Killing her outright would definitely trigger a massive backlash, which wouldn't be beneficial to his plan to seize actual control of the Exiled Government. It would be best to operate subtly, like pinning Ruth's death on this native civilization they encountered.
Garcia let out a cold laugh.
"Capture her and lock her in the detention pod."
At the command, a large group of advanced soldiers surged forward, ignoring Ruth's shouts as they forcefully dragged her into the detention pod.
Then, Garcia swiftly ordered the fleet to head to a nearby planet. He had Ruth's detention pod air-dropped down and instructed his men to pilot a spaceship stolen from the players to the surface, awaiting his orders.
Once everything was ready, Garcia contacted the other members of the Exiled Government.
"There's been a major incident, Ruth was attacked by a native civilization on her way here. I'm rushing over urgently to save her. If you're available, you'd better come quickly too!"
A single statement caused an uproar.
Garcia's words sent shockwaves through the entire Rajas Exile Government. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novęlfire.net
In an instant, around two thousand spaceships scattered throughout the star system started heading toward the coordinates Garcia provided.
Garcia looked smugly at the virtual screen displaying the detention pod.
He hadn't originally intended to act against Ruth so soon, but since she came to cause him trouble, she'd have only herself to blame for his ruthlessness.
Just as Badan was unlikely to fare well, the death of another like Ruth would incite the anger of everyone in the Exiled Government. He could use this opportunity to simultaneously achieve the goals of seizing control of the Exiled Government and attacking the native civilization.
As he pondered, Garcia recalled what Bai Fu had said before: "I'll be at your doorstep soon."
Could it really be done?
He didn't believe it!
It had to be something the Ghost Night Dominator said just to scare him!
If the Ghost Night Dominator could really appear in front of him immediately, he'd swallow himself whole!
"Do it, make it quick, and leave half of Ruth's body, remember, the upper half. Don't give me just the lower half, I want to make her death more visually impactful!"
Garcia issued the order.
He crossed his arms, watching the virtual screen with interest.
But he waited for several minutes with no movement from the spaceship he had dispatched.
Garcia frowned deeply. The longer the delay, the greater the risk of exposure once those who've received the news arrive and he attempts any manipulation.
"Why haven't they acted yet?"
Unexpectedly, his inquiry went unanswered, like a stone dropped into the sea, causing no ripples.
Garcia immediately shouted, "All ships, turn your cannons, aim at that stolen spaceship!"
At this moment, from the communicator in front of him came a voice so familiar it was uncanny.
"Only just now realizing something's wrong?"
Indeed, the person speaking to him now was the Ghost Night Dominator who had threatened him earlier.
She had arrived, she really had, and in a way he hadn't noticed at all!
Garcia's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, almost to the point of leaping from his chest.
He realized he and Badan were wrong. The "native civilization" they encountered likely possessed strength far surpassing that of Rajas. To this "native civilization," perhaps they were the true "native civilization."
Reconciliation, yes, there should still be room for reconciliation.
After all, he's a Dominator, disposing of a few S-class superpower users isn't such a grave offense, right? As for the ice crystal ore theft, that was Badan's doing. He did allow it, but it wasn't his order.
Garcia's lips turned white. At this moment, his men hadn't yet noticed his abnormality, each asking him, "Lord Dominator, should we fire now?"
"Fire... No, stop, everyone sto—"
Garcia didn't get to say the stop part before his eyes widened, seeing billowing smoke suddenly emerge from above the stolen spaceship. The next second, a terrifying white tide flowed out from the smoke, rushing toward him at the speed of light.
Cries of alarm arose, accompanied by the piercing, irritating warning sounds from each spaceship.
[Detected energy intensity exceeding limits, please evacuate immediately!]
If I could leave, I would, but it's already too late!
Everyone on the spaceship, including Garcia, could only watch with wide eyes as the white tide engulfed them.
This is a torrent of Spiritual Energy.
This is the judgement of doomsday.
Shields, armor, battle armor, flesh and blood...
Under the impact of the torrent, everything melted away.
Garcia continuously stimulated the power within him to form new energy shields.
In the cycle of fragmentation and reshaping, he felt as if his body was about to be torn into two.
He didn't know how long it had been, but when he felt he could barely hold on, the white tide finally disappeared.
Garcia looked around in surprise, only to see an empty expanse of space with nothing else in sight.
All his men, even those whose power reached catastrophe level, were dead.
Everything he painstakingly accumulated was destroyed in that torrent, leaving only his battered self.
Garcia was suddenly filled with rage, anger overshadowing his fear.
"Ghost Night Dominator, I'll fight you to the death!"
"You should be grateful it wasn't my true form here, otherwise that one strike of the Void Spirit Torrent would have been enough to send you off."