Far away in London, William experimented with different types of jade, testing which material was most effective for storing magic.
At the same time, through the spider robots still present on the ice field, he eavesdropped on the Predators' conversation.
His lips curled into a mocking smile. These Predators haven't abandoned their experiments on evolution.
It was obvious. The intelligence displayed by the elder Predator and his assistant far exceeded that of the average warrior. This didn't happen by accident.
No one stops advancing just because there's risk. If they've experimented with evolution, they've undoubtedly had some success.
William chuckled internally. What's this nonsense about stopping progress because it's dangerous? It's all an act.
Drinking water can cause choking, yet humans still drink. Businesses face pushback from competitors yet continue to grow. Likewise, the Predators wouldn't halt their evolution experiments over fear of failure.
The elder's words weren't meant to reassure William—they were likely aimed at some other, unseen entity.
Still, his growing realization brought a sense of relief. If the Predators were waiting for humans and other species to evolve to harvest their genetic material, they likely wouldn't wipe out humanity outright.
For now, at least, Earth isn't facing total destruction.
As William crafted twenty healing charms, his mind began to wander.
Other alien species could also reach Earth, right? Why have none launched large-scale massacres? And why do the Predators seem to follow certain unwritten rules here?
Perhaps the Predators had made an agreement with some unseen force, one that restrained their actions on Earth.
If Earth truly has something that makes alien species cautious, then at least complete annihilation is unlikely.
Having finished the healing charms, William's mana had already fully regenerated after a few minutes of meditation. He opened a portal and returned to the ice field.
He tossed ten non-white-jade charms to the Predators and asked, "Who is the nearest alien species to Earth, and where are they?"
The elder Predator replied, "We are the nearest species capable of interstellar travel. As for where our planet is, that's classified."
William's eyes lit up. If they're the closest species, there are likely other inhabited planets nearby. Perhaps I could even locate one.
Smiling to himself, he drew his pistol and shot the leftmost Predator in the arm.
"Use the charm," he instructed calmly, observing as the Predator pressed the jade charm against his wound.
The results were disappointing. The green jade's healing effect was slow, reducing the wound size by only half after thirty seconds.
William tossed the Predator one of his premium white jade charms and excluded green jade from future use.
Turning back to the elder, he pointed at the hundred-meter-long spacecraft parked nearby.
"How many of these jade charms would it take to buy that ship?"
The elder shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend you buy a starship capable of interstellar travel. Owning one and leaving your solar system would signal that your species is now part of the cosmic community.
That would attract more aliens to Earth, including hostile species and potentially even space pirates."
William fired another shot, this time at the second Predator from the left, who had raised his hand to volunteer.
Watching the charm's healing effects closely, William tossed another premium white jade charm to ensure a full recovery.
"Does that mean as long as I don't leave the solar system, owning such a ship is fine?"
The elder pondered before replying, "It would avoid war with aggressive species, but it might still encourage some aliens to illegally immigrate to your planet."
William's patience thinned. "Are there already alien immigrants on Earth?"
"Yes," the elder admitted plainly.
"Fuck." William cursed under his breath and repeated his process—another shot, another charm, and another experiment.
If the Predators have been coming to Earth for thousands of years, other aliens have likely been visiting too.
But how are they hiding their true identities? Are they humanoid, or do they use advanced technology to blend in?
This better not turn into a Men in Black scenario.
Returning to the matter of the spacecraft, William asked, "How much for the technology to build a ship that can navigate the solar system?
And how much for the tech to build that hundred-meter-long ship?"
The elder hesitated before answering, "One thousand charms for the small ship's technology, ten thousand for the larger ship."
William's eyes narrowed. "Are you sure you're not just planning to use my charms to buy this tech from someone else?
You Predators wouldn't happen to be middlemen, would you?"
"No," the elder said firmly. "If you board the ship, you'll see that its control systems are in our language. This technology is uniquely ours."
William stroked his chin, weighing the possibilities. If the Predators really can't manufacture their own ships, that would imply there's an even more advanced alien race behind them. That's not good news for Earth.
But if the Predators were capable of building these ships themselves, why were their personal weapons so primitive? Could it be that Earth—or something on it—was holding them back?
William finally spoke, "One hundred charms for solar-system-level tech. One thousand for the tech for a ship like that one."
"That's impossible," the elder replied immediately. "If you want a ready-made ship, we can customize one with your language for twice that price.
But selling the technology outright is far more valuable."
William fired again, testing another charm's healing effects. As he observed, he smirked and retorted, "Do you realize how long it would take me to make 10,000 charms?
Even working at full capacity, it would take me years to produce that many. And let's not forget, your hundred-meter-long ship is still just a 'small ship.' That seven-hundred-meter-long vessel in orbit? At best, it's medium-sized.
So, here's my offer: 100 charms for solar-system tech, 1,000 for that small ship's tech. Take it or leave it."
Negotiating with aliens brought out William's stubborn streak. While he could produce charms faster if needed, he refused to let them devalue his work.
Healing charms are life-saving items, not trinkets. Flooding the market would only cheapen their worth.
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I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 471)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 677)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 1059)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1418)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1422)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1452)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1504)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld!(Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 703)
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