Everyone was shock-stricken after watching Salamander's presentation about the Eclipse.
Even Aldred was shocked. Even though he had seen many things after his reincarnation, he had never seen something like that before. That was an extremely intelligent way to infiltrate and took over an entire planet. The human wouldn't have expected it at all.
Which made it even more terrifying.
"What are the signs of the Eclipse?" Aldred asked.
"The signs are very subtle," the strange man said. "You wouldn't notice it if you don't see it yourself, and even if I point out these things, people wouldn't believe me."
"How did you know all this?" Salamander asked. "Based on my knowledge, this kind of information won't be available to you."
"I was a scholar before I am turned into a slave." Somehow the word 'scholar' was stressed more than the others although there was a sense of doubt in his eyes.
"What's your name?" Aldred asked.
"Shuzib Chanar. That is my name."
"First of all, we need to rescue your family."
Shuzib nodded. "You can save them by saving the entire planet. They are currently located on Planet Quintesa. Fortunately, that's where we are headed right now."
Aldred wore a difficult expression before he glanced towards his friends. "I am going to be honest, I don't think we have enough firepower to stop an Eclipse. If what Salamander showed me earlier is truly how an Eclipse work, then there is nothing a group of 6 poor mercenaries could do."
"We're actually not poor anymore," Shinari commented.
"A few shiny gear doesn't mean we're rich. We are not at the level where we could neutralize such threat."
Aldred was sympathetic to the people, but he did not want to play hero if he did not have the power to back it up. The presentation of the Eclipse was a literal nightmare. More than half of the population became a monster, in that situation, he wouldn't know who to trust.
There was a chance that even Shuzib's families were monsters.
If an entire society failed to realize what was wrong for generations, then that meant the xenomorph infiltration technique was just that good.
This wasn't a problem he could handle right now.
"But, Aldred. You said our primary purpose is to help humanity," Salamander said. "Isn't that our reason to set out for this journey? There are human in need of our help."
"I would like to keep living so I can help more people in the future," Aldred retorted. "This is something we should report to the authority."
Aldred could not believe what just came out of his mouth. Now that he knew about the Baron, he wouldn't put the slightest trust in the government, but now he directly proposed such idea.
The statement left a bad taste on his tongue.
"What if I offered you this?" Shuzib took something out of his pocket. It was a piece of paper with alien glyphs.
"What is this?"
"The guide that you are searching for."
"What do you mean?"
"This year is the year when Chronicles of Ascendria appeared. Didn't you come in this ship to look for it?"
Aldred frowned. "What kind of scholar are you?"
This man was able to predict that he was going to look for Ascendria. That meant that this phenomenon occurred before and people were looking for it.
"That transcript are the coordinates for Ascendria."
"You're willingly give me this just like that?"
"Yes, but I know none of you can read it. Almost no one can. Except me."
Aldred started to see the situation better. He cracked a smile and then burst into laughter. "Alright. Seems like you're not just a helpless beggar."
Aldred stood up. "What can you offer me?"
"An expert scholar in a variety of field, but mostly archeology. I have the ancient knowledge that will help you in your search, and it is all inside my head. Finding Ascendria wouldn't be easy. It's not just a place, it's a concept, an idea, an ideology. You can't simply go to a place and find it as it is not even bound by space or time. Trying to find is like finding mercy in the heart of a demon."
"So, you will be our guide?"
Shuzib nodded.
Aldred sighed. "I am not sure about this, but this isn't an offer I can reject. What do you guys think?"
Salamander and everyone else smiled.
"You know what we're about to say, Aldred."
"I know. But we need help. We cannot do this alone."
"Easy. I know someone who can help us. In fact, he's been listening to our conversation."
A screen projected out of Salamander's comms and revealed Captain-Commander Gaius Vallon.
That was the person who fought the demons in Desolatia Primena before the demons ambushed and destroyed his ships. He somehow survived the attack and helped the planet defend itself against the demons.
As usual, Gaius Vallon wore a serious, weathered face with the reality of war and countless battles marked on it. However, his close-cropped salt-and-pepper hair and steely blue eyes exuded an air of authority and hope. He wore a meticulous, custom-fitted naval uniform adorned with various commendations of the Imperial Navy.
"Commander!" Everyone saluted except Aldred. He wasn't a soldier or subordinates of the Imperial.
The commander noticed that. "I have heard of your feats during your journey, Aldred. To be honest, I am fairly surprised at your untimely absence, but Desolatia Primena has increased its defense and more supers are entering this planet, so none of you have to worry about anything."
"What did you hear?" Aldred asked.
"I've heard a lot, especially about your success in destroying Destroyer-Class spaceship and an ork hidden base. I've even watched the recording of you fighting against the Big Mek."
While Aldred was silent, Shuzib was shocked as he stood on the side. Destroying Destroyer-Class battleship? Fighting against Big Mek? Just how powerful was this man truly?
"Enough about me," Aldred said. "How can you help us to prevent the Eclipse?"
"There's nothing you can do."
Salamander stepped forward, dissatisfied of the answer. "Captain, I am sure we can do something. Millions of lives are at stake."
"Billions," the captain corrected. "But that still doesn't change the situation. I am the Commander of the Galactic Sentinel, and my armada has been upgraded, but if I want to move my armada, I would have to have enough reason to do so, especially if the location is beyond this stellar cluster."
Everyone stopped and put the time to think. This was a hard situation and require a lot of thinking to find a solution.
"I know what to do," Shuzib said. "In order to activate the Eclipse, the xenos need to do a ritual that require a coordination of the entire xenos in the planet. If we can trigger that ritual prematurely, all the xenos will reveal itself, and then that's where you come, Commander."
The Commander was silent for a few seconds before he slightly nodded. "I will prepare my army."
The screen vanished.
Aldred sighed. "I thought I would have a few days of vacation, but yet again, another world to save. Before I start to think and get stressed, someone bring me lots of drinks and sweets please. I want to eat until I get fat."
Aldred missed his planet. Back then, he would have thousands of beautiful servants serving him and entertaining him. Now, he became a poor man too busy saving lives.
'Haish, is this the karma I got for killing too many people?'
Aldred's attempt at humor lightened the mood, and Shinari and Cleome immediately rushed off to fetch an assortment of sweets and drinks. While they were gone, Salamander, Elralya, and Shuzib engaged in a serious discussion about how to trigger the premature activation of the Eclipse ritual.
"The xenos are cunning, and they have likely taken precautions against such interference," Salamander said, his brow furrowed in thought.
"I have read ancient texts mentioning specific rituals tied to the Eclipse," Shuzib interjected. "We could study these texts and find a loophole, a weakness in their ceremony that we can exploit."
Elralya, always perceptive, chimed in, "We also need to consider the xenos' motivations. Why are they initiating the Eclipse on this planet? Understanding their purpose might give us clues on how to disrupt their plans."
"I have studied a lot of things, but ancient texts are not one of them," Salamander said with regret.
As they delved deeper into their discussion, Shinari and Cleome returned, laden with an assortment of colorful sweets, exotic fruits, and various beverages. The room was soon filled with the aroma of sugary delights.
Aldred, momentarily distracted from their serious conversation, couldn't help but smile. "Ah, the sweet taste of distraction. Thank you, my lovely assistants."
Shuzib, sensing the need for a break, suggested, "Let's take a moment to refresh ourselves. We can resume our discussion with renewed focus after indulging in these treats."
As they enjoyed the sweets and drinks, Aldred contemplated the situation. The weight of the impending threat hung over them like a dark cloud. Despite his earlier reluctance, he knew he couldn't turn his back on the people of Quintesa. The idea of billions of lives being at risk stirred a determination within him.
He knew he got the power to save them.
Aldred looked at his hands, clenching it. 'Maybe the gods gifted me this power for this kind of moment.'
