As Varian waited in the outer space for Bali to take off, a squadron of space shuttles streaked across a small asteroid belt, their speed turning the floating rocks to rubble.
As they approached his space ship, they didn't slow down at all. Instead, they accelerated.
Their stealth wore off and the defense systems of the space station Varian was near identified their presence.
Riiiing!
A blue light flashed and an alarm bell went off. The emergency department of the space station was informed immediately.
"Uh? Huh?" The man in charge, a level 8 looked at the holograph in his comm and gaped.
"Motherfuckers!" Flames engulfed his body and he shot out into the space.
Even if he thought with his knees, he knew these intruders were up to no good. He needed to stop them in time or his little space station's funds would be cut.
"Argh!" But he was only a level 8.
He was too slow.
"Please be safe. Please be safe." The station manager muttered as he sped up towards Varian's space shuttle.
The object of his prayer, Varian however looked at the incoming space shuttles with a rather disinterested expression on his face.
He was seated on a black throne and kept tapping the armrest while muttering "tch."
"Master, the probability of high awakeners being in that ship are less than 8%." Boo informed with a grave expression.
"…" Varian looked at his ghost AI and stopped tapping the armrest. "Do you remember how accurate your predictions are?"
Back in the Vanish Dungeon, Boo predicted a couple of things…all of which went wrong.
"B-But that's only two things." Boo tried to defend itself, but Varian waved his hands.
"Forget your algorithm, use common sense sometimes." His lips curled up. "Sovereign Kreo and if I'm not wrong, even Sovereign Julius should've heard Eric talking to me about Sia.
Then with their network, it wouldn't be hard to investigate my request for being the first was to find Sia.
They'll also deduce I didn't lose the memory like they intended to."
"I know that already. So they'll send low level 6s to fight you and at most mid level 6." Boo puffed out its chest and replied with a smug smile.
It seemed to be saying. 'Hey, I'm smart and all, you know? Come praise me.'
"…why in the name of heaven's will would they send level 6s?" Varian looked at the little ghost with pity.
Sure enough, it had brain problems. After all, part of its brain was missing.
"Eh?" Boo made a confused expression. "Isn't that what villains do? I've been reading manga, you can't fool me.
Villains will always send mobs just a bit stronger than hero. Then hero wins, levels up and then they'll send slightly stronger mobs.
When hero finally catches up to them, villains will say—"
Boo put on a black face mask and sat on a dark red chair. With a deep and ferocious voice, it said. "Just how did you grow up? From a nobody in the novice village to challenging me?
Hmph! But it doesn't matter. Not like I'm gonna write a biography having my mistakes to help my successors.
All that matters now is—even if you came here beating all the mobs and even if I'm only slightly stronger than you, you die!
Mhuahahaha."
"?!" Listening to Boo's maniacal laughter, Varian realized it might have gone insane.
"I wonder if Technocrats can heal your mania?" Varian muttered and used his authority over the ghost ship.
Technically, he was the 'owner'.
A black light flashed and Varian was in the ghost ship in an instant.
A moment later, the space shuttle was covered by a huge lightning net. Some parts of the space shuttle touched the lightning and melted away in seconds.
Rumble!
The space shuttle's systems flashed an emergency red and a scorching fire lotus attacked the space shuttle's engine.
Boom!
The temperature rose uncontrollably and the space shuttle's emergency protocol urged to Varian to leave via the emergency space pods.
If he actually did that, he'd be fried by the lightning net.
Thankfully, Varian wasn't Boo.
He shrunk the size of ghost ship and it shot from an entrance created by melted metal.
Without delay, the intruders outside hurled three large red boxes towards the space shuttle.
Right after, their space shuttles dashed out at full speed.
"…What happened?" The Station Manager muttered as he was only a few dozen miles away from the space shuttle.
He sensed an uncontrollable power and quickly shot to the space shuttle.
The broken, burning space shuttle. "Maybe if I can still sav—"
The space suddenly shook and a bright red light bloomed into existence, melting down the space shuttle in its wake.
Boom!
The Station Manager was hit by the shockwaves but he wasn't harmed in the slightest.
The only thing that changed was his expression.
"Level 7 explosives?" He was surprised.
They were hella expensive.
Just who did this man provoke?
'I hope I don't get caught up.' He sighed and slowly approached the site.
The space shuttle was no more. All that was left was molted metal.
"Ah. Whatever." He looked into the distance and saw patrol ships approaching the site.
Unlike him, they were from the Infini City.
After scanning the site with the best sensors they had and with the macro kinetic using her mind sense, they confirmed one thing.
The person inside was dead.
The station manager was taken to Infini City to report what he witnessed.
On the way, he asked the head of the patrol squad, a level 8 Extreme Awakener.
"Who died? Level 7 explosives aren't easy to find." Even for him, they were rare.
"…" The patrol head knit his brows for a moment and finally sighed.
"You'll know, no, the whole federation will know by tomorrow. It's the winner of this year's Solar Trial.
He is rumored to be the best genius of the Solar System, rivaling Charles and according to some, even surpassing him.
The disciple of General Evander Steelheart, Varian was killed."
"?!" The station manager opened his mouth in shock.
Far away, ghost ship trailed an black-red space shuttle.
Varian didn't care about the 'death' people believed.
He rolled his eyes at Boo's stuttering. "B-But that's not how villains are supposed to behave! They sent level 7s to attack you! They even used level 7 bombs!
Is my life a lie?"
"Not everyone is an idea." Varian said and ignored it.
He got important things to do.
'Inform Bali how to reach Sovereign state as a Dual Awakener.'
For that, he needed to learn how a Dual Awakener becomes a Sovereign first.
'System…'