Woooosh!
A spaceship sliced through the skies at an astonishing speed, parting the clouds with a thunderous boom. As it advanced, the clouds separated in its wake, creating a sharp line in the sky.
Inside, two soldiers donned imposing black armor accentuated with green lines.
"Two problems in one day! What a drag..." muttered one of the two soldiers, sitting in the pilot's seat of the spaceship, which carried a massive ten-square-meter purple crystalline cage connected to its rear.
"We've been on this planet for so long, but ever since this shit collector became a problem, look, the problems multiply!"
The other soldier cast a glance at Rylokian, who was behind them within the cage, and shook his head: "Although this guy seems to have a streak of bad luck, I doubt his situation is related to what's happening in sector M-039."
"It's probably one of those exceptional creatures with unusual racial abilities causing disturbances, maybe clashing with other creatures for fun. After so many years, they might be seeking entertainment in their boring lives."
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"It's the native! Only he could be causing trouble!" Rylokian told the two soldiers while pounding on the cage with his fist.
Although he felt frustration towards these soldiers for locking him in a cage meant for transporting creatures, Rylokian knew how to prioritize what really mattered, and at this moment, causing more trouble wasn't appropriate.
"..."
But the two soldiers completely ignored him, making it clear that neither of them believed what he was saying. Rylokian didn't give up and continued shouting, "You need to warn the soldiers heading to investigate. That native is dangerous! He even killed a Sonarix!"
Thud! Thud!
"This is very seriou-" he was about to continue insisting, but an angry roar interrupted him.
"Shut up once and for all!" the soldier at the helm couldn't bear the shouting any longer and began speaking angrily. "You're completely nuts. There are no natives here. There haven't been any intelligent natives on this world for five hundred years!"
The soldier in the copilot's seat also chimed in: "Look, you somehow got into trouble with Major Zorak, but you don't need to lie to us. Our only mission is to take you to headquarters, so stay quiet because my partner has less patience than I do."
"No! They've grown too accustomed to peace and tranquility, but they should be aware of what happens when a civilization becomes negligent in the universe!"
However, no matter how much Rylokian spoke, the two soldiers simply regarded him as if he were out of his mind.
"You have to listen to me! That native has advanced technology at his disposal. I don't know how he did it, but if we leave it like this, sooner or later, he'll stab us in the back, and we won't be prepared!" he continued to insist.
He wasn't speaking without a basis. That native had somehow managed to kill a creature he himself couldn't have faced without the use of exceptionally powerful weapons.
After all, the skin of a Sonarix was even more resilient than most metals produced by Type Two civilizations. The only way to kill it would be by using one of the ship's Devastators, but even if he managed to kill a Sonarix that way, the destruction in the surroundings would be staggering, covering dozens of kilometers of pure devastation.
But that native had killed the creature without causing any harm to its surroundings, which could only mean one thing: danger, a lot of danger!
Sigh...
"Finally, we've arrived... We won't have to hear any more of this nonsense!" declared the pilot with an annoyed tone of voice. His companion simply averted his gaze in silence.
With these words, the ship entered the headquarters, and upon opening the cage, Rylokian found himself face to face with two soldiers in black armor with red lines.
"Fuck..." Rylokian immediately recognized the two soldiers; they were Major Zarok's door guards. He had been taken to headquarters to be interrogated, and although it hadn't started yet, he could imagine what these two idiots had planned for him, seeing how their shoulders trembled while they laughed in silence.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"Pfff!"
"I already knew it was strange to see a shit collector acting with such arrogance. Was that it, right? You intended to blame that nonexistent native and then run away with the Sonarix parts, thinking you'd get rich and powerful somewhere in the universe, right?"
"You didn't consider the consequences? Do you have any idea how rare a Sonarix is? And now one of them is dead!"
The two soldiers, as they placed blue crystal chains on his arms, continued to taunt him. At this point, Rylokian opted for silence, aware that these two individuals were scum who would never pay attention to his words.
Soon, they led him to a hidden room within this vast structure.
In the center of the room was a floating black metal platform, held up by invisible energy fields. On the platform, there were several advanced and cruel torture devices. Energy chains emitted a menacing glow, ready to immobilize the victim. Cutting lasers and many other things that looked dangerous.
"..."
Rylokian silently observed the device in front of him. It felt strangely familiar; he recognized this torture platform.
He remembered seeing it in an advertisement a long time ago, and if he wasn't mistaken, it was called 'Tormentisys.' He couldn't understand why Zarok had acquired such an artifact.
Did that guy have some strange fetish?
Just imagining the atrocities Zarok could commit with this sinister machine made Rylokian shudder with disgust.
"What do you think? Do you find your new home comfortable? From now on, this will be your home, and well... it's very likely to be your tomb as well!" one of the soldiers sneered with disdain.
The other soldier approached Rylokian and gently caressed the crystal chain. Then, he stepped back a bit, pulled out a small white device, and joked, "Before we get to the main course, how about an appetizer?" As he said those words, he pressed the center of the device, causing it to light up in red.
Zaazap!
"Aaaaargh!"
Rylokian screamed in pain as intense electric shocks emanated from the chains, immediately starting to scorch his skin. His innate regeneration, a characteristic of his race, kicked in, instantly healing the wounds.
However, the chains continued to produce electricity, causing a cycle of wounds that opened and closed endlessly.
Half an hour later, he was on his knees, gritting his teeth, but his expression was different from what the two soldiers expected. Instead of panic, pain, or fear, his eyes held an endless contempt.
Zaazap! Zaazap!
"Aaaaaaaaargh!"
"Stop making that damn expression! You won't get any richer with the Sonarix parts, stop pretending to be wealthy!"
However, Rylokian maintained his attitude. He didn't show arrogance to provoke the soldiers, but that attitude was part of his identity, ingrained in him since forever. After all, he had been the former heir of a corporation that controlled hundreds of thousands of planetary systems!
Of course, that was in the past. After a terrible betrayal, he was forced to make a living as a mercenary. But his pride persisted, regardless of his situation!
"T-this asshole!" the two soldiers were at the end of their patience and seriously considered using the torture platform.
Zzzzrrrrrm...
Suddenly, the door opened gently, and Major Zarok burst into the room in his imposing red and gold armor, his presence marked by the trembling of his fat with every step. He glanced at the two soldiers with indifference, but his expression transformed into a twisted mask of rage when he fixed his eyes on Rylokian. A thunderous roar erupted from his lips as he ordered, "Both of you, take him to the Tormentisys and activate level one!"
"Yes, sir!" in a gesture of respect and submission, the two soldiers dragged Rylokian to the platform, removed the chains, laid him on it, and activated level one.
Kchh-chk!
The numerous chains rose as if alive and coiled around Rylokian's wrists, ankles, and neck.
Bzzzzznnggg!
"U-ughh!"
Powerful ultrasonic waves pierced every corner of his body, and Rylokian felt his bones vibrating intensely. Every cell in his being seemed to scream in agony as the deafening sound slowly tore through his insides.
"What's the matter, does it hurt a lot? Then, you shouldn't have ridiculed me in front of those arrogant brothers!" Zarok roared in anger and contempt.
"U-ughh... Go to hell!" Rylokian spat, looking at Zarok with disdain. His fat trembled as he pushed the two soldiers aside with his broad arms. He then touched some things on the torture device's touch screen, saying, "Let's see if you keep cursing now!"
Szzzzap!
Along with the agony triggered by the ultrasonic waves, the surrounding lasers of the platform roared with sadistic delight and pounced on his body.
They cut his skin wide open, tore through his entrails, and forced a continuous stream of blood to flow. Every time his skin regenerated, the lasers showed no mercy and tore it apart again in an infernal cycle.
He could only fervently hope that the damn native would make his appearance and that these guys would release him when they realized he wasn't lying. Every memory of that damn android's mocking voice, even if he didn't understand the words, ignited a growing flame of anger within him. He swore he wouldn't rest until he had that despicable being in front of him and made him pay for every taunt.
Rylokian was determined to prove that mocking him would be the last and most terrible mistake of that despicable being!
...
On the other hand, in Kraynnor's devastated laboratory, the brothers released tiny drones that meticulously scanned every corner of the place.
Despite being outside their ships, dressed only in their black armor, they seemed unperturbed. The crushing pressure of the ocean depths was a mere breeze compared to the unyielding resistance of their suits, designed to withstand vastly more hostile environments.
"Brother, have you found anything?" Morynthia asked, with a slight expression of annoyance on her face. Although she had some faith in the soldier's words, they lacked conclusive evidence, and given the circumstances, she felt powerless.
It seemed that any evidence that might have existed had disintegrated in the terrible explosion that had shaken this place.
"I found something," Mykarion stated calmly, his eyes fixed on a holographic screen materializing in his hands: "This place holds traces of energy, but they don't match Astrylite technology. Instead, it's a more primitive energy source, typical of a Type Zero civilization," he concluded as he analyzed the data on the screen.