Chapter 385: Unheeded Advice
(Somewhere on a Mu Clan Controlled Planet, Mu Fan’s POV)
"Lord Twelfth, I have just been contacted by Skyshard," Mu Fan reported softly, her gaze lowered as the elder’s holographic projection flared to life in front of her.
The Twelfth Elder did not speak.
He simply stared.
And so, she continued.
"The mission was a success. The dimensional portal link has been established... and he’s currently en route to the designated meet-up zone. The patrol ship is already in position. He should arrive in under two hours."
A long silence followed.
Then, slowly, the elder’s expression began to shift. His shoulders eased just slightly, as a small smile crept up the corners of his lips.
"I see..." he murmured, his voice carrying the weight of something between relief and pride.
"It’s been a long time since someone delivered this cleanly on a mission of that scale... but if it’s the future Dragon who carried it out, then of course he succeeded," he added with quiet satisfaction, as the smile on his face deepened.
Mu Fan remained still for a moment before raising her eyes to meet his, her face devoid of the same joy that now animated his own.
There was something about Leo’s immediate future that had been gnawing at her for the past two days. Ever since she discovered the change in plan, the discomfort had grown steadily.
And although she had held her tongue until now... today, she chose to speak her mind.
"If you don’t mind, may I offer a warning, Twelfth Elder? Regarding your decision to have him visit Tithia before his family... I humbly ask you to reconsider."
The elder’s eyes sharpened in an instant.
His features tightened with quiet disdain, as he raised a single hand in curt protest.
"Enough," he said with finality, and in that instant, the air around Mu Fan seemed to grow colder.
"You have done well so far as Skyshard’s handler, Fan. But if you continue to behave so belligerently, then I will have no choice but to replace you."
Mu Fan’s breath hitched, her spine stiffening instinctively.
The Twelfth Elder leaned forward ever so slightly, his words now cutting with calm and deliberate precision.
"It is not your place to tell me how I groom the next Dragon. That prerogative lies with the Elders Council and the Elders Council alone."
His gaze bore into hers, unrelenting.
"Do not forget that."
"The only reason I inform you of my plans is because I expect your support in executing them smoothly and not because I value your opinion on how they should be shaped. So know your role and stay within it," he said coldly, before disconnecting the call in a quiet huff.
*Click*
The projection vanished.
Leaving behind only the low flicker of the communication crystal and a slow, growing tightness in Mu Fan’s chest.
’I still think you’re making a mistake,’ she thought, as her hands slowly dropped to her sides, her fingers curling tightly into fists.
They had made a promise to Leo.
A promise that after retrieving him, the Cult would take him to Planet Vorthas to see his family. But now, with the elder’s sudden decision to divert him to Tithia first, that promise was on the verge of being broken.
To alter the destination without warning, without so much as a discussion, risked turning what should have been a moment of trust into one of betrayal.
Knowing exactly how little faith Leo already had in the Cult, Mu Fan could feel the danger in this decision with every fiber of her being.
To her, it felt like a blunder waiting to happen.
A move capable of fracturing everything they had so painstakingly built with Leo.
Because the Leo of today was no longer a pawn. He was a Dragon Candidate, one who stood on the cusp of coronation, and the road forward demanded cooperation rather than coercion.
"I really hope the elder is wiser than me," Mu Fan whispered under her breath.
"I sincerely hope that I’m still too young to know what’s best for the Cult..."
Her voice trailed into silence, as she turned and walked out of the secure room with disappointment pressing firmly against her chest.
—----------------
(Aboard the Cult’s Undercover Patrol Ship, Officer Jayden’s POV)
A faint blue light flickered within the control chamber of the Cult’s patrol vessel, its walls humming quietly with stable mana flow as Officer Jayden stood at attention before the main console, waiting for the encrypted call to connect.
*Beep*
The transmission snapped into clarity.
The Twelfth Elder’s face appeared on the screen, his demeanor as stable as ever, though there was an undeniable hint of excitement in his eyes.
"Officer Jayden. The mission to retrieve the lost scroll is a go, the future dragon has completed his part of the plan perfectly," the elder declared without preamble, his voice firm and decisive.
Jayden’s eyes lit up, and he immediately lowered his head in a crisp salute, his fist pressed against his chest with ceremonial precision.
"Praise be to the Future Dragon, We shall not let his efforts go to waste!" He said, as the call ended just as abruptly as it had begun.
But that was all the confirmation he needed, as spinning around, Jayden clapped his hands loudly, his voice booming through the narrow metallic corridors of the vessel.
"You heard the elder! This is not a drill! We are greenlit! Move to your stations and prep the shuttle!"
A wave of energy coursed through the crew.
The tense silence that had gripped the patrol ship for the past few hours gave way to an atmosphere of sharp focus and thinly-veiled excitement, as cloaked figures dashed through the halls with practiced efficiency, strapping on gear, checking weapons, and syncing mission clocks.
Jayden entered the deployment chamber, where a smooth black shuttle was already humming to life, marked with counterfeit delivery insignias, as the smaller mission ship masqueraded as one of the standard delivery vessels belonging to the Universal Logistics Corps.
Twelve soldiers boarded, all in black-tinted armor, their faces hidden behind shaded helmets, as they performed one final equipment check.
"Masquerade protocol is in full effect. Air Control on planet Twin Fang has been informed of a delivery ship with your code expecting to enter their Air Space, we are a full blown courier ship on paper now" one of the cult techs reported calmly, flashing a thumbs-up, as Jayden nodded.
"Good. Keep comms on silent until we hit the atmosphere. No risks. Today’s the day we retrieve our lost pride."
"Yes, sir!"
A low hiss filled the chamber as the patrol vessel’s lower hatch opened, exposing a launch tunnel that jutted out toward the vastness of space.
*Whirr...*
*Click*
The undercover logistics shuttle detached smoothly from the belly of the patrol ship and entered half hyper-speed instantly, its core engine running at dampened intensity to avoid suspicion.
Jayden stood by the window, arms crossed, as he watched the sleek craft vanish into the black of space, the faintest curl tugging at his lips.
The Future Dragon had handed the Cult an unprecedented golden opportunity, one they had been waiting nearly three decades for.
And it was up to him and his team now, to complete what the Dragon had already begun.
"Lord Future Dragon.... You seem like a capable man.... I can’t wait to serve under you soon!" Jayden said, as he hoped for the day where he could enlist under the future dragon’s army, and join him to rebel against the righteous faction!