ONE-ON-ONE

After passing through several doors, navigating both up and down, they finally arrived in a dimly lit space.

"Mousse, open this up."

"Absolutely, sir."

Within seconds, the door in front of them swung open, revealing a sight that left them in awe. The room was packed with an array of weapons.

"Doesn't this resemble the weapons Nolan was wielding?"

On the shelves before them, Nolan's weapons were present, but newer and more diverse ones accompanied them, clearly untouched.

"Varion."

"Hmm? What's up?"

Royce gestured towards the weapons, "Can you handle these?"

"Haha... I'm a scientist, don't worry. I'll teach you. Grab some. Even with regular use, these should last you a long while."

Armed with the weapons, they eventually reached a space resembling a main control room. It was vast, adorned with various dial instruments. Even from here, they could observe different sections of the spacecraft through monitors, far surpassing Nolan's quarters.

"What did you discover?"

Varion nodded, "This isn't the spaceship of the Predator Civilization. It seems to be a local spaceship. You must have witnessed the sky scene from the mountain."

"The shattered planets?"

"Exactly. The Predator Civilization found this place, shot it down, and turned it into their hunting ground."

Isabel was perplexed, "But this planet seems intact. What method was used? We saw those planets in the sky about to shatter, yet here they are."

When they were on the mountain, witnessing a scene that shattered their assumptions, they realized they weren't on Earth.

Initially overlooking the broken planets, the sight now filled them with dread. What kind of catastrophic war led to this?

"Virus."

"Virus?"

"Yes, the Predator Civilization has a virus called Alien virus. It can parasitize organisms and reproduce rapidly. Most civilizations can't resist it, unless they use nuclear weapons upon its initial discovery."

"The civilization we've found here is far more advanced than Earth's, but they might have been wiped out by the aliens before they could react."

Royce interjected, "So, what about these aliens? If that's the case, there should be a massive number of them. We haven't encountered any life forms so far."

"Self-destruction. Aliens need to constantly feed to maintain their energy. Once they've consumed all life forms on a planet and have no more food, they turn on each other in a self-destructive war. It's a desperate attempt to provide their queen mother with enough energy to survive."

Varion gazed at the two of them. "This a perfect weapon? The one who deploys the alien just waits for it to perish and can effortlessly claim everything from the enemy."

A hiss cut through the air, sending a shiver down their spines. The sight before them was too horrifying to comprehend. Was this the warfare of alien civilizations? The thought of such devastation unfolding on Earth was unimaginable.

"Are you relieved? Relieved that this tactic wasn't used on Earth?" Varion's question hung heavy in the air, eliciting disbelief from Isabelle. The terror of witnessing intergalactic warfare made their past experiences seem trivial in comparison.

"Yes, they've employed similar tactics on Earth before. Many civilizations mysteriously vanished because of it," Varion continued grimly, shaking Royce to his core.

"I just want to find a way out of here. Even if it means facing death, I'd rather die on Earth. But there might be an alien queen lurking here," Royce voiced his concerns, his gaze fixed on Varion.

"There's a ship about 50 meters away from the Predator Camp. If you can seize it, maybe I can help you return," Varion revealed, his tone nonchalant. "But if you plan to confront those people, you'd better do it quickly."

"What's the rush?" Royce asked, puzzled by Varion's urgency.

Varion waved his hand, displaying Nolan's actions on the control room screen. Outside, flames engulfed their resting place, thick smoke billowing into the enclosed area. It was an attempt to suffocate them all.

"Damn," Royce cursed, urgency driving him into action. Dealing with the Predator Blood was a monumental task, one they couldn't face alone.

Varion smiled, unperturbed. The Alien Queen held immense value to him, and her presence here was intriguing.

As Varion surveyed the control room, his curiosity piqued. This wasn't a Predator or Titan civilization. It was something entirely different.

"Moose, any useful information?" Varion inquired, his gaze fixed on the screen.

"Sir, it appears to be a mining vessel with no significant data," Moose replied.

"What about the Fixed Star data collection?"

"70% complete," Moose reported.

Excellent. Soon, Varion would have his own top-tier spaceship, capable of obliterating galaxies with Fixed Star energy.

But harnessing the power of a Fixed Star wasn't the most optimal use for Kryptonians. For them, a Fixed Star's primary function was the star itself. Imagine carrying a Fixed Star with you, harnessing its energy whenever needed.

"Sir, I've found something interesting," Moose interjected, capturing Varion's attention.

"What is it?"

"A pattern from this civilization," Moose responded, displaying a small galaxy on the sunglasses. "This planet, called Pandora, is situated at the second South Gate of the Centaur. It's rich in resources and inhabited by indigenous civilizations, approximately 3 light-years away."

Varion's interest was piqued. Pandora held promise, a potential new frontier to explore in their quest for dominance.

"It's about the same size as Earth, and its gravity is twice that of Earth. It is a moon of a gaseous planet."

Initially, the significance of this place might have eluded him, but when the name Pandora was mentioned, recognition flashed across his face. This celestial body existed in the vast expanse of the universe, sparking curiosity about the myriad wonders yet undiscovered.

Pandora, also known as the world of Avatar—why it shares its name with this specific place is a question for another time.

"I have a question for Mousse. Did this civilization mine Pandora when they discovered it?"

"No, sir. They only just discovered this planet. Before they could commence mining, an alien virus was released, resulting in the extinction of all life on the entire planet. However, Pandora is just one of their many mining planets, and their mother planet is elsewhere."

The Predator civilization continued to be a wellspring of information. Following their lead consistently unveiled new discoveries. Superconducting ore, a universal wealth, beckoned him, compelling the need for a revised plan.

"How are things outside?"

"Predator is on pursuit."

The screen displayed Royce and the others being chased, a situation that unfolded without his direct involvement.

"Sir, I don't quite understand how it benefits us to assist them."

"No, no, Mousse. I just want to have some fun. As for assistance, it's inconsequential. Pay attention to that Ancient Predator; he's worth collecting."

"Understood, sir."

"By the way, accelerate the Fixed Star data collection calculations."

On the other side, a group of people faced the relentless pursuit of the iron-blooded civilization, appearing visibly distressed.

"Damn, we should have brought Varion; he must have a way to deal with these things."

Despite possessing new weapons and the ability to turn invisible, the hunters remained elusive, rendering them virtually blind.

"We need them to reveal themselves; otherwise, we'll just be picked off one by one," Royce expressed his concern.

"Run, head to their camp, and set the whole forest ablaze; maybe then we'll have a chance."

"Shit, look there," Isabel pointed ahead, and there stood a person—none other than Varion.

"Hey, Varion, how did you get here? I thought you'd be waiting for us over there."

"It's so boring. I came after watching you guys being chased. I'm also very interested in this thing."

Interested? This scientist was quite daring, venturing into such dangerous situations.

"You'd better stick with us. I don't want to go back without a 'driver.'"

The two stood back to back, guns raised, their vigilant eyes scanning their surroundings. They sensed that the things chasing them were hidden nearby.

"Are you looking for the Predator?" Varion asked.

Isabelle replied with frustration, "Are we playing?"

"Actually, you don't have to do this. They like to be singled out very much. You only need to call them, and they will come out."

"One-on-one? That's insane! We are being chased by a group of them."

Varion remained nonchalant, focusing on a tree in the distance.

"Hey, big guy, come down and fight?"

....

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