novelraw Chapter 532: To Preserve Anything And Everything
Chapter 532: To Preserve Anything And Everything
Sunny remained still for several long moments, his gaze fixed on the colossal ring that encircled Earth like a silent, watchful sentinel.
The structure was too vast to comprehend in any conventional sense, its curvature stretching beyond the limits of ordinary perception while still managing to feel precise, deliberate, engineered with an intent that was far too specific to be ornamental. Even now, as he stood in the middle of a crowded, living city, the presence of that construct made everything beneath it feel reduced, as though the entire planet had been quietly placed inside a container without anyone noticing.
Eventually, he exhaled, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly as he forced himself to look away.
There was no immediate answer waiting for him up there.
And staring at it any longer would not suddenly make one appear.
His gaze lowered back to the streets of the Center, where people moved about their lives with complete indifference to the impossible structure looming above them. That alone was enough to make something in his chest twist faintly, not out of fear, but out of a quiet, creeping realization.
Earth had always belonged to the Interastral Peace Corporation, at least in a technical sense, but their involvement had been minimal to the point of near irrelevance. They maintained a presence, yes, sending down Awakened to clear Nightmare Gates when necessary, but that was the extent of it. There had never been any large-scale development, no visible exploitation of resources beyond the most basic necessities like synthpaste, which itself was hardly something worth the attention of a galactic superpower.
That was what made this so strange.
If the IPC had gone through the effort of constructing something on this scale — something that dwarfed entire civilizations — then it was not for something trivial. They were not the type of organization to invest resources without purpose, and whatever that purpose was, it was hidden well beyond the reach of ordinary understanding.
Sunny frowned slightly as he began to walk, his steps unhurried but deliberate.
’What are you even looking for up there...’
The quiet murmur barely left his lips, but the question lingered in his thoughts regardless.
There were too many unknowns, and not enough information to form anything resembling a solid conclusion. That, more than anything else, irritated him. Sunny did not mind danger. He did not mind risk. What he disliked was uncertainty without leverage, situations where he could not even begin to identify the shape of the threat in front of him.
For now, however, speculation would get him nowhere.
He needed something far more immediate.
A map.
His destination was simple enough. He needed to reach Rain’s house, which would allow him to orient himself and find his way back to the Outskirts. From there, everything else would fall into place. The problem was that... the City wasn’t quite the size of a city. It was absurdly large, perhaps covering the continent?
Which meant he would need to rely on more conventional methods.
Sunny’s gaze swept across the surrounding buildings as he walked, searching for anything that resembled a directory, a public interface, or even a digital display that could provide navigational information. The architecture here was clean, almost sterile, with polished surfaces and reflective glass that seemed designed to project a sense of order and control. It was a far cry from the chaotic, worn-down structures of the Outskirts, where everything felt like it had been patched together out of necessity rather than intention.
Just as he was about to change direction, however, something hit him.
It was not physical.
It did not come with sound or visible motion.
And yet, it struck with enough force that Sunny’s entire body tensed instinctively, his instincts reacting faster than conscious thought.
A presence. A shadow.
His own shadow sense recoiled for a fraction of a second before locking onto it, and when it did, the realization that followed was immediate and sharp enough to make his breath hitch ever so slightly.
A Transcendent human shadow.
A Saint.
The thought formed with absolute clarity, leaving no room for doubt.
’What the hell is a Saint doing here...?’
The question barely had time to fully register before the situation escalated.
Because that shadow was moving at insane speeds.
It was coming straight toward him.
Sunny did not hesitate.
His body dissolved into shadows in an instant, his form slipping into the darkness beneath his feet as he activated Shadow Step without a second thought. The world warped around him as he reappeared several kilometers away, his surroundings shifting in a blur of motion before stabilizing once more. He did not stop there, diving deeper into the shadows immediately, allowing his form to glide along surfaces as he moved with silent urgency.
For a brief moment, he allowed himself to believe that would be enough.
It wasn’t.
The presence did not disappear.
If anything, it grew closer.
Sunny’s expression darkened, irritation mixing with a sharp edge of unease as he realized what that meant.
’They’re still tracking me?’
Even within the shadows, even while intangible, the Saint was maintaining pursuit. That alone was enough to eliminate several possibilities. Ordinary detection methods would not work against him in this state, which meant whatever they were using was either tied to an Aspect, a Memory, or something even more specialized.
None of those options were particularly comforting.
Sunny clicked his tongue quietly, his mind already moving through potential solutions.
Then, without hesitation, he summoned Weaver’s Mask.
The transformation was immediate, the Divine artifact settling over his face as reality itself seemed to shift subtly around him. Its effect was not something that could be easily described, but its presence was undeniable. It concealed him, severing connections, distorting perception, and nullifying any attempt to define or trace the wearer.
Sunny moved again, shifting positions within the shadows as he put distance between himself and the approaching Saint.
The presence stopped.
He slowed, his movement becoming more measured as he tested the change, remaining within the shadows while carefully observing the situation. The Saint’s presence lingered for a moment, then faltered, its direction becoming uncertain before eventually stopping altogether.
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of Sunny’s lips.
Weaver’s Mask had done its job.
Whatever method they had been using to track him, it was no longer effective.
That alone raised even more questions, but for now, Sunny pushed them aside. Instead, he shifted his focus toward gathering information.
If a Saint was involved, then this was not something he could afford to ignore.
Without revealing himself, Sunny extended one of his shadows.
The Creepy shadow slipped away silently, its form gliding along walls and streets with eerie precision as it moved toward the source of the disturbance. It did not rush, did not draw attention, instead blending seamlessly into wild shadows as it navigated through the city.
Eventually, it reached its destination.
A rooftop.
Two figures stood there.
The first was a man with gray hair and eyes that looked like they were filled with blood, his posture rigid, his presence sharp and oppressive. In his hand rested a gladius that radiated heat, its blade glowing faintly as though it had been forged from something far more volatile than ordinary metal.
The second Saint arrived moments later, landing beside him with controlled ease.
"Did you find the signature?"
The question was direct, carrying an edge of tension.
The gray-haired Saint, Leonidas, scoffed, his expression twisting with irritation.
"It vanished completely. That Ascended Devil either got taken out by something, or it used some kind of method to leave the City of Preservation entirely."
He exhaled sharply, his grip tightening slightly on the weapon in his hand.
"Both options are terrible. Either our security is garbage, or our security is garbage and there’s something out there killing Ascended Devils. I’m surprised the old Virtues didn’t go mad with how eventful this job is."
The second Saint snorted:
"They had it easy. Thousands of years doing nothing but waiting, only stepping in when a Category Three Gate opened."
There was a pause.
Then his expression darkened slightly.
"Until that thing showed up."
Leonidas grimaced, gripping his gladius.
"Don’t start with that again."
"I’m serious. That woman slaughtered them like it was nothing only a couple of years ago. Whatever she did—"
"Yeah, yeah, Destiny’s Spider. You bring her up every time something goes wrong."
Leonidas rubbed his face, clearly annoyed.
"You’re obsessed."
"I’m cautious."
"You’re paranoid."
The second Saint ignored him, crossing his arms. Eventually, Leonidas asked:
"Any updates on the Theos?"
The second Saint hesitated briefly before responding.
"They haven’t picked up anything near the Oort Cloud. So whatever that thing was, it didn’t come from outside the system."
He exhaled again, frustration evident.
"Which means it slipped past us. Some Aeon’s minion got into the City..."
There was a brief silence.
Then, without another word, both Saints disappeared, fading away.
Sunny withdrew his shadow slowly, his expression unreadable beneath the mask.
Saints.
A structure surrounding the planet.
The City... was actually the City of Preservation.
And whatever the hell was happening beyond the atmosphere.
As he stepped out of the shadows, blending back into the crowd with his Mongrel disguise intact, a hollow laugh escaped him.
"What a mess..."
People glanced at him as he passed, some staring in curiosity, others pulling out devices to take pictures, clearly assuming he was just someone in elaborate attire. They were completely ignorant to the fact that he was a wanted criminal worth way more than he was comfortable with.
None of them understood.
None of them even realized what they were standing beneath.
Sunny kept walking, his mind turning over everything he had just learned.
Because one thing was certain.
Earth was no longer just his home.