Bastards Ascension: A Playground of Gods
Chapter 53: Demiurge.

Chapter 53: Demiurge.

Staring out the window, Kieran’s eyes drank in the vastness of space.

Endless starry skies stretched in every direction, the stars scattered like flecks of silver paint across a dark, cosmic canvas.

But as the cruiser began its descent, the view shifted.

The shimmering stars gradually vanished, swallowed by a thick, deep red cloud that rolled like smoke across the horizon—mysterious and foreboding.

He turned his gaze away from the window to move towards the exit as Neon had said.

Henry quickly followed suit.

Nasha quickly broke out of her daze as she realized him moving away.

She increased her pace, reaching her hands to touch Kieran’s shoulders.

She contemplated, but ultimately pushed her hands forward, tapping him on his shoulder.

Kieran turned, his gaze locking onto the figure who had touched him.

"What?" he asked with a rather cold voice.

Nasha shook for a moment, but her gaze steeled.

"About what you said that day, I believe what you said was true..." She paused as though thinking through her words.

"But that doesn’t mean that we can’t change.... I want to change. I’m sorry for being rude that day. It was clear that you got the weapon before me," Nasha said, drawing a deep breath.

She had finally cleared her thoughts. If Kieran still held a grudge with her over the matter, then he could do whatever he wished, but she wasn’t going to watch him for it idly.

Without saying a thing, she left the two boys and walked away.

’I guess she might just be different,’ Kieran thought to himself as he watched her figure move away.

"What was she talking about?" Henry asked, looking at Kieran.

"She’s lost it, she probably hit her head somewhere. I don’t know her," Kieran replied, keeping a poker face.

One that made it look completely believable.

If Nasha had stayed back for even a second to hear what he said, she would’ve coughed blood from just how shameless Kieran was.

"Let’s go," Kieran said, taking the lead towards the door.

As soon as they arrived, they saw all the others already waiting in front of the exit.

They were all suited up as well, each wearing their own uniquely designed battle suits.

Nasha looked at Kieran as he approached the group, but this time her eyes didn’t waver.

’I won’t let him look down on me,’ she thought to herself, steeling her resolve.

Kieran didn’t bother to look in her direction and just stood by the side in wait.

Soon, heavy steps could be heard as a figure emerged from the corridor.

He was clad in a blue and white battle suit, reinforced with advanced alloy plating, nearly doubling his weight.

Yet, he moved effortlessly, unburdened by the sheer heaviness of his gear.

It was as though each time he saw him, he came back a different person.

Kieran looked at Jacob, who was now in his battle suit.

Behind him were all the other members of the crew that came onboard the space cruiser with them.

"We’ve arrived at our destination," Jacob announced, his tone stern. "There are a few things you need to understand before stepping out."

He continued, "Each of your suits is embedded with life trackers. If you’re in a dangerous situation, the system will notify us. There are also internal cameras—we’ll be monitoring everything."

His eyes swept across the group. "Let me be clear—any attempt to harm another will result in immediate derobing and legal punishment. And you all know the penalty for attempted murder."

A pause. Then: "This is not just for enforcement, but for your own safety. You’ll be entering the tower alongside factions and awakened individuals from many families."

"You’ll be grouped into teams to learn coordination—some beasts require teamwork to bring down. It’s important you learn teamwork here as it will also apply to real time missions"

Jacob’s expression darkened slightly.

"Though the Demiurge Realm is ranked S, the tower keeps its threat level near zero. If you find yourself in a battle you cannot win, evacuate immediately. The tower panel will give you the option."

As the information sank in, Kieran found himself growing more curious.

And the more he heard of it, the strange tower intrigued him.

Only one question came to his mind at the moment.

’Who made the tower?’

"With all this explained, I hope I have made myself clear?!" Jacob asked, his gaze cutting across.

"Yes, sir!" they all replied in unison.

Soon, they felt the earth rumble as the space cruiser finally landed.

With a soft hiss, the exit door opened, revealing a different realm.

It was a barren land, stretching kilometres away.

The ground was red as though soaked in blood.

And the wind was heavy, blowing with a powerful intensity.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t a realm that needed a source of oxygen, as the air there was breathable.

If Kieran was to say, it was even filtered.... Better than the air back in the Nebulas... Almost as though the realm was made for humans to inhabit.

They could also see several space cruisers with different logos coming down upon the land.

’Shit, I forgot the blade’

Just as Kieran and the others were about to come down from the cruiser, he realised he had forgotten the blade.

"Sorry, I forgot my weapon," he quickly reported to Jacob.

"Me too," Henry and Nasha said in unison.

She glanced at him but rolled her eyes.

"It’s nothing, it seems the others are yet to prepare.... You can go rush and get it."

Without wasting time, Kieran sprinted back into the cruiser, Henry close behind. Though the massive ship was disorienting, Neon’s guidance made navigation easy.

Reaching his room, Kieran grabbed his blade and attached it to the magnetic holster on his back.

Henry caught up, grabbing his own gear, and together they returned to the exit.

The moment Kieran stepped foot onto the red earth, something strange happened.

His blade gave off a faint glow—soft, but unmistakable.