Arno closely followed the navigation signal, traveling all the way to this remote galaxy.
"Strange, how could this be?" He stared at the coordinates on the light screen, murmuring in bewilderment, "It clearly shows we're right here, but why is there nothing?"
The dot on the locator remained motionless, and at the same time, the energy detector failed to pick up any unusual energy fluctuations, leaving Arno quite baffled.
"The absence of anomalies is actually the greatest anomaly of all." Arno stroked his chin in thought, conjured a ball of light with his bare hands, and hurled it downwards. The light ball rippled outward as if dropping into water, and the seemingly real galaxy suddenly turned illusory, resembling a mirage.
"So that's how it is..." Gazing downward, Arno muttered to himself in realization. He quickly retrieved a cloak woven from Birdton feathers and primitive monster feathers from his dimensional space, draped it over his shoulders, and leaped straight into the rippling galaxy.
In an instant, the galaxy shattered like a mirror, and Arno plunged right through it.
When his vision cleared, Arno found himself in an unfamiliar galaxy. Various dark aliens wandered in and out from time to time, and Arno, covered entirely in fur, blended right in without arousing the slightest suspicion.
Arno dropped to the ground, wrapping himself tightly in the cloak so not a single inch of skin showed. Whenever he encountered something that interested him, out came an energy stone on the spot. His generous spending quickly caught the attention of the black market's upper echelons.
"Hey, buddy, there's going to be an auction in the black market later. Want to go check it out?" A Alien Zarab sidled up to Arno and asked in a low whisper. *Could this furry guy really be someone who tosses out energy stones just like that? Is he trying to trick us aliens? And management actually wants this furry guy brought to the auction—are they playing games?*
"Oh? An auction? Any good items?" Arno lowered his voice and asked with a hint of interest.
"Buddy, do you have a grudge against the Ultra Clan?" the Alien Zarab asked quietly.
"Isn't that stating the obvious? Which dark alien doesn't have a grudge against the Ultra Clan?" Arno's voice carried a tone of mockery.
"Then you simply *have* to go to this auction!" The Alien Zarab slapped his thigh and said excitedly.
"Why?" Arno asked, feigning confusion.
"Word is, a Alien Dada captured an Ultra infant and is going to sell it at the auction," the Alien Zarab whispered furtively.
"Is this intel reliable?" Underneath his cloak, Arno's fists clenched.
"Of course! I have a brother who works right at the venue," the Alien Zarab said, patting his chest in guarantee.
"Did you hear? That guy Dada actually abducted two Ultra infants!" a Alien Magma lowered his voice to say to the Alien Alien Babar beside him, his words filled with shock and disbelief. After all, quite a few dark aliens had been killed by the Ultra Clan for their evil deeds, and many dark aliens harbored deep resentment toward them. Yet to actually dare kidnap an Ultra infant—was he tired of living?
"Yeah, I heard it too. And I also heard that Alien Mefilas spared no expense to issue a bounty on the cosmic black market just to get his hands on an Ultra. I originally thought it was just a joke, but I never imagined someone would actually be bold enough to run all the way to the Land of Light, kidnap an Ultra, and bring it to the black market to sell." Alien Babar shook his head helplessly, seemingly baffled by such madness.
Alien Magma quickly urged, "We're just here to buy some mechanical parts, so don't you dare get mixed up in this."
"Relax, I don't want to throw my life away this early," Alien Babar replied.
The two of them continued walking as they talked, passing right by Arno and the Alien Zarab.
"Is this what you call reliable intel? I reckon the whole universe knows by now!" Arno's tone was full of mockery and disdain.
"We definitely didn't leak the news! It must have been that Dada!" the Alien Zarab said through gritted teeth.
"As it happens, I've been researching weapons to deal with the Ultra Clan lately. Let's go take a look at that Ultra infant."
"Alrighty, right this way, please." The Alien Zarab took the lead. Shielded by his cloak, Arno recorded the route on his light screen and immediately transmitted it out.
***
Auction Venue
The Alien Zarab led Arno to a private compartment upstairs.
"Buddy, our rules here..." The Alien Zarab trailed off, hesitating as he looked at Arno.
Arno nodded to show he understood. He pulled out three energy stones and tossed them into the Alien Zarab's hand. "There must be a condition for coming up here; help me sort it out, and keep the rest as your tip. One is for the auction, and the other—you know what it's for." Arno shot the Alien Zarab a meaningful glance.
The Alien Zarab suddenly felt the three energy stones in his palm burning hot. Terrified, he stammered, "D-don't worry, I'll definitely get it sorted out for you right away!" With that, the Alien Zarab fled in a panic.
Arno didn't have to wait long before someone delivered a special crystal card issued by the Dark Nebula. The more funds loaded onto the card, the more refined its appearance, making it a status symbol as well. His card was pitch-black, interwoven with gorgeous silver patterns that looked stunning.
The auction commenced, and the host, a Alien Baltan, began introducing the auction items, which were mostly monster infants, monster eggs, or energy stones. The dark aliens attending the auction showed little interest, as they were all there for the Ultra infant.
"Up next is the grand finale of our auction—an Ultra infant." Alien Baltan clapped his hands, and the elevator platform rose once again, revealing an Ultra infant with alternating red and blue patterns resting beneath a glass dome.
The previously calm auction venue instantly erupted into a lively commotion because of this lot. The aliens in the audience were electrified, their eyes glowing as if they were looking at a priceless treasure.
"I want it! I want it! I'm going to use this Ultra infant to create the ultimate weapon against those Ultras. I bid one million Dark Nebula coins!" Sitting in the front row, Alien Magma could no longer contain his excitement; he slammed the bidding button without hesitation and shouted at the top of his lungs.
No sooner had his voice fallen than the Alien Kemur right beside him yelled out, "Damn it, I bid two million!" Clearly, he had no intention of letting Alien Magma get his way so easily.
"I bid four million!" Alien Beliar on the other side refused to show weakness, directly doubling the price.
For a moment, the entire auction descended into a fierce bidding war. None of the aliens were willing to yield, each shouting out higher prices. They all knew what acquiring this Ultra infant meant—possessing a powerful weapon to counter the Ultras in the future.
As the price climbed steadily, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense. Some of the weaker aliens began to drop out of the competition, but those with deep pockets or a burning hatred for the Ultras clung stubbornly to the race.
"Five million!"
"Six million!"
"Seven million!"
...
Watching the price get bid higher and higher, Arno's expression turned progressively colder, and his fists clenched even tighter. He aimed his light screen at the Ultra infant on the auction stage and transmitted the image outward. With so many aliens present, it would be difficult for him to handle them all alone.
"Wait, why does this Ultra infant look so familiar?" Arno zoomed in on the photo of the Ultra infant, examined it closely, and muttered to himself, "Forget it, I'd better just buy some time and wait for them to arrive."
Meanwhile, having rushed over according to the coordinates provided by Arno, Ultraman and the rest of the Ultra warriors turned increasingly grim upon learning the latest situation.
"Jack, have you found the entrance?" Ultraman's voice seemed laced with biting frost. These dark aliens actually dared to auction off an Ultra infant—were they tired of living?!
"Let's try the Spacium Ray; it might pierce through this barrier." As Jack's voice fell, several Rebrium Rays lanced forward, instantly punching a hole through the screen before them. The Ultra warriors exchanged glances, nodded, and immediately flew inside.