Chapter 388: Uncomfortable
(Leo’s POV, aboard the Cult Patrol Ship)
Leo followed silently as two cloaked attendants led him through the metallic corridors of the patrol ship, their boots tapping softly against the spotless floor.
Every turn they took revealed another hallway lined with curious eyes, all of them pausing in their duties to glance at him from behind terminals and bulkheads.
Some pretended to be working, only to glance sideways the moment he passed. Others stared openly, unabashed in their awe.
Wherever he passed, conversations halted mid-sentence. A few whispered behind their hands, and one woman even giggled openly before quickly silencing herself, cheeks flushed as her eyes met Leo’s briefly.
He felt like a creature being paraded through a glass cage.
A creature who was not feared but rather worshipped.
The attention made his shoulders tighten slightly, as although he did not enjoy such reverence even slightly, he somehow managed to keep his expression neutral.
By the time they reached the far end of the ship, the corridor widened into a curved antechamber with silver-paneled walls and soft ambient lighting.
A single door slid open soundlessly, revealing what could only be described as a captain’s quarters, for it was the biggest and best furnished of all other rooms on the ship.
It was basic in its design, having only one bed, one cabinet, one table and one chair, however the furnishings were undoubtedly high quality and premium finished.
Leo stepped inside slowly, eyes flicking across every detail.
"My Lord, please rest here," said the man who had been walking slightly ahead of him.
He wore a deep blue uniform adorned with silver trim and a seven-pointed star on the collar. His voice was formal, yet trembling with something Leo couldn’t quite place.
"We will arrive at our destination in approximately thirty hours," the man continued, lowering his head into a deep bow. "This is Landen. He has been assigned to stand outside your door. He will not allow any disturbance to reach you. If you require anything at all... food, drink, clothing, information... Please let him know."
Leo nodded, not saying a word.
The captain bowed once more, then stepped back and allowed the door to slide shut behind him, leaving Leo in the quiet, dimly lit room.
He remained standing for a long moment, his fingers twitching faintly at his side, his eyes locked on the plush bedding and golden glow of the room.
It was too soft. And far too quiet for his liking.
He felt no comfort in this luxury, no ease in the reverence. Only a crawling sense of being watched—even when alone. Like somewhere, just out of sight, someone was observing every movement and scribbling notes about his preferences, his silence, his gaze.
He took a slow breath and sat down on the edge of the bed, elbows on his knees, fingers steepled together as he stared at the closed door.
Outside, Landen stood at rigid attention.
Inside, Leo felt the weight of every pair of eyes that had followed him through those hallways still lingering on his skin.
And though the mattress was soft and the lighting gentle, he knew he would not rest easy tonight... not in this ship atleast.
’I hope I see my family soon....’ Leo hoped, as he finally lay down on the bed, and relaxed his muscles, letting the tension that had been a constant on his body for the past few days finally melt away.
—-----------
(Officer Jayden’s POV, near Twin Fang Planet Airspace)
The disguised cult vessel drifted silently through the void, its appearance humble and unassuming—nothing more than a civilian-grade delivery ship by all exterior scans.
But beneath the false plating, 12 powerful cult soldiers stood at the ready for a heist.
Officer Jayden stood near the back of the cockpit, armored in sleek matte gear, a dark helmet tucked beneath one arm as he monitored the holographic readings.
His expression was calm but alert, eyes sharp with focus as the ship steadily approached Twin Fang’s orbit.
Once the planetary sensors pinged their clearance for low-priority docking, Jayden turned to the onboard crew.
"We’ll breach in under two minutes. Calm your nerves, there can be no mistakes now," He instructed, as the others nervously tapped their feet and rubbed their hands.
The moment the ship reached the minimal required distance from the Black Serpent Vault’s dimensional anchor point, Jayden quickly unfolded the portal diagram given to him by Master Argo, and powered it with four high grade mana stones to start the connection.
*BRRRR*
A soft hum filled the air, as the portal diagram onboard the ship made connection with the portal frame inside the vault, opening a dimensional gate.
"We have approximately an 18-minute window," Jayden said sharply, pressing the countdown timer on his wrist console. "Everyone sync mission clocks with me now."
*Tchik*
One by one, the eleven soldiers behind him tapped their gauntlets, aligning their clocks with his. In silence, they donned their oxygen masks, checked their gear, and prepared to step through.
Jayden took the lead, diving into the portal without hesitation.
The transition was instant.
His boots landed softly on a polished floor, the temperature chilled and the atmosphere silent.
Around him, the vast inner vault of the Black Serpent Guild stretched like a cathedral of greed, treasures floated gently in stasis fields, suspended via anti-gravity runes.
Weapons, artifacts, ancient stones, crystal orbs, glittering gems.... everywhere he looked, the air was thick with unguarded wealth.
One by one, his soldiers emerged behind him, weapons drawn, eyes wide.
Jayden didn’t need to speak.
Hand signs.
He moved his fingers in a tight, deliberate sequence, signaling the plan.
Three men, including himself, would move for the target scroll.
The rest? Cleared the chamber of as much loot as they could fit in their storage rings.
The team dispersed in perfect formation. Looting squads moved swiftly, sweeping artifacts into their storage rings without any resistance, as if the vault had never been designed for theft from within.
Jayden, meanwhile, darted toward the far end of the room where a narrow glass enclosure pulsed with protective runes.
Within, hovering atop a black velvet stand, was the scroll—sealed behind seven distinct layers of thick transparent glass, each layer humming with its own defense circuit.
He threw more hand signs.
The soldier to his left quickly unlatched a small vial from his belt. Inside sloshed a greenish-black liquid, thick as tar, with tiny bubbles that fizzed violently even within containment.
Ancient Swamp Frog Poison.
Jayden took a step back as the soldier popped the vial’s seal and, with surgical precision, poured its contents along the seam of the outermost glass panel.
*SSSSHHHHH*
A hiss erupted as smoke poured upward. The poison clung to the glass and began eating through the molecular weave, the surface sizzling and cracking slowly under its weight.
Then—
*CRACK*
The first layer gave out with a clean, brittle shatter.
And instantly, the vault’s ambiance changed.
*VREEEEEEE*
*VREEEEEEEEE*
*VREEEEEEEEE*
The lights overhead shifted from soft white to blazing crimson.
Alarms screamed across the vault with feral intensity, drowning out every other sound in the room.
Jayden didn’t flinch, he had expected this, but that did not make it any less dangerous.
He tapped his communicator once and made a slicing gesture with two fingers, as immediately, two soldiers stopped the looting process, tossed their loot rings to their colleagues and stepped towards the vault’s entrance door, ready to guard it with their lives.
These two were going to be the last to leave, alongside Jayden, as while the others were instructed to leave as soon as their part of the mission was completed.
Jayden and the two of them could only leave with the scroll.....or not at all.