Chapter 435: Projections

“He stole the sword I gifted you?!” Stella was livid after hearing Tree’s words. “How dare he! Here we are, minding our own business, and some bastard from the Celestial Empire comes along and takes my gift to you? Where is he? I’m going to kill him!”

“Calm down, Stella,” Ash paused, “I wouldn’t quite put it like that.” His colossal demonic eye almost guiltily shifted to look at Sebastian and Ryker. “I was expanding my domain toward Argentum when one of the young masters from the Silverspire branch felt my gaze.”

Sebastian shared a glance with Ryker that only the two of them understood the meaning behind. “What did this young master look like?”

“Long silver hair floated weightlessly down his back, and he had violet eyes. Despite being a Silverspire, he clearly possessed a deep understanding of the cosmic dao. He also referred to himself as the 5th son.”

“The fifth son?” Sebastian muttered, his eyes widening. “That must have been Selene’s son. Wait, you spoke with him?” he asked, his face growing pale.

“He actually spoke to me first,” Ash replied. “I was minding my own business, gazing at Argentum from afar, when his airship passed by. I had no intention of interfering with it, but that arrogant fifth son had other ideas. The brat powered up his shields before accusing me of being a sinister being. He went even further, claiming I was a fake god and instructing his commander to inform the Silverspires about my snooping around. Anyone who is that openly hostile and can detect my presence poses a threat to me, and who insults a god and thinks they can get away with it?”

Stella snorted, “I hope you killed that fool.”

Ash looked back at her, “Of course I did. He and the guards on the ship were fed to my soul sword.”

Stella caught a glimpse of Sebastian wincing from the corner of her eye. She glared at the man. “Do you have a problem with how Ash handled things, Sebastian?”

“No,” Sebastian exhaled through his nose, relaxing. “If anything, this is a relief.”

Stella raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“I was worried about how to approach the following topic.” Sebastian took out a communication jade and infused it with his Qi. The artifact emanated a soft green glow before projecting an image in front of him. It depicted a beautiful woman adorned in jewelry bound to a chair by what appeared to be wooden chains engraved with ancient runes.

“Mother!?” Ryker, who had been a curious bystander to the conversation until now, sprang into a frenzy as he dashed to stand before the projection. Fear, confusion, and rage danced across his face. “What is this? Where is she?” Ryker demanded. “Why is my mom bound in chains Sebastian?”

So, this is Ryker’s mother.

Stella thought and nodded approvingly. Despite her seemingly dire situation, the woman’s expression conveyed defiance.

“I’m also curious, Sebastian. Please explain,” Ash said, staring at the projection.

Stella nodded in agreement, eager to know as well.

“This is why I was in such a hurry earlier,” Sebastian said, gesturing toward the frozen projection. “I received this message yesterday but only got to see it moments ago as I stepped out of the Mystic Realm, since that metal pocket realm was clearly beyond the range of this communication artifact. I’ll play it now.”

The projection began to move. Ryker’s mother leaned forward, capturing Stella’s attention with her intense gaze. The projection’s mouth opened, and a voice that was gentle yet left no room for defiance said, “Mother loves you. Don’t come back here for me, my son. Run, run as fast as you can for the stars. I’ll see you on the other side.”

“What do you mean, don’t come back for you?!” Ryker shouted at the projection, but the recording had ended, returning to its previous frozen state. Ryker’s Star Core hummed, and his silver hair writhed angrily like a nest of snakes, mirroring his rage. “I don’t understand!”

“That’s because there’s an earlier message that I’ll play now.” Sebastian flicked his wrist, and the image changed. This time, Ryker’s mother sat casually at a desk. The chair was the same, but the chains from earlier were absent.

“Sebastian, don’t bring Ryker back here under any circumstances,” she started. Her expression was more relaxed, yet an aura of uncertainty radiated from her subtle movements. She kept glancing at the door behind the recording device and tapping her finger. “Forget about the Silver Core inheritance for now.”

Her voice dropped to a harsh whisper, “The Celestial Empire is here. A Monarch Realm Councilman brought along fifty enforcers with the intent of killing the Soul Eater and clearing a path to Darklight City. I’m unsure why, but the All-Seeing Eye attacked and killed Selene’s son with a demon sword meant for a titan that the Councilman has trapped in a spatial array in the audience chamber. The chance for peaceful negotiations is unlikely should Ryker arrive here with the Ashfallen Sect.”

Stella’s eyes narrowed. So, my gift is still in Argentum, but that Monarch Realm Councilman is going to be tough to deal with.

The projection paused as she looked to the side, her eyes narrowing as if focusing on something. “I can sense many presences approaching my chambers. My time for talking is coming to an end," she said, turning back to focus on the recording device. “The Councilman may have left for now, but it’s still too risky to bring Ryker back here. Stay away for now, Sebastian. I’ll contact you soon.” The projection returned to its original frozen state.

Stella’s lips curled up into a grin. If the Councilman isn’t there, that means the strongest person present will be in the Star Core Realm. Having just hit the 9th stage, I should be able to kill them all...

Ryker collapsed to his knees with a thud, displaying a look of despair that no five-year-old should ever have. His hands were clenched into fists at his side, and his knuckles turned white from the strain. “I’m sorry, Mommy,” he said through gritted teeth, “I couldn’t get strong enough to save you.”

Stella’s smile faded along with her thoughts. Her heart clenched as she looked between the deteriorating Ryker and his mother’s projection. Having never met her own mother, she understood the pain of not having one, but she could only begin to imagine the agony of losing one—especially when his mother’s death can be prevented with strength. Without thinking, Stella came up behind Ryker and scooped him up in a tight hug. The kid was surprisingly light, and his silver hair felt cold against her neck. Not knowing what to do next, she simply stood there holding him like a teddy bear.

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Ryker tilted his head back to look up at Stella—his eyes red from unshed tears. “Big Sister?”

Stella replied with a hum as she met his gaze.

“Can you help me save my mom?” Ryker asked apprehensively as if knowing the gravity of his question. “I know my mom told me not to return, but I don’t want to say goodbye to her yet. It’s not fair. Unlike me, you and the sect have the strength to save her.”

“Princess,” Sebastian said, his usual strength and resolve dulled, “I know it was already a lot to ask of the Ashfallen Sect to escort us back to Argentum, but the situation has changed.” He bowed deeply, “We don’t have the funds or means to compensate you for what may be a futile rescue mission. But I implore you, please help us.”

“No,” Stella said with finality, and she set Ryker down.

The mountain peak fell deathly silent at her response.

Ryker looked as if an arrow had struck his heart, and Sebastian straightened up with a strained expression. She felt everyone’s gazes, the most intense of which was Ash’s burrowing into her back.

Stella shook her head, “You heard your mother, Ryker. They have over fifty Star Core Realm Enforcers waiting for our arrival, and there’s no telling when their Monarch Realm boss will return. It’s obviously a trap set by whoever bound your mother in chains to record that final message.”

Ryker looked down, "I know it’s a trap!” He stomped his foot, causing the ground to crack beneath him. "But what choice do I have? How can I abandon her?” He glanced up and glared at Ash with determination. “All-Seeing Eye, please save her. I will give you everything... even my soul. Please... just save my mom.”

Ash didn’t answer. His eye simply shifted to look at Stella as if waiting for her to respond in his stead.

Stella was glad that Ash trusted her to handle the situation. She ruffled Ryker’s hair and said, “Even your soul wouldn’t be enough payment to mobilize the heaviest hitters in the Ashfallen Sect. You’re just a Star Core cultivator; how many of those do you think Ash has devoured? The answer is too many to count. What would make you special?”

Ryker fell silent. His eyes darted around as he tried and failed to think of a suitable payment. Eventually, he whispered his realization, “If my soul isn’t enough, there’s nothing else I can offer.”

Sebastian stepped up beside his young master and gave him a reassuring pat on the back. “Give it up, young master. It’s arrogant to think we can have a sect send their strongest and risk death in our stead. This is our own problem to solve.”

“It’s good that you understand,” Stella smiled, clapping her hands. “Alright, everyone, get ready. We’re heading to Argentum. Where’s Larry? We need our strongest to annihilate them.”

Ryker looked quite confused. “Big sister? You know I can’t pay..."

Stella laughed, “We aren’t going there for you. They dared to steal from the All-Seeing Eye, so they should face our wrath.” She then shrugged, “Who knows, we might just happen to save a certain someone’s mother in the process. But it would be entirely by chance, not because they sold their soul to us to do it.”

The relief on Ryker’s face made Stella happy. It was no joke that they were charging right into a trap. There was a slim but possible chance that some people might die in the process. Stella didn’t want that weighing on Ryker’s conscience, so she made sure he understood they were going with the objective of retrieving the sword she had gifted Ash. Of course, if the sword hadn’t been taken, she would have insisted they go save Ryker’s mother.

But the stolen sword gave her a convenient excuse, so she took advantage of it. The Ashfallen Sect would be going to war under the pretense of retrieving a stolen weapon that belonged to the All-Seeing Eye.

This is perfect, Stella grinned. There won’t be any need for pointless meetings or political maneuvering. I've always preferred kicking down the door and demanding what I want.

Turning on her heel, she looked into Tree’s eye. Although he had entrusted her, she still wanted his explicit permission. After all, they could be facing a Monarch Realm cultivator, who was essentially a walking demi-god on this layer of creation.

“What do you think, Tree?”

“Hmmm,” Ash pondered, his words shaking the consciousness of those who listened. His gaze shifted to the horizon, likely focused on something inconceivably distant. Perhaps he was even attempting to glimpse the future to weigh the risks against the rewards. “The motives of that Councilman are beyond my understanding. He asked to exchange pointers and kidnapped my soul weapon as assurance I would show up—yet according to Ryker’s mother, he has fled from the stage he set.” Ash’s immense presence briefly vanished before returning like a force of nature. “My roots have extended to the borders of Argentum, and I can’t sense the presence of a Monarch Realm cultivator.”

“Oh, don’t worry, he will be back,” Morrigan said as she casually emerged from the void. “The thinking of those who reach the Monarch Realm is quite simple, actually. Honor, respect, and loyalty are secondary to benefits. A cultivator like that is far above petty squabbles or power struggles. They have everything and have achieved everything. Progress is not just slow—it’s nearly impossible. Fighting is out of the question, as the cost of battle is too great. That’s why they view the world through a different lens. He likely sees a way to gain insight or more power from you.” Morrigan’s eyes narrowed. “A fate that is arguably more dangerous. If you simply earned his ire, putting up enough resistance to make exterminating you too costly would be enough to ensure your survival. But if he sees value in trading pointers with you...” Morrigan exhaled. “Now that’s a tricky situation!

Stella fell into deep contemplation from Morrigan’s words. It was a very interesting perspective on the thinking of powerful cultivators, and it once again reminded her just how strong Ash’s support really was. She never found herself worrying about expending Qi or fighting as her spirit roots were so efficient, and any Qi she spent, she could regain in the Qi-rich pocket realms during the Mystic Realm visits.

“Mother,” Elaine huffed, “Please take this seriously.”

Morrigan used her void Qi to cut a fruit free from one of Ash’s branches high above them and caught it with her hand. Taking a big bite, she chewed on the fruit and replied to her daughter, “Who says I’m not?”

“Thank you for the insight, Morrigan,” Ash said as his eye shifted to her. “What would you suggest we do moving forward?”

“Well, do you care about the fate of that sword?”

“Yes, aside from its combat capabilities, it’s quite sentimental to me.”

Morrigan took another bite. “Then I’d go and retrieve that sword and fast. He likely thinks you might take at least a week, if not months, to react.”

“I see. So, I should have some time before his return.”

Stella could detect some apprehension in Ash’s tone. “What are you thinking, Tree?”

“Having my sword stolen taught me a lesson and reminded me that I’m a big fish in a small pond, but there’s a whole ocean of realms out there. While the sword is important to me and powerful because it contains the vengeful soul of Vincent Nightrose, it's just a tool at the end of the day. Not one I’m willing to run into a trap and sacrifice any of you for,” Ash paused, falling into thought. “We will move soon, but not yet. I need to increase my strength by absorbing divine energy from the funeral tonight. Elysia, I expect you to put on quite the show?”

Elysia, still wearing her tree avatar, grinned and said, “Of course! You can count on me.”

Ash looked at the Silverspires and replied, “I’m sorry, Ryker. I’ll keep an eye on Argentum, and we will rescue your mother as soon as my roots are firmly established in your family’s land and I consider my preparations complete.”

Ryker balled his fists but nodded once in agreement.

Stella gave him a sad smile as she felt his frustrations. But this was another advantage of framing the raid on the Silverspires as being for the purpose of retrieving the stolen sword, rather than rescuing Ryker’s mother. They could take the time to make the proper preparations.

“Stella,” Ash’s voice echoed only in her mind.

“Yes, Tree?”

“While they are holding the funeral, I have a mission for you.”

“Oh?”

“I spoke with Nox earlier, and she was able to narrow down the location of Nyxalia to a region to the west, as she has regained enough control over herself. I want you to head there and try to reason with Nyxalia to help us.

Stella was surprised, “Why just me?”

“Netherwood wraiths are mythical beings that hunger for and devour souls, but your Phantom Veil Amulet should make you appear as a tasteless mortal to her, while your aether Qi should help you track her down.”

Stella slowly nodded as a desolation rift began to form before her. “So, where am I going?”

Ash chuckled. “Fate is a cruel mistress. It seems Nyxalia has developed a taste for Skyrend family flesh.”