Chapter 286: Against all odds.

Maverick was alive. Against all odds, he had landed successfully in the jungle. The parachute had drifted down not too far from the crash site, right in the middle of a sturdy, empty bird’s nest. Finding the rest of the wreck hadn’t taken him long. Given his military background, he was very confident he could navigate his way back to the mainland within a week. This wasn’t his first time surviving in this dump, after all.

There was just one major problem: his half-life beast was not with him_ the beasts had been transported on a separate cargo vessel. Without his half-life beast, his strength was cut in half. In a place like the wild lands, that half could sometimes be the difference between life and death. Nonetheless, he was determined to survive.

Maverick groaned, pressing a trembling hand against his ribs. Pain shot through his chest. "Ugh, cursed poison," he spat under his breath. The antidote had worked well enough to stop him from dying, but his body still felt like it had been dipped in a pool of boiling water mixed with hot sauce.

Hiding behind a thick trunk of a giant tree, he peeked out to inspect the wreckage. The plane had crashed right into the center of a busy territory. Right beside the smoking metal tail stood a ridiculously short, tiny man sporting a bright red, razor-sharp Mohawk. The tiny guy was jumping up and down, barking orders at a group of muscular goons who were hauling crates away.

A chuckle escaped his mouth, "How the hell is he making them submit?" He asked himself. He looked around to see if he could spot the man’s half-life beast because usually a small guy with a powerful beast made him equally powerful. There was no beast in sight.

Just then, Maverick spotted a line of ragged villagers being dragged inside the compound of the town. Iron chains bound their wrists and ankles, clinking heavily with every step.

"A slave trade territory," Maverick concluded, his eyes narrowing into cold slits.

He leaned back against the branch, taking a slow breath. He decided to wait until nightfall. The plane’s security compartment was disguised with a complex design_ there was no way these fools would ever figure out how to open it. As long as he got to it, he would get the case with his weapons and some dry food.

Slowly, Maverick slid down the tree trunk to sit in the high grass. He pulled back his blood-stained t-shirt to check his chest wound. The skin was turned an ugly shade of purple, oozing blackish fluid.

"Great. Just great," he muttered, rolling his eyes at the sky. "If these bastards don’t get me, gangrene will. I need to find some fire and burn this clean before it turns into a nightmare." He rested his head against the wood, letting out a weary laugh.

"Old Grand Elder," Maverick whispered, looking up through the thick green canopy at the sky. He thought of the grand elder, hoping the old man had made it safely to the capital.

***

Maverick was not the only one thinking of the Grand Elder; Achilles was as well. Sitting in the security room at the Beast valley, Achilles rubbed his temples, feeling like his head was about to explode. He had way too much on his plate. The machines in the valley’s new factories were being tested, and the very first batch of products were rolling off the line.

The residents had volunteered to work eagerly, but there were only so many jobs to go around. Not everyone could be employed. He was also managing the rehabilitation of Rose Water Village. The plan was to repackage all the factory goods here in the valley before shipping them off to the Thorn Guild warehouses. Hunter’s bright idea was that if the products they sold were ever traced back to the Wild lands, the village would be the scapegoat. Beast valley would remain anonymous.

Everything was running smoothly. Yet, he couldn’t focus on work at all. The news of his grandfather being involved in a plane crash had left him completely unsettled. The old man also happened to be unreachable by phone. Achilles could not help assuming the worst.

Unable to take the suspense anymore, he dialed his mother. When the link connected, Alessa sounded like she was on the verge of a breakdown.

"Mother, what’s the latest? Any good news" Achilles asked hastily.

"Achilles_ the plane definitely crashed," Alessa wept. "I’m trying to assemble a search team right now. The Indigo Guild went into the Wild Lands earlier today with a few Soul Maidens from the sanctum, and they found half of what was left of the air hostess in the jungle. And a half-dead Captain Tyson hanging from a tree half a mile away from the crush site. He’s in critical condition at the Sanctum Hospital with injuries from crashing into trees. The grand elder and Maverick were gone! But apparently, there were blood trails."

Achilles winced. "Mom... is it true what the news channels are saying? Did Aunt Sabrina really try to kill the Grand Elder?"

"I wouldn’t be surprised at all!" Alessa shouted, her voice shaking with rage and tears. "She swore she’d make the Grand Elder pay for what happened to Elliot! She’s denying it, of course, but all the evidence points right at her! Captain Tyson had her name written on his palm. Why else would he do that unless he was trying to send a message?"

She took a shaky breath and added, "Elliot has recommended sending the Salt Deer faction into the Wild Lands to look for your grandfather_"

Achilles paused, his eyebrows pulling together. "Wait. Elliot did that? Even after everything the Grand Elder did to him?"

"Yes!" Alessa sniffled. "While Sabrina claims the Black Flower Guild isn’t getting involved at all or else we will claim she out to sabotage the rescue mission."

Achilles scoffed bitterly. "Of course they aren’t, that is Aunt Sabrina’s guild. They’re probably popping cheap wine celebrating that the grand elder is dead."

Alessa left out a broken sob.

Hearing her cry harder, Achilles softened his tone. "Mother, stop crying. Now is not the time to break down. You have to stay strong, aunt Sabrina is going to be more vicious now that she knows you do not have the grand elder’s support. Within days, you are going to have a hostile takeover on your hands. You need to surround yourself with capable people she can’t threaten or turn in the short term. I will send some recommendations."

Using the Thorn Guild connections, he would protect his mother as best as he could. When Hunter returned, he would take over the family. It was the only way. He cut the call and checked his phone for updates, but his jaw dropped.

Every single broadcast station had completely stopped reporting on the Grand Elder’s death. Instead, the screens were filled with flashy clan and guild banners, and hype videos for the pre-tournament performances starting tomorrow.

"Unbelievable," Achilles muttered, shaking his head at the screens. This has to be the work of Sabrina. She was like a ghoul.