Josh had only agreed to visit Karlei's tribe on a whim. Normally, a poor little alien tribe with just a few hundred people wouldn't be worth his attention at all.
But sometimes, luck worked in strange ways.
Karlei's tribe lived deep in the desert, in a small oasis nestled within a canyon. And in the very heart of that canyon… was a ruin—one that looked remarkably similar to the place where Josh's group had first arrived through a teleportation array.
However, compared to the portal site they came from, this ruin was in much worse shape. The outer structure had completely collapsed, and there was no way to tell what condition the interior was in.
"You mean that temple?" Karlei replied when Josh asked about it. "I don't know much myself. The elders who passed away used to say it was our sacred ground. But over time, people stopped believing in it, and our tribe started to decline. No one really cares about it anymore."
Josh released a wave of divine energy to scan the ruin.
Sure enough—there was no detectable energy inside. That meant the teleportation array was either destroyed, severely damaged, or missing its core power source.
But for answers, they'd have to go inside and check.
When Josh's group entered the tribe, the contrast was clear. Unlike Karlei's warm welcome, the rest of the tribe was wary and untrusting of these outsiders.
They didn't dare act rashly—after all, Josh's team had arrived in two massive mechanical vehicles—but the resentment in their eyes, especially directed toward Karlei, was obvious.
That wasn't surprising.
Living in such a remote and harsh place, surrounded by danger, people had to stay cautious. If they weren't, they'd already be dead.
Josh understood that. But understanding didn't mean he cared.
Given who he was, he had no reason to go out of his way to help a dying little tribe.
The only ones who seemed genuinely happy were Karlei's younger siblings, who were clearly excited to have guests at home.
That night, inside Karlei's run-down mudbrick house that let in wind from all directions, Josh took a sip of hot sand eel soup and asked casually:
"Karlei, it seems the people in your village aren't too fond of you."
The sand eel, of course, wasn't the one from yesterday. Those don't yield much meat, and they had finished it all during the barbecue. This new batch—five fresh sand eels—had been hunted earlier by Bresta.
When she came back to the village carrying five full-grown sand eels, the locals had nearly dropped their jaws.
Sure, sand eels weren't invincible, but it usually took a veteran, well-equipped hunter to take down even one. Yet Bresta had gone out for less than fifteen minutes and returned with five like it was a walk in the park.
No one said a word, but their eyes revealed one thing clearly: the people Karlei brought were terrifying.
That fear kept them quiet.
"…Yes," Karlei said quietly. "It's because of my parents…" His voice turned somber, and he was about to explain—but Josh raised a hand to stop him.
"I'm not interested in your tragic backstory," Josh said, waving off the conversation. "We've crossed paths, that's all. But tell me—have you ever thought about leaving this place? Living a different kind of life?"
He had heard far too many sob stories to care anymore.
Karlei was caught off guard. For a moment, his eyes lit up—but then something else crossed his mind, and he looked troubled again.
"Don't worry—you can bring your younger brother and sister," Josh said casually, instantly guessing what was on Karlei's mind.
Thud!
As soon as Josh finished speaking, Karlei dropped to his knees and bowed deeply in full submission, forehead touching the floor.
"Alright, from now on you'll follow Mike," Josh added, waving his hand. "As for your siblings, once we return, someone will take care of them. Your treatment and future arrangements—Mike will handle that."
"Huh? Me?" Mike blinked, completely caught off guard.
"When we get back, I'll notify Vito to transfer all Sulawesi-based assets to your name. Your sister has been working hard, so it's time you started stepping up too," Josh said, giving Mike a glance. "And don't forget—you're the older brother."
"Uh… okay." Mike scratched his head. He actually wanted to protest. He still hadn't finished enjoying life. But the look his dad gave him just now sent a chill down his spine, so he could only grit his teeth and nod.
Farewell, school girls… looks like this big brother's really leaving you behind this time.
Mike suddenly felt a little heartbroken.
Watching from the side, Howard the Duck chuckled with glee.
The next morning, the group, led by Karlei, headed to explore the ruins.
Just as Karlei had said, the tribe had no interest in the ruins at all. Even when Josh's team entered, the locals barely reacted.
But it didn't take long for Josh's group to understand why.
The ruins were completely caved in—most of the structure was buried, and all passageways were sealed by collapsed stone and debris.
Judging by the erosion and collapse, this had happened at least a hundred years ago.
And considering the original scale of the site, even with a population in the tens of thousands, no one could have excavated it without heavy machinery.
But for Josh's crew, this was no big deal.
Moments after sending out a signal, a spaceship descended from the sky.
It was an exploration ship Josh had secretly deployed the night before to survey the planet and chart the surrounding star systems.
Despite being called a survey ship, it was no small vessel. It was loaded with industrial robots, Transformers, and even Josh's own copies of the Constructicons—robotic specialists designed for heavy excavation.
Within minutes, the site had transformed into a massive construction zone, and excavation of the long-forgotten ruin began in full force.
But the dig had only just begun when a report came in from one of the Transformers:
"Commander, several ships belonging to two different powers are approaching. Likely from the Krem Federation and the Hirem Kingdom."
Previously, it had been hard to track this planet's odd-looking ships because of the strange particles released by Krym Crystals during flight. These particles created a form of local stealth, making the ships invisible to standard detection systems—similar to the GN Particles from Gundam.
However, once Josh's team had gotten their hands on Krym Crystals and analyzed them, it became easy to develop custom sensors.
So now, these "invisible" ships were fully visible to Josh's tech.
This unexpected discovery only made Josh's side value Krym Crystals even more.
If they could monopolize this energy source, it might become a powerful surprise weapon when facing other civilizations—one that could give them an edge in both detection and stealth warfare.
However, based on the intel gathered in Sark City, it seemed the planet's Krym Crystal reserves might already be running low—or at least what was easily accessible. Of course, it was also possible that this world's civilizations had only just begun to scratch the surface when it came to mining them. The truth would have to wait for deeper geological surveys.
It was also unclear whether other planets in this star system contained Krym Crystals as well.
"Have the aerial squad prepare for combat. If the enemy ships stay outside the perimeter, ignore them. If they cross the line—take them out immediately," Josh said calmly.
He wasn't concerned about starting a fight. In his mind, this planet—and even the surrounding star system—already belonged to him. Whether it ended in conflict or full-scale war, it was only a matter of time.
Just as he expected, the ships from the Krem Federation and Hirem Kingdom didn't dare get too close.
They weren't stupid. Sure, their ships were sizable—over 200 meters long—but compared to Josh's 1-kilometer-wide circular exploration ship, they were completely outmatched. Only an idiot would pick a fight like that.
Instead, they kept sending hails, trying to initiate communication.
But under Josh's orders, the exploration ship completely ignored them.
Left with no other options and unwilling to retreat, the enemy ships simply hovered at a distance, stuck in an awkward standoff.
Soon after, one of the Transformers in charge of excavation sent a report:
"Commander, during preliminary digging, we've confirmed that while the architectural style of this ruin is consistent with what we saw on Sulawesi and the original portal site, this ruin contains a large number of unfamiliar elements—statues, murals, and carvings that weren't found in previous ruins. Most of them are badly damaged, so it will take time to analyze."
"Then get to it. We've got plenty of time," Josh waved his hand.
Half an hour later, another message came through.
"Commander, we've partially translated the carvings."
"Go on."
"The carvings and murals seem to describe a mythological tale—a male god named K'ythri and a female god named Sharra who came together to create countless races… among them are XX, XX, Shi'ar, XX…" (TL/N: Author didn't bother naming them)
"Wait, what did you say? Shi'ar?" Josh cut him off immediately.
"Uh… yes, sir. Based on our translation, the English pronunciation of one of the names is indeed Shi'ar," the Transformer confirmed.
"Do we have more detailed information on that race?" Josh asked.
Could it be a coincidence? The Shi'ar Empire was a massive, galaxy-spanning civilization—how could they be connected to a backwater planet like this one?
He had seen no trace of Shi'ar activity in the memories of the mayor he scanned.
"I'm sorry, Commander," the Transformer said. "What we've decrypted so far is all I've reported. Aside from the name itself, there's no further info on those races."
Hmph… must just be a coincidence, Josh thought to himself with a wry smile.
Just then, a vehicle-type Transformer sped up, transformed mid-roll, and reported:
"Commander, the excavation is complete! We've reached the deepest chamber of the ruin and located a teleportation array. It's fully intact—aside from missing its energy core."
"Let's go take a look!" Josh suddenly stood up from his relaxed tea break the moment he heard the report.
"But Commander, that lower chamber has been sealed for far too long. There's no oxygen, toxic gas levels are high. It needs to be ventilated first or—"
"Do I look like I need any of that?" Josh cut him off with a glance, then turned to Mike and the others. "You all stay here. I'll go in myself."
Before anyone could respond, Josh vanished with a flash.
Seconds later, he reappeared in the deepest chamber of the ruin, where the teleportation array lay.
"Exactly the same!" he muttered in awe, looking at the intricate portal before him. Just like the previous one, the spot where the Krym Crystal was supposed to be… was empty.
Josh pulled out the crystal he had taken from the last gate, letting it float in his palm.
But after a brief pause, he decided to put it away again.
"Guard this place. Don't let anyone near it. If anyone tries to enter—blast them!" Josh ordered the nearby Transformer commander.
"Yes, Commander!" the machine answered firmly.
Josh then opened up a magical teleportation gate.
—
He stepped through and instantly arrived at the first ruin—the one they had originally landed in. There, he reactivated the interstellar portal leading back to Earth and passed through.
Shortly afterward, a vast army of robots began to pour through the portal in perfect formation.
After excavating Karlei's ruin, Josh now understood something clearly—this planet held far more secrets than he had expected. The ruins and interstellar portals here weren't unique—there were likely many more scattered across the world.
That also meant other people… or other forces, might use them to reach this world.
In fact, many of the intelligent species currently living on this planet might not even be native at all.
The truth may have already been buried by time.
And since Captain America had appeared here and vanished without a trace, Josh suspected Steve might have been transported through one of these other portals to yet another world.
To prevent unknown risks and ensure full control, Josh made his decision:
He would send in the military and take control of this entire planet—and the surrounding star system—as quickly as possible.
—
However, there were limits.
The crystal that powered the portal wasn't limitless. And the size of the ruin and the array wasn't built for large-scale transport.
After transferring around 800,000 combat machines, the interstellar gate began to destabilize.
Seeing this, Josh immediately halted deployment. If anything went wrong, he'd still need enough energy left to get himself and his children back home.
Technically, he could have moved even more forces using his System Inventory—but after years of constant trade across different worlds, his inventory was already overflowing with rare resources. He had grown lazy with organizing it.
So aside from storing vehicles and a small portion of the troops, he didn't bother with much else.
Even so, when combining both methods, Josh had still brought in over a million units, plus hundreds of thousands of vehicles—enough to fight multiple interstellar campaigns.
With this force, they could secure several major Krym Crystal mines, extract more power sources, and reactivate the gate for future operations.
--
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