30: Forced sale? No, this is called "asset restructuring".

[star-glory - Bridge Ruins]

The air was thick with the stench of charred flesh and overheated metal.

D-01's power boots stepped on the shattered crystals covering the floor, making a crisp "crunching" sound; every step felt like chewing on the remains of this advanced civilization.

"Cough... ugh... let... let go..." Commander Sarriel was held by the throat with one hand, lifted into the air.

His face had turned a purplish-red from lack of oxygen, eyes bulging and bloodshot from the rapid increase in intracranial pressure.

His lungs felt like they were on fire as he opened his mouth in vain, only able to produce meaningless rasps.

The hand clutching his neck—a massive hand covered in gray-black Ceramite—was not using its full strength.

D-01 merely maintained the necessary force to keep him from breathing without killing him instantly. He could clearly feel the low hum of servo-motors from that hand and the tooth-grinding "creak" of the metal skeleton as it fine-tuned its grip.

D-01 didn't look at him. This Vanguard Sergeant of the First Legion's prototype company slightly tilted his head; on the face completely covered by the Grimace Helmet, only the Tactical Visor flickered with a faint green light.

His auditory sensors filtered the captive's meaningless groans as background noise, focusing all computing power on receiving the encrypted data stream coming from across dimensions... [Holographic Operations Cabin]

Li Cang's fingers tapped rapidly on the virtual keyboard. The battle damage report before him looked like a death warrant, every pulsing red number making his heart race.

"The balance sheet... is a total mess," he cursed under his breath.

Tactically, this battle was a complete victory.

But from his perspective as the "Civilization CEO," it was a bloody, near-bankrupt pyrrhic victory.

[power armor Structural Wear: 12% (External armor plate replacement, joint servo-motor maintenance, estimated repair cost: -300 GP)]

[Early-model Bolter Barrel Life Depletion: 18% (Severe rifling wear, requires replacement or re-forging, estimated maintenance cost: -150 GP)]

[Heavy Chainsword Tooth Breakage Rate: 30% (Overloaded while cutting the crystal hull, requires tooth-chain replacement, estimated cost: -200 GP)]

[Chemical Rocket Jump Pack Fuel consumption: 95% (Fuel exhausted, requires re-synthesis and replenishment, estimated cost: -400 GP)]

-1050 GP.

And that was just the equipment maintenance fees.

"If I don't break even, I'm dead," Li Cang muttered to himself, his voice hoarse.

He immediately switched his perspective to D-01's first-person view, locking onto the elf Commander still struggling in vain.

"System, scan the target unit and perform a deep asset assessment."

[Scan Complete: Sarriel Windrunner. High noble of the Crystal Energy Federation, seventh in line for the Windrunner Family. Hero Unit (Purple Rarity).]

[Assessment Option A - Kill: Expected yield 500 GP + small amount of Magic Dust.]

[Assessment Option B - Capture/Ransom: Expected yield 3000 GP + Rare Resource Pack x2 + Enemy civilization technological intelligence (Valuable).]

Li Cang's pupils constricted suddenly.

He saw that narrow profit margin like a bolt of lightning cutting through the darkness.

"Option B." He made his choice without hesitation and immediately issued new orders through the communication channel.

"D-01, open a full-spectrum broadcast, crack their communication encryption protocols, and force a connection to the opposing fleet." "Tell them the asset auction begins now."

...[star-glory - Bridge]

D-01's Tactical Visor flickered, confirming the command.

He turned his head, the black grimace faceplate stained with others' blood slowly approaching Sarriel's face.

"Comms. Open." D-01's voice, amplified by external speakers, sounded like two rough pieces of metal rubbing together. "I... I don't know..." Sarriel trembled all over, tears and snot uncontrollably covering his face.

D-01 didn't waste words. He raised his other hand, an armored index finger pointing to a large, flickering crystal ball on the nearby command console—the Ship-wide Broadcast Core.

Then, he gently pressed the blade of the low-speed spinning Chainsword, with its ferocious teeth, against the base of Sarriel's thigh. Vrr—the Chainsword's speed increased slightly.

The expensive silk pants were instantly torn to shreds by the high-speed rotating teeth; a few sharp teeth grazed the skin, and blood immediately seeped out.

The tiny vibration of teeth rubbing against skin was more terrifying than having an arm chopped off directly.

"AAAAAH! I'll open it! I'll open it! Don't move! I'll open it right now!"

Sarriel let out a piercing scream that didn't sound human. He reached out with a trembling hand, almost instinctively injecting a weak bit of mana into the crystal ball.

Zzt—vrr. A massive holographic screen expanded above the ruins of the bridge.

On the other side of the screen was the chaotic Crystal Energy Federation reserve fleet headquarters, along with countless faces of elf nobles filled with horror and rage.

"Sarriel! What on earth happened to the star-glory?!"

"Who is that black steel monster?! Answer me!"

In the screen, an Elder Elf wearing a Star Crown was pointing at the screen and roaring in anger.

D-01 ignored the futilely enraged old man.

He simply adjusted his stance, letting his massive 2.3-meter-tall frame occupy the absolute center of the frame like a mountain.

Behind him was the smashed bridge and the corpses of Crystal Guards blown into chunks by bolt shells.

"I am First Legion, D-01." D-01 spoke, his tone as flat as if he were reading a report on metal recycling prices.

"Your ship is now the property of the Empire."

"Your people are now the assets of the Empire."

"Barbarian! Despicable bandit! Release my son! Immediately! Or the Crystal Fleet will blast you and this filthy Red Planet into cosmic dust!"

D-01 remained silent for a moment, waiting for the next command.

A second later, the command arrived.

D-01 suddenly raised his hand, lifting the struggling Sarriel before the camera like he was displaying an item about to be auctioned.

Then, he reached out with the hand holding the Chainsword and grabbed the Family Seal Ring on Sarriel's left hand, which was glowing with intense magical light.

Crack.

Without any hesitation, without even any redundant movement.

Using two armored fingers, D-01 snapped off the ring along with Sarriel's ring finger.

The crisp sound of bone breaking clearly traveled across both channels through the microphone.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Sarriel's scream, shrill and distorted, instantly drowned out all communication noise.

There was deathly silence on the other side of the screen. The Elder Elf's roar caught in his throat, his expression switching from fury to pure, unmaskable horror in an instant.

D-01 casually tossed the severed finger, still dripping with blue blood, to the side and held the ornate ring before his eyes to examine it for a moment.

After confirming that the magic gemstone on it hadn't been damaged in the previous act of violence, he stuffed it into the tactical pouch at his waist in front of everyone, like collecting a trophy badge.

"First bid," D-01's cold, emotionless voice rang out again.

"One finger."

"If payment isn't made, the next one will be his neck."

This was not a negotiation.

Only the most primitive law of the jungle.

If you don't give me what I want, I will destroy what you care about.