Chapter 88: Not Justice Prevails—Only the Victors Can Speak of It

Yujin Base, Ground Facility

"Captain."

"Yeah, I know. The defense system of the Yujin Underground Core Area... it's been activated."

Benjamin tossed aside the severed head of Gangyan, his intelligent mechanical eyes—equipped with thermal imaging—locked unwaveringly on the entrance to the Embers Underground Core, just ahead.

Flickering warning lights around the entrance stretched every shadow into long, wavering silhouettes. The heavy alloy gate loomed before them, radiating an oppressive weight that seemed to press down on the air itself.

It was as if the gate whispered a warning: Step beyond this threshold. Enter the heart of Embers. And what awaits you will be no less than hell.

Yet, by now, neither Benjamin nor anyone else present would turn back.

Advancing was their only choice.

In the rain-soaked ruins of Embers' surface base, the head Benjamin had thrown aside rolled through mud and puddles before finally coming to rest in a shallow pool of rainwater. Not far away, the once-stone-like body of Gangyan had reverted to flesh, collapsing with a heavy thud.

The gash at his neck pulsed with crimson, mingling with the relentless downpour, turning the surrounding water into a crimson stain.

And there, submerged in blood, the head stared upward—eyes wide, mouth slightly agape—etched with unmistakable disbelief.

The former Stellar Envoy of Embers, famed for his rock-solid transformation ability, now seemed to scream in silence, his final expression a testament to the absurd, humiliating way he had fallen.

Three Second-Rank Stellar Envoys, plus dozens of First-Rank—what a lavish force to dispatch against a single man.

How flattering of you, you damn Association Envoys, to treat me with such respect.

Benjamin caught sight of Gangyan’s lifeless, unblinking eyes. A faint, almost imperceptible smirk curled at the corner of his lips.

Now, Embers had lost one of its two Second-Rank defenders. The other—Yun Meng—was trapped in Goen’s “arena.”

The rest were too busy repelling the beast tide along the coast.

There was no better moment than now.

This was the perfect chance to infiltrate the Yujin Base Core, find the Key, and complete his family’s mission.

But Benjamin had no intention of revealing that truth.

Instead, he crafted a far more noble-sounding excuse—justice.

The existence of the Key was a secret known only to the Ironcrown Family. The fewer who knew, the safer it would be.

And if necessary—well, he could always silence those who knew too much.

As an intelligent machine equipped with a simulated human emotional module, Benjamin knew how to hide his true intentions.

He also knew how to manipulate others—how to make them believe in something so fervently that they’d throw their lives away for it.

"Everyone!"

In the storm-lit night, Benjamin’s voice surged forward, sharp and charged with fervor. "Embers is a designated high-risk organization by the Stellar Envoy Association. If we destroy this place today and free the innocent souls trapped inside..."

His eyes blazed. "Each of you here will become a hero of the New Federation!"

"Then let’s go! Let them know—those who toy with lives and break order—that victory always stands with justice!"

He raised his blood-stained right fist high. His voice, loud and resonant, cut through the rain like a blade, echoing across the battlefield before fading into silence.

Then, locking eyes with the crowd he’d stirred into frenzy, he roared the four words that struck deep into their hearts:

"Justice... must prevail!"

"Must prevail!!!"

In unison, the roar of the crowd erupted—unwavering, fearless—as they charged forward into the Embers Underground Core, its defenses now activated in Infinite Maze mode.

What dangers awaited inside?

Most didn’t care.

They felt they were doing something greater than life itself.

Watching them—eyes alight with the fire of justice—Benjamin silently scoffed.

Justice?

What a convenient lie.

Because once you utter those two words, even the most foolish, emotional humans will stake everything on it—even their lives.

Under Benjamin’s incitement, they plunged into the depths of Yujin Base’s underground core, driven by the illusion of righteousness.

Unafraid.

Unstoppable.

Meanwhile, Chen Kong and the others had just reached the western beach, attempting to dismantle the Star Monument placed there.

Embers Underground Core, Quantum Center Control Room

Beep-beep-beep—

The Quantum Center Control Room echoed with the precise hum of countless mechanical systems, trapped within its sealed space.

Tian Dao stared at the monitor, watching the golden-haired man—Benjamin—dramatically gesticulate, delivering his impassioned speech about justice.

A cold smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Victory always stands with justice?"

Indeed, Embers had done many things beneath the surface that were far from noble.

But compared to the other Stellar Envoy organizations in the New Federation—many of whom were outright corrupt, ruthless, and tyrannical—Embers was merely chaotic neutral.

Not evil. Not even close.

And as for the Stellar Envoy Association—the largest and most powerful organization in the New Federation?

They were hardly the paragons of righteousness they claimed to be.

Tian Dao saw them as lawful neutral at best.

Not lawful good.

Because if the Association were truly as pure as they claimed, then why did so many independent Stellar Envoy groups still exist outside their control?

[Intruder scan complete.]

[Second-Rank Stellar Envoy ×3, First-Rank Stellar Envoy ×20]

[Second-Rank Envoy data:]

[Metal Blaster · Benjamin (Upper-tier)]

[Clock Knight · William (Mid-tier)]

[Sea Spider · Isaiah (Mid-tier)]

Tian Dao studied the list from the Quantum Central System · Faint Light.

Then, he placed his hand into a recess on the control panel.

[Authentication confirmed. Respected S-Class Authority Holder · Tian Dao Siming. What command would you like to issue to the 'Yujin Mechanical Core Program · Faint Light'?]

"Disable all offensive weapon restrictions in the underground core. Shut down non-weapon power systems in every area except the Quantum Center, Stellar Beast Research Zone, and Quantum Transit Chamber."

"Boost the Infinite Maze defense system to maximum efficiency. Initiate release of all experimental Stellar Beasts from the Research Zone in thirty minutes."

[Warning: Certain operations carry extreme risk of system failure. Confirm execution?]

"Yes."

The reply was immediate.

Silence returned to the Quantum Center Control Room—until the cold, synthetic voice of the AI echoed once more.

[Acknowledged, respected S-Class Authority Holder · Tian Dao Siming.]

[Non-weapon power systems being shut down: Dormitory sector — offline. Cafeteria sector — offline.]

[Infinite Maze efficiency increasing. Current efficiency: 110%]

[Stellar Beast Release Countdown: 29:59]

Under the command of the Yujin Mechanical Core Program · Faint Light, the entire underground core began to transform.

First came the defense system—Infinite Maze.

The tunnels of Yujin Base erupted in a chorus of metallic grinding, like gears turning in a vast, mechanical mind.

Corridors twisted and reassembled like a living puzzle. Walls shifted slowly, guided by unseen mechanisms.

The result? A labyrinth that changed without pattern—a shifting, endless maze of hallways and dead ends.

This was the Infinite Maze.

Because when you walked from Zone 1 to Zone 2, and then returned—only to find yourself in Zone 11—direction became meaningless.

You were trapped.

And Tian Dao’s command had only accelerated it.

The maze now shifted every fifteen seconds—down from the original half-minute interval—making it exponentially harder to navigate, and far more effective at splitting Benjamin’s group apart.

This was exactly what Yun Meng had done in the original timeline.

Now, it was Tian Dao’s turn.

After a few minutes, watching the monitor as Benjamin’s forces scattered across multiple zones, Tian Dao turned away from the control panel.

"There is no such thing as justice must prevail.

Only the victors get to speak of justice."

"Because the dead... don’t talk."

"And every place has its own rules.

You came without invitation. You broke our rules."

Standing at the threshold of the Quantum Center Control Room, he gazed down the blood-red-lit corridor, where the warning lights pulsed like a dying heartbeat.

"So then…"

A pause.

"...pay for your insolence with your lives. With your blood."

"This... is Embers’ way of welcoming guests."

With that, Tian Dao vanished into the dark.

His footsteps faded into the distance—slow, deliberate, like the scythe of death dragging across the floor.

Low.

Cold.

And heavy with the breath of death.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end