Villain Retirement
chapter-1066

"This... is a Messenger's Last Essence?"

Ahor Zai was a place for the Elders of the Universe to gather. It was a place where all of them would be considered equal. Although they might have a Grand Elder, he truly wasn't higher than the rest, it was just a title that meant he needed to be the one that organized everything and made sure that all of them were aligned, and that no race was harboring anything negative against each other.

And right now, the Grand Elder was handling a dispute between Elder Skeem and an Elder that comes and goes in her position, Tedi, two of the most intelligent beings in the entire known universe.

They were currently arguing about what to do with a certain civilization that was about to become extinct sometime in a hundred years.

"They will learn how many civilizations have been in their very same predicament and came out the vetter?" Elder Tedi claimed; the tone of her voice extremely robotic, "Help them, and they will flourish 300, 500 years from now."

"300, 500?" Elder Skeem shook his worm-like head as he stared at Elder Tedi's hologram, "That is the problem with species that live so long. They had all the time in the world to fix themselves, but they did not listen to us, they deserve to perish - Who agrees with me?"

"They do not listen to us because we are silent. You leave them cryptic messages and give them words through metaphors - how are they to interpret that?"

"We?" Elder Skeem scoffed, "May I remind you that you are currently not an Elder? You do not have a voice here since you have given up your position for the hundredth time. We are only listening to you because you are important to the grand scheme of things. We—"

"Hold," Elder Tedi's hologram suddenly looked away from the rest of the council.

"Hold...? Do you truly not hold respect for me and this Council!?" Elder Skeem could not help but raise his voice as Elder Tedi looked away, "Are you-"

"I am detecting the energy level of a Messenger," Elder Tedi raised her hand.

"Of course you will, this is Ahor Zai - Messengers always come through here," Elder Skeem exclaimed, "Come to think of it, you should just become a Messenger yourself, considering you are almost as large as them."

"Hah!" Elder S'adar, who was just enjoying the dispute, clapped his hands; his spiky hair and tail, wagging as he did so, "He got you there, Tedi girl."

"I really do not see the reason why our presence was needed here," Elder Zorah lightly wiped his horns while shaking his head, "Grand Elder, let us go home."

"We-"

"It is a Whisper of a Messenger."

And as soon as those words escaped Elder Tedi, all the Elders looked at her hologram in haste.

"It's... dead?" Even Elder Skeem's voice became mellow as he spoke to Elder Tedi, "What killed it...? Is it the Pirate Queen Xra!?"

"I think there is no reason to deduce." Everyone could see Elder Tedi open her palm, welcoming the Whisper of the Messenger in her hands. They all then could see her hologram look in a certain direction, "The culprit is right in front of me."

"Ahor Zai, show us the feed," the Grand Elder raised his hand. And as he did so, several screens popped out in front of the Elders — and there, although it was hard to see, the image soon zoomed in toward Riley.

"An... evaniel? Have we offended them in a way?" Elder S'adar smiled.

"Only the Queen of the Evaniels have the ability to tetherlessly run in space. That is definitely

a male, and not an evaniel," Elder Skeem shook his head again, "Elder Tedi - are you able to communicate?"

"Yes. He is... talking to me now." Everyone could hear Elder Tedi's robotic voice turn somewhat... meek.

"What is it saying...?"

"That it would kill me painlessly since it considers me its only friend."

"What? You know who it is...?"

"No," Elder Tedi shook her head, "This is the first time I have seen this creature. It—" "!!!"

And before Elder Tedi could finish her words, everyone watched as her hologram lost its head there and then. The footage also zoomed out, only for them to see Tedi's colossal headless corpse now just floating still in the expanse of space.

"Did... it just kill a Norinlad? Just what-"

And all of a sudden, the light in the Common Council disappeared. No - the entire megastructure of Ahor Zai completely ceased working.

"Ahor Zai, report!" The Grand Elder raised his voice.

[An intruder is currently inside the main database. All powers were shut down to prioritize Ahor Zai's continuous operation.]

"It's... there with you?" Elder S'adar stood up with a smile on his face, "Finally, a worthy opponent! Our battle will be legendary!"

"No, Elder S'adar! Remain here!"

Sadly for the Grand Elder, Elder S'adar's thirst for battle took priority over everything as he rushed to get out of the meeting room. Elder Zorah was going to chase him, but Elder Skeem and Elder Vato, who was literally a rock, blocked his path.

"The creature was able to kill Elder Tedi instantly," Elder Skeem whispered out, "Our best course of action to take is to escape this place and prepare our planets' defenses."

"All the more reason to aid Elder S'adar," Elder Zorah moved past the two Elders, "Elder Apo, are you going with me?"

Elder Zorah then turned toward the glowing gold humanoid, who somewhat resembled Bulwark. Elder Apo, however, just shook his head in silence; the light his body was giving off, was probably the only source of light in the meeting hall.

"Cowards, all of you," Elder Zorah shook his head, "The Common Council must be protected, that is our oath to the universe. We-"

And before Elder Zorah could finish his words, all of them heard a quiet pattering coming from the distance. They all turned their heads toward the noise, with Elder Apo raising his hand and letting out a beam of light that illuminated the darkness in front of all of them.

And there, they all finally saw what was making noise.

It was Elder S'adar's head, rolling toward them. And judging from the expression on his face,

he was not granted the same privilege as Elder Tedi - he died painfully.

"Ahor Zai..." The Grand Elder then whispered out, "...Where is the intruder now?"

[The intruder, Riley Ross, is currently in the main dome.]

"Riley Ross? And Main Dome? That's... here," the tiny Grand Elder stood up on his chair as he and the other Elders started looking around, "Where... is it?"

[Behind you.]