Intergalactic conquest with an AI

The weaker mercenaries were obliterated before they even realized what had happened. Their bodies were flung into the air, caught in the sheer force of the explosion.

But the strongest Tier 4s, the ones foolish enough to stand against him, managed to withstand the impact. Some staggered, barely holding their ground, their faces contorted in shock.

Percival grinned.

{Good. That means I can kill them with my own hands!}

One second he stood in the middle of the ruined platform. The next, he was right in front of the nearest Tier 4 mercenary, his fist already pulling back. The mercenary's eyes widened. There was no time to react. No time to scream. Percival was going to erase him from existence.

But then—

Victor's foot slammed into Percival's ribs, sending him hurtling sideways like a cannonball. He smashed into the platform's reinforced steel walls with an earth-shaking impact, leaving behind a crater where he had struck. The entire structure trembled from the force of the collision.

Smoke and dust filled the air.

Victor lowered his leg and cracked his neck with a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"Heh. You looked like you were having fun, Percival. Mind if I join in?"

The battlefield fell silent for a moment. Then, from within the crater, a low chuckle echoed.

Then a laugh.

Then a roar of amusement.

The dust began to settle, revealing Percival standing up, his eyes burning with something far more dangerous than rage.

"Oh, well... I think I fucked up. Let's talk this out calmly. Percival? Perci? Little Per—"

Before Victor could finish, Percival was already there.

In the blink of an eye, the battlefield erupted into chaos once more. Their fists collided, sending shockwaves through the air as they fought with pure, relentless aggression. Sparks flew, steel groaned under the force of their attacks, and the very air trembled around them.

To an outsider, it looked like an even match, a perfect clash of titans.

But that was a lie and Victor knew it.

He was trading injuries for hits, barely keeping pace. Every blow he landed cost him something, like an open wound, a fractured bone, or another drop of blood spilled into the void. He was Tier 6, peak, a powerhouse in his own right, feared across the galaxy.

But Percival? Percival was Tier 7. A monster. The only reason Victor was still breathing was because Percival was holding back, restrained by the presence of his own forces in the area. If Percival went all out, he would tear through his own men just as easily as he tore through his enemies.

And Victor was not willing to bet his life on that restraint holding forever.

Then it happened... a single opening... a single mistake and Percival took it.

A devastating kick sent Victor hurtling through the sky like a cannonball. He had no time to react before his body slammed into the nearest weapon platform, the impact reducing it to rubble on contact. Metal and fire exploded outward as the entire structure crumbled, burying him beneath it.

Percival exhaled while rolling his shoulders as his helmet HUD pinged.

[The traitor's defensive forces have been weakened enough. Should we begin deployment?]

His lips curled into a cruel smirk.

"Do it. Send the troops in. I want every last one of these bastards dead by sundown."

With that, he took a deep breath, his voice sharp and commanding as he activated his comms.

"Abyss team, we are done here. Fall back to the flagship."

"Understood, sir!"

The synchronized response came instantly, followed by the sudden shift in movement as the elite soldiers of Nexum withdrew, their job complete. They had broken the planet's defenses. Now, it was time for the slaughter to begin.

Meanwhile, deep within the rubble of the destroyed platform, something stirred.

"Sir! The Tier 7 powerhouse is leaving the area with his Tier 5 forces! We—"

"Shut up."

The officer froze.

Vortigan's eyes never left the battlefield, his voice cutting through the command center like a blade.

"Do not think for a second that this is over." His grip tightened on the edge of the control panel. "That weasel would never retreat unless he finished what he came here to do. Prepare the ground troops. This is just beginning."

The room went silent while the officers shifted uncomfortably, ashamed at their earlier excitement. They had almost celebrated. Almost believed it was over... they should have known better.

Beneath the ruins, a groan of pain could be heard.

[Vi… Victo—VICTOR!]

A buzzing voice crackled through Victor's earpiece. He gritted his teeth while shoving aside a massive slab of metal with a grunt, the weight of the debris pressing down on his battered body.

"Ughhh… I heard you the first time. Stop yelling, old man."

Vortigan sighed in mock relief.

[Finally, you answer. For a second, I thought I would have to carve you a wooden sarcophagus myself.]
Explore new worlds at My Virtual Library Empire

Victor snorted, shaking dust from his hair.

"Who the hell would want to be buried alive, you damn old man?"

[Hah! You already have one foot in the grave, deeper than mine, even. Hahaha!]

Victor rolled his eyes while stretching his sore limbs as he stumbled out of the wreckage. "Tsk, so you called just to mock me? Here I am, risking my ass to help you, and this is what I get?"

[Hah, well, if it makes you feel better, I called for a reason.] Vortigan's tone grew serious. [Percival has started a full-scale invasion. We need to regroup at the mansion and patch you up before we see what that bastard has planned next.]

Victor sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming."

He tried to teleport but nothing happened.

He cursed under his breath. His body was too beaten down, his energy reserves too low to use instant space movement.

"Tsk… whatever." He spotted a large piece of floating debris; he then waved his hand and lifted it with his remaining energy. Slowly, it hovered under him, and with a lazy motion, he laid down, folding his arms behind his head.

Might as well enjoy the show while he floated back to base.... above him, the war in space raged on, ships clashing like gods in the heavens... and down below, hell was about to begin.

A few minutes before all hell broke loose, Carlos and Sharon were having dinner in one of the guest rooms where Carlos was staying.

"Say... what do you think your father will do to me if he finds out we already did it... sometimes?" Carlos asked, finishing his dish.

"Mmm, not sure," Sharon mused, swirling her glass of wine. "My father is against polygamy, you know? He sees it as a blasphemous act for his religion... so what we did is clearly a sin in his eyes. He'd probably burn the both of us."

Carlos froze, his face turning ashen as the color drained from his skin. His blood felt like it had turned to ice.

Sharon burst into laughter, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Hahah, I'm joking, Carlos. My father doesn't give a damn about religion. He's not against it, but he doesn't support it either. He just lets them be. Ah, but he does hunt down those cults that always end up summoning void creatures. Now, those are ugly things," she said, giving Carlos a charming smile.

"Well, I just hope we―" Before Carlos could finish, a deafening explosion shook the mansion, followed by another and another. Hundreds of explosions echoed in the distance, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of laser fire.

"What the hell was that!?" Carlos exclaimed while his cybernetic military implants activated instantly, flooding his system with adrenaline and preparing him for combat.

The door to the guest room burst open.

"Lady Sharon! Your father has told me to..." The maid who entered froze mid-sentence, her eyes widening at the unexpected scene before her.

"Relax, Carlos, she's just a maid," Sharon said calmly, though her tone carried a hint of amusement. "And by the way... can you please... stop touching my chest?" She pointed at his hand, which was firmly planted on her chest.

Carlos followed her gaze, his eyes landing on his own hand. "Well... I don't know if I want to let go... I think they missed me―"

{The hell!? Carlos, think with the other head! The one on your shoulders!} His rational mind screamed at him, snapping him back to reality.

"Ahem, I mean… my apologies, Lady Sharon. It's just that the explosion startled me, and all I could think of was protecting you. Ahem." Carlos spoke as he stood up and helped her to her feet.

Sharon let out a soft chuckle. "Well, there you have it, Anais. Nothing unusual is happening here. So, why have you come? Are we under attack?" She asked, her voice calm and composed.

"Oh… yes, as you said, Lady Sharon. Your father instructed me to escort you to safety. He also asked me to tell your... companion to report to the defensive forces. He said that if Carlos wishes to stand at your level, he must first grow stronger," the maid replied, bowing slightly.

"So, my father already knew. Haha, as always, I can't hide anything from him. Who is attacking us?" Sharon inquired, but the maid remained silent.

"Hmm, I see. I suppose my father doesn't want this information spreading. Well, you heard him, Carlos. What will you do? Even though he said you could still come with me, this isn't your fight, after all," Sharon said, extending her hand toward Carlos.

"Well… I…"