Chapter 190: Testing

Words : 1215 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

Chapter 190: Testing Planet Eon-13, Restricted Jump Point. Kyle wasn’t sure about their timetable. They had six hours after traveling for two, yet his boss was adamant about going. "Captain, is this really alright?" He asked, despite knowing the answer. But he ought to keep at it as the only remaining voice of reason in this group. What if, one day, he woke up as crazy as the other members? And as expected, he got a side-eye. "I can send you somewhere farther if that’s what you want." Xavier deadpanned. And Kyle figured that was this hour’s limit. So, he decided to just follow. And what else could he do when they’ve already crossed the threshold? They already broke protocol. To clarify, it’s not like they weren’t allowed to be in there; it’s more like they were only allowed with a full escort. But who would have predicted that one day they’d hold with them something that would make rule-breaking worthwhile? Certainly not Kyle, and probably not even the Prince, who wasn’t even supposed to survive today. But then there’s Jax. And maybe that’s why they were lucky enough to reach this point. Which was the afternoon after getting the containment cubes. Now, that was a hair-raising moment even for him, who had resigned himself to an early grave. However, more surprising things arose as Xavier, the maniac, didn’t waste any time and hightailed to the closest contaminated planet. His argument was the lack of time, and to be fair, they really had to get back before curfew. Because the warden never gave a shit whether one was some dignitary or a member of the Imperial family. And if even the Emperor warns you of someone, you listen. So, here they were, choosing to offend the protocol to avoid the warden. Their only consolation? The lack of guilt. Empire’s survival and all of that. But maybe that was for him because he was sure their Captain had a different agenda. Sure, in the end, it was to save everyone, but for right now, it was definitely to please his wife. But Kyle was not going to say anything. The new boss was definitely easier to get along with and gave out naps that even the workaholic Prince couldn’t ignore. Hallelujah! And there really wasn’t any time to ponder when they were about to walk into the nearest contaminated wasteland for the sake of love. ROAAAAR! How convenient. On this planet that has been abandoned for decades, hearing such deep, guttural roars would’ve sent most passers-by backtracking, but Xavier could only be thankful for the time-saving grace. Jax cursed, gripping at the cube as a twisted, hulking beast emerged from the ruins—a creature warped beyond recognition, its flesh riddled with jagged protrusions of obsidian-like corruption. Its eyes gleamed with sickly violet light, and when it inhaled, the surrounding air seemed to wither in response. "Test subject one," Kyle murmured just as the corrupted beast lunged. "Now." Ordered Xavier as he moved in a blur, sidestepping the charge and slamming his blade into the creature’s side, not to kill—but to drive it toward the containment cube placed by Jax. The response was instantaneous. The cube unfolded in a cascade of shifting panels, expanding like a forcefield trap—an invisible pull locking onto the creature. Energy surged through the ground, siphoning the corruption into the containment unit. For a second, it resisted, thrashing violently, shrieking with a sound that made their bones vibrate. The cube pulsed once, then twice—then snapped shut, sealing the beast within. Silence followed. Jax exhaled a slow whistle. "Woah!" "The cube saturation is already around 75% if the sudden change in the bars indicated anything." Kyle pointed out. "One creature? But we haven’t even started?" asked Jax. "We’ll have to experiment with the combinations until we find the optimal way to do this before offloading it back to the space." And the Imperial Crown Prince was not kidding. They first attempted three versions: One with only one beast and another with mismatched live beast sizes until they hit closer to the cube’s maximum. The third one was an attempt at only taking the corrupted goo. And doing this proved to be worthwhile. When the trio finished up with their first experiment, they decided to go back into the space to offload their first haul. Teleporting in a mecha was much more convenient now, as they all learned from the destruction of Kyle’s cabin, and Jax, in particular, made sure to take out all of his children from the immediate vicinity. But leaving such a space meant it was obvious every time they went and returned. And Luca was just so excited to see them after D-29 signaled the possible presence of corruption. True enough, their mechas tripped the detector as they were littered with residual corruption from fighting all those contaminated beasts. "How was it?!" Asked the vibrating money-grubber who actually wanted to come with them but couldn’t because someone had to take care of the items for the shop update. "We have three versions right now and were hoping to see just how much CP we can get per configuration." This obviously excited Luca, who barely blinked to look at the purification chamber. The chamber doors locked with a mechanical hiss, and the cube was placed at the heart of the process. [PURIFICATION SEQUENCE STARTING] A low hum resonated through the room, followed by a sharp crack of energy snapping through the chamber. The cube’s outer layer opened, releasing tendrils of black corruption that twisted violently before being drawn toward the purification field and converging into a singular, radiant point. Then the beast howled—a distorted, guttural roar that shook the chamber before it started wavering. The corruption dissipated like fading smoke, revealing sleek, silver-and-crimson fur unmarred by taint. The jagged scars across its body softened, and its venomous, warping aura stilled, replaced by something more... primal. Noble. [Status: Completed – 75% Full] [CP: 9,000 CP] (Estimated full purification value: 12,000 CP.) [New Entry: Purified Void Fang Manticore] [First of Its Kind! Bonus CP Awarded: +5,000] "There’s a bonus for Purifying different beasts?!" Exclaimed Ollie, who now eyed the chamber with even greater desire. "Seems like it, so if that’s the case, then the second cube should get us more points, right?" Asked Kyle, who held out the second cube. True enough, this time, four different beasts managed to fit inside and earned a total of 32,000 CP because of the bonus! And finally, the third one of just the goo got them a stable 12,000 CP. It was a glorious 58,000 CP! And had no one said anything, Luca would’ve forgotten their newest problem. "Host! Where do we empty the containers?" Asked D-29, who was hoping to unload fast enough so that they could get more CP before the curfew rang. Oh. Oh yeah. It was a belated realization. The purification chamber worked wonders—but it didn’t actually relocate the purified creatures. But now that he thought about it, just where would they place all these beasts? Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose as he glanced at the catatonic penny pincher. For Luca was seeing another frightening prompt: [ACTIVATE DUNGEON-LINKED SPACE?] [COST: 200,000 CP] [YES] [NO]

Chapter 190: Testing

Comments (0)