The warehouse was still buzzing from their last fight, but Astro wasn't having it. "Yo, mfana, we can't just chill on Earth forever. Universe is huge, and we got places to wreck or, I mean, explore."
Tenji stretched, grinning. "Finally. I'm ready to smash some alien faces… politely."
Hunter tapped his holographic console. "Squad, the next energy spike is coming from a planet outside our solar system. It's not friendly. Could be a mission… or a trap. Either way, we gotta roll."
Phantom melted into a shadow corner, then popped onto the roof. "Y'all thinkin' it's gonna be easy?"
Astro smirked. "Dawg… nothing worth doing is easy. But we're stronger than most cultivators in this galaxy. Let's bounce."
Interplanetary Travel
Using energy from the meteor stones, Astro created a space-time portal, shadows swirling around like a smoky vortex.
"Yo, Tenji, you ready to get your big dawg energy across the universe?"
"Born ready, mfana," Tenji said, stepping into the portal.
Hunter and Phantom followed, and in a flash, the squad landed on a strange, rocky planet. Purple skies, floating islands, and faint glowing runes covered the ground.
Astro looked around, eyes scanning the energy patterns. "Bruh… this place is loaded with cultivator-level magic. Our powers are gonna pop off here."
Testing New Powers
They wasted no time. The alien environment was unstable, perfect for training.
Astro:
Shadow-light sword glowed brighter.
Teleported between floating islands, his clones mimicking every move.
Started experimenting with combined attacks shadow tendrils twisting into light beams, melting stone obstacles.
Tenji:
Fused light energy into his fists, punching the floating rocks apart.
Started testing flight bursts using magic, propelling himself from island to island.
Hunter:
Shadow manipulation expanded. He could now move the environment itself rocks, dust, even small creatures.
"Dawg, we're basically bending physics," he muttered, grinning.
Phantom:
Shadow blending upgraded. Could now merge into multiple shadows at once, creating confusion for anyone tracking him.
Practiced silent, fast attacks across islands. "Lowkey… this is fun," he whispered.
Hub Goblin Foreshadowing
While they trained, shadows moved in the distance, watching.
A voice echoed through the psychic ether: "Interesting… unusually strong cultivators. Hub Goblins need to keep an eye on these mfana."
Astro frowned. "Yo… feels like we're being watched."
Tenji laughed. "Dawg, that's just paranoia, right?"
Hunter shook his head. "Nah… this vibe? Not normal. Energy readings are off the charts."
Phantom smirked, vanishing into a shadow. "Doesn't matter. Let them watch. We'll give them a show when the time comes."
Squad Banter & Casual Vibes
Astro floated midair, twirling his sword. "Yo, mfana, Tenji, try not to break the planet before we leave."
Tenji flexed mid-jump. "Bruh, that's half the fun!"
Hunter rolled his eyes. "Dawg, we're here to train… maybe survive. Keep it together."
Phantom appeared behind Astro's clones. "Lowkey, you're making this too easy. Where's the challenge?"
Astro laughed. "Challenge's coming, mfana. Universe is huge. Trust me."
Chapter Wrap-Up
By the time the sun or whatever sun this planet had set, the squad had unlocked a few new tricks:
Astro's dual powers growing stronger.
Tenji discovering flight bursts and enhanced energy punches.
Hunter controlling the battlefield like a god.
Phantom mastering multi-shadow stealth and attacks.
They were OP, but the universe was still bigger. And somewhere, the Hub Goblins were taking notes, ready to pull strings behind the scenes.