Chapter 263 Blackmail
"Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
In the hall, Zed and Castor Damon tried to make a sense of these words. Was this warning related to the destruction of the supreme world?
The holographic projection of Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose warned further, "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the mind of the one who possesses it."
Princess Scarlet Leila De Rose's voice was filled with sadness and grief as she muttered the final words. The projection then faded into ripples of light, bringing back serenity in the hall.
Castor Damon rose to his feet while thinking of the status of the woman. From her words, he knew she was a princess but was she the princess of the entire destroyed world or only a part of the empyrean world?
How strong was she for her projection to make him kneel on his own? Has she died seeing she said they might be her final words?
Furthermore, what did she meant when she said The Fate toyed with her?
Castor Damon had many questions but no answer. He suddenly thought of Sovereigness Parcae - One of The Nine Sovereigns who founded the World Government.
Parcae was someone who hypothesized Fate was one of the greatest and powerful natural laws along with time and space. These ethereal concepts were the very foundations of the universe upon which the reality was established.
Fate determined the development of every existence in the universe. It didn't matter whether the existence in question was a living being, a planet, a star, or even a galaxy.
In a way, the basic function of Fate was to ensure everything that has a start has a definite end.
Castor Damon wiped the sweat from his face while contemplating his new knowledge. He failed to notice Zed has already risen to his feet and was now rushing to one of the hypersleep chambers.
"There is a risk but then again, life is made of risks," Zed took a deep breath, his eyes filled with determination.
He didn't wish to risk his life by trying to seek Cosmic Spark so he wanted to escape from this meteorite as soon as possible. He hoped the preparations he did before would prove their use now.
"Castor Damon is weakened by that image of darkness and he is now distracted by that message from Princess," Zed thought as he snapped his fingers. "No better opportunity than now."
One of a hypersleep chamber near Castor Damon started emitting a burning smell. Castor Damon shook his head and cleared his thoughts quickly before bringing his eyes on the hypersleep chamber.
"Son of a bitch!"
The veins on his neck bulged out while his eyes turned bloodshot. He turned into a series of phantoms as he rushed to the hypersleep chamber.
Threads of smoke were streaming out from tubes and wires connected to the hypersleep chamber. The wires and tubes were extremely strong and durable but now, on each of them, there was a burning mark.
The mark was pin-size but for Castor Damon, it was no less than a tragedy. He dreaded activating the self-defense mechanism of the room or the worse- awakening the beings inside the hypersleep chambers.
His hands moved in lightning speed as he stopped the melting while extinguishing the fire sparks responsible for the situation. He let out a sigh of relief knowing he has avoided a great tragedy.
"Hey rotten scum," Zed loudly called out from behind. "An insect can create a famine, thereby killing thousands indirectly. I wonder if a slum insect like me can send a great scum like you to your makers."
Castor Damon turned around, his vision filled with hatred. How could this insect act with such disrespect and cockiness?
The transparent liquid armor emitted a dreadful pressure that enveloped the entire hall.
"Scum, harm me and every spark in those chambers would explode," Zed said, his face soaked with sweat. He knew he was playing with fire and risking his life but he had no choice. If he didn't take advantage of the situation now then he was sure he would be sacrificed just like other slum dwellers in the journey ahead.
"How dare you speak like that!" Castor Damon stretched his hand. A formless expanse of energy concentrated on his palm, converging into an orb.
"Well, the answer to your question is in your surrounding," Zed replied while gritting his teeth. "Find your answer otherwise you will regret."
He was standing a step away from the pipe leading to a duct or another sector.
Castor Damon furrowed his brows. His senses covered the hall, and the next moment, his face was filled with disbelief and shock.
He realized Zed's earlier threat was not empty words!
Every single hypersleep chamber was infected with fire sparks. And unlike the ones he extinguished, they were on verge of explosion. They were being controlled by an invisible thread linked to Zed who was already tensed.
If he was harmed the slightest, he might lose control and the sparks would definitely explode.
For someone as powerful as Castor Damon, the might of the explosions created by the powers of a Level I mutant was like a breeze. What terrified him was the possibility of the sparks creating irreparable damage in the tubes and wires.
There was no way the sensors in the hall would not activate if such destruction was created. Then there was the chance of the powerful beings awakening from their long slumber.
"This damned insect!" Castor Damon cursed as he lowered his hand.
"Give me the antidote pills and I will leave," Zed said while trying to calm his rapidly thumping heart. "We both can live by this method."
Castor Damon didn't reply. He now understood how Zed was able to insert so many sparks without him realizing.
Earlier, Castor Damon paid no attention to Zed and has focused on the virtual console to check the data on the spaceship. After all, Zed was weak and poisoned. Every few hours, he needed to consume pills to stop the volatile poison from killing him.
What could he do other than follow Castor Damon's commands if he wanted to live a little longer?
Alas, Castor Damon now realized this confidence in Zed's weakness and despair proved useful to Zed. He took advantage of the distraction to seed an opportunity for himself by using the danger of this hall.
"You think your pathetic scheme can kill me?" Castor Damon asked in a disdainful voice.
"Not really sure about killing you," Zed answered with a smirk. "But this pathetic scheme can definitely ruin your plans of grandeur."
"Kid, stop this stupidity and I will forgive you," Castor Damon coldly said. "Otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless."
"Are you really a scientist?" Zed continued in a mocking tone. "If you are, then you must be the dumbest scientist out there to sprout such nonsense even after I made my intentions clear."
Castor Damon released dreadful murderous intention. Those words made him angry out of shame and he swore to torture this slum insect in the worst possible ways.
"I'm already at my limit," Zed said, his voice filled with exhaustion. "If you drag this then I might die but so would your aspirations. Is my life as important as your dreams? Decide now before I snap out."
Castor Damon's complexion turned ugly. He never thought he would be blackmailed by an insect he could kill with a flick of his finger.
In his entire life, he was always respected with great reverence by the echelons of society. Even the councilmen treated him with admiration and praises.
Yet a lowborn from the dirty slums was being so rude and arrogant. There was not the slightest bit of politeness or respect in his tone.
Castor Damon tapped on his storage ring and took out a glass bottle filled with blue pills. Zed observed the bottle carefully and remembered the bottle was the same he noticed before. He sighed in relief knowing at least this was not a trick.
But then again, a person of Castor Damon's status would not resort to petty tricks.
"Wait!" Zed said as Castor Damon was about to throw the bottle towards him. Zed pointed a hand at a hypersleep chamber near him. A fireball shot out of his palm, leaving behind a trail of fire.
"Stop!" Castor Damon was shocked.
"Relax, I'm not insane," Zed motioned his hand, stopping the fireball above the wires of hypersleep chamber. "If you play any trick, then you already know."
Zed believed it was never wrong to have more cards. After all, he didn't know the extent of Castor Damon's powers.
Acting crazy like this at such a crucial moment would be a nice incentive for Castor Damon to not go overboard.
"You!" Castor Damon was in the middle of cursing when his eyes turned wide in shock.
The fireball split into two, the new fireball floating behind the exhaust grills of the hypersleep chamber.
"Now you can give me the pills," Zed was already drenched with sweat from head to toe.
Castor Damon threw away the pill bottle. With one hand, Zed controlled the sparks and the fireballs while with the other hand, he caught the bottle.
"Fucking bastard, don't think I will ever forgive you!" Castor Damon was not the type to suffer such humiliation from a weakling.
Zed arrived near the hole. He put the glass bottle in his pocket while looking at Castor Damon with a provoking expression.
"I might be a bastard," Zed said as he jumped in the hole. "But you are the one who is going to get fucked."
"What?!"