"There’s something that doesn’t make sense to me," I said. "Why did those bases have system protection in the first place? Hollow Star are traitors to the Prime Universe. Why would the System protect them?"
Xeron sighed softly.
"That... is a little complicated."
He folded his arms and leaned back slightly.
"The man who founded Hollow Star was something called a Defender. Do you know what that means?"
I shook my head.
Xeron continued.
"Defenders are the System’s chosen champions. The closest thing the Prime Universe has to ultimate heroes. When the System identifies individuals with extraordinary potential and unwavering will to protect the universe, it raises them up and grants them authority and resources."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"They fight against the worst threats to existence. Rift incursions. Eternal invasions. Catastrophic entities. Things normal civilizations cannot even comprehend."
I listened silently.
"Hollow Star wasn’t always a traitor organization," Xeron said. "In fact, in the beginning it was quite similar to your Order of Absolute."
He gestured toward me.
"It was a mercenary-style organization that fought against rifts and Eternal incursions. Their forces were extremely effective, and they were one of the strongest defensive groups the System relied on."
"But something happened."
His voice lowered slightly.
"The founder eventually betrayed the System."
I frowned.
"Before that betrayal," Xeron continued, "he negotiated a protection clause with the System. A binding agreement. Under that agreement, the System would automatically intervene to protect Hollow Star bases across the universe."
"The relay base you destroyed was under that protection."
He shrugged lightly.
"Though to be clear, the ones in this galaxy are relatively small operations. Their real power lies in the Prime Galaxy."
I nodded slowly before asking another question.
"Then did you ever try destroying those bases before?"
Xeron gave a small, dry laugh.
"Of course we did."
His expression grew slightly more serious.
"Naga matriarch herself once attempted to destroy one of their major installations."
I raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
"The System interfered directly."
He spread his hands.
"After that, we stopped trying to destroy them outright. Instead we kept watch over their movements. We monitored their fleets and activities to make sure we wouldn’t be caught off guard if they tried something."
He paused briefly.
"The bases remained. And so after hearing news you took over we came to retake this base for ourselves before Hollow Star regrouped."
"They won’t regroup," I said calmly.
Xeron frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"I’ve already taken care of all seventy-two relay bases that had system protection."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And I destroyed their headquarters as well."
For the first time since this conversation began, Xeron’s composure cracked.
His eyes widened.
"You destroyed their headquarters?" he asked in disbelief.
Then his gaze sharpened.
"How?"
"How did the System not interfere?"
"It did interfere," I replied calmly. "But I dealt with it."
Xeron stared at me.
"And how exactly did you do that?"
I simply smirked and shook my head.
"Not telling you, old man."
Before our conversation could continue, a sudden fluctuation rippled through space. Both Xeron and I turned our heads at the exact same moment. Far out in the void, a point in space twisted unnaturally. The surrounding darkness began folding inward as a vortex slowly formed, spiraling wider and wider.
Someone was opening a spatial gateway.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Looks like someone else is coming."
Xeron’s brows furrowed as he watched the disturbance.
"The Ferans," he said calmly. "They have spies everywhere. They must have noticed the activity here... and probably our fleet movement as well."
The vortex expanded further. Then a massive spacecraft emerged from the swirling void. The vessel was large and heavily armored, its metallic hull gleaming under the distant starlight. Carved across its surface was the unmistakable emblem of the Feran race.
I nodded slowly.
"You’re right. The Ferans are here."
The craft glided forward and gradually slowed to a stop near the base. Xeron waved his hand, dissolving the pocket space around us. The sealed dimension collapsed instantly, returning us to normal space just as the Feron vessel finished its approach.
The hangar doors of the spacecraft opened.
Moments later, soldiers began pouring out.
At the front stepped a massive tiger-race warrior whose aura immediately revealed his strength.
A Transcendent.
Behind him came two more Transcendents along with dozens of Feron soldiers forming ranks. The moment the tiger warrior’s eyes locked onto me, his pupils shrank.
"Billion Ironhart?" he said in shock.
"What are you doing here?"
I tilted my head slightly.
"The better question," I replied calmly, "is what are you doing here on my base?"
He blinked in confusion.
"Your base?"
"Yes," I said, gesturing lazily behind me. "My base."
"Can you not see the flag?"
The tiger warrior finally looked up toward the command tower. His gaze locked onto the massive banner fluttering above it.
The symbol of the Order of Absolute.
His eyes widened.
"Order of Absolute...?"
"But how is that possi—"
Before he could finish speaking, I casually waved my hand. A faint ripple spread through the void. Space itself fractured.
A thin blade of compressed spatial force shot forward instantly. The Feron commander barely had time to react before the blade sliced through his spacecraft behind him.
The massive vessel split cleanly in two. Both halves drifted apart, an explosion rocking the void behind him.
The tiger warrior stared in disbelief. Then rage exploded across his face.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing?!" he roared.
His aura erupted violently.
"First you kill our members on our planet, and now you dare attack me?! Do you understand what that means?!"
His roar echoed like a thunderous tiger’s growl across the void.
I ignored him completely.
Slowly, I raised my hand and pointed my palm toward him. Violet essence suddenly ignited in front of my hand. A spinning sphere of condensed energy formed instantly, rotating violently as it gathered power.
The Feron commander sensed the danger. His body began transforming as he roared, muscles swelling and claws extending while his aura surged in defense.
But it was too late.
The sphere collapsed inward. A blinding violet beam erupted forward. The beam tore through space in an instant. It swallowed the tiger warrior, the two Transcendents behind him, the Feran soldiers, and the drifting wreckage of the spacecraft.
Everything in its path was erased.
When the light faded, the void returned to its silent calm.
Nothing remained.
Xeron stared at the empty space where the Ferons had stood just seconds earlier.
Then he slowly turned his head toward me, shock clearly visible in his eyes.
"Why did you do that?"
I shrugged casually.
"I just felt like it."
Then I added with a small grin.
"I don’t really like the Ferans."
But inside my mind, my thoughts were far more practical. I couldn’t allow the Ferans to begin targeting my bases right now. Not when I wasn’t present to defend them. Running across the galaxy trying to protect seventy-two different bases one by one would be a complete waste of time.
It was much simpler this way.
If they wanted to attack my bases...they needed to understand the consequences. I needed to establish a deterrence before the others had some weird ideas about the bases.