Chương 57: When The Cat Is Away

Joe blinked as his eyes were suddenly assaulted by thick smoke. What the hell? He coughed, waving the smoke away as his eyes adjusted. The world around him was aflame. Trees burned, fire roared, and acrid smoke filled the air. His heartbeat quickened as panic surged through him. He spun around, desperately scanning for Corel and Veda, but all he saw were blazing trees and smoke-choked skies. Remembering his mini-map, he yanked it up. Two familiar flashing dots appeared; relief flooded him.

But it vanished just as fast. Corel's dot was speeding away, heading for the edge of his map, and she was moving fast. He'd lose track of her in seconds. He moved with urgency, heading first to Veda's dot, only a few hundred metres away. He skidded to a stop, stunned at what he saw. A massive blue-black cube pulsed with mana, encasing Veda. She was suspended at the centre, mid-leap, frozen in time. Joe yanked out Jingu Bang and slammed it into the cube. An explosion of mana threw him back violently.

The cube didn't even flicker. It was untouched. His mind raced. He looked back at Corel's dot. It was about to vanish from his mini-map.

"Shit! Veda, if you can hear me, I'll be back. I have to get Corel first!" he shouted, guilt crashing into him. He Space-Jumped into the air, zeroing in on the direction Corel was moving. He fixed his eyes on a faraway point and jumped again. Then, again. Four jumps in quick succession, until he finally caught sight of a speeding vessel far ahead. He made one final jump and landed hard on the moving ship, startling the Voldura at the controls. Joe was in a full-blown panic.

Confusion, fear, and adrenaline tore through his thoughts. What the hell was that thing around Veda? How had they found them? He hadn't even had time to process what he'd just gone through during the battle royale, those endless bodies, the weight of all those deaths. He shoved the memories down.

"Send back up! Invader on the ship!" the Voldura beside him shouted into a small device. Joe grabbed him and hurled him through the vessel's side, sending him tumbling into the trees far below. Joe wasn't thinking straight anymore. Everything was happening too fast. He clutched at his head, trying to keep control.

"Why, why, why!" Joe roared as his aura erupted, surging out in a violent wave. The vessel's control panel shattered beneath the pressure. The ship lurched violently, groaning as systems failed and it began to free-fall from the sky. One of the immense Auras below shifted, closing in on Corel's location. Joe didn't stop to think. For the first time, he used Space Jump into a place he couldn't see. __ Corel jolted awake as a colossal Aura thundered through the air above. She recognized it instantly. He was back.

She tried to shout, but her mouth was gagged. Thick cords bound her arms and body, keeping her helpless. The ship around her tilted sharply; she lightly floated off the floor as gravity shifted. Then it started falling. A violent jerk pulled her back to the floor. Her eyes widened as Nodo Vor stepped forward, reaching for her. Before he could grab her, something exploded between them. The blast tore the vessel in half. Flames and metal erupted around her.

Corel was flung backwards, weightless, tumbling in mid-air as the remains of the ship spun away. Her body twisted, free-falling toward the distant ground. Panic overtook her as she screamed into the gag and struggled with the ropes. It was hopeless; she was bound tight. The ground rushed up. And then… hands. Strong, familiar hands caught her mid-fall. Her body jolted as she was pulled into a tight hold, then he sent out a wave of mana to slow their fall. They tumbled, landing hard, but alive.

Joe held her close, his arms already breaking the restraints along her arms. Her mana flared as the suppression shattered. She was free. Corel yanked the gag from her mouth and tore the remaining bindings off. Before she could speak, Joe raised a hand, eyes cold and focused. A colossal wave of mana formed in front of them, shielding them from the barrage of attacks crashing in from above. Corel felt something was off. Joe was burning through his mana recklessly, like he had no concept of conservation.

The sheer volume he poured into that wave was absurd. How much did he even have to throw it out so carelessly and still seem fine? Then he did it again, casting another mana wave to the other side as more attacks came crashing in.

"Joe! Stop! What are you doing!" Corel shouted. Joe turned toward her, his face stricken. The expression in his eyes, though partially hidden by those ridiculous glasses, made her flinch. It was a hollow, haunted look. One she hadn't seen since the day she'd watched someone die at Pathfinder's hands. Something was very wrong. But they were still under attack, and this wasn't the time for Joe to spiral. She moved quickly, grabbing him as he raised his hands again to block another volley.

She pulled him close, trying to anchor him.

"Joe, calm down. You're using too much mana. Stop!" She implored. He looked at her, but the lenses obscured his expression. Before she could say anything more, the ground beside them exploded. The force hurled them sideways. Corel held onto him, pain flashing through her bad leg as she scrambled to climb onto his back. Joe managed to turn the fall into a rough slide. But she felt it, his body trembling uncontrollably beneath her grip. He was unravelling.

A Fresh mana wave burst into place around them, and her eyes widened at the sheer density of it. It wasn't just strong, it was wasteful. He was going to burn himself out at this rate. She had to act. In one swift motion, she flipped over and landed in front of him. She grasped his face between her hands, peering into the faint outline of his eyes behind those tinted lenses. They were unfocused, barely present. She raised one hand and slapped him. It was like striking stone. Nothing happened.

Then, faintly, she heard the impacts of distant explosions on the barrier surrounding them. Slowly, the wild mana pouring from Joe settled, condensing into something more controlled, more focused. His eyes sharpened. She let out a breath of relief and pulled herself onto his back again.

"Are you done?" She asked.

"Sorry," Joe murmured.

"Don't apologize," Corel snapped.

"Just get us out of here." She pointed toward the source of the nearby aura, Nodo.

"Release the shield on three," She ordered. Joe nodded.

"One. Two. Three." __ Nodo Vor ducked the moment the mana barrier vanished and caught a glimpse of the two figures behind it. A bolt of mana screamed past him, scorching his shoulder.

"Brother!" He shouted, dashing to the side with both swords drawn. He unleashed a flurry of mana slashes toward the pair, only for them to vanish from sight again. He cursed, scanning the battlefield.

"Brother! Where are they!" he called out, eyes darting from shadow to shadow. His early warning skill pulsed, and he leapt sideways just as the ground beneath him exploded. He spun, eyes locking onto the pair perched high in a nearby tree. Six-bladed slashes of mana shimmered into existence and hurtled toward them, but again, they disappeared before impact.

"Argh! They move too fast, brother!" Nodo roared in frustration, whirling around.

"He is a slippery bastard, brother!" Godo bellowed back.

"We need to separate the girl. I'll take point, brother."

"Got it, brother," Nodo responded, veering away at full speed. He quickly pinpointed Corel's aura off to the right and looped around in a wide arc. From his storage ring, he retrieved a grappling hook-shaped device and aimed it into the air. A sharp thwip sounded as the orb-shaped projectile shot upward. Without missing a beat, Nodo fired four more in different directions. Explosions echoed through the forest as Godo clashed with the pair again, forcing them to Space Jump away.

Nodo launched two final orbs and ducked behind a thick tree trunk. He pulled out a smaller device with a glowing screen and tapped through the interface. A single dot blinked onto the display. His grin widened. Nodo pressed the large red button on the device… __ Corel jolted violently, her grip on Joe slipping as a wave of agony surged through her. Her entire body spasmed, and a scream tore from her lips as her vision went white.

A strange force in the air tugged at her, dragging her sideways before she slammed into something solid. The impact knocked the breath from her lungs, panic flooding her chest. Dazed, she lifted her head, just in time to see a small blue cube fly toward Joe. Her eyes widened in horror. Before he could react, the cube expanded, encasing him in a massive block of mana and freezing him in place. It was the same as the one that had trapped Veda. It was over.

She tried to rise, desperate to do something, but a huge hand clamped down on her shoulder, shoving her roughly back to the ground.

"Now, now, don't move, Seeker," Nodo said with infuriating calm as he pressed her into the dirt.

"I have her, brother!" he shouted. A new pair of shackles clicked into place around her wrists, immediately cutting off her mana. Corel closed her eyes in defeat. Not again. __ Joe saw the cube form before him. He had just enough time to twitch before everything locked up. Pain exploded through his body, an intense, blinding agony that stole the breath from his lungs. He couldn't scream, couldn't move. It felt like he had been frozen in time.

Inside the shimmering field of mana, Joe floated, his body burning with pain. But slowly, as seconds ticked by, his mind began to settle. He focused through the agony, willing himself to stay calm. His vision returned, distorted through a blue haze, but clear enough to see what was happening outside the cube. If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. The two massive Voldura grabbed Corel, tossing her over one of their shoulders like a sack of potatoes.

They spoke to each other casually. One always kept an eye on him. Joe watched in silence, unmoving. The pain was brutal, but he'd endured worse. He could escape. He knew he could Space Jump out. But if he moved now, he'd give himself away. So, he waited. He kept still, kept his breathing shallow, and let his thoughts drift, briefly, back to Veda. Was she still trapped? Was she in this same kind of pain? His chest tightened, not from the mana, but from guilt. He had to end this quickly.

Still frozen, he watched, searching for his chance. Another minute passed before both Voldura finally turned their eyes away from him, distracted by their discussion. That was all he needed. Joe activated Space Jump. Appearing behind Godo, who still had Corel slung over his shoulder, Joe slammed his fist into the Voldura's back, catching him completely off guard. In one smooth motion, Joe grabbed Corel's bound form and hoisted her onto his shoulder.

A blast of mana shot from his free hand, slamming into Nodo just as the Voldura was about to swing his sword. The hit threw him off balance, and Joe seized the opportunity to pivot and launch a brutal kick into Godo's chest, sending him hurtling into the trees. Joe adjusted Corel's position as he spun, unleashing another mana wave at Nodo, this one stronger. Both Voldura were knocked down, buying Joe precious seconds. He tapped Corel on the back.

"Hold your breath," he said, then Space-Jumped into the sky. In a blink, they vanished, reappearing hundreds of metres away, back toward Veda. __ Godo stared up at the sky, jaw clenched. He slammed a fist into a nearby tree, reducing it to splinters.

"Brother. They are gone," he growled.

"I know, brother," Nodo replied quietly.

"They got away." The two brothers exchanged a long look.

"Let's go back, brother," Godo muttered.

"How did he escape the cube?" Nodo asked as they turned.

"No idea, brother. But I will find out," Godo said, his voice low with fury. And with that, the two Voldura retreated, having failed their mission for the first time. __ Joe set Corel down and shattered the shackles binding her arms.

"Thank you. That's the third time you have freed me now," Corel said, offering a tired but amused smile. Joe gave her a brief nod before turning his full attention to the blue-black cube still floating nearby. Veda remained frozen inside it, suspended mid-motion. Joe studied the strange mana prison carefully, his jaw tight. There was only one option, and it was a reckless one.

He'd have to jump into the cube with precision, land just right so he could grab Veda without colliding with her, and immediately jump back out. It sounded insane. But he had no other plan. The cube was practically indestructible from the outside. He inhaled deeply, focused… And activated Space Jump. Agony tore through his body as soon as he materialized inside the cube. But he didn't let it stop him. His hand twitched, touching the tip of Veda's tail, and he activated Space Jump again.

They reappeared just outside the cube, and Joe collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. Veda's limp form crashed to the ground beside him.

"Holy kraken. Did you just do that?" Veda shouted, gasping for air.

"Holy kraken?" Joe echoed, confused, as he lay panting on the ground, exhaustion slamming into him like a freight train. Corel crawled over and pulled him into a sitting position, then tipped her canteen to his lips. Joe drank gratefully as Veda appeared over his shoulder, still breathing heavily. Slowly, his Nature energy flowed through all three of them, soothing injuries and dulling the pain in their battered bodies.

"Thanks," Corel murmured.

"Sorry I took so long," Joe said with a grimace.

"We should move," Corel began a moment later, leaning against Joe for support.

"They'll come back as soon as they get a new vessel."

"How did they even find us?" Joe asked, still not quite ready to stand.

"Fuck! I forgot about the diviners," Corel cursed. Joe blinked; the translation skill had converted her word to fuck, but he caught the actual word she used: Kilaresot. He mouthed it silently, making a mental note to remember it.

"What is a diviner?" he asked.

"They're specialists who can locate anyone they have met before," Corel said grimly.

"I'm sorry… but with me here, they'll always be able to track us."

"Kilaresot," Joe repeated, summoning his flying boat with a wave.

"Let's go." He got to his feet and helped Corel onto his back. She clung to him tightly as he leapt onto the vessel. A moment later, they were speeding north, leaving fire, failure, and far too many questions behind them. As they travelled north, Joe finally started to crash from his adrenaline-fueled high caused by the battles. The numbness began to fade, replaced by the weight of everything he'd done.

His earlier unease returned with force as he stared blankly at the sky ahead, the wind rushing past the speeding skyboat. He had killed so many people today. The entire competition had been brutal, horrifying in a way he hadn't expected. Was this what integration meant? Was this the standard? He didn't know how to process it all. He wasn't okay. What he really wanted was to crash somewhere and curl up into a ball, but he couldn't. Not yet. They needed to find safety.

But where could they go when diviners could just keep tracking them?

"Is there a limit to how often they can find you?" Joe asked.

"We were in that spot for two days, and they only found us today."

"There is," Corel replied.

"It takes a toll on the diviner every time they use the ability. If I remember correctly, they found us every twenty days when I was on the run." Joe let out a small breath of relief. At least they wouldn't be tracked down again immediately. But still, the farther they got for now, the better. He pulled up his mini-map, only to sigh. Flying at high speeds didn't allow for proper mapping; everything around them showed up as clouded, hidden space. He dismissed the map with a thought and instead relied on his eyes.

An hour passed in tense silence before Veda's tail twitched. Joe turned to look in the direction she faced and felt his jaw tighten. A small vessel had appeared in the distance, a Volduran skyboat. It was heading the same direction as them, but it didn't seem like they had noticed his group yet.

"Shit," Joe said.

"You think it's safe just to ignore them and change course?"

"Look closer, Humans," Veda said. Joe squinted toward the vessel. Then he saw it, three people, two men and one woman, chained and tied up at the back of the boat. Prisoners.

"What the fuck?" Joe muttered, steering his boat directly toward the Volduran vessel. The sight of the three chained people sent a jolt of fury through him. He didn't stop to think; he jumped to the edge of his boat and Space-Jumped straight onto the flying vessel. The six Voldura on board had been casually talking, but Joe's sudden appearance turned the atmosphere deathly silent. Before any of them could react, Jingu Bang flashed through the air. Two Voldura were sent sailing overboard.

The other four collapsed, knocked unconscious by precise, brutal strikes. Veda's tail lashed out, neatly piling the unconscious ones into a corner. Joe moved swiftly to the prisoners, untying ropes and breaking shackles. The two men sat agape, stunned into silence as they stared at Joe, unable to process what had just happened. Only the woman found her voice.

"Oh my god, thank you!" she gasped, pulling one of the men into a tight embrace. Joe gave a brief nod, turned, and was about to end the lives of the unconscious Voldura in the corner.

"Joe!" Veda's sharp voice cut through his haze.

"Leave them, let's go." He shook his head, staring at his hands, only then realizing what he'd been about to do. With a palm to his temple, he turned back to the freed prisoners.

"Gather up. I'm going to teleport us away. Hold your breaths." He pulled all three of them into a rough group hug and Space-Jumped back onto his boat. The trio stumbled, one of the men lurching over the side and vomiting. Joe returned to the controls and changed course, guiding them away from the Volduran vessel that continued to cruise on its way uncontrolled. It took about five minutes for the newcomers to recover from the disorienting sensation of being torn through space.

But just as calm began to settle, the woman caught sight of Corel sitting beside Joe… and screamed. Veda leapt from Joe's shoulder, landing between the three and Corel in a defensive blur.

"Hush!" she snapped, silencing the scream. The woman sat frozen, staring at the red serpent that had just reprimanded her.

"Now, please be calm. Have some dignity, woman. Only children scream at every unfamiliar sight," Veda added, her tone imperious. Joe didn't say a word. He was in no state to help; his mind was spiralling. He'd been one heartbeat away from killing four helpless, unconscious Voldura. Sure, they'd been transporting prisoners, but what if they had a reason? What if these three weren't innocent at all? What if they were thieves? Criminals? There was no excuse for what he almost did.

The uncertainty gnawed at him while Veda continued her patient scolding of their new passengers.

"This is Corel. She is this man's slave. She is harmless." Veda gestured casually with her tail toward Corel's bandaged leg. Joe noticed Corel shooting daggers at Veda for the 'slave' comment, though she didn't say anything.

"The man flying the boat is Joe. You will know him as Progenitor," Veda added. The trio gasped, their expressions shifting. They turned to Joe with wide eyes, clearly recognizing who he was now.

"Now introduce yourselves," Veda said, her voice calm and expectant.

"I am Jane. This is my husband, Peter. And our group member Ryan," Jane motioned to each in turn.

"Thank you, progenitor, for saving us, and thank you," she added, bowing politely toward Veda.

"You are welcome, child. Now, tell us, why were you tied up? What did you do to cause this?" Veda asked, her tone softening.

"Pardon? I'm not sure what you mean. We didn't do anything. The Voldura enslaved everyone," Jane said. Joe glanced at her, confusion plain on his face. They did what? He thought.

"Please explain," Veda prompted.

"We only arrived here a few days ago, and you are the first humans we've found." The trio exchanged uncertain glances before Jane spoke again.

"Erm, well... All I know is that when we returned to the surface after the fusion finished. These Voldura," she hesitated, flicking her gaze nervously toward Corel before returning to Veda.

"They have been enslaving every human they come across. Everyone has been running scared, trying to get to a pillar and safety." Joe stared straight ahead as he absorbed the words. Without saying anything, he guided the boat down toward a small clearing in the forest below. They touched down gently. He needed to hear the full story. Whatever was happening, it was far worse than he'd thought. [Let me handle this. You need to calm down; you're scaring them. Hide your Aura.] - Veda.

Joe read the message and quickly suppressed his Aura, only now remembering the party was still active. The trio stopped sweating and looked visibly relieved.

"Sorry about that. He is a little stressed from recent events. Please, continue, Jane, this is all news to us," Veda said calmly. Joe sat at the far end of the boat, which was only about ten metres across, so he wasn't far from the others, even if he tried to distance himself. Jane took a deep breath and began explaining everything that had happened to her and her team since they arrived on the fused world.

She spoke of confusion, disorganization, and the rising panic as Volduran forces began sweeping across the land. Eventually, she reached a point that made Joe leap to his feet in shock.

"Five of our pillars have been claimed by the Voldura. They enslaved everyone in those cities. The last we had heard, a huge amount of the population has been enslaved by them," Jane said grimly. Joe dropped back down onto the deck with a thud. He didn't know what to say. Five pillars already taken. How many had died for that to happen? What pillars had been taken? Were his friends safe? The questions raced through his mind.

"Have you heard of the one called Pathfinder?" Corel asked suddenly. Jane looked at her, fury flashing in her eyes. Before she could speak, Veda's tail swished in warning, and Jane jumped, quickly leaning into her husband's embrace. It was Peter who answered.

"Forgive my wife. She was... mistreated by the Voldura. She means no disrespect. We have heard of this Pathfinder. He's the one who controls all five pillars now." Corel nodded and turned to Joe, sorrow evident in her gaze.

"I didn't know. I was captured the day of the fusion," She said, ensuring everyone heard her clearly.

"No one blames you, child. We know you had nothing to do with this," Veda said, her tone firm as she looked pointedly at Jane, Peter, and Ryan. Both men nodded, and Jane simply wept silently against her husband's shoulder.

"Do you know which pillars were taken?" Joe asked.

"We don't, sorry," Peter replied with a shake of his head.

"One last question. Do you know where the nearest pillar is to us currently?" Veda asked.

"There's one, a two-day travel from here to the northeast," Ryan said, speaking for the first time.

"It's where we were heading before they caught us. Heliopolis."