Revenge: A Path of Destruction
Chapter 156: A Mother’s Masterpiece (Flashback)

Chapter 156: A Mother’s Masterpiece (Flashback)

Alex had expected NOVA’s processor to be something incredible—maybe a next-generation supercomputer or a phantom data core suspended in some invisible room. But a satellite? That caught him off guard.

That answer floored him.

His mind whirled, grappling with the enormity of the situation. Satellites were not mere toys floating in the vastness of space; they were colossal, metallic giants, adorned with a menagerie of antennae that reached out like the limbs of ancient creatures.

Their surfaces glistened with energy shields, shimmering under the light of distant stars, while solar sails unfurled like the wings of a bird, catching the relentless solar winds. Reinforced cores housed intricate machinery, designed not only for survival but to thrive amidst the harshest conditions of the cosmos.

A true satellite could stretch across the length of the entire house, a testament to human ingenuity and ambition, equipped with technology powerful enough to illuminate and energize sprawling cities below.

And now, one of these monumental constructs houses NOVA? The implications were staggering, and he struggled to comprehend the reality of it all.

His gaze grew distant as memories clawed their way back—memories of when the sky itself had betrayed humanity.

It was one of the earliest horrors in the new age of mana. People still referred to it in whispers: The Skyfall Event.

When mana surged into the world, it unleashed a cataclysmic force that reshaped existence in ways humanity had never imagined.

This extraordinary eruption did not merely morph hapless animals into grotesque beasts or stir ancient affinities from their slumber; it waged a deadly assault on technology itself, bringing about its swift demise across the globe.

Almost overnight, the shining symbols of human ingenuity—satellites soaring gracefully above—began to falter. One by one, their once-reliable systems sparked and sputtered before failing, like fallen stars succumbing to gravity.

In a horrifying spectacle, these flaming satellites hurtled toward Earth, crashing into cities and landscapes with explosive ferocity. The sky, once a serene canvas of blue, ignited in a furious red, a haunting reminder of the orbital infernos that rained down.

Some detonations obliterated entire regions, while others rendered everything within kilometers into mere vapor. The aftermath was catastrophic, with death tolls soaring into the hundreds of millions, leaving humanity grappling with an unfathomable tragedy.

Even now, the reasons behind this unprecedented disaster remain shrouded in mystery, a puzzle that has yet to be solved. What is clear, however, is the transformation of space exploration into a regime of stringent regulation.

Every launch must now endure rigorous approval processes, meticulously scrutinized and monitored by the Higher Clans and the World Government.

Each liftoff is a carefully documented event, a somber reminder of the delicate tightrope humanity walks in the face of the unfathomable powers unleashed by the surge of mana.

So, how had his mother gotten NOVA up there?

The idea of it—of her somehow slipping a mana-infused super AI satellite past the noses of the world’s most paranoid powers—was so ridiculous it almost felt impossible.

And then her voice spoke again, cutting through the silence.

"I know what you’re thinking," she said, a playful smirk dancing on her lips, her voice laced with an undeniable confidence that seemed to leap through the holographic screen.

Alex blinked slightly, his gaze fixed on the monitor, where her familiar face flickered to life, illuminated by the soft blue glow of the technology. He could see it—the intense spark of fierce pride gleaming in her eyes, a flame that never dimmed.

"Just because those self-important fools impose overly restrictive regulations on orbital launches and keep a vigilant watch over even the tiniest specks of space debris," she continued, her tone dripping with defiance, "doesn’t mean I can’t get my hands dirty.

My reputation as the best technician in the world isn’t just empty boasting; it’s forged through grit and skill."

He blinked, then let out a short breath of disbelief. No shame. No hesitation. She said it like she’d snuck a drone past border patrol, not launched a sentient war satellite into orbit.

"To be honest?" she went on, leaning casually in her seat, "the Higher Clans were easy. Their arrogance made them blind. They think power solves everything, so they never expected someone to outsmart them. But the government... oh, the government.

They were a headache. Unlike the Clans, they know their weakness, so they went all-in on tech. Their detection nets, orbital scans, predictive AI, rune-enhanced surveillance grids... no joke."

She paused, her eyes gleaming with something between amusement and nostalgia.

"But even then—I still did it. Right under their noses. Not even a blip on their systems. A clean, invisible launch."

Alex leaned forward, captivated now, caught in the sheer madness of what she was saying. It was one thing to be skilled. Another to be brilliant. But what she did? It bordered on legendary.

"Anyway," she said, brushing off her triumph like dust from her shoulder, "NOVA’s satellite is not just hardware—it’s my masterpiece.

Her processor is unlike anything on Earth. I designed her core to read and interpret mana like data—analyze it, adapt to it, bend it like code. She can hack into the most secure firewalls powered by divine-rank arrays, and scan a person’s mana signature like it’s a spreadsheet.

Physical condition, bloodline activity, domain control capacity—you name it."

She grinned wide enough for her cheeks to puff.

"Even James—the so-called computer wizard—nearly fainted when he saw her coding framework. And you know what he said? He said, ’This shouldn’t be possible.’ But I made it possible."

Alex could’ve sworn her nose on the screen had grown a few inches. The pride in her voice filled the room like a flame catching dry wood.

"That just shows you how awesome your mom is."

He laughed softly—just once. As for him, it was rare to see her like this; that was her. Brilliant. Audacious. Unrepentant.

"Anyway, the satellite isn’t just absorbing ambient mana—it stores it. And I’ve coded multiple subroutines that let NOVA use it in... various ways. But I’m not telling you what those are. Not yet."

She leaned closer, her tone suddenly sly.

"That knowledge is locked until you reach Grandmaster rank. I already made a video for that day. Trust me—it’ll be worth the wait."

The monitor’s background shifted slightly, and she folded her arms.

"Now then... let’s talk about the next item on our list: Nyxara."