Shape form mass - chapter 7
The morning in the castle started normally. Psychie was having breakfast, slicing cheese and bread with her usual precision, and Knighthood was already halfway through his portion. Road Ranger thought he was coming to eat as well-but then everything changed.
A deafening crash shook the castle. The sound barrier shattered with the force of a meteorite hitting the ground, and the group went temporarily deaf. Dust and debris settled around them, and a booming voice cut through the chaos.
> "Where is the guy-the leader?"
Knighthood stood up calmly, brushing crumbs off his armor.
> "It's me. You could have made a less grand entrance if you just wanted breakfast."
The figure-tall, imposing, radiating a presence even larger than Knighthood-nodded in approval before speaking again.
> "So... you're the one Sam is in love with."
Knighthood blinked.
> "No, it's actually-wait... how do you even speak Earth language?"
He gestured toward Road Ranger.
> "That slanderous weakling who beat my niece," the uncle said, descending gracefully from the air.
> "I simply studied every language on this planet," he continued, "to find who could possibly defeat my niece... and give her such a disrespectful name: Sam."
Though his presence was intimidating, he accepted the food offered and sat down, speaking in measured tones. When asked why the name Sam was "disrespectful," he explained with quiet authority:
> "In our culture, the stronger the person, the longer the name they carry. Sam is the prodigy of our race. Now, if you don't mind me asking... how did you manage to win her heart?"
He rose again, his sheer size dwarfing Road Ranger, who stood at 190 cm-but still, he looked small in comparison to the 227 cm giant.
Road Ranger met his gaze calmly, a confident smirk on his face.
> "I didn't win. She did."
The words hit like a hammer. The uncle's eyes narrowed.
> "What do you mean?"
Before he could finish, a sudden force slammed from behind. Reacting instinctively, the uncle shielded Road Ranger and sent a punch flying with the force of a dying star.
The strike was blocked effortlessly by wind rider.
> "Why the hell would you do that?"
Wind Rider, slightly annoyed, stepped forward.
> "I just wanted food."
The uncle's stern gaze softened slightly, but curiosity lingered.
> "I did not expect a planet like this to harbor a warrior of your caliber. What is your name?"
> "Leo. May I get my food now?" Wind Rider replied, brushing off the cosmic tension like crumbs.
The uncle gestured, allowing Wind Rider to sit with Knighthood and Psychie. Then he turned back to Road Ranger, eyes piercing.
> "Explain yourself."
Road Ranger met him calmly.
> "See... although I lost, she chose me. That's all that matters."
The uncle nodded slowly. In their culture, the strongest does not always win-the choice of the prodigy is final. Sam's victory made sense, even if the strength hierarchy surprised him.
The tension eased, and breakfast continued in relative peace. Knighthood, slicing his bread, finally spoke.
> "Mr. Mustache Man," he said casually, gesturing toward the uncle, "why don't you and Road Ranger go on a mission together? His power isn't physical, but he'll surprise you."
The uncle raised an eyebrow, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
> "I have never seen a power like this," he admitted. "But... I will entertain the thought."
And just like that, the stage was set for a mission unlike any the castle had seen.
As the intergalactic emperor and Road Ranger prepared to leave, the uncle casually repaired the crack in the ground he'd made while landing. The fissure healed itself seamlessly, as if it had never existed. Knighthood stared, wide-eyed.
> "How many powers does this guy even have?" he muttered under his breath.
Road Ranger activated his own ability, opening a glowing pathway through the city, the air shimmering with faint golden light.
> "The Pathway of Solution," he explained. "It helps me find answers... or navigate problems. Anything I need, it guides me."
The emperor nodded, impressed but still testing.
> "And what's the meaning of power," he asked, voice low and commanding, "if it's always handed to you? If the Pathway is your power... who are you without it?"
Road Ranger straightened slightly, calm but thoughtful.
> "Besides this, I do have enhanced human abilities," he said. "Reflexes, strength, endurance... not nearly as much as yours. Without the Pathway, I'd probably just be a boxer."
They entered the glowing path. Immediately, the world warped around them. The floor shifted into a tomb-like chamber, strange symbols etched into every wall.
> "Interesting," the emperor muttered. "A tomb... but whose?"
Before they could study further, their movements drew attention. From the shadows, Golden Crow, Flameboy's nemesis, appeared. Using his twin-ring powers shape and form 2 of the 10 rings of structures, he reshaped the tomb endlessly, twisting corridors, raising walls, and altering floors.
But the emperor simply phased through every barrier, and Road Ranger followed, learning quickly: the walls didn't exist for them. The tomb's immense, chaotic energy amplified Road Ranger's self-doubt, making him feel small despite his skills.
They reached a temporary agreement:
> "Only you can fight him," the emperor said. "I will aid you, but the confrontation is yours."
Golden Crow had already scattered far ahead, reshaping the tomb continuously. Road Ranger, determined, chose to navigate without the Pathway, relying on the "right-hand method" to explore the maze.
> "Can I... borrow your power as a light source?" he asked.
> "Do it," the emperor replied.
The golden energy revealed walls covered in hieroglyphs and texts. The tomb was Egyptian, dedicated to a forgotten king-Bak-Osir. No record of him existed in any history books.
As they descended deeper, traps activated automatically. The emperor neutralized each hazard with precise control. Finally, they cornered Golden Crow, who reached for a glowing ring the ring of mass one of the 10 rings of structures in the center of the chamber.
The emperor moved faster than thought, snapping Golden Crow's leg with a single speed-blitz strike. The impact damaged the tomb, triggering a radiating green energy. Golden Crow, terrified, fled.
From the shadows emerged a jackal-headed figure, a man adorned with a collar and ribbon, wielding a flail. Anubis.
> "You dare disrespect the Pharaoh's tomb?" he demanded, summoning a golden scale. "Your truth shall be weighed against your crime."
Road Ranger opened his mouth-but the emperor intervened.
> "We did damage the tomb," he said calmly, "but the hieroglyphs indicate it's a trial. We completed the trial. Technically, we... now hold ownership. The texts even hint it could collapse."
Anubis studied the scale, then spoke:
> "You speak the truth. The scale allows no further dispute. Take the Ring of Mass."
The jackal-headed god vanished into the tomb's path to the afterlife, leaving them with the source of the tomb's power. The chamber trembled, nearly collapsing-but the emperor used a fragment of divine energy from the ring to stabilize it, honoring the fallen Pharaoh.
Outside, the tomb now still and silent, Road Ranger felt a pang of inadequacy.
> "I... I don't feel like I did much," he admitted quietly.
The emperor placed a massive hand on his shoulder.
> "My niece chose you for a reason."
> "But you said-"
> "That was a taunt," the uncle interrupted, a wry grin beneath his mustache. "Power isn't power unless it's wielded."
Road Ranger smiled, finally understanding.
> "Thank you, Uncle Samuel," he said, shortening the emperor's impossibly long name to a manageable 10% of its glory.
The uncle nodded.
> "Samuel will do just fine." He was hit moved not because of whatever road ranger do but the devotion of bak-osir who made his tomb a trial for his god
And with that, they left the tomb behind, the city waiting for their next mission
(Fun fact bak-osir mean Osiris follower/servant and ya Anubis does protecte every pharaoh tomb since disrespecting them like disrespecting the gods)