In William's world, the concept of scarcity reigned supreme—especially for life-saving items like his healing charms. Their value wasn't just about the power they held; it was about controlling their supply.
He had already decided that if the Predators wanted more than a modest supply, they'd have to barter with things he found genuinely valuable.
Pocketing the remaining six charms, William noticed the elder Predator's piercing gaze. He quickly understood: he hadn't yet "paid" for the information.
Handing over the charms, he said casually, "Five for the questions, and the extra charm plus the experimental ones are payment for clearing out the pyramid."
The elder's expression softened, accepting the charms with a slight smile. "Fair enough."
William added, "Make sure you thoroughly clean it out, including the Xenomorph Queen.
If I find out you're conducting trials on Earth again, or that Xenomorphs reappear here, you can forget ever buying another charm from me. Clear?"
The elder Predator wasn't fazed by William's sharp tone, but some of the warriors behind him grumbled.
A single glare from the elder silenced them.
William continued, "This is my home. No one wants their house in chaos.
And if I have to deal with Xenomorph outbreaks, I won't have the time or energy to make your charms."
The elder Predator took a moment to consider before nodding. "Fine. As your ally, and because of the value of your charms, we'll ensure no more Xenomorphs are used here.
However," he added firmly, "by ancient interstellar accords, Earth is our discovery. It's technically a colonial territory of our species.
Until humanity advances beyond its star system, we retain the right to visit once every hundred years for trials."
Ancient interstellar accords?
The words piqued William's interest. Smirking, he said, "How about we play a game?"
The elder nodded. "I'm listening."
"Find a habitable planet close to Earth that suits both humans and Predators. Build an arena there for a hunting competition.
Three humans and one Predator per team. Nine humans and three Predators. The goal is to hunt 100 Xenomorphs in three days.
The team with the most kills wins—or, if both teams are wiped out, the one with surviving members wins."
The elder immediately asked, "What's the wager?"
William was surprised by how quickly he agreed. These guys really are addicted to hunting.
He thought for a moment before replying, "If I lose, I'll give you 1,000 healing charms."
"Agreed," the elder nodded. "And if I lose?"
William grinned. "I'll still give you 1,000 charms, but you'll hand over all the schematics for that hundred-meter-long ship. Payments will be spread over three years."
The elder's mandibles flared slightly in disapproval, so William explained, "I can only make 20 charms a day—10 to pay off debts and 10 to keep in reserve.
If another alien species shows up, I might need to trade with them too.
You can't expect me to let you monopolize my charms, can you?"
"No," the elder replied sternly. "If I lose, I'll give you a ship worth 10,000 charms, not just the schematics.
And," he added, "you must grant us exclusive purchasing rights to your charms for the next ten years. Otherwise, I'd rather not trade at all.
We'll also ensure no other species reaches Earth's space lanes. Unless your kind ventures out, Earth will remain isolated."
Exclusive rights? William's eyes narrowed. There's something they're not telling me.
"Why the insistence on exclusivity? Are you preparing for war? With whom?"
"Augmented Predators," the elder replied bluntly.
William was momentarily taken aback before the elder elaborated.
"Three thousand years ago, under the leadership of genetically modified individuals, our species reached its zenith.
But our unchecked exploration of the stars led us to encounter a merciless species—a plague that spreads like wildfire."
"Xenomorphs?" William asked.
The elder nodded. "Within a year, our homeworld was lost. Afterward, our species split.
We now value unaltered, natural evolution, while the augmented Predators recklessly splice genes, turning themselves into monsters."
The elder gestured to himself, his yellow-and-black-speckled face a stark contrast to the hologram he activated on his wrist.
The image showed a towering, black-scaled Predator with oversized mandibles and pronounced spines.
"This is a Black-Armor Augmented Predator.
They are stronger, taller, and more bloodthirsty. If they don't hunt within a week, they grow restless.
If a year passes without a hunt, they start killing each other."
Damn.
William studied the hologram, then glanced at the elder. No wonder these guys despise the augmented Predators.
It was like comparing normal humans to monstrous hybrids. While many humans might wish for greater strength, few would trade their humanity for scales and horns.
Feigning nonchalance, William asked, "So, you're saying you're hunters—but more civilized?"
"No," the elder corrected. "There's nothing civilized about us.
The only difference is our approach to evolution.
We have the patience to wait, while the augmented Predators recklessly splice genes, creating abominations that threaten every species they encounter."
At that moment, the elder reached into his pouch and retrieved a small, glowing crystal about the size of a lighter.
"This is an energy crystal," he said, handing it to William. "It's the universal currency of the stars and the primary power source for most spacecraft.
One crystal for each healing charm."
William held the crystal up, scanning it with his smart glasses.
"SIR," Sunday chimed in. "The energy contained in this crystal is a hundred times greater than that of the primary reactor in your Mark III armor or a small arc reactor."
The elder continued, "Though it's a common commodity, this crystal can power a ship under 30 meters for a full day.
And if you wish to travel within the solar system, this energy will be indispensable.
Only with such crystals can you achieve space jumps."
William's eyes lit up. "One charm for one crystal? Deal."
The elder nodded, satisfaction evident on his face.
While healing charms were easy for William to produce, these energy crystals represented immense value—especially since they could enable him to explore the solar system and eventually venture beyond.
For the first time, William felt the allure of interstellar trade.
"The stars have so much to offer," he mused. "And I'm just getting started."
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