Red Dragon Spaceship Awakening: I Gain Alien Abilities on Mars-Chapter 204: Motive

"During the fall of Earth," the Viking began, his voice steady and matter-of-fact, "Humans found a way to live on Mars. And they managed to do it for some of the other planets as well."

He paused, his gaze distant for a moment, as if recalling something he had read or heard long ago.

It seemed Vikings had a knack for history and he wasn’t saying this because he heard it recently but saying it because it was something he had learnt a long time ago.

Well, in the obscuron’s case, a long time ago wasn’t so long.

Sure he knew of the obscuron..., almost everyone did.

But he got to really study the man when he sent his army to invade his city, did a damn lot of damage and kidnapped many of his warriors.

That was when the New Helios leader studied the obscuron so deeply here he was, narrating it to other leaders sitting with him.

"Though there is still life on Earth, the planet is a shadow of itself now. It can only accommodate a handful of people. The infrastructure is gone. The ecosystems are collapsed and most of the major cities are nothing but ruins."

Tatehan felt a sharp pang of curiosity cut through him. He leaned forward slightly, his attention completely locked on the Viking’s words.

"Earth is now... dry," the Viking continued. "Almost empty. I’m not entirely sure of the details, but it seems the Space Dragons scorched nearly all the water on the surface. The oceans are gone and the rivers evaporated. What’s left is just barren rock and dust."

Tatehan felt his stomach twist. He had known Earth was destroyed, but hearing it described in such stark terms made it feel more real and more final.

Like there was no hope for the planet again.

"Why I’m saying this," the Viking went on, "Is that there is no hope of going back there. If the Obscuron’s threat grows bigger, we can’t just pack up and seek refuge on Earth. That option doesn’t exist anymore. We can go to other planets, though..."

Tatehan noticed immediately that the Viking did not name any of those planets. Whether that was intentional or just a habit of keeping certain information close to the chest, he could not tell.

The Viking’s expression darkened. "The Obscuron believes that the creator—whatever god or force he thinks is responsible for existence—already ended humanity with the Space Dragon Wars. In his mind, we shouldn’t have survived. We shouldn’t have escaped. The fact that we did is an affront to the natural order."

He let that hang in the air for a moment before continuing.

"And that’s his belief. Humanity disgusts him. We’re an aberration, something that should have been erased but somehow managed to cling to life. And since the ’creator’ didn’t finish the job, he’s decided he will."

The room was silent. Even the man from Iron Haven, who had been casually leaning back in his chair, was now sitting upright, his attention fully focused on the Viking.

Tatehan’s mind was racing.

Well, that was an insane thing to believe!

He had always assumed the Obscuron was just another power-hungry warlord, someone who wanted to carve out territory and rule through fear. But this was different and ideological. Religious, almost. And that made it infinitely more dangerous.

So he even believed in a ’creator’.

Tatehan had long ago dismissed villains to think that they are some god. People who could do what they wanted with... yunno, the reassurance that there was no repercussions to their Vicious acts.

But the obscuron was built different.

He was (IS!) a psychopath.

"Wait," Tatehan said, his brow furrowing. "I thought he controlled the west of Mars? Did he kill the humans there too?"

The Viking nodded grimly. "He killed most of them. Anyone who opposed him and anyone who refused to join his cause were eliminated. Now there’s no city in the west. No civilization, actually. Just him and his followers. Many people fled before it got too bad. Some were recruited into his forces. Others... didn’t make it."

He paused, his expression stoic and looking like how it always was.

"The thing is, if his mission on Mars is successful, he won’t stop here. He’ll expand to the other planets where humans have managed to survive. And he’ll do to them what he’s trying to do to us."

The leader of Loenitt, who had been silent for most of the meeting, suddenly spoke up. Her voice was calm but pointy with curiosity.

"Do you know how he’s lived for so long? I discovered he was from Earth originally. One of the first colonists."

The Viking shrugged. "He’s a madman. Of course he found a way to live long. There was this world’s richest man on Earth before the fall who was trying to do something similar, you know. Life extension technology, genetic manipulation, all that. Maybe the Obscuron got his hands on something like that. Maybe he figured it out himself. Either way, he’s still here...alive."

He leaned forward, his hands resting on the table.

"Personally, I think he’s not that godlike yet. I mean, he’s powerful. Really powerful. Probably the most powerful person on Mars right now. But he’s not invincible. And that’s why we need to act now, while we still have the chance."

"Before he grows even stronger. Before he finishes consolidating the west and turns his full attention to the rest of us... which he is slowly doing by the way."

The Viking turned his pale eyes onTatehan.

"You called this meeting, Knight man. You’re the one who convinced us to sit down and talk. So tell me, what do you think is the best way we work together to stop him?"

Tatehan felt the pressure of every gaze in the room settle on him. The leader of Loenitt, the man from Iron Haven, the leader of Reon Outpost, the Viking himself, all of them were waiting.

If he hadn’t lived an adult life and knew a thing or two about stuffs like this before, he would have said he was too young for this.