Ross stood at the edge of the galactic cluster, calmly watching how the Arkheons of the Valemonts processed their reality. Safe to say it wasn't being received well.
The feat that he just performed was an impossibility no one could have imagined. With no reference point on how powerful an Immortal was and what they were capable of, Lady Serenya and her men could not have foreseen such an outcome.
By combining his abilities as an Immortal and the spatial ability from Alexander, Ross was able to play with the Arkheons. While he could teleport via his attunement with the energy of fire, doing the same for others was not possible at his level.
'Are Immortals supposed to be this powerful?' Even Ross was in awe of his power. To have the power over an entire galaxy was mind-boggling.
'Mmhmm.'
The reply came from the only trusted source. 'Immortals are indeed this powerful. However, this is only true because our universe was never supposed to have beings with powers. The structural laws and limitations in our universe are a lot weaker than those in high-level universes. Had it been a high-level universe, you might not even be able to destroy a star.'
'I see…' It made sense to the redhead as he pondered. 'That's why everything feels so ridiculous. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I can spread my senses that far. It's because the limitations are very weak. But…'
While it was impressive, there was an issue with extending his senses that far. He felt slightly dizzy when he extended his senses too far, especially after it crossed the 50,000 light-year mark.
Knowing what the redhead meant, Alexander explained. 'Our senses are linked with our soul strength. The more powerful you are, the stronger your senses. However, because our universe has weaker limitations, you can go beyond that, taking more of your soul strength.'
'Why didn't you tell us all of this?' Ross genuinely wondered.
'Because it was never an issue for me,' Alexander replied after a moment of silence. 'You and Julia are the first natives to become Immortals. I didn't bother looking into this after seeing you use your senses to the extreme.'
'Hah… whatever.'
Ross let out a tired sigh and turned around, his gaze piecing the galactic gas clouds and celestial bodies until he spotted the Starbane forces. With a thought, his body dissolved into flames and disappeared.
The Arkheons were not going to be a problem after the defeat they suffered at his hand, so the redhead had nothing to worry about. The Starbane forces could take their time claiming the region for themselves.
***
The leaders of the Starbanes looked to Ferlok and Eein for answers. What they had just witnessed was beyond anything imaginable.
"I'm sorry, but even we had no idea he was that powerful."
Ferlok and Eein explained, their expressions just as shaken as those of everyone around them. While they had only seen a brief display of his prowess, the impression it left on them wasn't dying out anytime soon. The hunters were at a loss as to what to do.
The battle had begun and had abruptly come to an end. They weren't sure what to do now, and the leaders were still recovering from their shock, just as they were.
"Does it matter?" Eein drew their attention. "Ross said he would take care of our situation, and he did just that. If we're wondering how he became so powerful, I think we all know the answer to that. We have won the struggle; it is time to claim our spoils."
"..."
The eldest son was right. They were focusing on the wrong thing here. They needed to get their act together and command their forces to resume their duties.
"My son is right." Ferlok took over. "Let's get back to work. This region is not ours until we register it with the Universal Accord Commission."
The leaders nodded and swiftly got to work, flying towards the men to issue their commands. The father and son remained in place, watching calmly.
"This is really happening…" Eein commented absentmindedly. "I imagined a lot of scenarios, but this was not one of them."
"Why not?"
A sudden intent resounded from behind, causing father and son to flinch forward. They turned around, only to find a smiling Ross with his hands crossed over his chest.
"Hah, Ross. You scared me." Eein let out a sigh of relief, closing his eyes for a moment. "Since when were you this good at teleporting and sneaking up on people?"
The redhead did not respond; his gaze shifted to the crew, which was being organised and directed on what to do. After a moment of silence between the family of three, Ross focused his attention on his father.
"Father, I'm sure you know what this means for our Starbane forces, right?" Ross asked with a serious gaze. "Are you willing to take everything?"
"Is such a thing even possible?"
Ferlok felt slightly inadequate looking at his son. Ross was now leagues away from his reach. He wasn't sure how to look at Ross anymore. However, as a father, he knew how to act around his boss.
"This region that we intended to claim before was proving to be too much for us." Ferlok continued. "To take an entire galactic cluster… It almost feels like we're…"
"We're attempting to build a kingdom." Eein completed his father's words, glancing at his younger brother. "While it's not public knowledge, anyone with half a brain would see where this trend is heading."
"Indeed." Ross nodded. "It's exactly why Alexander created the UAC. This is an inevitable outcome despite his attempts to stop it before."
"Really?" This was news to Ferlok and Eein.
"Mm. Some people on the Council attempted this before but were stopped." Ross provided a brief explanation of what had transpired beforehand. "This is the nature of man. We desire to be free, even if we're not being oppressed."
Having the freedom to do whatever one wanted, whenever one wanted, without having to pay the consequences, was what greedy beings desired. The easiest way to achieve this was to become their own masters — they wanted to be kings.
"Anyways, let's get this over with." Ross proposed, snapping Eein and Ferlok out of their contemplative state. "I'll lay claim to the galactic cluster. It will be a lot faster this way."
While Ferlok still had doubts about the whole thing, it would be happening nonetheless.
"Don't worry, Father," Ross reassured the final time. "You don't have to use everything once you have it under your name. Take your time to think it through with the others."
"Mm." Ferlok had no reason to refuse.
The Starbane boss gestured to his firstborn to lead Ross towards the ships that housed the territory beacons used in claiming a region. Although it wouldn't be enough, it would suffice if Ross spreads them out evenly.
Also, he would have to destroy the ones the Arkheons already laid out. But that was an easy fix. With his senses, he could encompass those regions and direct the ambient energies to destroy them.
Once Ross got his hands on the beacons, he wasted no time and disappeared. Because this task was going to require a lot of his energy and mental strength, Ross decided to supplement it with void energy.
He had the connection; he might as well use it.
Since Ross was handling the claiming process, the forces were given time to rest, a much-needed break at that. It was something they were grateful for.
While Ross took care of the claiming process, the leaders gathered together in the meeting chambers of their base planet. Their lives were about to change for the better as they were on the path to becoming a superpower in the universe.
"The next process after laying our claim is to register the territory at the Universal Accord Commission," Ray muttered in shock. "Isn't this a bit too fast?"
"Weren't we planning this earlier?" Ferlok glanced at the man and sighed. "Look, I know this is a big change. But as I explained earlier, we don't have to use everything at once. We will start small and gradually expand."
"Yeah… But this is also hinting at the gradual collapse of the Empire."
Honestly, some of the leaders were unsure about how to feel about the whole thing. Once they succeeded in claiming the region, they would be the first to separate from the Empire.
Although not in an official capacity, they would have the autonomy to rule themselves and their forces. Every resource imaginable for building a new civilisation was at their fingertips. Recruiting students and brilliant minds would not be an issue.
Furthermore, with someone like Ross in the mix, whose feats were bound to spread far and wide, there would be no shortage of people who would want to join the Starbane forces.
Honestly, it was scary.
A universe that was once united by the threat of void creatures and deadly storms was gradually breaking apart as the monsters weakened. Humanity was once again prioritising itself while one being stood guard, protecting everyone.
Whether he succeeded or not, only time would tell.