[About that, it all started when a small circular robot with spider legs clung to the head of one of the androids it was controlling.]

"Do you have any video of when that happened?" Kraynnor asked. He reopened its programming, but no matter how much he searched, he saw nothing unusual; he was starting to think it was really an error.

[At that moment, there were very few androids around, so I couldn't take any record of that moment. I could only sense that something was wrong when detecting damage to the android's head that had that thing on it, so without hesitation, I destroyed it.]

Kraynnor reflexively closed his eyes. In the end, although he couldn't find anything, he created several shields against computer viruses in the system of Cognitron X-12.

"It's still not enough..." he added even more layers, strengthening the AI's security protocols with many firewalls, entity authentication, quick disconnect shield, distributed sensor networks, and continuous vulnerability assessment.

Kraynnor did everything he could to ensure that even his friend would be isolated from the ship's systems in case someone tried to take control of it.

"Huff..."

After that, he stood up and stretched his body. He had used the xenogenic fusion before, pushing his body to the limit once again. If it weren't for his regeneration, the internal damage would be enough to render him disabled or even lead to death.

Fortunately, with just consuming a couple of NutriMega bars, he was almost completely recovered.

Kraynnor reflected with regret on the alien he threw into the ocean. If only he had killed him, he would have had three new High Humans. Truly, what a pity!

"Tell me where the two aliens we have are," he asked Cognitron X-12.

[One is in a capsule, preserving his body. The other is chained in one of the empty rooms of the ship. To prevent escape, chains with links of carbon steel alloy, titanium coating, heat-hardening process, anticorrosive treatment, special link design, high-security locks, and electronic monitoring have been created.]

He raised his eyebrows in surprise; his AI had indeed created formidable chains, he even hesitated to break them with his xenogenic fusion.

[This way, master.]

An android entered the control room and spoke with an expressionless tone.

"Isn't this one controlled by you?" Kraynnor asked.

[No, this one has basic AI. Although I would like to control them all, I have to allocate most of my attention to other parts of the ship.]

Nodding with satisfaction, Kraynnor followed the android, traversing the various areas of the ship, from laboratories to rooms for future purposes, workshops, and various facilities.

After all, it was a ship hundreds of meters long, and he had barely explored a fraction of this place.

Kraynnor observed many androids busy with various tasks, some carrying materials to complete pending work in remaining factories and workshops.

[We are here, master. If you need anything, I am at your disposal anytime.]

Zzzzzip!

With these words from the android, Kraynnor watched as the door slid to the side. Upon entering, he found himself in a place filled with lasers, electricity traps, dozens of chains, and all sorts of defense systems.

"This seems unsettling, but I like it!" with a wild smile, he looked maliciously at the captured male Astrylite.

Covered in blood but without apparent injuries, his skin was red like others of his race, with three eyes with black pupils and short brown hair.

His features, from Kraynnor's perspective, were unpleasant.

Despite wearing black armor with orange parts, it was so battered it might as well be a pile of scattered metal pieces. Kraynnor approached, and instantly, the alien tried to lunge at him in anger but could only move a few centimeters; the chains were too resistant.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Chains on his arms, legs, torso, neck... Virtually his entire body was wrapped in black chains.

"To think that a being who traveled light-years to invade Earth would end up in this situation. How curious destiny is," he clenched his jaw and began exerting pressure without restraint.

"Ahghh!"

He relished seeing this invader writhing in pain, but he stopped and said: "Has he said anything so far? It would be good to make him talk as much as possible so we can analyze his language and see if there's any way to understand it. I want information of that kind."

Cognitron X-12's voice echoed throughout the room: [Since he woke up, he hasn't said anything. I even tried applying lethal torture, taking advantage of his regeneration, but he didn't say anything.]

Kraynnor frowned upon hearing this; it seems these aliens are very loyal to their race, and above all, their willpower seems to be very strong.

"If he doesn't want to talk, then let's go beyond simple torture. Open his head and see if you can establish a brain-interface connection. Before you say it, yes, that technology is in its early stages, but I don't care about the damage he suffers afterward. I just want to see what I can get," his tone was icy; clearly, he cared not at all about the life of this Astrylite.

Of course, this alien might end up stupid for life, even in a vegetative state, but anyway, he was going to kill him to extract his life essence.

So... did the suffering he experienced matter?

[…You sound like a villain; you shouldn't be on the righteous faction.]

Suddenly, the system spoke without the need for prompting. Quite unusual for it.

"A villain, you say? This damn thing wiped out my entire race. What I'm doing is justice, or you could say I'm applying delicious karma!" his blue pupils shone with a desire to torture the alien in every possible way.

He even felt like he was losing sanity just by looking at him; it was as if an infinite thirst for blood spread throughout his being.

Kraynnor wanted to tear off his skin, crush his bones, and much more!

[I don't recommend users to do this, but you should avoid revenge. Trust me, I've seen countless cases, and none end well.]

"Hmm..."

Kraynnor pondered the system's words, but it didn't take more than five seconds before he said indifferently, "Ha, they probably ended up with many mental problems or even suicide. There could be many situations, but you underestimate me. Even if I have to wipe out that disgusting race entirely, I'll only feel tranquility. You should know; my brain doesn't work the same as other living beings."

He crossed his arms with a certain arrogance; his gaze betrayed a hint of arrogance.

[Do as you wish then. Anyway, I was going to tell you that you'll soon receive a monthly universal roulette coupon. It's something all users get at the end of the month.]

"Oh?" his bloodlust instantly diminished, and with bright eyes, he asked, "Universal roulette coupon? End of the month? ...I guess you measure time differently since it's only October 19 on Earth," Kraynnor knew very well that time was relative, and what he experienced on Earth was something that surely happened on few worlds, but he wanted to know if there was any universal time.

Something like a time and date that would apply anywhere in the universe.

[Setting aside the time in your primitive world, we are in the month Umbralun, day 99. Get any other information yourself in the future.]

Tsk!

Kraynnor tried to ask more, but the system stopped talking.

Anyway, from what he understood, each universal month had a hundred days, and tomorrow he would receive that coupon. The annoying system wouldn't tell him what he could get, but he assumed it was technology.

This small annoyance from the Universal System reminded him of several things he had ignored while being focused on what was happening around him.

"Let's see..."

In front of him, the Universal Shop panel appeared.

He quickly searched for translators, and an endless list of all kinds of translators appeared.

Zero-Star ones translated languages with very strange names, One-Star ones translated any language from one world, Two-Star ones from a galaxy, and Three-Star ones translated any language in the universe.

There were no better translators than those; the limit was Three Stars. Obviously, he could only look at their images, without even thinking about buying them.

What was the reason? They were very expensive!

The Three-Star one cost hundreds of thousands of Stellar Coins, the Two-Star one tens of thousands, the One-Star one thousands, and the Zero-Star one only a few dozen. Kraynnor looked at his measly twenty-one coins and closed the store feeling horribly poor, even though he now had a bunch of materials...

"If only I could sell parts of the Cordiolethor, I also have the parts of the Sonarix hidden. Overall, I have money, but I can't use it!"

Sigh...

He stopped thinking about things that annoyed him. Still, a new goal emerged in his mind: level up!

Since reaching level ten would allow him to sell everything and eventually get rich.

Kraynnor said, "Let me know when you've made the brain-interface connection. Also, extract the life essence from the other alien's brain. I'll decide later which of all the human genetic information I use to create the new High Human."

[Alright, I'll do both right away. I remind you that the armor, ship parts, and weapons of those aliens are available whenever you want to look at them.]

"For now, just take the ship to land. I'm tired of seeing so much water. If we're lucky, we might find an alien creature on the way. I need to kill as many as I can," with these words, Kraynnor was about to leave this new torture room, but he stopped and with a cold look approached the alien who glared at him.

Thunk!

"U-ughhh!"

The Astrylite's head hit the wall, and his nose bled incessantly, completely broken.

"Much better. I almost felt like I was going to go crazy if I didn't do it," indeed, he had given him a strong kick in the face. Was it necessary? Not really, but he just felt like doing it!