Chương 676: First Contact. Bram's Surprise.

Bram's Surprise.

The <Astral Phantom Vessel> moved through the void of space, and soon, the one checking the space around them spoke up.

"We've entered the World Tree's domain." These words made everyone tense up, their fingers twitching as they prepared to attack. This mission was undoubtedly dangerous. After all, True World Trees were known for being overly aggressive and territorial beings who attacked nearly everything that entered their domain unexpectedly. Only <Astraelis> and a few other beings would not trigger the territorial response from True World Trees. Drogan, a weapon officer from Rhex's group, spoke up with a slightly relieved tone.

"I have detected no spatial fluctuations. It seems that the World Tree is not reacting to our presence." Bram, a man from Xalis's group, sighed and leaned back.

"I don't know what the bosses are thinking about giving me the leader position this time around. I am usually at logistics, for the queen's sake!" Drogan, being a good friend of Bram, joked back.

"They must've eaten something rotten to put you as the officer. I am sure that, even if we had a chance for a peaceful conversation, once you open your bastardly mouth, we will end up in a total war situation." Bram waved his hand, sending a wind bullet to the back of Drogan that landed with a loud bang. Everyone on the deck chuckled a little, feeling some of their tension leave their bodies.

"Alright, you two can stop quarreling like an old married couple. What do we do now?" Bram looked at the mantis woman and answered with a touch of seriousness.

"Morvane is right. Let's focus. Since the World Tree has not reacted aggressively straight away, we are safe for now. Perhaps she is leading us deeper inside to trap us later. So, we'll use one of the Space Anchors here." Morvane tilted her head.

"Are you sure? We only have three of them."

"Do it." Bram sighed.

"As long as we survive, we will be much more valuable than one of those Space Anchors." Morvane nodded faintly and ordered some people. A ripple spread out from the Astral Phantom Vessel, linking it to their current space coordinates. Someone spoke up.

"Spatial anchor is at 1, 000… 3, 000… 5, 000…" The person continued refreshing the updates of distance, and while he did so, Bram ordered aloud.

"Accelerate. Let's rush over as fast as we can." The propulsors of the ship lit up, and then, the starship tore through the void.

"Distance update: 20, 000… 50, 000… 100, 000…" Bram and the rest waited, and after the voice announced 500, 000 kilometers, Bram spoke up.

"Anchoring was successful and stable. Stop reporting." Everyone relaxed even more after the good news. Around them, Wisdom observed everything with cold, analytical eyes. Using a small amount of energy, she moved some of Liu Shu's roots and coiled them into space itself, enveloping them around the Spatial Anchor and tensing up. Just before it snapped, Wisdom stopped. Now, with a single thought, Wisdom could destabilize it, making it impossible to use.

'If they wanted a fail-safe, they should've done it outside Tianlian Liu Shu's domain.' Unaware that their escape route had been compromised, Bram and the others continued their march onward. On the other hand, the <Starry Phantom Trail> moved through the void in the direction of the <Astral Phantom Vessel>. Inside this starship, there was a human man with white hair and some wrinkles. He didn't look weak, only dignified and healthy as he sat calmly on the main seat.

The person in charge of the radar, which was connected with the observatory in Ceperet, reported slowly.

"Lord Taro, the unknown vessel has entered Lady Heavenly Willow's domain. At our current pace, we will meet them 1, 240, 000 kilometers away from Nualis. Taro's lifespan was long. He had managed to reach the <Fourth Energy Cycle>, so he could live a few hundred years. Even when his age was now approaching 200, he didn't look older than 50. Of course, time was ruthless, leaving some marks on his body. But his back was straight, his eyes sharp, and his posture relaxed and confident.

His voice, slightly deeper than before but carrying the same calmness and intelligence, echoed around the main control room.

"Accelerate. We must meet them a bit further away. One million kilometers is not that far in space; we need at least five to be sure."

"Yes, Lord Taro." After so many decades working for Liu Shu, the intelligent human man had made a reputation for himself. He was not talented, and his strength was clearly lagging behind compared to the new talents. Even with Liu Shu's buffs, Taro could see that he was reaching his limits in terms of Level. As a D+ Tier Human, he couldn't do much more with Ceperet's relatively lacking resources. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Of course, that didn't matter for most. Taro's respect didn't come from his strength but from his terrifying strategic mind. He, who had helped plan wars in the past and now was in charge of a large section of Golden Sap City, always managed to impress. Moreover, the quality that made him the most admirable was his lack of greed. That didn't mean he lacked ambition. However, Taro took what he deserved.

His respect for Liu Shu, having seen her rise from a simple wild World Tree to an interplanetary force of nature, was nearly fanatical. When Flor and the others were searching for someone to speak with the enemy dignitaries, Taro offered himself without a single shred of hesitation. His eyes glanced around, finding everything quite novel.

"How quickly we've advanced… I still remember using catapults during that siege just a few decades ago." A Sylvan woman by his side chuckled and served him some tea.

"That was a brilliant maneuver, lord. It is etched in the history books, so you should be proud of it." Taro laughed and picked up the teacup, gently taking a sip.

"Perhaps. Still, Lady Eila was truly exceptional back then. Even with the help of the Arboreal Winged Serpents, we barely managed to snatch victory back then." Now that they were all allies, they could fondly remember those conflicts. While many died during them, they were also what helped shape what they had.

"How long until we make contact?" Taro asked, gently blowing on the steaming cup. The Sylvan checked on the side and answered shortly after.

"Lord Taro, we'll make contact in four days."

"Four days…" Taro slowly stood up with a hop and smiled.

"I'll stretch my legs until then. Inform me if something happens." Looking around, he chuckled.

"I can't help here besides with diplomacy, after all." Taro was extremely satisfied with his life. He had respect, power, wealth, and even a large family that continued growing back at home. He still could kick around for a century or two as well, and he couldn't wait to see how that big girl evolved by then. Four days passed quite quickly, and Bram and Taro received reports of a spaceship closing in on their position. Even then, no side became nervous.

They understood that they were here to talk, so they stopped around 10, 000 kilometers apart from each other. That distance was usually quite large, but in space it looked small. Even Taro could see the other vessel in the distance. While waiting, the person in charge of the communications spoke up.

"Lord Taro, the other side has sent a communication request. You'll see a hologram appear in front of you. This hologram is a fake image, like an illusion, so do not fear even if they become aggressive. They can't hurt you." Taro had already read about these things before, but he didn't interrupt and listened attentively. After explaining how to speak, mute, and other basic settings, he spoke up.

"Alright, connect us." When he said it, the image of Bram appeared in front of Taro. The insectoid, male hornet was extremely tall, almost two and a half meters. The muscles on his body rippled with strength, while his limbs were a mix of human and insectoid claws. His face was adorned with two compound eyes and antennae, while massive, translucent wings and a hornet abdomen hung behind him. From a human perspective, he was monstrous. Bram, once he saw a human on the other side, almost groaned aloud.

Even when he kept a straight face, he could already see the human's face contorting in disgust or screaming at him. But what Bram heard was utterly out of his expectations.

"Welcome, travelers from afar. This one is named Taro, and I am here to represent the Golden Sap Empire. Who might you be, gentleman?" In Bram's ship, all humanoid insects looked at the human speaking with an amiable smile as if they had seen a ghost. Thankfully, Bram had strong social instincts, so he snapped out of his daze quickly. He spoke up, his voice carrying a faint buzz that was not annoying.

"Thank you, Lord Taro. This one is Bram, the leader of the delegation. I am unaware if your power has noticed, but our ships are stationed nearby inside this Solar System. We've come not to fight, but to find a common ground. May we proceed and explain our situation?" Taro smiled, inwardly thinking.

'They looked similar to Lady Ignatia. I wonder if they are of a similar species? If that's the case, I can't be rude to them. Not that I planned to initially.'

"Go ahead, Lord Bram. We are also confused, since we were attacked quite aggressively not long ago. If you could clarify your purpose, you would do us a great favor." Bram relaxed his posture, a hint of pleasant surprise flashing in his eyes. Then, he smiled slightly and spoke.

"Certainly. We are part of the <Insect Trinity Pirates>. While we are called pirates, please do not mischaracterize us as brutes that steal and assault wandering starships. Our true identity is that of Nomad Bounty Hunters." He paused and explained a bit of the situation.

"Lord Taro might not know. However, your Solar System is currently marked as <Open Coordinates>: <Open Coordinates> are locations that have not been claimed by any power. So, we are quite sure that until they are claimed, you will receive both amiable and aggressive visitors." Taro listened and smiled.

"So that's the case. We have indeed received not-so-amiable visits. I do want to ask. What meaning does the word 'claim' have in your statement?" Here, Taro made a concession.

"We are a relatively new power, but our strength is decent enough. Hence, I am sure our leaders would love to claim our own territory for ourselves." Bram listened to Taro and got thoughtful. The middle-aged human man clearly wanted to form a friendly relationship, but they didn't want to submit. Therefore, if he wanted the conversation to go their way and gain an advantage, Bram needed to do two things. The first was showing Taro that their forces might not be as strong as they'd thought.

To do this, though, Bram would need to ask for the Golden Sap Empire's military prowess, which was far from acceptable in their current situation. The second option was to lean into the courtesy Taro showed and explain how to do what he asked. However, in return, Bram needed to ask for advantages for their group. After a few moments of thought, Bram spoke up.

"Lord Taro, it seems that our conversation will last a little bit longer than expected. Let's get comfortable and talk in detail." Having no problems with this, Taro asked for a teacup, while Bram also sat down and asked for a beverage, copying Taro.