Inertia: Beneath The Starlit Veil Chapter 26: Chapter 26

Read chapter 26 of Inertia: Beneath The Starlit Veil by Ken Kaizen on NovelPedia.

Chapter 26 Cyrus POV Sitting by the river my father and I originally came from, I stared at my reflection in the rippling waves. I don't know why I ever thought these people would be any different from what I've observed over the past few years. I couldn't believe that someone who claimed to be my father's friend would turn on him for greed and monetary gain. And yet, here I am, grappling with the truth: Adam killed innocent people just to keep his ambitions alive. Now, I was alone, unable to fully process the events of the past few hours. But I knew I couldn't just sit here and wallow in my despair. My father had taught me better than that. He was strong—at the fourth stage of his core—and I knew he could endure much longer in the astral realm with the form fused form. But even he had a limit. I had to find a way to free him. The biggest obstacle, however, was access. I needed a rift to enter the astral realm, and the only rift nearby was the Category Two rift where I had previously fought the aurora moths. "Would I be strong enough now that my core has grown a bit?" I wondered aloud. Determined to test my limits, I decided this remote spot would suffice. No one could interfere, and no one would find me. Over the next hour, I pushed myself, experimenting with my abilities. With the increased size of my core, I found I could activate my field of influence up to four times if I limited its range to one meter in every direction. Expanding the field's radius significantly reduced the number of uses, though. Disappointingly, the duration of the field's activation hadn't improved either. This meant I could handle a horde of starspawn-level astral behemoths without much trouble, especially if I absorbed their cores afterward. However, facing anything stronger for an extended period would be risky. I needed more time to grow. I was certain that if I could master the first rune of my fate constellation, I'd be able to challenge opponents a full stage stronger than me. But how could I compensate for the lack of time? Rummaging through the belongings my father and I had brought with us, I searched for anything that might help—a secret weapon, an artifact, something. I found nothing. That left me with only one option: I needed to hunt. Growing my core was my only path forward, especially since the battery was practically useless to me without control over it. When night fell, I slipped into the shadows and made my way to the rift. I couldn't risk being seen. Adam didn't know I had witnessed his atrocities, but if I stayed, he'd watch me like a hawk. Disappearing was the only choice. When I reached the aurora moths' nest, I didn't need to search for them. Their glowing exoskeletons shimmered like a living light show, perfectly suited for their name. The nocturnal creatures fluttered around, seemingly unaware of my presence as they carried bits and pieces of carcasses to a structure near the rift. Staying quiet, I watched from the outskirts, inching closer with every step. What I saw surprised me. The aurora moths were dropping flesh into an opening at the top of what looked like a massive cocoon. From inside came disturbing sounds—bones being crushed, flesh being devoured, and blood splattering. The noise was followed by guttural, satisfied moans that sent shivers down my spine. As one of the moths flew past the cocoon, I caught a glimpse of a silhouette. Something inside was evolving. "Why didn't I notice this earlier? Were they protecting this all along, or was this a recent development?" I wondered. Whatever it was, I knew this would be a valuable core to claim—if I could deal with the fifty or so aurora moths guarding it. "Let's get this over with," I muttered, stepping out of the brush and sprinting toward the cocoon. Imbuing cosmic energy into my hand, I shaped my hand as if it were a blade, preparing to pierce the cocoon and strike whatever lay inside. But as my hand cut into the structure, I was met with a thick, mucus-like substa