Stepping into the tal bunker prepared for them by Molcasar, Yu Jin stepped out of his armor. On the surface, he showed no signs of Cybernetic Enhancent, looking just like a normal living being.
He glanced around and said, "Eagle Vulture, scan the area."
"Yes, sir!" The man nad Eagle Vulture was an interstellar human. Wearing Monocular Tactical Goggles, he tossed out four palm-sized silver-white tallic devices that landed in the four corners of the room.
Curtains of blue light shot out from the splitting tallic devices, crisscrossing to scan the entire tal bunker.
"Boss, it is clean," Eagle Vulture reported.
"Mhm." Yu Jin nodded before turning to the Athyst in their team. "Your Royal Highness Kansa, you may begin."
His attitude was a bit strange; it was neither overly respectful nor as demanding as the way he ordered Eagle Vulture around.
Kansa nodded and closed his eyes. The diamond-shaped purple crystal on his forehead began to glow, sending out ripples of light that washed over the surroundings like water.
Underground, beneath the command center, the Athyst Core suddenly flared with light before quickly dimming. This put the nearby staff mbers on high alert; unsure of what had just happened, they frantically began running various ergency diagnostics.
Inside the tal bunker, Kansa opened his eyes. The purple crystal on his forehead slowly lost its luster. A deeply hidden excitent glead in his light purple eyes, and his voice trembled slightly. "I felt it. The fluctuations of the Athyst Core."
"It really is the Athyst Core..." Yu Jin's eyes burst with intense light. "With this Athyst Core, you will be the next Athyst Emperor."
Kansa gradually cald down. He glanced at Yu Jin, paying no mind to his flattery. "We have not secured it yet, so there is no need to speak so soon. I expect this information to remain strictly confidential."
"I understand. A tiny place like Molcasar cannot stop you. It is rely defended by a few C-Tier Lifeforms." Yu Jin spoke plainly, without any arrogance or disdain; he was simply stating a fact.
Kansa shook his head. "Molcasar is nothing. Mole is the key... He once served in Augu. Even though it has been disbanded, it remains a force that cannot be underestimated."
"Did a few of his friends not recently arrive here? Have you gathered any intelligence on them?"
Yu Jin replied, "Those councilors said there is nothing to worry about. There is only one fairly capable person called God Slayer, who managed to take down the Thunder Beasts."
"God Slayer..." Kansa's expression grew solemn. Just hearing that title was enough to tell him this was a crucial figure not to be trifled with.
"He is a C-Tier Lifeform," Yu Jin added.
"A C-Tier Lifeform..." Kansa's gaze deepened. "And he actually dares to use such a title? Is he not afraid of divine retribution?"
"What about the information on the others?" Kansa asked, still maintaining his caution.
"Those councilors do not have it either. Mole has strong control over this place; the soldiers obey his every command," Yu Jin said, shaking his head.
"A bunch of trash," Kansa scoffed coldly, then smiled. "But only such trash would do sothing like betraying their own civilization."
"Go and investigate thoroughly. I do not want any accidents to happen."
Yu Jin nodded and turned to the other squad mbers. "Go take a walk around and see what you can find out about this God Slayer."
...
Inside the command center, Mole looked as though he had been forced to eat sothing utterly vile. He stared coldly at the councilors on the screen. "I want you to tell the truth. What is the deal with this squad?!"
"And what is the deal with that Athyst?!"
The councilors looked at each other in dismay. One of them coughed dryly and said, "Calm down. Perhaps they just happened to hire a rcenary squad that includes an Athyst. That is quite normal."
"Do you take for a fool?" Mole's eyes were bloodshot, looking predatory and ferocious.
"Your Excellency..." spoke up a councilor who had remained silent until now. He held a very high status, with a head full of silver hair and layers of deep wrinkles on his face.
"There is no longer any room for us to develop in this universe. You might have the resolve and patience, but can you guarantee that the next Archon will be the sa?"
"Can you guarantee that everyone will be like you?"
Mole lowered his head, his voice turning icy. "So, is this your choice?"
"This is not our choice," the councilor paused. "This is the choice of our ethnic group. There is nothing wrong with relying on a higher civilization. Even the Athyst Civilization relies on the Star Glory Empire."
"Heh heh heh..." Mole cut the communication, a sudden wave of defeated powerlessness washing over him.
"Your Excellency..." Kelly walked in, suddenly freezing when she saw Mole sitting in his chair.
She had never seen her father like this before. Helpless... pained, sorrowful... and even bearing a hint of despair.
In her mind, Mole had always been overflowing with passion and drive.
"What is it?" Mole took a deep breath, forcing himself to ask.
"Li... God Slayer said he is ready. He wants you to provide the coordinates for a few Black Lizard nests," Kelly reported.
"Ready? Ready for what?" Mole was still a bit dazed.
"He said... he is ready to deal with the Star Beasts," Kelly said hesitantly.
A sudden gleam appeared in Mole's eyes as a spark of hope ignited within him.
Li Yu had always talked about eliminating the Star Beasts, never about just stalling for ti. In his mind, that B-Tier Lifeform could actually be killed.
"Let's go!" Mole said urgently. Just as he was about to head out the door, he paused and turned to look at Kelly, his tone unprecedentedly serious. "Kelly, can I trust you?"
Kelly imdiately felt a surge of frustration. 'I am your daughter. If you cannot trust , who can you trust?'
But recalling Mole's dejected expression monts ago, she managed a reluctant nod. "You can always trust ."
"Good... Next, I need you to..." Mole whispered a few words into Kelly's ear, causing her expression to grow increasingly shocked until she finally exclaid in disbelief,
"Are you... planning to beco a Dictator?!"
Mole imdiately shook his head. "No... What I an is..."
"That is fantastic!" Kelly bead with excitent. "You should have done this a long ti ago. I have been sick of those councilors for ages."
"I will make sure this is done covertly. No one will tie it back to you."
Kelly left in high spirits, leaving Mole with his mouth agape, entirely at a loss for words. This was the very first ti his daughter had ever shown such a bright, unburdened smile in front of him.
"A Dictator..." Mole murmured to himself before leaving the command center.
In the warehouse, twenty Common Xenomorphs were gathered around the Alien Queen. They were much shorter than her, standing only five ters tall, looking almost malnourished in comparison.
Compared to the Alien Queen, they were far more savage. Their dripping tongues licked their skeletal bodies, and their razor-sharp claws gouged deep marks into the tal floor.
Their tails whipped back and forth, occasionally brushing against a companion, which would imdiately spark a brief shoving match. The general sentint translated to:
"You touched ..."
"So what if I did? You want a piece of ?"
"Bring it on..."
The Alien Queen hissed, "Shut the hell up! Do not embarrass in front of the master!"
The Alien Queen held absolute authority over the Common Xenomorphs. The drones could only lower their heads in submission, not daring to voice a single complaint.
Watching these massive Xenomorphs, Mole felt a strange sense of déjà vu, especially when looking at the Common Xenomorphs that closely resembled the Black Lizards.
"Do you know where any Black Lizard nests are located?" Li Yu asked.
"You want to send these things over there?" Mole saw right through Li Yu's plan.
"Exactly." Li Yu nodded. Over the past two days, he had been closely monitoring the Xenomorph gestation process. If they parasitize the Black Lizards, they would hatch in about two days.
Yesterday, the Second Clone's System Log had updated, but it yielded no significant rewards, leaving him quite disappointed.
Mole pondered for a mont. "We can certainly find a Black Lizard nest, but these things of yours..."
He remained highly skeptical of the Xenomorphs, but right now, they offered a sliver of hope. He had the Reconnaissance Team provide several coordinates, all pointing to Black Lizard nests.
"Be careful. Do not move at night. During the day, slowly lure them in..." Li Yu instructed the Alien Queen, who nodded continuously in response.
Mole watched this scene with an odd expression. 'He is actually teaching it the Art of War. Can these monsters even understand?'
Li Yu was not worried about the Alien Queen's expansion. As long as she was not reckless enough to awaken an entire Black Lizard nest at once, everything would be fine.
Vrrrm—
The warehouse doors opened, and the massive Xenomorphs filed out one by one, roaring at the sky to announce their arrival.
The Alien Queen quickly suppressed her underlings' restless urges.
The towering Xenomorphs drew the attention of many soldiers. However, since they fought Black Lizards on a regular basis, they were not particularly terrified.
Moreover, they vaguely rembered that these creatures seed to be on their side.
In the distance, Eagle Vulture was chatting with a soldier. The man's battered Dark Star armor almost made him burst out laughing.
"I heard you guys have soone called the God Slayer here... Word is he is pretty tough." Eagle Vulture's tone carried a hint of arrogance. He naturally looked down on the natives of minor civilizations.
The Translator broadcasted his words so that the nearby soldiers could understand him.
The soldiers looked at each other in dismay. Anyone could sense Eagle Vulture's disdain, let alone these troops who had been placed under a strict gag order.
"His Excellency God Slayer... is indeed quite strong..."
"Yeah... definitely..."
"That's right... Absolutely..."
The soldiers were chattering away, but not a single piece of valuable information slipped from their lips.
Eagle Vulture frowned. "Do you know what his real na is? Where he cos from? What about the people around him?"
"No idea..."
"Not a clue..."
"Never heard a thing..."
Eagle Vulture's face darkened. 'Damn grunts. If the boss had not forbidden fighting for the ti being, I would definitely show these fools the aning of cruelty.'
"I can pay you... How does one thousand Star Coins sound?" Eagle Vulture suppressed his rising anger.
"One thousand Star Coins?" One of the soldiers widened his eyes.
Eagle Vulture instantly perked up. "That is right. Tell what you know, and the Star Coins are yours."
"I have a question..." The soldier looked genuinely confused. "What exactly are... Star Coins?"
"Yeah... yeah..."
"We want to know too..."
The soldiers began chattering away with questions.
His face entirely clouded with gloom, Eagle Vulture forcefully shoved his way past the group of soldiers and stord off.
"Tch, who is he trying to fool by Putting On Airs?" The soldiers gathered back together.
It was not that they did not know what Star Coins were; they knew it was the Currency of Interstellar Society.
However, to these soldiers who would likely never leave Molcasar their entire lives, standard planetary currency was far more useful.
"Acting all high and mighty. Who does he think he is looking down on? His Excellency God Slayer is way more polite..."
"Exactly. When Leila asked His Excellency God Slayer two questions earlier, he answered them with such humility, even though it took him a while to respond."
The soldiers walked away with their arms over each other's shoulders. It was not that they were incapable of thinking deeply; they just could not be bothered. They simply treated people the way they were treated.
Eagle Vulture's expression was stormy when his peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a few ferocious beasts. His expression shifted slightly. The data the councilors had provided on the Molcasar Camp did not include anything about these creatures.
Scanning the area, he spotted Mole and a young man standing beside him.
Eagle Vulture's gaze shifted as he squeezed out a smile and strode in their direction.
"Your Excellency Mole!" Eagle Vulture called out loudly. Mole turned his head in confusion, his expression instantly souring when he saw it was one of the rcenaries.
Eagle Vulture pretended not to notice Mole's dark expression and marveled, "What magnificent ferocious beasts. Are these your Biological Weapons?"
Mole had no desire to engage with the man, but since they had not formally torn up their amicable facade yet, he could only nod. "That is right."
"Incredibly fierce. What species are they?" Eagle Vulture continued, clearly just making idle conversation to dig for information.
"They are called Mr. Mighty," Li Yu answered.
"Mr. Mighty..." Eagle Vulture's smile instantly froze. Even an idiot could tell this was a dismissive brush-off. What kind of species would be called that?
"What a... fitting na," Eagle Vulture said, pinching his nose. He then turned to Li Yu. "And you are?"
The change of topic was incredibly stiff, making it glaringly obvious that he was here specifically for Li Yu.
"I am..." Li Yu mused for a mont before declaring, "I am the Demon Slayer."
Eagle Vulture was montarily stunned. Demon Slayer? He asked cautiously, "And your relationship with the God Slayer is?"
"He is my Elder Brother," Li Yu replied with a perfectly straight face.
"Your brother?" Eagle Vulture was bewildered. Where did this Younger Brother suddenly spring from?
Suddenly, he caught sight of the half-smile on Mole's face and imdiately realized the truth. This bastard was playing him for a fool.
Instantly, his expression darkened. "Why must you mock , sir? I may be simple-minded, but I will not stand for being humiliated."
'Damn it, this guy is a real Talented person,' Li Yu thought, completely Speechless. To pick a fight, he had actually pulled the 'simple-minded' card out of thin air. Li Yu could easily tell that this man was aiming straight for him.
"Oh..." Li Yu nodded, quietly waiting to hear what the man would say next.
"You... You insult , and yet you stand there so calmly? Apologize to !" Eagle Vulture stamred slightly. Using such an insultingly low-IQ thod to provoke a fight made even him feel a bit embarrassed.
His thought process really was quite simple. Had the boss not ordered him to gather intelligence? Would it not be better to just provoke a fight and kill the target right here and now?
However, having wandered Interstellar space for years, he was no idiot. Pretending to be Mindless right now made it surprisingly difficult for him to perform the act convincingly.
"Then I am sorry," Li Yu shrugged and said casually.
Eagle Vulture choked on his words once again. Why was this guy so Unconventional? How could he spit out an apology so easily? And why did he have to add that flippant tone?!
"This is the God Slayer, and this is..." Mole could not watch any longer. Hoping to prevent the conflict from escalating, he took the initiative to introduce them.
But he did not actually know Eagle Vulture's na.
Eagle Vulture snorted coldly. "Eagle Vulture of the Ship Breakers!"
"You are from the Ship Breakers?" Li Yu asked in feigned surprise.
"You have heard of us?" Eagle Vulture retorted.
"Your reputation precedes you. Your deeds are like thunder to my ears. Defeating the main fleet of Yisu Campbell was truly an astonishing feat."
Li Yu sighed in admiration. "I never expected to run into you guys here."
Claptrap had already briefed him on the Ship Breakers squad's exploits; they were indeed a highly capable rcenary team.
Their most famous achievent was defeating the primary fleet of a powerful civilization, which had skyrocketed their fa.
"Haha..." Eagle Vulture laughed, suddenly acting humble. "That was all thanks to our Captain's rit."
"Captain Yu Jin is here too? Then I really must pay him a visit..." Li Yu offered.
"No problem..." Eagle Vulture grinned broadly, thinking that this God Slayer was not a threat at all.
"I never expected to see you all here. The Molcasar Civilization is pretty impressive to be able to hire you," Li Yu remarked, carrying a faint undertone of belittlent.
Eagle Vulture was imdiately displeased. "Molcasar does not an a thing! How could they possibly afford to hire us? If it was not for..."
Halfway through his sentence, Eagle Vulture's expression drastically changed. Looking at Li Yu's beaming smile, his face turned exceedingly ugly.
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