"Screeeee!!"
A harsh, piercing screech echoed out as a mantis-like creature, with a chitinous exoskeleton, slipped back into the void. The drones lost track of it completely, leaving only the scars of battle behind as evidence it had ever been there.
Watching this, Duke rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"It's not looking too great… A Voidreaver wandered all the way out here?"
"And wait, shouldn't Earth Drakes be made entirely of stone?"
"Why does it have signs of plant growth on its body?"
"Could it be a mutation caused by environmental influence?"
"That burrowing ability is also strange… the original lore never mentioned that. Looks like Ixtal really is full of mesmerizing mysteries."
"This is getting more and more interesting!"
"Mr. Duke?"
A voice snapped Duke out of his thoughts. He removed his Edith interface and looked at the nervous captain, Oz.
"What's the matter, Captain Oz?"
"I intend to go full speed ahead from here. If all goes well, we should arrive at the Vanguard's camp by tomorrow morning."
"You're the captain, your call."
"But…" Oz hesitated. After all, Duke was the commander of this entire expedition.
Noticing the doubt in his eyes, Duke patted him on the shoulder and said reassuringly,
"As the saying goes, right people for the right job. You're in charge of the ship. Trust your instincts."
"As for that beast's roar just now, don't worry about it. It was just a wounded creature lashing out in fear. It's already fled the area to escape its hunters."
"And besides, if something does happen, I'll take care of it."
"Yes, sir!"
With that, Oz nodded and gripped his weapon before heading back to rally the 320 crew members. They picked up the pace, determined to reach the Vanguard camp by dawn.
Duke remained at the bow of the ship for a while, quietly watching the shoreline pass by. Once all the drones had returned, he stepped back into the cabin.
He had barely shut the door and put on his Edith device, planning to organize the archived footage, when he caught something moving through the drone's surveillance feed,
a familiar figure sneaking along the outer hull toward the stern of the ship.
"This little brat… Still as unruly as ever."
While instructing Edith to keep an eye on Jinx, Duke pulled up the previous expedition logs.
The Vanguard camp was located in Parosa, which sat on a branch of the massive river that sliced through Ixtal, north of Ixaoken.
Following the river westward led to the Mother of Life Oasis beneath the sun disc of Shurima, a mystical place whose waters were said to revive the dead and regenerate flesh and bone. The Fountain of Life could even purify the undead.
If Duke had access to that water back then, not even Thresh or Hecarim would've been a threat. Hell, he wouldn't have feared a full-on Clone Mode matchup.
But, alas… That fountain was destined to become Sivir's private bathtub.
Emmm… Intriguing.
Within Parosa's temple lay the Uroa Elixir, something Camille had once discussed with him. It was one of the main reasons Noxus had taken interest in exploring Ixtal.
Just one drop of that potion could temper a soul for a thousand years and make the skin as tough as anti-magic stone.
Whether the elixir truly held such miraculous power remained to be seen. But if Duke could find traces of Ixaoken, especially its hidden county-city (ajfa), it would be a major breakthrough.
To be honest, the locals had isolated themselves for far too long, and their arrogance was laughable.
Even a single clue would be enough to lead Duke to the heart of Ixaoken.
And that was his real goal in this journey, everything else was secondary.
The Next Morning
Thick fog blanketed the entire river, obscuring visibility. But Duke's crew had UV lights to help navigate, and they were nearly at Parosa's camp.
As they pushed deeper into the jungle, the trees grew larger and thicker. Branches stretched over the river, forming a natural canopy that blotted out the sun and left behind only scattered specks of light.
Standing at the bow, Duke had a fleeting illusion,
It felt as if the ship wasn't moving forward, but descending… into the very heart of darkness.
Eventually, the vessel docked at a man-made pier. The wood was still fresh, recently built.
It was a tiny dock, almost laughably small. But it marked the path and the proximity to the Vanguard camp.
Looking around, Duke noticed cut marks and burn scars on the trees. Clearly, the original team had used force, not finesse, when setting up this site.
As soon as the gangplank dropped, Jinx couldn't hold back her excitement. She bolted down first, having been cooped up on the ship far too long, torture for a mischief-maker like her.
While she bounced along the dock, Oz walked over to Duke and whispered:
"Sir… Something's not right."
"The Vanguard didn't leave anyone behind to guard the pier."
"I noticed."
Duke donned his Edith device and signaled the drones to fan out and scan the surroundings. He ordered Oz to assign a crew to guard the ship while the rest would head with him to investigate the camp.
Before long, Oz organized the group. With Duke in the lead and drones buzzing overhead, they advanced into the jungle along the creaking wooden path.
Each step on the damp boards made the team hold their breath, afraid one might snap underfoot.
Duke, hands in his coat pockets and golden mechanical cicada perched on his shoulder, looked more like a laid-back tourist than an expedition leader.
He wore sunglasses, cool and calm as always.
Oz carried a musket, and the sailors behind him had their weapons ready.
The jungle was finally beginning to reveal its "savage" nature.
It became clear that the Vanguard team hadn't managed to carve out a proper trail, just this crude dock. Moving forward meant fighting the jungle itself, hacking through thick vines and vegetation.
The air was stifling, heavy, damp fog choked their lungs and stung their eyes.
To counter this, Duke handed out full-coverage masks and sprayed everyone with a mist that created a protective coating on their skin.
Jinx scrunched her nose as he sprayed her.
"Ugh! That stinks! Why don't you have to wear it?"
Duke snapped his fingers, summoning Pride, who roared so loudly it sent the surrounding animals scattering.
Patting the cicada-like mech on his shoulder, Duke grinned,
"This little guy protects me with an energy field."
"And the spray smells bad because I added a special pheromone, repels bugs, rats, and insects."
"So unfair!"
Jinx rolled her eyes and played with a glass orb filled with an unknown liquid.
Duke caught a glimpse and quickly looked away, this girl was seriously fearless, casually juggling explosives like toys.
With Pride leading the way, they eventually stumbled upon a half-finished camp.
Seeing only a partly constructed fence, Duke's heart sank,
the Vanguard had likely met a terrible fate.
Lime powder had been scattered across the ground to prevent weeds, and the tents, shrouded in fog, looked like tombstones.
Then Duke felt it.
The sensation of being watched.
"Sir, it looks like the Vanguard didn't make it…"
Oz gripped his weapon tightly.
A scream rang out from the back of the group. A sailor pointed at the bushes.
"S-something just ran past me!"
"What the hell are you talking about?!"
Oz swung his gun toward the rustling underbrush.
"Relax."
Duke lowered the barrel, activating his infrared and thermal sensors through Edith. What he saw made his brow furrow.
Several massive figures, each over two meters tall, were lurking in the jungle.
Their body heat was intense, and their stealth technique was excellent.
Without thermal vision, they'd have gone undetected.
One of them was currently clinging to a vine above, watching silently.
"Pride, capture them alive. I want them unharmed."
Duke's lenses gleamed as the order went out.
Pride's eyes turned red. He activated his own thermal mode and charged into the jungle.
Jinx leaned on Duke, curiously watching the foliage.
Roars erupted, mingling with screams of alarm and fury.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
One after another, massive feline creatures emerged, bound tightly in crystal chains by Pride.
They had humanoid builds, covered in patchwork armor made from fur and scales. Their clawed paws were as large as dinner plates, and their tails trailed behind like whips.
Each of them snarled menacingly at Duke.
"Whoa," Duke grinned, removing his glasses as he approached one of them and patted its mane.
"Living, breathing Vastaya."
"A bunch of bush-hugging Rengar wannabes."
"But too bad…"
"You picked the wrong target, kitties."
"Time to work, little lions."
(End of chapter)
We're still in the early chapters fam! and to everyone who's joined the Patreon, thank you so much! 🙏Your support truly means the world. You're the reason this story keeps growing, chapter by chapter, world by world. I promise to give it my all! more content, more depth, more epic moments, to make sure your support is always worth it. You're part of the foundation that keeps this universe alive.
🔹 Hexcore Initiate – 15 chapters ahead
🔸 Arc Reactor Elite – 35 chapters
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