785 Before The Next Sunset
"Done?"
Kyle glared at his friend and shoved the suitcase into his hands without a word.
Varian didn't bother to check the contents. This new 'creation' was something he requested after Mars was nearly destroyed due to Shadow Order.
Since the science couple was on a vacation, Dr. Tom did the work. Since it was just an upgrade, the device was completed fast. Of course, without Kyle helping him out, it wouldn't be this fast.
"Thanks, dude. You're a lifesaver," Varian grinned.
"How about you don't thank me and just convince Maya to end the vacation?" Kyle rubbed his waist and asked in a weary tone.
Varian looked at Kyle's waist in contempt, "Lack of stamina is inexcusable. You should really exercise more."
"And grow some abs? Give me a break!" Kyle punched Varian on the shoulder and sighed like he was abandoned by the world.
If it was anyone else doing this to him, Varian would've slapped them silly. But he simply laughed at Kyle's actions.
After all the heavy events he witnessed in the past few days, talking to his genius stupid friend lifted Varian's mood.
The cool breeze of the evening washed over them as the sounds of children laughing rang in their ears.
Since Mars was still recovering from the tragic events, the beach was mostly empty.
Varian drew the purple sky planetoid on the sand with his toe as he shrugged. "You started it. I just gave you advice. It's not my fault."
"Yes, I started it, but I…" Kyle's shoulders drooped as he gazed at the sunset over the ocean.
After the vacation started, Kyle wanted to make up for Maya and take their relationship a step ahead.
So, he asked Varian how to smash all the bases. Varian didn't hold back and gave him the wisdom.
On the second day of the vacation, Kyle graduated from his virginity. He even yelled from the top of his villa's balcony that night.
After tasting the forbidden fruit, he thought he found one more joy in life besides researching.
But…
Things changed from the third day.
At first, he was overpowered. Slowly, he was dominated. Eventually, he was defeated. And finally, he was squeezed dry.
Kyle finally realized why the average lifespan of men was always less than women, no matter the era.
When he got the chance, he escaped to Varian without a second thought.
"Bro, I really don't want to be horny anymore, I just want to do my research," Kyle looked at the ocean as if he was ready to start the next stage of life.
The waves washed over his feet, but no response came from behind.
Kyle raised a brow as he turned around. "Bro?"
"Yo—" Kyle's body stiffened as he saw the person he dreaded more than the Mirage Queen.
Maya gave him a wink and pulled him to their villa.
From the top of a mountain, Varian watched Kyle being dragged like a pig being taken to be slaughtered. But strangely, Kyle didn't resist.
Varian watched the sunset with a serious expression as he said in an ominous tone. "Another warrior has fallen."
"Why do I feel like Kyle is enjoying the situation?" Sia appeared beside him at some point as she gave Varian a doubtful gaze.
"Um, maybe he secretly is?" Varian shrugged with a doubtful expression. "Maybe he likes it that way. I don't want to judge."
Sia was dumbfounded and asked. "You like that too?"
When she realized what she just said, Sia's face turned beet red and she wanted to say it was something else.
But Varian replied with a smirk. "Silly girl, whether a truck hits a bike or a bike hits a truck, the one going down is the bike."
Sia rolled her eyes at his narcissism and snickered. "Maybe you'll be begging for mercy too. You have double trouble."
Varian burst into a fit of laughter.
Sia clicked her tongue at his confidence before shifting her attention to the box in his hand. "Is that the detector?"
"Hm," Varian's expression turned serious and his bearing suddenly changed, as if the one who was talking nonsense from earlier wasn't him. "The Abysses have closed down for now. We won't have anything to do there for now. Time to clean up the pests."
Sia nodded in agreement.
After witnessing the ridiculous amount of destruction Varian caused, the remaining Abyss Rulers followed Mirage Queen's decision and closed their Abysses.
As a price, they were all significantly weakened.
Now, all the high-end combat power of the Federation and Abysses was concentrated on the planetoids.
There wasn't much Varian could do at this point. So, cleaning up the internal traitors who nearly destroyed Mars was a very appealing choice.
To find the secret realms they resided in, Dr. Tom modified the space wave detector a bit.
Varian looked at the setting suns and said in a tone laced with killing intent. "By the next sunset, it'll all be over."
One hour later, Athena Group of Military finished replicating the device and the hunting teams all across the Federation received the scanners.
The raid began.
— — —
Thirty thousand miles away from Mars, far away from the planetoids:
Mars' main branch of the Shadow Order was in a heavy lifeless state.
After realizing Mirage Queen was going to attack Mars, the Shadow Order evacuated the secret realms on the planet and moved to the ones far away.
Due to the sudden notice and the necessity to evacuate entire secret realms, they weren't able to erase their traces on the way out.
It didn't matter before because everyone on Mars was supposed to be dead.
But now, the army had already found out the marks they made during evacuation and was finding their secret realms one by one.
Shadow Order could kiss Mars' secret realms goodbye and that wasn't the most depressing part.
Crushing their hopes, Mars somehow forced the Mirage Abyss from starting a war.
No one, not even Mars' Shadow Lord, Tamal, had the slightest clue why.
'Why did the Mirage Abyss, no, why did all the Abysses close off?' Seated on his throne, Tamal, rested his face on his fist as he tried to find the answer.
He asked Mirage Queen already, but she just asked him to focus on his own work. From her tone of speech, the Abyssal Queen was incredibly pissed.
'Something happened…'
In the empty courtroom, Tamal tapped his throne.
This room was full just a year ago. But with the advent of Enigma, it was cut in half. Then came Varian and now, only a handful of people still worked here.
The new Shadow Guardians under Seth had already started hunting them down. This time, with explicit public support and implicit government permission, the Guardians went above and beyond to hunt them down.
The descendants of the once glorious Shadow Nation, the members of Shadow Order were now worse than dogs, hunted day and night.
Even the members of the organization began to betray and everything was a mess.
Tamal hoped the destruction of Mars would settle everything. But that's impossible now.
'Varian did something. He forced the Mirage Abyss to not start a war, then what about the rest, why did they all close up…' Tamal's eyes narrowed as a thought appeared in his mind.
A thought that was the most logical but also his worst nightmare.
'He did something in Mirage Abyss that scared away all the remaining Abysses.' Tamal sucked in a breath of cold air.
"Lord?" A hesitant but urging voice called him.
Tamal came to his senses and rebuked himself for not noticing the informant entering the room. "What is it?"
"Sir, the military has mobilized extra forces."
"So? All the Abysses are pushing all the planet armies into a stalemate. This is normal."
"No, Sir. The Athena Group has dispatched all its fighters. Our member spotted even a figure that was thought to be dead a few years ago."
"Athena Group?" Tamal's eyes suddenly widened as he felt an invisible weight on his chest.
The army wasn't well experienced in hunting the Order. But Athena Group, those monsters had found the Order branches many times in the past.
Having escaped them since his career began, Tamal wasn't afraid of them. But for some reason, his heart just wouldn't stop pounding in fear.
Athena Group was indeed never a problem for him. But what if that nightmare of a human joins in…
"Increase the defenses! Stop all movement of goods! Do not give them any clu—"
Tamal held onto his throne as the ground shook violently.
At the same time, four informants rushed in and yelled. "Lord Tamal, the secret realm is being att—"
Before they could finish, a screeching sound reverberated across the secret realm as a huge tear appeared in the sky.
Fifty spaceships, headed by three level 9s, bombarded this crime haven.
Feeling the three auras that locked onto him, Tamal's face paled.
Today might very well be the last.
