Arthur took a deep breath, stretching his muscles as he prepared to go out and test the obelisk. But he had one more thing to do before doing that.

He contacted the Guardian AI of the Spear of Heaven through his neural link.

“Guardian,” Arthur said, his tone firm but measured. “I would like you to take care of the golem. Try to determine what it eats, if it even needs sustenance, and create a section for the study of Element-M and about the creature. But I want all experiments to be non-invasive. No dissection, no forced interactions. Just observation.”

[Understood, Commander,] the AI responded. [I will conduct a passive study and ensure its well-being.]

“Good.” Arthur leaned back in his chair. “Keep me updated if you discover anything useful.”

[Affirmative.]

Satisfied, Arthur closed the link. He exhaled slowly, rubbing his temple. The golem was an anomaly, and he wants to see if it’s connected to Element-M somehow. If it had some kind of link to Element-M, understanding it could give him further insight into the mysterious material.

For now, though, he had other tasks to handle.

…

Inside the Spear of Heaven

The Guardian AI immediately began its observations. A small spherical probe, about the size of a human fist, floated out of the wall of the chamber, its silent thrusters humming as it navigated towards the golem.

The golem, still curled atop its pile of Element-M, emitted a faint, rhythmic hum, a sound reminiscent of purring. Its crystalline body shimmered in the dim lighting of the chamber, its violet veins pulsing faintly.

The probe approached the golem, hovering a few feet away.

At first, the golem remained still, its luminescent core dim. Then, as if sensing the probe’s presence, its head twitched. A deep, reverberating coo escaped from it, something almost… curious.

Then, it reached its massive crystalline fingers at the tiny floating object. The probe darted backward, narrowly avoiding the grasp.

The golem chirped, seemingly amused, and tried again.

The Guardian AI, processing the reaction, deployed a second probe. While the first served as a distraction, zipping around in playful loops, the second hovered quietly behind the golem, scanning its structure.

[Data acquisition in progress,] the AI noted.

The scene was oddly reminiscent of a child chasing a butterfly. The golem was clearly reacting with some level of intelligence, perhaps curiosity.

As the first probe zipped higher, the golem tilted its head, its glowing core brightening in what almost seemed like excitement. Then, in a surprising display of agility, it leaped, its massive frame moving with unexpected grace.

The probe barely escaped.

[Behavioral analysis: playful tendencies detected. Possible cognitive development beyond baseline instinct.]

The second probe finished the first of its many scans, as the first continued distracting the golem.

The Guardian AI silently processed the data. [Further study required.] And started to test different things with the golem.

…

Back on Trakuun-5

Arthur piloted the shuttle away from the mining station, the rocky terrain of Tarkuun-5 stretching endlessly beneath him. It didn’t take long for him to spot the remnants of his old cabin near the cave where he found the Element-M deposit.

He brought the shuttle down carefully, setting it near the ruined structure and then he put it inside his dimensional pocket. The moment he stepped out, the scent of nature filled his lungs.

The destroyed cabin was in even worse shape than he remembered. The walls were missing or splintered, the roof was nowhere to be seen, and debris was scattered across the area. Nature, on this planet, had already begun reclaiming the site.

Arthur moved through the wreckage, searching for what he had left behind. After a few minutes of sifting through broken planks, he found them, several fist-sized pieces of Element-M, hidden beneath the debris.

He picked up one of the shimmering metallic crystals, rolling it between his fingers. He pocketed the fragments. He hadn’t collected the pieces yesterday due to haste, so he picked them up now.

Then, without wasting more time, he turned toward the cave entrance.

…

Inside the cavern

The air within the cave was noticeably cooler, the temperature drop almost instant as he stepped inside. Arthur moved deeper, retracing his previous path.

He reached an open chamber, the very spot where he had encountered the crystalline guardian yesterday.

Taking a deep breath, he retrieved the obelisk from his dimensional storage.

The artifact materialized in his hands, its dark metallic surface shimmering faintly. Arthur turned it over, feeling the slight hum of energy pulsing beneath its structure.

“Time to see what you can really do.”

He willed it to expand.

Instantly, the obelisk reacted. The smooth, fist-sized object began to stretch and shift while floating in front of him. Within moments, it had fully extended into its three-meter form, standing like a silent monolith in the center of the cavern.

Arthur took a step back, watching as the energy within the obelisk began to fluctuate.

“Alright… let’s test this.”

He reached out with his technopathy, connecting with the artifact.

A surge of raw information flooded his mind. Unlike machines or AI systems, the obelisk’s responses weren’t structured or logical, they were fragmented, pulsing waves of data that felt… weird to describe in words.

Arthur narrowed his eyes, pushing through the chaotic stream of information.

Then, something clicked. The obelisk pulsed once, then the very air around it shifted. The obelisk has the capacity to form different sizes of dimensional rift and he willed it to form the smallest form possible.

A low hum filled the cavern, growing in intensity. The symbols along its surface brightened, their glow now casting dancing shadows across the walls. The very fabric of space seemed to bend, as if something unseen was pressing against reality itself.

Arthur tensed. He could feel it, the boundary between dimensions beginning to distort. Then, a faint shimmer appeared in front of the obelisk. A ripple in space.

Arthur watched, breath steady, as the shimmering distortion expanded. It wasn’t a portal. Not yet. But it was something close, an attempt to reach beyond the veil of the universe.

“Interesting,” he muttered.

The obelisk continued its activation sequence, the energies swirling faster. Arthur glanced at the shimmering distortion, then at the obelisk.

Then a few moments later, with a resonant pulse, a two meters wide rift opened in front of him.

Before him stood a gateway, a dark expanse rippling like the surface of disturbed water. His heart pounded with anticipation.

…

Arthur hesitated for a second, weighing his options. Should he go through now, or would it be wiser to prepare first? He shook his head, he didn’t need to overthink this. His plan was simple: step through, take note of his surroundings, and return. This was just reconnaissance.

He reached into his dimensional storage, summoning his armor. The sleek, dark plating unfolded in front of him, the segmented layers opening from the chest outward. Arthur stepped inside, feeling the familiar embrace of the exosuit as it sealed around him with a quiet hiss.

<Systems Online.> His HUD flickered to life, scrolling through diagnostics.

He collected the obelisk from its position, gripping it tightly. The moment he did, the rift wavered, its edges trembling. Without the obelisk’s stabilizing force, the portal wouldn’t last long.

Arthur took a steadying breath, kept the obelisk in his dimensional pocket. Then, without further hesitation, he stepped forward and disappeared into the darkness.

…

Somewhere Unknown

The transition was instant. One moment, he was inside the cavern on Tarkuun-5. The next, he was somewhere else entirely.

Arthur’s boots landed on soft, damp ground. He instinctively raised his weapon, scanning the area.

It was day time, towering trees surrounded him, stretching impossibly high, their dark green foliage forming a dense canopy overhead. The air was thick with humidity, carrying the scent of wet earth. In front of him was some kind of strange flora along the trunks and vines, casting eerie shadows across the ground.

He was in a forest.

Arthur frowned beneath his helmet. “Did it fail?”

His first thought was that the obelisk had somehow transported him to another part of Tarkuun-5. The terrain seemed similar, lush, untouched wilderness. But something felt… off.

His instincts told him this wasn’t the same world. To confirm, he needed data.

Arthur reached into his dimensional storage and released several fist-sized reconnaissance probes. They hovered around him for a moment before he activated their stealth functions. The probes shimmered out of visibility, bending light around themselves as they ascended through the thick canopy.

He controlled them manually, sending them higher, pushing them toward the stratosphere.

A minute passed. Then another.

Arthur’s frown deepened. “Why is it taking so long?”

On Tarkuun-5, his probes would have breached the upper atmosphere in less than sixty seconds. But even at full speed, they were still climbing after more than four minutes. That meant one thing, this planet was significantly larger and had a thicker atmosphere.

“So, I’m not on Tarkuun-5.”

His HUD confirmed the data: gravity was slightly stronger than standard, and the atmosphere was denser than Earth’s.

Arthur released thousands of additional probes, deploying them in all directions toward the planet’s upper layers. Through his visor, he watched as his real-time map expanded, new terrain being scanned and logged.

<Atmospheric Analysis Complete.>

Arthur glanced at the report on his HUD.

• Oxygen Levels: 36%
• Nitrogen: 54%
• Other Gases: 10% (Traces of unknown compounds)
• Gravity: 1.2x Standard
• Temperature: 29°C (Humid)
• Radiation: Negligible

<———————->

“Breathable air,” he noted. The high oxygen percentage was unusual, most habitable planets didn’t have levels this high. It meant two things:

If fire started here, it would be far more intense. And any creatures here would likely be larger and more energetic than standard terrestrial life.

He narrowed his eyes, scanning the forest. The place was quiet, with few sounds of birds or insects, and the occasional rustling of leaves from the wind.

…

Arthur didn’t waste time. He reached into his dimensional pocket and summoned his shuttle.

The sleek shuttle materialized beside him, its metallic surface reflecting the dim ambient light. The landing struts adjusted to the uneven ground as the engines hummed to life.

Arthur climbed inside, taking his seat as the cockpit sealed around him. His HUD instantly synchronized with the ship’s sensors, linking to his neural interface.

<Flight Systems Engaged.>

He activated the vertical thrusters, and the shuttle lifted smoothly into the air while simultaneously going into stealth mode.

As he ascended, he opened his System Map, monitoring for lifeforms or possible threats within a five kilometer radius around him.

He pushed the throttle, guiding the shuttle upward through the thick atmosphere.

Then, as he reached the upper cloud layers, his probes picked up something massive moving in the distance.

Arthur’s fingers tightened around the controls at what he saw in the dashboard of his HUD.

***

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