"The world's protagonist... If we touch him, there won't be any trouble?" There was a hint of curiosity in Skynet's voice as its gaze rested on the glowing point marked "key coordinate" on the screen.
Red Queen's voice echoed across the bridge. "The protagonist of this world is not part of the main storyline. No transmigration variables have been detected. The risk of interference is infinitely close to zero."
She paused, then looked toward the white-haired man standing before the command console. "Preliminary assessment: intervention directive may be executed. Kevin, what do you intend to do?"
Kevin stared at the human figure displayed on the massive screen. In the footage, a parasite inhabiting a man's head split it open, transforming into a long tentacle tipped with a blade, instantly killing another human.
Parasites that occupied the head could be dealt with directly. But what about those that infested other parts of the body? How should they be handled?
They certainly couldn't all be killed.
He turned his head slightly and asked the artificial intelligence behind him, "If it were you, how would you handle it?"
"According to ecological model simulations, the parasites' core mission is to eliminate overpopulated humans who disrupt planetary balance. In essence, they exist to maintain natural order."
Red Queen's voice remained devoid of emotion. "However, the current food chain has already spiraled out of control. The parasites have usurped their hosts and taken over the entire planet. The solution is simple—remove the uncontrolled redundant portion and maintain ecological balance afterward."
"Redundant?" Kevin repeated the word softly, his eyes darkening.
At the side, Melin Cavendish tapped her chin thoughtfully.
The parasites were lifeforms born from the planet itself in response to humanity.
That Divine Emperor Kiana had always cared only about order and stability. Whether the planet was ruled by parasites or humans meant nothing to her.
The Will of Ruler cared only for beauty and stood solely on the side it deemed "beautiful"—unrelated to interest, unrelated to righteousness, merely pure favoritism.
From the moment Red Queen's fleet suspended itself in orbit above the blue planet, both the humans and the parasites on the surface had attempted countless communications. Radio waves and signals pierced through the atmosphere, yet all sank without a trace, receiving not the slightest response.
Suddenly, a flash of white light erupted. Kevin and Skynet vanished from the bridge, teleported to a plaza on the planet's surface.
Not long after, a series of synchronized footsteps approached from the distance. At the forefront was a mature woman dressed in a black suit. Behind her followed a group of bodyguards in suits—their skin subtly rippling as cellular tissues wriggled beneath, ready for combat at any moment.
"Welcome to Earth," the woman said calmly as she stopped. "I am Reiko Tamura, the prime minister of this country."
She examined the two before her, a flicker of surprise passing through her eyes.
These "aliens" who had descended from a starship looked identical to humans.
Yet the terrifying power concealed beneath their human appearance made the fused parasites behind her instinctively tense.
Kevin's gaze swept across every face in the group before settling on Reiko Tamura. He spoke indifferently, "Is Shinichi Izumi not here with you?"
Reiko Tamura froze for a moment. "You know my husband?"
"I don't." Kevin's eyes drifted past her toward the fused parasites behind her—bodies stitched together from multiple parasites, yet in his eyes no different from ants. "You didn't equip them with weapons? Or do you believe this is enough to deal with me?"
To ordinary humans, the power of fused parasites was overwhelming. Even a fully armed human squad could be slaughtered with ease.
But before Kevin, they were still insignificant.
"Weapons are meaningless," Reiko Tamura replied evenly. "A civilization capable of crossing interstellar space to reach Earth could annihilate us with a single bombardment. We have never intended to oppose you."
She keenly sensed the hostility radiating from Kevin and could not help asking, "You seem... to harbor great hostility toward us?"
Skynet suddenly let out a light laugh and interjected, "Oh, there is hostility. He intends to wipe you out entirely."
"Why?"
Reiko Tamura's brows drew together in confusion.
Why would this white-haired man stand on humanity's side?
"Because he believes he is human." Skynet shrugged.
"I cannot understand that." Reiko Tamura shook her head.
In her view, Kevin belonged to a completely different alien race, distinct from both humans and parasites.
"Never mind him. He's always been like this." Skynet waved dismissively, unwilling to waste more words. "Alright, enough talk. You may return and prepare—he will challenge your entire world alone. If you lose, this world will be reshaped according to his rules."
Invade in this manner?!
Reiko Tamura's eyes sharpened. "And if we win?"
Skynet replied, "Under the condition that no external variables intervene, your probability of victory is zero."
"Just him alone?" Reiko Tamura instinctively looked at Kevin. From beginning to end, he had said nothing further, merely standing with eyes closed. Yet the pressure radiating from him made the air itself feel frozen.
"That's right. Just him." Skynet nodded. "We will not interfere."
Reiko Tamura fell silent for a moment, swiftly weighing the pros and cons before speaking in a low voice, "How much time do we have to prepare?"
"Ten days."
With those words, Skynet's figure dissolved into white light and instantly teleported back to the Saintess Prayer.
Kevin remained alone in place. His eyes were still closed, his arms crossed over his chest. The biting chill surrounding him seemed capable of freezing the very air.
He had no interest in exchanging meaningless words with these parasites. Compared to talking, it was better to let strength speak.
Reiko Tamura looked at Kevin, an uneasy premonition rising in her heart.
One man challenging an entire world!
Were alien races truly this powerful?
She turned and quickly departed with her team.
At the same time, on the bridge of the Saintess Prayer.
Saint Kallen gazed at the white-haired figure standing motionless in the plaza on the screen and asked softly, "Will Kevin win?"
Red Queen fell silent.
Upon hearing that question, Kevin's near one-hundred-percent probability of victory seemed to drop significantly.
Probably just an illusion.