Taz waited inside the Temple dojo for Leo. It had been quite a while since his master had left, and he still hadn't returned. At first, Taz tried to remain patient, but as time passed, that patience slowly began to wear thin.
Finally deciding he couldn't sit around any longer, Taz headed toward the shelter to look for him.
He moved through the busy streets of the shelter, asking shopkeepers and locals if they had seen Leo. One by one they shook their heads, offering no useful information. After searching for some time and finding nothing, Taz eventually decided to return to the temple.
As he approached the dojo again, he suddenly heard the faint sound of metal rattling from inside.
Taz rushed through the door.
Inside, he found Leo already there.
But something felt wrong.
Leo was packing a small bag.
Taz frowned in confusion.
"What is this, Master?" he asked.
Leo turned toward him and let out a quiet sigh.
"Our time together has been great," Leo said calmly, "but I'm afraid it has come to an end. The goal—and the person—I have been searching for is finally within reach."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"With that, I will give you your final task."
Leo reached into a small pouch and placed two gold credit cards on the table.
"I've left two gold cards behind. I want you to choose someone you trust—someone you believe can look after the city and the shelter. Pass one of these cards to them. When I can, I will continue sending funds to support the shelter."
He then pushed the second card toward Taz.
"The other one is for you."
"There should be enough money on it for you to live comfortably for the rest of your life—as long as you don't squander it. There is no need for you to risk your life just to survive anymore."
Leo's voice grew firmer.
"When I leave, destroy the dojo and everything inside it. And stay as far away from me as possible. Cut your connections with the people here as well."
By the time Leo finished speaking, he had packed everything he needed. His katana rested securely in its sheath at his hip.
Taz stood there silently, his eyes swelling with tears as he struggled to hold them back.
Leo turned toward him again.
"Taz, you don't have to cry," he said gently. "If things stabilize, I will come back. So don't worry—I'll be just fine."
He looked toward the doorway for a moment before continuing.
"I came back here because I failed my duty at the school. I lost students to a corrupt system… and that's something I can never forget."
Leo placed a hand on Taz's shoulder.
"I don't want to live with any more regrets. What I encountered today has given me a clear purpose."
He gave Taz's shoulder a firm squeeze.
"This isn't goodbye, my friend. I will return."
With that, Leo turned and walked out of the dojo.
He headed back toward the abandoned building—the same place where he had encountered Agent 31. The illegal portal the agent had been trying to use was still there.
As Leo approached the ruined structure, the portal inside shimmered with a faint orange glow.
The colour of the portal suggested it was a military planet, but Leo knew that stepping through that portal could lead him anywhere. Whatever lay on the other side, he would have to face it alone.
Slowly, Leo stepped forward.
His hand rested firmly on the hilt of his katana.
Then he stepped through the portal.
---
Four months later…
The First Military Base was preparing for its second portal expedition to the Orange Planet. Classes and academic activities continued as usual, but because the curriculum had started later than expected, several events in the yearly schedule had shifted.
Normally, after the Orange Portal mission, the All Military Bases Tournament would take place, followed by vacation and then exams. However, due to the delays, the order had been rearranged.
Now, after the Orange Portal mission, the students would first go on vacation. The All Military Bases Tournament would follow afterward, and the exams would take place at the very end.
Fex walked through the dormitory halls alongside Layla. The two of them had just come from Logan's room.
That room always reminded them of the mission that had brought them together.
Logan, Vicky, Fex, Layla, and Peter—who was now a Level 2 Earth user—had all worked together to rescue the TrueDreams Chosen Eight students during that mission.
This time, however, they had gathered there for a different reason.
Once every month, they held an online meeting with Quinn and the small group that had escaped with him—along with Vorden.
Over the past few months, Quinn had managed to establish a communication link with Logan. Since then, everyone who had been involved in that mission would gather once a month to speak with Quinn and the others.
Vicky normally avoided these meetings, but after persistent convincing from Layla, she had finally agreed to come this time. Though she still wasn't particularly eager to talk to her brother Vorden—or her former apprentice Quinn—she had at least shown up.
Layla also occasionally spoke with Erin, her former roommate, and the others still had small connections with their old schoolmates.
In a strange way, those moments of communication felt like a blessing.
From the information Quinn had shared during the meetings, they had begun to understand a little about their current situation.
According to Quinn, he and the others had been rescued from the Red Portal Planet with the help of a group known as the Scavenger Faction. The leader of the faction had apparently been incredibly merciful and philanthropic, accepting Quinn and his friends under their protection.
They had even been given E-rank adventurer cards and were now working for the faction's guild in exchange for shelter and protection.
This was the version of events Quinn and the others had chosen to share.
Everyone listening believed it.
But the truth behind the situation was far different from what they imagined.
After the meeting ended, the group slowly dispersed.
Fex and Layla continued walking together through the dormitory pathways.
"I wonder when you'll finally introduce me to your sister, Fex," Layla said with a playful smirk.
"Oh, believe me," Fex replied with a sigh, "she's the last person you'd want to meet."
Layla burst into laughter.
"I still can't forget the unbelievable way she knocked you flat on the floor on the first day."
"Oh, would you please stop?" Fex said sarcastically. "That only happened because I let her hit me."
"Of course," Layla teased. "How could a younger brother possibly embarrass his older sister on stage?"
"So that was just a performance?" she continued, laughing.
"Yeah, yeah… believe whatever you want," Fex muttered.
Eventually they reached a crossroads in the dormitory corridor.
Layla waved goodbye and headed toward her own dorm.
Fex turned and walked in the opposite direction toward his.
As the skies darkened, Fex was preparing to go to sleep.
But as he walked down the corridor, a familiar scent suddenly caught his attention.
Fex instantly recognized it.
Without hesitation, he began following the trail.
There were still about thirty minutes left before curfew, so he hurried through the halls and up the stairwell. A moment later he pushed open the rooftop door.
There, standing beneath the moonlight, was a familiar silhouette.
Silver hair shimmered softly as it reflected the pale glow of the moon.
Fex couldn't help but smile wryly.
"Well, it's nice to see you again, sis," he said casually. "If I'm not mistaken, this is the second time you've invited me to this exact rooftop."
He folded his arms.
"So… what's the news?"
Silver slowly turned around. Her face was calm, but there was a grimness behind her expression.
"It's good to see you too, brother."
She paused for a moment before asking,
"Do you know why I brought you here tonight?"
Fex shrugged.
"The time is getting close, right?" he said. "You're here to take me back to the settlement."
He let out a small breath.
"After the portal mission in two weeks, there'll be vacation. That's probably when I'll have to say goodbye to everyone here anyway."
Silver didn't respond immediately. Instead, she turned her gaze back toward the moon, silently breathing in the cool night air.
"You're… partially right," she finally said. "But not anymore."
Fex frowned.
"I'm not here to bring you back to the settlement."
"Huh?" Fex said in shock. "What do you mean?"
Silver sighed quietly.
"During the time of your reckless actions, things were very different. I was given a direct order from our leader to come here and bring you back."
"But after I arrived… things back home started changing."
"And not in a good way."
Fex frowned deeper.
"Sis, you're going to have to explain this properly."
Silver nodded slightly.
"Well… His Majesty, the King, passed away."
"The king died one month ago."
"What?!" Fex nearly shouted, but Silver continued speaking before he could say anything more.
"Soon after that, the council gathered for the voting."
"The result was… predictable in some ways, but surprising in others."
"Bryce, the leader of the First Family, stood as the strongest candidate."
"But in the end… the council elected Cindy as the new Vampire Queen."
Fex blinked in confusion.
"Cindy…?"
Silver continued.
"Since she became queen, things in the settlement have changed drastically."
"For one, the death of the king itself is really a conflicting matter.
The next few things like -female vampires have been given far more influence and opportunities within the Thirteen Families. That was always Cindy's main ideal—she wanted women to hold leadership positions just as much as men."
She paused.
"On the surface, that change itself isn't necessarily bad."
"But other things began happening at the same time."
"Beast attacks have increased dramatically. Bloodsuckers are appearing more frequently as well."
"And many of the warriors who went out to deal with these threats… never returned."
Fex's expression slowly grew more serious.
Silver continued.
"The Eighth Family has also been receiving far more favor than the others. It's obvious even to the outsiders."
"None of these things alone seem suspicious… but together, something feels wrong."
She clenched her fists slightly.
"And the worst part?"
"I can't reach the other vampires anymore."
Fex's eyes widened.
"What do you mean?"
"The communication lines have gone silent," Silver said. "Even the portal leading to the territory of our Thirteenth Family isn't working."
"It's as if something is jamming the signals completely."
She turned toward Fex again.
"So even if I wanted to bring you back right now… I can't."
Fex ran a hand through his hair in frustration.
"Wait… wait. That's way too much to process."
"Why didn't you tell me about the king dying earlier? Or any of these other things?"
Silver shrugged lightly.
"Because you didn't seem interested."
"You purposefully left the settlement didn't you."
Fex scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Well… yeah. I guess that's true, but still…"
He sighed.
"So what do we do now?"
Silver shook her head slightly.
"I don't know yet."
After a moment, Fex spoke again.
"So we're still going on the portal mission?"
"For now, yes," Silver replied.
"But the moment I receive any new information… we'll leave immediately and head back to the settlement."
With that, Silver's body slowly dissolved into the shadows, disappearing into the night.
Fex stood there for a moment before turning around and heading back toward the dorms.
Curfew was only minutes away.
Later that night, as he lay in bed, his thoughts refused to settle.
What the hell is really happening back there…?
--
The next morning, Fex woke up early and headed toward Logan's room.
He knocked on the door, but there was no response. After waiting for a moment, he slowly pushed the door open instead. It swung open without resistance.
Inside, he saw Logan slumped over his desk, fast asleep, surrounded by his machines.
Fex quietly closed the door behind him and walked further into the room. As he looked around, his eyes eventually landed on something placed in the far corner.
The portal device.
Fex had recognized it long ago for what it really was—a portal connected to the vampire world. But he had never told Logan about it.
Walking closer, he studied the machine carefully. The portal was connected to several switches and cables, all plugged into Logan's system. On a separate monitor beside it, lines of code were constantly appearing.
Every few seconds, a new code replaced the previous one.
Fex squinted at the screen.
Is he trying to open the portal?
Aha… this could actually work perfectly.
Just as Fex turned around, his foot accidentally knocked into a few scattered mechanical parts. They clattered loudly to the floor, the metallic noise echoing through the room.
The sound instantly jolted Logan awake.
Within a second, two mechanical blasters formed from his mech suit, aiming directly at Fex.
But as Logan's foggy eyes focused and recognized him, he lowered the weapons.
"What are you doing here this early?" Logan asked, clearly irritated.
Fex rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"Sorry about that."
He stepped closer.
"I actually need a favor from you, Logan."
Logan glanced sideways at him and rolled his eyes.
"That depends on what kind of favor you're asking for," he replied coldly.
Fex pointed toward the machine in the corner.
"Tell me… what do you know about that portal?"
Logan followed his gaze.
"That?" he said. "It's something I inherited. I've been trying to open it."
Fex quickly asked another question.
"Do you know where it leads?"
Logan sighed.
"I'll figure it out eventually."
For a moment, Fex's face lit up. An idea had just formed in his mind.
"Well… I can tell you where it leads," he said.
Logan looked back at him.
"So would you be willing to listen to my favor now?"
"I already told you," Logan replied. "It depends."
Fex sighed before speaking.
"I need you to bring that portal device with you during the Orange Portal mission."
Logan frowned.
"For what?"
"To use it," Fex said simply.
Logan let out another tired sigh.
"Well then," Fex continued, "I'll tell you where the portal leads."
He paused dramatically.
"It leads to the planet of the vampires."
Logan stared at him.
This time, his expression clearly showed annoyance.
"You shouldn't make up such ridiculous stories," Logan said flatly. "If you're going to lie, at least try to make it believable."
"I'm not lying," Fex replied seriously. "That really is where it goes."
He folded his arms.
"I don't usually share information like this, but this is important."
"You need to bring that portal with you during the mission. I have a feeling something might happen out there."
Logan turned back toward his computer.
"Now leave," he said bluntly.
"No, Logan. Please, you have to understand," Fex insisted.
Logan ignored him and continued typing on his keyboard.
"Come on, why won't you believe me?" Fex said in frustration.
"You need to be more convincing," Logan replied calmly.
He stopped typing for a moment and looked at Fex again.
"For example… what exactly do you plan to do if I bring that portal along?"
Fex answered without hesitation.
"I'll use it to go to the vampire planet when the time comes."
Logan stared at him for a moment.
"I suppose it wouldn't be so bad to bring one extra person along," he said calmly. "Even if your story is completely ridiculous."
"If vampires really do appear like you say… they could focus on drinking your blood alive."
"That would give me enough time to escape."
Logan's face remained completely emotionless.
Fex suddenly broke into a wide grin.
"Sure," he said happily. "I agree to those terms."
Logan sighed again.
"You're forgetting one very obvious problem."
"How exactly am I supposed to carry something that large to another planet?"
Fex turned and began walking toward the door.
"Well," he said casually, "you're the tech genius, aren't you?"
"I'm sure you'll figure something out."
And with that, he left the room.
Logan simply stared at the portal machine in silence.