Poison God's Heritage

The meeting ended abruptly, leaving an unsettling silence that clung to the room like the last remnants of a storm. I let out a deep, tired sigh, slumping back into my chair, feeling the weight of responsibilities pressing down on me. My fingers idly drummed against the armrest, but the motion did little to distract me from the ever-growing concerns that lingered in my mind.

It wasn't just the meeting. The room itself seemed to echo with the unspoken tension, the way unresolved matters always do. My thoughts spun in circles, trying to grasp some semblance of control over the chaos we had just discussed.

Blue Sun, who had been standing silently in the corner for most of the meeting, stepped forward. Her ethereal glow flickered, casting soft shadows along the walls. She looked at me, her expression a mix of curiosity and concern. There was always something about her presence, a certain warmth that accompanied her light.

Yet, today, even that warmth couldn't pierce through the growing weight of uncertainty I felt.

"You don't seem too happy about how things went," she said, her voice gentle but probing. There was a knowing glint in her eye, as though she already understood what troubled me.

I exhaled sharply, rubbing my temples as if the motion could chase away the headache that had begun forming. "Who would be?" I muttered, almost more to myself than to her. "I've got a mess of problems to deal with—half of which I don't even know how to solve. And now, on top of that, I've got to babysit the Darkest Sun's golden boy. He's still pissed because I called him a fool."

Blue Sun chuckled softly, the sound carrying a hint of amusement. "Oh, he's definitely still mad," she said, a playful smirk forming on her lips. "But come on, handling a couple of brats? That's why you've got me, right? You know I can keep them in line."

There was a mischievous spark in her eyes, one that might've made me smile under different circumstances. But today, the weight of the world—or rather, several worlds—hung over my shoulders.

I gave her a tired smile, though it felt more like a grimace. "True. And honestly, I wouldn't mind if Meng Hao gave the Fire King a good thrashing. Hell, if I wasn't so swamped with work, I might even help him." The thought of it almost brought a genuine smile to my face, but reality reasserted itself, and the grim situation pressed down harder. "But we can't afford distractions this time.

There's too much at stake, and there's an entire world—no, multiple worlds—depending on us. We can't let this expedition fail."

Blue Sun's expression softened, and she nodded in understanding. "I get it. This isn't just another battle or mission. If we fail, the consequences will be far worse than anything we've faced before. But don't worry—I'll keep them apart. They won't be tearing each other apart while you're dealing with the bigger problems."

Her words brought a small measure of comfort, but I still felt the weight of it all pressing down. "Good. Keep them in check. The last thing I need is another diplomatic disaster on my hands."

The silence that followed was thick, filled with the unsaid. My mind kept racing back to the Rakshasa. Every decision we made, every step we took, was a calculated risk. And with the firstborn still there recovering, any mistake could be fatal.

"When do we leave?" Tao Yang's voice broke through the tension, sharp and direct. She had been standing near the edge of the room, watching everything unfold with her usual calculating gaze. Her sharp intellect always impressed me, and I knew she had already considered every possible angle of our situation.

"As soon as possible," I replied, standing up from my chair, feeling the stiffness in my back and shoulders. The urgency of our situation couldn't be overstated. e. "We don't have time to waste."

Tao Yang raised an eyebrow. "We're taking the Bastion, right?"

I shook my head. "No. The Bastion's too big. It'll draw too much attention,. We'll use this ship, but we need to make some upgrades first."

"The reactors," she said, already knowing where my thoughts were headed.

I nodded. "Exactly. The ship's functional, but it could be better. Faster, stronger. I'm going to modify the reactors based on the Bastion's design. It should give us the power we need without drawing too much attention."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Tao Yang frowned slightly, her brow furrowing in thought. "You'll need to coat the ship in Soulsteel," she said, her voice calm and matter-of-fact.

I grimaced at the mention of Soulsteel. "That's the problem. Soulsteel isn't exactly easy to come by."

"It's not as bad as you think," she countered. "We can take some from the Bastion. It's modular, right? You don't need to break the whole ship down—just enough to coat this one."

I hesitated. The Bastion was more than just a ship; it was a symbol of the Solarous , a fortress that had seen a battle for a race with non but Tao Yang left. The idea of stripping it for parts, even just a few, didn't sit well with me. "I don't like the idea of taking pieces from the Bastion. It's… significant. I don't want to weaken it."

Tao Yang waved her hand dismissively. "You're not weakening it. You're repurposing it. Ten room cubes of Soulsteel should be enough to reinforce this ship, and it won't affect the Bastion's overall integrity."

I considered her words for a moment, then sighed. "Alright. Ten cubes. No more. I'll make the necessary upgrades for the reactor as soon as we have the Soulsteel."

"Right, I'll harvest it myself, and I'll coat the ship with it. It should survive well in the Void of the Beyond and the trip toward my world."

"Thanks," I said, genuinely relieved to have the weight of that task off my shoulders. "In the meantime, I'll notify Liang Yu and YuYu. We need to move quickly."

"I'll need to return to my lands for a short while," Blue Sun said suddenly, her tone shifting to something more serious. "There are matters I need to tend to before we leave. Give me two days. We'll meet again then, and I'll have everything ready."

I nodded. "Two days, then."

As I made my way toward the Sea of Demons, the enormity of what lay ahead settled over me like a lead cloak. This expedition wasn't just another mission—it was survival. For us, for the people who depended on us, for the Beyond that stood on the brink of annihilation. there is no room for error...