Qlipoth Fort.
After exiting the subspace, Leon came face to face with the vast IPC army.
Looking at the scene before him, Leon spoke. If they wanted to join that other group on their journey, he wouldn't mind giving them a hand.
"Think carefully before you answer."
They're nothing more than fodder for a single arrow; it's no effort for him.
"What happened to them?" The white-haired old man with round-framed glasses leading them asked with a grim face.
Zai Tian, Head of the Traditional Projects Department, a member of the Board of Seven, and one of the most senior figures in the Corporation.
"Then why are you looking at me? It's as if I ate your department heads or something." Leon chuckled. "They've gone off to the great respawn tournament. Go look for them there."
With that, he continued forward, treating the IPC forces as if they were nothing.
"Get out of my way. If you don't, I'll send you to be reunited with them right now."
Leon made it clear they'd best not block his path. The murderous aura emanating from him materialized as palpable pressure, and the fear of death compelled everyone to clear a path.
Zai Tian's expression was utterly foul. He, of course, understood what Leon meant.
Everyone inside the subspace was dead. Not a single one was left alive. This was no laughing matter, kids.
Diamond and Taravan. These were the two Emanators the Corporation publicly acknowledged. In a way, they even represented the face of the IPC.
And now they'd both been taken out by one person. The IPC had completely lost face.
If word of this got out, the Corporation's stock would likely plummet frighteningly. Not only would their profits suffer, but their prestige across the universe would also take a nosedive.
To reclaim all of that, there was only...
Zai Tian turned, watching the composed, departing figure. Leon showed no signs of injury, as if two Emanators weren't even worthy of his notice.
'Should I gamble...
Gamble that he's just putting up a strong front, that his body is actually riddled with wounds, and the IPC could easily finish him off while he's weak.
Zai Tian's face was dark as he seriously contemplated this choice.
If they didn't kill Leon, the IPC's long-standing inviolable authority would become a joke.
But could their current forces truly kill this Galaxy Ranger before them? They couldn't.
The deaths of the two Emanators gave Zai Tian his answer. Even assuming he was in an extremely weakened state, the IPC, having made no prior preparations for battle, was in no position to fight him.
An Emanator could destroy heaven and earth with a single gesture. A starved camel is still bigger than a horse.
No matter how bad Leon's condition was, he was still an Emanator. Zai Tian believed with absolute certainty.
If he ordered the army to attack, Leon's arrow would arrive faster than they could pull their triggers.
Without a doubt, an Emanator could wipe out an entire army with a casual arrow, even if the IPC's combat personnel were all wearing specialized armor. If they truly attacked, they would be the ones to die, not Leon.
Zai Tian, or rather, the IPC, had no other choice from the very beginning. They could only silently swallow this bitter pill and temporarily back down.
Beyond that, given the current situation, there were no other options.
To counterattack Leon, they had to make thorough preparations for war. They would need to deploy starships and Emanators from the very start.
Otherwise, the speed at which they could defend Qlipoth Fort would likely be slower than the speed at which he could destroy it. In the end, they wouldn't be able to protect anything.
What would be the point of starting a war then?
The Corporation would certainly remember Leon's transgression this day. They would definitely retaliate when the opportunity arose in the future, but absolutely not now.
It wasn't that they wouldn't strike back, but that they would do it slowly, deliberately, and methodically—a gradual, cyclical approach.
Let the capable act first, let those with better conditions go first. For example, wait until the forces of 'Destruction' play the mantis stalking the cicada—Leon—and the IPC will immediately be the oriole waiting behind. By letting the first movers inspire the latecomers, they would ultimately achieve a mutual win-win.
"Tell the Publicity Department to halt all their current work and suppress this incident." Zai Tian said in a low voice.
"Whether it's the Corporation's defeat or this Ranger's visit, not a single whisper can be allowed to leak out. Not even if it costs them their lives."
Fortunately, the situation wasn't completely beyond salvation. This life-or-death battle took place in subspace, a sealed-off area.
Under the watch of Qlipoth, unless one personally entered to investigate, not even an Emanator could perceive anything that happened inside.
In other words, aside from those present today, no other faction would know of the Corporation's losses.
Suppress it! It must be suppressed!
The fact that two Emanators of Preservation died at Leon's hands must absolutely be suppressed! No matter what, the Corporation's losses cannot be revealed to the public!
An organization of the IPC's size could easily accomplish this. The 'Credit' system they created envelops the entire galaxy.
As far as the IPC is concerned, you only see the facts they want you to see. You'll die before you ever see the truths they don't want you to!
"Galaxy Ranger..." Zai Tian ground his teeth as he uttered those words.
This time, the IPC had truly suffered a massive blow. Whether in terms of financial interests or external power, everything had dropped by a whole tier!
And all of this was thanks to a 'Galaxy Ranger'!
Zai Tian could only hope now that there would be no more mishaps in suppressing the news. Otherwise, the Corporation would really be coughing up blood!
After all, losses can be slowly recouped, but reputation isn't so easily managed.
Leon single-handedly infiltrated the IPC headquarters, killed two Emanators of Preservation, and escaped unscathed.
If you told this to most people, they would just think you've lost your mind. But this damn thing was actually the truth.
Really, if even a little bit of this leaked, unless they managed to kill Leon, this would be an eternal stain on the IPC. The 'Preservation' they championed in light of this would seem like a joke.
In the future, any mention of the IPC would probably be tied to Leon's victory over them! The IPC can't exactly use super-CGI to have Diamond and Taravan stand up and clarify it was all fake, can they?
Right, speaking of which, that reminded him.
"Go find the bodies of Diamond and Taravan!" Thinking of this, Zai Tian immediately gave the order.
'Chadwick... you really found yourself a worthy successor to your will...'
Even if they originally had the data and simulation records for the 'Imaginary Collapse Pulse,' they had to act as if they didn't now.
Leon was like a ridiculously overpowered grim reaper; if you dared to research it, he'd dare to kill you! The IPC's tragic experience this time was the best possible warning!
Damn it all, trading two Emanators' lives for a single weapon. If I'd known, I never would have done it!
Herta Space Station.
Having finished his business, Leon came to pick up his girl.
"? You're back already?" Herta was very surprised.
The round trip didn't even take half a system hour. How did he get back so quickly?
In her estimation, Leon and the IPC should have ended up compromising with each other. That was Qlipoth Fort, the IPC's headquarters.
Even a Lord Ravager wouldn't be able to escape unscathed, and would even be at great risk of perishing. One shouldn't underestimate the depths of that old beast's lair.
In Herta's eyes, Leon's trip to wreak havoc at the IPC...
The best outcome should have been the IPC compromising out of respect for his powerful status. Just as Screwllum had predicted, they would drag out some scapegoats to resolve the matter.
At worst, after discovering they couldn't fool Leon, and under his unyielding demands, they'd swap the scapegoats for the real culprits, kill them, and each take a step back.
Leon had an expression that said it was only natural. The Aeons didn't even make a move, so whose power should he have to shy away from?
Besides, he wouldn't be afraid even if Qlipoth Itself had intervened.
To put it bluntly, The Hunt just hunts. What else is there? A mere cosmic construction worker. Kneel!
"Is it settled? How did you settle it?" Herta asked curiously.
The IPC has a 'less trouble is better' mentality. They couldn't have actually gone to all-out war.
Leon didn't look like someone who had just finished a huge battle either. He looked the same as usual, maybe just a slightly dirty corner on his clothes.
Are you sure that's the kind of composed demeanor one can maintain after fighting an Emanator? You've got to be kidding.
"With stats, of course. What else would I use to solve it?" Leon found her question utterly baffling.
"You..."
Before the words 'You really went to war with the IPC' could fully leave Herta's mouth, Screwllum spoke up.
"Mr. Leon has something clinging to him. It is a remarkably pure essence of Preservation."
Deep green data reflected off the monocle on Screwllum's right eye as if analyzing the substance he had unconsciously picked up.
"Analysis: This substance, like the universally-known Preservation miracle, the 'Stardust of the Stellarium,' originates from the hand of the Amber Lord."
Screwllum rationally analyzed what he had done.
"Conclusion: It is highly probable that Mr. Leon went to subspace and engaged in a fierce clash with at least one Emanator of Preservation."
The light in Screwllum's pupils retracted, and the green glow on his monocle dissipated along with it.
"You really fought?" Herta looked at him seriously.
"If I didn't fight, was I supposed to be on vacation?" Leon always followed through on his word. "I have a ton of things to do. How could I possibly go on a trip?"
"You wrecked Qlipoth Fort, and the IPC just let you go peacefully?" Herta asked doubtfully.
"If they didn't let me go, were they planning on elbowing their colleagues for a spot in the respawn queue?" Leon felt it was only natural, since no one wants to die.
"What did you do?" Herta asked, suppressing the storm in her heart.
"Killed some people who deserved to die," Leon replied.
"I'm asking for specifics!"
Walking out of Qlipoth Fort unscathed isn't something a person can do, not even an Emanator. Do you take the IPC for a bunch of pushovers?
"Those are the specifics. I don't remember the names of nobodies."
Leon had forgotten the names of the two he fought, but that didn't matter.
"Oh, Oswaldo is dead. I killed him."
He was the only IPC senior executive whose name he remembered, because Boothill often mentioned it.
"...No one stopped you?"
How on earth could he recount such a shocking feat so nonchalantly? Making it sound like something he did casually. Herta didn't understand.
That was Oswaldo. Head of the Market Development Department, a P47-level executive. One of the IPC's two publicly known Emanators of Preservation was of the same rank as him.
How could he be so easy to kill?
If the IPC let a core executive of that level die in its own headquarters, they might as well give up their position in the universe. Some 'Preservation' that is. What exactly did you even preserve?
"Yeah, there were. I took care of them too." Leon nodded. "One of them was the decision-maker for the Chadwick Memory Bubble project. I killed them both."
"With this precedent set, the 'Imaginary Collapse Pulse' should never see the light of day again. You will be its sole possessor."
Unless the IPC has a death wish, if they research this again, they can just wait for Leon to go full Hunt-version Jingliu on them and annihilate their entire faction.
"Now, everything is truly over. The old man can finally rest in peace."
Without a doubt, Leon had repaid in full all the injustice Chadwick had suffered and the oppression he was powerless to avenge.
"Can you stop being vague when you shouldn't be?" Herta somewhat hated his riddles.
"What do you mean you 'took care of them too'? Who did you take care of? Can you be a bit clearer?"
The decision-maker for the Chadwick Memory Bubble project—another obvious high-level executive. Seriously, dude, how many senior executives did you kill right in front of their headquarters?
It's incredible that the IPC hasn't come after you. Herta complained internally.
The crucial point wasn't how many people Leon had taken revenge on. The point was that he had stormed the IPC's main base, killed several high-ranking executives surrounded by maximum security, and then left completely unscathed.
Seriously, was the IPC brain-dead or something?
So incompetent, watching someone kill their own people without lifting a finger, and in the end, not even daring to make a peep as they respectfully sent the grand master off after his flawless victory. Are you sure this is the IPC?
Herta knew the IPC wasn't that spineless. They never shied away from trouble.
No matter how much face they gave Leon, they would never let him push them this far. There had to be more to the story.
"So what?" Leon never accepted accusations.
"Who exactly did you kill? Be clear. Did those two Emanators of Preservation show up to stop you?" Herta asked impatiently.
"Both of them came."
"And?" Herta, hearing the answer she wanted, gradually calmed down.
"And then they both died." Leon was direct.
"Dead? Both Emanators are dead?" Herta frowned slightly, confirming it again.
The fall of an Emanator, regardless of their Path, was one of the few topics that could cause ripples across the galaxy. It was normal for her to be so concerned.
Because the death of an Emanator was a rare event in itself.
"If they didn't die, I would have." Leon saw things clearly.
"You killed two Emanators by yourself, while under the negative buff of a location like Qlipoth Fort?" Herta was stunned.
The IPC only had two publicly acknowledged Emanators of Preservation, but the real number was uncertain. Dongfang Qiming, Louis Fleming. The two were the only P49-level individuals.
One was the creator of the Credit system, the other a founder of the Corporation. Would you believe it if someone said these two weren't Emanators of Preservation? It could only be said that the probability of them being Emanators was extremely high.
Especially Louis Fleming. When he gave his retirement speech, he even drew the personal attention of Fuli. Although he had retired.
But Herta believed that when the IPC truly faced a crisis of survival, he would absolutely not sit idly by. This was the organization he had built with his own hands; he would surely see to its 'Preservation' to the very end.
"Analysis: As I stated earlier, it is highly likely Mr. Leon's clash with the two Emanators of Preservation occurred within subspace." Screwllum spoke up once again.
"Conclusion: The one with the grievance has a target, and the one with the debt has a creditor. Mr. Leon did not intentionally endanger Qlipoth Fort itself."
Screwllum was pondering the same question as Herta and quickly arrived at an answer.
"Assuming Louis Fleming is still around, this is why he didn't intervene. Minor squabbles should be handled by the Corporation itself."
"Not a bad guess." Leon himself gave his approval.
"I did indeed fight in subspace."
"I came back right after the fight. There were quite a few gate-campers at the exit, but they were self-aware enough not to stop me."
If they had, forget about their families, they definitely wouldn't have been able to save themselves.
An overpowered player like him was on a tight schedule. Who has time for such nonsense? If you dare to camp the exit, go restart your life.
"You've really pulled off something big." Herta never imagined this would be the final outcome. She was becoming more and more interested in him.
Killing two Emanators in a hostile environment like Qlipoth Fort, which was basically like adding a 'surprise attack' difficulty modifier, and then leaving without a scratch.
How many in the universe could accomplish that? At least in Herta's opinion, no one could.
Because those who could only existed in theory, whereas Leon had already put it into practice. Perhaps others will follow, but for now, he is without precedent.
"I just lost my temper for a second." Leon indicated it was no big deal, not even close to being difficult.
"Hmph~ Speaking of which, the IPC will definitely try its best to hide this record of their defeat, won't they?" Herta rested her index finger on her chin, saying this as if something had occurred to her.
"Answer: The Corporation is indeed preparing to suppress this matter. The Interastral Peace Company broadcasts show no sign of reporting on this incident." Screwllum provided the answer using his own data network.
"Then I shall give the Corporation a little surprise."
The corners of Herta's mouth lifted slightly, her beautiful face breaking into a charming smile. That feminine charm, both intellectual and mysterious, could make one lose themselves in it with a single glance.
Like a witch. The Witch of Science—that title was indeed well-deserved.
"Tell me everything you did." Herta leaned forward slightly, her index finger pointing vaguely at his chest, planning to send a big gift to the IPC.
The more the IPC wanted to suppress this, the more she would prevent them from doing so! What's the use of blocking media users? The IPC's communication network had no control over Herta!
"I. Want. Specifics!" She spoke one word at a time, her enunciation incredibly clear and heavy.
Clearly, her tone left no room for refusal.
"What's with all this? I'm here to pick up my girl, what are you trying to do!" Leon said not to force him; he forgets defeated enemies in three seconds.
"You gained nothing, yet you were willing to confront the entire Corporation for Chadwick." Herta straightened up and said with her arms crossed.
"Then if I, who took Chadwick's things, do nothing, wouldn't that make me an ungrateful wretch?" Her words, inside and out, were telling him to stop dawdling and get to it.
"Let me think..." Seeing her insistence, Leon had no choice but to try and recall what was present at the scene.
"A thousand starships, two Emanators of Preservation."
Each of these was an imposing threat; combined, they could overwhelm a Xianzhou flagship. Yet, a crisis of this magnitude was spoken of by him as if he were reading off a grocery list. He was truly one of a kind.
"That seems to be all." Those seemed to be all the preparations the IPC made, at least in Leon's memory.
"Were all the starships equipped with Mythus Cannons?" Herta asked for details.
"I don't know." Leon forgot. Because to him, there was no need to remember it at all.
"Fine, taking things out of context is a required skill for any good reporter."
Hearing his vague answer, Herta didn't press further.
The IPC was well aware of Leon's status as an Emanator. And when talking about weapons that could harm an Emanator, it was impossible to avoid the Mythus Cannon.
This meant all thousand starships were of the highest caliber. It didn't matter. Whether they were or not, in her story, they would be.
The IPC often distorted reality anyway, so what was wrong with her upgrading the class of the starships Leon shot down?
"You've caused the Corporation some serious losses."
Putting everything else aside, the two Emanators of Preservation were irreplaceable. If you added the profits lost from the starships... Someone was probably going to have a breakdown tonight.
"Not my loss." Leon's assessment was that it had nothing to do with him.
"Dr. Chadwick was my friend, and Mr. Leon is my ally."
Seeing Herta preparing to secretly drop a bombshell on the IPC, Screwllum immediately stated his position.
"Please allow me to contribute to your plan, Ms. Herta."
"Alright, it's decided then!" Herta nodded, not refusing.
Two geniuses joining forces—it was no exaggeration to say this. The information bulletin they were about to create could truly flow into the databases of every galaxy, making it mandatory viewing.
The kind where your device would explode if you didn't watch.
Shut up, my dad works at the Genius Society. If you provoke me again, I'll one-click download a certain two-word open-world game for you and automatically pull for Lord Leon!
"Looks like I came at a bad time."
Seeing the two reach some kind of agreement, Leon, who didn't understand and couldn't be bothered to, said as much.
"No, you came at the perfect time."
Honestly, if Leon had been in a slightly worse state today, with a few more injuries, the humiliation this report would inflict on the IPC would have been greatly diminished.
But thankfully, he was an overpowered stat monster, not only capable of effortlessly navigating the main boss's lair but also completing the no-damage challenge along the way. Forgetting to turn off hacks is the same as having them on?
"More importantly, where's my girl? You didn't let her wander off again, did you?" Leon looked around but didn't see March 7th, asking quizzically.
"Rest assured, she went to the exhibition platform to enjoy the view." Herta told him not to worry, she wouldn't get lost.
"Where are you headed next?"
"Returning to Penacony. I still haven't gotten the answer I'm looking for."
"I think after my video goes live, Penacony might not welcome you anymore. Should I wait until you're done before I post it?" Herta offered to wait.
"Post it whenever you want. Why worry so much?" Leon was indifferent. "If they don't welcome me, they don't welcome me. Do I need their approval?"
The Dream Master couldn't control him. Because he is who he is.
"Alright, you guys decide. I'm heading out." Leon waved and turned to leave.
He felt a bit bad for suddenly bailing on Misha and wondered if he could still make it.
"I like your style." Herta appreciated his way of doing things, because she was also someone who did whatever she wanted.
______
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