"Would you go to war with an African nation over a gold mine worth ten billion pounds?"
The answer to that question was obvious to William. No matter how weak the African nation might be, it was still a sovereign country, and the costs of war could easily exceed ten billion pounds.
Adding to that, mining the gold would come with its own expenses, and William didn't even need gold—it wasn't a vital resource for him. Starting a war over it would be senseless.
Reflecting on this, William quickly understood the Predator leader's message. The Predators didn't lack energy crystals, and with the pressing threat of the modified Predators, they were just as unlikely to start a war with the Zerg.
The Predators likely believed that with healing stones, their century-long war could be shortened to just a few years. By then, William, still building his forces, might be desperate enough to engage the Zerg. At that point, their roles would reverse, with William dependent on them instead.
This realization brought a flicker of frustration to William's face. Had he been selling healing stones too cheaply?
If the Predators' ancestral star system had also encountered Zerg millennia ago, and their energy crystals primarily came from that region, it implied massive reserves.
When the Predator leader proposed, "We're willing to increase the price. Beyond our original agreement, any additional healing stones will be exchanged at a rate of two energy crystals per stone," William's suspicions deepened.
Until now, trading energy crystals for healing stones had seemed reasonable—William needed the crystals for his projects. However, considering the circumstances, it was clear he had been underselling his product.
The X17 deal might have been fair; after all, a habitable planet three times the size of Earth was priceless to William at the time. But now, he had the leverage to demand far more.
Smiling coldly, William said, "One healing stone for 100 energy crystals. Agree to this, and I'll recruit other magicians to increase production. Producing 100 stones a day won't be an issue."
"Other magicians?"
"Of course," William replied with a grin. "How do you think I learned magic without a legacy to follow?"
The Predator leader's expression darkened as he silently considered the implications. Dealing with one magician was already challenging, as their abilities were hard to counter without energy cannons. If William truly had allies, a war with magicians could spell disaster for the Predators.
Shaking off his irritation, the leader calmly responded, "A rate of one to 100 is impossible. Even if we could afford it, we couldn't sustain such costs.
"At the original price, we could use the stones freely. But at your new rate, we'd be forced to reserve them for emergencies.
"For example, if we deploy ten squads—400 warriors—and give each warrior three healing stones, a single mission would cost 120,000 energy crystals!"
Even the Predator leader seemed taken aback by the sheer number. "If that's the case, we might as well prolong the war and focus on isolating the modified Predators, restricting their resources until they eventually collapse."
William frowned, momentarily silenced. In large-scale, prolonged wars, logistics often determined the outcome.
Healing stones were lifesaving, but when their price became unsustainable for a faction or race, it was often more cost-effective to sacrifice personnel and focus on critical targets.
If the two Predator factions negotiated a truce—unlikely as that seemed—it would spell disaster for William. One side would resent him for exploitative prices, while the other would view him as an enemy.
After weighing his options, William said, "One for ten. That's my final offer."
"Wait here," the Predator leader replied, stepping aside to communicate with his superiors.
Two hours passed. William's patience wore thin just as the leader returned with a response.
"The Elder Council has agreed. In ten days, we'll need 1,200 healing stones."
"Deal," William said without hesitation.
The war would continue, and with the price of healing stones raised tenfold, he was in no rush. Producing 1,200 stones was manageable, as his current capabilities allowed him to craft 50 per hour.
As the Predator leader departed with a grim expression, William didn't concern himself with their dissatisfaction. Their agreement to the terms meant the price was still within their tolerable range.
Watching the leader leave, William mulled over the implications of the two-hour delay in communication. It confirmed that the Predators' new homeworld wasn't nearby, making its discovery a daunting task.
As for waging war against the Zerg to seize energy crystal mines, William resolved to calculate the risks thoroughly before committing.
For now, the ongoing agreement guaranteed 600 energy crystals for 600 healing stones monthly, alongside an additional 1,200 healing stones for 12,000 energy crystals. The total of 3,000 crystals per month gave him plenty of breathing room.
Planning ahead, William instructed Sunday, "Once the third spacecraft is complete, send it on a reconnaissance mission to the Zerg's territory, using the Predators' star maps as a guide."
"Understood, Sir," Sunday replied.
"And when it's done, don't let it return. I don't want any stealth-capable Zerg hitching a ride back to X17."
Returning to the Oxford castle through a portal, William was unaware of the chaos unfolding on Earth in his absence.
The disappearance of both Megatron and the AllSpark had thrown the Decepticons into disarray. After searching for over a century, the loss of these critical assets, along with their complete vanishing act, left them panicked.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the fallout from the attack on Sector 7 was catastrophic.
For decades, Sector 7 had operated under direct presidential oversight. Now, with most of its personnel killed and their research—including Megatron and the AllSpark—gone, the disaster was too vast for President Benjamin Arthur to manage alone.
The White House quickly became a hub of frantic activity as the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, and several high-ranking generals convened to address the crisis.
Watching the security footage from Sector 7, President Arthur's expression twisted in shock as the cloaked Predators appeared onscreen.
Turning to the Secretary of Defense, he held up the file in his hands. "Are you telling me we've had contact with these aliens since 1987?"
(End of Chapter)
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