[VOL 3] - The Star Traveler License Exams Arc
Planet: Unknown
Stellar System: Unknown
Number of Stars: 1
Galaxy: Viridion Galaxy
Star Type: K-type (yellow)
Number of Planets: 7 (1 in the habitable zone)
In an elegant dining hall decorated with red and gold tapestries, illuminated only by a singular grand chandelier, an elf man with pale skin and black eyes who appeared to be in their late twenties to early thirties, sat calmly at the head of a long fancy wooden table. He gazed at the meal in front him, slicing through a piece of rare marbled alien meat.
One by one, holographic projections appeared around the table, filling previously vacant chairs around the long table.
The first projection solidified into the shape of a woman that appeared to look similar to Aqua, but slightly taller. Her scales and fins were dark blue mixed with hues of deep violet along with her dark blue colored hair.
The second projection brought forth a petite alien woman with youthful features. She had golden-brown skin with cat-like bronze eyes, claw-like fingertips and cat-like ears. She smiled cheerfully with an unsettling sweetness radiating from her as her tail waved slowly around behind her.
Next appeared the figure of an elven woman with long pointy ears, milk chocolate skin, and curly burnt orange braids tied into a bun with long curly strands hanging down both sides of her face. Her eyes filled with numerous shades of orange held an unreadable intensity.
Finally, the last projection formed into the towering image of a tall alien man. His body was slender with greyish-purple skin and black hair streaked lightly with strands of shimmering silver. He adjusted his glasses with an annoyed look on his face.
"What's the meaning of this sudden meeting?" He said sarcastically.
"I was under the impression our next gathering wasn't scheduled until the end of the current planetary cycle."
The leader calmly finished chewing and gently wiped his mouth with a cloth.
"My sincerest apologies, Morgoth. I hope I'm not interrupting something of greater importance." He replied, his voice calm.
Morgoth smirked and closed his eyes for a second in mock thoughtfulness.
"Oh, no. Nothing more pressing of course, my lord… Do continue."
"Good. Then let's waste no further time."
The leader began to pour a glass of a champagne-like drink.
"It appears Elara won the tournament and left the Sirius star system to follow the fragment's call… but it seems they've picked up an unexpected guest after their surprise detour along their way."
He paused for a second as he finished pouring his drink.
"They've taken Aqua."
The shock was immediate. The member that looked like Aqua in particular was visibly stiffened more than the rest. Her stoic composure briefly shaken as her dark blue eyes widened. The petite woman with bronze eyes clapped her clawed hands excitedly, giggling.
"Oh, how delightfully unexpected! But wait, weren't they just at that tournament a few planetary cycles ago? How could they possibly have intercepted Aqua?" She cooed.
The leader nodded toward her projection after taking a sip of his drink.
"You're correct, Nyla. However, for reasons still unclear, their vessel deviated off-course, inadvertently landing on the world where Sera and Aqua had been assigned."
"Morgoth, you assured us there would be no interference with Aqua and Sera's mission. The Draconian world was supposed to be untraceable and hidden. Explain this."
Morgoth made eye contact with Aqua look alike silently for a tense moment, then shrugged his shoulders.
"Honestly, Marina, your guess is as good as mine. They simply… showed up." His tone was casual, almost indifferent even.
"You—!" Marina began to speak, only to be abruptly smothered.
"Heheheheeehehe… Oooooohhhh? What's this I sense? Are you... upset?" He cooed out, leaning forward, his eyes loaded with cruel delight.
"No, no, no, no, no… Surely this must be some sort of twisted joke, right? The dignified Marina, losing her temper? Impossible!"
His laughter subsided subtly and his expression turned dark.
"Because… what kind of loving and caring big sister uses their own little sister to slaughter their entire family?"
The room went completely silent as soon as those words left his mouth. Marina visibly struggled to maintain her stoic facade, her eyes briefly overcoming with pure anger.
Morgoth saw this and… he enjoyed it.
He basked in every fleeting sign of vulnerability, a sick smirk stretching across his face.
"Enough." The leader finally spoke, his voice calm.
"Save your childish squabbling for your own time. We have far more pressing matters."
Morgoth sighed exaggeratedly and leaned back into his seat.
"Fineee." He pouted, clearly enjoying his little victory.
The leader turned toward Marina.
"Regardless of how Elara's crew stumbled upon Aqua, the situation can be used to our advantage. With the tracking device implanted within Aqua, we now have a direct path to Elara. This presents a perfect opportunity."
The fins on the side of her head twitched slightly.
"But my lord, without her medicine that thing within her could awaken, and even then… she likely stands no chance against Elara. Losing Aqua would be a significant loss for us."
Morgoth leaned back in his chair.
"As much as it pains me to say this, Marina has a valid point. Losing Sera was tough, but losing Aqua would really put a bump in our plans… The Elythrians like her and Marina are our next best bet if the elves back out of our little deal. Though frankly, I believe Elara herself isn't the only one we should be wary of."
All eyes in the meeting turned curiously toward him. The leader raised an eyebrow as he stopped picking at his food.
"Go on."
"At the tournament… I encountered another member of their crew. A woman… tall, dark skin, frightening yellow eyes, and white hair. I infiltrated her mind, intending to play with her, yet…"
He hesitated uncharacteristically, eyes narrowing as he began to recall his interaction with Kaeline.
"Yet?" The leader asked.
"Her essence... it was cold and dark. Very dark… I've analyzed countless beings across galaxies—strong, weak, brilliant, foolish… but her? I've never felt anything like her before… My lord, I believe she's dangerous. More than any of us realize."
Nyla gagged dramatically, rolling her bronze eyes.
"Oh, spare us your twisted love-at-first-sight speeches, Morgoth."
"No, no! That isn't—"
"That's enough." The leader interrupted calmly, before sipping from his glass.
"If this woman truly poses such a threat, Morgoth, then I ask that you personally handle it."
Morgoth stared at him dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open.
"Huuhhh? You… you're joking, right my lord? Even after all I've just said, you're assigning me to her directly? My spectacular Iron Fang is currently indisposed, you know. Gathering replacements for a new team will take time."
"Precisely, that's exactly why I'm entrusting this task to you personally." The leader said bluntly.
Before Morgoth could protest further, a voice spoke up.
"I'll accompany him."
Surprise flashed across everyone's faces, except for the leader, who looked up curiously towards the source of the voice. It was the elf woman.
"Well now. This is rather interesting, Bellatrix. You rarely speak up at meetings, let alone volunteer for missions. What's different now?"
Morgoth chuckled.
"Clearly she's finally warming up to my charms."
"As if anyone desires the company of a deranged scientist." Nyla said, snorting trying to contain her laugh.
Ignoring their banter, Bellatrix continued on speaking, her face completely unreadable.
"My lord, my interest lies with the human aboard Elara's ship."
The leader's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"The human? And what exactly intrigues you about this nearly extinct species?"
Bellatrix hesitated for a second, her bright orange eyes flickering with an unknown emotion that couldn't be read.
"I cannot say for certain, my lord. Call it curiosity or maybe a fascination with their rumored hidden strength... I wish to see why the Accord feared their kind so much so… they nearly erased them from existence."
The leader stared at her silently for a second before finally nodding.
"Fine. The human means nothing to me. Merely the last breaths of a dying race, destined to fade away like countless others before him."
Bellatrix bowed her head respectfully.
"Thank you, my lord."
The room went silent after their conversation. The leader slowly picked up his utensils once more, cutting gracefully into his meal, gently scraping against the fine china.
"Now then, let us move on to our next matter."
"Wait, wait, wait my lord!" Morgoth interjected abruptly, leaning forward eagerly, his eyes sparkling with excitement behind his spectacles.
"Before we move on my lord. What about the Draconian boy from Draconis Prime, the one infused with nature energy? Don't you realize how extraordinary this discovery is?"
The leader paused mid-bite, before calmly placing his utensils down again. He looked over to Morgoth, though a faint ripple of something—disappointment… or even a form of offense crossed his usually stoic face for a brief moment.
Morgoth kept on going, barely containing his enthusiasm.
"Think about it my lord! This proves my theories correct. Nature energy still exists in scattered pockets across this universe. Draconis Prime had but a mere trace, yet we still found someone capable of harnessing it. Imagine what we could discover if we located entire planets… no…. Entire star systems rich in nature energy. Immortality, unlimited power—my lord, we wouldn't even need Elara or any of those elves anymore."
The room went quiet again as the other members waited for the leader's response. The leader's calm eyes remained placed on Morgoth for a moment before speaking up.
"Your enthusiasm is commendable, Morgoth… But do you truly believe immortality or the simple power of mortals is what I seek?"
Morgoth's smile faltered slightly, sensing the gentle rebuke hidden beneath his words.
"The power I pursue does not bow to the natural laws of this universe. Immortality of the flesh, the fleeting strength of mortal races—these are transient, insignificant compared to what lies beyond. Nature energy, no matter how abundant, will never grant what I truly desire."
Morgoth adjusted his glasses, visibly deflated a tad.
"I...understand, my lord. My apologies…"
The leader leaned forward just slightly.
"Yet…" He continued quietly.
"I want you to continue seeking these worlds regardless. If anything were to happen to Elara or the other core elves before the preparations are complete, nature energy may become a crucial asset."
A satisfied smile returned to Morgoth's face.
"Of course, my lord. Consider it done."
The leader nodded subtly, resuming his meal as he moved to the next subject.
"Now, as I was saying—our next matter is of even greater significance."
All eyes focused once more on their leader, whose voice became slightly more serious.
"Recently, reports from our teams have confirmed that cosmic well guardians across various galaxies have begun evolving. They're developing consciousness, independent wills, abandoning their posts to wander freely across the stars. This presents us with the opportunity to advance to the next stage of our plan. As you all know, cosmic wells are categorized by their ranks—E through S—with S-Rank wells being the rarest and most potent… and possessing those artifacts we need. Each galaxy typically possesses only a few S-Rank wells. However… certain galaxies house significantly greater numbers of S-Rank wells. And those S-Rank wells are what's going to help us find the Cosmic Heart."
He paused for a bit as he poured another glass.
"According to the tracking device implanted within Aqua, their ship is currently at the outskirts of a red dwarf system in the Viridion galaxy. Based on their flight path, they seem to be visiting a licensing station. Direct confrontation within the system could risk attracting unwanted attention from the space rangers… attention we cannot afford."
He turned his eyes toward Morgoth and Bellatrix.
"Therefore, Morgoth and Bellatrix, you'll intercept them at their next jump point. Wait patiently for them to land safely, then strike swiftly."
"Understood, my lord." Bellatrix answered quietly.
Morgoth adjusted his glasses, an eager glint in them.
"Of course. We won't disappoint."
"If I may, my lord... how did someone come into possession of a codex fragment without our knowledge? Was it merely a coincidence?" Marina asked.
"No, not at all Marina. I guided Elara to the Grand Sirius tournament by offering the tournament organizer a codex fragment. Her and Princess Talon have been in this galaxy for the last few stellar cycles building their crew after graduating from that academy. I knew they would chase the bait without hesitation once news of it being the prize spread around, and the Accord would have insufficient time to fully react due to the Sirius star system being outside of their jurisdiction. I had Morgoth, Bellatrix, and Nyla sent out to oversee this task."
Marina looked somewhat surprised hearing this as she glanced over to Morgoth who was already peeping at her. He had a smug smirk on his face as he adjusted his glasses. She looked back over to the leader and spoke.
"I wasn't aware of such a risky plan. Is there a reason for this… my lord?" She asked with a somewhat hint of anger in her eyes as she stared the leader down.
He met her staredown and didn't reply for a moment. There was a clear tension brewing and Morgoth was getting off to it in his head as he watched silently. The leader finally spoke up.
"Forgive me if my sudden decision may have offended you Marina, but it was necessary to get Elara in the spotlight. I knew there might have been conflict with your temper, so I didn't bother telling you. But there's no need to worry, your wish and sister will be fine, after all you trust us… don't you?"
Marina's fins on her head began twitching trying to contain her anger. She took a moment to gather herself before speaking up calmly.
"How many fragments do we have now?"
"Currently, we possess four. Seraphine and the Accord hold three, Elara has one, leaving four scattered throughout the universe."
His voice suddenly became a lot colder.
"But Elara herself…she remains my ultimate prize. Her unique bloodline which has those eyes… the eyes that will lead us to salvation. Her body shall become my vessel, and through her, the Cosmic Heart will be ours."
Meanwhile, aboard the Starlight, Kaito stood alone in his room in front of a mirror getting dressed in his combat gear. His eyes though, were on the monitor mounted on the wall, which showed a dark caramel skinned elf with short ears on a galactic news station.
"...the recent appearance of a human fighter at the Grand Sirius Tournament continues to stir unprecedented waves across the known universe. Since the conflict of earth roughly eighteen stellar cycles ago, all of humanity was listed as extinct. With this new discovery, most begin to ask—what exactly does the Accord have planned for this mysterious young man? And perhaps most intriguing of all, is he really the only human remaining in this universe? Or, is he the only one we know of?"
His expression hardened slightly as he watched his own image projected across the screen, replaying highlights from his battles as questions began to arise in his mind.
"What exactly does the Accord want with me...? Why keep their plans secret? No... Maybe it's not just them. Now that everyone knows about me, every single step I take will draw attention. Allies, enemies…"
He began to think back to his time with the mysterious man and the words he spoke while they trained outside of the tournament arena.
"Because they know what you are Kaito… what you could become."
He looked in the mirror at his reflection as he placed his hand on his chest, rubbing right over his heart.
"What exactly does he mean by that? Why would the Accord be afria–" He began to think to himself before his thoughts got cut off by a knock at his door.
He shook his head before quickly walking to the door and opening it. Standing in the doorway with her arms crossed impatiently, was Kaeline. Her yellow eyes narrowed as she looked him up and down.
"You're late. Elysia and I are waiting on you. We found some new information about your—"
"Sorry…" Kaito muttered as he stepped past her into the corridor.
"I lost track of time."
Her eyes briefly scanned his room as he walked past, noticing the monitor's glowing headlines about Kaito's appearance and the ongoing speculations. The expression on her face shifted subtly before the door slid shut behind him.
Minutes later, in one of the training rooms, they stood across from each other.
"Kaito, before we start—"
Suddenly, the training room door hissed open again, and Elysia came stumbling in, huffing and puffing.
"Kaito dear! Miss Kaeline! I'm sorry for being late, but I have something incredibly important to tell you!" She took a moment to catch her breath then continued.
"There you are Elysia, we've been waiting for you. Ready to reveal the news?" Kaeline said.
Kaito looked over to Elysia with a slightly confused look on his face.
"News? What news?"
"It's about you Kaito dear... I discovered some information about your human power!"