"Don't lie to me! You would never!"
"I knew you would come after me, so I sold it."
"Liar!" Vortimer grabbed Aldred's collar.
Salamander and the others stepped forward and charged his weapons.
Quantum did the same, brandishing his spear.
The mechas around them started to make a safety perimeter to prevent damage and casualties.
The audience felt the extreme tension.
However, Aldred was eerily calm. He had fought against Vortimer before, he knew his capabilities and abilities, so even though the man… or the robot was grabbing his collar, he was not worried.
Besides, he won't make a scene here. If the information about the Time Stone was known, more people would go after it.
After all, not everyone here knew about Ascendria or the Stones which were the key to unlock it.
Aldred wasn't even sure if Vortimer knew about Ascendria.
"Come to my ship," Vortimer said.
"Like hell we will!" Salamander said. "We won't be entering your ugly-looking ship."
Everyone looked at Salamander weirdly.
Compared to the Celestial Schemata warships, especially their flagship the Astral Sovereign, the Stardust Voyager looked like a scrap of metals piled together with glue.
Salamander realized that, but he had to look domineering.
"I will," Aldred said.
"Aldred, what are you thinking?" Shinari grabbed his hands. "Willingly going over to enemy base, where they are the strongest?"
"I just want to talk with him. It will be fine."
Vortimer, still holding Aldred by the collar, nodded in satisfaction at his compliance. With a subtle gesture, he signaled Quantum Sentinel to stand down, and the crew lowered their weapons. The tension in the air persisted, but the immediate threat seemed to subside.
Vortimer released his grip on Aldred, and the crew took a step back, maintaining a cautious distance. Aldred, with a reassuring glance at his crew, followed Vortimer towards the massive flagship of the Celestial Schemata, the Astral Sovereign.
As they approached the colossal warship, its intricate design became more apparent. The outer shell shimmered with celestial symbols and emanated a faint glow. Quantum Sentinel walked alongside them, a silent and imposing guardian.
The crew of the Stardust Voyager, uncertain of the unfolding events, watched as their friend willingly entered the heart of the Celestial Schemata's power. The mechas formed a protective barrier around them, ensuring the safety of both parties.
Inside the flagship, Aldred found himself in a grand chamber adorned with holographic displays and celestial-themed decorations. Vortimer gestured to a central platform, indicating that Aldred should take a seat.
"Come take a seat."
As they sat facing each other, Quantum Sentinel standing guard nearby, Vortimer spoke with an air of authority, "Aldred, the Time Stone you possessed held great significance. It is a key to unlocking the cosmic secrets woven into the fabric of the universe. Why did you sell it?"
Aldred laughed. "I am a mercenary. I need the money."
Vortimer slammed his metal hands on the table. "Then you could've sell it to me! I could have given you an amount of wealth you won't dare to imagine!"
"Now!" Vortimer continued. "Tell me who you sold it to!"
Aldred leaned back, studying Vortimer's metallic features. "Information comes at a price, Vortimer. Besides, the Time Stone is not something easily given away. I needed to ensure my crew's safety and our journey through the Veil."
Vortimer, seemingly unfazed by Aldred's response, continued, "The cosmic dance is delicate, and each movement influences the next. The figure who bought the Time Stone might hinder my plan."
"And why should I be concerned with your plan?"
"You should," Vortimer told him.
Aldred cut to the chase. "What do you want from us, Vortimer? An alliance to pursue this cosmic dance together? We're not your pawns."
Aldred figured Vortimer wanted something from him since he was invited to the ship.
"I have no use for humans as mere pawns! Your kind's multitude of weaknesses renders it an inefficient and expendable tool."
"Then why bring me to your ship?"
"The Time Stone. Tell me where it is."
"I am not telling."
Quantum Sentinel brandished his spear.
Vortimer glared at him. "You will."
Aldred chuckled. "You think intimidation will work?"
To be honest, Vortimer was wary of Aldred as well. This man was viciously cunning and intelligent. It was proved during the battle in that gas planet.
Also, Aldred's abilities were so diverse and unique. Vortimer wondered what more abilities he hid inside his sleeve.
But the fearsome abilities that Aldred had was his cloning abilities. To be able to duplicate oneself not just to the atomic level, but also duplicate the soul, the weapons, and the very essence of his own existence.
No one in the history of the entire galaxy was capable of doing such feats.
Vortimer didn't even know if the Aldred in front of him right now was a clone or the real one.
Vortimer's cold, metallic gaze bore into Aldred's eyes, a silent challenge that transcended the physical realm.
"The dance of the cosmos," Vortimer began, his voice resonating through the chamber. "It is a delicate interplay of forces, a harmony that transcends mortal understanding. The Time Stone, a key to unlocking this dance, holds the power to shape destinies. Tell me, Aldred, do you not feel the weight of responsibility in your hands?"
Aldred leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he considered Vortimer's words. "What is this? Are you trying to give me a moral dilemma or something? I know what I want. I want power, and I am not shy of using it. Responsibility? I don't give a damn about that."
Vortimer's metallic visage remained impassive, a testament to his eternal nature. "Power is a reflection of one's understanding of balance. The celestial forces are neither good nor evil; they simply are. It is how we wield them that determines our path. My goal is to preserve the cosmic equilibrium."
Aldred smirked, his eyes glinting with a mixture of skepticism and amusement. "Preserve the equilibrium? By controlling the very forces that define it? You sound like a god attempting to impose order on chaos."
"And I hate people who play god. This is from someone who has seen one."
"You? You've seen a god before?"
"Not just one. Many of them," Aldred said.
Vortimer laughed for the first time. Aldred was slightly surprised that a robot could even feel humor.
"I thought you were good at lying," Vortimer commented.
Aldred smiled. If only Vortimer knew that his parents were literal gods that could erase galaxies.
"Enough of these lies. Aldred, what do you seek in The Veil of Shadows? What do you need the stones for?"
"What will I get for telling you?"
"I will also tell you my intention."
"Okay, fair deal. I want to use the stones to defeat Lord Malgorth and obtain his Space Weaver scepter."
"Lord Malgorth. That demon? It's been a while since I've heard his name. I've fought him a couple of times before."
"Bullshit. Are you saying that you matched Lord Malgorth's strength? I fought against you and I know your true strength."
"True strength? Do you really know how strong I am?"
Vortimer stood up and his form flickered as if he was a mere projection. "You haven't seen anything yet."
Aldred's eyes widened. From what Aldred could tell, Vortimer current figure was not his true form, instead, it was merely a distant projection of his power.
His true body might still be in realspace.
Unlike Aldred's clones who had the same power as him with no limit on distance or realms, other cloning abilities didn't work that way.
Most clones would be weaker than their original and this further affected by distances and other factors.
If Vortimer's clone could match Aldred's power, then that meant his true form would be much stronger.
"Who are you really?" Aldred asked.
"I am Archon Stratos Vortimer. The Overlord of Celestial Schemata! I put it as my responsibility to bring equilibrium to the entire galaxy."
Aldred frowned. He hated the way Vortimer acting like a god. "
Vortimer looked towards the distance, his metallic eyes seemingly gazing into the vast expanse of the cosmos. His voice resonated with a solemn tone, carrying the weight of eons past and the destinies yet to unfold.
"The dance of the cosmos, Aldred, is a symphony played on the strings of time and space. The ebb and flow of existence, the delicate balance that holds galaxies together. My purpose is to ensure that this cosmic dance continues, uninterrupted by the discordant notes of chaos and unchecked power."
Aldred, though usually unswayed by grandiose declarations, couldn't help but feel a tinge of uncertainty. The enigmatic nature of Vortimer's identity and the revelation of his title as the Overlord of Celestial Schemata hinted at a level of influence and power that transcended the ordinary.
'Why is he keep saying about some dance of the cosmos. It sounds cringey as fuck.'
"You claim to bring equilibrium, but what if your pursuit of balance disrupts the very fabric of free will?" Aldred questioned, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Order imposed by force is not true equilibrium. It's a dictatorship, a suppression of individual paths in the guise of balance."
"You think you have free will? Tell me, Aldred. Do you choose to be born. Do you choose who your mother? Who your father? Do you choose your race? And when your stomach growl, your lips dry. Do you choose to eat, or is your biological needs tell you to?"
Aldred tilted his head. "I did not plan the conversation to be this deep."
"But it is deep. Nobody ever has free will, Aldred. Everyone is controlled by some kind of forces one way or another. The demons by their insatiable thirst for souls, the orcs for battle, the elves for ego, the humans for greed."
Aldred sighed. "Enough. Just tell me what your intention with the stones."
Vortimer menacingly looked at Aldred. His eyes conveyed darkness and destruction before he spoke,
"My intention is to destroy the whole galaxy."
