The Sinful Life of The Emperor

The purpose of morality is to teach you, not to suffer and die, but to enjoy yourself and live. As for the rules one must follow in life... well, If you obey all the rules, you'll miss all the fun!

Both Pythia and Ashlyn were astonished by Kiba's views. His attitude towards life was far too different from what was accepted in society.

"The most important thing is to enjoy your life - to be happy - it's all that matters," Kiba glanced at the glistening petals of the roses in the vase. "While I have lived only for a short time, I know where my happiness lies and where it doesn't."

He plucked a petal and placed it between his fingertips. The soft, wet petal was soothing to touch and its aroma was deliciously delightful.

"I don't want to simply exist forever, no, I want to live," Kiba's eyes were still on the roses.

Without any physical contact, the roses shook and their petals split out. A whirlwind swept through the hundreds of crimson petals and they started dancing in midair. The scene was mesmerizing but Pythia and Ashlyn's focus was glued on Kiba.

"So trust me, I'm not some fox who is claiming grapes are sour just because I can't get them," Kiba raised his head and looked at Pythia.

"You truly have no interest in seeking immortality despite the opportunity I'm offering?" Pythia asked to confirm his intentions for once and all.

She could understand him refusing if the probability of success was zero but not after she showed him Legacy Orb. She was sure by now he knew they had a good chance of at least finding a way to extend their lifespan even if immortality was a foregone conclusion.

"Yes, immortality doesn't interest me... at least, it hasn't till now," Kiba answered.

"In the end, we only regret chances we didn't take," Pythia said with a faint smile. "I hope you don't regret giving up the chance I offered you."

Kiba didn't speak but just smiled in response.

Pythia let out a heavy sigh. She was disappointed by his refusal but she knew it was now a foregone conclusion. After all, she couldn't force him to join her in the pursuit of immortality.

"You are not going to steal Legacy Orb?" Pythia asked in jest.

She knew he wouldn't. Her precognition ability already confirmed it for her, but she asked regardless in order to break the awkward silence. Of course, she was also aware her precognition ability has limitations otherwise she will know everything in advance and she would not have been startled by his response.

"Well, I won't say I'm not curious about the information inside Legacy Orb," Kiba answered in a lazy tone. "But it is not advisable to steal from a mutant with temporal powers."

Pythia was amused by his answer. She was smiling when she saw his lazy expression suddenly turning serious.

"Be wary though," Kiba warned her.

"Wary? Why?" Pythia was bewildered.

Could he be talking about others who might be interested in Legacy Orb?

"The danger is not always from the greed of others," Kiba's voice was heavy. "Sometimes, the greatest danger is from own greed."

Pythia looked at him angrily.

Why is he acting like those damn monks who preach about greed?

Is he now going to claim greed is permanent slavery?! Or something along the lines of saying greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction?!

How dare he preach despite his unsatisfiable greed for women?! Bloody hypocrite!

Kiba observed her expression and realized she misunderstood him. With a soft sigh, he said, "Trust me, I'm not preaching you, but rather warning you. And normally I wouldn't but since you helped me, I feel obliged to do so."

He didn't feel anything wrong with having greed. It was normal to desire and lust after something whether it was women, riches, power or immortality.

"What do you mean?" Pythia was bewildered by his words.

"Legacy Orbs," Kiba replied, his eyes filled with the remembrance of past. "Let's say, they contain more than just legacies."

*-*-*-*

Around 4.5 years ago.

The nucleus of BSE79, Delta City.

The vital regions of the ancient spaceship were filled with chaos. Alarms were ringing loudly while red lights flashed violently.

Inside a gigantic hall, Castor Damon cursed loudly as he fought the alien organisms. The shells of around five hypersleep chambers were broken and the beings inside them awoke from their long slumber.

A crystalline octopus-like being whipped its tentacles on Castor Damon but the latter retaliated with a palm. The attack looked simple but it was backed by tremendous berserk force, and as a result, the octopus exploded into pieces of liquid substance.

Castor Damon's eyes were filled with gloom. He looked with annoyance as the pieces of liquid substance converged back together and fused into the alien lifeform. It was the third time that this alien has resurrected back as if it was nothing. The other aliens were still fighting the after-effects of their long sleep but Castor Damon knew there was not much time before they targetted him.

"Everything is that bastard's fault," Castor Damon muttered.

The veins on his forehead and neck were on the verge of snapping. In his entire life, he has never been so humiliated. What pained him the most was that he was tricked into this mess by some barely eighteen years old teen who was no stronger than an ant.

An insect from slum plotted against him and spoiled his carefully laid out plans to seek the greatest power source in the entire universe. He could accept this result if it was due to some top expert or an old fool.

Castor Damon calmed down a bit and focused on the crystalline octopus.

"Kid, just you wait."

At the same time, some hundred feet below the hall.

Zed ran through a white, metallic corridor. He stopped briefly to catch a breath and placed a hand on the metallic wall. His chest was bare and it was stained with flesh wounds and blood.

"That was close."

Zed brought the back of his hand on his forehead to wipe sweat.

"I need to create as far distance as possible from both Castor Damon and that Cosmic Spark."

Zed was in the middle of thinking his future plans but suddenly his pupils dilated. The fine hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a chill ran through his spine.

He quickly snapped his head back. Some two hundred meters away from his position, a five feet wide ball was rolling towards him. The ball was spinning so fast that it was hard to judge its identity.

As if detecting his vision, the ball opened up and jumped on its feet.

"Monster!" Zed could now fully see its body features. The monster was round and yellow with only a single vertical eye that radiated viciousness. From both its paws and hands, glinting claws protruded out. A horizontal slit in the middle of the body exposed sharp, long teeth.

The monster smiled cruelly as it observed Zed.

"Doesn't seem like a being with friendly intention," Zed bitterly thought.

He quickly stretched a hand towards the coming monster. From his fingertips, streams of fire swept out and converged into a fireball on the hollow of his palm. He rapidly threw the fireball towards the enemy with powerful momentum.

The fireball left behind a trail of fire and smoke as it slammed right into the monster. The fireball exploded into a mass of fire and wrapped the monster from all around.

Growl~

The rampaging heat was no more harmful than a cool breeze. The monster came unscathed from the fiery attack.

Its hook-like teeth shined brightly as it opened its mouth and projected out a beam of yellow energy.

"Damn!" Zed gritted his teeth in frustration. He knew he was barely a level I mutant and as such, he was the weakest lifeform inside the meteorite.

He barely ducked the beam by jumping towards his right but he couldn't avoid the energy ripples around the beam. The ripples struck him like a hammer and he was sent him flying through the air. He crashed on the hard floor and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Suppressing the raging pain inside him, he rose to his feet. The monster once again curled up into ball form and ran towards him...