Kill the Sun Chapter 990 Leaving

A heavy silence fell.

The Nightmen felt a surge of adrenaline. Success was theirs!

Even more vital was the fact that they had survived the ordeal.

The entire solar system now belonged to them!

They had secured limitless resources!

There was no longer anyone left to oppose them!

Meanwhile, Daniel focused his attention on the Duskbringer, observing it with caution.

"You are indeed the Duskbringer, aren't you?" he questioned.

"I am," the Duskbringer replied.

"I was under the impression… that Nick had dismantled you," Daniel remarked. "He claimed you were a failed experiment and that he would stop supplying you with Pure Energy."

"That was merely a deception," the Duskbringer stated. "I… Nick never truly abolished the Pure Energy tax. He only lowered the rate from 50% down to 30%."

"But I witnessed your state! You didn't possess this level of power—"

Suddenly, the truth hit Daniel.

"Illusions," he muttered.

The Duskbringer gave a nod. "A layer of illusory camouflage. I—Nick kept many of his technological secrets hidden from you."

"To what end?" Daniel asked, his eyes narrowing. "With more energy at our disposal, we could have achieved victory without your intervention! If I had the Pure Energy you consumed, I could have reached the next level of Cultivation."

"It was insurance," the Duskbringer explained. "Nick’s ultimate objective was the preservation of mankind. He created you, and he was well aware of your potential. He had no intention of replacing the tyranny of the Amorphous Race with a new terror of his own making."

The surrounding Nightmen began to glare at the Duskbringer with open enmity.

"You never cared if we lived or died," Daniel said, his voice turning icy.

"Do not mistake me for my creator!" the Duskbringer snapped back fiercely. "My hatred for him far exceeds your own!"

"He burdened me with his memories and forced the destiny of the entire human race onto my back because he lacked the strength to carry it himself!"

"I despise Nick just as much as you do, and I am not him!"

The Nightmen remained unconvinced and tense.

"Regardless, that doesn't alter our current predicament," Daniel noted.

"It changes everything," the Duskbringer countered. "Nick is one entity, and I am another. I make my own path. His designs are not my own."

"From what I have observed, you were prepared to give your life for another. You struck the Great General with every ounce of your strength, leaving yourself completely vulnerable. Is that not the case?"

The other Nightmen turned their gaze toward Daniel.

It was true; he had taken that risk, and they found his motivations baffling.

"What relevance does that have here?" Daniel demanded.

"A great deal," the Duskbringer answered. "Nick intended to eliminate you because he feared you would become a tyrant over the rest of humanity. He believed mankind could never flourish under your rule."

"However, I disagree. Unlike Nick, I prefer to extend trust to someone first rather than assuming they are inherently treacherous."

"I am granting you an opportunity. Provided you can restrain your followers, you are free to live as you wish."

The Nightmen were still filled with doubt.

The offer seemed too good to be true.

Why would the Duskbringer permit them to live?

It appeared to be a reckless gamble.

"We have no reason to trust your word," one of the Nightmen declared.

"And I have no reason to trust yours, yet I am choosing to do so anyway," the Duskbringer retorted. "Is your spirit so fragile that you cannot risk trusting someone?"

"You have reached the Tenth Realm. Is clinging to absolute security truly your only priority?"

"Naturally," the Nightman replied coldly. "If I didn't think that way, I never would have attained the Tenth Realm."

"What is it you desire?" the Duskbringer asked.

The Duskbringer understood their nature; the Nightmen were driven by gain and safety. He knew this man was simply looking for a favorable deal.

The Nightmen began to deliberate amongst themselves in low voices.

After some time, they reached a consensus, and the spokesman turned back to the Duskbringer.

"We wish to depart," he stated.

"Depart?" the Duskbringer echoed.

"We have no interest in the fate of humanity. We care nothing for children, kin, friends, or the things ordinary humans cherish."

"Our desires are simple: wealth, dominion, power, resources, and total autonomy!"

"You and the rest of mankind can keep this solar system for yourselves."

"All we ask for is our liberty. We intend to leave for other star systems and live according to our own whims."

The Duskbringer looked at the gathered Nightmen.

Inside him, two distinct personas were at odds.

The values and memories implanted by his creator were clashing with his own developing conscience.

Nick would never have permitted their exit.

He would have argued they would only spread chaos elsewhere and become new oppressors.

In that sense, they would be no better than the Amorphous Race.

However, the Duskbringer possessed his own identity, and his resentment toward Nick fueled a desire to act in complete opposition to his creator's logic.

"Humanity would not be free today without your assistance," the Duskbringer conceded. "You are free to go and seek your own path."

"But be warned: if you choose to leave, you will be branded as enemies of mankind. We are ignorant of the wider universe's laws, and we cannot permit a rogue group to bring trouble back to our doorstep."

"If you depart, there is no coming back. That is my ultimatum."

The Nightmen simply smirked.

"Fine by us. We hold no affection for humanity anyway."

The Duskbringer nodded. "Then you have my leave to go."

The Nightmen laughed softly at what they perceived as the Duskbringer's gullibility.

Then, they streaked off into the dark expanse of space.

Of course, reaching a neighboring solar system would be a grueling journey at their current velocity.

Even if they could travel near the speed of light, the vast distances between stars spanned many lightyears.

But they weren't worried about the duration.

The Nightmen were masters of technology. If the Amorphous Race had mastered interstellar travel, they were confident they could do the same.

They had an eternity to experiment and devise a method to cross the void between stars.

After all, the power of Pure Energy knew no bounds!

A few moments later, the Nightmen had traveled so far that the Duskbringer could no longer detect their presence.

He then turned his gaze back to Daniel.

"You aren't joining them?" he inquired.

Daniel gave a light laugh. "There is a reason I hold the title of Night Emperor while they do not."

"Individually, we are formidable, but the collective strength of all humanity is far greater."

"What does the future hold for our race? Will humanity become a power to be reckoned with in the cosmos?" he asked.

The Duskbringer nodded firmly. "Without a doubt."

Daniel chuckled once more. "In that case, if humanity is destined to become a galactic superpower…"

"Didn't those four just make an enemy out of the universe's next great power?"

A small, knowing smile played on the Duskbringer's lips.

"Indeed, they did."