Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Lykos's silver eyes locked onto Seris's, gleaming like shards of moonlight in the darkness. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath as he hesitated, his lips parting as if the words themselves were heavy, burdened by the weight of truth.

Finally, he spoke; his voice was low and deliberate, each syllable echoing like a distant thunderclap.

"I'm feeding myself… to grow."

A cold shiver raced down Seris's spine, her instincts screaming in warning. Deep down, she had already known what his answer would be, but hearing it aloud made it all too real. Her voice, steady despite the unease coiling in her chest, cut through the tension.

"And what exactly are you feeding on?" Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire

Lykos's expression remained impassive, his tone as cold and detached as the void itself. "The corpses scattered across the battlefield. And the creatures I've hunted."

Her fingers twitched, instinctively tightening around the hilt of her sword. She didn't need to look around to confirm it, since the wasteland was barren, devoid of any beasts. Only the fallen bodies of humans littered the ground. The realization struck her like a blade to the gut: Lykos had been feeding on them. On her kind.

For a heartbeat, her body tensed, every muscle coiled like a spring, ready to strike. Her instincts screamed at her to end him, to cut him down before he could grow stronger, before he could become an even greater threat. But then, with a heavy, shuddering breath, she forced herself to relax, her grip on the sword loosening.

{I figured as much…}

she thought bitterly, her mind flashing back to their first encounter.

{After all, he wanted to eat me too, didn't he?}

Slowly, deliberately, she released her sword and met Lykos's gaze once more; her voice was steady despite the storm raging within her. "So… what now?"

Lykos didn't answer immediately. Instead, he tilted his head back, his silver eyes scanning the darkened sky as if searching for something or someone. The silence between them stretched, thick and suffocating, filled with unspoken words and unresolved tension. Finally, his gaze returned to her, his expression as inscrutable as ever.

"Mother is calling," he murmured, his voice being barely above a whisper, yet carrying an eerie weight. "It's time for me to leave. But don't forget our deal… Your body is mine."

Seris's breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding like a war drum. "W-what—?"

Before she could finish, a sudden, deafening flapping sound filled the air as massive black-feathered wings erupted from Lykos's back, their inky darkness swallowing the light.

With a single, powerful beat, he launched himself into the air, the force of his ascent sending a gust of wind whipping around Seris. In an instant, he was gone, swallowed by the night sky, leaving her standing alone amidst the ruins.

Seris exhaled slowly, her gaze sweeping over the desolate battlefield. The Holy City lay in ruins, its once-proud streets now littered with the broken bodies of soldiers and civilians alike. Even the thousands of humans transformed into void monstrosities hadn't been enough to stem the tide of crusaders and zealots.

The end was inevitable. The human empire would fall, the capital would be seized, and the human council would be eradicated. Lilla's brother would rise to power, and Lilla's holy army would become the new face of humanity's military might. But at what cost?

Days later, far from the blood-soaked battlefield, the ocean of the oceanic world where Rex's new base was located churned violently as something massive rose from its depths. The water parted like a curtain, revealing Ys in her true form of a colossal black serpent, her scales glistening like polished obsidian under the pale light.

She had spent weeks in the abyss of the ocean, hunting the monstrous leviathans that lurked in the darkness, pushing herself to the brink of death and beyond. And now, she had emerged victorious, her power ascendant once again to Tier 3.

On the shore, reclining in a weathered beach chair, Rex barely glanced up as the serpent's massive form broke the surface. His fishing rod rested lazily in his hands, the line cast into the gentle waves. His voice, calm and unhurried, carried over the sound of the crashing surf.

"Welcome back, Ys," he said with a faint smirk playing on his lips. "Did you have fun fishing?"

At the sight of him, Ys didn't hesitate. Her colossal form shimmered, shifting and folding in on itself until she stood before him in human form, her eyes gleaming with mischief. Without a word, she sprinted toward him, leaping into the air the moment she was close enough.

"Darling!～ Did you miss me?" She said tenderly while landing squarely on top of him, her arms wrapping around his neck like a baby koala.

Rex let out an exaggerated sigh, though the smirk on his lips betrayed his amusement. "Yeah, yeah, I missed you. My fishing rod? Not so much. You scared away all the fish... now what am I supposed to eat?"

Before Ys could respond, a sharp smack echoed through the air as Rex's hand landed firmly on her ass.

She only giggled, her laughter ringing out like a melody over the sound of the waves.

Ys tilted her head, her eyes narrowing with playful suspicion as she studied Rex. "Why do you even bother eating these fish?" she asked while tapping a finger against her lips in mock contemplation. "Is the food printer broken or something?"

Rex chuckled while shaking his head as he leaned back in his beach chair, the fishing rod resting lazily in his hands. "Nah, it's not that… How do I put it? The food from the printer is fine, but it just doesn't have that real flavor, you know? There's nothing like catching your own fish, seasoning it just right, and frying it up to perfection."

His eyes glazed over for a moment, as if he could already taste the crispy, golden fillets sizzling in a pan.

Ys blinked, her lips curling into a teasing smile as she watched his face light up with enthusiasm. "Mmm? Since when did you even learn to cook?"

Rex grinned while puffing out his chest with exaggerated pride. "Hah! Just picked it up a few weeks ago. Turns out, I'm a natural! A prodigy, even! Those so-called noble chefs wouldn't stand a chance against me!"

Before Ys could retort, something cold and wet pressed against Rex's cheek. He turned his head to find Nyra standing beside him, holding out a chilled beer.

She was dressed in a sleek black swimsuit that clung to her figure, the contrast of her pale skin against the dark fabric making her look effortlessly striking. Her silver hair caught the sunlight, shimmering like liquid metal as she tilted her head, her expression as cool and unreadable as ever.

"Oh! Nyra, my dear," Rex said while taking the beer with a playful grin. "Have you finally decided to join this old man in discovering the joys of fishing?"

Nyra rolled her eyes as she sank into the beach chair next to him, reaching into a cooling container for a bottle of juice. "What's the point of fishing?" she said while cracking open the bottle with a flick of her wrist.

"If I wanted a big fish, I could just dive in and grab one. This just looks like a huge waste of time."

Rex clicked his tongue in mock disappointment while wagging a finger at her. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… Kids these days have no appreciation for the fine art of fishing! It's not just about the catch; it's about the experience. The patience, the skill, the—"

"Boredom," Nyra interrupted while taking a sip of her juice. "Don't forget the boredom."

Meanwhile, Ys had started sniffing at the beer Rex held with her curiosity piqued. "Mmm? What is this? I've never seen anything like it before. Also... why are you talking like some grandpa all of a sudden?"

Rex took a long, satisfying gulp of the beer while sighing contentedly before answering. "This, my dear Ys, is beer. I had to pester Cleo for days to brew some for us. She fought me on it at first, saying it was illogical, a waste of resources. But after a lot of convincing and pointing out how profitable alcohol is in a sector full of pirates, she finally gave in."

Nyra smirked while stretching out lazily under the sun. "Ignore him, Ys. He had too much free time and spent it watching old fishing videos. Now, he actually thinks he's some wise old fisherman."

Rex only laughed while raising his beer in a toast to his newfound "expertise." The sunlight glinted off the bottle as he took another swig, his grin widening. "You're just jealous of my skills, Nyra. Admit it."

Ys giggled, plopping down onto the metallic floor beside him. "Well, if you're such a prodigy, maybe you should cook us something. Let's see if you're as good as you claim."

Rex's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Challenge accepted. But first, I need to catch something worth cooking. And with all this noise, the fish are probably halfway to the next sector by now."

Nyra snorted while leaning back in her chair. "Good. Maybe then you'll give up on this ridiculous hobby."

"W-what! What do you mean by ridiculous? Take it back! I have you know that Lyra actually likes fishing too! Tell them, Lyra!" Rex said while gazing at Lyra, who was coming toward them while eating from a big bag of chips.

"Erm... what do you want me to say?"