Chapter 1: The Stranded Man with Black Hair, Section 9

Passing through the three iron-door-sealed compartments, the man with black hair saw his anxious father,Buick, waiting for him. The moment he saw the man with black hair, the obese man’s eyes lit up, and he rushed over in quick steps—far more agile than his bulky frame would suggest—while shouting, “Black Hair, come quick! I’ve discovered something!”
“Hm?” The man with black hair was slightly puzzled. FollowingBuick’s finger, he saw a special scene inside a transparent diamond-shaped crystal over a meter tall in the center of the compartment. A group of about thirty scavengers was exploring a room entirely made of steel. The lighting was dim, making visibility very poor. But that wasn’t unusual. What caught the man with black hair’s attention were the thirty-plus oval objects, resembling coffins, lined up around the room, along with a long steel arm above them.
“Huh?” His brows furrowed tightly.
Of all the scavengers, probably no one knew this place better than him. It was exactly like the room that had imprisoned him for countless years—just larger and with simpler equipment. From the images sent by the scavengers, he could even see the central computer that controlled all the equipment. And that arm that had caused him so many nightmares was clearly visible as if right before his eyes.
“Hehe, isn’t it great? No wonder there were Moni guards—turns out it’s a research center. Black Hair, don’t underestimate those ‘coffins’ by the walls. My intuition tells me they must be the core of this entire ruin. Look at this advanced security setup—all for just one room. Who knows how valuable it is? Good heavens, believe me, this is the greatest discovery of the century. I,Buick, will go down in history!”
Ecstatic beyond measure,Buick could no longer control himself and started laughing loudly in the control room. His fat body shook back and forth like waves.
“I’m afraid it won’t go as you wish,” said the man with black hair, still smiling politely as he shook his head slightly.
“Why?”Buick’s eyes widened. “Black Hair, is there something wrong?”
“Hmm.” The man with black hair pointed to a spot on the video crystal. “Look, what’s this?”

Judging from the image in the crystal, the position of the black-haired finger was right in the center of the room’s wall. Even though the light was dim, OldBuick could clearly see the slightly strange square engraving on it, along with a blue crystal as transparent as crystal on top of it.

“This? Well, based on my over twenty years of experience in the scrapyard world, this must be some kind of control system. Alright, Black-Haired, wait a moment—let me think. If I’m not mistaken, I’ve seen this before. Yeah, in a book.” OldBuick squinted, deep in thought. Suddenly, he clapped his hands.

“I remember! I saw it in the collection at the Magic Control Institute in City of Shek. It’s the foundation of the development of magic civilization. Ha, Black-Haired, we’re rich! I guarantee this discovery will bring us new progress. Its significance is enormous. If we get it to City of Shek, the capital of Planet Shek, money, power—everything will follow. The entire human race will cheer for us.” At these words, OldBuick once again immersed himself in his glorious fantasies.

Black-Haired didn’t interrupt his fantasies; he simply sat quietly in a corner of the room. He picked up the crystal glass on the table and shook it gently, staring at the agate-like liquid inside without saying a word.

To be honest, he had no real connection to OldBuick and was merely an outsider in this world, beyond fate’s control. Of course, there was no need to remind them of anything. His earlier remarks were only out of respect for OldBuick’s good character and his kindness toward him. Since he wasn’t accepted, there was no point in continuing.

That engraving was actually the same as something he had disassembled before—it was the control system of the entire ruin. It was also a computer core with extremely strong self-intelligence. Although it was just the core of a transport ship, in the style of the Federation, it must have sufficient defensive forces.

And the adaptive intelligent combat armor that appeared the day before yesterday further proved that this transport ship still had enough energy.

I really want to see what’s inside… Black-Haired smiled and drained the red wine in his glass in one gulp.

“Good heavens, what’s that?”

“No, don’t come over! Everyone, run!”

“Ah…”

Suddenly, chaotic shouts came through the video crystal in the carriage. The sense of panic and fear was so vivid that almost everyone could feel the despair within. OldBuick’s wild laughter stopped abruptly, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Within the crystal, at some point unknown, the team of thirty scavengers had disappeared, replaced by thirty mutilated corpses. Bright red blood and severed limbs covered the ground, turning the entire room into something akin to hell. A dark shadow silently appeared within the crystal’s image, followed by a soft click. The transmission was then interrupted.

The room fell into complete silence. Everyone’s rapid breathing could be heard clearly. Even the air seemed oppressive, as if it had substance. OldBuick stood there motionless, like a wooden statue.

“What on earth was that?” he murmured, seemingly to himself, but perhaps also asking Blackhair.

There was no reply. As an outsider, Blackhair played his role perfectly. When he should remain silent, he never said more than necessary. He simply continued to fill his glass with red wine and played with it slowly.

“Maybe you’re right, Blackhair. It seems I was careless.” Quickly calming down, OldBuick fixed his gaze intently on the video crystal, seemingly trying to discern more. His plump face was filled with seriousness. “This relic isn’t as simple as I thought. If we want to explore it, we’ll likely have to pay a heavy price. You’re a warrior; you’re good at defense. Could you share your thoughts?”

OldBuick turned and gave Blackhair a deep look. At this moment, he needed Blackhair’s strength. Moreover, after the last battle, he was also convinced that such a powerful warrior would not disappoint him.

This time, he received a response—just two words.

“Destroy,” Blackhair said softly.