System Wars: Here Comes the Heroes!-Chapter 41: Two for One Deal

Now that Nitropulse had been added to the roster, the System decided that now was a good time for them to leave.

[All objectives have been completed, and all possible recruits that can be found here have been recruited. Please, standby for return teleportation.]

"Ah, it looks like we're done here. Baller," SK commented as soon as he finished reading the notification panel.

Soon after, a shower of rainbow-colored energy particles began to manifest around SK, Platiknight, Tin Star and Nitropulse.

"Oooh! Pretty," Tin Star whistled at the sight.

"What the hell kind of energy is this?" Nitorpulse asked as he tried to use a scanner on the energy particles surrounding him. "Doesn't look like any teleporter tech I recognize."

"You guys are leaving already?"

Unsurprisingly, the light show surrounding SK and his heroes had attracted some attention from the Lumenlithics surrounding them.

A majority of the people went back to helping reconstitute their loved one's soul crystals. However, Princess Bisma had decided to pause in order to address the exiting heroes.

SK was hoping Platiknight or Tin Star could handle talking to the princess and giving the usual goodbye speech. Unfortunately, they made it obvious that since he was technically the leader, he had no choice but to do it himself.

"Duty calls, ma'am," SK said in his most heroic voice. "We're just a group of wandering heroes, after all. Saving whatever world calls for our help."

"But...what if we need you again?" Princess Bisma asked before adding a follow-up question in the form of a whisper. "What if I need you?"

SK wanted to answer, "Don't worry! If you need help, then I will come", but he couldn't.

Realistically, he ended up on this planet because the System wanted him to come here.

Bing-Bong!

"Huh?"

Evidently, the System wanted him to possibly come back in the future as well.

[Notice: Due to the actions of the User and their heroes, an opportunity to place a permanent recall beacon has been activated. If presented and accepted by an authority figure of any given world, this will allow the User to travel freely between their world and any worlds with a beacon. However, if they are called by the beacon during a time of crisis, they must answer. A hero's promise is the expectations of the people, after all.]

"No way..."

As soon as SK finished reading this alert message, the aforementioned beacon appeared in his hand like a blessing from the beyond.

Whether by complete coincidence or by design, the System had made the beacon to resemble the superhero emblem that was emblazoned on SK's chest at this time.

Not needing any prompting at this point, SK presented the beacon to Princess Bisma.

"What...what is that?"

"This...is a very special beacon," SK answered. "If you or your people are ever in trouble, you can use this beacon to call on us for assistance. Whatever the danger, we'll be sure to answer. That is...if you're willing to accept—"

"YES!"

Before SK could finish his explanation, Bisma already grabbed the beacon, and the System alerted him that he now had a registered fast travel point to the Lumenlithic's homeworld...and the subsequent galaxy it was a part of.

Before any additional words could be shared or any additional questions could be asked, SK, Nitropulse, Platiknight, and Tin Star disappeared from view as they transformed into particles of light.

Princess Bisma wanted to say goodbye, but instead, she settled for holding the beacon in her hand and muttering a very soft wish.

"I hope to see you all again...under better circumstances..."

...EYECATCH!...

The soul crystal harvests of the Lumentlithics accounts for precisely 0.001% of the total profits that the Salbanbo Empire make across all the industries they have a finger in.

That said, the Salbanbo considers the interference of their businesses to be the highest possible crime, which scales based on the amount of money lost.

It was once recorded that a single percent loss once led to an interstellar war that wiped out three solar systems and the extinction of six different forms of intelligent life.

All for the sake of regaining 0.1% profit.

...EYECATCH ENDS!...

[Ding! Congratulations, User on completing your first emergency quest. Your actions have been evaluated, and your rewards have been sent to your inbox. Please review at your earliest convenience.]

"Sweet!"

"OH, WHAT THE HECK?! WHERE ARE WE?!"

"Oh, right. You're technically an external recruit. Welcome to Miracle Maker Island."

The teleportation process had deposited SK, Platiknight, Tin Star, and Nitropulse right into the middle of the training field of Miracle Maker Island.

Once they had touched the ground, Platiknight proceeded to dismiss himself.

"My liege, I hope you do not mind, but I would like to go and maintain my armor."

"Of course, Platiknight. Go right ahead."

Meanwhile, Tin Star did his best attempt at calming the overly excited Nitropulse.

"Easy there, partner, easy. You act like you haven't teleported across the universe and ended up in a pocket dimension before."

"THAT'S BECAUSE I HAVEN'T!" freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

"Oh. Right."

SK watched the spectacle with an amused, almost paternal, expression on his face. However, that expression soon disappeared once he noticed something important. More specifically, he noticed the presence of a smooth crystal orb that Nitropulse was holding like a basketball.

"Uh...Nitropulse? What...what's that you're carrying?"

"Huh? What? Oh, whoa! You are way smaller than I remember you looking five minutes ago."

"Yeah, welcome to secret identities," SK retorted. "Now, would you mind focusing on the crystal ball in your hands?"

"What, you mean the AI Core we nicked from that cruiser?"

"Yeah...why do you have that? I thought we were supposed to bury that with the other soul crystals."

SK vaguely remembered that the Lumenlithic would regenerate as long as their crystals were buried in the ground. In other words, there was a non-zero chance that Nitropulse had just committed an intergalactic kidnapping.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case...but the reason was incredibly depressing.

"Oh, you don't know...yeah, no," Nitropulse shook his head. "The Lumenlithic consider any of their kind that have been processed into a core as being beyond damned."

"Beyond...damned?"

"Yeah. Something about how since most of their original personality had been polished down, they no longer have the right to be alive or something like that," Nitropulse explained with a tone that was way too casual for the subject being discussed.

"Huh..."

As soon as SK heard of this frankly depressing truth about Lumenlithic culture, an idea immediately popped into his head.

Ding!

An idea that the System was apparently eager to approve, albeit indirectly.

[Notice: Due to the User's actions on the Lumenlithic homeworld, the Mineral Field Upgrade has been added to Miracle Island.]

"Mineral Field?"

[The Mineral Field can be used by the User and their familiars to harvest regenerating ores and crystals. These minerals can be used to either upgrade heroes, create equipment, or build structural upgrades. Additionally, the field can be used to help gather energies that are beneficial to heroes and items that have an inclination to the Earth and Metal affinities.]

"Well, if that isn't an open invitation, then I have no idea what is," SK concluded. "Alright, Nitropulse. Would you mind handing over that damned soul?"

"Uh...okay."

The moment Nitropulse handed off the AI core to SK, a glowing arrow manifested beneath SK's feet and began to animatedly direct him to where he assumed the so-called Mineral Field was located.

Needless to say, he wasn't the only one to notice the arrow.

"What the what?!"

"Yeah, you're going to have to get used to stuff like that," Tin Star assured the jumpy Nitropulse. "Anyways, do you want an escort to your room, or do you want to tag along with the sheriff to see what he's planning to do with that crystal ball?"

"Uh..."

SK wasn't able to hear Nitropulse's answer to Tin Star's question, as he had already switched his focus to checking out this new expansion.

'Wait...did this new upgrade to the island manifest because of the fact that I have Earth-based powers, or because it sensed my desire to try and help this poor Lumenlithic?,' SK wondered as he carried the small crystal orb in his arms, noticing that it felt oddly warm. 'Eh, it doesn't matter.'

It only took SK a few minutes to arrive at the so-called Mineral Field, and it lived up to its name quite well.

"Huh. Nice place."

The mineral field was more or less a flat patch of soft dirt with all manner of giant boulders sticking out of the ground alongside several giant crystals. SK didn't even need enhanced senses to know that these chunks of earth were full of power.

But he wasn't going to tap into this power for himself, not today at least.

"Alright, little guy...or girl...time for you to get a second chance."

Instead, that honor would be going to the AI core in his hands.