194. Havoc
While Li Aozi was preparing for a two-pronged approach, Remaining Moon, situated in a semi-plane of air elements, furrowed his brows.
"It's been so long, and Leoz still hasn't made a move?"
He didn't think Leoz would die so easily, but with Leoz's abilities, not crossing dimensions to escape and being unable to observe whether time had resumed was baffling.
Contrary to Li Aozi's expectations, Remaining Moon could indeed stay put, waiting for his opponent to succumb to severe injuries and death.
It wasn't every time he executed dimensional jumps that he was lucky enough to land in a safe semi-plane. Before reaching Kappa-tier, dimensional transfers and jumps carried significant risks.
If he ended up in a collapsing semi-plane, there would be no remains left to bury.
If it weren't for the immense gravitational wave reverberations caused by his opponent, he wouldn't have resorted to this move.
However, his son was still outside, inside that tower, now frozen by the time suspension and unable to escape.
If Leoz noticed this detail and acted upon it…
For Remaining Moon, he truly had no choice—he would have to go out no matter what.
Remaining Moon quietly waited for a while, ceasing his cross-dimensional attacks.
"I'll wait another five minutes… Leoz shouldn't be able to figure out the truth about the teleportation tower."
He couldn't gauge how much energy Leoz had left. As a fellow Zeta-tier Omega Energy wielder, this uncertainty greatly affected his judgment.
Waiting a bit longer, with some luck, Leoz would likely be finished.
The plan and strategy were sound, yet Remaining Moon failed to realize that the earlier prosthetic malfunction wasn't merely an internal issue.
Literary works often describe fate as threads—interwoven, linked, or knotted—creating a world where people connect and communicate.
As Remaining Moon quietly waited, the threads of fate connecting him to Leoz began to vibrate. This vibration affected other intersecting fates, some remaining calm and unshaken, while others, too distant, couldn't be reached by the energy.
Havoc accumulated disaster, searching for those it could influence.
It attempted to disrupt the operation of Omega Energy authority, but its feeble power couldn't affect the higher-tier [Remaining Moon].
Thus, it settled for the next best thing, starting from the body—stirring the wind, attempting to disrupt and sabotage Remaining Moon's plans. However, Remaining Moon's will was resolute, his thoughts clear, and he remained unaffected by external influences.
It continually applied disaster's power, trying to cause him toothaches, make him slip, worsen his luck, and tarnish his image in the eyes of the Storm Elemental Spirit—but Remaining Moon remained unmoved, steadfast as a mountain.
Havoc found this challenging. Clearly, Remaining Moon was far beyond it and the authority-holder. Yet, Li Aozi's command drove it to persist. With continuous energy injection, Havoc spread its influence across various levels, relentlessly accumulating disasters until it found a breakthrough.
Its energy stretched outward like tendrils, exerting negative influence on the real world.
Dry air caused irritability, leading to anxiety, distraction, and vulnerability.
Li Aozi's power continued to pour in, allowing it to accumulate more disasters. Its tendrils subtly extended to the near-Earth orbit tens of thousands of meters above White Candle Star, silently interfering with the fabric of fate.
Hyacinth Fortress, the auditorium for the training class.
Minister of Education Barkomon, wearing non-prescription glasses, continued his serious lecture:
"...As educators, you must be aware of your limits. Don't act like performance-driven salespeople. You're nurturing future soldiers, workshop technicians, scholars, and managers. Engage more with your students. Additionally, I want to address the issue of academic bureaucracy in some institutions. This year alone, there have been multiple incidents of workshop owners stealing students' research. Such acts are unforgivable in our civilization. Those involved have been dealt with severely. If similar issues arise, the direct relatives of the perpetrators, up to three generations, will be barred from all educational institutions on White Candle Star. I hope you take this as a warning and avoid such problems in the future."
Such official rhetoric was unbearably dull, even for the transcendent beings in the audience.
After a full day of training, the educators were utterly exhausted. Despite being transcendent beings, none could endure the oppressive presence of a Kappa-tier powerhouse, listening in fear while enduring Barkomon's Abyssal Curse.
The twisted aura from the lower Star Abyss caused physical discomfort. Even Omega-tier powerhouses weren't immune. Prolonged exposure to such an environment could drive anyone insane.
"It's getting late. Let's end here for today—organize your thoughts, reflect, and dismiss."
Barkomon removed his glasses, looking at the audience, who reacted as if granted amnesty, and sighed.
He didn't enjoy this kind of ideological scrutiny either, but the current situation left him no choice.
After heavy losses on the battlefield, the Night Butterfly forces began infiltrating other areas, particularly religion. By offering small favors, they won people over, held repeated gatherings, and eventually swayed minds under group influence.
Such actions were intolerable to the Crystal Tower's Supreme Council.
Then there was Leoz. Since his enrollment, his progress had been abysmal, even earning negative credits. Initially suspicious of his exam results, Barkomon was shocked when Leoz restored his credits within a month.
This bizarre phenomenon baffled even someone with experience in the Star Abyss. He could only attribute it to Leoz's unique abilities, deciding to monitor him closely in the future.
"There've been too many headaches lately. Even the frontlines are demanding recruits. What are the higher-ups thinking? They're even targeting White Candle Star's students. Will they start conscripting mortals next?"
For some reason, he felt particularly irritable today, lashing out at negligent professors and scholars during the lecture—behavior unbecoming of a Kappa-tier powerhouse.
Barkomon was slightly puzzled.
[No errors found in this edition.]
In realms beyond his perception, Havoc continued its operations.
'Take a look outside the window. Observe the planet and ease your mind.'
Suddenly, this thought floated into Barkomon's mind.
Indeed, it had been a long time since he descended to the surface. White Candle Star's fragile environment couldn't withstand his immense power. The entire planet feared him—any carelessness on his part could inadvertently destroy it.
To White Candle Star, he was the most terrifying disaster.
Havoc gradually took effect, guiding the disaster forward.
Look outside. Observe this planet. You'll notice something unusual.
Barkomon slowly rose to his feet.
Yes, just like that. Quickly, take a look. Just turn your head, take a few steps forward, and focus on the panoramic skylight.
Barkomon turned his head, looking toward the hall's window.
"I wonder what the planet looks like now?"
The disaster's power continued to accumulate, like streams merging into rivers, seas, and lakes. Havoc stirred, ready to reveal its hideous, terrifying fangs—
Thud.
A stack of documents landed on Barkomon's desk. His secretary said apologetically:
"Sorry, Minister. These are urgent documents from the Department of Commerce. Please address them immediately."
Havoc deflated like a punctured balloon. Its accumulated power hit nothing but air. The disaster reservoir brimmed, nearly overflowing.
Barkomon had no choice but to sit back down and resume reviewing the files. However, his earlier words had been overheard by the Dean of the Academy of Magical Applications—Madam Nastisa.
Gathering her belongings, she turned to a colleague she was on good terms with:
"Ye Wangnan, after sitting all day, want to take a walk in the hallway?"
Havoc's tendrils began stirring again.