Chapter 11 - Ruins

Rodgraim simply wanted to scare Seraphina a little.

But it led him to this surprising discovery instead.

Arcturus was one of the most explored planets of interstellar travelers.

Not that Arcturus was a treasure trove in itself. Its treasures would have been plundered long ago.

But according to Seraphina's data, something was on Arcturus worth investigating, which he did not know yet.

With this in mind, Rodgraim raised his hand and, to the shock of all the Predators, signaled them to stop torturing Seraphina.

With an impassive, vacuous smile, Rodgraim asked, "If indeed there exist the ruins you claimed on Arcturus, and if I can gain the treasures in them, I will make sure to send you back safely to the next space station."

After his words, Seraphina smiled faintly with a bit of hope as she said, "Promise me!"

Coldly indifferent, Rodgraim counter-questioned, "Find the ruins first."

Seraphina's expression faded a little as she spoke, but Rodgraim didn't notice.

The Aether Dominion slowly landed onto the surface of Arcturus, touched it, and then settled.

The laser cannon on the bottom of the ship blew away all the dense vegetation that had grown there in order to clear the landing area.

When they finally landed on flat ground, Rodgraim took Seraphina to the hatch.

Both of them were equipped with space-gear, so they were prepared to survive the conditions on the planet.

The amount of oxygen in Arcturus was at a high level, about 40%.

Humains would only tolerate this for a protracted period as there was a tendency towards oxygen toxicity which only the giant native animals of Arcturus could endure without consequences.

The hatch was swung open slowly. A thousand Predators stood up on their feet and in fight-ready stance.

With the hatch fully opened, iron-clad warriors stormed out and dispersively spread into the jungle beyond.

Predators circled the position of Rodgraim , scouting the environment to check and eliminate any lurking threats.

Suddenly, a thunderous roar boomed from the interior of the forest.

A behemoth emerged from interstellar space, its enormous form standing high at dozens of meters.

Seraphina's face paled; in comparison, her little body was not even large enough to be a mouthful between its teeth.

But before her terror could wash over her, she saw another surprising turn of events: plasma cannons came from the jungle, ripping into the beast's head instantly.

With a deafening crash, the great creature crashed down, making the earth shudder beneath them.

Undeterred by the fall of the beast, Rodgraim calmly passed her orders, "Take a hundred Predators to gather food and water; the rest will follow me." She replied,

Rustling sounds came forth from the jungle as a few bloodstained Predators emerged from the dense foliage, having taken care of every potential lurking threat.

The sudden emergence of these warriors left Seraphina stunned; she couldn't help but think perhaps they have some kind of cloaking devices.

Her own optical invisibility cloaks seemed much weaker compared to what these soldiers possess.

Rodgraim 's voice snapped her back to reality: "Lead the way."

The intimidation in his tone made her quickly obey, leading him through the jungle without a second thought.

Any thoughts she had of escaping were quickly dismissed—she knew running from Rodgraim on Arcturus, where there were beasts lurking in every corner, would be a fatal choice.

Despite Rodgraim 's rough demeanor, she knew her safest option was to remain by his side.

As they advanced further, the jungle let out a frightening roar.

Seraphina subconsciously hid behind Rodgraim.

Rodgraim said nonchalantly, "Lead the way. With the Predators around, no beasts will get near."

There were such giant creatures on Arcturus, but these would not be able to stand any chance against the Predators, as the latter had advanced technology and combat prowess.

Even these monstrous beasts were not any different from ordinary creatures against such mighty opponents.

Seraphina pouted slightly at Rodgraim's lack of sympathy, but didn't say another word as the two of them pushed through the dense jungle.

After a bit of a walk, they reached a clearing and could see a structure-the small ancient ruin was covered in vines.

Its isolated location explained why they hadn't found it before.

Rodgraim flicked up his tech watch with the scanner inside.

It scanned down on the structure before him, but to his utter surprise, the ruins proved impenetrable to the scan.

Obviously, the materials used to build it did not support radio waves; that meant something was buried inside.

Rodgraim beckoned one of the Predators over to clear the entrance.

The Predator extended his wrist blade cutting through the vines to open the doorway.

Curious, Rodgraim askedSeraphina, "How did you know of those ruins on Arcturus?"

Seraphina said, "I was told by my older brother. He bought the information from some interstellar traders. I originally planned to come here to explore after gathering enough resources for a fleet."

She gazed at Rodgraim while speaking, afraid.

Rodgraim smirked; Seraphina had bigger plans up her sleeve—plans that now seemed to work in his favor.

They headed for the entrance, only to find that it was locked, requiring a key.

Rodgraim did not lose a single moment. He waved toward the Predator next to him, who readied his shoulder cannon and blasted open the gate with a powerful plasma shot.

The impact echoed through the jungle as the gate detonated, and Seraphina visibly shuddered.

Now she could understand just how powerful these Predators were.

If she had tried to challenge them earlier on, she would have been hopelessly overwhelmed.

Rodgraim's game plan now was clear as he allowed one of the Predators to lead on, clear their path and neutralize any immediate dangers within the remains of the ruins.

Once declared safe, Rodgraim entered the region.

The first thing he noticed around him was a series of murals or paintings delineating the evolutionary line of a lost civilization.

He started looking at the pictures as he couldn't help but appreciate the idea that such a race one day existed and was advanced enough to have dwelled in Arcturus.

An aura of mystery pervaded the ruins, giving the impression that some secret and precious thing was being kept inside.

Rodgraim's mind was running wild with possibilities as he advanced further and further into his journey-one step closer to the secrets of Arcturus.

Seraphina was trailing behind him, and the fear in her now had been replaced with a kind of curiosity and an attitude of awe toward the unfolding discoveries.

This ancient place has given them a life that has changed, each one after theirs, in pursuit of treasures capable of bringing a change of fortune for good.