Chapter Seven: The Reappearance of Blood-A Protoss Adventurer in the Marvel Universe(The Sacred Beast Bai Ze)

Ael Star – Koshaka – Temple of the Star Spirits

Rohana was instructing a Templar in the ways of the Khala within the grand hall when she suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching from outside.

“Forgive me for interrupting your conversation, High Preserver, Lord Mardonis.” The newcomer was a young Templar whom Rohana recognized as a subordinate of Archon Otalis.

“Is there something urgent, Arbiter?” Rohana paused her discussion with Mardonis and turned to the newly arrived Adelaide.

Adelaide bowed apologetically to Rohana. “Forgive me, High Preserver. The Archon has urgent matters to discuss with Lord Mardonis.”

Mardonis stood, bowed slightly to Rohana, and said, “Since the Archon calls, I must take my leave. It has been an honor to hear your teachings.”

Rohana rose to see him off. “No trouble at all. If you have further questions, Executor, you are always welcome to seek me out.”

Adelaide and Mardonis took their leave, and after exiting the temple, Adelaide led Mardonis toward the central residence.

Rohana watched them depart, then resumed her meditation, seated cross-legged before the statue. When left undisturbed, this was her usual practice.

As Rohana focused her mind to advance her arts, she suddenly felt a slight tremor in the earth, followed by a surge of astonishment through the Khala.

She quickly consulted the Khala and discovered that someone had shared a memory with all—causing the widespread surprise. The memory depicted a massive starship emerging from ruins, its markings faintly recognizable as relics of the ancient Empire of Light.

“So someone dug up an antique starship. Odd—I haven’t heard of the High Council reporting such a discovery lately,” Rohana mused, perplexed. Since the establishment of the Star Spirit Empire, artifacts and technology from the Empire of Light had been excavated and reclaimed, but the unearthing of an entire starship was unprecedented.

“Moreover, someone actually piloted it out instead of waiting for a proper excavation? Even stranger—who now knows how to operate such an antique vessel? Is this a new finding from the Academy? Are they not afraid of damaging it?” While Rohana puzzled over these questions, she noticed the sky outside had grown dark.

Rohana rose and stepped outside. Looking up, she saw the strange starship looming overhead. Though only about a hundred meters in length, its low flight made it seem as if it could blot out the sun.

“Why has it flown to the temple? Shouldn’t it head to the research institute first?” Rohana frowned at the craft. As it drew nearer, something felt increasingly amiss. At that moment, shrill alarms sounded above Koshaka, and the Khala swiftly transmitted an urgent message from the High Council.

“Warning: unidentified flying object approaching Koshaka. All communications unanswered. No Khala response detected aboard. All citizens are to return home and take shelter. Repeat: return home and take shelter.”

As she received the Khala’s message, Rohana saw a turret extend from the underside of the ship. Realizing instantly it was an attack, she only had time to relay her discovery through the Khala and raise a psychic shield before a shell struck the temple behind her, the blast burying Rohana beneath the rubble.

The explosion devastated the temple. The High Council, upon receiving the alert, hastily assembled the newly formed defense force, retrieved some antique turrets from the research institute, and rushed toward the temple.

After firing several shells and destroying the temple and nearby buildings, the starship’s hatch opened, and a figure enveloped in red mist sped toward the ruins.

Aton, leading the Templar warriors in their charge, also glimpsed the red figure. A sense of foreboding gripped his heart. Without waiting for his advancing troops, he ordered the Tal’darim to direct the warriors to the temple and then personally unleashed a psychic dash toward the ruins.

The Fang King landed before the temple’s wreckage and effortlessly located the Khaidarim Relic, once enshrined in the hall. He gazed obsessively at the blue gemstone, murmuring in awe, “Ah, such power—only a gem like this is worthy of me.”

His words were barely spoken when he suddenly dodged aside. A streak of blue lightning flashed across the spot where he’d just stood.

“So it is you, Fang King. I never imagined you truly survived.” A clear feminine voice called from the ruins, and Rohana appeared before the Fang King in a blink. She extended her right hand, blue lightning dancing in her palm, launching an attack at him.

“How intriguing—so this is the power taught by Savassein? Fascinating.” The Fang King pocketed the gemstone and darted left and right to evade Rohana’s strikes.

Rohana, unable to break through after repeated attempts, grew anxious. If the relic were stolen by the Fang King, it would be a disgrace of the highest order. Yet the temple was at the city’s heart, and the scale of psychic storms she could conjure would not distinguish friend from foe. As Rohana deliberated, the Fang King noticed her distraction.

A massive pillar of red light shot toward Rohana. She quickly raised her psychic shield, but discovered the energy did not harm the shield—it wrapped around her, trapping her within. Even exerting her full strength, she could not break the prison instantly.

“Haha, little one, fighting me while distracted? I’ll be taking this gem—no need to send me off.” Taking advantage of Rohana’s lapse, the Fang King set a psychic vortex to confine her, then transformed into a red mist and swiftly floated toward the starship.

“Are you alright, Rohana?” Aton arrived just in time to see the red mist departing. He immediately called out to Rohana, trapped within the red sphere.

“I’m fine, Aton. Stop the Fang King—he has stolen the relic!” Rohana quickly transmitted her battle memories to Aton, urging him to intercept.

Receiving the memory, Aton was furious. The wretched Fang King had again used such treacherous tactics. With the current level of Star Spirit Empire’s technology and cultivation, if the Fang King reached the starship, none could stop him.

Watching the mist drift farther away, Aton felt a heavy despair and had no solution. Fortunately, the Tal’darim-led Templar warriors arrived, along with the antique cannons from the research institute. Suddenly inspired, Aton replaced the cannon’s energy core with his own psychic power. The ancient weapon erupted with dazzling blue light, firing a pale blue beam at the Fang King’s figure, destroying itself in the process.

The Fang King, mocking Rohana’s foolishness, was suddenly alerted. He concentrated all his power to block the incoming blue energy. A small mushroom cloud burst forth at the collision, and the Fang King rode the blast straight into the starship.

“System, lift off immediately. All energy to propulsion!” The Fang King, clutching his chest and coughing blood, teleported to the captain’s chair.

“Warning: insufficient energy. Reactor at ten percent. The ship will crash in ten minutes.”

Wiping blood from his lips, the Fang King drew out the Khaidarim Relic. “Energy—what could surpass this?” He sent a pulse of red energy into the gemstone, then slammed it onto the control panel. Instantly, blue energy surged from the gem, engulfing the entire ship.

“Warning: unknown energy detected. Warning: error occurred. Warning, warning—”

“Silence, you insolent thing!” The Fang King angrily kicked the control panel, somehow disabling the persistent alarms.

With the warnings silenced, the Fang King felt a tremendous force pressing him back. The ship accelerated to an unprecedented speed. He, badly injured, soon fell unconscious.

Aton, startled by the cannon’s explosion after firing the blue beam, regained his senses only to find the Fang King’s ship vanished without a trace, save for fading blue streaks across the sky.

Freed from the Fang King’s prison, Rohana walked up to Aton, sighing helplessly. “If only we had more time, the Fang King would never have succeeded so easily.”

Tal’darim, seeing their gloom, spoke to comfort them.

“Our enemy cares not for our readiness, Tal’darim,” Rohana drew a deep breath, steadying her mind. “In truth, we have been too arrogant. The gods’ gifts made us forget the risks that may lurk, but when calamity comes, only our own strength can see us through.”

“Rohana is right, Tal’darim. We have been prideful,” Aton said, gazing at the vanished ship. “But the Fang King’s timing was uncanny—I suspect he has been watching us in secret. From now on, I will propose to the High Council that we must rapidly develop new starships. No matter where the Fang King flees, I will personally bring him to justice.”

“The universe is vast,” Rohana murmured, her brows furrowed. “The Fang King may already have left this planet. My teacher once said there is likely a demonic shadow behind him. If he escapes, aided by the demon’s power…”

“No matter if he flees to the ends of the earth or the farthest reaches of the cosmos, I vow to reclaim the relic and apprehend the Fang King, making him pay for his countless crimes,” Aton interrupted Rohana’s unfinished words. “Whether through technology or cultivation, I believe we can defeat him. The lessons of this and previous encounters are enough—we cannot afford further arrogance. Our enemy will exploit every weakness, but we must never again give them any opportunity to escape.”

“May the gods shelter us. Uhn dara ma’nakai—our mission never ends.”