Our agent has successfully infiltrated the remnant spearbreaker alliance. The asset, codenamed terra-6, has been cut off from communication since their last message on the [Elite] communication directory. We believe that the intelligence our asset is feeding us through our information network is robust and can confirm from alternative sources that there will soon be an opportunity for them to enter this world.

  –Pendulum memoranda, SA taskforce

  Chapter 44 – No Time to Explain, Dude

  Fluorescent lights flickered overhead as the clang of metal against metal echoed through the training facility. Sam strode beside Chad, eyeing the [Elite] beast soldiers locked in fierce sparring matches. A human figure stood out amongst the sea of horns, scales, and fur - the commander of the beast forces.

  "A human leading these beast bros? Trippy," Chad muttered under his breath.

  The commander approached, his eyes glinting with a keen intellect. "Greetings. I am Oberon Eternal. We have much to discuss, so let’s not dally. I trust we are in alignment regarding the stealth formations my aide passed along to your team yesterday. Our rentry onto Amithus will decrease our likelihood of being apprehended by incoming forces. We will then enter Aris on my signal."

  Commander Oberon looked towards his aide to gather several documents to pass along. Sam noticed Chad signaling to Oberon and slipping away from the group. Always plotting, that lich. Sam’s gaze flicked to Azelar who followed behind him like a silent shadow.

  Sam leaned in, his voice low. "Why would the beasts trust a human to handle this?"

  Azelar shrugged, scales shimmering under the harsh light. Before he could respond, a dragon demi-human interjected. "He was the apprentice to Vindictus'. Rumor has it he may become the youngest master manasmith after Dutch."

  A mortal master manasmith? The notion piqued Sam's interest as he listened intently to the remainder of the conference. Why is this zone filled with manasmiths of such renown. Why not alchemists, ritualists, or manatechs. I could use a manatech for my crew.

  Oberon passed Sam the papers in Chad’s stead, “We were given information that you would be landing on the summer continent. Is that right?”

  “Yeah, that’s right.”

  “Our information indicates that there are several entrances closer to the coasts. I suggest you avoid the mountain areas – we have strong intelligence that there is a guardian beast located there beyond the capability of even m-brew enhanced [Elite]s.”

  Chad returned and approached Commander Oberon, his glowing blue eyes flickering with mischief. "Yo, Commander, my bad for dipping out like this. Something's come up, and I gotta bail with my bros here. We will have to continue this tomorrow."

  Oberon's brow furrowed, suspicion etched in his features. "And what might that be, Lich?"

  "Undead stuff, ya know?" Chad's casual tone belied the tension in the room. “Don’t worry, we’ll see each other soon.”

  Sam's heart raced as he watched the exchange, his mind whirring with the implications of Chad's words. A double-cross? Now? He glanced at Azelar, who still seemed absolutely overwhelmed.

  Without waiting for Oberon's response, Chad slung his arm around Sam's shoulders, steering him towards the exit. "C'mon, bro, we gotta jet."

  Sam stumbled, caught off guard by the sudden movement. As they hurried through the winding corridors, the crowd thinned, and the metallic tang of conference coffee and bagels mixed with the stale, recycled air. Azelar trailed behind, his eyes beginning to shed golden tears again. Sam's heart twisted at the sight, a pang of guilt stabbing through him. He had dragged the poor creature into this mess.

  "Chad, what the hell is going on?" Sam hissed, his voice low.

  "No time to explain, dude. We gotta get to the ship before my lawyers file the paperwork."

  They burst into the hangar, the vast space echoing with the hum of machinery. Sam's gaze darted to the guards stationed near their ship, their postures relaxed and unsuspecting.

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  Chad moved with unnatural speed, his enchanted rings glinting as he struck the guards with precise blows. They crumpled to the ground, unconscious before they could even raise the alarm. They were stage-1s. Maybe not [Elite]s, but Chad is quite strong.

  "We need clearance to get down there. I’m waiting for my wife on the planet to let us through, but we gotta bounce now." They all entered Chad’s vehicle. Sam inspected the Veedub galaxy cruiser’s console before staring back at Chad. Chad looked on to Sam with expectation.

  “Fine.” Sam nodded, his fingers already on this controls. As the engines roared to life, Sam couldn't shake the feeling that they were hurtling towards something far more dangerous than they could possibly imagine. Still not enough karma.

  As they burst into the shipyard, Sam could see all the continental-class ships that housed entire populations.

  "We've got company! Signal your friends!" Chad yelled, his voice tinged with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

  Sam's eyes widened as he saw the sleek battle scouts emerging from another dockyard, their weapons trained on their battered craft.

  "We request that the delegates from the Kathoric Dynasty halt their departure. Prepare for a warning shot.” The ship shuddered again as a mana blast grazed the wing, the acrid smell of burned metal filling the cockpit.

  "Failure to comply will result in being fired upon.” The ship shuddered again as a mana blast hit the wing again.

  Sam cursed under his breath, “You couldn’t have brought a better ship?”

  The Lich grinned, his skeletal features twisting into a macabre smile. "I got this, bro. Watch and learn."

  Chad's hands moved in intricate patterns, arcane energy crackling around his fingers. The ship's engines surged with power, propelling the crew forward at breakneck speed. Sam could hear the rattle of the engine – it was not a good rattle. Still, Sam used the burst of speed to weave through the surrounding shipyard, his heart in his throat as he narrowly avoided collisions with the hulking vessels. “Buckle in guys. This isn’t gonna be pretty.”

  Several additional battle scouts joined the chase and followed the Veedub, but Sam weaved close to the continental class ships to limit the scout’s ability to fire on them. They don’t want to create a scene either.

  “We’re about to reach the empty,” Sam warned – once they reached unoccupied space, the pursuing ships would open fire. “Why isn’t the system barrier green yet?”

  "Tokyo, for the love of all that's holy, let us in!" Chad bellowed.

  Blasters scorched the void around them. Sam gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his brow as he pushed the ship to its limits. “Punch it, Chad!”

  “I already am!”

  “We’re so dead. We’re so dead. We’re so dead.” Azelar whimpered.

  “I need more! Those are fucking Voidbreaker battle scouts!”

  Chad pulled mana and began casting another ritual. The entire ship started shaking. Sam's mind raced, fragments of memories flashing before his eyes. The sushi franchise he had built from the ground up, the solar kraken that had changed his life forever, the endless schemes and gambits that had brought him to this moment.

  The ship shook violently, alarms blaring as another mana blast found its mark. That’s our wing. At the same moment, Sam’s field of view turned green as the planet’s system shield processed the entry permit. The ship careened wildly, its damaged wing trailing smoke and sparks as it plummeted into Aris's atmosphere. Sam could hear a singular explosion as one of the battle scouts couldn’t stop in time.

  Sam clutched the controls, his knuckles white, as he fought to keep his own vessel steady. The ground rushed up to meet them – they headed straight for the mountain region of the summer continent. Only one area was visible below. A convenient punch in the cloud cover.

  Sam quickly located the empty field. It’ll have to do. Within moments, Sam could hear and feel a sickening crunch, the ship grazed the earth, metal shrieking as it tore away from the hull. The impact sent shockwaves through Sam's body, his body slamming against the console as darkness engulfed him.

  Silence, then a groan. Sam's eyes fluttered open, his vision hazy and unfocused. Pain lanced through his skull, a reminder of the brutal landing. He blinked, forcing himself to focus on his surroundings. The cockpit was a mess of twisted metal and shattered glass, the smell of smoke filling his nostrils.

  "Chad? Azelar?" he croaked, his voice barely above a whisper.

  A whimper caught his attention, and he turned to see Azelar, the goldfish bowl somehow still intact, golden tears filling the bottom of the bowl. Relief washed over Sam, knowing that at least one of his crew had survived.

  Sam's gaze drifted to the undead bro, who lay motionless amidst the wreckage. For a moment, Sam feared the worst, but then he realized that he was already dead.

  Chad’s glowing blue eyes snapped open. "Mate, that was one hell of a ride," Chad quipped, brushing dust and debris from his enchanted jeans and t-shirt as he rose to his feet.

  Sam shook his head, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth

  The sound of the ship's door creaking open drew their attention. Chad stepped forward, his skeletal hand reaching for the handle. As the door swung wide, revealing the figure standing beyond, Chad's jaw dropped.

  "Tokyo, babe, I knew you couldn't resist my-"

  His words were cut short as the beautiful white haired girl’s fist, wreathed in darkness, connected with Chad’s jaw, sending him sprawling back into the ship. Sam winced, a mixture of amusement and relief washing over him.

  "Thank goodness," he muttered, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "Bro had that coming."