"Seventeen planets?" William raised an eyebrow as the Yautja leader evaded giving a precise answer, instead offering a sly smile. "According to our surveys, there are indeed a few planets suitable for human habitation. If you're interested, we can sell them all to you."
"No need," William replied, shaking his head. He didn't trust such an offer to be as straightforward as it seemed.
One planet was more than enough to keep him busy for years. Besides, humanity's current population didn't necessitate multiple planets.
Seeing William's lack of interest, the Yautja leader sighed. "It's truly remarkable. Despite your small planet's limited resources, in just over a thousand years, your population grew from a few hundred million to over six billion.
If you were to develop a planet three times the size of Earth, I wouldn't be surprised if, in a hundred years, your population exceeded 20 billion. At that point, with space-jumping technology in your grasp, there'd be no corner of the Milky Way you wouldn't explore."
William frowned, considering this perspective. While humanity had its share of adventurers, most people preferred comfort and stability. And if it were up to him, there was no way he'd share space-jumping technology.
Without such advancements, nuclear-powered ships could only explore so far. For vast interstellar distances, hundreds or even thousands of years of travel would be required.
After hours of deliberation, William finally selected a location for the competition: an isolated island featuring a 2,000-meter-tall dormant volcano with a 400-meter-deep crater.
During this time, William debated whether to outright buy the planet or covertly establish a secret underground or mountain base using his portal. Ultimately, he decided against taking such a risk, which could damage his credibility and lead to potential conflicts with the Yautja.
"Does this planet have any alien forces nearby?" William asked, narrowing his eyes.
The Yautja leader's face brightened slightly, sensing William's growing interest in ownership. "Don't worry. This planet lies on the outer spiral arm of the galaxy, 70,000 light-years from the central regions.
Any species without space-jumping technology wouldn't be able to reach this place. And those with the technology wouldn't bother with a planet lacking energy crystal mines."
"And those insects you mentioned earlier? What kind of insects are they?" William frowned. "Are you selling me this planet because of some potential threat?"
"You truly need to learn more about space," the Yautja leader said, slightly exasperated. "Insects capable of drifting through space rely on the gravitational pull of nearby planets or collision forces to move.
Since we discovered them over two millennia ago, their range has only expanded by 40 billion kilometers—a distance comparable to the Sun to Neptune minus five billion kilometers.
Do you know how far a light-year is? It's 9.46 trillion kilometers. Unless you actively transport those insects here, even the destruction of this planet wouldn't bring them close."
Though chastised, William didn't flinch. "And they're not related to Xenomorphs, right?"
"Of course not," the leader replied after a pause. "Xenomorphs were first discovered in our home star system, which requires over a year of space-jumping to reach under optimal conditions."
"So it was your people who brought this disaster to this region of the galaxy," William said, eyeing the Yautja leader skeptically. "Is this why the Yautja are so isolated and stagnant, living off past glory for millennia with no progress?"
The Yautja leader's face darkened, and he remained silent for a moment before responding. "If most interstellar civilizations hadn't shunned us, you wouldn't be able to buy a planet for 10,000 healing talismans."
Hearing this, William couldn't help but smirk. The Yautja's infamous trial hunts involving Xenomorphs made them universally disliked. The fact they weren't outright exterminated was likely because they targeted technologically primitive worlds.
Still, William dismissed it as none of his concern. The Yautja's trials had primarily occurred in the Americas, far from affecting him directly.
"Alright, I agree to the price—10,000 talismans, paid over ten years. However, if this planet is invaded by insects or any aliens within 1,000 light-years, I won't pay the remaining balance. If I defend or reclaim the planet, it will no longer be tied to you."
The Yautja leader hesitated briefly before nodding. Over the years, their extensive search for energy crystal mines had mapped the surrounding star systems thoroughly. Aside from the drifting insects, no spacefaring civilizations were nearby.
"Agreed," he said.
They sealed the deal with a fist bump.
While the Yautja didn't value a planet without high-energy minerals, William saw it as an opportunity. If he couldn't defend the planet within ten years, it meant his plans weren't ready anyway.
Afterward, however, the two clashed over the selection of participants for the competition.
William insisted on using his own people equipped with modified Mk. III suits, while the Yautja leader argued that it was unfair and proposed randomly selecting soldiers or mercenaries already engaged in Earth's wars.
William immediately refused. While special forces soldiers might excel in Earth's conflicts, they lacked the experience to face Xenomorphs or Yautja. The sight of these alien beings might cause even seasoned warriors to falter, perform poorly, or even abandon their teammates.
After some thought, William sternly offered a compromise. "Six of my fighters against three of yours. If you don't agree, the competition is off."
"No magic, no large-scale weapons, and no detection devices beyond the suits," the Yautja leader countered.
"Are you done?" William asked, unimpressed. "If so, we'll meet again in three days."
Before the Yautja leader could respond, William waved his hand, summoning a portal.
As he stepped through, he turned back and said coldly, "If I find out you're trying to deceive me, I promise to ally with the modified Yautja and fully support them against you."
Now that William had encountered Thor and Loki and confirmed the presence of Asgardians, he no longer feared choosing sides in the Yautja's internal conflict.
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