Chapter 49 – The Bunker Beneath the Stars
Far away in the depths of outer space—beyond the reach of most galactic maps—floated a lonely planet, no larger than half the size of Earth's moon.
And yet, it was stunning.
Its surface shimmered in hues of emerald green and royal purple, forming strange, almost floral patterns across its continents.
The water—vivid blue—looked so pristine it seemed unreal, like glass gently stirred under moonlight.
Above it, a small red dwarf star burned softly, casting a ruby glow as the planet gracefully orbited.
At first glance, the planet seemed... untouched.
Peaceful. Pristine.
No signs of intelligent life.
No glittering cities on the surface.
No orbital satellites blinking in the sky.
Not even the faintest radio frequency to suggest communication.
It was the kind of place you'd mark "safe, uninhabited" on a passing drone survey.
But then…
A faint glint.
Metallic.
Deliberate.
Tucked against the curvature of a low hillside, partially obscured by the planet's uneven terrain, a massive bunker door broke the illusion.
It was flat, rectangular, and bore no markings.
Just a dull, industrial iron-gray, matte-finished to blend in with rock and dust.
So plain, it might be mistaken for abandoned mining equipment.
But this was no ordinary entry point.
It wasn't made to look impressive.
It was made to hide the terrifying truth.
That door could withstand a full-power strike from a Universal-tier combatant—a level of force strong enough to shatter the universe5 .
To most planetary hunters, it would seem fragile.
They'd be wrong.
---
Inside, the transformation was immediate.
Gone was the barren, natural exterior.
Replaced by corridors of polished alloy, glowing floor panels, and humming walls.
Each hallway was alive with systems—blinking lights, mechanical whirs, soft murmurs of intelligent machines exchanging data in silence.
This wasn't just a base.
This was a technological sanctuary—a hidden gem of engineering far beyond most civilizations.
It stretched deep underground, with sprawling levels stacked like the pages of a colossal metallic book.
150 kilometers of buried infrastructure.
In one section, a group of scientists—dressed in tailored white lab coats stitched with insignias—observed a large, caged creature.
Its form shifted strangely, like its flesh didn't agree with physics.
The air around it shimmered faintly, almost resisting observation.
Nearby, an entire wing was dedicated to mechanical armor development.
Humanoid exosuits stood in upright charging stations—each one unique, built for different purposes: reconnaissance, high-gravity warfare, energy channeling, close-quarters combat.
Sparks flew as engineers welded components.
A mechanic shouted specs across a glass terminal.
Drones buzzed overhead, ferrying parts and tools with machine precision.
In a quieter lab, long tables were covered with dissected alien organisms.
Technicians, some with neural links embedded behind their ears, recorded metabolic responses and neural impulses in real-time.
The smell of sterilized air mixed with synthetic coolant and energy-dried lubricant.
Everything buzzed—power lines in the walls pulsed rhythmically, like veins carrying lifeblood through this mechanical beast of a structure.
The energy was palpable.
Focused. Silent. Efficient.
It was the kind of place where history wasn't written—it was engineered.
And in the heart of it all... was a room no one entered.
Not because it was locked.
But because even in a facility full of geniuses, soldiers, and monsters...
that room was sacred.
And the man inside?
He wasn't just building suits.
He was reshaping fate.
It was a hallway—no, a chamber—so vast that no one dared approach.
The corridor stretched nearly 50 kilometers in length, within a complex that itself spanned around 150 km underground.
It was silent. Sacred. Avoided.
Inside that chamber was a single man.
Skin pale like moonlight.
Hair a silvery-white—so light, it nearly blended into his face.
He wore a plain white T-shirt and matching shorts, sipping on cold coffee as casually as someone fixing a toaster.
But he wasn't working on kitchenware.
He was modifying a black mechanical suit—its surface sleek and humming softly.
Behind him, four massive glass containment tubes stood in quiet stillness.
Each one was filled with a shimmering bluish liquid, faintly glowing—like starlight dissolved in water.
Soft currents moved inside the tubes, keeping the suspended figures afloat.
Their bodies were completely still, yet something about them radiated power… potential.
Drew stood at his workstation, his back half-turned as he tightened the final piece of a black mechanical gauntlet.
The clink of metal echoed softly through the silent chamber.
Then... he paused.
Setting his empty coffee mug down with a quiet thud, he turned slowly—eyes drifting toward the tubes behind him.
His gaze settled on the second one from the left.
Inside it floated a young man. His body was lean but strong.
His chest bore faint scars—evidence of battles past.
Hair fanned slightly in the liquid.
Face serene.
It was Abhishek—the one known across the Shifting Expanse as Rejected Winter.
Drew's usually sharp expression softened. Just a little.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
He exhaled faintly and spoke, more to himself than anyone else.
> "Never thought you'd grow this fast... Abhishek."
His voice was calm, almost amused. But beneath it, a trace of something else lingered—respect.
Bilkul bhai! Us line ka professional yet emotional English version kuch is tarah hoga:
> "There was a time not long ago… when you were nothing more than skin and bones.
So fragile that if someone even brushed against you, it felt like you might just die."
He stepped a little closer, fingers brushing lightly against the glass.
The liquid inside barely rippled.
> "And now look at you… one of the strongest Professional-level hunters I've seen.
A short pause.
Then, with a chuckle that carried a hint of self-awareness:
> "Honestly? I'm not even sure I could beat you anymore.
At least, not without one of my suits."
His reflection overlapped Abhishek's sleeping face in the glass.
For a moment, it felt like two versions of fate staring at each other—one past, one rising.
Then Drew blinked, turned back to his suit, and resumed work—masking whatever emotion had just slipped through.
But his next movements were slower.
More careful.
As if, for the first time in a long while… he wasn't just building a weapon.
He was preparing for a future he hadn't quite calculated.
He fell silent, thoughtful—until a robotic tentacle arm quietly extended beside him, displaying a holographic screen.
A CCTV feed blinked to life, showing the outside gate of his chamber.
There stood Isu (Taejin's brother), Daniel, and a towering figure—Jack, Thomas's brother.
Even after seeing Jack's form multiple times, Drew still blinked.
9 feet tall, with the physique of a war god.
The man looked like a sculpture carved from living stone.
Impressed, Drew simply tapped a green icon on the panel.
Click...
The great iron door hissed open.
---
Outside, Isu, Daniel, and Jack stepped forward.
The moment they heard the door unlock, their postures straightened.
They walked in—and were immediately greeted by a colossal hall, easily 10 kilometers wide.
The walls crackled faintly with energy; electric currents danced behind the metal like hidden rivers.
Every inch whispered power.
They crossed the distance in minutes, finally reaching another chamber.
This one was much smaller—perhaps 100 meters in width.
Inside, Drew stood waiting.
Hands in his pockets. Calm. Confident.
As the three entered, Drew offered a slight nod—cool, casual, like he'd been expecting them all along.
> "Hope the trip wasn't too rough," he said, his tone relaxed.
"And I trust the guard bots didn't give you any trouble?"
He turned slightly, gesturing behind him at the four massive glass tubes lined up along the chamber wall.
Inside them, the suspended bodies of Thomas, Taejin, Rejected Winter[Abhishek], and Layla floated in silent stillness, encased in a glowing bluish liquid.
> "No need to panic about your brothers," Drew continued, casually stepping toward the tanks.
"Normally, a simple healing spell or elemental patch-up would've done the job."
He paused at the base of one tube—his fingers lightly tapped the reinforced glass.
> "But after that fight with that damn fox, their core structure—their physical foundation—was destabilized.
They took more internal damage than most people realize."
His voice dropped into something a bit more clinical now, as if he were explaining an advanced formula.
> "This liquid they're immersed in—it's not just medical fluid.
It's condensed essence, carefully extracted from multiple high-tier beasts. Took me years to perfect the blend."
He stepped back, folding his arms.
> "It's repairing them from the inside out—organs, bones, energy pathways. Everything.
And if their compatibility holds up..."
He glanced briefly toward Jack, then Isu.
> "...they might just break through to King-level while inside."
A quiet hum filled the air, coming from the chambers.
It was like the sound of evolution ticking slowly forward.
The information hit like a truck.
Isu and Daniel nodded—processing fast.
Jack, on the other hand, blinked.
Still staring at Thomas.
Trying to understand.
Trying to trust.
Then Isu asked a question that had clearly been itching at his mind.
"How long until they're stable?
And... why is Layla Hale here? She's from the Hale Clan, right?"
Drew tilted his head slightly.
"She is. But she's from a lower-ranked branch—she wasn't getting proper treatment there.
Here, she'll recover faster.
I've already informed her family."
The two nodded again.
Then, Drew tapped on his wristband.
Robotic tentacles whirred to life, placing trays on the nearest table—fresh meat steaks, cold drinks, some fruits and snacks.
He smiled and gestured.
"Eat. You've come a long way. I'll just step into my office. Got a... call to make."
---
The "office" was a sleek, luxurious private room—10x10 meters of pure comfort.
Soft lighting. Cushioned seats. Holographic panels floating mid-air.
Drew pulled a slim, matte-black phone from the inside pocket of his jacket.
He stared at it for a second.
His finger hovered over a familiar contact—one he had tapped countless times... but never had the courage to actually call.
Calling: Haeju
Ring...
Ring...
Then—click.
A gentle, familiar voice came through.
> "Hello?"
For the first time in a while, Drew hesitated.
His breath caught.
The man who regularly spoke in battle briefings, debated strategies, and mocked opponents —was now... nervous?
He cleared his throat, but his voice came out softer than usual.
> "Uh... h-hi, Haeju."
A brief laugh came through the speaker—light, teasing.
> "Why'd you call so early? Is everything okay?"
Drew scratched the back of his neck, suddenly aware of how quiet the room was.
> "Y-yeah, no... I mean yes... I mean—nothing's wrong."
He exhaled.
Then whispered the words like they might explode if said too loudly.
> "Would you... wanna go on a date?"
There was a pause.
Then her voice again—this time amused, a little playful.
> "What was that? You're whispering like a spy. I couldn't hear you."
Drew coughed awkwardly.
> "I... I got an extra ticket.
Was thinking maybe we could go out—shopping or something. And... maybe watch a movie?"
Another pause.
This time longer.
His heart tapped against his ribs.
Then—her voice, soft and clear.
> "Alright. When?"
Drew blinked, a smile tugging at his lips—genuine, boyish.
> "Next week. 11 p.m."
> "Perfect," she replied warmly. "See you then."
The call ended.
Drew stared at the dark screen for a few seconds, still smiling like an idiot.
Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, his usual swagger returned.
Composure. Confidence. The cool, genius tactician mask slipped right back on.
He spun around and walked out of the private chamber.
Back in his usual swagger, Drew re-entered the main room.
The food was mostly gone.
He raised a brow.
"I see... no one thought to leave me a bite?"
He feigned disappointment, hands on his hips.
Jack looked up, cheeks red, face smeared with sauce.
The guilt was impossible to hide.
Drew smirked.
"No worries, Jack. You are the gang leader's little brother after all.
Might as well eat like a king.
Want me to order more?"
Jack nodded sheepishly, licking his lips.
Drew just chuckled.
To be continued...