Chapter 409: Changes and Old Friends (1)
Van had been telling stories about the new world he found; the mishaps, how Vivati ambushed him, how he is currently training his speed, about the ships they are building-- he told everything to Athena without missing even a single detail.
"You… really do seem more relaxed," as for Athena, she could not help but widen her eyes with how Van was talking. He was almost completely different from the Van she knew-- who always seemed to be carrying a huge burden inside him. Now, it felt like he was unbothered by everything that it seemed a bit… distracting.
"So… you're basically saying that you've been draining your blood to coat the ship?"
"That's pretty much it," Van shrugged, "The healers here tried their best to replicate my blood, but everything has been pretty much a failure."
"This ship… can I study it?"
"Sure, we have more ships being produced here anyway."
"!!!"
And as soon as Van said that, the pilot of Van-2 could be heard choking from the other side of the comm line. Why were they talking like there wasn't a real, live human inside the ship? The pilot thought.
"How far can the connection reach?"
"It should be no problem, Miss Athena," this time, it was Queen Vivati who answered her question, "The ship drops numerous nanosatellites as soon as it detects a slope in the latency of the radio particles."
"Interesting," Athena then said as she disappeared from the view of the monitor, "Let's talk again soon, King Evans. I will be taking this home for now… I figure we wouldn't be able to connect while this ship moves at… superspeed?"
"Hyperspeed…" Vivati could not help but raise an eyebrow, "You already know that it could travel that way?"
"The Energy contained within its engines is too strong," Athena muttered, "I am sure it's not just to supply oxygen or fuel the ship."
"I… see," Vivati breathed out.
"Vanya would surely like to talk to you, King Evans," Athena's voice could be heard as a small rumbling clanged through the speakers, "You'll get to meet your grandchildren as well."
"Sur-- What do you mean grandchildren?"
"I'll give you the coordinates. Beam there, pilot."
"Q… Queen Vivati!?" The pilot could not help but stutter as he heard Athena's words; however, as soon as Vivati ordered him to follow Athena's orders for now, the only thing he could do was take in a loud gulp as the image in the monitor disappeared.
"Wait, what do you mean grandchildren!?" Van almost shook the entire room.
"I suppose she gave birth to Gerald's children."
"What? What Gerald?"
"...You didn't notice?" Vivati blinked her eyes a couple of times, "Vanya was pregnant when you left-- I think she was going to tell you but you just went and left."
"...What?"
***
More months had passed, and Van still have not set foot outside Vivati's galaxy. More and more ships were being built and sent outside the Barriers, searching for intelligent life that would be able to help them with the coming threat of the World Eaters-- so in the end, Van did not really need to go personally.
Instead--
"I'm… not getting any faster. I think I reached my limit."
Even after going out of superspeed, there were still trickles of lightning surrounding Van's body; only slowly fading away as his breaths started to calm down. But for some reason, there were still traces of static with his hair, which was floating freely in space.
"That's just crazy talk, King Evans," Ameera's words then vibrated through his ears as her ship hovered beside him, "You're already at 3.9 C… You can probably move from Osiris to its nearest moon in the time it takes one to blink-- we should be celebrating and congratulating you instead."
"Hmm," Van lightly scoffed, "There was a story back in my world that our spaceships from the ancient civilization were capable of traveling to the moon in 3 days… and now you're telling me I can get there in the blink of an eye?"
"Well, how far was the moon from your world?"
"...I actually have no idea," Van let out a small chuckle; but after a few seconds, his face turned into a frown, "How fast does your ship go again?"
"...Faster," Ameera uttered. And judging by her trembling shoulders that Van could see through the window of the ship, she was trying her best not to let out a chuckle, "But not a single ship is capable of freely changing directions like you are doing, King Evans… the ships could only move towards a set destination. So… don't be too down."
Hearing Ameera's words of consolation, Van could only shake his head as he looked to nowhere in particular. What he said earlier was true-- his speed is no longer climbing up even after a week of full training.
But Hermes is said to be able to go even faster… Did his body reach the limit? But he wasn't feeling any pain even after running for that long; granted, he was in space where there was no air resistance threatening to shred him to pieces.
"..." Then all that's left is to absorb some Souls once again… if that's so… then there shouldn't be a problem.
And as soon as Van thought of that, he could feel the space around him vibrate; even Ameera's ship started to shake as the space itself seemed to growl. And after a few more moments, a beam flashed from afar.
"Oh, It's back, King Evans!"
Van then quickly looked towards Planet Osiris… or rather, beside it. And even from the distance, a silhouette of a ship could clearly be made; a testament to its sheer colossal size-- The Solomon.
"...I need to take a bath first before meeting with them," Van muttered.
"...Aren't you going to cut your hair?" Ameera commented as her ship floated closer towards Van, "It's your long-awaited reunion, after all."
"...No," Van shook his head, his long hair twirling freely as he did so, "I've grown quite attached to it-- I'm spending most of my time in outer space anyway."
"Suit yourself… I'm just saying, I don't want you to look like we're not taking care of you in front of your family."
"..."
"...How old are you anyway, King Evans?" Ameera then continued, "You must be hundreds of years old already or something?"
"...No idea, I stopped counting."
"You're so old that you don't care anymore?"
"...I'm probably still in my mid-20s?"
"Mid-- Wait, you're younger than me!?" Ameera's ship could be seen shaking as her words vibrating through the expanse of space, "Explain that-- King Evans?"
However, before she could even finish her words, Van was already no longer to be found.
***
"Hm."
Van was now in his private restroom, completely naked and looking at himself in front of the mirror. His hair… truly is covering most of his space whenever he wasn't in space.
Should he just cut it? Van thought as his hand started whirring. But as it was only a few inches away from cutting his hair, the whirring sound was replaced by a small but deep sigh. It would seem he really has grown to like his hair.
...It was the physical manifestation of how different he is now compared to before... but it wasn't only his hair. Even his chiseled body, which had scars littered all over it, was now completely devoid of any semblance that it was ever wounded before.
Now… if only his height showed his progress as well.
"Want me to help you?"
"...Vivati." Van's sorrowful sighs were quickly disrupted as Vivati suddenly entered the restroom, "Why are you here? I thought you were welcoming our guests."
"I have. You've been here for almost an hour, Van," Vivati then approached Van and stood behind him; not even minding that he was completely naked, "Want me to braid the sides of your hair? I'll style it something fit for a king."
"..." Van looked at Vivati's eyes through the mirror for a few seconds before nodding his head.
And with Vivati's suspiciously fast hands, it only took a few minutes to style Van's abnormally long hair. The sides of Van's hair were now mostly tied in braids, pinned to the side with beads to expose his ears.
And now, only a handful of strands were blocking his face-- but still allowing for everyone to fully see his face. The back of his hair was now also thinly flowing behind him as the volume became lighter.
"This is good," Van muttered as he looked at himself in the mirror. But after a few seconds, Vivati turned him around and held his face.
"You don't need to be too nervous, Van."
"I'm not nervous."
"There's no use hiding it from me," Vivati shook her head, "They are your family, even if some of them will not be there in the future… you can still enjoy the moments you have with them now."
"...Right," Van then breathed out as he returned Vivati's gaze, "Thank you."
"Hm," Vivati then nodded her head as she headed out of the bathroom, "I already chose clothes for you so you wouldn't look too shabby; get dressed, they have been waiting for you for more than an hour now."
It took a couple more minutes, but finally, Van found himself standing in front of a golden door. He could hear all the noises seeping from it-- and some were familiar voices.
"Let's fucking do this," Van then said as he pushed open the door; and as soon as he did so, all the noises stopped; with the inhabitants of Osiris all bowing at him, raising their glasses as he entered the hall.
And there, without even meaning to…
...He saw a mini version of Vanya running around the hall.