While Null was undergoing his psychological testing, another meeting was taking place—one conducted using the very devices he had created. Zero could have intercepted them, could have taken control, but chose not to.

“So it’s true? We have confirmation of real aliens?” one of the cloaked figures asked, his voice tinged with a mix of awe and unease.

“The readings from Arkship Zero suggest industrial activity on Planet A21,” another cloaked figure responded. “It looks like alien activity to me.”

Silence followed, heavy with the weight of the revelation.

The discovery came at a critical time. With the invention of the FCAD (Fusion Constant Acceleration Drive) and QEC (Quantum Entanglement Communication), a group of ultra-wealthy patrons had set their sights on creating their own private worlds.

This ambition gave birth to the Arkship Project—a fleet of massive colony ships, each carrying the necessary materials to establish a self-sustaining settlement. Each Arkship was manned by 50 young colonists and carried a vast collection of frozen human embryos and sperm, ensuring genetic diversity for future generations.

The journey to these unclaimed worlds was a long one. The Arkships, designed for deep space travel, would take roughly 20 years to reach their destinations. To maximize efficiency, the vessels would accelerate slowly, allowing them to achieve a significant percentage of the speed of light. Their crews would rest in merge pods, their bodies suspended in a controlled, low-energy state until arrival.

But now, telemetry from one of these Arkships had revealed something unexpected—signs of alien life on the planet they were heading toward.

And it was too late to turn back. The ship was locked on course.

Arkship Zero was heading toward humanity’s first contact with an intelligent alien species.

“Today's meeting is about our future not first contact. There is little we can do about first contact as it will unfold as it will.” The Earth representative opened the official meeting.

“So, what do we have to discuss, if not how to manage first contact?” another representative asked.

“Our defensive strategy. It is only a matter of time before they find our homeworld. The debacle with the strange child has shown us that we are not prepared to face a technologically superior opponent.”

The incident with Null and Infy left a deep scar on the most powerful members of the meeting. It had shattered their illusion of invincibility, proving that humanity was neither untouchable nor prepared for what lay beyond their borders.

For hours, the representatives debated and argued, eventually settling on a tentative plan—a commitment to share knowledge, accelerate the development of high-tech planetary defences, and redirect significant funding into military advancements.

In addition to strengthening Earth’s defences, they outlined contingency plans for the survival of the human race, including relocating a populated space station into the void as a backup refuge and establishing seed vaults to preserve all terrestrial life.

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However, there was a glaring problem it was that they lacked critical intelligence. Their planning was built on unknowns, making their strategies fragile at best.

As the meeting was drawing to a close, an unexpected figure entered the call.

“It won’t be enough. Hmm, interesting technology” The new figure had no appearance they were just static on the holographic projector.

The voice was smooth, rich, and unnaturally soothing. It carried a weight that made those who heard it hesitate, entranced by its cadence.

“You do not realise how outmatched you are.”

For a moment, no one reacted. Not because they didn’t register the intrusion but because they didn’t feel alarmed by it.

The Earth representative was the first to break the silence. “Who are you, and what do you know that we don’t?”

Even as he asked the question, he realized he felt no hostility, no fear, only a strange compulsion to listen.

The stranger smiled. “You may call me Phosphoros. I believe you have already encountered one of my kind, They called themself Infinity or Infy or something. As for what I know that you don’t?” they let out a small, amused chuckle. “Heh, we don’t have nearly enough time to go down that list.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

An energy being. Maybe even… an Angel.

“Say we believe you,” one of the representatives finally spoke. “What is it that you want?”

Phosphoros grinned. “Oh, that’s easy. I want excitement.”

The static shifted into different shapes, his voice still dripping with unnatural ease. “I consider myself to be quite honourable, so I will give you two pieces of advice for free.”

He raised a single glowing hand.

“First, your Arkship has already been captured. Your first contact with the Elves did not go well. ”

A murmur rippled through the call they hadn’t even confirmed the Arkship’s status yet.

Phosphoros raised a second finger.

“Second is that you are currently being protected, but that protection will end soon and when it does, your existence as you know it will be forfeit.”

Those words hung heavy over the representatives. They didn’t know why, but they believed every word this stranger was saying.

“You do have unseen allies,” he added, tilting his head in amusement. “But I’ll keep that a secret to myself. Or maybe they aren’t allies anymore, I guess it depends on how you treat them”

The Earth representative took a slow breath and then asked the only question that mattered.

“Are you one of those unseen allies?”

Phosphoros let out a low, amused laugh, shaking his head.

“Heh… ho… no, no, no.” The static started to vibrate as if the form was laughing.

“I am the one who is going to destroy humanity.”

And just like that they were gone.

As the representatives prepared to adjourn and debrief about what just happened, the Martian representative suddenly cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.

“Before we conclude… there’s something you all need to hear.”

The call quieted.

“I’ve just received confirmation that Null has officially entered the Youth Soldier Competition.”

A wave of tension rippled through the group.

“So, he actually went through with it,” the Earth representative muttered, rubbing his temples. “Just like he said he would.”

“Are the plans in place?” someone from the Lunar faction asked.

The Martian representative hesitated.

“We weren’t sure if he’d show up,” he admitted. “We accounted for the possibility, but without knowing his exact capabilities, our preparations are… incomplete.”

Frustration flared among the gathered leaders.

“We can’t afford another failure,” the Asteroid Mining Guild representative said sharply. “Last time, he walked through our security like it was nothing. This time, we must be ready.”

The Jupiter Moons envoy leaned forward. “Now that we know he could be part alien, it’s more critical than ever that we uncover the truth.”

Silence followed.

For months, Null and Infy had been an anomaly—an enigma that shattered their understanding of human limits. They had evaded control, rewritten expectations, and left their most powerful organisations grappling with uncertainty.

This competition… might be their only chance to observe him closely, to study his abilities, to find out what he truly was.

The Earth representative exhaled, steeling himself. “Then we adjust the plan. No more underestimating him. No more assumptions.”

His gaze swept across the room.

“This time, we get answers.”