A few hundred kilometres away from the Starbane forces' claimed territory was the Arkheons of the Valemonts' territory.
While they wanted to claim the entire galaxy, they still needed to claim the rest before focusing on what to do about the Starbane forces.
With hundreds of fleet ships and hundreds of thousands of hunters, the Arkheons of the Valemonts were a force to be reckoned with.
Most of the time, the forces were split, with each division carrying out different missions. However, for this discovery, all hands were on deck.
Inside the command ship floating within a stable star system, Serenya Valemont sat in her command chair with a deep frown.
Serenya was a normal human with long, dark brown hair, starry eyes, and a face that would put top models to shame.
She carried the elegance of a noble and a figure with all the curves in all the right places. This woman stood at an impressive height of 2 meters, a normal height for most hunters.
Being born in the Valemont household, Serenya endured the harshest of training. She was pushed till she bled from overexerting herself.
By all accounts, she was considered a true prodigy, but this lost meaning when it came to a certain someone who stood at the peak of all humanity — an untouchable god, some say.
Reaching the Venerable stage was but a matter of time, and she did. With her new status came the responsibility of leading the forces under the Valemont name.
While there were other Venerable powers among the ranks, she was one of the most outstanding ones who always took the lead when all the forces were brought together.
After the universal calamity was brought to a close, things began changing as everyone wanted to claim a piece of the universe for themselves — the Valemonts included.
With the start of this new trend, they began exploring the vast universe, going wherever their ships took them.
The universe was still dangerous, no doubt. However, the magical beasts and void creatures around the territory of the empire were not that powerful — they could afford to explore the nearby regions.
When they stumbled on this galaxy that was actually a fusion of multiple galaxies, the Arkheons truly hit the jackpot. The entire region was filled with untapped treasures and resources that could last thousands of years.
There was no need to go anywhere else, as the Valemonts chose to make this galaxy their home base. With the unspoken rule of claiming whatever you discover, there was nothing that could stop them.
They were the first, or at least, those who chose to claim the galaxy, and all was going well until the Starbane forces arrived in a region they hadn't laid claims to yet.
At the same time, they couldn't be unscrupulous with those people due to the relations they had with humanity's saviour. If they went too far, it could spell their doom.
They had been taking it easy, hoping that the pressure they put on them would eventually force them to give up. Unfortunately for them, the Starbane forces were unrelenting.
Who would have thought that the missing link would suddenly show up? It was the worst possible scenario. Serenya had to be careful how she moved, or things would get messy very quickly.
'That boy sure has grown up well,' Serenya thought silently. 'Then again, he's also right. Lord Alexander is not unreasonable. Even with all this going on, never once had he interfered.'
Serenya could count the number of deaths that had already occurred throughout the time this new trend began. Even the Council leaders had remained quiet.
'Even so…' Despite what she said, Serenya was very concerned. 'I can't just use force without having to look over my shoulders. The young Ross should be easy to handle. The problem is what happens next.'
Another thing that bothered her was what Ross said about 'The Silent Observer'. She recalled something the family head had mentioned some time ago about a takeover that had gone wrong.
There weren't many people who knew about this, as it all went silent soon after, as if it had never happened. However, the family head had warned her to be cautious about revealing too much about her actions.
'Was that what he meant?' Serenya was finally seeing what was going on. 'A program capable of recording all events that happen throughout the universe…' After some thought, Serenya decided to consult with the family head, Malcolm Valemont.
"Contact Lord Valemont," Serenya said out loud.
[Contacting….]
The ship's primary AI systems did as instructed. As it did, Serenya got to her feet, straightening her posture to greet the family head. Soon, a connection was established.
[Serenya, what is it?] As soon as the connection was established, Lord Valemont went straight to business. [There will be a council meeting in a few days. I have preparations to make.]
Before Serenya, a holographic image of the family head sat in what appeared to be an office space, attending to some documents. Malcolm was a middle-aged man with short dark hair and grey details on his temples.
"There's been a bit of a problem with the Starbane forces," Serenya began after giving a courtesy bow to the head. "The boy, Ross, has returned to his father's side."
The moment the words left her lips, Malcolm paused whatever he was doing and looked at the woman, his brows furrowing in displeasure.
[Tell me everything…] Malcolm ordered, putting everything aside and giving his undivided attention to Serenya.
"Yes…"
***
[I see…] Malcolm lowered his gaze as he mulled over what Serenya just told him. From the hologram, Serenya could tell that the family head did not like what he heard.
[Has the boy made any moves yet?] Malcolm raised his head and looked at Serenya.
"No, Lord Valemont," Serenya replied. "However, from how confident he sounded, he seems to have something in store for us…"Check * (*) for the latest updates.
[Indeed…]
Malcolm let out a tired sigh and leaned into his chair. Serenya waited patiently as the Lord considered his options.
[Don't interfere with the Starbane forces for now…] Malcolm sat up and instructed.
[Lord Alexander isn't an unreasonable being. The boy is right, he won't interfere. The upcoming meeting will feature Lord Alexander in attendance. I will raise this issue when I get there. For now, focus on claiming the rest of the galaxy.]
"Yes, Lord Valemont."
Serenya bowed, and a moment later, the holographic image of Malcolm went off, bringing the call to an end. The woman returned to her command seat and began to issue her orders to the other Venerables.
'Hopefully, we won't be bullied out of what's ours by first discovery…'