Intergalactic conquest with an AI-Chapter 318: Little green Devil.

"Hurry up! Don’t make me hit you again!" one of the slavers shouted out, his voice echoing through the dimly lit lower district of the Hive city. The air was thick with the stench of sweat and despair, the narrow streets crowded with the downtrodden and the desperate.

"You damn slave! Can’t you carry it correctly!? Uh!?" another slaver shouted while lashing out with a whip at a young boy who had stumbled under the weight of the cargo he was forced to carry.

The boy cried out in pain, but the slavers showed no mercy; their laughter was cruel and unrelenting.

The Hive city was a towering megastructure, hundreds of thousands of kilometers wide and stretching high into the sky.

It was a common sight across the galaxy; it was a self-contained ecosystem where the wealthy lived in the upper districts, bathed in the light of the stars, while the lower districts were shrouded in perpetual darkness.

Here, the poorest of the poor seeked out a living, their lives a constant struggle against poverty, crime, and exploitation.

The lower districts were a haven for criminals, a place where the law rarely ventured. The slavers operated with impunity, capturing young and vulnerable individuals to sell as merchandise in the middle districts. Their victims ranged from children to young adults of various races, all destined for a life of servitude or worse.

"Boss, how was your hunt today?" a new arrival asked, his voice dripping with greed as he approached the slaver boss.

The boss, a burly man with a scar running down his face, grinned widely. "Ohh, brother! What brought you here?" he asked while opening his arms as if welcoming a long-lost friend.

The newcomer, a slaver merchant, smirked. "I just came to see the quality of the new product I’ll be selling tomorrow. Did we get something good this time?"

The boss chuckled, his voice sounding rough and grating. "Not really, just common trash. But strong trash that’ll sell for a good sum on the farms, haha!" He punctuated his words with another crack of his whip, striking a nearby kid who had fallen and disrupted the line.

The merchant laughed, clearly enjoying the spectacle. "Hahah, I see the boss is still good at his work."

But their laughter was interrupted by a new sound of a woman’s voice that was light and mocking, cutting through the air like a knife. "Hahaha, and here I thought I was the cruel one."

The slavers froze, their heads snapping toward the source of the voice. Standing behind them was a young woman with light green hair and a strikingly beautiful face.

She sat perched on a public light post, her legs swinging carelessly as if she were a child enjoying a show. But there was something about her... something that sent a shiver down the spines of even the most hardened slavers.

"Who’s there!?" the slaver boss shouted, his voice tinged with unease.

The girl tilted her head with her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Hmm? Who, me? I’m just a little girl watching a show, just like all of you."

The slaver merchant’s eyes widened, and he nudged the boss urgently. "Quickly, boss! Capture her! She’s definitely premium goods! We can get a lot of credits for her!"

The boss hesitated for a moment, his instincts warning him that this girl was not what she seemed. But greed won out, and he shouted an order to his men. "Tsk! You heard him, lads! Go and capture her!"

The slavers moved quickly, surrounding the girl with practiced efficiency. But she didn’t flinch; her smile never wavered. Instead, she leaned forward, her eyes narrowing as she addressed the slavers.

"Let’s see... mmm, this one... two... three... lots of them!" the little girl said while pointing at the slavers with her finger as she tried to count them. By the look of it, mathematics wasn’t her forte.

She tilted her head, her light green hair swaying as she swung her legs carelessly from her perch on the light post.

"There’s really a lot of you to capture me... mmm, what to do?" she mused, placing a finger on her lips as if deep in thought.

The slaver merchant, sensing an opportunity, stepped forward with a greasy smile. "Heheh, don’t worry, little girl. Come down already; we’ll treat you really well. I can even give you some candy that I have in my car. Why don’t you come with this uncle?"

His voice was sickly sweet, but his eyes gleamed with greed as he imagined the credits she would fetch.

Ys giggled, her leafy eyes sparkling with amusement. "Mmm, I’m sorry, but my darling doesn’t let me go with other men. You see, he’s really a jealous man. Isn’t he cute～?" She gave them a sweet smile; her tone was playful but laced with danger.

The slaver boss, growing impatient, pulled out a handgun and aimed it at her. "Come down already, damn brat! Do it yourself, or I’ll shoot you down!"

Ys’s gaze shifted to him, her glowing, leafy eyes narrowing slightly. "Mmm, that’s not enough firepower. You’ll need at least laser weapons to even injure me, mister."

The slaver boss hesitated with a flicker of fear crossing his face. But before he could respond, Ys’s expression shifted, her playful demeanor replaced by something far more sinister.

"Well then, since I’m pretty sure you’re just another low-level grunt, I’ll take care of all of you," she said while her voice sounded calm but carried an edge that sent chills down their spines.

The slaver boss’s eyes widened as Ys’s glowing, leafy eyes flared brighter. "E-everyone, shoot her now!" he shouted while firing his handgun at her. The other slavers followed suit, their weapons lighting up the darkness with bursts of gunfire.

But Ys simply raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

The next second, the streetlights in a kilometer-wide radius exploded, plunging the area into total darkness. The only light came from the muzzle flashes of the slavers’ weapons and the eerie glow of Ys’s eyes.

Then the screams began.

"Ahhh, boss!"

"N-no! Stay away! Ahhhhhhh!"

"You won’t take me, al—"

"Ahhh, my arm!"

The slaver boss stumbled backward, his heart pounding as the sounds of his men being torn apart echoed around him. "W-what’s happening here? Merchant, are you still there!? Somebody answer me!"

he shouted, his voice trembling with fear. But there was no response.... only the sounds of chaos and the occasional flash of green light.

"Mmm? That was all? It’s really disappointing," Ys’s voice whispered in his ear, so close it made him jump. He turned slowly, his breath catching in his throat as he came face-to-face with two huge pairs of predatory eyes glowing in the darkness. Explore hidden tales at novelbuddy

"Wha—" he started, but before he could finish, he was gone.

A few minutes later, an streetlight flickered back to life, illuminating the scene. Ys stood in the middle of the street, her glowing green eyes returning to their normal size. She looked around, her expression one of mild annoyance.

"Mmm. Maybe next time I shouldn’t explode the streetlights," she muttered. Then, with a wave of her hand, she called out, "Phantoms, give me some light～"

From the shadows, several glowing green visors appeared, their eerie light illuminating the area as they began repairing the damaged streetlights. Ys watched them work with her hands on her hips.

"Mmm, that’s much better," she said, satisfied. Then she glanced at the time and pouted. "Mmm, it’s already this late? I should call darling～!"

She tapped her arm device, and Rex’s voice came through. "Mmm? Ys? Is something the matter? Is everything down there going as planned?"

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"Ah... darling!!!" Ys whined, her tone suddenly sweet and playful. "There’s just slavers here! I haven’t found any big groups! Are you sure there are some criminal groups that are useful?" She pouted, her leafy eyes wide with mock disappointment.

Rex chuckled on the other end of the line. "Patience, Ys. You’ll find them. Just keep looking. And try not to blow up too much of the city, okay?"

Ys grinned, her playful demeanor returning. "Fine, fine. But if I don’t find anything interesting soon, I’m coming back to bother you!"

Rex laughed. "Deal. Now get back to work."

As the call ended, Ys turned her gaze to the horizon, her glowing, leafy eyes narrowing with determination. "Alright, let’s see what other trouble I can stir up," she murmured while a sly smile played on her lips.

As the call with Ys ended, Rex leaned back in his seat. He glanced out the car window, taking in the glittering skyline of the high districts.

This was the realm of the rich and powerful, a place where towering skyscrapers were adorned with neon lights and the streets were lined with luxury vehicles.

Bars, strip clubs, and casinos dominated the landscape, their flashing signs promising endless indulgence. It was a sin city for the elite, a playground where the wealthy could lose themselves in excess.

But Rex wasn’t here for the entertainment. Tonight, he had a different mission. He had invited himself to one of the most prestigious night galas in the city, an exclusive event attended only by the most powerful and influential individuals on the planet.

Officially, it was hosted by the Nexum representative of the world, but Rex knew better. This was a gathering of the galaxy’s movers and shakers, and he intended to make the most of it.

The car slowed as it approached the entrance to the gala venue, a sprawling mansion surrounded by manicured gardens and guarded by a small army of security personnel. The driver pulled up to the gate, where a guard in a crisp uniform stepped forward.

"Good evening, dear guest," the guard said, bowing slightly. "May I scan your invitation?"