Han Xiao's arrival caused a huge uproar.
The "Runic Lord," the ruler of Rune City, had gone to bed early but was awakened by the news. He hurriedly dressed and convened an emergency meeting.
In the main hall of the central tower, the city's high-ranking officials rushed in, all looking sleepy, some even secretly wiping away sleep from their eyes.
Outside the tower's rooftop, the night sky was deep, and moonlight filtered through the white stone railings, casting dappled silhouettes.
Inside the main hall, the illumination runes cast a bright light. The master of the runes was an old man with deep wrinkles, dressed in a magnificent robe, holding a royal staff, and with a strange expression.
"As everyone knows, an alien claiming to be a mercenary has descended upon us, seeking an extraterrestrial artifact. According to intelligence, he used some kind of mechanical beast to easily defeat two hundred rune guardians. He's currently in the outer forest, awaiting our response. What are your objections?"
"The aliens possess a lot of information about the universe. They said they'd be willing to exchange some data for the statue. I think it's worth considering..."
An official, whose position was similar to that of the King's Hand, spoke up, then changed the subject, saying, "However, what the aliens want must contain extraordinary value. From their perspective, they might be trying to take advantage of our lack of understanding of the statue's purpose, exchanging some simple information for the item. I think we shouldn't compromise so easily; it would be best to examine the statue first."
"You're right." The Rune Master nodded.
Soon, the guards retrieved the statue from the warehouse. It was something that had crashed on the planet many years ago, existing since the time of the previous Rune Master. Because the statue's secrets could not be discovered, and many researchers who had long been in contact with it developed mental problems, it had been sealed in the warehouse and classified as an "unsolved extraterrestrial artifact."
The statue is only now being taken seriously again because of the demands of the aliens.
This thing is definitely not simple, and the Rune Master is reluctant to hand it over just like that—even if he can't discover its secrets.
This is a treasure that aliens have searched for across mountains and rivers.
"The aliens gave us a deadline of tomorrow; we only have one night to consider it." The Rune Master narrowed his eyes.
"If we can capture the alien, we can not only study the body of this cosmic species, but also gain all its knowledge. This is an opportunity that surpasses that of any other power." The man, a general in command of the army, clad in heavy armor, spoke with a chilling tone. "He is only one person."
"He might have other companions, and he's capable of landing on planets, making him difficult to deal with. I think we shouldn't get into a conflict with him," someone else said.
The officials were divided into two factions. One side thought the conditions for accepting aliens were better, while the other side was greedy and wanted to capture aliens and extract all the benefits. The latter group was larger because they had seen many extraterrestrial objects and were not completely ignorant about interstellar people. Instead of feeling much awe, they were mostly curious.
Those high-tech extraterrestrial artifacts were beyond the comprehension of the Mystic Blue Star. They had only scratched the surface, but such superficial understanding often breeds arrogance and complacency. Without a deep understanding, they tend to make assumptions. Moreover, the Mystic Blue Star as a whole had little concept of the strength level of the Space Marines, and Han Xiao's arrival alone gave them courage.
These pro-war factions offered various strategies and tactics for dealing with aliens.
"We have one night, enough time to mobilize tens of thousands of guards, quietly surround that area, use forbidden rune sets—our most elite warriors can withstand that load—and deploy large-scale rune-engineered weapons for a massive encirclement and annihilation campaign. That should be enough to crush the aliens; they'll never expect us to launch a sneak attack."
The Rune Master's eyes flickered as he pondered for a long time, wavering between harmonious communication and greed. Finally, he made a decision: he would not agree to the aliens' deal. If he could capture the aliens, all the benefits would be his.
He glanced at the assembled officials and said, "Deploy troops, use the strongest weapons. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Being too cautious will only cause us to miss it. We are determined to get the aliens."
The first rays of dawn peeked out from the sky, where the night had not yet faded. The light seemed to carry a hint of coolness as it pierced through the trees and fell upon Han Xiao, who sat as still as a rock.
Han Xiao's eyelashes fluttered, and he opened his eyes. The refreshing, cool morning mist slowly spread through the woods, clinging to his skin and leaving a cool, damp feeling, which slightly invigorated Han Xiao, who hadn't slept all night.
"It's dawn, and the enemy should be arriving soon."
A few drops of water landed on his face. Looking up at the sky, Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Looks like it's going to rain."
The rain fell quickly, a light drizzle in the early morning, pattering through the trees and leaves.
Han Xiao stood up and looked around at the surrounding woods. The swaying shadows of the trees carried an eerie atmosphere. In the dim forest, he sensed a faint killing intent mixed with dampness, which seemed somewhat sticky and lingered in all directions.
Suddenly, a stagnant pressure descended upon him, slowing his movements. Han Xiao shifted, discovering that it took more effort to maintain his normal speed; this was the effect of some kind of remote gravity rune.
Just as I predicted, they chose to go to war.
Han Xiao nodded secretly. The forces on this planet were all newborn calves. They wouldn't learn their lesson until they were thoroughly beaten. Those who didn't know their place would try to control all the interests at hand, wanting to eat every piece of fat without fear of being stuffed to death.
Fear can make people cautious. Normal civilizations would be careful when contacting aliens, but that doesn't mean all indigenous people would do the same. There are humble ones, and there are greedy ones. Greed is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. Some barbaric indigenous civilizations even believe that the aliens who have arrived are demons, and they turn their entire nation against them. There are precedents for this.
The more greedy one is, the more one likes to play with fire; greed leads to poverty, and avarice leads to destruction.
From all directions, a massive army of rune guards appeared, with thousands of rune crossbows aimed at him and a thousand melee guards slowly approaching. These two thousand were just the vanguard; the main force was still lying in ambush deep in the forest. Rune City had deployed seventy percent of its military strength this time.
"Alien, you should be able to understand our language. I am Bakzas, commander of the City of Runes Garrison Corps. You are surrounded. We will not harm your life, but only if you do not put up a futile resistance and come with us."
The commander, clad in magnificent runic armor, stood at the center of the army, expressionless and speaking coldly. He was the general who had advocated for war at last night's meeting, spending the entire night directing the troops and quietly approaching the forest. Now the encirclement was complete, and even the founder of the Battle Rune Sect was doomed to defeat—the strongest warrior in the history of Rune City.
The soldiers, on high alert, observed the aliens with curiosity, finding them not particularly frightening.
"It seems I have no choice but to make a trip to your city myself. What an unwise choice." Han Xiao feigned regret, but was secretly pleased.
Upon hearing this, the many rune soldiers felt nervous, but after glancing at their numerous comrades around them, they regained some confidence.
Bakzas's expression hardened.
Is war about to break out?
Last night, the military brainstormed and speculated on many possible methods that aliens might possess. They stayed up all night to develop various countermeasures, making thorough preparations and mentally reviewing the army's configuration and tactics.
Bakzas felt somewhat relieved.
The forest terrain limited the range of bullets, which was somewhat disadvantageous. Han Xiao looked around and finally faced the direction of Rune City.
Then... let's just push through!