Chapter 1492 Level Four Author's Note: Do Not Unlock ------------------- This," Endric pointed out, "is not just any location. Nereus Sector serves as a nexus for black market exchanges. Crime rates are astronomical, around 90%, and it operates under a constant state of lawlessness." The rotating model displayed sections of the sector, each a hub of various illicit activities. Markets brimming with stolen artifacts, underground fighting rings, and dens offering every imaginable vice, painted a vivid picture of controlled chaos. Gustav folded his arms, his gaze locked on the floating model. "A place like this might just tear itself apart without any outside help. Letting Karis wreak havoc there might seem like a self-solving problem." As he voiced this thought, the injured guard, who had been silently observing, interjected weakly but with conviction. "I understand the temptation to look the other way, but you must consider—Nereus is also a ground for trafficking innocent children from across the universe. They're sold to the highest bidder, living lives of despair. If Karis unleashes that mineral's power there, those children will suffer most." The room fell silent, the moral weight of the guard's words settling among them. Ria turned to look at Gustav with a troubled expression. "We can't just turn our backs on them." Falco nodded in agreement, "We need to think this through. Although we could leave it to them to clean up their mess, there is no guarantee they'd get to her before the deed is done. Innocents, especially children, shouldn't pay the price for our indecision." Gustav sighed, rubbing his temples as he contemplated their options. "We have two choices: intervene and potentially save lives at great risk to ourselves, or stay our course and let Nereus deal with its own demons, including Karis." "If we do decide to intervene, we'll need to do so now and fast so we can stay on course and get to the location before the warp demolator appears," Endric voiced. "How long will it take us to get to Nereus Sector?" Gustav questioned their ship's artificial intelligence. < 4 Days Of Interstellar Travel > "Technically we should be back on course in about a week," Endric pointed out. "Are we doing this?" Aildris inquired. They all turned to face Gustav. "Alright sure... let's do it," Gustav stated before sitting at his usual spot in the control room. "Set a course for Nereus Sector." ... ... ... Back at the site of the recent devastating attack—a graveyard of twisted metal and frozen shadows—a remarkable change was unfolding. Amid the debris and the silence of dead space, a figure that had been motionless among the scattered remains of the destroyed prison transport began to stir. The figure was enshrouded in a tattered uniform, the fabric scorched and torn from the violent events that had led to the vessel's demise. The interior was a grisly display, the walls and ceilings charred black, the metal warped from intense heat. It was clear that whatever had occurred there had unleashed catastrophic energies, far beyond ordinary weaponry. The corridors of the space transport vessel were narrow and claustrophobic, designed for functionality over comfort, typical of military-grade transports. As they advanced, scorch marks scored the walls, and in some areas, half-burnt corpses were melded grotesquely with the ship's superstructure, their faces locked in expressions of agony, their skin blackened to the bone. "Some of these burns suggest an explosion of immense heat from the inside," Aildris observed, his voice echoing slightly in the hollow space. "Look at the blast patterns; they radiate outward from the ship's core." Endric nodded in agreement. "The internal defenses would have contained any external attack. This was something else, something from within." As they navigated through the debris-strewn hallways, the silence was oppressive, broken only by the soft crunch of their boots on fragments of metal and ash. Suddenly, Ria paused, his sights settling on a figure slumped against the bulkhead. It was a guard, one of the ship's crew, by the look of his uniform. Despite the severe burns that charred his blue skin, a testament to his alien heritage, his chest rose and fell weakly, the barest hint of life. "He's still alive," he exclaimed, rushing to his side. Ria carefully turned him over to assess his condition better. The guard's uniform was a patchwork of charred fabric and melted synthetics, the emblem of the security firm barely distinguishable. His features, distinctly Thelmarian, were resilient yet clearly ravaged by the event. The Thelmarian species were known for their thick skin and robust physiques, characteristics that had possibly saved his life amid such devastation. Gustav squatted beside Ria, examining the guard. "Can you hear me?" he asked, gently tapping the guard's face. The guard's eyes fluttered open, his gaze unfocused, pain flickering across his features. "Rion..." the guard murmured hoarsely, the effort to speak seeming to drain his remaining strength before his eyes rolled back, and he passed out again. "Rion? What does that mean?" Aildris questioned, looking over to Gustav for theories. "Could be a name, a place, or something else we're not aware of," Gustav mused, his mind racing through possibilities. "We should get him back to our ship..." Endric suggested. "Hmm... alright," Gustav agreed seeing as there was no other way the guard could be saved. He would die if they just left him there. With the guard secured on Endric's shoulder, they made their way back to their ship. The damage to the vessel, the nature of the guard's injuries, and his cryptic last word before losing consciousness all pointed to a mystery that was deepening by the moment. Endric checked for any other survivors but they discovered that only the guard was alive. Many prisoners in cells were burnt to a crisp as well. "Whatever happened on that transport ship wasn't an accident. It was deliberate and powerful enough to bypass all their internal defenses," Gustav stated upon their arrival back on the ship. "We need to figure out who or what 'Rion' is," Ria added. "It isn't really our place to do that. But I am okay with helping the guard to recover," Gustav voiced while placing some healing medication in the mouth of the guard. "And we need to be on guard. If something on that ship could cause this much destruction, it's not something we want to encounter unprepared," Aildris chipped in. "Which is why I believe we should find out what Rion is so we won't get thrown into the unexpected," Endric added. Gustav also saw sense in what they said and agreed that they would ask the guard some questions when he came to. However, at the time, they needed to continue their journey. After several hours of cruising away from the haunting wreckage, the tranquility of space enveloped their spacecraft. Gustav had resolved to drop the injured guard off at the nearest habitable planet, believing that it would spare them any further complications. However, his plans quickly changed when the guard regained consciousness sooner than expected. Endric's voice cut through the ship's intercom, "He's awake!" The group converged on the medical bay where the guard was hooked up to various monitors and IV lines, his burnt skin treated with regenerative gels. The relief of consciousness brought a flicker of urgency to his eyes as he scanned the room, registering the faces of his unexpected saviors. Gustav approached the medical bed, his expression one of cautious concern. "You're awake. That's good. Can you tell us what happened on your ship?" The guard's voice was weak but filled with a grave urgency. "Rion," he muttered again, the word resonant with dread. Ria stepped forward. "You said that before. What is 'Rion'? Is it a person?" The guard shook his head slowly, his breath laboring with each word. "Rion... it's not a place. It's a rare mineral. We were transporting it when one of the prisoners stole it." Gustav's brow furrowed deeply. "A prisoner hijacked an entire vessel for a mineral? What's so special about this Rion?" "It's not just any mineral," the guard continued, his voice gaining strength from his urgency. "Rion is an absorbent. It takes whatever it gets and magnifies it. It's incredibly valuable—and dangerous in the wrong hands. The prisoner who stole it... She planned her capture and transport just to get close to it." Endric interjected, "Who is this prisoner? And where might she have taken the Rion now?" The guard's eyes were haunted as he recalled the events. "Her name is Karis. She's a Zaltharian, known for her cunning and ruthlessness. She has ties to several outlaw factions across the quadrant." Falco, leaning against a console, crossed his arms. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖 "Zaltharians, huh? Slippery folks. Any idea where she might head with such a prize?" The guard winced as he shifted slightly, pain flaring across his features. "She mentioned the Nereus Sector once. It's is where she grew up and she is said to despise its existence." Endric instructed the ship's artificial intelligence. "AI, display every data available on the Nereus Sector." The air above the console shimmered as a detailed holographic image materialized. The Nereus Sector spun slowly in front of them, a massive artificial orbital body, its architecture a patchwork of scavenged spaceship parts and makeshift habitats. It looked like a pirate's haven floating in space, lit by neon glows from numerous sketchy establishments. "