At the attendant's response, the tall figure seated in the chair gave a faint murmur of surprise. "Is that so?"
"Anyone capable of activating a Spirit Artifact to contact us over such a distance must possess at least level 5 mental power. Strength like that is already extremely rare on a planet with a primitive civilization."
"If there really are no native powerhouses guarding it, perhaps the billions of inhabitants on these fledgling planets could fetch a good price on the slave market."
Hearing the captain's cold reply, the attendant standing beside him smiled faintly as well.
Exploration fleets like theirs did more than wander among the stars, exploring and uncovering useful cultivation resources. Occasionally, they also became pirates, plundering planets inhabited by intelligent beings that had yet to develop civilization.
Even when they encountered planets inhabited by fellow humans, they never showed mercy when it came to plundering and enslavement.
It was just like Columbus discovering the New World. They clearly belonged to the same human species, yet they would commit any evil for profit.
In the face of profit, ethics and morality were all secondary.
In this vast expanse of stars, there were no police or courts. Only technology and strength could protect them.
Of course, the exploration vessel had humanity's own reckless behavior to thank for its detailed knowledge of Earth.
After decades of transmitting radio signals into outer space, one was bound to be picked up by these advanced civilizations.
Moreover, those signals contained humanity's genetic code, the state of its civilization, its total population, and so on. It amounted to humanity exposing its own secrets, setting off a bomb in its own face before the aliens.
"The slave trade is only a small part of it."
"What matters most is cultivation resources, my captain!"
"That