CHAPTER 374: THE BLADE TO BE USED! I

The vacuum of space carried no sound, yet somehow the silence itself seemed to thrum with anticipation as Achilles approached the massive industrial operation that sprawled across the spatial void.

His transformed appearance...that of a middle-aged scholar wrapped in deceptively simple white robes, moved with the unhurried confidence of someone who belonged exactly where he was, even as alarms began to cascade through the Astral Forge Consortium’s forces!

The first to notice his approach was a patroling entity whose gravitational signature blazed with the distinctive authority of an Empyrean Star Nexus Transcendent.

The figure’s uniform bore the unmistakable design of the Consortium he had seen in his Continuum Visions time and time again...sleek, utilitarian fabric that seemed to drink in starlight, with the symbol of a massive stellar hammer emblazoned across the right chest in threads that pulsed with their own inner radiance.

Around him, space itself bent subtly inward, responding to the compressed stellar mass that now served as his heart.

"Unknown contact, fucking stop immediately!" The being’s voice carried across the void through means that transcended mere sound, his words riding waves of gravitational distortion that spoke directly to Achilles’ consciousness!

"You are trespassing in claimed space of the Astral Forge Consortium! State your identity and purpose!"

Their voice was heavy as it acted to alert all others!

Achilles continued his approach without so much as acknowledging the challenge, his form cutting through the vacuum with the serene inevitability of a celestial body following its ordained path.

The only change in his appearance was subtle but deeply significant...the crown that hovered above his head, gradually darkened to the deep, light-drinking hue of obsidian.

The scout’s alarm intensified as he realized his words were being ignored, and within moments, additional figures began materializing around Achilles’ position.

They came from multiple vectors- above, below, sideways...their movements coordinated with the precision of beings who had trained together for decades!

Each wore the same distinctive uniform, each radiated the same crushing gravitational presence that marked them as wielders of stellar hearts.

Empyrean Star Nexus Transcendents!

Within thirty seconds, Achilles found himself at the center of a perfect sphere formed by twelve Empyrean Star Nexus Transcendents, their combined presence creating gravitational eddies that should have been capable of tearing apart lesser beings.

It was an impressive display of force, the kind of overwhelming show of strength that typically convinced intruders or invaders to reconsider their choices.

But Achilles remained completely unaffected.

In the realm of Empyrean Star Nexus Transcendence, one of the most reliable methods of gauging relative power was observing how easily an individual could resist or manipulate gravitational fields.

The stronger one’s stellar heart, the more effectively they could impose their will upon the fundamental forces of reality. Twelve such beings working in concert should have been able to compress a small moon into diamond.

Yet the space immediately surrounding Achilles remained perfectly stable, as if their combined gravitational fields were nothing more than gentle breezes against an immovable mountain!

The implications of such resistance were staggering, and Achilles could see the recognition dawning in the eyes of his would-be captors.

He allowed the silence to stretch for several heartbeats, letting the weight of his presence settle into their consciousness like sediment in magisterial spatial waters.

When he finally spoke, his voice carried the quiet authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed without question.

"You are not beings that make the heavy decisions," he said, his gaze moving calmly from one face to another, cataloging their reactions with the detached interest of a King observing followers.

"Therefore, I have no need to speak with you directly. Instead, I suggest you relay a message to the one who does possess such authority."

He paused, allowing anticipation to build like pressure in a stellar core approaching critical mass.

"Tell the White Smith Star of the Astral Forge Consortium that an opportunity has arrived for her consideration. An opportunity that will allow her to gain a decisive edge against the other Smith Stars in whatever competitions currently occupy their attention."

BOOM!

His expression shifted subtly, taking on the calculating look of someone who understood the value of scarcity. "I will not be here for long, as I can easily take this offer elsewhere to obtain similar profits from more... responsive parties."

The reaction was immediate and electric. Every one of the surrounding guards stiffened as if struck by lightning, their carefully maintained composure cracking under the weight of his words and power!

The location of the White Smith Star was supposed to be classified information, known only to the highest echelons of the Consortium’s hierarchy.

For a stranger to possess such intelligence and to speak of it so casually suggested connections and capabilities that redefined the entire nature of this encounter.

Urgent communications began flying between the guards, their thoughts racing through encrypted energy channels that connected them to the command structure of the massive mining operation behind them.

The stakes had just escalated beyond a simple trespassing incident into something else!

Less than thirty seconds passed before the very fabric of space around them began to shiver with an entirely different quality of presence!

The aura that bloomed from the metallic asteroid being harvested by the Consortium’s equipment was like nothing Achilles had experienced since his transformation.

It pressed against his consciousness with the weight of compressed stellar matter, carrying within it hints of power that transcended the simple authority of an Empyrean Star.

This was something evolved, something that had pushed beyond the basic limitations of stellar transcendence into realms that few beings ever achieved.

When she appeared, it was not through conventional teleportation or spatial manipulation, but rather as if reality itself had simply acknowledged that she belonged in this location and adjusted accordingly!

The White Smith Star of the Astral Forge Consortium materialized between one heartbeat and the next, her presence immediately dominating the stellar environment around them!

Her power was unfathomably radiant as it exceeded Empyrean Star Nexus Transcendence, and was a level higher!