Although Annis Erdoka had indeed shown him sufficient sincerity, that did not mean she was hiding nothing from him.
In most cases, this sovereign of the Void Realm would answer questions she knew the answers to, and she was more than willing to help Jonas resolve his predicament. Yet she avoided certain crucial matters, never mentioning them at all.
These included why she was trapped here, how she knew about the Predecessor Civilization, and... what exactly the Zerg were, and how they were connected to humanity and the Predecessor Civilization.
The more she avoided the subject, the greater the secret it suggested. The only reason Jonas could think of was that she believed telling him might change his willingness to cooperate with her, or drive a wedge between them.
This was also the main reason Jonas wanted to uncover her true intentions. If what Annis Erdoka was concealing would sow the seeds of future trouble for him, he would have to reconsider his partnership with little An.
To Jonas, true cooperation had to be built on a complete understanding of each other. Even if she genuinely bore him no ill will, anything she concealed introduced uncertainty.
He had a strong need for control, and the situation before him was one he had deliberately engineered.
Of course, Jonas had not reached any agreement with the Predecessor Civilization. What he had told little An was nothing more than bait.
And judging by the results, it had worked remarkably well.
"You should, know!"
"I already, warned you."
"The Predecessor Civilization is not, benevolent."
She tried to answer in a calm voice, but Jonas heard something else beneath that calm.
-She was starting to panic.
Clearly, Annis Erdoka was not particularly proficient in human language. Otherwise, she would not pause every few words.
Yet