?866 Massacre
As time went by, Lex became completely focused on reading the spatial manual, so much so that he even stopped simulating his sword training. Even with his elevated mental capacity and increased intellect, studying the manual was a difficult task.
Space was an esoteric concept, wielded by many but mastered only by a very few. Although the book only barely scraped some of the topics, Lex's imagination could not help but run wild. He tried to imagine how he could use his affinity to create spatial items, as theoretically at the Nascent level he should be able to do it. He also tried to visualize, based on these concepts, what it would mean to open up Minor realms, or how a new Realm was formed in the first place.
The key point, governing everything, completely immovable and immutable, was time. But since this manual was about space, besides barely mentioning its relation, the book did not elaborate on time at all.
So engrossed was he in his studies that when Cirk first nudged him, Lex did not even notice. Realizing the state of his companion, Cirk nudged harder and spoke up.
"This talisman is working a lot better than I had imagined. We've already reached the vicinity of BGY-987. I just need to lock down its location and approach. We could be there in a matter of seconds to a few minutes."
Lex immediately snapped the book shut and looked up into space. There was not much to see besides darkness, but Lex could see a lot of red, as if visualizing the blood that was about to be spilled.
Without saying a word, he exited the cockpit and walked into the storage room. He checked his attire, but he was already wearing his Defensive suit, so there was not much to do. The one change he did make, however, was removing his shoes and putting on the Bathroom slippers instead.
The slippers, as unassuming as they seemed, provided Lex with complete protection from environmental threats. It seemed simple, but the ability was far more impressive than it appeared.
Lex did not know what he would face when they approached BGY-987, but he had to be ready for a quick exit from the ship. Whether it was to confront any enemy spaceships, or to land onto the planet as quickly as possible, he would need to exit the ship.
That meant, for an undetermined period of time, he would be exposed to the vacuum of space. One would think that, with Lex's highly strengthened body that should not be an issue. One would be wrong.
The vacuum, a realm of unfathomable terror, promised an instant onslaught on his exposed form should he enter unprepared. In that abyss, pressure would tear at his body, siphoning every trace of moisture, sizzling fluids into vapor. Assuming that he would be able to protect himself using his defensive techniques would be a mistake.
As the coldness of space encased him, threatening to freeze his very essence, wrenching warmth away into the boundless void, Lex would be faced with dangers far beyond his comprehension. The space around a planet such as Earth, with a star rating even below one, and this place with a star rating that was definitely higher were not the same.
The insidious touch of radiation, unimpeded by shielding, strengthened by various energies beyond his comprehension, could corrupt his very cells, rewriting his genetic code with each moment exposed.
It wasn't just the absence of air; it was an orchestra of merciless perils, a symphony of cosmic malevolence poised to ensnare him the moment he stepped into that emptiness.
Fortunately, he could escape all that by simply equipping a pair of slippers.
He looked at a nearby silver surface and observed his figure.
Notorious Anonymity, his devil's mask, looked especially menacing at the moment. As if mimicking the cold fury that Lex felt, the mask was neither grinning nor frowning. It looked absolutely plain, with only its eyes betraying the wrath that awaited whoever saw it.
Lex, wearing the mask, accompanied by his striking figure equipped with his flawlessly tailored suit, exuded a menacing and deadly aura. The only thing that betrayed the gravity of his demeanor were a pair of white, fluffy slippers. The flawless golden initials of M. and I. could be seen on each piece.
Lex didn't care. He was not there for a fashion show.
On a screen nearby that displayed the space outside the image changed, and Lex immediately laid eyes on hundreds of massive spaceships patrolling arounda distant planet. No doubt there were more ships around, but were just farther away.
"Cirk, drop me outside and find a way to land on the planet besides the battalion as soon as possible. If we are to exit, it has to be together," Lex spoke aloud, aware that Cirk would be able to hear him due to small mics in each room.
As requested, the hatch for the storage room opened, and all the air inside the room was immediately sucked out!
But faster than even that was Lex, who zoomed out the partially opened hatch like a blur. In anticipation of a similar situation, he had already procured a technique that would allow him to move around in space.
It was a simple one, that merely leaked out spiritual energy from his body in jet streams, propelling him forward. Such a technique was not enough to lift him off a planet with medium or high gravity, but in space it allowed him to move freely.
Barely any time had passed since the Silent Wanderer arrived, perhaps a couple of seconds, but Lex could already see many ships turning towards it, ready to attack.
Lex needed no invitation, and so without hesitation he summoned one of the weapons he bought from the emporium and launched it at the nearest ship. It was not quite time to use the ones he stole from the dragon as he was too close to the ships and he would get caught in the blast radius.
The ship evaded, clearly able to detect approaching artillery, but it was for naught as the weapon was on a timer. Just as it passed by, it exploded, releasing a bright light that blinded anyone looking.
Lex was naturally not looking, as he was already zooming towards another ship, ready to attack again. Yet his intention to unleash his entire payload changed when he felt space itself shake under the might of the previous explosion, forming a wave that spread out.
Cracks formed at the site of the explosion, and a tear in space appeared, revealing the Void behind it. As if pulled out by the suction of space, an army of Void Dwellers burst out from the hole.
The many dangers of space did nothing to them, as they came from an even more perilous place. But nonetheless, they were destined to be nothing more than floating space trash, as they had no way to propel themselves in space.
Lex's mind raced as he observed the space wave, comprehending the situation. It made sense that strong attacks could not be used - that was the very reason the system would not allow his Innkeeper to descend to this place. The space was too fragile.
But he was not beholden to the rules of the system, and he could not care less what happened to this space.
A nefarious smile bloomed on his mask as Lex altered his plan, and hundreds more missiles appeared beside him. The space wave finally reached Lex but instead of being affected by the distortion in space, Lex used his absurdly potent spatial affinity, and used space itself to propel him forward.
Seemingly surfing on the wave that flowed through reality, Lex approached the many spaceships. In comparison to their massive bodies Lex was naught but space dust, but as soon as the ships saw the weapons all around him, many of them immediately retreated from that very space dust.
Many of them shot at him, hoping to use the destruction of space to harm him, but how could armageddon be stopped so easily?
Without a thought or care, Lex launched his weapons at all the ships around him even as he flew towards them at his full speed. In the silence of space Lex orchestrated a brutal massacre, forming a symphony of spatial waves and ripples that he used to his own advantage.
Countless lasers, bullets, rockets and even Void Dweller approached him yet with his technique that allowed him to adjust his movement at a mere thought he dodged them with ease, leaving behind only his enemies regrets.
As if learning from him, one of the missiles seemed to be timed, and exploded right beside him, but could not even wrinkle his suit. Cracks formed all around him, threatening to tear open and pull Lex into the Void itself, momentarily giving his enemies hope.
But before the tear could form, Domination rose out of his body and spread all around him, suppressing even the distortion of space. He glanced at the cracks and, as if afraid of him, the cracks retreated into nothing, as if they had never been there.
Then the massacre continued.