BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

The group snapped to attention as General Becker entered. He was still the leader of the nation and someone who had been recognized as the second strongest person in the world, following the Fierce Lioness, for many years. Aside from that, he was also their master.

Allan had joined them recently, following the others' recommendations, but he was considered one of them, nonetheless.

"At ease," Becker said, his face creasing into a slight smile.

Becker's expression softened as he considered how much had changed. Thanks to Erik's contributions, Frant had experienced unprecedented growth.

The secret technique he had shared with the army, and his friends - the very people standing before Becker now - had transformed them into warriors more powerful than Becker himself had been just three years ago, and was making Frant's army stronger than any army on the planet.

Becker wasn't someone who had territorial expansion and world dominion in mind, but he couldn't deny the fact he was thinking about it.

"I understand you've been discussing the rescue mission."

"Yes, sir," Gwen said. "We're considering the risks involved."

Becker moved to the head of the table. "Before we proceed, are you absolutely sure you want to do this mission? Mur isn't like anything you've faced before."

"We need more information before deciding," Allan said. "But otherwise, yes, we would like to. What exactly is the plan you made for us?"

Becker nodded. There was a reason he agreed when Gwen and Floyd went to him to request help for a rescue mission. Erik couldn't die. Even if he wasn't completely on Frant's side and preferred to do things alone, he had been generous enough not only to share his resources and organization, but also to give them a technique that could change humanity's situation for good.

Erik must have had something else, something better. That, and the fact he could now give people brain crystal powers. At this point, Becker knew there would be no way for him to get stronger than Erik, but closing the gap was still better than nothing.

After many years, even Becker had found something that awakened his greed.

He activated the room's holographic display, bringing up a map of Mur; it wasn't that precise or detailed, but it had all the needed information for the mission.

"We'll use an aircraft capable of reaching the exosphere—beyond the reach of even the most powerful flying Thaids can go to."

Of course, that was the bare minimum. There was no other way for them to reach Mur otherwise, not like Erik did.

The display showed the planned flight path, a curved line ascending far above the planet's surface.

"We will bring you to Mur's shores, the closest place on land where Erik was."

Becker already explained to them that the last communication Frant had from Erik and the clones was in the middle of the sea, so they were making a bold assumption that Erik was alive and that he reached the shore.

The mission's primary goal was to assist Erik, but first, they needed to confirm he was alive. If they discovered he wasn't, the group would be extracted and returned to Frant.

"We'll execute a high-altitude deployment," Becker said. "The drop will be too fast for most creatures to intercept. We'll give you suits that will make the descent possible, let you breathe, and protect you from the heat produced by the fall. We will also give you a pod of supplies."

The pods were another piece of technology made for missions that required landing in dangerous zones. That meant most places in the world, actually. There were few cities in the world; each country barely had 12, and they weren't even that large. That meant most of the world was wilderness because of the thaids. However, in Frant, things were going to change soon.

"The pods will carry supplies, weapons, emergency equipment, communication devices, and specialized gear for surviving Mur's environment. The provisions will last you for two weeks, so do not squander them, and try to hunt while you are there."

The other raised their eyebrows; hunting on Mur was suicidal. Martha leaned forward; she wanted to address the most important point of the mission.

"What if we do not find them, or worse, what if they are already dead?"

Becker sighed; it wasn't like he didn't think about this already. It was just that Becker had reasonable assumptions that at least Erik might be alive.

"The Chimaeric Demons are still alive," he said. "Though Erik never confirmed it directly, we believe the Chimaeric Demons remain alive only as long as Erik does."

Becker paused. "Since they haven't disappeared, it suggests he's still alive. However, these are just theories—we have no certainty, as Erik never explained this to us. You'll have two weeks of provisions to find him, not counting what you might hunt. If those two weeks pass without success, we'll either resupply or extract you, depending on the situation on Mur and your team's condition at that time."

Everyone nodded. "How do we tell you the situation? I remember someone said it wasn't possible to communicate from Frant to Mur because the signal didn't get there."

"You will use these…" Becker showed them some new communicators able to reach Mannard, or at least Frant's operatives on Hin. "You will have to let us know what is happening. If you find or do not find Erik, it will be on you to continue or come back."

"The new communicators are based on the same technology used by the blackguards," Becker said. "No one can spy on them or block their signals. While they only work over short distances, you'll be able to talk to each other safely during the mission."

Everyone went quiet. They all felt the pressure of what they were about to do. Going to Mur was scary—many people had died there before. They all knew this would be their most dangerous mission yet.

Floyd cleared his throat. "Sir, what about Erik's clones on Hin? From what Erik told us, they're currently his strongest subordinates. Shouldn't we at least inform them of our plans? They might help us."

"I've already contacted them," Becker said. "They'll send one hundred Chimaeric Demons to assist with the operation. Unfortunately, we can't bring more. Besides, Erik left them specific instructions, and I don't have additional aircraft to provide, even if they said they would send more people."

It was a bit weird. The Chimaeric Demons were known to have Erik's well-being at the top of their priorities. Honestly, Becker and the others expected they would rush to search for Erik the moment they lost contact with him. So why weren't they panicking?

In truth, they were. The problem was that they had no way to reach Mur if not shapeshifting, and to safely cross the sea, they would need to mobilize all their troops, which would simply ruin Erik's plans.

Even if it pained them, there wasn't much they could do with their current means. They needed planes, but didn't have them. Only Becker was the only one with them willing to help, but planes had limited seats, hence why there were only 100 Chimaeric Demons going with them.

He paused, rubbing his temples. "Let me be clear—I'm not withholding aircraft for arbitrary reasons. When I say we don't have enough aircraft, I mean it. Most were destroyed, and the remaining ones are being used to provide aid and help reconstruct the cities that are still standing."

Becker paused. That wasn't, of course, the only reason he couldn't send more people. "Besides, even if the war almost ended, there are still Blackguards' loyalists. If they spot a fleet of aircraft, they'll try to destroy it before they can reach altitude. We have to keep this operation small and inconspicuous. If you need to get out, the Chimaeric Demons will help you leave. We will send the plane again, and you will board on the flight."

The Chimaeric Demons could fly, so it made sense.

Mikey frowned; he wasn't convinced, but having 100 Chimaeric demons put his worries at least partially at ease. "Won't more people just increase our chances of being detected?"

"The Chimaeric Demons can turn invisible and can shapeshift. They are the best scouts you can find and are much stronger than you."

Of course, they knew that already.

The team looked at each other. The plan seemed well organized and dealt with their main worries about getting in and out of the dangerous area of Mur safely.

Floyd tapped his fingers on the table. "This all sounds great in theory, but what happens if the blackguards find us?"

"That's on you. I know that helping Erik is the only way for us to defeat the blackguards, but he went there alone for a reason. If you decide to go, you will need to find a way to survive. We have no men to spare and even fewer planes."

The group fell silent.

"There's one more thing," Becker said. "We've made better equipment for you, using what Erik told us about the dangers on Mur. Each of you will get special gear we got from the Etrium soldiers that died in our land."

He showed them pictures of weapons and protective equipment. "These won't make you completely safe, but they'll help you fight better, along with your brain crystal powers. Our team in the aircraft will watch over you and warn you about areas to avoid."

The team exchanged glances with each other, understanding without words. While the plan had some weak points, it covered their main worries. Best of all, it gave them a real chance of success.

"I think we should do it," Ben said.

The others nodded in agreement.

"Very well," Becker said. "We'll begin final preparations. The aircraft will be ready in two weeks. Use that time to familiarize yourselves with the new equipment and study the operation protocols."