Chapter 10: Galactic Shadow
Far North of the Segmentum Obscurus, Outer Reaches of Known Space**
In the cold of the void, a vessel slowly drifted, propelled by an unknown force. Its hull was as black as an endless night, with dark purple hues shimmering faintly under the light of distant stars. Yet, its form was neither steel nor machinery. It was flesh—alien, warped into a spacefaring leviathan by incomprehensible powers.
Moving like a predator amidst the stars, its immense, grotesque body bore countless wounds. Flesh hung torn, burned, and ravaged, yet still alive. Within its organic hull, swarms of horrors from beyond the galaxy churned, ever ravenous to satiate their unending hunger.
Few dared to face such an abomination, and fewer still survived the nightmare it unleashed when the ultimate predator found its prey in the dim light of dying stars.
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### Kronvar – Shargathon System
On a crimson world beneath a black sky lit only by the red glow of its dying sun, the dark sands stretched across the landscape. Towering above them was a sprawling mega-city built under immense gravitational pressure. Mortals toiled endlessly in their harsh existence, while the nobility indulged in the finest wines and luxuries.
No one questioned this order; it had been this way for nearly 8,000 years since the planet's discovery. Serving the Imperium for millennia, noble houses fought, proved their worth, and lived in towering spires that rose kilometers above the masses.
Atop the tallest spire stood the governor's palace, where the most critical decisions were made. Behind closed doors, a man and a woman—husband and wife by alliance, lovers by choice—observed a holographic projection of their domain, ruling over half a billion souls.
"How's the boy doing?" Valadares asked, shifting the hologram to a distant region near the city's lower edges.
"The same as ever—intelligent like Zadak, but even more gifted than Gael was at his age," Eleonora replied with a proud smile.
Valadares nodded, satisfied. "Good to hear. Now, about the matter I called you for..."
"You want William to take on new responsibilities, to be treated as an adult," his wife interrupted.
The man nodded again. "We discussed this a few years ago. I've decided the small domain he currently holds is too insignificant for someone with his potential."
"I do adore my son," Eleonora mused, a faint, elegant smile gracing her lips. "But you can't deny that you're just as indulgent with Gael."
"He's my heir," Valadares countered, waving her off with a grin. "But let's focus. Here's the territory I have in mind."
The hologram shifted to show a cluster of eight towers surrounded by massive, decayed factories and sprawling residential complexes. The mines beneath them ran as deep as old Terra's Mount Everest.
"Koprul Sector," Eleonora noted. "Designated as a mining zone, abandoned eight centuries ago after the Ork War." She scanned through the archives rapidly.
"Our ancestors cleared the sector over centuries. Unfortunately, gangs, mutants, and the remnants of Orks still plague the area," Valadares explained.
"It's a dangerous region," she noted. "But with vast potential rewards. Any capable—or lucky—governor could live quite well, even under the shadow of desert predators."
"The Orks were wiped out across most of the sector in the past two centuries," Valadares added. "I oversaw that effort myself for the last 37 years."
"Yes, but scattered survivors still linger in the wilds. They'll always be a threat."
"Tribal remnants," he dismissed with a scoff. "Nothing for a noble of our bloodline to fear."
"It also ensures Gael has no rivals for the throne," she pointed out.
"By law, those who assume responsibility for a domain must govern it until their death," Valadares reasoned. "William would be tasked with observing, ruling, and protecting the sector."
Her tone remained calm, devoid of emotion, as she contemplated the implications of her husband's proposal. She quickly pieced together his intentions and responded.
"Why?"
"He's your favorite, Eleonora," Valadares replied with rare candor. "We've had many children, but duty weighs on all of us. Many have been sent away as tithe over the centuries, but I want you to feel at ease. This is a real opportunity for the boy—a chance to establish a noble house in a lucrative region. If he succeeds, he'll earn our support and secure his place in the world."
Eleonora nodded slowly. "I'm pleased to hear this. I'll prepare the path for him. It's a good way to keep him on the planet."
"Yes," Valadares agreed, smirking. "And with no tithe for 20 years, we'll have plenty of time to see what other opportunities arise."
Eleonora gave her approval, sealing the arrangement—a pact that had endured for 8,000 years under the Imperium's rule.
---
### William
Steel clashed against steel. I countered with a brutal punch, my knuckles crashing into my opponent's jaw. Blood dripped from his split lip, but he didn't falter.
His axe swung toward me, narrowly missing my arm, as the crowd roared in excitement. I retaliated with a kick to his knee, then struck again with hammer-like force. The sickening sound of bone breaking echoed through the arena.
His scream was music to my ears as I drove my blade into his shoulder. Blood gushed as he collapsed, defeated.
The wound across my chest stung—a long but shallow cut. Around me, the nobles cheered, reveling in the violence.
The slave was dragged away while I was draped in a cloth and led up the stairs. Laughter and congratulations echoed as I ascended.
"Behold our new arena champion!" Gael declared, grinning as his friends joined in the revelry.
"Not bad for a beginner, don't you think?" he asked, tossing me a towel to wipe away the blood.
I took a seat as servants tended to me, including Sara, the blonde slave who applied salves to my slowly healing wounds.
"The wonders of science and wealth," I muttered.
"It could've been better," I admitted. "I misjudged one strike."
Truthfully, I hadn't wanted to kill the man. But I would have if it came to that. The blood in my eyes had blurred my vision for just a moment.
"You'll get another chance," Gael assured me. "Xavier will want to reclaim his losses."
"Then he'd better send someone better," I replied confidently. There was more to this than victory—it was about proving myself.
"That's the spirit, little brother!"
We watched fight after fight—slaves and beasts alike pitted against one another. The creatures of Kronvar fascinated me, monstrous hybrids of reptile and predator, brutal yet somehow tamable.
"I need one of those," I mused, watching intently.
Gael chuckled, wine in hand, as a towering man fought a ferocious alien hound. The creature's tail pierced his chest, but not before he split its skull with his axe. Blood sprayed as the crowd descended into a frenzy.
The metallic tang of iron lingered in the air. My psychic senses, dulled to mask my abilities, struggled to penetrate the haze of excitement.
"I don't like this," I thought, uneasy.
Eventually, I decided it was time to leave. With Sara and my contingent of genetically enhanced guards in tow, I departed.
- **Mission Complete: Arena Duel**
- **Reward: Random Technological Knowledge Acquired**
- **Prototype Gauss Rifle!**
The sudden influx of information hit me like a jolt of electricity.
"A Gauss rifle?" I thought, studying the schematics that filled my mind. The weapon resembled something straight out of *Starcraft*.
"Could I acquire technology from other universes?"
The question lingered, but I set it aside. For now, I had gained something valuable. All I needed was a tech-priest radical enough to bring it to life.
That would be the true challenge.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Edryan
Edryan After reading other isekai stories I tried to turn off my brain and just write, it seems to have worked since I have up to chapter 13, but now I will try to connect the chapters to the plot I have in my mind. I believe everyone knows who the enemy is at the beginning of the chapter, I also realized that I never made the year clear, I will put the year later but it can be said that it takes place about a few centuries before the great rift.
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