Chapter 168: Space Ring

Chapter 168: Space Ring

The Space Ring put all physics Jack knew to shame.

It was a vast expanse of space, stretching so far he couldnt see the end. The sun mushrooms around him pierced the darkness, illuminating little colorful bubbles, tiny compared to the vastness surrounding them, slowly floating through.

Jack could see a forest, a valley, an icy tundra, even an active volcano surrounded by an archipelago of stone islands. It was like someone had uprooted pieces of the terrain, put them in bubbles of air, and sent them floating through Space Ring. The outline of each bubble was visible as a transparent, yellow-greenish veil, like a soap bubble reflecting the sunlight.

What am I looking at? Jack asked, lost in wonder.

Behold, the Space Ring! Gan Salin said proudly, stepping beside Jack and putting an arm over his shoulders. The other arm motioned widely at the view before them. The only place in the galaxy where space is inside a planet!

But How? And why? And what are those?

Those, my friend, are bubbles.

Jack glared, so Nauja took over explaining. The Space Ring is the most fascinating place in Trial Planet. Every bubble you see contains a small biome, anywhere from a few feet to many miles in diameter. The bubble-ish border you see around them separates them from the void. Furthermore, each bubble has its own gravity, as do the ceiling and floor of this ring.

Jacks eyes widened. How could someone make this? he wondered aloud.

Nauja shrugged. Nobody knows. Even B-Grades dont have this kind of power. And for whatever magic maintains this place to remain intact for a million years

She didnt finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear. Jack turned his eyes back to the floating bubbles. He could see dozens of them. Each was tilted at a random angle, making it seem like there were a dozen different worlds floating through this space. Perhaps there were.

It was awe-inspiring.

On cue, blue screens flashed before Jacks eyes.

Congratulations! Title Third Ring Conqueror upgraded to Fourth Ring Conqueror!

Efficacy of all stats: +15% +20%

Space Ring (1) Quest:

Claim an Inheritance for any member of your team.

Space Ring (2) Quest:

Complete the Space Ring (1) Quest.Slay an Elite space monster.Make your way to Labyrinth Ring.

Jack felt the familiar surge of strength through his body, using it to ground himself.

Why do I have two quests? he asked.

Space Ring is actually two rings, Salin explained. Dont ask me why. Maybe its because of the size. In any case, the first quest will give you the Fifth Ring Conqueror title, and the second will give you the Sixth Ring Conqueror.

Really?

But in exchange, Space Ring is twice wider than all others, Nauja added. Two hundred miles of space and biome bubbles.

And space monsters, he replied, laughing. The quest said so.

Yep, its teeming. Salin nodded. Anything from middle E-Grade to elite and king monsters. There are D-Grade ones, too, though they never emerge from the dark areas.

Terrific. Jack licked his lips, finding them dry. So, the first step is to get one of those inheritances. I suppose theyre the same things as the trials youve mentioned before, Nauja.

With a few quick hand gestures, he got Brock to hold onto his back.

Gan Salin was familiar with moving in space. He performed a couple somersaults before pointing and laughing at Nauja, who was flailing around ineffectively. Her face hardened at Salins mocking, and she pouted, but was still unable to control her flight.

Then, her eyes noticed Jack flying over to save Brock. After a moment of experimenting, she got it, and managed to straighten herself. She then waved a fist at Gan Salin and angrily shouted something, but Jack couldnt hear her.

Despite her apparent anger, her eyes were filled with excitement. It was easy to forget that this confident, easygoing barbarian girl had never been outside her tribe beforeand she went almost directly to the Space Ring, one of the most impressive sights in the galaxy. If she didnt short-circuit out of sheer awe, she would come to love traveling even more than she currently did.

On Jacks side, seeing her half-clothed bodyshe only wore fur around her privates and chestfloating in space was a contrasting feeling. His mental image was still that of Earths astronauts, covered head-to-toe in bulky uniforms.

After some minutes of orienting themselves, the group set out towards the nearest bubble. Nauja turned out to be the fastest, followed by Jack, and then Gan Salin. Her DaoWindwas the most suitable for moving in space. Jack could make do with small explosions, and Gan Salin

Jack actually had no idea how the canine was moving. He had to remember to ask.

Even the nearest bubble was several miles away, but that was not a problem. In space, there was no force slowing them down. As long as they managed to acceleratewhich they could easily dothe distance would evaporate quickly.

***

Vlossana fell to her knees. Her mouth hung open in abject horror. Her eyes widened and forgot to blink. Her face went pale.

The smoking ruins of her home lay in front of her, at the base of the hill. The manor was broken. The horses, dead. The servants bodies piled up and still smoking from the fire. The garden was upturned and destroyed.

And all this, why? Because Jack Rust had boarded their starship. Because the Animal Kingdom found out. They didnt care if Vlossanas father was an accomplice or not. Their semblance of proof was enough to conduct atrocities. To set an example.

This example was the destruction of everything Vlossana had ever known. She had rushed over the second the Trampling Ram made it to the next port, but she was too late. Of course she was. All she managed was to witness the fatality with her own eyes, the heads of her relatives stuck on wooden stakes, the remains of the place she used to call home.

All her dreams, of leading her people to joyful, happy lives, turned into smoke and flew away, disappearing forever. Her life was ruined. So was her mind.

Not a soul was in sight to share her agony.

Vlossana raised her head to the sky and screamed. Her voice tore her own throat, but she couldnt feel it. She was lost in grief.

The Dao Seed of Joy inside her tried to lift her spirits. To feed her joy, as it always did. But there was no joy to be found here. No happiness. No warmth. Only death and ashes.

In anger, Vlossana turned to the only target she hadher own, persistent Daoand cracked it down the middle, forsaking her path. It went quiet, but she remained full of sorrow, not even close to having vented.

All that dark energy amassed inside her, wound into a tighter and tighter ball, spreading over the large crack shed just inflicted on her Dao Seedher souland filling it in. Drowned in darkness, Vlossana missed the notification sound, but she sensed the change.

In a mere moment, she developed and fused the Dao Root of Sorrow. It contrasted her Dao Seed of Joy, filling in its blanks. Together, the two formed a new entity, one she couldnt yet decipher, but one that was far more powerful than she used to be.

She surrendered everything to it. Anything to escape this feeling.

Vlossanas emotions fell into place. The darkness didnt disappear. It receded into her soul, becoming a dark presence that poisoned her thoughts and waited to be unleashed. Her joy covered it up, concealing it, her Dao Seed reduced to a thin, fake veil of jovialty.

Vlossana wiped her eyes and stood. Her overwhelming sorrow had been transformed into a steady trickle she could endurea trickle that would not heal with time. She then turned around and walked away. There was nothing here for her anymore.

She didnt know what to do next. She would think about it. The nearest teleporter, where shed just come from, was a days walk away. She had time.

All she knew what that she had two enemies. The Animal Kingdom

and Jack Rust.