The lunar dust thrown into the air by the explosion had not yet settled when the alarms inside Hector’s tactical helmet screamed hysterically. Above the shattered Tycho Crater, the black sky, usually silent, was now filled with the streaks of thruster fire.“Commander, we’re locked on. Four Archon pursuit units just emerged from the crater’s shadow,” Sergeant Miller shouted over the radio. His voice cracked with electromagnetic interference.Hector looked up. There they were. Four interceptor craft belonging to the remnants of Archon, the traitorous human faction that had sold their souls to Julian Vance, dive like vultures.They were not drones, but the most unhinged combat pilots alive, armed with smuggled alien technology.“Do not panic. Use low gravity as your ally,” Hector replied, gripping the golden cylinder in his left hand while his right aimed the coilg

Suddenly, the room trembled violently. A forced transmission overrode the galactic market display. Julian Vance’s face appeared on the holographic screen. This time, he was no longer in a pristine white room. Behind him was the interior of a massive mothership, filled with pulsing organic technology.“Matthew Thomas.” Julian spat the name as if it were poison. “You’ve crossed the line. Interfering with the galactic exchange is illegal for a Class Four species like yours.”“Illegal?” Matthew laughed coldly, his voice echoing through the room. “I just read the Pan-Galactic Exchange regulations, Julian. Article 404, Section B. ‘Any civilization capable of independently accessing the encryption key is granted provisional economic sovereignty.’ I have the key. I have access. And now, I have the market.”“You’re only accelerating your own destruction!” Julian shouted. “I’ve deployed every asset of the Proxima Consortium to crush your planet’s valuation into the negative. No investor will to

A storm lashed against the three-inch-thick bulletproof glass of the Monolith ARC Tower in Manhattan. Lightning cracked across the sky, briefly illuminating the interior dominated by Italian black marble and mahogany wood. At the center of the luxurious room, Matthew Thomas stood with the sleeves of his Tom Ford silk shirt carelessly rolled up.His breathing was uneven. In front of him, a glowing blue holographic projection split the air, displaying the Pan-Galactic Terminal, a cosmic black market access point activated by the ARC System embedded in his brain."How much longer can this interface stay stable, System?" Matthew’s voice came out hoarse, breaking the silence.[ARC System: Stabilization at sixty percent.][Warning. Opening the Pan-Galactic Terminal exceeds the capacity of a standard human prefrontal cortex.][Activation cost: Peripheral nerve damage and micro-bleeding in the retina.][Do you wish to proceed?]"Proceed," Matthew growled without hesitation.Fresh blood drippe

An electromagnetic shockwave crippled the cybernetic nervous systems of the alien commander and the guards on the bridge. They collapsed onto the metal floor, their bodies convulsing violently.“You rely too much on systems integrated into your brains,” Julian sneered, stepping over the commander’s body as he moved toward the main weapons console. “Let me take the helm.”Inside Monolith ARC Tower, Matthew’s holographic display emitted a sharp, piercing hum. The alien projection vanished, replaced by Julian Vance’s wide, mocking grin.“Julian Vance.” Matthew narrowed his eyes. The veins in his neck stood out, taut with tension. “So a sewer rat like you has been hiding on their ship?”“Hello, Matthew Thomas,” Julian greeted with exaggerated cheerfulness. “The view from up here is spectacular. You know… these aliens are too afraid

The morning sky above Manhattan was usually filled with the roar of news helicopters or the hum of commercial airliners. But on that Saturday morning, an absolute silence suffocated New York City.The cold autumn wind seemed to have stopped blowing. Behind the bulletproof glass walls of the lavish Archon Global penthouse, Matthew Thomas stood motionless. His eyes were fixed on the clouds as they slowly split apart.A massive shadow fell over Central Park, swallowing the sunlight whole."Matthew... what is that?" Viviane Lane’s voice trembled. Her hand gripped her husband’s suit sleeve so tightly that her knuckles turned white.As a CEO accustomed to facing ruthless boards of directors, Viviane had never known fear. But what stood before her now existed far beyond human comprehension.A craft shaped like a flattened drop of obsidian, sleek and elegant, descended in silence. There were no visible weapons or propulsion systems. No fire, no sonic boom. Only a deadly, overwhelming majesty.