Chapter 152: All Roads Point West
What Aren thought was supposed to be their base was actually just a large camp, sprawling with a network of tents and transport vehicles—mostly temporary facilities
Makes sense. Wildlands are unpredictable after all. Building something to last is a surefire way to disaster.
Aren sat on the edge of a reinforced cot, his hands resting loosely against his knees as someone wrapped fresh bandages around his palms.
Around him, the rest of the group had been gathered together, each in varying states of recovery.
Daniel leaned back slightly, one arm raised as Emily managed to duck inside and secure a wrap around his torso.
Marcus and Iris were sat nearby as well, both looking much better than they were before. Especially Marcus, who had to keep moving and fighting even whilst he was already injured.
That was when Commander Justus stepped into the room, taking a look at all the Urban Hunting Club Members before speaking.
"Now, since everyone’s in a better state. It’s time for a report."
"Tell me what happened."
Emily stood up immediately, giving the Commander a small bow before she spoke. "Sir, our plane was targeted by a Master-Grade Mystic, one that specialized in using the Curse Element."
Aren’s eyes widened at her change of demeanor. Gone was the hesitant and soft-spoken senior he had grown used to, almost like a switch was somehow flipped inside her.
Was she associated to the military or law enforcement somehow?
But realization dawned on him immediately, something he should’ve caught much earlier but hadn’t.
Emily Carter. Wait...Carter? That would make Emily...Owen’s older sister! No wonder she’d have military experience.
"After the crash, we landed in the Mangroves," she said. "We...barely managed to make it out and arrive in the Lagoons."
Justus gave a slight nod.
"Continue."
"During that time, our group split into two. Aren and Daniel somehow found the drake..."
"And our group accidentally discovered a small cavern whilst fighting against the region’s Apex. But almost immediately, a group of demonic cultivators entered, looking for...a certain rare monster."
Everyone’s eyes scattered after the statement, anywhere but look at Aren.
Justus’s eyes narrowed just a fraction. "What did they look like?"
"They were wearing black hoods that covered most of their faces. At first I thought they were poachers, but..."
The commander clicked his tongue softly. "Tch...the Defilers again."
His words were soft, probably inaudible to the rest of the camp. But Aren had been close enough to confirm it.
So Mystic Law Enforcements do know about the Defilers.
"Aren and Luna managed to beat them, but it caused Luna to fall unconscious until now..." Emily said softly, but it was Sterling who stood up now and continued the story.
"We relocated to the Highlands but were attacked by them again. So we realized that it wasn’t safe, and decided to go to the Mountains to meet up with my mentor."
Justus narrowed his eyes at the account, "Your mentor lives in the Mountains?"
Sterling dodged the question. "Regardless, that was when we found out their motives. They’d been extracting Bloodlines from beasts within the Wildlands and implanting them inside people."
The professor looked slightly at Miu before back at Justus once more. "We realized that this group was intended to capture the drake and do the same."
"But why that creature specifically..." Sterling continued slowly, "or why the Mad Hound appeared at that exact moment—"
She shook her head slightly. "...We don’t know."
...
"But we know who they are."
Aren didn’t even realize he had spoken until the entire room’s attention had turned toward him.
"They’re connected to Aetherion Research," he continued, the frustration bleeding through now. "We’ve seen it before. If we can just put public pressure on them, or do an investigation... we can—"
"Stop."
Commander Justus put a hand up, silencing the whole room and cutting him off.
"This matter is already under investigation," he continued. "And it extends far beyond anything you encountered in the Wildlands."
Daniel frowned slightly. "Then let us help! We’ve already been involved. We know how they operate—"
"You know nothing."
...
The single sentence managed to instill doubt into everyone. The commander sighed softly, already starting to leave.
He turned around just before he reached the entrance, giving one final piece of advice.
"Focus on your recovery. This operation no longer concerns any of you."
Justus turned, making eye contact with Aren just for a second before saying:
"...Stay out of it."
Stay out of it...? Does he really believe, after everything that’s happened...I’ll just sit back?
Immediately, almost defiantly, he began searching and tugging at the thread inside his Canvas.
It stretched outward like a thread pulled too far, thin enough that it might snap at any moment. Even so, it held.
Aren let his awareness follow it, following where it was going. He couldn’t get a location, but just enough to get a direction.
West.
He opened his eyes again.
West? What could possibly—?
The thought had barely settled before movement stirred across the room.
"Guess that’s our cue," Stella muttered, brushing a strand of red hair back as she stepped away from the wall, her crew following along.
Her gaze flicked briefly toward Aren and Daniel.
"Thanks for the information...it was helpful."
Daniel raised an eyebrow before asking, "Where are you guys going? Back to searching?"
Stella shook her head. "No...we’re heading back to the Western Dominion. I’ve been away for long enough."
But as soon as she said it, something inside Aren clicked.
West... the Western Dominion!
He jumped out of his cot before running towards Professor Voss. "Professor, does Aetherion Research have a branch in the Western Dominion?"
Professor Voss almost jumped out of her chair. Nonetheless, she pushed up her glasses, trying to remember before finally recalling it.
"...Yes," she said after a brief pause. "They do. It’s a smaller branch, mostly used for production. Their factories are based there."
That’s it...that’s where they’re taking it. One of their facilities MUST be the one.
But more than that, Aren realized something that might’ve just made the decision for him.
The Western Dominion was home to the largest repository of knowledge in the world—filled with records on Bloodlines, research, and everything he could possibly need...
To find a cure for Luna.
If there was anywhere that held the answers he needed.
It would be there.
For a moment, he said nothing, slowly tilting his head to look at everyone who’ve been on his journey so far.
Then, with quiet determination, he announced:
"I’m going to the Western Dominion."
***
Footsteps echoed on the stone path as someone made their way through.
The yellow leaves swayed before dropping downward, signalling the beginning of Fall and the coming of Winter.
But even so, they couldn’t mask the whispers that followed, and the voices that always seemed to linger around.
"Look, isn’t that—?"
"It’s that one Senior! You know, the one that rose to the status of Core Disciple in just two years?"
"Yeah, I heard that he was a transfer student? He’s kind of handsome, you think I have a shot?"
"Obviously not! You know he walks around with a girl always by his side, don’t you?"
"No? Weren’t they siblings? They’re registered in the academy as siblings!"
The person they’d been speaking about finally stopped in front of a large building. It towered over the entire area, almost 50 stories in the air and was made of pure grain wood.
The student stopped at the front desk, where a receptionist had been. She looked up, staring at the student for a while before managing to catch herself.
"Student ID, please?"
"Adrian Locke," the boy answered. "Miss, I’ve been coming to the library almost every day. Can’t you give me a break?"
"Sorry, it’s just procedures," she answered with amusement, pulling up a small machine that scanned the back of his card.
Beep!
"Alright, Student Adrian Locke. Snake-Bloodline, Elite-Grade Mystic confirmed. Water Element mastery and currently at the Amethyst School."
"Did I get anything wrong?" the receptionist asked.
The boy shook his head softly, his pale brown hair swaying with the movement. "You’re on point."
A small smile crept up on the receptionist’s face as she slowly slid the card back across the counter.
"Say..." she said slowly, making sure to touch his hand as he reached back out for his card. "Do you maybe have some time later? Maybe we can grab lunch and—"
"I’m sorry, Miss. I’ve gotta hit the books."
Almost immediately, he slid the card back into his pocket without a second thought.
"I know you do! But I mean after that! We can maybe—"
But she was speaking to a ghost, as the boy was already gone.
He made his way up through the elevator floors before stepping out at the tenth. A massive library the size of a small park expanded beyond him, filled with all types of books.
Both floor and ceiling were made of glass, a bold declaration that none shall surpass it in scale. And it wasn’t wrong, as bookshelves were lined along the walls for as far as the eye can see.
"Seems like you’re late?" a voice rang out from his side, slightly mischievous in nature.
It came from a girl who was sitting at a nearby table, combing through a book in front of her while looking up from time to time.
"It’s because of this appearance you gave me...Miu," the boy frowned, taking off his jacket before pulling out a seat next to the girl.
"I didn’t do anything, I just changed your hair color and voice," she hummed with amusement.
"Your face is exactly the same, you know that right—?"
"Aren Cross?"