"When's that gonna be?" the Lizardfolk Chieftain asked, clearly confused.

"Another day or two," Ethan replied casually.

The Dreadnought-class Starcruiser was massive—so massive that its speed was sluggish. Reaching Xenorift was going to take some time.

"In the meantime, you guys should find somewhere to lay low," Ethan added.

The Lizardfolk Chieftain nodded quickly, clearly relieved. He'd already been thinking about bailing—there was no way they could stay at the Clan Stronghold. That place was a death trap now.

But the whole of Xenorift was under the gods' watchful eye. There weren't many safe places left.

"Sir, where should we go?" the Chieftain asked, lowering his voice.

Ethan paused, thinking it over. Yeah, this in-between period was risky. Best to find a scapegoat—someone to take the heat if things went sideways.

Then an idea hit him. His gaze shifted toward the border between the mainland and Necroterra, toward Eastreach.

"That way... there's a surprise waiting."

"A surprise?" The Lizardfolk exchanged confused glances, clearly not following.

But they didn't have much of a choice. At this point, they had to trust Ethan.

"Move! Pack up and do as the lord says!" the Chieftain barked.

Immediately, the tribe sprang into action. People rushed to gather their things—bundling up dried meat, rolling up tents, grabbing whatever they could carry. The exodus began.

The whole village buzzed with movement. Groups of Lizardfolk streamed out, fleeing the stronghold.

Meanwhile, Ethan and the rest of the White Robe Order weren't in any rush. They had the Command Cruiser, and it wouldn't take long to catch up.

Besides, they didn't have much to pack.

Well—except for one thing.

Ricky strolled over to the base of a tree, where Aria was still tied up, slumped against the roots.

She'd spent the night outside, barely eaten anything. Even with her enhanced Awakener physique, she was clearly worn down—especially mentally.

When she saw Ricky approaching, her eyes narrowed. "You... what do you want?"

"Master says we're leaving. I'm here to bring you along," Ricky said bluntly. He grabbed the chain and slung it over his shoulder like it was nothing.

His big hand landed right at her waist.

Aria, still bound hand and foot, could feel the heat radiating from his palm. She flinched and started struggling.

"Let me go! Get your filthy hands off me!"

"You squirm like a damn maggot. Quit wriggling," Ricky muttered, pulling his hand away—but not before yanking the chain hard.

The lightning crystal embedded in the restraints flared to life. A jolt of electricity surged through her.

"Ahh—!" Aria gasped, her body seizing up from the shock. Her muscles tensed, her nerves screamed, and her fury only deepened.

"You perverted bastard! Freak! You've got no shame! Let me go!"

Ricky ignored her. She had a sharp tongue and a fiery temper—clearly not the type to back down, even after getting zapped.

Once they boarded the Command Cruiser, he casually let go of the chain.

Thud!

Aria hit the floor hard. The pain wasn't much for an Awakener, but the humiliation cut deep.

She felt degraded.

This guy... This guy has no idea how to treat a woman.

Lying on the floor, she glanced around. Her Command Cruiser—once hers—was now crawling with White Robe Order members, lounging around like they owned the place. The sight made her blood boil.

Then something clicked in her mind. "Wait... which room did you sleep in last night?"

"Me?" Ricky blinked. "Master doesn't sleep, so I picked the biggest room. Softest bed too."

"You... you pig!" Aria snapped. She couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes flared with blue light as water magic surged around her, forming a sharp arrow that shot straight at him.

Ricky raised a hand. A wisp of dark energy burst forth, shattering the water arrow mid-air.

He looked down at her.

She'd forced her powers to activate, which triggered the chain's electric defense again. Sparks danced across her body, and she winced in pain.

"You really wanna fight me that bad? Master says we're leaving. I'll deal with you later when I've got time," Ricky said, completely unfazed.

"..."

Moments later, they were on the move too. Blue exhaust flared from the rear thrusters as the Command Cruiser lifted off the ground. To avoid drawing too much attention, it skimmed just above the treetops, flying low and fast.

Below, the jungle was alive with motion—Lizardfolk darted through the underbrush, their faces tense, their movements frantic as they fled for their lives.

Ethan stood by the window, eyes scanning the depths of the mainland. The unrest there was growing more intense by the minute.

Even from this distance—miles away—his enhanced vision picked up the scene clearly: atop a distant mountain, a massive humanoid ape was pounding its chest, letting out a thunderous roar that echoed across the peaks.

From behind the boulders, more giant apes burst forth, charging down the slopes in a stampede.

Farther off, dark clouds churned at the edge of the sky—except they weren't clouds. They were flying Xenobeasts, circling in formation, waiting for a command to strike.

The whole continent was bracing for a storm.

"Things are getting lively..." Ethan murmured to himself.

The direction they were heading in would at least buy them some time—put some distance between them and the mutant beast horde.

After flying for the better part of half a day, Ricky, who was manning the controls, suddenly narrowed his eyes. He quickly stepped away from the console and reported, "Master, radar just picked up a vessel about a thousand miles out. It's heading this way. Could it be someone from the Inner City coming to rescue Aria?"

"No... don't worry about it," Ethan replied, calm as ever. Not the least bit surprised.

Because that ship? It was coming for him.

...

High above, in the distant sky, a bulky freighter wobbled through the air, its altitude rising and falling erratically.

"Boss, I think this thing's busted!" a zombie underling called out, his voice tinged with panic.

"What do you mean busted? Go fix it," Bloodveil replied, lounging in the cockpit.

"Uh... what?" The zombie looked completely lost. Fix it? Me?

"Boss, you're kidding, right? I don't know the first thing about fixing this thing!"

"Useless. Can't believe I have to do everything myself," Bloodveil grumbled.

"Wait... you know how to fix it?" the zombie asked, genuinely shocked.

"Of course I do," Bloodveil said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. The freighter was ancient—probably older than most of the undead on board. Its structural integrity was shot, and it was overloaded with too many damn zombies.

"Here's what we'll do. You and a few others get off and run on the ground for a while. Lighten the load. That should fix it."

"...???" The zombie stared at him, completely baffled.

But... weirdly enough, that might actually work.

Bloodveil had led his zombie horde into Xenorift hoping to lay low, avoid unnecessary conflict. But just like Ethan had predicted, his undead minions were starving—for flesh, for blood. Eventually, they had no choice but to go hunting.

Now, Bloodveil was piloting the freighter himself, scanning the terrain below for weak prey.

It didn't take long.

One of the zombies up front suddenly perked up, signaling with excitement.

"Boss! There's something moving in the forest up ahead—looks like it's running straight toward us...!"

...

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