Out of seventy planetoids, Neptune had major troubles in eight.
According to the wyverns' momentum, they would've conquered all eight and launched a fierce attack on the remaining planetoids.
With level 8s leading, the planetoids would have fallen one by one.
And it wouldn't have been a linear effect.
Why?
Because with each planetoid Abyssals won, the level 8s on that planetoid would be liberated and join the conquest army!
Like dominos falling, the Abyssals' speed of conquest would speed up with every planetoid!
In just three or four days, they'd come knocking on Neptune.
Under its current conditions, Neptune wouldn't have lasted even an hour under the level 8 siege.
So, Varian stabilizing the eight planetoids wasn't just a planetoid savior thing, he saved all of Neptune!
"Thanks is worthless." Sovereign Ares said with a wry smile as he addressed the young man in front of him.
They were currently in a highly secure building of a planetoid and even with it, this room was the most secretive.
Because Sovereign Ares was currently in a large healing tube, with half of his body cracked and charred black.
Even in such a condition, he decided to meet Varian.
At first, Varian was confused as to why a man with a barely half-working body requested his presence.
To be honest, Varian wasn't even expecting him to speak given his condition.
But Ares admitting a 'thanks' wouldn't be enough for his deeds caused him to give the Sovereign another look.
"Thanks are indeed worthless. But I'm not doing it for a thanks." Varian shrugged and focused his gaze on the proper half of the human. "You called me for something else, right?"
A deep silence replied.
Sovereign Ares sighed inwardly as his heart twisted.
Of course, both literally and figuratively.
The Thunder King's lightning mana was raging havoc in his body and he was still in the process of dealing with it. It's the reason he didn't recover quickly despite taking the best medicine.
It'd take a week or two for him to be back to the peak. Until then, the searing pain, the burning throat, and the twisting heart were common.
Ares shook his head slightly and brought back his focus onto Varian. "Yes. The traitor…"
A weak but heavy pressure spread out from Ares and filled the room. Lightning crackled abruptly and tiny lightning arcs started popping up everywhere.
Even the tiniest lightning arc had the strength of peak level 7. If Ares wasn't injured, they'd be as strong as level 8, at least.
In that case, too, Varian would've been the same as he's now. Unmoving, relaxed, and chill.
But that didn't mean Ares was less awesome.
'So strong.' Varian sighed.
'So calm!' Ares sighed.
He unconsciously released a tiny bit of Sovereign coercion. Level 8s would be uncomfortable and level 9s would be slightly disturbed.
Yet, this boy didn't even seem to notice anything off.
'He's calm, but his message destroyed my calm!' Ares thought, a bit bitter.
After he returned for treatment, he checked his comm. As a result, he ended up hearing Varian's voice message. As a result, he dashed out of the room and almost ended up running out of the building, wrapped in a healing gown.
Thankfully, his disciple appeared then to check on him.
Otherwise…
Ares shuddered to even think about it.
Thankfully, Minerva acted like it didn't happen. No, she was absent-minded most of the time. But she gave him all the details of what happened with Varian.
However, none of it contained any information regarding other Sovereigns.
Thus, even though it's taboo to meet others in this dangerous condition, Ares met Varian.
"W-Who is the traitor?" Ares asked, his voice quivering. A terrifying possibility bloomed in his mind and he wondered what he'd do if that person was really the traitor.
"It's not Sovereign Irene," Varian answered and also explained how he learned about this whole traitor thing.
"Ha! Thank Heavens…" Ares sighed in relief. For a moment, all the injuries on his gave him no pain and he felt incredibly relaxed.
After a few seconds, he looked at the young man and asked the next inevitable question.
"Who is that traitor? Who?!" Ares couldn't utter those words without his killing intent spilling out and filling the room.
Varian didn't seem affected by the killing intent either. How could he? After all, he himself killed more than half a million Abyssals so far! And was indirectly responsible for some twenty million deaths!
Under Ares' surprised gaze, he shrugged. "I haven't found the traitor yet, but even if I did, then what? I'm not going to have him killed and have a repeat of Mars."
"I…" Ares suddenly realized he had no arguments against those words.
Yes. Even if they found the traitor, what next?
But if they didn't, then—
"But I'll inform you once I find the traitor. That way, you can protect yourself and your artifact." Varian said, relieving Ares' worry.
"I don't think he'll attack anytime soon. If a Sovereign dies, the federation has a serious chance of being defeated." Ares opined.
"I wouldn't be so optimistic." Varian shook his head. "Even if a Sovereign dies, Heaven's Will promotes another Sovereign in a month or two.
As long as the traitor is ensured that his safety won't be endangered for a few months, he might risk it."
"No!" Ares said, a little agitated. "Before the Sovereign is born, the planet he's protecting will be conquered by the Abyssals! Tens of millions of soldiers will be killed! And even if we try our best to evacuate the population, billions will still die! No Sovereign would do that!"
'That's what almost happened on Mars.' Varian thought. "Please, what makes you think the traitor would be so compassionate?"
"Compassionate? No, this is the basic bottom line of being a human! You said he wants to reach the celestial rank, right? What's the use if he achieved it but killed billions in the process?"
Varian fell silent for a moment. The figure of Abyss Emperor flashed in his mind and for some reason, he felt like he understood why the traitor was being so resolute.
With a wry smile, he asked. "What if an enemy you can't win is coming for our race? And the only way to win him is to kill billions? Would you do it?"
"Never!" Ares firmly refused.
"If you don't, entire humanity will go extinct," Varian said lightly.
"I…" Ares fell into a dilemma.
If it's a small number, he'd have not hesitated. After all, after going through so many wars, he had come across countless situations where soldiers had to be sacrificed for victory. Most of the time though, the soldiers were more than happy to lay down their lives for their race.
Even if it's civilians, Ares would've allowed it if the number was in million. It's very vile, yes, but he could stomach it.
However, sacrificing billions was something he couldn't even begin to imagine.
"Come on, out of the current fifty billion, you can save either forty or none. What do you pick?" Varian continued to press on.
Ares closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then, his eyes snapped open and he looked at Varian with a serious gaze.
"This isn't a numbers game, Varian. These are lives! Billions of lives!"
Varian shrugged. "People have different ways of looking at the world. And for some reason, I think the traitor is someone who looks at the numbers."
"Why is that?"
"Because every man is the hero of his own story. He will always find a proper justification, a rational reasoning, no matter how twisted, to prove he is right."
"Haa…" Ares paused for a moment and considered his own reasoning. Something seemed to click inside his mind and he understood the traitor's reasoning.
"So, the traitor thinks one big sacrifice can save most in the present and create peace for the future generations?"
"Hm." Varian nodded.
"Haa~" Ares sighed deeply and confessed. "If push comes to shove, and if we're in the neck of time, I'll choose to sacrifice few to save many.
But there is time now, isn't it? Why is he doing this instead of looking for a way to save everyone? Is there really a stronger enemy out there or does he just want to rule the federation?"
Varian fell silent for a few seconds and shrugged. "No idea."
Abyss Emperor…
The Sovereigns likely didn't know of his existence. Even if they somehow guessed it, they would think he was far away and posed no threat to them.
Most likely, they also labeled him as a stronger Abyss King instead of a Celestial Ranker.
After all, if Abyssal Emperor was really so powerful, he could just visit the solar system and kill every Sovereign in a day.
He had a hundred and twenty years to do this but never bothered.
Why would any Sovereign think this Abyss Emperor was an existential threat to humans?
But once they learned about his terrifying strength, Varian wasn't sure what the Sovereigns would do.
The only way to stop him would be to reach the Celestial Rank themselves. But no Sovereign achieved that.
Even Julius said on many occasions that it'd take a long time for him to even touch the ceiling of the next realm.
So, the only way out would be artifacts.
Gather six artifacts and get promoted to Celestial Rank.
Then the question: Who should get promoted?
The genius Julius?
The most experienced Albert?
And what about the traitor?
What would he do?
There was a significant chance federation might enter a civil war.
So, Varian decided not to reveal this matter for now.
"Recover soon."
Bidding him farewell, Varian left.
