Kade left the manor and quickly made his way down the road. He had become familiar with the area and wouldn't have any problem finding the portal.

However, it seemed that someone doubted his sense of direction.

"Do you have some business with me?" Kade asked as he turned.

Kellanoir shrugged "I figured I'd see you off base."

Kade resumed his steps "Is Tetron that eager to get rid of me?"

"My father has no hand in me appearing. I'm not his tool." She retorted.

Kade shot her a sidelong glance "Yet you sat quietly as he tried to marry you off to a low-level human."

Kellanoir frowned "You don't understand, so don't speak as if you do."

Kade shrugged "I suppose that's true. But that still leaves a question. If Tetron didn't send you, then why would you come? We don't have the best relationship, and I'd assume that you'd find this beneath you."

"I don't like you," Kellanoir said as she walked beside him "But you're... Interesting."

"Huh, I've been getting that a lot recently. Not that I understand it." Kade replied.

The conversation ended, leading to them walking in silence. Kade didn't care, he had no interest in becoming friends with this woman. Before long, they had arrived at the portal.

"Thanks for seeing me off." Kade said as he waved and walked through the portal.

He took a few moments to steady himself, the side-effects being far easier to handle his second time teleporting, or maybe it was due to his increase in level.

He looked around the military base. A lot had changed, but some things remained the same. Taking in a deep breath, he gazed at the blue sky that he hadn't seen in three months.

It felt good to be back.

He walked off the platform before noticing a familiar face. "Ah, it's you." He said will looking at a brawny alien with an axe on his back.

The brawny alien turned toward him and snorted "You again? Why have you come to bug me?"

"Is there any processing I need to go through when coming back from the Yonkel base?" Kade asked, ignoring the alien's verbal jab.

He didn't want to catch an axe to the back because he didn't know the rules.

"No. Not from our side anyway. anything else?"

Kade shook his head "No, thanks."

He gave a curt wave as he left the area and disappeared into the crowd of people eagerly waiting outside of the portal, be it waiting to enter or waiting for someone to appear.

His pace accelerated to a brisk walk. He was happy to be back, but he wanted to leave the base as soon as possible. He wasn't welcome here any longer, though he could still pass through to use the portal, lingering wasn't a good idea.

Back at the portal, a small commotion was breaking out while Kade was none the wiser.

"Welcome, young miss! What do you require of us?" Captain Yui said respectfully as her body bent by ninety degrees.

Kellanoir ignored the bowing guards as she scanned the crowd in front of her. "A human just passed through here. His name is Kade. Where did he go?"

Her voice contained authority and pride, causing her to resemble Tetron slightly.

Captain Yui was confused. That name sounded so familiar, but she couldn't put a face to it.

"Ah, that pest? He headed toward the gate." Qwaek replied, surprise and confusion filling his head.

"I see." Kellanoir looked around intently for a few moments "Lead me to this gate."

"Yes, young miss." Captain Yui responded as she gave a few commands before parting the crowd as Kellanoir followed behind her.

...

"Stop." A guard said as he blocked Kade's path.

Kade did as he was asked. He knew he would be stopped at the gate by security. He had already experienced this process three months ago, though it seemed that they made the search more rigorous since then.

"Deposit all personal effects on the table, then print, sign, and date here." The guard said as he pointed to a sheet of paper on a clipboard.

Kade placed his bag onto the table and quickly signed the guest sheet, marking his departure from the base. Another guard grabbed his bag and dumped out the contents, causing the books to scatter on the table.

Kade frowned. The books were expensive and important. Even more, three belonged to his teacher, and two were given to him as gifts by his teacher.

"Careful with those. Please don't damage them." Kade said.

Realistically, the books were very durable and wouldn't incur damage due to a bit of roughness, but it was the principle.

The guard didn't bother paying Kade any mind as he quickly flipped through the books, and upon finding nothing, he waved his hand signaling that Kade was clear.

Kade couldn't help but frown as he carefully gathered the books and returned them to his bag before slinging it over his shoulder and stepping toward the gate.

"Wait, stop that man."

Guards quickly responded by surrounding Kade with rifles in their hands as Kade turned his head toward a large new two-story building to his right. He spotted a familiar face and immediately understood the situation.

"Kade King. When I saw your name on the entrance list, I was surprised you'd have the gall to enter this base."

Kade sighed "If there was another portal hub off base, I definitely wouldn't have returned."

Kade didn't like this man. He had the displeasure of being subordinate to this cowardly Captain West on a few missions. He was one of the few that lobbied for his punishment due to insubordination.

"Check him again." The Captain said to a guard before turning to Kade "It must be embarrassing to enter a military base after being dishonorably discharged."

Kade allowed his bag to slide down his arm and rest on the ground as a guard started a pat-down. "Interesting. I'd find it more embarrassing to abandon comrades in need because I was a coward. Tell me, how do you handle it?"

Captain West frowned, his nostrils flaring in anger "I just remind myself of your situation. You're a good example of what happens to those that don't follow orders and prioritize the mission."

Kade sneered. "Afraid of death I can understand, but being afraid of a dishonorable discharge? That's pathetic. No wonder you get so bent out of shape when you see me. I don't just remind you of the consequences of your actions, but also what a real man is."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

He shook his head "Something you will never be."

Captain West's anger spiked before a malicious grin sprouted on his face. He grabbed a clipboard from a guard beside him and glanced at it "You're a real man? Okay, let's see what made you a real man."

He flipped the page "Adopted. Huh, even your parents didn't want you." He chuckled "Arrested for-- theft, assault, joyriding, property destruction, vandalism, Reckless evading, resisting arrest. -- and many more, all before the age of 18."

Captain West peeked up at him with a sneer "Tk, Tk, Tk." Clicking his tongue, he continued "Joined the marines right out of high school, received multiple complaints of insubordination, resulting in you being dishonorably discharged from the marines."

He flipped the page and faux surprise washed over his face "Oh, there is more. You became a champion and joined a team, but you were kicked off of the team after the first expedition. I can't say I'm surprised about that one."

Kade maintained a deadpan expression while the Captain spoke. Finally, the man finished and Kade took the opportunity to speak "Is your report supposed to make me feel some type of way? I'm not embarrassed about my past, it made me the man I am today, and I'm proud of the person I've become."

The body search having been completed, he grabbed his bag as he spoke "Can you say the same?"

Captain West clenched his fist and ground his teeth. He hated Kade because he was right. Back then, he had been afraid to challenge the insurgents that were pinning down a team under his command. He called to retreat, citing the fact that they were outnumbered.

Kade had been the one to rebuke him before gathering the like-minded soldiers and charging toward the source of his fear. He opened a path for the trapped team to retreat and brought everyone back alive.

That act exposed him for what he was. A coward. Though he won in the end, it didn't matter.

He watched Kade walk away with a fire in his heart. He couldn't beat Kade, not even in a verbal spar. But there was still something he could grasp at.

"It was easy being fearless when you had nothing to care about, but that has changed, hasn't it?" He hissed. "Maybe you can accept the consequences, but can William and the others? What about Tony? Or even Polly?"

Kade didn't falter "Going after my family would be the biggest mistake you'd ever make."

He never stopped moving. He knew the Captain was just trying to get a rise out of him. Even if Captain West wanted to go after his friends and family, he didn't have the power to do so. He was just a Captain in the military.

'You'll regret threatening me today.' Kade thought. He wasn't as calm as he let on, but he didn't have the power to do anything about it. Yet...

Kade disappeared through the gate while Kallanoir watched from a distance.

She had witnessed the entire exchange and as a Stillare, a third stage warrior, her senses were more than sufficient to hear the entire conversation. Her expression showed apathy, but inside her opinion of Kade was plummetting.

'He was just a degenerate. I don't know what I expected.' She thought. Not everything translated to the cosmic universal language, but she had studied human customs and knew the English language well. She understood enough of what was said.

"Even his own people don't like him." Captain Yui sneered as she watched Kade disappeared with scorn.

Kellanoir snorted "The question is, why do my father and Archmage Wompus like him? Especially if this is all he is."

The two made their way toward the gate.

...

Kade took out his cellphone and made a call.

"You're finally back?"

"Yeah, How have things been?" Kade asked

"Decent. Everyone has been hard at work training, but funds are getting low. I hope you still have some money, cause I've blown through my savings and we are about to be out on the streets!"

"Heh, no worries. I didn't spend a dime. You should have plenty of money."

"Uh, do you have credits or USD? How much?"

Kade raised a brow even though Jones couldn't see him "Around 16,000 Credits, why?"

"Damn. The exchange ratio has plummetted in the time you've been gone."

Kade frowned as he rubbed his brow "What's the damage?"

"1:4 right now. It's still on a downward trend too. You need to exchange as soon as you can."

'Fuck.' Kade thought. He had lost 100,000 for no reason. "Alright. Gather everyone, I'm on my way."

He ended the call as his uber arrived. He climbed in and turned to the driver "We need to make a pit stop. Do you happen to know the best place to exchange credits for USD?"

Kade wasn't so foolish as to go straight to the bank. Third parties often had better rates, and someone like a driver would likely have information about the subject.

"Gold and pawn on 5th street trades' at 1:4.5. Disclaimer, I get a small kickback for bringing him customers." The driver replied with expectation.

"That's fine. Does he have the stock for large exchanges?" Kade asked as he leaned back into the seat.

"As long as it's not over two hundred grand." The driver said with a greedy smile.

Kade nodded "Let's go there then."

The car buzzed forth, breaking the speed limits as it navigated the roads. Either the driver was hyped about the opportunity at her feet, or she just didn't care about the traffic laws. This suited Kade, as he was on a timer and didn't want to miss his flight.

It wasn't long before they pulled into a small parking lot and the driver led him into a shopfront with gaudy advertising.

"Uncle Dennis, I've brought ya another customer." She called out to the man behind the counter.

The middle-aged man's eyes skipped right over the young woman and landed on Kade. "Welcome. What are you in the market for?"

"I'm looking to exchange Credits for USD." Kade replied as he approached the counter.

"You've come to the right place. We trade at a 1:4.5 ratio. How many credits is ya lookin' to exchange?" Dennis asked while pulling out a calculator

"Fifteen thousand." Kade said as he pulled out a bulky rectangle.

It looked a bit like a modern smartphone, but with sharper edges. This was a Credit badge and was used to access a cultivator's bank account. It also enabled personal transfers between cultivators. He received one when he sold all of his spoils from the last expedition.

"Oh, damn. Okay then." Dennis quickly tapped the calculator before nodding "Fifteen thousand credits will get you Sixty-seven thousand, five hundred dollars. You want cash, or do you want it wired?"

"Wired." Kade replied as he wrote down his routing number.

Dennis was very efficient and completed the wire transfer in just a few minutes. Kade checked his Earth bank account to verify before transferring the credits.

Dennis stared at his Credit badge with a childish grin "Come back for your next exchange. You won't find a better ratio than here."

Kade turned to leave "Sure, next time I'm in the area and need to exchange, I'll keep you in mind."

He went to the car and waited. The driver came out a couple of minutes later with a toothy grin. She climbed into the driver seat and threw it in reverse before speeding out of the parking lot.

...

Seven hours later, Kade stepped out of a car and peered at the shabby single-story building in front of him. With a sigh, he walked inside and was reminded of Coot manor. Larger than they needed right now and bare bones. He navigated the building using common sense and soon found the rest of the group in the building's break room.

"Hey, there he is." Hank said as he leaned forward "Welcome back, buddy."

"Thanks, good to be back." He scanned the others, his gaze lingering on Polly. She looked far healthier now than she had before, though her expression was still downcast.

"How did everyone's training go?" Kade asked as he leaned against the wall.

"Good. I'm ready to go." William said with a bit of impatience.

"Same here. I went with the gunner class. Turns out rifles suit me." Mike said with a confident grin.

"Not as much as the shadows suit me!" Hank roared as he pulled out a dagger that looked small for his bulky frame. "Resident rogue. Best of my class!"

The others snickered. Hank had a short and stocky body, which could work as a sneaky class. However, his personality was boisterous. Literally the opposite of how a rogue should be. The shadows couldn't fix that.

"I'm good to go as well. Though, that's only to be expected." Jones said cockily. "Physical classes didn't suit me, and since I won't be fighting, I chose to be a healer so I can patch you guys up when you return."

Kade nodded. Jones only had two choices. A mage, or a healer. It was good that he covered their gaps.

Kade's gaze turned to Polly. "And what have you been up to?"

"Ah." Polly was slightly startled to be addressed "I clean, cook, and do errands. That way everyone can focus on working." She replied sheepishly

Kade nodded "Good. Jones will need your help here. Keep it up." He turned toward the three combatants "We will begin tomorrow. You guys need to decide if you'll join another team, or start your own."

The original plan had been for Kade and William to team up and hunt as a duo while Mike and Hank focused on making connections and hunting in their spare time. This was due partially to his low level at the time, but mostly because they were just starting out and had no strength yet.

Now, a lot had changed. He had reached level 10 and the others had three months of training as well, though likely far less successful than his own. More importantly, the exchange rate of credits had plummeted. Two full-time hunters wouldn't cut it anymore. Hank and Mike would have to bring in some extra credits too.

"You don't plan to join us?" Mike asked as he furrowed his brows. "I guess you're going to hunt solo again?"

Kade nodded "For now. You guys have no experience yet, and we need money. I can't afford to take it slow so that you guys can learn. In a few months though, we will regroup and continue as a team."

Mike nodded "If that's the case, then it's better if we create a team and recruit a few people to balance out our team. Then, you can just join us later."

"Good." Kade agreed "Then it's settled. I'll head out tomorrow." Turning to Jones he continued "We made $67,500. How long will that last?"

Jones crossed his arms and tilted his head back as he did mental calculations "I'd estimate our monthly cost to be somewhere around 8,000-9,000. So if we use the money solely on our bills, about 8 months. Taking into consideration that Will, Mike, and Hank all need weapons and gear, I'd guess around 6 or 7 months before we lose the building. It would be best if you didn't waste all of our leeway on your next trip though. I'd prefer it if you returned within 5 months."

Jones knew Kade well. Though smart, he tended to overlook the minor details and tunnel in on the goal.

"Got it." Kade scratched the back of his head. The beginning was always difficult, but they would manage. He was growing stronger every day, and his brothers would be right behind him. As long as they gave it all they had, it was only a matter of time until they achieved their goals.