Chapter 1576 Banishing The Deities Author's Note: Unedited Chapter --------------------- "Karis, tell me where the Rion is," he demanded, his voice echoing slightly in the memory-filled void. Karis lifted her weary eyes to meet his, a spark of defiance still burning within. "I can't tell you, Thalos. I won't let you destroy what I've planned." Thalos's frustration was palpable, but he masked it quickly and tried a different angle. "Why deny me of my share? This was never the plan so stop being selfish." Karis shook her head slowly, her voice soft but firm. "The Nereus Sector cursed me. It made me a criminal. I blame this place for the loss of my child. I won't let anyone else suffer as I have. What I'm doing with the Rion... will make sure nothing like this is repeated. Just leave the Nereus Sector for your own sake." Thalos scoffed as his patience wore thin. "Tell me where the Rion is, Karis. This is not a game." Her resolve hardened as she repeated her refusal. "No, Thalos. I must finish what I started." At that moment, Thalos burst into laughter, a sound that seemed jarringly out of place in the somber atmosphere. Karis stared at him, confusion and surprise written across her face. Thalos, catching his breath, waved his hand dismissively. "I don't need you to tell me, Karis. Look around you." As he spoke, the memories swirling around them began to shift. The images of past tragedies and struggles faded, replaced by more recent memories. Karis watched, horror-struck, as scenes of her arrival in the Nereus Sector with the Rion played out around them. The memories showed where she had headed, whom she had contacted, and even where she had hidden the Rion—all displayed vividly in the shimmering dimension. Karis's eyes widened with realization and dread. "How...?" Thalos's smile was thin and cold. "You see, Karis, the mind, no matter how strong, starts to crack under constant reliving of grief. It opens doors and makes it easy to navigate to the memories I want to see. Your plan, your contacts, the Rion's location—I know it all now." Karis felt a chill run down her spine as the implications of Thalos's words sank in. Her last defense had been breached, her secrets laid bare not by torture or threats, but by her memories. Thalos continued, his voice now a whisper that seemed to fill the space. "You thought you could outsmart everyone, didn't you? Use the Rion to your satisfaction? But you're just a pawn, Karis. And now, I own the board." Karis, now realizing the extent of her vulnerability, felt a mixture of anger and desperation. "You think you've won, Thalos?" Thalos nodded slowly, his expression serious. "Yes, I have. And I will. The Rion will be mine, and with it, I will choose to do whatever I please." As the revelation hung heavy between them, Karis's mind raced for solutions, ways to salvage her plan. But with every option seeming to slip through her fingers, her situation felt increasingly hopeless. Thalos, satisfied with the shock and defeat on Karis's face, began to fade from the dimension, his parting words echoing around her, "Goodbye Karis." ... Through the intricate and exclusive capabilities of the Life Signs Tracking, Gustav had a unique vantage point. Only he could see Thalos's actions within the dimension of memories, witnessing the revelation of the Rion's location. Without hesitation, Gustav called everyone together for the revelation. "I have the location of the Rion," Gustav announced, his voice carrying a grave urgency. "Thalos just extracted the information from Karis's memories. We need to move—now. He'll be heading there, and if he retrieves the Rion before us, we're looking at a potential catastrophe." The Triton operatives mobilized instantly, equipment and weapons holstered as coordinative commands echoed through the room. The location, an industrial complex on the edge of the Nereus Sector, was now their target. The complex was a labyrinth of abandoned machinery and towering storage tanks, casting long shadows in the twilight that blanketed the area. As the team approached the site, the surrounding environment grew increasingly hostile. The complex was guarded by figures cloaked in the shadows, their faces obscured by hoods and masks. They were allies of Karis, part of the network she had relied on to keep the Rion hidden. The Triton guards took point, engaging the shadowy figures with precision. Laser blasts illuminated the dim surroundings in stark bursts of light as the guards advanced, using their supernatural ability dampener to handle the foes. "Secure the perimeter!" shouted one of the lead guards, a burly man with a scar running down his cheek. The team worked systematically, cornering the defenders who were quickly overwhelmed by the sudden and well-orchestrated assault. Meanwhile, Gustav and a small contingent pushed deeper into the complex. The heart of the industrial maze was a massive, cavernous room where the Rion was said to be located. As they entered, the sight that greeted them was otherworldly. The Rion itself was not a discrete object but appeared as a complex assembly of crystalline structures, fused into the infrastructure of the building. It pulsed with a glowing energy, the light it emitted growing steadily intense. "It's charging up," Gustav observed, his expression tense as he surveyed the setup. "We can't just pull it out. It's integrated into the sector's power grid by the looks of it. Removing it might be impossible without the energy signature of the person who activated it." The operatives fanned out, securing the room as they contacted their base for technical support. "We need options here," they reported through commlinks, while their gazes were fixed on the pulsating Rion. Before further strategies could be discussed, a commotion at the entrance signaled a new development. Thalos burst into the vicinity, his face a mask of shock and fury as he beheld the scene before him. His plan to retrieve the Rion unchallenged had clearly unraveled. He spun on his heel to retreat, but Gustav appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "Going somewhere?" Gustav's voice was cool, calm, and ominously quiet. Thalos reached into his jacket, his hand closing around another reflective, mirror-like device, but before he could use it, Gustav was upon him. With a swift move, he disarmed Thalos and pinned him against a wall. "You're not escaping this time, Thalos. Not with the Rion, not with anything," Gustav stated firmly, the grip on his adversary unyielding. Thalos, caught and deflated, his eyes darted around the room, taking in the array of Triton operatives that had already surrounded him. "How did you...?" He couldn't believe his eyes. They really got to the Rion before him but he could sense that something was wrong. Gustav's eyes narrowed as he turned to the Triton guards. "Keep him secured. I'm going to figure out how to neutralize the Rion without causing damage to the sector." A few minutes later, Gustav stood before the Rion, his brow furrowed in concentration. The crystalline structure pulsed with an ominous glow. Gustav, with determined precision, attempted various methods to dislodge the Rion, but each attempt was met with failure—the mineral remained unyieldingly fused to its surroundings. Realizing the gravity of the situation, officer Eyhrum called upon Vlaid Zenith for his assistance. Zenith, whose past actions had indirectly contributed to the current crisis, approached the Rion with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. As they inspected the setup together, Zenith's knowledge proved invaluable. "It looks like it's user-locked... A mineral with binding sentience," Zenith observed, examining the interfaces that linked the Rion to the infrastructure. "Only the person who activated it can deactivate it. This thing is bonded to Karis." Gustav processed the information, "So, we need Karis to shut it down." Zenith nodded grimly. "Yes. If that energy is released, it'll obliterate everything. The entire Nereus Sector—gone. There's too much power being accumulated; no one would survive, and while my men and I can escape, it is impossible to evacuate millions in time." Regret washed over Zenith's features as he considered the implications of his past betrayals. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't turned on Karis, none of this would be happening. I wish there was something I could do now." "There might be something you can do, Zenith. Help convince Karis to deactivate the Rion." Gustav voiced before turning away. Leaving Zenith to ponder his role in the unfolding disaster, Gustav strode with purpose toward the area where Thalos was being held. Thalos looked up as Gustav approached, his expression defiant yet curious about the intentions of his captor. "Thalos, we need Karis to deactivate the Rion. It's linked to her, and she's the only one who can shut it down safely," Gustav explained, his tone commanding yet edged with a plea for cooperation. Thalos scoffed, his skepticism clear. "And why would I do that? What's in it for me?" Gustav met his gaze steadily, "Thalos, if that mineral goes off, you'll die along with everyone else. This isn't about deals or leverage anymore—it's about survival." "Hmph! Perhaps dying isn't such a bad option so long as that treacherous bitch gets to join in," Thalos spat out, his disdain for Karis was evident in his sneer.