I partially missed my attack as Michael dodged. I had been aiming at his chest, but I got his hip instead. Multiple beam attacks began to strike me, and soldiers were rushing in. I was out of time. I tried to open a breach between layers, but I failed as the System suppressed me.

The attacks were coming quickly, and I needed to escape. I quickly thought through all my options. There was one that might work in the chaos.

Expelling some energy, I hid my presence. “Astral Projection.” I quickly appeared like one of the soldiers and escaped during the confusion. I had to take my time to not make it appear I was running away or leaving the battle.

Soldiers had been pulled in from the inner wall that had been set up. I quickly hid my presence and went through the opening and into the wider city. Even now, the curse damage was damaging my body and disrupting my Astral Projection. I needed to fix all of this as quickly as possible. Thankfully I always had a backup plan, just in case for situations like these. I made my way through the back streets and to the safehouse that Ruth had retreated to.

I entered and let my outer projection fail. I couldn’t maintain it anymore. My inner projection was on the verge of failing. “Help, to the tub,” I told her and she carried me upstairs. I quickly used my two captives I had prepared to fill up the small tub with blood.

That was when an anti-point suddenly appeared and came for me. The black and white cube quickly transversed the distance towards me. I didn’t hesitate and reached out to grab it. There were only two choices, my useless skill or my life. I chose my useless skill. The anti-point disappeared and I staggered as knowledge and memories were ripped from my head once again.

I…I needed to fix myself quickly. The damage this body had sustained was immense. The curse damage, and pushing past my limits had damaged me greatly. The city shield wasn’t helping either. “Help me into the tub,” I commanded as the two captives finished bleeding out.

“Are…are you the Astrologer?” Ruth asked. I turned to look at the woman. Why was she asking that? I guess some of her original personality was coming through. And I never thought to really talk about my real identity when I had created a decoy. No need to take pointless risks.

“Yes, now hurry up,” I told her without hesitation. I needed to hurry up and construct a new Astral Projection. I would lose a lot of progress turning my body, physical, but there was no time for half measures.

She reached out and grabbed me. “For the Divine Empress! Acid Shot, Acid Shot, Acid Shot.” She used the skill over and over again without stopping. What, why?! The Divine Empress was dead, why was this happening?! The attack was incredibly weak, but my Astral Projection was already collapsing.

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She had to have been a long term plant by the Divine Empress. Her conditioning layered under my own and much stronger. It was obvious in hindsight, but Ruth had ruined everything at the one moment I couldn’t afford it.

“Imbue Life,” I used my skill and her head exploded as large amount of deformed flesh emerged in its spot. Her corpse collapsed to the ground. Dammit! The tub was wrecked, and I couldn’t hold on any longer. My Astral Projection failed.

I had to hurry! “Astral Projection.” It was deformed, but it would keep me alive.

“Search the nearby buildings, leave no room in unchecked, keep to your pairs and teams! Ten million points, we are going to get them!” I heard the shout carry and the sound of soldiers approaching. I tried to lift off the ground, but the city shield interfered with the trick I used for flight. I couldn’t move. I had to form a shell around my physical flesh that would keep it alive.

There was a reason I had used a tub of blood before. It was to suspend me. With my physical body on the ground, it was a complete mess. I couldn’t die here! I refused to die! I was the Astrologer, no one could kill me.

I would use these soldiers when they found me and control them to carry me out and escape this cursed city. I would recover and come back stronger than ever. No one could stop me for long. As I heard them approaching, my thoughts drifted to exploring the stars. That was why I had taken up the name of Astrologer so long ago.

To never forget or lose hope. “Someone is living here. Come out!” I didn’t bother to respond as soldiers entered my building. Michael, he had gotten me good with all his traps. It was only now, looking back at things that I realized he was the one to arrange that beam attack that had hurt him, not the Avatar.

I had been too overconfident, thinking things were in play, but I had been tricked. It had been a long time since anyone had out smarted me. The door was kicked open and I could hear gagging. “Help me,” I said and imbued energy into my words.

“Someone is in there!” A soldier said and quickly entered.

“Carry me out of here,” I said. He quickly picked me up, and the lump that I was. More soldiers rushed in. “Ignore me.” They all turned away but one.

“Crush!” Force energy surrounded me and my Astral Projection was put under great strain. This wasn’t how it was going to end, to some useless low stat people.

“Null Refraction!” The one soldier’s head ripped apart partially. This shocked everyone else and they spun towards me. The soldier carrying me dropped my body. “Help-“

Skills were unleashed. I formed up barriers. Nothing was working. This was the end as my Astral Projection broke, revealing my true form. The attacks increased and there was shouting, but I couldn’t really make it out anymore.

I felt my physical body being ripped apart by all the skills being unleashed. Curse you Michael. Curse your empire. I hope you die of the super cancer I tried to give you and I spit on your throne and all that you stand for. If only I had aimed that attack in the right direction, then everything would have been different.

I mourned for all the women I would not be able to enjoy. There was also a trace of bitterness that I was not able to unleash some final super attack as a screw you to this place. Or was there? Even as my body was destroyed, I focused with all my might, twisting the energy into place.

This was something I had never done and would not live to see if it worked. But if it did, then Michael would deal with the nightmare I was about to unleash. Good luck as the world crumbles around you.

I was Astrologer! The one who would escape this place and sail the sea of stars, charting my own course.