The next morning, Arthur stood in his quarters, preparing to leave for planet Trakuun-5.

The mission had been approved overnight. Admiral Kane had briefed him on the situation, the planet where he first arrived, now officially named Trakuun-5, was facing escalating attacks on its mining operations. The beasts that roamed its surface had grown more aggressive, targeting the UFE’s extraction sites with alarming frequency.

Arthur thought it might have been the planet’s natural ecosystem reacting to the intrusion. Either way, he would be there for the next week, reinforcing security while taking the opportunity to recover the Element-M deposit he had discovered previously.

He finished strapping his weapons to his belt, his sword rested in its sleek scabbard on his back, and his sidearm holstered on his left. His rifle and other necessities are already in his dimensional pocket, though nowadays he does not use the standard spatial orb given to all ECHOs.

Taking a final look at his room, Arthur exhaled and stepped out, heading toward the docking bay.

…

The docking bay was a sprawling, metallic cavern, illuminated by blue-white overhead lights. Enormous hangar doors loomed in the distance. Engineers and flight crew bustled about, checking ship diagnostics, refueling supply freighters, and preparing for various missions across UFE space.

Arthur walked with purpose toward Theta-09, a sleek, armored transport designed for planetary deployments. Unlike the Vanguard, which was built for deep-space travel and war, this craft was optimized for rapid descent, maneuverability, and short-distance jumps.

Arthur took his seat inside the cabin as the ship powered up. He leaned back as the ship lifted off the hangar floor with a smooth ascent. Solace Prime began to shrink as the ship maneuvered into position.

Moments later, a wormhole gate flickered to life ahead of them, a swirling vortex of radiant blue and white energy, pulsing like the heartbeat of the cosmos.

…

Arthur gazed out the viewport as the planet loomed beneath them.

Trakuun-5 was a world of jagged mountains, sprawling dense forests, and vast plains, all bathed in the glow of its three suns. Thick storm clouds loomed in the distance, swirling like a restless beast. The mining outpost, marked by its industrial structures and landing pads, sat nestled in a rocky valley, its metallic walls standing in stark contrast to the untamed wilderness surrounding it.

Arthur steadied himself as the ship cut through the atmosphere, shaking slightly as heat friction built up around the hull. 

The ship descended rapidly, angling toward the mining outpost. Below, defensive turrets and plasma cannons were positioned around the perimeter, their barrels scanning the surroundings for threats. The ship hovered over the landing pad before touching down with a controlled thud.

“Touchdown successful,” the pilot reported. “Good luck out there, sir.”

Arthur rose from his seat, as the boarding ramp lowered. He stepped onto the platform, the hot, dry air of Trakuun-5 washing over him.

The last time he was here, he had no idea where he was. He had been alone, lost, fighting to survive. Now, he was returning, not as a stranded wanderer, but as a soldier.

…

Arthur stepped off the platform, the dry heat of Tarkuun-5 brushing against his skin. The air smelled of dust and minerals, mingling with the faint scent of fuel and machinery from the mining station. His eyes scanned the area, taking in the familiar structures.

His gaze shifted as he saw a figure approaching, a man clad in UFE officers uniform. Arthur instantly recognized the man’s face, a small smile played at the corner of his lips.

James.

He hadn’t seen him since his chaotic first arrival on this world. Back then, James had been the one to help him understand the situation, introducing him to the UFE personnel at the mining station. He appeared to be in his late twenties, with sharp blue eyes and short blonde hair, but Arthur knew better. Like many UFE officers, James was enhanced, his real age should be well over that.

James gave a knowing smile as he approached, offering Arthur a firm handshake.

“It’s good to see you back again, Arthur.” James said, his tone happy. “Who would have thought you would be back here again.”

Arthur shook his hand firmly. “Neither did I, but here I am.”

James chuckled. “You sure? Or are you here to relive old memories?”

Arthur smiled slightly. “Something like that.”

James gestured toward the main building. “Come on. You just landed, and I’ve been briefed on your arrival.”

Arthur followed James inside, the cool, filtered air of the base a relief from the harsh outside heat. As they walked, James gave him a quick rundown.

“So far, the situation is under control. The attacks have been frequent but manageable. These creatures are getting more and more aggressive day by day.” He glanced at Arthur. “If anything major happens, I’ll notify you immediately.”

Arthur gave a short nod. “Understood.”

James studied him for a moment before asking, “You want to rest first? You’ve had a long trip.”

Arthur shook his head. “Not right now. I want to take a look around first.”

James raised an eyebrow. “Explore the planet, huh?”

James gestured toward one of the hangars. “We just got a batch of new shuttles in. Take one. You’ll need it if you plan on covering ground quickly.”

Arthur followed James to a small side hangar, where several scout shuttles were parked. These were sleek, single-pilot crafts built for maneuverability, equipped with stealth systems and enhanced thrusters.

James tapped on the control panel, activating one of the shuttles. The cockpit lights flickered to life, and the system hummed softly as it powered up. “She’s all yours. I’d say take a moment to familiarize yourself with the controls, but it’s very easy to ride.”

Arthur stepped inside the cockpit, letting his technopathy do the work. Instantly, he could feel the shuttle’s systems, navigation, thrusters, cloaking functions, and even the AI-assisted controls. He could have piloted it purely through his connection, but for appearances, he manually ran a quick systems check before activating liftoff.

James watched from outside, arms crossed and said with an amused tone. “Try not to get lost out there, Arthur.”

Arthur just chuckled hearing that. The shuttle lifted off, hovering momentarily before surging forward.

…

The barren landscape of Tarkuun-5 stretched out before Arthur as he accelerated. Towering cliffs, endless plains, and dense patches of alien forests spread beneath him, illuminated by the glow of the planet’s three suns. The wind whipped against the shuttle’s hull, though inside, the ride was smooth.

As he flew, he extended his technopathy outward, subtly checking if anyone was tracking his movement. The mining station’s sensors registered his departure, but no one seemed to be monitoring him in real-time. That was good. He wanted to keep this search private.

He pushed the shuttle faster, weaving between rocky outcroppings and skimming low over vast plateaus. As the scenery blurred past him, he focused on his memory. He retraced the path he had taken when he first arrived at the mining station.

After searching for more than half an hour he finally saw it.

Nestled between two massive rock formations and towering trees was a familiar opening in the ground. The entrance to the cave.

Arthur slowed the shuttle, bringing it to a hover before landing in a concealed area nearby. Activating the shuttle’s stealth mode, the hull shimmered briefly before blending seamlessly into the surroundings. It wouldn’t be completely invisible, but unless someone knew exactly where to look, they wouldn’t find it.

Stepping out, Arthur took a deep breath.

The cave loomed before him, its dark maw stretching into the unknown. He remembered this place well. It was where he first encountered the Element-M deposit. 

He remembered there was also a guardian protecting the cave inside it. He didn’t want to attract attention, not yet.

Activating the stealth mode of his ECHO suit, his form shimmered out of sight. His footfalls became lighter, nearly silent. He adjusted his visor, enhancing his vision to navigate the cave’s darkness.

Then, without hesitation, he stepped inside and went deeper according to the path he remembered.

The cave was just as he remembered, dark and humid. He reached the place where the tunnel opened into a vertical drop and jumped. When he reached near the ground he activated his thrusters and halted his freefall, and landed softly.

Continuing deeper he reached an opening in the wall of the cave and beyond which he saw again the walls and ceiling studded with purple crystals, their light creating an ethereal glow. And piles of the purple glowing metal formed small hills scattered across the cavern floor.

Arthur stood amidst the glowing cavern, the soft glow of energy radiating from the Element-M deposits. The faint shimmer of the purple crystals overhead bathed the cavern in an otherworldly glow, casting long shadows across the rough stone floor.

He reached out, grasping a fist-sized chunk of the glowing metal, feeling its weight in his palm. It was smooth yet dense, its surface radiating a subtle warmth. Without wasting time, he connected to the Spear of Heaven’s Guardian AI, his technopathy seamlessly linking to the advanced intelligence embedded within his ship inside his dimensional pocket.

“Guardian, analyze this sample.” Arthur ordered, placing the chunk of Element-M inside his dimensional pocket, transferring it to the ship’s onboard laboratory.

A moment later, the AI’s voice responded, its tone calm and precise. [Analysis complete. The sample is confirmed to be Element-M.]

Arthur exhaled slowly, his excitement controlled but undeniable.The implications of this much Element-M were staggering.

But he wasn’t done yet.

Raising his right hand, Arthur concentrated. A pitch-black substance began to materialize in midair, shifting and expanding like a living entity. The substance coalesced, forming countless tendrils of fluid-like metal, his self-replicating nanobots.

These weren’t ordinary nanobots. They were constructs from the Spear of Heaven, designed with advanced self-replication protocols and made using Alloy-X. Unlike conventional excavation equipment, these machines worked with absolute precision, capable of reshaping their environment.

Arthur sent a command through his technopathy, and instantly, the nanobots surged forward like a dark tide. The swarm split into two primary tasks, one group spread across the cavern floor, walls and ceiling, systematically collecting the Element-M deposits, while the other group moved to reinforce the cavern’s structure.

Massive pillars began forming as the nanobots extracted rock from the cave walls, reshaping and compressing it into solid support structures. Arthur ensured the load-bearing points were properly reinforced to prevent any potential collapse. His calculations were precise, every segment of rock removed was balanced by a corresponding structural reinforcement.

As the nanobots worked, Arthur observed their efficiency. Within minutes, they had gathered enormous chunks of Element-M, he started transporting them into his dimensional pocket. The cavern’s original chaotic layout transformed into an organized operation, the glowing ore being methodically stripped away and stored.

The process continued for nearly two hours.

By the end, Arthur stood amidst the now-reinforced cavern, the last remnants of Element-M disappearing into his dimensional pocket. He did a final scan, every last gram of the precious metal had been extracted.

His mind quickly ran through the calculations.

“Approximately 117 million tons.” He murmured to himself.

That was an absurd amount. His work was done here.

Taking one last glance around the cavern, Arthur deactivated the nanobots, the dark tide receding back into his dimensional pocket inside the Spear of Heaven. The cave was now an empty shell of what it once was, its secrets taken by the one who had first discovered them.

***

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