Chapter 131: Return to the UR
Frank stood in silence as the spaceship slowed near the edge of UR's orbit. The hull hummed with containment magic and shielding runes, but his mind was elsewhere. Through the wide viewing panels, he gazed upon the alien world once more UR, a monstrous planet cloaked in swirls of crimson and violet. Lightning flashed in the distance across its enormous surface, dancing along cloud formations that spanned hundreds of kilometers. Storms raged in slow motion, yet radiated power that felt ancient and endless.
Compared to UR, Earth was a mere golf ball to a basketball fragile, insignificant.
Hovering above the stratosphere, the ship moved into position to dock at the moon base orbiting UR. This artificial satellite, established by the various world that came to U for it resources , acted as the primary staging ground for exploration and extraction missions on UR. But even here, in the presumed safety of the vacuum, Frank could feel it something watching.
Then he saw it.
A shadow moved across the horizon of the planet no, through it. Something massive, scaled and shining, emerged from the planet's clouds, coiling through the atmosphere like a god-serpent. Its speed defied logic. It was heading for them.
Frank's breath caught as the creature's presence brushed his mind. That aura it was ancient, primal, almost divine. It reminded him of the time he stood beside Philip when Philip's very presence bent the world around him. This beast was similar… but wilder.
The creature's eyes locked onto the ship like a predator sighting prey. Suddenly, the void distorted.
From deeper within the stars, another creature materialized far larger. With a single silent crunch, it devoured the serpent mid-lunge. In that instant, Frank heard it. Despite the vacuum. As if space itself howled and bent to acknowledge the kill.
An enormous eye opened briefly in the dark. It blinked once at Frank.
And closed.
Frank stumbled back from the window, drenched in cold sweat. No one else on the ship had seen it. The crew continued their operations, unaware of the cosmic powerplay he had just witnessed. His heart pounded in his chest. For the first time in months, he felt small.
By the time they docked at the lunar station, Frank still hadn't fully recovered. He kept glancing behind him, half-expecting to see a shadow following.
They were scheduled to rest for a day before planetary deployment. Each of the thirty elite Awakened in his unit had their own quarters within the moon base. Most were thrilled some were nervous. But only Frank knew how close they had come to death without even realizing it.
Later that evening, Frank met with the stationed Okoli elder on the moon a gaunt man with metallic implants fused into his skin and deep wrinkles that showed forty years of exposure to UR's residual mana radiation. He greeted Frank with a slight bow and handed over the deployment packs.
"You'll need these," the elder said, voice hoarse and rough. "Two standard mana weapons per operative. Recovery pills. Potions. Scrolls for emergency shielding and teleport recall. Three months of rationed food. And field compression units for mineral storage."
Frank accepted them with a nod.
"And these," the elder added, passing over a sealed document and a digital ledger, "contain the new mandates for resource submission. The terms have changed
Frank raised an eyebrow.
"Submissions are now once every three months. And the percentage has been halved to fifty."
The elder paused, then shook his head.
"I've been in this post for over four decades," he muttered. "I've never seen the Okoli family bend like this. Not once.
Frank said nothing, but his fingers instinctively touched the spatial ring where Philip had stored the perfect-grade mana stone. A failsafe. A lifeline.
By morning, the squad was assembled in the docking bay of the lunar station.
Thirty Awakened warriors lined up in formation. Each bore the black and crimson insignia of the Okoli family's UR expedition corps. Twenty of them were Adept-ranked, and ten were Commander-level each vetted, disciplined, and lethal.
And at their head Frank, now not just a survivor of UR, but a team leader.
As the portal ship rumbled to life behind them, casting blue light across the floor, Frank turned and faced them.
"Today, we step onto a world that does not want us," he began, voice steady. "This is not Earth. This is not your city-state warfront. This is UR. Every moment is a test. Every choice you make could mean your life or the lives of those beside you."
He paused, eyes scanning the team.
"We aren't here to die. We're here to conquer. To thrive. You follow my lead. You stay sharp. You survive ."
A silence followed.
Then a synchronized nod.
The Okoli elder stepped forward and handed Frank a final map projection. Their new drop zone was far from the initial region he'd explored but not too far to stop his curiosity from stirring. It wasn't near the garden he'd discovered last time… but close enough.
Frank narrowed his eyes as he studied the coordinates.
"This time," he whispered to himself, "I'll understand this world a little more."
The countdown began.
The transport ship lit up with teleportation glyphs and energy cores. Mana shields rose over the squad.
Frank took one last breath, eyes fixed on the glowing sphere below.