[Ding!]

[You have murdered a member of the Astrylite race. Forty experience points are awarded. Your reputation with hostile and neutral factions has decreased by 2%, while the peaceful faction has increased by 2%.]

Kraynnor received the notification the moment he severed the head of that strange Astrylite, whose screams didn't cease as he spoke to himself.

Psshh!

The edge of his blade displayed some red stains that, in the blink of an eye, evaporated.

He raised the temperature of the blade to the maximum for a precise and swift cut!

Whumpf!

Upon realizing the head lay on the ground, Kraynnor hurriedly kicked it, handing it over to an android swiftly heading towards the ship. Although he considered doing the same with the imposing armor, Cognitron X-12 warned him about a sniper aiming at him.

Recalling the sniper who had been in the underground facilities when he had just arrived at this place, due to the overwhelming power and speed on the other side, Kraynnor decided to initiate the fusion cell explosion.

In certain situations, it was wiser to opt for the best he had!

In the chest of the massive, rusted robot, lacking an arm, rested a nuclear fusion cell: a metallic sphere with blue flashes on its surface. Next to it, dozens of BioSync batteries were clustered.

Booom!

The sphere started vibrating uncontrollably, showing multiple cracks on its surface within seconds. Without further ado, a dazzling explosion illuminated hundreds of meters around.

It was a sphere of blue fire that quickly took the shape of a tiny mushroom with multiple rings around it!

In the midst of chaos, Kraynnor ordered his androids to take away the armor.

Meanwhile, he stood at a safe distance. He wasn't foolish; he wouldn't face an explosion saturated with neutrons, vibrant with lethal energy, and loaded with alpha and beta particles, ready to shred everything in its path. Not to mention the extreme temperature associated.

Even his biomass armor would be reduced to nothing, not to mention his body; not a fragment of intact skin would remain.

From a distance, Kraynnor witnessed how his androids, carrying the body, were swept away and disintegrated by the powerful plasma blaze, tossing the imposing armor into the air. In a quick response, his AI dispatched more androids to address the situation. In less than a minute, they took away the head, the armor, the weapons, and, of course, the helmet that was in the area.

"In a few days, I've done a lot..."

He was quite satisfied and excited to have acquired new technologies and personally killed one of those unpleasant aliens.

Now Kraynnor knew he had to retreat.

The same sticky grenade trick wouldn't work twice, at least he didn't underestimate the intelligence of these soldiers compared to his previous victim.

"Prepare the ship; time's up. We'll conclude the rest another time," he announced to Cognitron X-12.

[The ship is already 99% complete; only the finalization of one of the workshops is pending.]

Kraynnor nodded in satisfaction: "Excellent, that's more than enough!"

Why wasn't he eliminating more enemies? It was the decision he made after evaluating the situation his friend presented to him.

Firstly, he was facing hundreds of ships that posed a great threat, ready to annihilate everything in their path as soon as they were given the opportunity. He was sure that his decoy drones couldn't remain effective indefinitely; at least, he didn't believe those aliens would allow those robots to keep firing ceaselessly.

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The moment that happened, all those ships would open fire without restrictions...

Moreover, Kraynnor couldn't deny that he felt a hint of fear towards those red robots with the ability to tear apart ships with astonishing ease, as if cutting through butter. Added to that was an Astrylite in the air, with a terrifying golden armor, firing plasma bursts so intense that, if it aimed at the battlefield, both his androids and he would be screwed.

Above all, the presence of the mothership stood out, which, according to his memories, had almost destroyed the Caelum barrier with a single shot five hundred years ago.

In summary, he had already achieved what he sought; it was time to say goodbye!

Swooosh!

He hurried towards the ship, dodging shots and explosions. Upon reaching the vast crater previously caused by his own robots, he leaped.

His figure soon disappeared into the darkness.

…

"Ugh..."

A few minutes earlier, Zyrgon sat up with pain that seemed to pierce his entire body.

Exploring his surroundings, he realized he was at the edge of a vast hole, covered in rocks and molten metal emitting horribly scorching heat.

"That idiot really died," he whispered with a touch of sadness.

The explosion had generated such high temperatures that this section of the first underground level resembled a lake of burning lava.

At this moment, his armor immediately detected a considerable amount of radiation, neutrons permeating every corner, especially in his armor. Although the indicators blinked with warnings on his armor, Zyrgon chose to ignore them and firmly grasped his Magnetic Hunter. Thanks to its solid connection with the armor, the Magnetic Hunter avoided the possibility of being randomly thrown by the explosion.

He ascended with difficulty and, in no time, managed to reach the surface.

Zyrgon angrily scanned his surroundings, hoping to spot that wretch in green armor. However, despite his efforts, he only saw androids and soldiers.

Thud!

"Shit!"

He hit the ground forcefully, causing it to deform easily upon touching the molten metal.

Ztrgon didn't know who that person in the green armor was, but he was convinced of one thing: that guy was responsible for everything, whether it be the automatons, the explosions, everything!

He considered the possibility that it was another android, but their movements were those of a living being when he decapitated Draylith. They resembled those of a clumsy apprentice who had never wielded a saber, at least that's what he could discern, and few had such a keen eye to notice those small details.

"..."

Helpless, he remained silent as he slowly advanced towards the imposing hole from which those androids emerged.

…

Half an hour passed, and Nosura was automatically disconnected from the virtual space, emerging from its digital paradise.

Upon reconnecting to the ship's servers, it was met with a barrage of insults and alarms. Quickly analyzing the situation, it was surprised to find that the Crimson Guardians were attacking their own ships. Worse still, four pilots had lost their lives. Although Nosura didn't experience emotions in its current form, it understood the gravity of the situation.

Acting immediately, it deactivated the Guardians and, with a synthetic yet firm voice, inquired, "[Captain Eldran, do you need me to report what happened to the main base so they can send reinforcements?]"

"..."

[Captain, do you hear me? I said-]

"I heard you, you useless damn thing!" Eldran's enraged voice echoed throughout the room. Outside the ship, he observed with eyes ablaze with fury, contemplating the armor covering his arms, almost in tatters. A little more use, and they would be useless.

With eyes burning with anger, he declared slowly, "Don't notify anyone, don't do anything. You've done enough by shutting down those things!"

[...Alright. If you need anything, I'm available at any time.]

"Available at any time? Ha! Sure," with that, he cut off the communication.

Nosura remained silent, but in its programming, events were unfolding that should not be allowed. A small circular robot with spider-like legs appeared beside it, and, extracting some strange translucent blue cables from its spherical body, connected them to the small robot.

…

Plaff!

In the vast main hangar, Kraynnor sank into the main seat of the ship, feeling the comfortable embrace of ergonomically designed contours.

The ship's white ambient lighting fell on his young face as he adjusted his lab coat. The dazzling biomass armor would have disappeared, turning into the Biomimetic Cube that was now in his inventory.

"Is everything we need inside?" Kraynnor asked, his voice resonating in the ship.

[Thirty thousand androids are distributed throughout the ship, executing various specialized tasks, from maintenance to security. Coordinated to perfection, their efficiency is essential for internal operation and comprehensive ship management.]

[Additionally, thousands of tons of various materials reside in our vast warehouse.]

"So many things left in the end? Perfect!" Kraynnor exclaimed, anticipating the endless possibilities that those extra materials offered.

[Not only that, we have successfully captured an alien in vital condition, along with the remains of its ship. Furthermore, we have incorporated all the resources obtained from the alien you killed.]

Kraynnor smiled with satisfaction, "As reliable as ever. Let's not wait any longer; let's go."

With technological elegance, the ship's engines roared to life. From propulsion to navigation, crucial systems deployed with millimeter precision. Under Kraynnor's command, Cognitron X-12, the cognitive heart of the ship, activated startup protocols.

Vruuum!

Immediately, powerful flames spouted from the thrusters at the ship's four corners, announcing the end of its journey to Caelum.

He didn't know when he would set foot in this place again...