CHAPTER 783: TRAIL

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That tiny and almost negligible creature managed to not only pass through the wall that the Space Marines built, but it also managed to attach itself to the ship of some unaware people who were going somewhere.

It’s clear that this creature has a mission. It could’ve done more than just hide and remain invisible, but it didn’t. It patiently waited and made sure that nobody would sense its presence.

At the same time, it was listening to the conversation of the humans aboard the ship.

"Where are we headed anyway?" One of them asked.

"We’re going to the Pathos Star Sector, west of the Heavenly Star Chaos Realm."

"Pathos Star? Isn’t that, like, the sector domain for VIPs? Are you sure we could even get in there?"

"It is, usually, reserved for VIPs, but not right now. See, a rumor has been spreading lately."

"Rumor? What rumor?"

"People said that something called the Unstable Heavenly Domain will appear somewhere around the Pathos Star Sector, and everybody was losing their shit."

"Unstable Heavenly Domain? That...sounds familiar. Where have I heard that name?"

"It’s a place that doesn’t exist anywhere within the Heavenly Star Chaos Realm, or any known Chaos Realms for that matter," someone from the group interjected. "It’s a realm that only appears at random places every 2,500 years."

"I see. And it’s a big deal because?"

"Well, I’m not so sure myself. I’ve only heard rumors so far, and I don’t know if they’re true or not. But basically, that place can’t be reached by the Supreme Will. It’s an ownerless place. And apparently, that place is rich with raw and untamed concept laws, ones that you can freely observe and comprehend without experiencing any backlash."

"Oh. Oh my, that’s..."

"Yeah. A huge deal. It’s essentially the opportunity of a lifetime. That’s why everybody wants to fight for a spot."

"And we’re heading there to compete?"

"We’ll try our best." The presumed captain nodded. "Of course, our main priority is our safety. But if we could get a spot, that would be wonderful. If any of us can elevate our law comprehension to the Great Law level, at the very least, and maybe more, our lives will be much better compared to now."

The allure of the Unstable Heavenly Domain has ignited a frenzy within the human race. Even those who didn’t fully understand it were being attracted.

How could they not? If the rumors have even a shred of validity in them, it’s definitely a big deal. And what if the rumors were completely true? It’s a huge deal!

To some, it’s better to go out and see what’s going on rather than remain indifferent about it. Again, this was the opportunity of a lifetime. Something that they didn’t want to regret missing out on.

Unbeknownst to them, the creature who managed to attach itself to their ship undetected felt incredibly fortunate to know that they’re taking it to the place where it wanted to go.

Yes, this tiny creature has the brain capacity to understand human language. And knowing that it’s heading exactly where it’s needed, it behaved even better.

It couldn’t afford to make a mistake now. It must accomplish its mission. That’s the whole meaning behind its existence, and it would gladly sacrifice its own life to accomplish that.

The ship continued to fly; it took a whole week before it arrived at the location of the Pathos Star Sector.

What they saw there was definitely not what they were expecting.

It was clear that they weren’t the only ones who heard of the rumors, as there were many ships of varying sizes and shapes all around here. People were already exploring every corner of this place, searching for the entrance to the promised land.

The competition was already tense. Some groups are even starting to cause trouble for others.

There were all kinds of people here: nobodies, mercenaries, VIPs, royalties, sector lords, etc. All of them have been lured by the rumors and clearly desired to partake.

The creature was momentarily stunned by how busy this place was, and with all sorts of people roaming freely here, it must be extremely careful.

Alas, it has to move, which is risky. Doing this could expose its identity, which could lead to its death. But at the same time, staying attached to this ship won’t cut it. The group of people it accompanied could definitely not comb every single corner of this place to search for the doors to the Unstable Heavenly Realm.

Therefore, it has to move.

The creature started looking around. Trying to search for any ideas or inspiration on how to do this better.

As luck would have it, something passed by, which gave it an idea.

Stealthily, he detached himself from the ship and latched onto the nearby drone that’s been flying around. It didn’t move until it was sure that drone wasn’t looking in its direction.

Once it latched onto the drone, it swiftly drilled to its core and hijacked it, corrupting its core mechanisms and putting it under its control.

The creature made sure to cut off all signals coming from the previous owner of this drone. It even went out of its way to subtly change its appearance and went on stealth mode just to be safe.

When all of that was done, it began controlling the drone away, ready to explore the expanse of the Pathos Star Sector on its own in disguise.

It’s moving at a decent pace. Not too fast, not too slow. It’s on stealth but not under any illusion that it’s completely invisible.

The pace and the stealth provided cover. Those who could see through the stealth were trash and didn’t need to be minded. Those who can ignore the drone anyway since there are many of them around like this one anyway.

This creature’s actions caused it to blend in the background, allowing it to do its job relatively peacefully.

So, it continued exploring.

It listened, observed, and moved wherever the clues led it. Unfortunately, every lead it captured turned out to be fake.

Wherever it went, it was only met with lies and deceit, causing it to be disheartened.

Sure, there have certainly been many spatial disturbances around Pathos Star, but unlike these stupid humans who bit every bait and lure, this creature was different because it knows more.

Its creator supplied it with certain information about the Unstable Heavenly Domain. It knows what signs to look for to confirm its legitimacy. This creature treats the words and orders of its creator as the most fundamental truth; therefore, it never thought that its creator was wrong.

So far, there’s nothing here that resembles anything close to what its creator described. Meaning that maybe the Unstable Heavenly Domain hasn’t appeared yet. Or maybe it’s not actually here.

It was then that the creature saw some people in the distance that made it feel a strong sense of crisis.

The Human Sovereigns.

Its creators also supplied information on the people this creature should avoid. And the Human Sovereigns are on the top of that list.

But it’s weird...

See, the creature has definitely sailed closer to the Human Sovereigns than it would like, and that’s its fault. But strangely enough, it hasn’t died yet. Why?

If the Human Sovereigns are here, then there’s no way they wouldn’t sense its presence. They should’ve made a move the moment the ship it arrived with docked in this realm.

The Human Sovereigns are said to be near-omnipotent within their territory. The creature’s disguise and actions could fool others but certainly not them.

So why? Why is it still alive even after being this close to them? It can’t be that they’re being merciful, right?

Is it a trap then?

Or maybe...

The creature stilled. Its small brain analyzed the clues and observed them closely from where it was.

That’s when it realized something.

’They’re fake.’

’Yes, that has to be it! ’

’This was all a ruse! ’

The creature finally realized the truth. The people in front of it were not the real human sovereigns. They’re fake. There’s no way it will survive being this close to them.

Moreover, they smell and feel wrong. Their presence and their scent were included in the information their creator supplied, and it doesn’t match.

There’s only one familiar scent amongst them, and that leads somewhere else.

That’s the trail that it has to follow. Because wherever the other end of that trail is, that is where the real Human Sovereigns are and where the Unstable Heavenly Domain is!

Knowing this, the creature wasted no time.

It controlled the drone at the same pace and followed the trail it sensed. Fortunately, the scent was strong and lasting. The path was clearly laid out to the creature.

Just like this, the creature made its way out of the Pathos Star Sector. Not once did it stray from the path, meaning that the Unstable Heavenly Domain truly wasn’t here in the first place.

All of the commotion happening there was a deliberate ruse. One that’s designed to fool not only humans but also the other races.

Those who arranged this plot couldn’t have imagined that a small and clever little bug would see right through their schemes.