Boom! Boom!
The asteroids moving around in space were blasted into pieces as a multitude of earthen weapons pierced through them and went after a spaceship.
The weapons ranged from finger-sized nails to mountain-sized spiky spheres. Regardless of their size, they traveled at a speed many times higher than the speed of sound.
Their target, however, was even faster.
To a normal human, it'd appear as if ghost ship was appearing and disappearing as if it was teleporting. Even when it appeared, it'd leave plenty of afterimages.
"Worms!"
A voice filled with aura and rage reverberated across the space as a burly abyssal chased after the ghost ship.
He was standing on a smooth stone resembling a skateboard and moved at incredible speed.
He couldn't 'see' anything nor could his earth sense perceive the enemy. But thankfully, the tracker revealed their location.
The abyssal had three marks on his forehead, indicating his strength. Level 9.
But he wasn't just any level 9.
With a snort, his body turned into an earthen state and his speed accelerated greatly. If one were to touch his hand, instead of flesh and bones, they'd only feel rock and soil.
It was a special state accessed by elementalists after reaching level 7. In this state, it amplified their strength in all directions.
So, the originally widening distance between ghostship and him shrank. In a minute, he'd be able to catch up.
"Run? How long can you run?" With a sneer, his figure accelerated further and soon, he could sense a presence in his earth sense.
"Gotcha!" He raised his hand and clenched his fist.
A tough black spherical rock enclosed the ghost ship.
Kacha!
The rock was broken apart in an instant and the ghost ship didn't even slow down.
"What the…?"
The abyssal opened his mouth in shock.
"What the…?"
Just like him, but for a different reason, Varian also opened his mouth in shock.
"They're sending an abyss archduke against you. Just how much hatred do they have against you?" Varian asked Enigma with a curious face.
"…" Enigma took a deep breath and didn't answer.
Blue Flash answered in her stead. "In the beginning, we had quite a few conflicts with abyssals. But it only escalated after the holy altar destruction."
Varian raised a brow. Enigma did gain fame after the incident. To be precise, infamy as the leader of Shadow Order.
"Sending an archduke is still too much…" Varian shook his head and glanced at the security holograms.
The archduke was still following them, but his speed had considerably slowed down. His body also alternated between the normal state and earthen state.
"They're doing it for the same reason as humans, I think," Enigma said lightly. "To wipe out variables."
"It's too late for asking, but can you do something about the tracker?" Varian rubbed his forehead and asked.
"If I try to destroy or remove it, it'd explode, killing me and…destroying everything in a hundred miles radius."
Varian was taken aback. "How about suppressing it?"
Enigma fell silent for a moment before closing her eyes. Then her aura exploded for a split second before being directed inward.
Her body shook fiercely and her black face mask was stained red as blood dripped out of her mouth and nose.
Enigma clenched her fists and with a suppressed groan, pressed the aura inward.
*** *** ***
"Huh?" The archduke gawked at the hologram floating in front of him.
Enigma's position suddenly disappeared.
"How?"
As if on cue, the ghost ship accelerated and left the range of his earth sense. Now, he could no longer locate or attack her.
"Arghhh!"
*** *** ***
"Haa~ Haa~" Opening her eyes, Enigma's chest heaved up and down as she gripped the couch.
Blue Flash looked at her worriedly, while Varian was introduced to a new Enigma.
Enigma wasn't as invulnerable as she seemed. Perhaps, the way she appeared in front of others that way was to maintain the image of a strong leader. Who knew how many hardships she had to endure.
"I-I'm fine." Enigma wiped away the blood and said in a low, but firm tone.
"Master! The abyssal has taken the wrong path." Boo exclaimed.
Varian looked at Enigma in surprise and she shook her head. "I am only keeping it forcibly suppressed. The best I can do is a few minutes before it reveals the position again."
"Can you keep repeating it?" Varian asked.
Blue Flash glared at him and wanted to rebuke him. But in the end, she didn't.
Even if she'd suffer for suppressing the tracker, it's the only way to keep her safe.
"I c-can't." Enigma shook her head. "It takes up too much of my aura. Maybe after two or three hours, if I don't do anything else."
Varian fell silent for a moment before turning to the floating white ghost. "Any help?"
Boo rubbed its chin and looked at Enigma. "I need to conduct a full-body test. So, please don't use aura to block my scan."
Enigma nodded and a blue light scan Enigma from head to toe.
After a few seconds, Boo said. "I can't do anything about the treasure itself, but I can delay the signal lightly. It won't be of much use though, only a few seconds difference."
"How few?"
"Depends. The closer we're to civilization, the fewer. If we're on a planet or planetoid, I can barely do anything." Boo said helplessly.
Even though Varian was disappointed, he nodded. "Do it. Something's better than nothing."
"Well, at least we won't be attacked by archdukes." Blue Flash said. A few seconds difference coupled with Boo's speed meant they wouldn't be caught. Provided they never stopped moving and provided no abyss kings were involved.
Enigma suddenly stood up and said in a shaky voice. "I-I need to rest."
Her body continued to tremble fiercely and her aura was growing weaker.
With each step she took towards the room, she appeared more and more feeble, as if she was about to collapse at any moment.
"What's happening?" Blue Flash supported her and gave her a healing potion.
"I-It's alright." Enigma downed a 9-star healing potion and turned to Varian. "You can't continue this any longer. I can suppress the tracker for two more minutes at most. Find an isolated place and drop me there."
"You'll die." Varian spat.
"If I'm here, y-you two will die." Enigma glared at him and despite her quivering voice, she said in an adamant tone. "If A-Abyss Kings interfere, a few s-seconds won't help."
"Will Abyss Kings even come?" Varian asked but she stubbornly stared back at him.
Varian sighed and turned around.
Given how much abyssals wanted her to die, he wouldn't be surprised if the abyss rulers joined the hunt.
If they did, then even with Boo delaying the signal, everything would turn dangerous.
Ghostship wouldn't be able to escape if imprisoned. Then, sooner or later, they'll break in and kill them all.
Varian took a deep breath and calmed his racing heart. This was really the first time he faced such troubles after getting ghostship.
"There'll be a way out." He said.
Enigma shook her head and entered the room, before collapsing onto the bed.
Blue Flash sat beside her and tended to her.
"Master, for suppressing the treasure, she's bearing terrible pain every second," Boo said worriedly.
"It's ten times more painful than getting all bones crushed to powder and she has to bear it every second."
"Hiss!" Varian sucked in a cold breath. When he looked at Enigma again, he had newfound respect.
"She shouldn't die…I won't let her."
