Wood Hunters, Assemble!

Perhaps I had overestimated my ability to lead, to convince, to reach the person Toren once was.

He stood before me, resolute and unyielding, his imposing frame like a fortress guarding a twisted ideal.

“Why would you say that? We used to be teammates,” I pressed, my voice carrying the weight of history.

“That was before I ascended to divine perfection,” he replied coolly, each word dripping with disdain. “My ex-friend.”

His dismissal struck like a lash, but I pushed forward. “So, this is it? This is who you are now? A life of arrogance and contempt?”

“Hardly,” he said with a smug grin, his tone laced with superiority. “I’m simply fulfilling my purpose—demonstrating just how insignificant the rest of this world truly is outside the Central District. But this is only the beginning.”

The venom in his words made my stomach churn. My family hailed from Eastern Worlderia, the very region he now deemed irrelevant. He wasn’t just scorning the world—he was scorning me.

But this wasn’t the real Toren. The person standing before me was a stranger, distorted by whatever poison the oxygen had sown in him. I reminded myself of that as I suppressed the urge to retaliate. We needed his strength. The mission demanded it.

Desperation fueled my next move, a gamble I wasn’t sure would pay off.

“Alright,” I said, turning sharply on my heel, forcing my voice to remain calm. “Stay here. Watch the news from your ivory tower while ‘lowly creatures’ like us retrieve humanity’s most coveted treasure—Yggdrasil.”

I didn’t wait for his reaction. I didn’t even look back.

Each step away from him felt like pulling against gravity, but I kept walking. If this gamble failed, so be it. But something told me Toren’s pride wouldn’t let him sit idle while the rest of us pursued greatness.

***

I was waiting at HQ for my team to arrive, so I wandered to the manufacturing floor to kill some time.

The production bay stretched out before me, a labyrinth of intricate machinery, glowing conduits, and towering extractors. The rhythmic thrum of activity filled the cavernous space, a symphony of precision engineering that spoke to centuries of human ingenuity. At the heart of the floor, Biocores—massive chunks of wood, their surfaces marbled with ancient veins—were fed into towering Extraction Cylinders. The cylinders pulsed faintly, the transparent chambers revealing the intricate process within.

Mechanical tendrils, sleek and precise, pierced the Biocores with surgical accuracy, extracting the oxygen embedded deep within their fibers. The air shimmered faintly as the oxygen flowed through a maze of glowing conduits, the pale green light pulsating like the lifeblood of the process. It wasn’t merely extracted; it was purified, broken down into atomic perfection before entering the Kyslicium Synthesizers.

Here, the real magic happened. Suspended catalysts worked in unison with the oxygen, transforming it into glowing filaments of Kyslicium. The filaments coiled together, hardening into crystalline structures that refracted the light into an iridescent spectrum. Each shard of Kyslicium—so essential to our world—was collected in pods that hummed faintly with the weight of their importance.

The oxygen-extracted wood could theoretically be repurposed into products like furniture, but such uses were rare due to the inherent dangers it posed.

“Mr. Talos, they’re here,” a production manager interrupted, gesturing for me to head to the Director’s office.

Inside, my great-great-grandfather stood with his usual air of authority, a steady presence behind the desk. My team sat in a row of chairs before him, dressed in their Wood Hunter uniforms, each face marked with their unique struggles but undeniably familiar.

“Liora, Kael, Serena!” I couldn’t contain the joy in my voice as I stepped inside. “I’m so glad you’re really here.”

Serena leaned back, an elegant fur coat draped over her uniform like it was a royal mantle. She winked at me. “Wherever you are, Zehn, I’ll follow you… even to the depths of hell.” Her playful smirk was the same, but her eyes carried a hint of something sharper, more calculating.

Kael’s expression, on the other hand, was all frustration. His jaw tightened as he glanced toward my great-great-grandfather. “Let’s just get moving. I won’t be able to keep my temper much longer.”

Liora shifted uncomfortably, her pale face framed by the high collar of her uniform. “At least this uniform covers most of my skin,” she said softly, her voice tinged with a mix of relief and sadness. “I just hope I’ll be of some use to you all, given… everything.”

“You all look incredible, compared to me!” I said, trying to lighten the mood. But as if to mock my optimism, one of my upper teeth chose that exact moment to fall out, landing with a quiet clink. “Welp… guess I’ll have to visit my bio-dentist when we’re back.”

“So Toren’s not coming, then?” Liora asked, her disappointment evident.

The room fell silent as the door slammed open with a metallic clang. Toren strode in, his imposing figure framed by the doorway. He was already wearing the sleek, intimidating mask of a Wood Hunter, its filters gleaming like armor.

“Don’t assume stuff about me, pest,” he growled, his voice muffled but no less commanding.

I smirked, crossing my arms. “Knew you’d show up, ex-friend.”

He tilted his head slightly, his voice laced with disdain. “Can’t let you all take the glory, now can I?”

“And what happened to not boarding with us lowly creatures?” I asked, my tone teasing.

Toren straightened with a glint in his eye. “At least you’re still honored Wood Hunters.”

My great-great-grandfather cleared his throat. “Lovely. Now that you’re all here, I trust you understand the risks this mission entails. Or, more accurately, its likelihood of being a complete waste of resources.”

Kael’s fists clenched, a vein pulsing in his temple. “We understand perfectly. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be here.”

Serena leaned forward, her lips curling into a sly smile. “And once we’re back with the Alpha Biocore, I’m coming for your seat, old man.”

“Charming,” my great-great-grandfather said dryly. “But my condition stands. You’re not going alone. Let me introduce your mission captain.”

I stiffened as the door creaked open behind me. Heavy boots tapped against the polished floor, and a figure stepped into view. My heart skipped a beat as I recognized her.

“This is the newly appointed Head Associate of the Science Division, and your Captain for this mission, Perla Vigouroux.”

“Perla?!” I blurted out, my voice betraying my disbelief.

The petite woman before us bowed deeply, her auburn hair falling forward in loose waves. “H-hello, everyone!” she said, her voice high and timid. “P-please take care of me on this mission!”

Kael’s brow furrowed. “Aren’t you supposed to take care of us?”

Toren scoffed, his disgust evident. “I won’t take orders from a pathetic lowlife like her.”

My great-great-grandfather’s voice cut through the rising tension. “Perla is a former Wood Hunter, with fifty years of field experience and an unparalleled understanding of Biocore science.”

Toren’s head snapped toward Perla. “A former Hunter?” His tone shifted immediately, and he gave her a curt nod. “I’m sorry for my ignorance, Captain.”

I almost laughed. Perhaps he can still recognize when someone is objectively superior to him.

Perla then straightened, her eyes narrowing as a confident smirk played on her lips. “Well then, ladies and gentlemen,” she said smoothly, her voice now rich with authority. “Let’s hunt for that forgotten divine Biocore and make sure humanity prevails for at least another millennium.”

Her shift in tone was almost unnerving.

“Wood Hunters, assemble!” she added with a playful giggle.

Chapter 11: END