Building My SSS-Rank Universal Empire: From Trash to Cosmic Overlord-Chapter 64: Out of here

Short man Eron shook his head and grunted as he pushed his cart through the main hall. His clothes were pressed tight against his body with sweat. He stopped to wipe the sweat from his eyes with trembling hands, his face riddled with frustration. "Stupid! Stupid! Why did they have to go into that ruin? Now they’re all dead, and I’m hungry."

The work of smuggling Starsalt had paused with the Nyxori going in for their operation. Many workers who didn’t follow but had been waiting for their return were left disappointed and hungry. There was no Starsalt to sell for food or potions.

"Even the mines don’t know what to do with the unprocessed Starsalt. What a joke. It’s already been a month! I’m sure they’re in some monster’s belly. I’m glad I didn’t go," he sneered. "They think they can clear what the Flagbearers themselves couldn’t? Fools!"

"What are you harping about so early in the morning, old man?" a deep female voice asked from behind.

Short man Eron flinched and cursed as he turned in surprise, ready to shout angry words at whoever had startled him, only for his eyes to widen in shock. "Wi... Wing Leader?"

Taiwo grinned down at the short man. "Right in the flesh."

Her braids were still coiled on her head, but instead of the ragged woman Eron expected, she stood tall, her skin glowing, though her clothes were still ragged.

He peered around her, his heart leaping with joy at the thought that his hunger had ended with the Nyxori’s return. But what he saw was me—a pair of green eyes framed by thick black hair, like the mane of a beast. "You?"

Isn’t that the guy who killed someone? But he’s so different. He’s taller, and his starving, gaunt look is gone. His sharp jawline and straight nose make him look like some noble! And his eyes... that intense green...

Wait... that’s Tiber and Slya beside him? They look so different too. Slya looks as if she’s half-concealed in shadows, and Tiber’s face is like a stone carving made to look solemn and sad. His eyes... so dark, so deep... like lost dreams...

"Hey!" Slya shouted.

Eron jumped and looked around in confusion, like a man woken from sleep.

"You have to stop doing that," she whispered to Tiber.

But the man just shrugged. "I’m trying, but it’s something passive that comes with my Nightmare. I can’t just turn it off. You know it has little effect on Knights, though, but people below me in rank... Just like how shadows seem to want to play with you."

Slya grumbled. "It’s not the same."

"It’s been a while, Eron," I said, ignoring the two whispering. "You look... well."

Eron scowled. "No, I don’t. But where’s the rest of you? Now that you’re back, everything will return to... what?"

My face grew more solemn the longer the man spoke. "We’re the only ones who remained alive."

"The Nyxori?" Eron whispered.

"All gone," I answered.

A heavy weight seemed to settle around Eron, and he hunched his back, his face crumbling. "Oh," was all he said. He turned to his cart and began to push it blindly.

The others and I watched him go. I sighed. "Alright. Taiwo, this is where we’ll leave you."

I gestured, and we quickly made our way out of the tunnel. We ignored the stares and walked all the way out of the camps.

"Will we find anything there?" Slya wondered aloud as we stood in front of the Nyxori building.

I sent my essence senses over the building. It wasn’t enough to cover every inch inside and out, but I moved around, trying to find anything abnormal outside. By the time I reached the back, I finally found something odd. "It seems we are late."

The back door had been broken through, splinters lying in and out of the doorway. I calculated. This might be a trap, or the assailant might still be inside. I studied my two companions and came to a decision. "Tiber, you will remain here as our lookout in case of a trap. Listen, run immediately if you sense powers stronger than you can handle. Just don’t forget to shout a warning."

Tiber nodded and planted his feet solidly on the ground.

I then gestured at Slya. "Lead the way."

Slya nodded quickly and forged a sword of darkness with her essence. The sword was like solid black metal that gleamed with an otherworldly light, and with that, she moved forward, with me behind her.

I held a formation in my mind, a construct of my infernal fire. We picked our way over the broken door and into the large kitchen. Nothing here was disturbed, but still, we checked all the shelves and the pantry. Then we did the same for all the rooms in the hallway, followed by the hall and the laboratories located downstairs. Yet we found nothing.

Not a potion or raw material.

"Those bastards. They cleaned the whole place. Is this Arvas or Kren’s doing? Or directly from the Nyxori? After or before? Or did someone else come here afterward to clean this place up? Clean... clean...!!"

"This place should be covered in dust!" I said aloud. From the murmuring workers exiting the tunnel, I knew they’d used a little more than a month, and yet this place looked as if it had just been cleaned.

"Come to think of it, to keep this whole place clean, it would require a lot of people... or magical means... Are they waiting for the Nyxori to come back? Arvas and Kren, two sides secretly working against each other... and if they don’t, which orders will they leave behind? Especially if the Captains themselves perished... And now that we’re back without them..."

I stared at the stairs leading to the upper floor and shook my head. If it were me, I’d have my subordinates blow this place up as Arvas because ’I want to kill Kren’ Then as Kren because ’I want to clean my tracks’

"Slya, let’s get out of here!" I shouted.

She responded fast, turning like a cat and rushing down the hallway, with me right behind her. We reached the door just as the house exploded.