Chapter 18: Under Attack
Sophie Wexler was genuinely startled when she saw him.
"You found a job here?"
’So that’s why,’ she thought. ’I wondered why I hadn’t seen him all day, and why he didn’t come back this afternoon.’
"So... is it bad that I just pulled you away like that?"
Cillian Forrest glanced down at her, then said, "It’s fine."
Sophie Wexler: "Huh?"
"I’m not going back tomorrow."
"What happened? Is it my fault? Did your boss fire you because I just dragged you away?"
"No." After answering, Cillian Forrest looked back at Sophie Wexler, who was standing still behind him. "Are you coming or not?"
Sophie Wexler: "Oh, oh, coming."
Seeing Sophie Wexler had caught up, Cillian Forrest didn’t speak again.
He had originally come out today to look for a job. After all, he still owed Sophie Wexler money. Coincidentally, this bar was short-staffed and offered a high salary, so he decided to give it a try.
But as he recalled the stares he had received, Cillian Forrest’s eyes darkened.
’Looks like I’ll have to find another way.’
Sophie Wexler hadn’t brought her own flyer today, so she had to hail one to get back.
"But public flyers aren’t allowed near this bar. We’ll have to walk a bit further out," Sophie Wexler said, looking at the small Light Brain in her hand.
"This stretch of road is pretty dark," Sophie Wexler remarked as she walked.
The infrastructure on this planet was starkly polarized. The bar they had just left, for instance, was magnificently decorated, while the road they were on now was so decrepit it didn’t even have streetlights.
—
「Meanwhile.」
"Is it really okay for us to do this? She’s a Healer-class, after all." The speaker was clearly one of the people Sophie Wexler was collecting debts from.
"What could go wrong? This is an ungoverned zone. The place is a chaotic mix of different powers, and there’s no surveillance equipment. Besides, we’ve hired some Star Thieves who are holed up here. Who could possibly trace it back to us?"
"That Sophie Wexler dared to treat me like that. I can’t swallow this insult. I have to teach her a lesson!" the man said, grinding his teeth, his eyes dark.
’An F-level Healer-class, and she really thinks she’s something. Sure, there’s a Healer-class Protection Association, but they’d have to be able to trace it back to me first.’
It wasn’t easy to make a move in the crowded bar earlier, but now was a different story.
As she walked, Sophie Wexler couldn’t help but reach out and tug Cillian Forrest’s sleeve. She swallowed hard. "Cillian Forrest, do you feel like something’s wrong?"
She had a nagging feeling that there was something else in the air, a faint surge of power that made her deeply uncomfortable.
"There are two people around the corner ahead. Both have C-level spiritual power," Cillian Forrest said, his voice devoid of any emotion.
The combat prowess of Space Pirates far exceeds their official Level. They constantly roam The Galaxy and frequently encounter Starbugs and Starbeasts, which naturally hones their fighting skills. As a rule, they can usually defeat opponents a full rank above them.
But the people lurking in the dark clearly weren’t capable of that.
"They’re probably here for you."
Sophie Wexler: "Huh?"
The words had barely left his lips when Sophie Wexler instantly felt a powerful spiritual power, thick with aggression. A dangerous, unconcealed aura enveloped them.
For the first time, Sophie Wexler truly felt the palpable threat of spiritual power. It was a visceral reminder that this was the interstellar era, not Aethel—a world where those with greater spiritual power held a fundamental, rank-based dominance over the weak.
It was a place where spiritual power determined one’s standing.
Sophie Wexler’s palms began to sweat, her mind racing. ’What do I do now?!’
"Let’s go." Before she could think of a plan, Cillian Forrest had already started walking forward again.
Sophie Wexler froze. ’Just walk? Like this?’
"They can’t hurt you." As Cillian Forrest’s words faded, Sophie Wexler realized that the needle-like spiritual power that had been pricking at her skin was, at some point, gone.
"What happened? Did they leave?"
"No," Cillian Forrest answered succinctly.
The attackers took in the scene.
"What’s going on? My spiritual power is being blocked?" One of the Space Pirates in the shadows sensed something, a hint of surprise replacing the casual look on his face.
"It’s a Protection Barrier. One of them activated it." That was why their spiritual power attack had been blocked.
"Didn’t the employer say the target was just a bottom-tier F-level?"
"It might be the man with her."
"Damn. I thought we just had to teach that F-level Healer-class a lesson and make some easy money. I didn’t expect an obstacle. We’ll have to make them add more to our pay when this is over." As he spoke, the scar on his face twitched along with his facial muscles.
"How strong can a Protection Barrier from some Low-level Planet trash be? He’s just putting up a front. Since it’s come to this, let’s go! Time to go out and show them what we’re made of."
"Let’s get ’em together!"
———
Sophie Wexler was walking behind Cillian Forrest when a white light flashed before them. With a cry of alarm, she instinctively threw her arms around Cillian to shield him. "Watch out!"
Her cry was followed by a wave of agonized screams.
Cillian Forrest looked down at the person clinging to him. After a moment, he said, "I’m fine."
’It’s the others who are in trouble.’
Hearing this, Sophie Wexler froze for a few seconds. When she turned her head, she saw several people lying on the ground, rolling around in agony. The quiet alley was filled with waves of pained groans.
"What happened to them?"
"Their Spiritual Seas were attacked."
The Spiritual Sea is one’s most vital and fragile core. An attack on it causes excruciating pain. In severe cases, it can throw the Spiritual Sea’s energy into chaos. If the victim can’t withstand the assault, their Spiritual Sea will shatter, resulting in death.
And these men had merely been grazed by Cillian Forrest’s spiritual power.
Sophie Wexler looked at the men on the ground, then back at Cillian Forrest beside her. She slowly blinked, her face a mask of shock and disbelief.
’If I heard him right, he just said these guys were all C-level in spiritual power. On this Low-level Planet, the average is only D-level! Their spiritual power was already well above average, yet they were taken down so effortlessly. Then how high must his Level be?! Just what kind of person have I been taking care of?!’
Just as she was thinking this, Cillian Forrest suddenly grabbed Sophie Wexler’s hand and began to walk faster.
Sophie Wexler was a little confused. "What’s wrong?"
"There’s a High Rank energy fluctuation," Cillian Forrest said grimly. "And I can feel it moving toward us at an incredible speed."
Sophie Wexler: "What?!"
’What is with today? Did I forget to check my horoscope or something? It’s just one thing after another! I just wanted to go out and collect a debt, how did it turn into a life-or-death situation?! Is The Galaxy always this chaotic?’
Sophie Wexler knew her Level was low, so to avoid holding him back, she could only hurry to keep up with Cillian Forrest. She was filled with regret for not taking her flyer today.
Otherwise, they would have been long gone by now.
Suddenly, Cillian Forrest stopped, his gaze fixed on the distance ahead. In a low voice, he said, "They’re here."