He could actually move freely within subspace!
Roya couldn't help but be shaken—this was the first time he had ever encountered an existence capable of such a feat.
The spirit projections he had seen drifting before—no matter how vast, some as large as mountains or oceans—had never once shown the slightest awareness of Roya's presence, let alone moved within subspace.
As for Roya himself, it was only by relying on the unique qualities of his spiritual sense that he had been able to stretch his awareness to its limits and explore. In truth, he had never moved at all, always bound to one place by some inviolable rule.
But this star-dragon—his entire body swam across the void!
Every serpentine twist, every ripple of motion, was vivid and profound, making the scene all the more astonishing.
Astonishment aside, Roya did not hesitate.
The moment the dragon drew near, he directed all of his extended awareness to wrench at the subspace energy with full force, compressing it onto the dragon's path of advance.
In an instant, energies on the scale of the cosmos itself—like the collapse and ignition of a star, from explosive birth to dense accretion—were compacted together. They converged in every direction, sealing the star-dragon within the heart of a blazing sun!
Yet the dragon showed no fear.
Though his body was dim and every movement threatened to shatter him completely, he cast aside all concern for survival. As the compressed sun closed around him, he violently twisted and rolled.
From his body burst a torrent of subspace tides, surging outward and fusing into a raging tsunami—one that smashed headlong against the sun Roya had forged.
The collision was catastrophic. A massive storm of subspace energy erupted, sweeping across everything.
Countless spirit projections were caught in its wake.
The weakest sparks of spirit were instantly extinguished, their corresponding bodies in the material world suffering abrupt, fatal brain death.
The ordinary projections flickered like candle flames in a gale, their light wavering—always on the verge of going out.
In the material plane, their counterparts fell into madness, striking out in indiscriminate violence until they themselves were killed in turn.
Even the stronger projections fared poorly, their forms shrinking visibly as they resisted the storm.
In short, although Roya himself was unharmed, the collateral damage was devastating. Innocents by the millions—perhaps tens of millions—were dragged into death by that single clash.
The total casualties numbered at least in the millions.
Roya had never met them, did not even know where in the physical universe their bodies resided.
But they were lives nonetheless—brilliant minds, pioneers who had awakened even the faintest spark of spiritual power.
To see them snuffed out without reason weighed heavily on his heart.
He could no longer attack recklessly. With restraint, he pulled back his senses and drew them in close, shielding only his own projection.
The star-dragon, seemingly having achieved his aim, halted at a precise, measured distance.
Calmly, he sent a message of spirit:
"Little one, best leave well enough alone. Don't force me. Though my time is short, I can still drag you to death with me—and take a few billion of your kind along as well."
Roya replied evenly, "What do you want?"
Even as he spoke, his mind raced, running full-speed simulations of the secret behind the dragon's ability to move within subspace.
If he could crack that mystery—if he could seize control of this creature's mobility—then everything else would fall into place.
Otherwise, even if Roya chose to sacrifice countless innocents for one all-out strike, should it fail to kill, the old monster would surely escape—and that would spell endless trouble.
The dragon's spiritual aura pulsed with smug amusement.
"You want that Ancient Saint mech? No problem. I can give it to you.
More than that, I can help you turn this entire planet into a mech production line, crafting designs tailored to your kind's size and spiritual power.
You've seen the colossi. You know I have the ability. I am not lying."
Roya snorted coldly. "And what do you want in return?"
To discard such immense benefits—what he truly sought could not possibly be simple.
The star-dragon's voice rumbled with malice:
"What I want? Very simple. Kill that bastard, Silent!
I was born with the cosmos itself—older and nobler even than the Ancient Saints. And yet I am reduced to this pitiful state, on the brink of dissolution—all because of Silent's betrayal!
Kill him, and I will give you all of my legacy. Including the ancient, forbidden secrets of subspace control!"
Roya let out a dry laugh.
What the dragon offered was indeed tempting.
Defeat the Silent King, and gain such treasures.
But that was a battle Roya was destined to fight regardless!
One mission—two rewards?
There was no such cheap bargain in the universe.
Besides, Roya trusted the instincts of his spiritual sense: this old monster was no noble being, but a schemer who thrived in the shadows.
That he had suddenly come forward now, pressing Roya face-to-face, was not only to threaten him—it was a trap.
He was dangling Roya's urgent desire for Ancient Saint mechs and advanced technology as bait, trying to use him as a pawn. And when the deed was done, he would surely sell Roya out, and count the profit while Roya bore the loss.
The proof was plain: the people of this world already worshiped him as Lord of the Sanctuary, and yet he had not saved them. Soon they would be slaughtered by bio-weapons, while their supposed protector did nothing.
To entice Roya, the old schemer even promised mechs custom-made for his troops.
Yet why had he never granted such gifts to Nuwa and the others, who needed them even more?
If he could create Ancient Saint Colossi, could he not build smaller mechs as well?
Every word out of his mouth was a lie.
Suppressing his anger, Roya replied with feigned courtesy:
"The Silent King and the void scourge are already my mortal enemies. With or without your so-called legacy, I will find a way to destroy him.
But I don't believe you. The Silent King's power—I have some understanding. He could not have injured you like this."
The star-dragon's body twisted in anguish, as though reliving some terrible memory.
Thankfully, this time no storm erupted.
Instead, he spoke with venomous hatred:
"Of course Silent could not harm me himself. But his betrayal sparked civil war among my Star God clan!
It was my own brothers who struck me down together! And those foolish, blind brothers of mine—still they fight, still they slaughter each other!
Silent has slumbered for ten thousand years, and they… are still at war!"
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