Chapter 281: Ravager

Words : 1168 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Chapter 281: Ravager They were supposed to be gone in ten minutes—fifteen at max—if something went wrong. So far? Everything was going wrong. No shit. Pirate Veeka, second in command of the Riftmaw Ravagers, was not a patient woman. And right now, her boot tapped against the pristine metal floor of a far-too-clean luxury commuter craft, echoing louder than the hushed curses of her crew. They should’ve left the place by now. Except they were still here trying to figure out where it all went wrong. Their target beast was nowhere to be found. "Where is the passenger manifest?" she snapped, grabbing the holo-terminal from one of her men before he could hand it over. "Yeah. It was a list, boss. The Problem is that it listed everyone, including those who only bought tickets." Her eyes skimmed over the names. Nobles. Functionaries. The usual list of fat-pocketed twits who booked seats just to say they had them. She snarled. "That’s the problem. Too many ghosts and no damn bodies." Veeka threw the holo-terminal back at the pirate and turned to the lounging area they had just swept. Empty. Just like the rest of the floor. Which made no sense. Their intel had been solid. The Baron’s lackey swore the beast had boarded. Even sent a video of the creature’s handler walking through the gates earlier that morning. A white cage. A confirmed timestamp. He even paid a premium for priority boarding. The only problem? No handler and definitely no beast. And all they ended up seeing was one confused, solitary noble who had emerged from the bathroom the moment they made their way to look for their target. Veeka was practically gritting her teeth. Where the hell was it? Or had they been set up? No answer, not only because she never said it aloud but because the only person who would’ve had the brains to answer this was out there on his deathbed. So all she was left with was this silence that was enough to make her snap. This wasn’t just any side gig or a way to amass riches. This one was a matter of survival. It all started with this new scheme; ideally, it was an offer for a job. But with what that moron of a Baron was offering, they might as well call it a bribe. It was a job that they definitely turned down and didn’t even bother to listen to. Not only because the client was infamously annoying, but also because they were seriously balls deep in their own problems. The Ravagers had their own issues: territory disputes, internal power struggles, supply shortages, and that damned corruption. But the persistent Baron insisted on talking their ears away. Then, suddenly, he mentioned something that caught Veeka’s attention. He mentioned what this beast had been eating. Spiritual relics. Spiritual. Fucking. Pet. Food. Fruits that are just legends to most people after people stopped finding them in the closer galaxies. These were things that shouldn’t even exist anymore. And now Baron Firth was claiming that beasts were eating that daily? But the real kicker was the insinuation that he made after getting their attention. If the fruit was rare, then what about the beast that had been bathed with that much spiritual energy? One only needed a braincell to understand. Their leader, Captain Zahkar, was dying. And if there was even a chance of delaying it... They took the job. And that’s what’s got her pacing around like a lunatic. "So where is it?" Veeka hissed again, pacing now. "We’ve swept the first class lounge. No signs of the cage, the beast, or its handler," replied another pirate. "We’ve managed to subdue the Captain to show us the footage of the lounge." "So far, there should’ve been two other people, but they’re gone, too." Veeka’s eyes narrowed. "Gone?" "We didn’t see him leave. But there’s no sign of him now. The scanners only registered their earlier heat signals and nothing more." "Check the maintenance shafts. There could be rats around here." She stared out the viewport toward the anomaly they had hijacked. The wormhole—still open and roiling like a hungry maw—was stable, but just barely. They didn’t have time to dawdle. "Recheck the systems, and check for the background of these people. I want to know why they’re choosing to run around like this." "Got it, boss." Veeka rubbed her temple. Her head was starting to ache. This was supposed to be low-risk. They weren’t even planning on alerting the commoners; they really just needed the beast and had no time for anything else. They were going to knock it out, kill it, and harvest what they could from its enhanced tissues. Even if all they could do was to extend their captain’s life by a few days, then it’d all be worth it. "Boss, I got information on the two other people. One was an infantry soldier, and the other one seems to be a cadet." "A student?" "Yes, Boss. But not just any student." The burly pirate showed the articles on his illegal terminal, and Veeka’s eyes widened. On it was a young blonde man who was seen in various laughing poses. But more importantly, his official affiliation in these fan sites says: Dungeon Guardians Guild. Now, if that didn’t ring a bell, then she’d be living in a much worse rock. Yes, they knew all about the rumored Sanctuary, the Daycare, the food, the healing spa, the explosive rise of a guild sitting right next to the Empire’s Military HQ like it owned the place. And right now, they had a member scuttering around. Veeka didn’t smile. Instead, she issued her order. "If we can’t find the creature, we trash the ship. Make it look like a freak anomaly. The Empire can’t afford to look like it’s losing control of jump points." She turned to her team. "But before that, check every last crawlspace. I want that cadet found." Meanwhile, not too far below deck... *Achoo!* Out of nowhere, a certain cadet couldn’t help the sudden sneeze—earning him a look from the man in front of him. The giant in formal wear crept through the ventilation shafts with a mop-haired cadet crouched behind him, the two of them navigating the ship’s bowels like roaches avoiding extermination. "I still think it’s a space monster," Ollie whispered, clutching his terminal. "Stop talking." "But I have so many thoughts—" "Then write them down in your will." Killian knew he was being crass. And would likely have to apologize later, considering how it wasn’t really all that difficult to lug this mechanic around. It was just that if he didn’t stay quiet, their will would likely be read out somewhere before the day ended. And Killian could not afford that, not when he’d likely get revived to finish all the work he had back at the office. Ollie let out a quiet whimper. Somewhere, in the ship’s core, a proximity sensor beeped. Silently.

Chapter 281: Ravager

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