"Put that right there," Inosuke instructed, pointing to where two men should place a new stove in the kitchen.
Beside him stood Raze, the man from the black market, now under Inosuke's command. The house looked brand new. Everything inside had been replaced—modern, spotless, and efficient. In the corner of the kitchen, Kaena knelt like a traumatized child. Everything she saw was foreign and overwhelming. Her life had only ever been about war and survival.
Suddenly, a hand rested gently on her shoulder. She flinched and looked up slowly. It was Inosuke.
"You holding up?" he asked, wearing a rare, genuine smile.
Though the new world around her was hard to grasp, that single smile was enough to give her strength. She nodded and slowly stood.
"This time, I'll teach you everything about these things. You don't need to be scared of the world anymore," he said softly, plucking a small feather from her hair.
"All done, boss!" Raze called out.
Inosuke turned. "What's your name?" he asked.
"It's Raze," the man replied.
Inosuke walked over, leaving Kaena behind in thought. She felt a strange sensation in her chest—tight, painful but not in a bad manner, and unfamiliar. Her heart pounded as she watched him walk away.
"Now that everything's in order, I just need the accessories . Then you can head back to business," Inosuke said, waving Raze off.
"Let's move!" Raze barked, and the workers followed him out.
Inosuke turned to Kaena. "We're heading back to your planet."
Kaena frowned. "Aren't I supposed to take care of your sister?"
"You are," he said. "But right now, I need materials only found on your world."
He'd noticed that the people of Kaena's world had no proper weapons, even though the raw materials existed. So he'd arranged for Raze to hire low-blooded Rayler blacksmiths outcasts, but skilled.
Inosuke's goals had shifted. It wasn't just about finding a cure anymore. Now, he wanted to rebuild Kaena's planet... and start a revolution on his own. A new kind of kingdom.
"If they cast out the bloodless from their utopia," he muttered, looking at his hand and clenching it tight, "then we'll just create our own."
Kaena looked at him, puzzled.
"Come on. Let's go," he said, extending his hand.
She took it. A wormhole formed and pulled them through. In an instant, they were back in the castle bedroom.
"Kaena… how well do you know this kingdom?"
She shook her head. "I only knew the people who lived underground with me."
"So, no knowledge of the rest of the kingdom?"
"None, Master. What do you need?"
"I want people with potential...those who learn fast, think strategically, and know how to create."
Kaena perked up. "My friends could help. One's good with clothes, another with weapons. One handles medicine. One can sense and evade danger. The last… well, he's a master at lying his way through anything."
Inosuke grinned. That grin sent a chill down Kaena's spine. "Take me to them."
Meanwhile...
Kael and ten thousand warriors had ventured deep into the Deadly Forest. Already, they'd lost two thousand men.
Now, they rested in the trees, trying to catch their breath. But then a monster emerged.
It had two heads, four legs, bone spikes running down its spine, and a tail shaped like a sword.
"Dear gods… That's the Calamity Beast," one warrior muttered, voice trembling. "It's supposed to live deep in the innermost parts of the forest…"
Every soldier froze shaken by the fact one of the strongest beasts where there...in the small parts it was needed.
"Cowering won't save us," Kael growled. "We push forward. We face it head-on."
His face was hardened with steel resolve.
To be continued...