The village had finally begun to breathe again.
The worst of the destruction had been cleared from the streets. Fires had been extinguished, wounded elves were receiving treatment, and the survivors had begun rebuilding their homes.
Drek stood outside the village.
Ushu stood beside him.
Above them, the morning sky stretched endlessly into the distance.
Drek raised his wrist.
A holographic display appeared.
"System."
"Yes, Major Drek."
"Status of the SLS."
The holographic display changed.
A small object appeared above a rotating image of the planet.
The SLS—Space Little Satellite.
It had been orbiting the planet since Drek first arrived in this world.
At first, it had been nothing more than a reconnaissance satellite.
It mapped the land.
Recorded weather.
Studied magical energy.
Tracked lifeforms.
And monitored unusual energy signatures.
But now its accumulated data had reached a new threshold.
"SLS has reached the required data threshold for system progression."
Drek raised an eyebrow.
"Progression?"
"Affirmative."
Ushu looked at the hologram.
"What does that mean?"
Drek smiled.
"We're about to find out."
THE FIGHTER TAKES TO THE SKY
Drek turned toward the alien fighter.
The aircraft had been resting near the village since the battle.
Its strange metallic body reflected the morning sunlight.
Unlike any aircraft Drek had known on Earth, its design seemed almost alive.
The cockpit opened.
Drek looked toward Ushu.
"Stay here."
Ushu nodded.
"Okay."
Drek climbed aboard.
The cockpit closed.
The fighter's engines activated.
There was no roar.
Instead, the air around it began to distort.
The aircraft slowly lifted from the ground.
Then—
WHOOM!
It disappeared into the sky.
The elves stopped working.
Everyone looked upward.
The fighter climbed higher.
Higher.
Higher.
Until the village became nothing more than a tiny mark beneath it.
Drek looked at the holographic display.
"System."
"Yes, Major."
"Take us to the SLS."
"Confirmed."
The fighter accelerated.
The atmosphere blurred around it.
Clouds disappeared below.
The blue sky slowly darkened.
Then the stars appeared.
The fighter had entered space.
Drek looked through the cockpit.
Earth had once taught him how terrifying space could be.
But this world was different.
Two moons hung in the distance.
A massive ringed planet could be seen far beyond them.
And beneath him—
The fantasy world.
Beautiful.
Vast.
Unknown.
Drek stared at it for several seconds.
"So this is what this world looks like from up here."
The system interrupted.
"SLS approaching."
A small object appeared ahead.
The satellite.
Drek smiled.
"Bring us alongside it."
The fighter maneuvered toward the SLS.
The satellite's panels opened.
The fighter slowed.
Mechanical structures emerged from the aircraft.
The two machines connected.
CLACK.
The SLS was now physically docked with the alien fighter.
Drek looked at the display.
"Docking successful."
"Confirmed."
Drek leaned back.
"Now upgrade it."
THE SATELLITE STATION
The fighter began transforming.
Panels along its body opened.
Energy conduits extended toward the SLS.
The satellite began absorbing power.
Its small frame expanded.
One panel became two.
Two became four.
Then additional structures unfolded from its central body.
The SLS was becoming something larger.
Not simply a satellite anymore.
It was becoming an orbital platform.
Drek watched the construction process.
"System, what exactly are you building?"
"Orbital support station."
Drek's eyes widened.
"How large?"
A blueprint appeared.
"Initial configuration: 1.8 kilometers."
Drek stared.
"That's not a satellite anymore."
"Correct."
The fighter continued supplying power.
New structures formed around the SLS.
Docking ports.
Sensor arrays.
Communication systems.
Energy collectors.
Defense systems.
Repair facilities.
Manufacturing modules.
The tiny SLS from Chapter 2 was slowly becoming something completely different.
An orbital station.
A permanent eye in the sky.
Drek smiled.
"System, what are its capabilities?"
The system displayed the information.
SLS ORBITAL STATION
STATUS: UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Planetary Surveillance
Advanced Magical Detection
Global Communication
Atmospheric Monitoring
Long-Range Lifeform Detection
Unknown Energy Tracking
Drone Deployment
Aircraft Support
Remote Manufacturing
Navigation Assistance
Orbital Defense
Drek looked at the list.
"Orbital defense?"
"Affirmative."
Drek nodded.
"Good."
The fighter continued feeding energy into the station.
Then another notification appeared.
UPGRADE PROGRESS: 23%
Drek looked at it.
"How long?"
"Estimated completion: thirty-six hours."
Drek smiled.
"Then we'll give it thirty-six hours."
THE EYES OF THE WORLD
The SLS began scanning the planet.
The map expanded.
Previously unknown regions appeared.
Massive mountain ranges.
Ancient forests.
Deserts.
Oceans.
Cities.
Fortresses.
Kingdoms.
And countless magical energy signatures.
Drek stared at the planet.
"System."
"Yes, Major."
"Mark every major civilization."
"Processing."
Hundreds of markers appeared.
Then thousands.
Drek slowly shook his head.
"This world is enormous."
The system replied.
"Confirmed."
Drek looked toward one particular region.
A large territory appeared on the map.
Human settlements covered it.
At its center stood an enormous city.
"What's that?"
The system scanned it.
"Human civilization detected."
Drek zoomed in.
The city was surrounded by massive walls.
Several towers rose above them.
Roads stretched outward from the gates.
Caravans traveled along them.
The system identified the territory.
"Human Kingdom."
Drek stared at it.
A human kingdom.
The first large human civilization he had discovered.
Drek smiled.
"That's where we're going."
THE FIGHTER REMAINS ABOVE
Drek looked at the fighter.
It was still connected to the orbital station.
He opened a communication channel.
"System."
"Yes, Major."
"Leave the fighter docked with the station."
Ushu's voice suddenly came through the communication system.
"Drek?"
Drek smiled.
"I'm here."
"Where are you?"
"Above the planet."
There was a long silence.
"...What?"
Drek laughed.
"The fighter is helping upgrade the SLS."
Ushu sounded amazed.
"So your plane is in space?"
"Basically."
"That's crazy!"
"It gets crazier."
Drek looked at the expanding orbital station.
"The SLS is becoming an orbital station."
Ushu became silent.
Then—
"I don't understand half the things you say."
Drek laughed.
"That's okay."
He looked at the planet.
"The important thing is that we'll have support from above."
BACK ON THE GROUND
A small transport drone detached from the orbital station.
It was much smaller than the fighter, with a compact oval body and four folding engines positioned around its sides.
The drone descended through the atmosphere.
Unlike the fighter, it did not create a loud shockwave.
Its engines produced only a soft humming sound as it moved through the clouds.
Inside the village, several elves looked upward.
The small craft slowed above them.
Then it lowered gently toward the ground.
A faint blue light spread beneath it, clearing dust and grass from the landing area.
The drone touched down beside the village.
Its side opened.
Drek stepped out.
The transport drone immediately closed its hatch and lifted several meters into the air, waiting for its return command.
The elves gathered around it, staring at the strange machine.
Ushu immediately approached Drek.
"You're back!"
"Yeah."
She looked at the sky.
"Is it still up there?"
Drek nodded.
"It's connected to the SLS."
Ushu smiled.
"So it won't come with us?"
Drek shook his head.
"Not right now."
He pointed upward.
"It'll stay above the planet."
Ushu nodded.
"And watch us?"
"Yes."
Drek touched his wrist.
A small marker appeared.
USHU — TRACKING ACTIVE
Another appeared.
DREK — TRACKING ACTIVE
A third marker appeared high above them.
SLS ORBITAL STATION — ACTIVE
Drek smiled.
"We'll never be completely alone."
Ushu looked toward the mountains.
"Then where do we go?"
Drek brought up the planetary map.
He zoomed toward the human kingdom.
"There."
Ushu stared at it.
"The Human Kingdom?"
Drek nodded.
"We need to learn how this world works."
He looked toward the road.
"And I want to know what humans know about the Unknown."
Ushu smiled.
"Then let's go."
Drek nodded.
The two began walking away from the village.
Behind them, the elves continued rebuilding.
Above them, the alien fighter remained docked with the growing orbital station.
The SLS watched over the world.
Its sensors continued scanning.
Its database continued learning.
And somewhere high above the clouds, the station quietly expanded.
The journey below had begun.
The preparations above had begun.
And neither Drek nor Ushu knew that their arrival in the Human Kingdom would introduce them to an entirely different side of this world.
A world of magic.
A world of kingdoms.
A world of adventurers.
And a world that had its own history with something called—
THE UNKNOWN.