Chapter 42

Rui stared expressionlessly at Frederick's back.

Although he understood that his father was being remorseful, he also knew that this person didn't deserve freedom or respect. He was the scum of the earth and deserved nothing more than to suffer eternally.

Strangely, Rui found himself lost. He wasn't feeling anything toward this awful man.

Not even interacting with a stranger brought him this feeling of estrangement; it was as if he were looking at air.

In reality, compared to the horrible things people did in the cultivation world, his father could be said to be on the lower end of the spectrum, but he was still, undeniably, a piece of shit.

Sighing, Rui extended his hand and began performing a runic hexagram. In a split second, a small seal was placed on Frederick's back without his notice. This was a runic curse.

Although runic curses were hard to cast and were relatively useless to runic masters of the second level like Rui, to people as weak as Frederick, they were extremely dangerous.

Thankfully for Frederick, this was a minor curse that would only inconvenience him in his daily life. It was basically a curse that enhanced the chance for failure, like a luck curse.

Glancing at the still-crying back of his father, Rui disappeared from the spot, leaving behind a strong gust of wind that took Frederick by surprise.

Turning around, Frederick found the place empty, the young man gone from sight.

Jane, who had just awoken, stared blankly at the hospital ceiling, not knowing what to think.

As someone who had risen to the top of society, especially as a high-ranking hunter, she knew how strange things were.

She remembered how excited she had been when she had acquired a system, just like her master, Nayeli. However, looking back at her actions after acquiring the system, she found herself trembling.

She was being unconsciously controlled; her actions were being manipulated and reinforced through endless suggestions and quests.

The more she thought of her situation, the deeper her panic became, resulting in her hyperventilating.

Clutching her hand tightly, she looked around for her only source of solace in this situation; however, that person was not here yet.

At that moment, Nayeli walked into the room, her worried expression putting a smile on Jane's pale face.

"Jane, how are you feeling? The doctors have checked everything, from your entire body to your mana, and there don't seem to be any issues. What happened for you to pass out?"

Nayeli spoke franticly, worried about the health of her subordinate but also having a fear of her mysterious partner. Jane had become more than just a subordinate to her at the moment; she was a connection to a being with more power than earthlings could imagine.

Sadly for Nayeli, however, the current Rui wasn't strong enough to deal with the lowest-ranking members of the inter-dimensional federation or, what's more, free Earth from its clutches.

One had to know that the federation didn't just span a single universe but multiple universes and dimensions. It was a behemoth that, sadly, required more than just strength to deal with. Even ninth-rank rune masters couldn't exterminate them, even if they united to destroy the federation. At most, they could destroy the branch in their universe and dimension, but that would only exacerbate the situation.

Though if the mysterious existences behind the cultivation worlds were to make a move, no one knew the results.

"I'm fine, my lord. It's just a small matter... Do you perhaps know where, um, Albert has gone to?"

Jane reassured Nayeli with a soft smile, asking about Rui's whereabouts.

At that moment, wind picked up inside the room, and a figure appeared standing expressionlessly at the center.

Rui, who had just arrived, glanced at Jane's pale face with a frown. He knew that there would be some side effects from removing the system since it originally acted like a parasite, but seeing Jane's current state, he realized he had underestimated the situation.

Jane's soul was currently in a very fragile state, to the point of even shattering if another system tried to possess it.

Rui knew he had to somehow recover her spirit, but he was stuck on how he should do so. After all, he wasn't someone on the spirit or soul path. The only thing he could do at the moment was use treasures to nurture her soul, but even finding such a thing was hard.

Suddenly, he recalled something and removed Yue from his ear.

Using [Identify] and [Understanding] on Yue once again, he scanned the information carefully.

[Heavenly Moon, Yue

Tier: Low-Heavenly grade.

Fighting grade: low-Human Grade.

Master: Guang Rui

Abilities: Moon Shield, Moon Slash, Weak Regeneration.

Description: A spiritual artifact created by the Heavenly Demon when writing down his cultivation method It does not possess a lot of power, and most of its strength comes from the almost indestructible material it is made out of. The only useful function is its information.]

[Moon Shield]

[A shield created by moonlight. By absorbing the power of the moon, this shield can be cast up to three times a day. The shield can nullify spiritual attacks.]

[Moon Slash]

[By utilizing the Heavenly Demon Mantra (or the Heavenly Runic Mantra), you are able to launch moon slashes that deal physical and spiritual damage to your enemy.]

[Weak Regeneration]

[The ability of regeneration. Although weak, it affects not only the physical form but also the spirit and even the meridians.]

Rui stared blankly at the functions and then at the system description.

'How the fuck is this supposed to be a useless artifact? [Weak Regeneration] is more than enough to make it a great artifact.'

Since it was only at a later date that he acquired the [Understanding] skill, it was no wonder he didn't get such an in-depth analysis. However, he deeply regretted not knowing the exact function of these skills earlier.

He was starting to feel bad for Yue at the moment. He had completely neglected this spiritual artifact of his after R.A.I. awakened.

Since Yue could slowly fix the damage in Jane's soul, Rui decided to give it to her for the time being.

"Yue, transform and head over to Jane. Make sure to treat her soul damage."

In an instant, the crescent moon-shaped earring transformed into an adorable snake that moved with lightning speed towards Jane.

Jane and Nayali stared at the scene in astonishment.

After landing on Jane, Yue crawled up her neck and tied itself around it, transforming into a snake-shaped choker.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable in any way? Do you feel any discomfort from the artifact?"

Seeing that Yue had become a chocker, Rui quickly asked in worry.

"No, it's fine. I don't even feel it, but somehow I can feel my strength slowly returning after it latched on to me."

Jane explained, still dazed by the whole situation.

Rui sighed in relief after seeing Yue's abilities work. After all, he was still the master of the artifact.

Turning his head towards Nayeli, he narrowed his eyes slightly and returned his head towards Jane.

"This is Yue, a spiritual artifact with sentience. It will help you heal."

Rui explained Yue's function to her, and Jane nodded in understanding.

After finishing his explanation, Rui turned his head towards Nayeli once again, asking her to come outside for a discussion, leaving Jane to recover properly in peace.

Outside the hospital room, Nayeli fidgeted in discomfort while Rui stared daggers at her.

Thanks to the unique vision his physique granted him, he was able to see the energy fluctuations around her body becoming more and more chaotic.

"What's the matter with you? I can tell without a doubt that you had every intention to attack me when I entered the room. However, I know that you are not foolish enough to try something like that, especially now that I know how your ability works."

Rui's gaze was cold, and his killing intent coming from his body placed a great burden on Nayeli's mind.

Nayeli shook like a mouse being caught, not knowing how to react.

"I'm warning you; you better be honest. You might be Jane's superior, but if you are my enemy, I won't hesitate to eliminate you."

Rui's words dug right through any courage she had mustered to lie about the situation, causing her shoulders to slump down in defeat.

After breathing heavily for a bit, she finally opened her mouth and spoke the truth.

"I have received a quest. A quest that every supreme on the planet has probably received."

Nayeli paused, thinking of how to phrase things, while Rui tilted his head in confusion.

"What sort of mission would make you act hostile toward me?"

He asked, digging for an answer.

"[Quest: Find the System Destroyer]

A system under the Federation's control has been destroyed on your planet. Please find the culprit and bring him to justice.]"

She said this, her expression turning gloomier by the second.

Rui raised an eyebrow in surprise, knowing things had gone differently from what he had expected. It seemed like the federation had somehow acquired information about a system removal, though that in itself made sense.

After all, if a server suddenly stopped working, you would seek out the source of the problem and fix it.

And Rui was currently the problem the federation was facing.

"What about the rewards?"

He asked, intrigued by the situation.

Nayeli gulped audibly and spoke.

"[Quest Rewards: A System Upgrade]

[Quest Failure: A System Downgrade]"

Hearing her words, Rui couldn't help but laugh.

"So there is even a penalty for failure! Now it makes sense why even you would consider attacking me after having come to the conclusion that I removed Jane's system, and that's what's caused her momentary weakness.

Rui's aura suddenly erupted, causing a quarantined earthquake in the area and shaking the entire building. Thankfully, he had only targeted Nayeli, so the damage to the building was reduced to a minimum.

Nayeli, however, wasn't looking so well, as her entire body was squashed on the floor, as if gravity had suddenly increased twenty-fold.

Knowing fully well that she couldn't resist, Rui suppressed his aura, returning the gravity back to normal.

Nayeli slowly picked herself up with great effort due to the injuries she sustained.

"That was just a warning. Just accept the system downgrade and be happy with it. If any of the fools you call supremes approach you for my whereabouts, I hope you know what to say. As for uniting with them to take me down..."

Rui paused slightly as a spine-chilling smile crept up his lips.

Nayeli trembled in fear, her heart thumbing like a war drum.

"Anyway, try not to disturb me. I will be staying with Jane for the time being."

Saying so, Rui's figure flashed and appeared inside the room, with Nayeli staring dumbly at the slowly closing door.

While Rui and Nayeli were having their bout, Jane had already fallen asleep.

Since her soul was in a weakened state, she required a lot of rest to even stay awake for a few minutes.

Rui stared at her sleeping face with a gentle smile as he reminisced about the past.

Returning to earth was a bizarre experience for him, as he had already given up on the past. But now that he had returned here, he could still feel the lingering attachment he held, especially for Jane.

"Rai, is there a way to bring Jane with me when we return?"

Asked Rui, already expecting a negative response. He knew that with his current abilities, without asking for help from the guardian, it was impossible to bring Jane with him.

Rui felt helpless just thinking of the situation.

╓ Positive. There are currently two ways of transferring the individual known as "Jane" with you to exoplanet A23. The first method is to destroy the person's body and capture their soul, using it as a tool. The second method is to utilize an item or artifact that traps living beings, giving you the ability to store them inside your inventory. The second option has a similar function to Sunny and the pet contract. ╖

Rui instantly opened his eyes wide after understanding the information.

'The first option is clearly a no-go, but the second one could be possible. I'm sure an item like that would be available on the market.'

Rui thought, his eyes shining brightly.

Just as he was about to contact Nayeli for any information on such items, he stopped and thought of something.

"Rai, now that I think about it, where is Sunny, and why have I completely forgotten about him? No wait, rather than forgetting about him, it feels like I was denied the ability to even think about him.

Rui asked in horror, realizing that he had forgotten about his pet and companion.

╓ Sunny is currently undergoing the same trial in a different dimension. Through the connection to the pet contract, you can check on Sunny's health at any time. ╖

Just like R.A.I. said, Rui could feel a faint connection with Sunny once he focused on the pet contract. Sunny's vital signs were quite healthy, though he did seem to be slightly injured. Thankfully, though, he was slowly recovering.

Sighing deeply, Rui contacted Nayeli with the new communication device he had acquired.

Unlike Rui, who had regained the ability to think about Sunny, Sunny had completely forgotten his existence.

When Sunny awoke, he found himself inside a vast jungle with trees hundreds of meters tall covering the sky.

His first instinct was to fly above these massive trees, but in the process, he was attacked by various beasts who wanted to hinder his ascent.

The beasts weren't powerful, however, barely reaching the first rank of rune beasts, which made the situation manageable for Sunny.

After dealing with most of the beasts, Sunny flew over the treetops, injured from the encounter but still healthy enough to deal with anything that came his way.

Sunny scanned the area, witnessing a bone-chilling sight.

Wherever he looked, it was an endless forest of trees for thousands of kilometers, as if the entire world were a giant forest.

However, what truly made Sunny cower in fear was the sight right above the forest.

Above him, an entire ocean seemed to flow freely, as if in its own equilibrium between space and time. The forest and the ocean seemed to be in totally different dimensions, but at the same time, they seemed to co-exist on the same plane of existence.

Oddly enough, the sun and moon also seemed to exist at the same time, each in opposite directions.

Since Sunny was a three-legged golden crow, he of course preferred the side where the sun shone the brightest.

His wings ached from the earlier battle with the forest beasts, and he knew he needed to find a safe place to rest and recover. However, this forest was unlike any he had ever seen, and he had no idea where he could find shelter.

As he flew through the endless canopy of trees, his primal instincts kicked in to their fullest, letting him become a fully wild beast and not a sheltered pet.

Although Rui was a great master, he was someone who would never let his loved ones get hurt, which resulted in a sheltered upbringing, one that golden crows weren't born to deal with.

Golden crows were destined to be apex predators, mythical creatures that were overlords of their domains.

After flying for an unknown period of time, Sunny finally spotted a change in the terrain. It was a small clearing, bathed in dappled sunlight filtering through the towering trees. It looked like a suitable place to rest and recuperate. Landing gracefully in the clearing, Sunny carefully examined his surroundings, remaining cautious of any potential threats.

Looking at the gentle scenery, Sunny felt uneasy. The soft chirping of birds and the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze created a serene atmosphere; however, Sunny's instincts were on edge, knowing fully well that something was off with the clearing.

Cautiously, Sunny extended his senses, trying to detect any hidden threats or anomalies in the area. His keen eyes scanned the surroundings, looking for any signs of movement or disturbance in the otherwise pristine landscape.

Suddenly, his sharp vision caught a glimpse of something unusual. There, among the foliage at the edge of the clearing, he saw a cluster of vibrant flowers.

The flowers looked completely out of place in the forest, possessing colors not normally seen in nature. They were vibrant to the point of being blinding, each flower possessing its own unique color.

Sunny's instincts screamed at him to be cautious, warning him that these flowers were no ordinary flora. As he focused on them, he noticed that their petals were moving, almost as if they were beckoning him closer.

But Sunny knew better than to trust such a tempting display. With his guard up, he remained where he was, observing the strange flowers from a safe distance. He had already extended his aura, causing his entire body to be covered in a fiery blaze.

As he watched, the flowers continued to sway and emit their mesmerizing glow. Sunny remained still as a statue, slowly recovering from his injuries and ready to leave the area at any moment.

Time slowly ticked by as Sunny's injuries healed rapidly. During this period of time, no major change took place, but the swaying of the flowers became far more frantic, as if urging Sunny to approach them.

Sunny's golden eyes expressionlessly scanned the surroundings, making sure that the only threats were the strange flowers. For some reason, he felt different from the beasts he had seen when he first arrived, as if all the creatures here acted on instinct. The flowers were also the same.

Suddenly, rustling noises could be heard from outside the clearing. Whatever was moving was, without a shadow of a doubt, coming towards the clearing.

Sunny's eyes were in full focus, not only on the approaching threat but also on the suspicious flowers.

Soon, the source of the rustling became visible. It was a creature that resembled a deformed deer. Its fur was a shimmering shade of iridescent blue, and its eyes glowed with an unnatural light.

The creature stepped cautiously into the clearing, its eyes immediately drawn to the vibrant flowers. It moved closer to them, seemingly entranced by their beauty and movement, its hooves making the same rustling noises as before.

Sunny watched the creature with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. He could clearly tell that the beast was under some sort of spell or illusion.

The deer rapidly approached the flowers, throwing away any notion of caution it previously held.

To Sunny's astonishment, as soon as the deer touched one of the flowers, it quickly withered away in mere seconds, not leaving behind even a single bone.

Sunny shuddered, knowing well that this was a sign for him to leave the area.

At that moment, he could feel the ground shaking as the roots of the flowers did their best to reach towards him, uprooting the ground and causing a large mess.

Without a second's hesitation, Sunny flew away from the clearing, not daring to come close to it or any other clearing.