the void, chests heaving despite their cultivation allowing them to survive without breath. The strain showed in the dimness of their divine domains, which flickered weakly around them like dying embers.
In mere seconds, they had crossed distances that would normally take even starships equipped with void drives a significant time to traverse. And to do this, the cost had been immense.
The taller pirate's hands shook as he pulled several high-grade mana crystals from his storage ring. His companion did the same, clutching the glowing stones desperately. They crushed them simultaneously, absorbing the released energy in ragged pulls.
While they could replenish their mana using mana crystals they carried, their Willforce would only recover slowly. Until then, they were dangerously vulnerable.
The shorter pirate glanced back toward the direction they'd fled from, "Think he followed?"
"No." The taller one shook his head, relief bleeding into his voice, "We're clear. He would've caught us already if—"
Relief washed over them. They had at least survived.
At that moment, a golden crack appeared in the void before them. Both pirates froze, their relief evaporating instantly.
From it stepped a figure, and both pirates instinctively turned their gaze toward the figure.
She was a female humanoid, her beauty so overwhelming that words failed to describe it. Even though she clearly belonged to a different race from them, her presence struck them with involuntary awe, bypassing reason entirely.
The taller pirate's mouth fell open. His companion stared, utterly transfixed. For several heartbeats, neither could move.
The woman regarded them with visible dissatisfaction. Her eyes narrowed, carrying contempt that made both pirates feel like insects beneath her gaze. A pulse of energy radiated from her, washing over the pirates.
The moment it touched them, terror seized their hearts.
The pressure was suffocating. It didn't crush their bodies but pressed against their very existence, making them acutely aware of how fragile they were. How easily she could snuff them out. They did not need any detection system to understand what stood before them.
This was an Astral Stage being.
Their minds snapped back to clarity. In the presence of such an existence, even a moment of impropriety could mean death.
One of the pirates immediately bowed his head, his voice cracking with panic, "Senior, please forgive my behavior."
"Hmph." The woman replied coldly, "You think you can escape just like that?"
The pirate's face went pale. He hurriedly replied, "We didn't mean—"
She cut him off, her gaze sharpening, "You dared to call my uncle a kid and thought you could walk away?"
Those words sent a chill through both pirates. Only then did they realize their mistake had nothing to do with their earlier gaze.
The shorter one's eyes widened in horror, "Uncle? We—we didn't know—"
That Peak Rule Stage cultivator they'd fled from, he was connected to an Astral Stage being. The implications crashed down on them. They had insulted someone under her protection!
There was no escape from this.
Before either could speak again, the woman raised her hand and snapped her fingers, "Erase."
In that instant, their bodies, essence, thoughts, memories, and every trace of their existence collapsed into nothingness.
The void where they had floated was empty, as clean as though they had never occupied that space at all.
The woman smiled faintly, clearly satisfied. A soft hum escaped her lips as she inspected her hand, turning it over as if admiring her work. She turned and stepped back into the golden crack, which sealed itself behind her.
Once it disappeared, there was no sign that anything had occurred in that region of the void.