Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 167: The fool

"What have you done?" Vale asked as he helplessly watched his tower hover before the green monster.

She grinned. "I corrupted it. That is my power. Anything can be corrupted, given time. Now then, how do I get out of this?"

The corruption spreading through the tower clamped tighter, and the tower trembled. Vale fought it, but it was like trying to move a limb that didn’t exist. He even tried to use his attack, but even as his tower glowed and was ready to send out waves of fire, it suddenly dulled.

Instead, the essence was converted into trying to clear the Commander’s law that was set in place. Vale was able to resist that for now.

It was as if the tower recognized her as its owner.

’...How did she gain this much control over the tower that quickly? Without me even knowing?...’

She smiled again. "You fool. The tower was able to escape me before, but not today. I will control it. You won’t escape."

"What do you mean?" Vale asked. At the same time, he began to use the binding part of his ability to bind the corruption invading his tower, but the sticky liquid just slid over his magic as if it wasn’t there.

This alarmed him as he connected it to what she had just said.

’...Before? Before? She had fought with the tower before... The Commander! Was that why they were able to kill him? Because of the corruption? Come to think of it... the bloody message on the tower said ’don’t!’...’

"I am part of those who fought that Commander before. His rank combined with this Chained Artifact was too great. Of course, it took many clashes for my corruption to take root, and even then, the tower was able to escape. Not this time."

As Vale stood there helplessly, he couldn’t help but know that she was right. He could feel the corruption gaining the upper hand. He felt a second presence entering the tower slowly but firmly trying to take over.

All he could do was try to hold it back, but it was like blocking a river with one’s body. It only delayed the inevitable. His thoughts spun as he tried to think of what he could do.

None of his abilities worked here, and as time passed, he was slowly losing the power to hold her back from controlling the tower’s inherent magic.

’...What can I do? Turn into a corrupted puppet? This is even more terrifying than when the monster showed itself and used its aura to suppress me... Wait... Suppression? Can I try that?’

Ordinarily, the Mark Order couldn’t be used as a weapon, but Vale had long believed that his was different. He’d never even met a Forbidden Knight like himself before.

And he had been able to use it to remove aura suppression. Why not try it for this too? He could still amplify his powers as long as he didn’t directly attack her the corruption would allow it.

Vale connected to his Mark Order and then added it to the tower.

Outside, a red pulse spread from the tower and covered the area surrounding them. The tower trembled as the light pierced through it with clarity. The green liquid in its cracks receded, shuddering as they were cut up by the red light.

In front of him, the green monster began to scream as her body burned up. The corruption was being cleansed from her, but she was the corruption, so that attack was on her directly.

She took one look at Vale, her eyes burning with anger, and then she vanished. The green in her hair turned dull, the horn evaporated into smoke and disappeared, and the body she was inhabiting sagged, falling from the sky together with the monster she was standing on.

Vale immediately felt the pressure exerted on the tower disappear. Together with the Mark Order, he cleansed the corruption away and finally shot into the air and this time, he truly escaped.

☆☆☆☆☆

Up above, the clouds parted around a figure with eyes like a lightning storm. He stood there on a delicate cloud and watched where Vale was, his gaze heavy. "So we finally have a new Commander."

The wind blew his hair gently. "I never thought that his son would ever come to a place like this. But it’s already too late."

He paused as if waiting for something to answer him back, but only silence surrounded him. He smiled sadly, faintly, as if afraid of allowing any emotion to show on his face.

☆☆☆☆☆

Vale eventually disembarked from the tower because he was running out of essence, and he didn’t want his core to be empty while he was still inside.

He ran through the forest, the green blurring past him in a flash. But sometimes, he had to stop and take a break. He was breathing too hard, and combined with a massive headache, he had to take some potions and organize his thoughts.

’...I have the tower... A Chained Artifact that will allow me to temporarily increase my power to be slightly more powerful than an Errant Knight, but I doubt it could reach that of a Master... And I can’t last as either... But I’m already thinking of a technique...’

Vale’s eyes glinted. "What I must do next is clear. I must immediately clear the Rift before those at the Clan react to this. Honestly, I’m a little surprised there has been no reaction yet I expected their flying ships to be here already."

’...Then I must convince the Master Knight to support me in my attack on the Athrimir Clan. It should be easy because they seem to hate them as much as I do... I will never forget their humiliation... To be the sky... They will be the first step...’

Of course, when he thought of attacking his Clan, it wasn’t to wipe them off the face of the world. It was simply to own it and cut away those he wanted. The Clan itself was the foundation on which he was planning to build something.

After taking a long rest and organizing his thoughts, he finally stood up from the tree he was leaning against. He sighed, and then he began to run again.