Chapter 107: The Ring of Chains
Lian stood up slowly.
There was something weighing on his mind — something he needed to check alone. He walked further away from where Elara was resting, moving deeper into the quiet underground cave system. The faint glow of bioluminescent moss lit his path as he found a secluded spot behind a natural rock formation. He sat down cross-legged on the cool stone floor, back against the wall.
He reached into the storage ring he was wearing and pulled out another ring — one he had taken from a merchant during the scavenging. It looked unremarkable at first glance: a simple black band with faint silver runes etched into its surface. But when he slipped it onto his finger, the Nexus Scan Gauntlet on his wrist reacted immediately.
This was no ordinary storage ring.
The gauntlet’s holographic interface expanded, showing a far more advanced system than anything he had seen before. It wasn’t just a scanner — it was a comprehensive information hub. Communication across vast distances, signal tracking, radar mapping, data archives, restricted network access, and much more. Unlike the limited devices he had used earlier, this one was unrestricted. It could pull information from planetary networks, black market channels, and encrypted Syndicate databases with shocking ease.
Lian activated the slave information section.
The hologram displayed detailed records.
Slaves in the galaxy were a common commodity, especially on frontier worlds and it was a normal thing. Most were captured during raids on weaker planets or taken as punishment for crossing powerful organizations. Once captured, they were broken — minds wiped or heavily altered through neural chips implanted at the base of the neck. These chips bound them completely to their master, suppressing free will, erasing memories of their past lives, and turning them into obedient tools. They could be commanded with simple voice or mental orders. Resistance was nearly impossible. The chips also prevented them from harming their owners.
The records showed various methods of binding: blood oaths, Qi contracts, or advanced tech implants. Some slaves were sold in bulk, others trained for specific roles — fighters, servants, pleasure slaves, or even living shields. Different species had different values. Humans and human-like species were common and cheap. Rarer species with unique abilities fetched higher prices.
Lian read through it all with visible disgust.
He saw images and logs of powerless species being hunted, captured, and turned into commodities. Families torn apart. Children conditioned from a young age. Entire villages wiped out just to supply the black market. The strong preyed on the weak without mercy, turning living beings into tools for profit and power. It left a bitter taste in his mouth. He had lived as one of the weak for so long. He knew exactly how it felt.
He closed the records, his expression dark.
Then he focused on the ring itself.
He sent his consciousness inside.
The interior was nothing like the small storage spaces he had seen before. This ring was on a completely different level. The space inside was vast — like stepping into another world. He found himself standing on a high, floating platform overlooking an enormous enclosed realm. The “sky” above was a shifting dome of dark energy, and below stretched a massive landscape. Thousands of figures stood in organized rows across the plain — slaves of various species, all in suspended animation, their bodies floating gently in preservation fields.
The scale was breathtaking. This single ring could easily hold an entire city, perhaps even a small country. Some rings, according to the records, could contain entire planets or even miniature galaxies depending on their grade and the power of the cultivator who created them. This one was clearly high-grade.
Lian stood there in stunned silence, looking down at the thousands of motionless figures. Humans, Veyari, Korrak, Dravok, and many others he didn’t recognize. They were all trapped, waiting to be sold or used. The sight left him cold.
He remained on the high platform for a long time, processing everything he had discovered.
Power Scale / Cultivation Realms (Quick Reminder)
Foundation Realm (Layers 1–9): Body forging, no external Qi.
Circuit Awakening Realm (Early–Peak): First Qi loop, internal bursts.
Core Condensation Realm (Early–Peak): External Qi release, short flight.
Stellar Circuit Realm (1–9 Stars): True flight, Qi armor, energy projection.
Nebula Dominion Realm and higher: Domain control, galaxy-level power, etc
Power Scale Reminder
Lian Yu: Stellar Circuit Star 1.
Elara Voss: Core Condensation Middle
Keep it as reminders
