An unpleasant time of civil unrest has settled over all of Viltrum.
*BOOM BOOOOM*
The speech of Thragg has made people unsure of what they should and could believe. What he was suggesting was genocide against their own race. Something not only highly unusual, but barbaric and savage.
*BOOOOM*
They weren't just savages, were they? Viltrumites were the pinnacle of what biology could be in the Universe, at least from what they knew at this point in time. But they were also innovators and explorers, and technicians.
*BAM BOOOM*
To suggest that they go ahead and kill off the 'weak' would not help them, not in the least. In fact, it would simply cull their numbers.
*BOOM*
And they still hadn't found Thaedus at this point, so they didn't know what he was planning, where he was planning from and what his plans would result in. Were they in danger? Thragg didn't think so, and the natural Viltrumite arrogance, combined with millennia of experience, told them, no.
*CRACKK*
But that wasn't true. The danger was real, and Nowl-Ahn knew it. But sadly, he didn't know what to do about it. His breakthrough concerning Smart Atoms was only 2 years old, and that only when it came to his own Smart Atoms, not Smart Atoms in general. Added to that, he only knew how to make them absorb more of the quantum background energy and nothing else. He didn't know how the Scourge Virus worked or would work; he also couldn't tell anyone, since no one would believe him or care.
*BAMM*
"HAHAHA... YES! MORE!" Conquest shouts as Nowl-Ahn's fist impacts his face and knocks some teeth out.
*BOOM BOOOM*
"Ugh!"
Conquest's fist buries itself into Nowl-Ahn's stomach, but it doesn't penetrate as it usually does. He has increased his mass in the area where the fist hit him, and stopped it from piercing through him. Fighting was the best way for him to grow and use the theory he created, to make it a fighting technique. Nowl-Ahn is now 36 years old, an infant in terms of Viltrumites, but he is already approaching Conquest-levels in strength and would surely reach and surpass him in a few years at most. But the Viltrumite was just old, not weak, on the contrary. The millennia of battle experience have made him dangerous beyond belief.
*BOOOM*
A right hook impacts Nowl-Ahn's face, dislocating his jaw. Conquest was going all out today, and he was loving it. Nowl-Ahn was born a Viltrumite, but his memoirs were those of a human. He had thrown himself into this life, into pain and brutality, in order to not only get used to it, but to make use of his biology. He didn't do it because he liked it, not initially, at least. But as he grew stronger and experienced the fruits of his hard work, that might just change.
*CRACK*
*BAM*
The two men exchange punches and kicks for hours until the sun goes down, and they have to stop. They could have continued, but they were both bloody and beaten. Nowl-Ahn is looking far worse than Conquest, but they both had their 'exercise' for the day. They sit in front of each other, having had something to eat and drink. Nowl-Ahn is the only one Conquest tolerates spending time with. He was also the only one who knew his real name, and he had grown attached to the 'boy' over the short time he got to pummel him.
"I think it is time that I told you something," Conquest says as they sit together in silence for a while.
"Sure."
"Do you know your father?" Conquest asks.
"My father? Why do you ask?" Nowl-Ahn asks.
"Because now, that Argall is dead... Only two people can tell you about your true heritage and who your father was. And especially in these times, you should know."
"Alright. Tell me." Nowl-Ahn says.
"Lord Argall was your father."
"..."
"..."
"Is that it? If so, then I already knew that." Nowl-Ahn says.
"Huh? How could you possibly know that?"
"I remember who my father is before he gave me away to hide my identity."
"You remember things as an infant?" Conquest asks.
"I'm not that old yet. I remember. But why are you telling me this now?" Nowl-Ahn asks.
"It is quite obvious what will happen now. After a month of this unrest, tensions have been rising. Any moment now, the kettle will explode, and Viltrumites will kill each other. But you could take up the mantle of Emperor for yourself. A simple DNA test, and everyone knows you're Argall's son." Conquest says.
"I know. But I won't do that."
"Why not?" Conquest asks, surprised.
"For the same reason, you won't tell anyone that I'm the rightful heir yet. You want to see it through."
"You want to see the purge go through? Why would you want that?"
"Because there is truth to Thragg's words. Ever since I was small, which wasn't that long ago, I have pushed myself beyond my limits. I welcomed pain and injury, and the closer to death I got, the better I told myself. I didn't do all of that because I like it. I did it because I needed to. I have to grow strong if I want to achieve anything." Nowl-Ahn explains.
"You don't like our sparring sessions, then? That's hard to believe." Conquest says.
"I know. Truthfully, I have grown used to it and enjoy the feeling of growing stronger, but I do it for a reason and not for the thrill of it. If I go ahead and announce my presence as the new Emperor of Viltrum, it won't take too long, and we will have the same situation, but different."
"What are you talking about?"
"I am talking about the civil unrest. There are those who believe in strength over all things, and those will naturally follow Thragg. That man has ambition, and no matter what he said about Argall being his mentor, he has seen an opportunity to sit on the throne and won't allow someone like me to take it from him. Those who want strength to rule will agree with him and join his side, causing a split to happen. The only ones who will follow me are those who don't want to die and don't believe that strength rules over all."
Conquest listens to Nowl-Ahn's explanation.
"Thragg is more powerful than I am, and he will find a way to get tensions higher than they are. In the end, we will have our civil war anyway, and I will lose and die, with nothing to show but 35 years of training and pain."
"So what will you do then?" Conquest asks.
"I will need two things to succeed, Argall, on the throne. One: More strength. Enough to fight and kill Thragg. And two: merit. As much as possible. I have already decided to leave my position in the science division and start working at the conquering department. Maybe you can help me there. I will increase my reputation and strength simultaneously and take what is rightfully mine in the future. And I will take it, you can believe that." Nowl-Ahn finishes.
Conquest thinks about it for a while. He agrees with Nowl-Ahn. Even if they combine their strength, it would not be certain that they kill Thragg. And Thragg has learned under Argall, so he will know how to use words to get support. So it won't be a two-for-one. Challenging Thragg now in the open is the Viltrumite thing to do, but not the smartest one. Conquest wouldn't respect someone who told him that, but Nowl-Ahn is a special case.
"Very well. I believe that's indeed the smartest way to go about it. Even if I don't like it, you do what you want. I'll be here and-"
*BOOOOM*
A figure crashes into Conquest and cuts him off. Nowl-Ahn's eyes widen and a second later...
*BOOOOM*
... someone crashes into him as well. He managed to block the attack in the last moment and has both of his arms in front of him, blocking the tackle of a male Viltrumite. The man lets go and punches out at Nowl-Ahn, trying to go for the kill right away. Nowl-Ahn moves back out of reach and then flies into the sky for more range of motion. Due to his 'inverse-gravity-training' as he called it, he has increased his flight skill massively and is now without a doubt one of, if not the best, fliers on Viltrum.
The Viltrumite follows him and uses his arm like a sword, slashing his hand at his neck, attempting to decapitate him. But Nowl-Ahn does something that the other Viltrumite has never experienced in his long life.
*Tuck*
"WHAT?!" the man exclaims as his hand doesn't sever Nowl-Ahn's neck but stops at the skin. Nowl-Ahn has started to fine-tune the way he absorbs quantum background energy and managed to have specific areas in his body that do it, while the rest remain the same mass. This way, he can increase the density of his fists or legs when attacking and the specific spot of his body that is attacked, like he did now.
*BOOOOM*
"KJAKK..."
Nowl-Ahn's fist impales the Viltrumite, and to finish him off, he swipes his left hand across his torso, bisecting him. The two parts of the Viltrumite fall to the ground, where Conquest stands above another Viltrumite, who is now missing a head.
"It seems it has begun," Nowl-Ahn says.
"And sooner than I expected," Conquest says with a savage smile on his face.
The two of them are attacked once more. Nowl-Ahn uses what he has learned over the years and applies it in the fight. A female Viltrumite flies towards him, swinging a spear in her hands and slicing it through the air. She seems to be a skilled warrior, in the way she uses the air and all of space to move. But Nowl-Ahn catches the spear and pulls her towards him, punching her in the face as hard as he can. His fist accelerates forward, and he does the opposite of what he usually does; he removes quantum background energy forcefully, reducing his arm's mass. This makes his punch that much faster, but lighter as well. This is why he has the Smart Atoms in his fist and arm absorb quantum background energy before his fist impacts her face.
*BOOOOOOOOM*
With the power of a Viltrumite freight truck, his fist hits her face. The skin and blood vessels explode, and her muscles and bones offer no resistance. Nowl-Ahn's fist moves through her brain and back out again so fast and with such force that her head explodes in a mess of gore and blood, splashing all around and raining to the ground.
Nowl-Ahn looks at his handiwork and nods. He shakes his hand and goes back to his neutral state. He has started to live his life in a state of increased mass all the time, to train at all times and give him the best gains possible. It was very good for him, as he had to unconsciously fly everywhere, even if he was walking on the ground, he was basically flying because he would fall through the ground otherwise.
There is no time for him to recuperate, though, as more and more Viltrumites attack him, and now multiple at once. Nowl-Ahn dodges the first one and turns in the air, pushing himself through three-dimensional space as if he were moving a cursor on a computer. Movement through space is special for Vilrumites because they can push off anywhere, so their movement can be as chaotic as their brains can keep up. But the older ones forget that and only fly somewhat linearly.
Nowl-Ahn decapitates the first one and then exchanges a series of punches with the second before he also kills that one. He has no time to lose because he suddenly remembers Anissa from all this training he is doing. He accelerates his Smart Atoms and shoots through the air, flying through another Viltrumite in the process.
It is chaotic in Viltrum right now, and nothing can stop what has started. The Great Purge has begun.