Allen's shuttle, carrying what seemed like two An impending supernova, slowly entered the massive hangar of the Unyielding under the astonished gaze of the Alliance fleet.
The tractor beam carefully lowered the two trophies.
The moment the beam vanished, Trigg, propping up his almost-collapsed body, stood firm, his deep-set eyes sweeping over the fully armed Alliance soldiers who looked as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
His icy gaze made them instinctively take a step back. He ignored everyone, his eyes fixed on the side.
The White Lion's massive body was firmly pinned to the floor by a restraint field; the invisible cage prevented it from standing.
It crouched low, its mane trembling slightly from anger and exhaustion, a suppressed, rumbling growl echoing deep in its throat.
Its burning golden eyes were now filled with offended fury, the fatigue of exhaustion, and blatant contempt for the tiny insects around it.
It tried to struggle, and the restraint field hummed piercingly, arcs of electricity flickering, yet it couldn't move an inch.
This only fueled its rage, and a roar, full of power and defiance, made the entire hangar vibrate, causing many soldiers to turn pale.
"Release its restraints."
Trigg's voice was hoarse but carried an undeniable tone of command, breaking the tense atmosphere in the hangar.
Allen immediately waved his hand.
"Do as Regent Trigg says! Be careful! Maintain maximum alert!"
The restraint field generator slowly ceased its hum, and the invisible pressure vanished.
The White Lion's massive body suddenly relaxed. It let out a low growl, attempting to stand, but the muscles in its limbs still trembled violently; the day and night of peak battle had been too draining.
It ultimately only raised its enormous head, its burning, untamed golden eyes sweeping like searchlights over the dense rows of soldiers, the cold steel walls, and finally settling on Trigg.
The anger in its gaze had not subsided.
"Take it to the Chamber of Contemplation," Trigg ordered Allen, his voice weary but still clear.
"Prepare the highest level of… reception. Notify the core members of the Council and representatives of all major factions to assemble in half an hour."
"We, and this guest, need to have a good talk."
He deliberately emphasized the word "guest," and Allen's heart tightened, immediately understanding Trigg's intention: this was not a prisoner, but a potential ally possessing destructive power, one who needed to be treated with courtesy.
He quickly arranged personnel, carefully guiding the still-stumbling but imposing White Lion towards the sturdy and spacious Chamber of Contemplation, prepared for important visitors within the ship.
Along the way, soldiers scattered, as if facing a moving volcano.
The news swept through Alliance Headquarters like a hurricane.
The White Lion!
That terrifying entity, which in video footage tore through armies of Primordial Aberrations like an ancient beast, had been invited back by Regent Trigg!
And, it seemed, not as an absolute victor?
Half an hour later, the Chamber of Contemplation was heavily guarded.
Inside the hall, around a massive circular conference table, core members of the Alliance Council, several influential generals from the military, representatives from major star regions (including several conservatives who had voiced criticism of Trigg's policies), and a few top scientist representatives had all taken their seats.
The air was thick with tension, curiosity, greed, and deep apprehension.
In the center of the hall, the White Lion's massive body was coiled, like a mountain forged of snow.
It seemed to have recovered some stamina, its breathing much steadier, but its aloof arrogance and wildness, looking down on all beings, had not diminished in the slightest.
It kept its eyes slightly closed, as if feigning sleep, but when its eyelids occasionally lifted, its cold golden vertical pupils swept over everyone present, like blades scraping skin, sending a chill down everyone's spine.
The meeting began.
The Speaker cleared his throat, attempting to welcome this powerful cosmic guardian, this great ally against the Primordial Aberrations, with officially enthusiastic rhetoric.
He described the Alliance's grand mission, the necessity of unity, and subtly hinted that the Alliance was willing to offer rich resources and high status in exchange for the White Lion's friendship and power.
The conservative representatives followed, their tone even more humble, even tinged with flattery.
They emphasized the Alliance's order and traditions, hinting that Trigg's radical policies might bring uncontrollable risks, and promised that if the White Lion was willing to guard their star regions, it would enjoy absolute autonomy and unimaginable offerings.
The military representatives were more direct.
A hawkish general stood up, gave a standard military salute, his voice booming.
"Great Being! Your power is a treasure of the universe, and the Alliance Fleet needs your participation!"
"Imagine, your claws tearing through enemy flagships, your roar shaking entire star regions, you will become the Alliance's ultimate, invincible weapon!"
"We will tailor the strongest battlefield for you!"
His words were filled with adoration for pure military might and a desire to exploit it.
The scientist representatives, their eyes glowing with fanaticism, cautiously proposed hoping to obtain a small biological sample of the White Lion—even just shed fur or metabolic waste—to study its incredible life structure and source of power, to benefit the Alliance's great cause against the Primordial Aberrations.
All sorts of promises, temptations, and probes surged like a tide towards the silent behemoth in the center.
Someone promised it a planet as territory, someone promised it the Alliance's highest honor medal, and someone even hinted at sharing the Alliance's most core secret technologies.
The White Lion remained with its eyes closed, as if the surrounding clamor was merely the buzzing of mosquitoes.
Only when the general called it an ultimate weapon did its eyelids twitch slightly, and a very soft but deeply mocking snort escaped its nostrils.
Just as everyone thought this powerful being disdained to communicate with them, or simply didn't understand their language—
A deep, resonant voice, carrying a strange metallic quality and an ancient rhythm, like rolling thunder, boomed through the massive Chamber of Contemplation.
"Noisy."
Just two words, yet they contained supreme majesty and suffocating pressure, bringing all sounds to an abrupt halt!
Everyone looked in horror at the white behemoth in the center of the hall, which had, at some unknown moment, opened its eyes, its golden vertical pupils like burning stars, coldly scanning every person present.
Where its gaze fell, no one dared to meet it.
Its voice sounded again, slow and clear, each syllable like a heavy hammer striking everyone's hearts.
"I am not your weapon, nor your ally."
Its massive head turned slightly, its gaze finally passing over everyone and settling on Trigg, who had been sitting silently in the main seat, his eyes as deep as ice.
"All that you speak of is but dust."
"Order? Tradition? Glory? Offerings? Territory?"
The White Lion's mouth curled into a bestial, yet very human, sneering arc, revealing its stark white fangs.
"In my eyes, they are but sandcastles built by insects, collapsing at a touch."
Its voice suddenly rose, carrying a wildness and pride that pierced the soul.
"My path is only battle! Only the exhilaration of tearing apart strong enemies, only the joy of destroying powerful beings!"
"You, weak as ants, what right do you have to point my direction, what right to presume to wield my claws?"
Its gaze was fixed on Trigg, the golden flames burning fiercely.
"Only him!"
The White Lion raised a sharp claw, pointing directly at Trigg, its voice like a declaration.
"Only Trigg! Only he who can directly withstand my fury, who can battle me with flesh and steel until stars shatter, is a strong enough opponent!"
"His will, his battlefield, will have enemies worthy of my claw!"
The hall was deathly silent.
All the overtures, promises, and calculations seemed so pale, so ridiculous, so vulnerable before this naked declaration, based on the worship of pure power.
The White Lion's voice deepened, yet carried even greater weight, as if branded into everyone's consciousness.
"I came with Trigg, not for your Alliance. My claws will only strike at the enemies he points to."
"If he falls, or if there are no more enemies worthy of battle…"
The White Lion's golden eyes swept across the room, icy and piercing.
"You all, are my prey."
Dead silence!
The White Lion's declaration was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the flames that had just ignited in the hearts of all factions, wishing to bring this behemoth under their command.
It disdained the Alliance's rules, schemes, and promises.
It recognized only one thing: power!
And Trigg, who could provide it with enemies worthy of battle.
The Speaker's face alternated between green and white.
The conservative representatives exchanged glances, their eyes filled with fear and helplessness.
The hawkish general clenched his fists, regretting the loss of an ultimate weapon and startled by its undisguised threat.
The scientists, however, had shining eyes; though they couldn't directly study it, the very existence of this behemoth was the most precious living sample!
Trigg slowly stood up. There was no expression of surprise or delight on his face, only that unfathomable coldness.
He looked at the White Lion, giving a slight nod, a response to its acknowledgment.
"Very well."
Trigg's voice broke the silence, leaving no room for doubt.
"The White Lion's choice is clear. It will become the Alliance's spearhead against the Primordial Aberrations threat, directly answering to me!"
"Any attempt to circumvent me to contact or interfere with it will be considered a subversion of the Alliance's highest strategic interests."
He surveyed the room, his gaze sharp as a knife.
"The debate ends here; our time is limited. The next phase of the Scavenger Project officially begins."
He turned to the scientist representatives and the military's logistics Person in charge.
"The coordinates and preliminary scan data of the Titan Remnant have been distributed. I need the most detailed analysis report, as well as a capture plan targeting any potential activity or defense mechanisms."
"Mobilize the engineering fleet, prepare space stabilization anchors and super-heavy restraint field generators."
He then looked at Allen and the intelligence department.
"Intensify monitoring of the target area. Any abnormal energy fluctuations or large-scale movements of Primordial Aberrations must be reported immediately."
"At the same time, search for any ancient records or legends related to the Titan Remnant, even the most absurd ones."
Finally, his gaze fell on the White Lion.
"You need to recover. The Alliance will provide you with the… high-energy matter you require. The target for the next hunt will be the remains of an ancient Titan."
"I hope it will satisfy you."
In the White Lion's golden eyes, fatigue was replaced by rekindled fighting spirit.
It let out a low, expectant roar, as a response.
A Titan? An ancient giant god?
This sounded much more interesting than crushing those Primordial Aberrations remnants!
The meeting concluded.
Representatives, each with their own thoughts, quickly dispersed, but the atmosphere had completely changed.
The White Lion's existence, like an unavoidable, potentially erupting volcano, had thoroughly altered the internal power dynamics of the Alliance.
Trigg's position became unshakeable due to the White Lion's almost declarative allegiance.
At least on the military front.
The entire Alliance Headquarters, like a massive war machine, roared into action under Trigg's will.
Scientists frantically analyzed Titan Remnant data in laboratories, engineers worked day and night in shipyards to modify colossal engineering vessels, fleets were frequently mobilized, and the intelligence network operated at high speed.
A tense yet expectant atmosphere of preparation for war spread.
And deep within the Unyielding, in a specially reinforced, massive compartment, the White Lion lay sprawled on a mountain of custom high-energy alloy ingots prepared for it, like a dragon coiled on treasure.
It licked the minor wounds left from battle, its golden eyes half-open, half-closed, burning with a craving for the Titan.
The next swing of its claws would surely tear apart a grander, more ancient being.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
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If you guys wanna check it out.