Chapter 432: The Rules of The Breach

They set off in silence, advancing toward the shadows swaying in the distance among the gas clouds. Alexander observed the hostile terrain, trying to spot a defense structure or camp.

"Where is your outpost?" asked Alexander, turning toward Scott.

"Our point isn’t a fortress," said Scott, exhaling a stream of blue smoke from his cigar. "The Breach is a place in motion. We can’t teleport to the same spot; we arrive at a different location every time. However, we have beacons scattered across several areas that we can track to reach shelter."

"An unstable ground..." muttered Alexander, watching as the rocks around him floated from gravity distortion.

"In this world, the most important thing is staying unnoticed," explained Stephen, adjusting his gloves while scanning the perimeter. "If you want to rest, step into a cave or take shelter among rock formations, but never set up a tent. The moment these creatures see something out of the ordinary, they attack without hesitation. Stay safe and keep a low profile."

"Understood," agreed Alexander, dampening the flow of his shadow aura to blend his presence with the ambient mana. "Blending in with the environment is rule number one."

"Precisely," said Scott, pointing toward a black fissure along a crystal rock hillside a few meters ahead. "There’s the signal from a beacon. Let’s head inside before the mist hunters catch your scent."

They broke into a run, following the vibration of the signal emitted by the beacon. As they drew closer, the air rumbled with roars, combat shouts, and impacts that made the crystalline ground vibrate. Something massive was fighting up ahead.

Scott raised a hand, signaling to slow down, and the three blended among the rock formations until they peered over a ledge. Upon reaching the edge, they witnessed a scene: a creature covered in blue scales resembling a dragon was attacking a shadow specter. The dragon stood over five meters tall, yet appeared small compared to the mist monster it was battling.

"Looks like we’re in luck," said Stephen.

"Couldn’t agree more," concluded Scott, exhaling smoke from his cigar.

"What’s going on?" asked Alexander, confused.

"He’s a Federation Commander, a step away from being appointed General," explained Stephen, pointing toward the scaled warrior. "He calls himself the Blue Dragon."

Alexander let out a chuckle and shook his head.

"Sounds like he didn’t want to put thought into his alias and went with the first thing that popped into his head," said Alexander.

"Most people do the same," remarked Scott. "They hardly care about their titles."

"And why is it lucky for us to find him here?" asked Alexander. "Is he our ally?"

"Not at all," said Scott with a smile. "In fact, he’s our enemy. He’s a member of the faction that framed us before the Council, which is why having him here is fantastic. Today will be your first fight in this realm. He’s a Platinum Rank just like you, so get down there and show him who’s boss."

Alexander didn’t wait a second longer. He activated [Vampire Emperor Shadow Armor Lvl 1], encasing his body in a shadow corselet while extending his wings. With a leap, he plunged downward and unleashed [Storm Steel Claws Lvl 1] from a distance; a storm field of slashes rained down upon the Blue Dragon.

The commander, focused on the beast before him, failed to react in time and took the wave of cuts that tore through his scales. As he tried to cover himself with his arms, the mist monster capitalized on the distraction and brought a claw slamming down, striking the Blue Dragon and sending him flying into the rocky ground.

The shadow beast turned to look at Alexander, who was hovering in midair. Its eyes gleamed with confusion, as if its mind couldn’t grasp whether to attack him.

Alexander remained suspended in the air, staring at the monster. It possessed a humanoid figure, draped in shifting grayish shadows that gave it the ethereal appearance for which everyone in The Breach called them mist monsters.

A few meters away, among the rubble of the shattered ground, the Blue Dragon emerged, coughing up blood. Looking up, he saw the mist creature and the dark-armored vampire staring at each other in the sky.

Suddenly, the mist creature extended its claw toward Alexander. Dodging the swipe, Alexander used the momentum to dive headfirst toward the Blue Dragon. Realizing he was the prime target of this new aggressor, the scaled commander’s eyes widened in panic as he scrambled to flee.

"You’re not going anywhere!" said Alexander, cutting off his escape route.

The Blue Dragon backpedaled with ragged breath, facing Alexander while sensing the shadow of the mist creature behind him.

"Wait! Why are you attacking me?" asked the Blue Dragon, frowning in confusion as he wiped blood from his chin. "I know who you are... You’re Alexander, the kid from the TMC. We don’t know each other—there are no hard feelings between us to warrant this."

"No hard feelings?" said Alexander, keeping his shadow claws primed for the strike. "Didn’t the Federation brand me as a rebel and a traitor? I figured that was reason enough to kill you."

The Blue Dragon’s eyes widened, grasping the gravity of his situation. Cornered between the law he represented and two deadly monsters, he swallowed his pride and reached out a hand.

"We can negotiate!" offered the Blue Dragon in a tone of urgency. "I have private intelligence from the Federation’s high command! I know which commanders signed your arrest warrant, and I have the coordinates to the military supply caches in this sector of The Breach. I’ll give you the override codes if you let me go!"

"Your information is useless to me if you’re alive to talk about it," answered Alexander, closing the distance.

"I can erase your wanted record!" screamed the Blue Dragon, taking a step back in panic. "Without my commander codes, you’ll never access the central network terminals to clear your name!"

"Clear my name?" Alexander said, cracking a freezing smile.