Chapter 253

Chapter 253

Maven smiled as she entered Ventillyrias realspace, right at the very edge of the parent stars gravity well in a small, single-man vessel.

Once she confirmed she was well away from the outermost planet that was the Empires local fortress, she looked down to the spherical artifact she had been given for this mission. As the result of secret formulae from a Talented crafter, it was made to connect two people across vast distances in a way that was nearly impossible to intercept, unlike [Spiritual Self] communications. The only limitation for the tech was the two devices needed to be in the same universe to function, meaning the communications couldnt cross over to worlds that were nearby in chaotic space, but whose planets were not in the same universe.

Calming herself, she sent her spirit into the artifact and waited patiently in the illusionary realm that the device created. It was quite nice, with a seating area near a waterfall hidden inside a verdant valley, nicely contrasting the perfect baby blue sky. There was even a small pond filled with fish that came up to investigate the new person in their home, which added a touch of liveliness to the surroundings. If she didnt know better, she would think this was a real-world miniaturized inside the orb.

Finding a tea set, she made herself a pot and then settled in for the wait while enjoying the scenery. It took almost a week for them to arrive, which was three days past the agreed-upon time, but finally, the local spymaster appeared in the illusion, and she got her first glimpse at them.

Normally, Maven would be respectful to someone so dedicated to the Sects, and her own sect in particular, but she was irritated at the woman's tardiness.

An attitude the nondescript woman immediately picked up on. Do not seek to question me, Dao Child. Things are not as they were before you entered Chaotic Space. The Empires Elder Luna has arrived with her newest charges.

Maven required a moment to properly recognize the name, but her eyes narrowed once she had. The Empire had few Elders worth remembering, but the Elder specializing in training Young Masters certainly had. Her legacy extended across multiple dynasties, and she had no less than four Masters and dozens of elites listed among her successes. Shed supposedly retired, but had returned to train another one of the Empires whelps, undoubtedly coaxed from her rest as a means of implying they had another group of potential Masters. A ploy that would work should their boast not be so utterly impossible.

Her presence complicated things, for certain. Their latest intelligence had the Elder at Tier 43, and as such, capable of foiling their entire plan should she decide to meddle. It was unseemly for a Dao Child to show distress, so her face was unmoved even as she realized just how close they were to disaster at every waking moment. Should their sleeves so much as cross the rules of war by a hairs width, the Elder would end their lives before they could so much as think. Their requirement of explicitly following every letter of the law was never more important than it was now.

Furthermore, while the Elder was not a warrior, she did not need to be one to foil their plans. It did excuse the womans tardiness, at least. As a spy, she was not covered by the wartime treaties, and no doubt had to perform impressive legal wrangling to ensure Luna did not capture or kill her with a spare thought.

What has she done? Maven asked, as she was quite afraid that a large part of their mission was now ruined.

The spymasters fists clenched. Nothing, yet. I do not know if she fully knows the scope of our plan, but she is aware of something. I know she suspects me, but I have been careful and there is nothing that she can do, in accordance with the Empires own laws. Not that there is much she even can do, before we make our move. Have you brought the final payment?

I did. Do we need to report this to the sect elders? If she chooses to interfere, our mission is impossible.

The spymaster shook her head. It matters not, everything is already set. The attacks schedule has remain unchanged, with most of the rifts already planted using the mana we were able to smuggle in beforehand. When combined with our Heart Of An Elder Tree still serving as a prime distraction for all others above Tier 35, we can simply hope that she prioritizes protecting her own proteges over interfering with our plan.

Maven nodded, then had a thought strike her. Indeed. In fact, I believe she may not be as much of a threat as we initially feared. When her students emerged from Minkalla, it was reported that she nearly broke her Revelations attempting to suppress an inspiration from one of them. It has only been a few decades since, not nearly enough for her spirit to recover, or possibly even her body.

As you say, Dao Child.

Yes, this could still work. There were not many cultivators over Tier 35 present upon Ventillyria, simply a few parents who had not left alongside their children. And the prize they were leaving for them would serve as more than an adequate distraction. It was, after all, partially why the world had been chosen.

The spymaster flicked a finger and a file appeared on the table next to Maven, but she didnt read it until she had finished her tea. The spymaster might have let her mannerisms skew to the Empire, but Maven was a Dao Child, and that meant being proper.

When she was ready, she adjusted herself to sit at the table appropriately and read the packet of information about the supply depot.

It took Maven a few minutes to digest everything, but when she finished the information, she let her gaze harden.

The elders said you have cleared most of the obstacles. Why is there a new team of mercenaries stationed at the depot? This is an unacceptable deviation from the plan.

The spymaster waved her concern off. It's a wrinkle, but better than it could have been had I not interfered. It was only possible thanks to the spies I seeded throughout various sectors in the surrounding worlds. The only thing the three idiots vying for the throne agree on is digging me out, and they initially wanted to hire another three teams. Thankfully, I got advance word and activated a few other contingencies to pull the teams away. Now it is only one team of above-average Tier 27 Empire delvers. You should have no issue in neutralizing them.

Dao Child Maven allowed the authority that she had cultivated during her training to shine through her normal persona. This is still an unacceptable level of deviation. I will report it to the elders with the recommendation that your performance be more carefully scrutinized. Spy work is hard, yes, but I see the dates. This team was hired two years before the war declaration, so there is no reason it shouldnt have been in your other reports. Do not expect me to clean up your messes.

Standing, Maven looked out to the distance, deliberately not looking at the spymaster. Watch carefully to ensure that nothing goes awry. Especially with Lunas charges. I and my people will not be near them, let alone interact with them. That would be a flagrant violation of the treaties, and I will not throw my life away on a fool's errand. I hope there are no more surprises, or your head will roll.

Calling attacking someone under the care of a Tier 43 a fool's errand was an understatement, but she needed to make her stance clear as this spymaster seemed all too willing to force her into precarious situations.

Yes, she could handle a team of Tier 27s. She was a Dao Child, after all. Her blood, spirit, and Revelations had elevated her to greatness, and she had forged them into an unassailable weapon through her own determination and the hand of fate.

She might not be able to go toe to toe with someone like Master Waters, but even the Senior Elder had never seen such might in his immeasurably long life. Normal delvers, even with a small Tier advantage, were of no consequence. She was confident that she could at least match Light and Shadow, no matter what abilities they had withheld. She had prepared counters for all of their displayed capabilities, and counters for many things which could be in their arsenal. She was no mere footsoldier to be tricked by withheld information; she was a Dao Child, and was the embodiment of all that the title entailed.

The spymaster looked like she wanted to say something, but eventually, she lowered her head. As is your command, Dao Child.

With that taken care of, Maven broke the connection and returned to her body.

Once she was there, she immediately spoke out, I apologize for any brashness or rudeness of mine, Elder Luna. I hope that we might interact in accordance with the guidance of our elders, following their agreements and treaties to the letter.

Normally she would never have been willing to remind a Tier 43 like that, but she felt it was worth the risk, as an angry Elder was something she couldnt handle. An irritated one, she believed she could deal with.

She waited a polite minute before getting no response, then activated the necessary formations to tear through the veil of reality and return her to the main ship.

There she quickly rendezvoused with Captain Darok and Lieutenant Emily, where she filled them in on the complications.

Their reactions were as she expected, and while they might have emoted more than she would, they were expressing her own feelings.

She merely dispatched the guards, as confirming their deaths would be too costly in time, and she wished to reach the next group of guards before they finished forming up.

Lieutenant Emily and the Cavalry division kept up with her and broke through another two formations of guards, but in front of her was a nearly intact defensive station. In lieu of tearing it down, she transformed into a thunderbird, became intangible, and tore through the meager defenses against incorporeal enemies as though they were gossamer. She never fully re-manifested into reality, relying wholly on her claws and techniques as she tore the defenders apart.

Just as Lieutenant Emily and the Cavalry division arrived, Maven deactivated the shields and they progressed deeper into the moon, where they could finally see their prize. A massive vault the size of a small warship, defended by a dozen teams of guards in defensive positions, reinforced by a team of more elite fighters.

Maven transformed once more, primarily becoming an Earth Dragon with just a hint of Void Sparrow. The void would exact its toll, but the price was well spent empowering her claws and wings.

She crashed into their defenses, allowing her dragonscale to protect her from the mere Tier 27 foot soldiers until the real fighters joined the fray.

Three of their attacks all landed on the same spot of her armor, and one of them had a Revelation that tried to tear apart her defensive techniques. She responded with a flurry of void-enhanced feathers, her [Ten Thousand Feathers Which Are Mightier Than The Sword] enabling her to utilize her own wings as true weapons and ensure that the stone feathers cut through flesh and armor alike.

[The Hand Which Grasps Fire Fears No Spear] reinforced her wings and head as a second barrage of attacks struck her, and as she received covering fire from Lieutenant Emily and the Cavalry, she struck out once again. The armor of the Corporations truly was impressive, she had to admit to herself, and she mentally decided to investigate the feasibility of obtaining some for herself.

Captain Daroks band were elites, and even while outnumbered and out-Tiered, half the Cavalry division led by Lieutenant Emily cut through hundreds of Empire-reserved troops in just minutes.

The more elite team, on the other hand, was her problem. And even with her superior bloodline and techniques, it took her an unbearable amount of time before the last one fell.

Once the fighting ceased, Maven called out through her [Spiritual Self]. Let's get the vault free.

Letting her transformation fade, she joined the mercenaries in digging the vault out and then attaching it to cables that led back to the ship.

Maven and everyone else held on as their ship turned and ripped the vault out of the moon. Guards tried to chase them, but with the vault as cover, they were able to unleash a wave of techniques which prevented the guards from getting too close.

Maven took the opportunity to check her [Spiritual Self] and see the situation on Ventillyria.

She clenched her fist when she saw that in ten minutes, Luna had already cleared up the situation, and from the reports she was intercepting, the Elder had prevented thirty thousand rifts from even breaking. Or rather, she had simply vaporized most of the monsters around the thirty thousand rifts, leaving only twenty thousand to spew their monsters across the cities and create chaos. Even then, the woman had been able to annihilate every monster that had been rampaging in the cities in just ten minutes. She hadnt even had to destroy a city or two to do it, which Maven had hoped for. A high Tier obliterating civilians for any reason, no matter how justified, would have made for great propaganda, but they haven't even gotten that out of this attack.

Maven shook her head in a combination of shock and awe.

The attacks had still served their purpose, and allowed them to complete their mission, but she had wished the monsters had longer to rampage. It would have sent a better message.

Captain Darok reported not long after that he was disengaging, having dealt considerable damage to the garrison, which wouldnt be easy to repair without their supply depot. That would allow the sects attacking in this region to quickly sweep through the border and up to Ventillyria before using it as a staging ground.

It hadnt been a perfect mission, but they had done their job with only a few casualties on their side, meaning they were still combat capable for the next mission.

Maven and Lieutenant Emily had just put the vault in the ship's cargo bay and returned to the command station to meet up with Captain Darok. They were ready to celebrate a successful mission when she realized that Captain Darok was frozen next to the table.

Her spatial perception found nothing, but when she took a step to the left, she also froze, her body going stiff after seeing the woman standing in the room.

Luna stood there. In her ship.

At less than six feet tall, the woman had to look up to all of them, but Maven didnt feel like she towered over Luna. No, she felt like she was standing in front of a mountain, and it was glaring back at her.

She wanted to say something, but the hostility that radiated off the dark-haired woman was stifling.

Her rational mind wanted to say that this was clearly just her intimidating them, but Maven felt hostility. Actual killing intent. But that wasnt quite right; she realized this was more hollow than that, and if Luna had wanted to kill them, they would just be dead.

Her bloodline gave her another possible explanation.

Luna was a cat, and she had seen cats casually killing small animals before. It might be for food, but it also might just be because they were bored.

The Tier 43s spirit radiated something between the two, and it paralyzed her.

Her only hope was that when their ship ripped its way into Chaotic Space, the Luna in front of them would just be created with a First or Second Revelation. They weren't able to leave the universe the main body was in, but her hopes were dashed the moment she felt them tear through reality.

Luna was still there, which meant this was either a clone created by her Third Revelation, or her main body. Regardless, she could trivially kill everyone inside without leaving a trace, which made her wonder if Luna really was just a house cat toying with her prey before killing it.

It felt like hours, but her [Spiritual Self] told her it was only minutes when Luna finally spoke. I was tempted to just obliterate you all. Millions are dead because of your distraction. If you had stepped out of line, I would have, but you were careful. Maven was letting the breath she had been holding out, when Lunas next words caused it to stick halfway out. Im still tempted. There may be punishments for attacking you, but my patience has worn thin. But I wont. Stay alive when Light and Shadow come after you, because I want to watch you die when my charges come for their revenge. I wont take that from them. That is the only reason you are alive. Treasure your remaining time, for it won't be long.

Maven was sure that she should stay as an implied threat, but the Luna in front of her started to dissolve into purple motes of light from the feet up, moments after her final word was uttered. The last thing to vanish was her slitted eyes.

Eyes that contained barely restrained anger.

Eyes that Maven was sure would haunt her dreams for weeks to come.