Chapter 537: Prepare!

Chapter 535

"...."

The group walked into the building and were immediately mesmerized by what they saw before them.

The floor they had entered was incredibly wide—so spacious that a hundred boulders could fit inside with plenty of room to spare.

And what occupied this enormous space?

Vehicles.

All types of vehicles the group could think of.

Aircraft specifically designed for the Order—vehicles that no other force or individual possessed.

They were called "Aeroglides."

Hundreds of them rested at the back, lined up in straight rows with their noses pointed towards the entrance.

To their sides were dozens of hover cars, all styled in the green-and-brown colours of the Order.

Transport vehicles like the one used to carry Ray from the holding cell to the trial room could also be seen.

Hundreds upon hundreds of hover bikes occupied another corner, waiting for their owners.

And seated before all of them was Captain Raze, sitting on a chair and sipping his coffee with a tired look on his face.

In front of him were seven hover bikes, all pointed forward.

Beside him sat a sack filled with something the group had no idea about.

And resting on his lap was a black ATM card, seemingly waiting to be handed over.

The moment they all walked in, they immediately saluted, pressing three fingers against their chests with firm expressions on their faces.

"Ah... at ease," Raze commanded as he slurped his coffee once more before scanning their faces.

"I’ll be keeping this brief, as I’m sure you are all preparing intensely for the expedition, which will be happening in two days."

The group folded their arms behind their backs as they listened attentively.

"In light of this, I want to give you all something every Vanguard needs to have, regardless of rank or whatever."

The group exchanged brief looks of utter confusion, unsure of what exactly the man was talking about.

With a tired exhale, Raze stood up from his chair and pointed towards the seven hover bikes in front of him.

"These are for you all. One for each person. Learn how to use them in time for the expedition, which is unlikely to take less than three days. Hence, I’ll be pairing you all now. Th—"

"Sir! It’s for all of us? But you had promised me a reward in the form of a h—"

"And I delivered," Raze interrupted with a lifted brow.

"But I thought—"

"—Thought that only you would get a hover bike? Ha! Of course not. Yawn... anyway, moving on..."

*So I was fucking scammed?!*

Ray’s brows drew closer for a moment, but Raze’s words interrupted his thoughts.

"So, who among you all can use a hover bike? I want to begin pairing you all."

"I can."

"Me too."

Kai and Caster raised their hands.

"I can learn how to use it by the end of today," Ray added in a low voice.

Raze looked at him for a moment before nodding.

"Good, then. So we’ll have to pair you all for now since we’ll be using the hover bikes as our mode of transportation in two days. So fir—"

"—I will pair with Ray, sir."

Trisha saluted with a determined expression.

"...."

All heads turned towards the Ice Queen in utter shock.

Looks of disbelief flashed across their faces.

Had the Ice Queen really just volunteered to pair with Ray?

Felix couldn’t help himself.

"Awwwn... so sweet. She doesn’t want anybody else sitting with her ma—"

Trisha’s head snapped towards the werewolf as frost began creeping up her arms, causing Felix to swallow his words with a loud gulp.

Shivering for a moment, he turned his gaze away while clearing his throat as though something were stuck in it.

"Great. That one is out of the way. The rest of you can decide who to pair with later. For now, here," Raze said as he slid the sack towards the Tribrid, who caught it.

Flicking the card in his hand, it whistled through the air like a blade.

Ray caught it smoothly between two fingers.

"Twenty thousand credits in the card. Half of all the beast cores harvested from the Ogres you killed, as promised."

The corner of the Tribrid’s lips lifted into a satisfied smile, money signs practically appearing in his eyes as he stared at the card.

’More... more... I still need more. I’ll have to sell some of these cores when I get back from the expedition for even more money. Aside from strength, I need to gather wealth. Money is also power.’

"Also, the streamer Bonny will be landing on the base tomorrow to accompany us on this expedition. She’ll be showing the world our prowess, so Ray, kindly show the world that you are on humanity’s side that day."

Ray nodded as he slipped the card into his pocket, a small smile still lingering on his face.

With a slight yawn, Caster raised one hand into the air.

Raze nodded at him.

"Uh, Captain, why aren’t we taking one of those aircrafts? It would surely be faster than the bikes, and it could easily pass over the high Wall Rose.

I mean, our journey could even be cut in half by taking one of those. So why the bikes?"

Raze sipped his coffee for a moment before letting out a tired sigh.

"Eight men attacking a wall that is now home to hundreds of Aberrants. Those Aberrants are towering monsters. If we take an Aeroglide, they could spot us from far away and have plenty of time to gear up."

"Oh. Taking the bikes will help us keep the element of surprise and hit them when they least expect it, since they wouldn’t know we’re coming." Van chimed in with a nod of understanding.

Raze let out a yawn before turning around and walking away, still sipping his coffee.

"Precisely. Take care now."

With those words, he walked out of the garage, leaving the others to gawk at their new bikes.

Unhesitatingly, Ray ran toward one of the bikes, an excited gleam flashing in his eyes.

The hover bike was a sleek, futuristic vehicle built for speed and maneuverability.

Its streamlined frame had a narrow front that widened toward the rear, giving it the aggressive silhouette of a high-performance motorcycle.

A smooth metallic chassis enclosed its internal mechanisms, while two elongated stabilizing platforms extended beneath the body, keeping the bike suspended several feet above the ground.

Soft blue lights glowed along the underside, casting a faint illumination beneath the vehicle as it hovered silently.

The handlebars were positioned above a compact control console, with a small holographic display providing information on speed, navigation, and the vehicle’s status.

The seat was designed almost entirely for a single rider, with a raised rear section providing additional support during sudden acceleration.

There were no wheels.

Instead, the bike floated effortlessly above the ground, its hovering system producing only a faint mechanical hum.

Its compact frame and sharp aerodynamic design made it appear less like a conventional motorcycle and more like a machine engineered purely for rapid movement.

Grabbing the handlebars, Ray twisted them for a moment, a wide grin spreading across his face.

Only for the bike to suddenly power on, a low mechanical voice speaking as a tiny needle pricked his hand.

<Recognizing....>

<System recognised rider.>

<Rider: Vanguard Dawson.

Age: 16>

Ray’s grin widened.

"Come on now, Kai. Come teach me how to use this baby. Haha! I can’t wait."