Tatehan thought about this deeply.

He had known Riven for quite some time now, and though they hadn't seen each other since the last time he came to Waython Hollow, she was a good friend. Maybe his only real friend on this planet, if he was being honest with himself.

She was someone who was free with him, and he felt relaxed being around her. They had conversations and told jokes like they were longtime friends when the opposite was true—they had only recently met each other.

Even when they first met, Tatehan had been hostile in a way, guarded and suspicious. But she had been nice and playful, actually wanting to be friends with him. Now they were, and eventually... they could be more.

But telling her that he had a system that randomly granted him abilities would require a whole different level of trust, and he wasn't sure he trusted her that much. Not yet.

He had other abilities, abilities that made him almost overpowered. The heightened perception was a new addition, acquired not long ago. And these abilities had been upgraded to quite a significant level that they could now do really good damage. Real damage.

His Gravity Manipulation alone had evolved far beyond what it had been when he first discovered it. He could crush objects now, pin enemies in place, even manipulate the weight of his own body to move faster or hit harder. And that was just one ability.

Then there was his enhanced strength, his speed, his reflexes. But that was the perks that came with being an enhanced human.

His real (other) abilities were partial regeneration, the kinetic absorption that came with his armor and enhanced durability.

Who knew what else the system would give him in the future?

Riven thought he only had Gravity Manipulation. That's what he'd told her before. And honestly, it was probably safer that way for now.

He didn't know how much he could trust her.

She'd helped him before, sure. She'd given him information, helped him predict Mub's moves, and pointed him toward opportunities.

But trust?

That was a different thing entirely. Trust meant revealing weaknesses, showing your full hand. Trust meant making yourself vulnerable.

And Tatehan wasn't ready to do that.

Not yet.

"I have my ways," he said finally, keeping his tone casual. "I've killed plenty of monsters. I know how to handle myself."

He paused, letting that sink in, then continued:

"Killing this creature should be easy. I can bet on that."

Riven studied him for a moment, her eyes searching his face like she was trying to figure out if he was bluffing or genuinely confident. Then she shrugged.

"Alright. I'm not worried. You took down a Hexapod Mauler on your own. This thing's dangerous, but it's not that dangerous."

She reached forward and deactivated the hologram. The lights in the room slowly came back on, the harsh glow of the overhead fixtures filling the space. The image of the creature faded into nothing, leaving only the small device sitting on the table.

"So we're doing this?" Riven asked, looking at him expectantly.

Tatehan nodded. "Yeah. We're doing this."

Riven grinned, and for a moment the tension in the room lifted. "Good. We leave whenever you're ready, but we need to make it quick. Other hunters might discover it before we do, and I'm not about to lose out on that payday because someone else got there first. I'll send you the coordinates."

Tatehan stood, finishing off the last of the candy bar. He crushed the wrapper in his hand and looked around for somewhere to toss it. Riven pointed to a small bin near the counter, and he threw it in.

"Thanks for the snack," he said.

"Anytime."

He moved toward the door, then paused and looked back at her.

"I have to head to the Red Crest Clan base. I got called by the commander."

Riven nodded in the affirmative.

Tatehan opened the door, then stopped again, his hand resting on the frame.

"About the creature we're hunting," he said. "This thing better be worth it."

Riven laughed. "Trust me. It will be."

Tatehan nodded, then stepped out into the hallway. The door slid shut behind him. Then he stood there for a moment, thinking.

The rhino creature flashed through his mind, the grotesque face, the armored body, that massive glowing horn. He might be powerful now, but he hadn't faced this type of creature before. He didn't know what to expect from it. What its fighting style would be. How fast it could move despite its size. Whether it had any other abilities beyond the charging attacks Riven had mentioned.

Eventually, he shrugged. Perhaps he'd get some additional weapons from the Red Crest Clan. Something heavier and more destructive.

He made his way back down to the parking area, summoned the Dust Rider from where he'd left it, and mounted the bike. This time, he kept his helmet off. With his face exposed, there were fewer eyes on him. Before, when he'd been fully armored, people had stared, looking at him like he was some relic from the medieval age.

He twisted the throttle and the bike roared to life.

Time to see what the commander wanted.

——

Tatehan was welcomed to the Red Crest Clan base with praises.

The guards at the gate recognized him immediately, their faces lighting up as he approached. They hailed him, calling out his name and saying it had been far too long since they'd seen him. One of them even clapped him on the shoulder as he passed through the checkpoint.

Tatehan smiled faintly and waved back, guiding the Dust Rider to a halt in an area that looked like a parking lot. He dismounted, and one of the guards, a younger man with short-cropped hair and light armor, stepped forward.

"Commander's waiting for you," the guard said. "I'll take you up."

Tatehan followed him into the building, through the sleek corridors he vaguely remembered from his last visit.

Eventually the guard led him to a door marked with the Red Crest insignia.

The guard knocked twice, then stepped aside.

"Go ahead," he said.

Tatehan pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The commander was standing behind her desk, her posture rigid and military-perfect as always. She was a stern woman—tall, sharp-featured, with graying hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her eyes were hard, calculating stuff.

She extended her hand. Tatehan took it, and they shook, firm and businesslike.

She didn't smile. Didn't show any outward gladness that he was here. But Tatehan understood. She rarely smiled. That was just who she was. Still, he could see it, the faint glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes, the slight relaxation in her shoulders. She was glad he'd come.

"Tatehan," she said, her voice clipped and professional. "Good to see you."

"Commander."

She released his hand and immediately moved to the side of her desk, pulling back a curtain that had been drawn across the wall.

Behind it was a large screen, glowing softly in the dim light of the office.

Tatehan's eyes widened.

On the screen was a live video feed, or maybe a recording, he couldn't tell, showing something massive under construction high above the surface of Mars. It looked like a fortress. No, not quite a fortress. It was more like a massive floating platform, a city in the sky. Enormous metal struts extended outward from a central hub, forming the skeleton of what would eventually become a sprawling structure. Dozens of figures moved across the framework, workers in advanced helmets and sleek armor, their boots equipped with hovering tech that let them glide effortlessly through the air. They welded beams into place, attached massive plates of reinforced metal, and connected glowing conduits that glowed with energy.

The whole thing looked half-finished, but even in its incomplete state, it was terrifying.

"It's half completed," the commander said, her tone firm and grave. "The Obscuron is trying to build a sky base above Waython Hollow and the surrounding cities. Once it's finished, it'll be easier for him to send ships and drop bombs that'll obliterate us. His ground campaign has been futile so far, so now he's changing tactics."

Tatehan stared at the screen, his mind racing.

The Obscuron. The warlord who wanted total control of Mars. The man (if you could even call him that anymore) who had killed his own parents when they tried to stop him. A power-hungry tyrant with advanced technology, a ruthless army, super strength for an ability and absolutely no mercy.

If that fortress was completed, Waython Hollow was finished. The Red Crest Clan, the people living here, everyone, wiped out. The Obscuron would have the high ground, literally. He could rain destruction down on them from above, and there'd be nothing they could do to stop it.

Tatehan's jaw tightened.

How were they supposed to stop this?

The enemies had large weapons, plasma cannons, energy shields, hover tech that made them nearly impossible to pin down. They had ships, advanced armor, and who knew what else. And they were building this thing in the sky, high above the reach of most ground forces.

Even if the Red Crest Clan mobilized every soldier they had, how would they even get up there? How would they breach the defenses? How would they destroy something that massive before it was completed?

Tatehan's thoughts spiraled, running through scenario after scenario. None of them looked good.

The commander's voice cut through his thoughts like a blade.

"We will stop it," she said, her eyes on his. "And you'll lead the army that does so."

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