The meeting place agreed upon by Secretary of Defense John Keller and Optimus Prime was a relatively open wasteland.

North America has no shortage of wastelands, especially on the West Coast. Except for the downtown areas of a few cities, even the surroundings of these large cities have vast stretches of undeveloped land.

According to Tony, there was also a military base nearby. They could mobilize enough troops in the shortest time to inspect the area and set up an ambush, capturing all the aliens if necessary.

"Or maybe eliminate them."

That was also a possibility. But from the movie, it was clear that John Keller was not a radical warmonger. Even if he wanted to start a war, he would first need to understand the specifics about the Transformers.

"What's the situation?"

Some lights could already be seen in the distance. It was late at night, and out here in the wilderness far from any town, visibility was extremely low without specialized lighting equipment.

In such an environment, with both sides about to negotiate, preparations were naturally required.

This was why Ethan and the others saw the lights even from far away. The other side had prepared enough lighting to make the area as bright as day. It was also a signal: We are here, do not look elsewhere.

"How is it?"

"Armored units have completely surrounded the area."

Tony's armor was equipped with various detection devices, and if he deployed some small reconnaissance units, the detection range would be even greater.

But there was no need. It was easy to imagine that there were more troops on standby in the distance, and air support would be mobilized if necessary.

"What should we do?"

Sam seemed a little nervous, and when he got nervous, he tended to ramble. Sitting quietly in the back until now, he hadn't felt much wrong about being with the Autobots.

But suddenly hearing Tony say the area was nearly surrounded by the U.S. military, ready to unleash a barrage of firepower and bomb the place repeatedly, he realized this trip was not as wonderful or relaxed as he had imagined.

"I mean, should we get out of the car beforehand?"

Ethan didn't turn around, just glanced at Sam in the rearview mirror.

"You don't need to think too much. They won't act so easily."

Without knowing exactly how many 'troops' Optimus Prime had or what kind of reinforcements might follow, the Secretary of Defense would not dare to launch an attack casually.

Ethan had also seen a group standing in the open area ahead. The man leading them wore a suit, his hair meticulously styled, and stood at the very front of the vehicles. He did not look like someone preparing for war.

The Secretary of Defense appeared very sincere. Of course, it was possible this was bait meant to lower Optimus Prime's guard.

However, Tony detected no close-range ambush. If the other side attacked, the Secretary of Defense would certainly be killed along with them. John Keller likely had no intention of sacrificing himself.

As the distance narrowed, the people around John Keller seemed tense. Although only a few cars were approaching, John Keller had already learned from Sector 7 that the arrivals were alien mechanical lifeforms capable of transforming.

The soldiers behind him, responsible for his protection, unconsciously tightened their grip on their weapons. Though they had not raised their muzzles, they were so focused that they could raise, aim, and fire in under a second.

Thanks to soldiers who had previously fought Transformers and survived, they knew that large-caliber armor-piercing rounds could damage these mechanical lifeforms, so all the weapons and equipment brought this time were of that type.

Optimus Prime and the others stopped not far from John Keller, then, under the incredulous stares of the group, transformed from a heavy-duty truck into a towering robot.

"I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots."

After a brief introduction, both sides got down to business. What Optimus Prime and John Keller were discussing was like two countries or factions making initial contact. Expecting to achieve something significant right away was impossible.

Given the Decepticons' previous attacks on the U.S. military, human trust in the Transformers was very low. They could not yet distinguish between Decepticons and Autobots. In human eyes, all Transformers were the same.

The negotiations were not smooth at first. It was then that everyone noticed Ethan, who had somehow appeared standing beside Optimus Prime.

"And this is...?"

John Keller studied Ethan. To him, he was just a tall, handsome young man, nothing unusual about his appearance. But for such a young man to appear here and stand beside an alien robot was noteworthy. Who was he? Could he be a spy hiding among humans?

"You can call me Ethan. I'm just passing by."

"Young man, you'd better explain yourself..."

The one who interrupted was Sector 7 agent Reggie Simmons, who had played a significant role in the original movie. On screen, he seemed interesting, but in reality, someone with this personality was not likable. His tone was especially irritating.

Ethan had not thought much of him before, but when the man interrupted and threatened him with such arrogance, Ethan's mood soured. He almost plastered the man's face with a fireball.

"Ethan is from another civilization. In fact, it was he who suggested I contact you. From our perspective, humans are not yet prepared to interact with other civilizations in the universe."

An alien?

Simmons, who had been ready to speak further, suddenly did not know where to start. He was baffled. Today seemed like some kind of alien giveaway, with extraterrestrials popping up one after another. Aliens were not cabbages to be bought in bulk.

As an experienced agent, his first thought was that this man was a fraud. No matter how he looked at him, Ethan was indistinguishable from an Earthling.

John Keller thought the same, though he hid it better than Simmons and greeted Ethan politely.

"May I ask what kind of planet Mr. Ethan comes from?"

"It is a world entirely covered in water, with very scarce living resources. So, once our people grow up and accumulate enough capital, they choose to leave and venture into the vast universe, searching for more resources."

Ethan was not lying, though the world he spoke of was not from this universe.

Optimus Prime was curious about Ethan's civilization. Hearing this, he felt a faint similarity to the Transformers' own situation, which created a subtle sense of familiarity.

Of course, Cybertron became uninhabitable due to their own actions, forcing the Transformers to wander. Ethan's planet, on the other hand, sounded like it had always lacked sufficient resources, forcing its people to roam the universe.

John Keller's first reaction to Ethan's words was not positive. He wondered if this was a civilization of raiders or pirates, with these so-called "adults" being scouts who, upon finding a habitable planet, would lead their people to seize it.

As Secretary of Defense, such thoughts came naturally to him.

Simmons, on the other hand, did not think so far ahead. He still suspected Ethan was faking it and wanted to use special means to force the truth from him.

But this was not the right occasion. In the end, he could only toss out a few sarcastic remarks, perhaps hoping to provoke the young man into revealing flaws.

"Nicely made up, but it sounds a lot like a story from the Age of Exploration."

Ethan smiled at Simmons. He understood perfectly what the man was thinking: simple suspicion. It was a small misunderstanding that could be resolved easily.

He was not the type to let a minor character shout at him unchecked. Besides, he had just realized this world might be a good choice for a logistics base. The Transformers' world could serve as an option.

The technological level of Earth here was average, but its potential was extremely high. Cybertronian technology existed here, including long-distance teleportation using technology.

Most importantly, he could establish contact with the upper levels of a nation right from the start. Having the power of a country to use would make many things much easier.

The prerequisite was to prove he was an alien, one powerful enough that they would not dare offend him.

He slowly raised his hand. Casting a small spell was now as easy for Ethan as drinking water or eating a meal. No preparation was required, nor did he need to chant for half a day.

As he moved, swirling purple energy ribbons formed around him, mysterious runes appeared in the air, and a magic circle radiating purple light appeared beneath his feet, unmistakably displaying the mystical power known as magic.

In that instant, Simmons, who had been questioning him, was enveloped in a ball of energy, unable to move, and slowly lifted off the ground.

"Earth has never lacked races from other civilizations in the universe. Among them are those like me, who possess special abilities. It is just that many years ago, humans would not have called beings like us aliens."

Ethan paused, flipped his raised hand slightly, then pressed down. Simmons, who had been floating high, slowly descended back to the ground.

"Back then, humans would have called beings like us gods."

(To be continued.)