Transcendent Gene
Chapter 62: First Mission [4]

Chapter 62: First Mission [4]

The flight path of the three-ship fleet was set according to Gio’s order, yet, he doubted if there was a single person on the team who was happy about it.

Communications were on hold as they were only traveling, so he couldn’t tell how the ground team was reacting, but it was surely more explosive than the passive-aggressively hostile atmosphere on the zephyr.

’They must think I chose Yhien out of arrogance.’

In reality, he chose the monster for two completely different reasons.

First, he knew about this specific monster. Decades later, it was part of a siege in the 3rd Stratum led by several Tier 7 and Tier 8 beasts. As such, he had seen its files before and when he looked in the [Memory Book], he was able to locate information about its habits and weaknesses.

Second, while it seemed like targeting the successor of a Territory Lord was the worst possible idea, it would actually be a net benefit for humanity.

’Yhia usually never stays in one place and it expects its offspring to raise themselves and survive the dangers of the world to earn its approval. Even if it sees us attacking the successor, it won’t interfere.’

It would take it as another trial for that successor, one that was fatal if failed.

’Naturally, it won’t let us kill its kin easily, but if we manage to pull it off...’

Gio’s eyes sharpened.

He thought of the map of the Wasteland.

’...I might be able to force Yhia into a confrontation with the nearby Territory Lords.’

The monsters and beasts of the Wasteland were not a united force. Monsters and beasts especially didn’t get along even if both sides prioritized killing humans.

’In the past, Yhia was killed first and that reaction was seen from Yhien. At that time, as the ground teams weren’t ready for it, they suffered gravely. However, they weren’t wiped out.’

That was because when Yhien let out its outraged cry, it was attacked by the beasts that ruled the surrounding territories. The humans caught in the midst of the battle barely managed to escape with far fewer casualties than expected, and Yhien was the same.

It just barely managed to escape before it was killed, only returning to the world when it invaded the 3rd Stratum.

’Yhien wasn’t immensely significant; nowhere near the level of the Blackwing Blood Serpent. Still, it would be a good idea to get rid of it.’

More importantly, this was an opportunity to strike a Territory Lord with a highly skilled team following his orders. Eliminating the strongest of the monsters and beasts was the first step to reclaiming the world they stole.

’They won’t follow the plan if I tell them now, though.’

He didn’t even know if the chance would truly come.

’But if it does, I won’t hesitate.’

The moment he saw that file, his goal changed from impressing the team to following through on his promises before regression.

And those promises, those goals, took priority over anything and everything.

Gio didn’t even value himself as highly as he did those priorities.

The Yhi Territory was deep into the Wilds.

In terms of the Earth that existed in the past, the area was somewhere directly in the center of the Pacific Ocean. It was a considerable distance away from Haven, but despite the journey taking over a day, Raymond and the others never returned to the zephyr.

They stayed in the twinjets, a special kind of aircraft that always flew in pairs.

’Twinjets are able to bounce off of each other the same way humans do when they fight side by side. It’s an interesting system that’s almost like linking the jets with bluetooth and controlling them with a remote.’

They were great for air defense as their power and the maneuverability of their tactics were far more erratic than any other military aircraft.

’I guess they’re staying outside to defend the zephyr, but its own systems should be enough for that...?’

In the end, Gio only shrugged. The most he could assume was that this was also some trick from Raymond.

’If he’s leaving the zephyr unattended, is he giving me permission to explore as I please?’

He was still being watched by the rest of the crew, but he was confident in evading their eyes if he tried hard enough.

It would be a bit annoying, but...

’Well, I can try it later.’

Gio already spent the day of travel getting accustomed to the systems of the current era.

Genuinely, the level of efficiency was far worse than what existed in the future. If he had chosen to rely on his knowledge without testing anything, he would have experienced quite a rough start before he adapted.

Nevertheless, disregarding the dry atmosphere, the journey to the Yhi Territory went without a hitch.

And finding Yhien was equally as easy.

Yhia had pure white feathers decorated with fierce red and orange patterns. It had the graceful body of a Phoenix from legends and the head and talons of a hawk.

Its size was gargantuan to say the least. Its wingspan could easily cover half of Gastle.

Yhien wasn’t nearly as large, only around the size of a ten-story building.

Still, it shared the physical characteristics of its mother along with the traits of its father, an unknown furred beast that was likely forcefully taken by Yhia.

It stood out quite a bit in the environment.

The Yhi Territory was the start of the Wilds’ geographical changes. Until this point and roughly a quarter of the way through it, the entire world was covered in a desert.

But in the Yhi Territory, a citizen of Haven could see something other than sand for the first time.

The color "green" could never be more vibrant than it was for those citizens.

The hot desert continued into a hot jungle. The air remained relatively dry, but one could feel the slight hint of humidity that uncomfortably clung to the skin.

Gio stood at his post in the operation center. Everyone else was ready as well.

The moment they saw those white feathers, those patterns, and the almost wolf-like head of that beast, the operation had already begun.

"Ground team confirming landing."

Raymond’s voice came through their earpieces for the first time in a day.

"Gio, we’re in your hands now."

The zephyr was stealthed a distance away from the target. The ground team also landed far enough away to not alert it.

When they spotted it, Yhien was at a riverbank, seemingly drinking its water or waiting for prey. It was perfectly in position to be struck with a surprise attack.

"Jax, I assume you’ve done a good amount of scouting in your day, right?"

Gio’s first words went through.

"I have, yeah," Jax responded. His words were still informal, but his tone was much more reserved than it usually was.

That was a good thing. A wild card personality was great for solo hunters, but it was detrimental to teamwork and cooperation.

"Then, let’s get started."

The grin on Gio’s face hadn’t left since they first arrived in the vicinity, but it was going to disappear soon enough.

With Yhien only a kilometer away, the first operation officially began.

It was Gio’s time to shine.

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