Carter floated silently in the vast expanse, his form a stark silhouette against the stars. His six wings unfurled once more, casting a faint glow across the surrounding void. He sifted through the newly acquired memories of the generals, piecing together the story that had driven their desperation.
“So, they live on a massive ship… about one-eleventh the size of Earth,” he murmured. “It draws power from nearby stars, just enough to keep it running. No wonder they feared losing their precious energy sources.”
He considered his options carefully, the weight of his decision hanging in the stillness. “I could destroy their ship,” he mused, “but… there’s no new life equation there—nothing beyond what I’ve already obtained.” He paused, a flicker of empathy crossing his mind, tempered by his evolving purpose. “One or two unique equations might be possible, but… ending countless lives for such a small gain would be pointless.”
A quiet resolve settled within him as he folded his wings, shifting his focus back to his journey. The choices he’d made today only strengthened his conviction; there would be more battles, more worlds he would face, but each would have to align with his purpose. For now, the path forward was clear.
Carter’s gaze hardened, his voice a whisper in the silence of space. “I only need power.” With a single, swift motion, he launched himself through the galaxy in a flash, his wings cutting through the cosmos like beams of light, leaving trails of faint gold that shimmered momentarily before fading into the dark.
As he hurtled forward, he felt the weight of his journey press on him, the memories of countless years echoing in his mind. Thousands of years of existence had shaped him, stripping away illusions and leaving only pure, unwavering resolve. In the beginning, he might have sought meaning, perhaps even redemption, but now, those notions were distant memories—whispers of a former self. His purpose had become singular, his mentality unshakeable. He moved through the stars like a force of nature, driven by a relentless pursuit of strength, unbound by morality or sympathy. Power was his only goal, and nothing would deter him.
Meanwhile, in another universe—Universe 298, a galaxy dominated by the X3X Collective—alarms pulsed across a massive tower, the tallest spire in a sprawling X3X megacity. The structure gleamed with a metallic sheen, embedded with countless monitors and glowing control panels. The atmosphere inside the command chamber was tense, the glow of various star maps illuminating the faces of X3X commanders as they reviewed the data flowing in.
A tall, thin figure stood at the head of the table, his skin a sleek, silver metallic sheen that shimmered in the dim light. His eyes, a sharp crystalline blue, flickered between the readings. “This is no ordinary cosmic disturbance. We’re picking up an energy concentration in Universe 296 far beyond what we’ve cataloged before,” he said, his tone clipped, professional, though tinged with curiosity.
Across from him, a human commander with short-cropped hair and cold, calculating eyes crossed his arms, glancing skeptically at the displays. “We’ve seen spikes before,” he remarked, his voice laced with doubt. “But nothing in that universe has held our interest before now. What makes this different, Commander Virex?”
A third figure, a hulking, insectoid alien with layered chitin and six small, glinting eyes, let out a low, chittering laugh. “Different? The readings are off the scale. I haven’t seen anything like it in my entire service. Whatever’s there could prove… quite useful,” he hissed, his mandibles twitching in anticipation.
Commander Virex raised a hand, silencing the murmurs from the other assembled officers—an assortment of alien races, each representing different sectors under the X3X dominion. “This is more than just a high energy reading,” he said. “It’s unlike anything we’ve documented. A force this powerful could alter our position, perhaps even beyond our current galaxy.”
Another officer, a serpentine alien with iridescent scales that shifted colors with each movement, nodded in agreement. “If it can be harnessed,” he added, his voice a low, reverberating hiss, “then we should send a reconnaissance fleet immediately. Waiting could cost us the advantage.”
This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
The human commander leaned forward, gaze fixed on Virex. “I agree with Recon Commander Tarvan,” he said, his tone soft but intense. “Send the fleet. Let’s find out exactly what we’re dealing with.”
The insectoid commander clicked his mandibles, eyes glinting with a hunger for the unknown. “Then it’s settled. We go. This... entity… will either serve us or be obliterated.”
Virex's crystalline gaze moved over the room, weighing the silent nods from each officer. Finally, he issued a single order. “Deploy our strongest fleet to Universe 296. I want detailed scans, combat-ready formations. And prepare the containment protocols. Whatever this thing is… it will be under X3X control.”
In that moment, they set their sights on Carter, unknowingly locking onto a force that would test the limits of their ambitions and their survival.
In the vast stretch of empty space, Carter flew silently, feeling the ever-present, subtle hum of celestial energy flowing through him. He’d spent the past century flying around space, patiently, almost meditatively absorbing energy from stars, rogue planets, and cosmic matter he encountered. This process wasn’t hurried; he’d learned to move deliberately, letting the miniature wormhole he could create work for him, increasing his celestial energy quickly
He’d long lost count of how many stars he’d drained and how many swirling nebulas he’d passed through, each one a small but potent offering of energy. He could feel his power pooling, expanding deep within him, like a furnace stoked constantly but never overheated. The cosmos around him had become familiar—a realm that was more his own with every passing year. Over time, his awareness had become so fine-tuned that he could sense every speck of energy within miles. His understanding of it and his control over it felt instinctive, almost effortless now.
Still, He’d started thinking about his main body—his planet known as Carter. He had left his planet far behind, keeping tabs from a distance as his clones and the small yellow dwarf star he’d launched on their own paths traversed the universe, bringing their energy and life equations back to him. He knew they’d return soon.
"I've been gone for a while," Carter murmured, his voice lost to the void, though his words resonated within him. "It's about time I return. The celestial energy I’ve gathered should be enough—especially with what my clone planets will bring back."
With a single, decisive motion, he surged forward, the emptiness of space parting around him as he sped toward his main body. The trails he left were intense, waves of cosmic energy rippling through space, each movement practically illuminating his path. Unbeknownst to him, every burst of energy acted like a beacon, making him effortlessly trackable to the X3X fleet already closing in behind him. It was exactly what they had hoped for.
----------------------------------------
Many light years behind him, thousands of ships followed in the wake of his energy trails, each one enormous and sleek, brimming with advanced weaponry and heavily fortified shielding. They were far more formidable than the fleet Carter had encountered before—massive battleships with gleaming hulls, all designed specifically for a creature of his power. At the center of the fleet loomed a command ship, larger and more imposing than the rest, bristling with advanced tech and carrying the highest-ranking members of the mission.
On the radar screen, one of the pilots observed something unusual. Instead of the usual energy spikes signaling Carter's consumption of stars, he saw a concentrated movement, as if Carter were heading somewhere with a specific purpose. Curious and cautious, he turned to a female alien officer beside him. “Ma’am, it looks like he's heading toward something, but he’s not devouring stars. He’s... deliberately moving, focused.”
The female alien looked over the data, her brows furrowing, and promptly paged the mission commander—a tall, human male with an air of calculated arrogance that seemed only to amplify his authority.
The commander sauntered into the command deck, glancing at the data with a small, satisfied smirk. “Well, well. The beast has a destination now, does he?” He chuckled, an edge of superiority in his tone. “Perhaps it’s tired of wreaking havoc aimlessly; he wants to find somewhere else to do his crap.”
The alien officer nodded cautiously. “What are your orders, sir?”
The commander straightened, issuing his orders with cool confidence. “We follow him, but from a distance. This creature’s spent a century honing his awareness; I’d rather not alert him until we’re in the prime position to strike. Keep us at range. Make sure no one disrupts his little journey.”
Around the command deck, officers and crew members exchanged uneasy glances but complied, steering the massive fleet forward, silent and watchful as Carter unknowingly led them toward his main body.