Victor gripped the handlebars and took a deep breath...

As soon as the engine started working, his grin widened.

It was working!

Soon, the Dragoon’s stabilizers locked into place. The hum of the propulsion system grew louder, but it was steady...

"Here we go!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the workshop.

The Dragoon lifted off the ground, hovering for a moment before Victor tilted the handlebars forward. With a sudden burst, the machine shot out of the workshop doors and into the open air!

Kai, Sera, and Althea followed quickly, stepping outside to watch.

"Whoa~"

"That’s fast..."

"Amazing..."

They watched as Dragoon climbed higher... They saw its fins adjusting automatically to balance the weight, and everything looked perfectly fine.

Victor leaned into the handle, and the machine darted across the sky like a hunting bird.

Down below, survivors working in the garden froze, their tools stopped moving as they looked up. Rows of vegetables and fruit trees swayed in the wind as the Dragoon passed overhead.

"Is that... ours?" one of the gardeners whispered, awe in his voice.

On the walls, defenders paused in their patrols.

Some raised their rifles instinctively, then lowered them once they recognized Victor’s figure riding the machine.

"It’s not the A.I. this time," a guard muttered. "It’s one of ours. Finally."

Victor then banked sharply to avoid hitting the wall!

Whoosh~

The Dragoon was cutting across the sky in a wide arc.

The stabilizers were then triggered, keeping the craft steady as he pulled into a dive. He skimmed low over the shelters, the rush of air forcing survivors to shield their faces.

It was such an impressive sight!

Kai narrowed his eyes as he also studied its every movement.

The Dragoon was fast, responsive, and seemed stable enough in the air.

Even without weapons mounted, it was already proving its worth.

Victor pulled up again, climbing higher until he hovered above the walls.

He raised one hand triumphantly, shouting down at the crowd. "Six hours of flight time! That’s what five C‑Grade cores buy us!"

The defenders cheered, some pumping their fists into the air.

Just like that, the sight of a Dragoon’s vessel didn’t bring fear... it actually brought hope.

Victor tested the controls further, moving in tight circles, then accelerating into a straight line before braking suddenly.

The craft obeyed without hesitation, its movements were sharp, and also responsive...

Althea’s eyes gleamed. "It’s perfect. Imagine what we could do with a squad of these."

Sera nodded. "We could strike back easily with this vessel. I want to be part of it!"

Victor finally slowed, guiding the Dragoon back toward the ground.

Thud...

He landed smoothly in front of the workshop...

Whoosh~

Then, the machine settled with a hiss as the propulsion system powered down. He then hopped off, his face flushed with excitement.

"Well?" he asked while spreading his arms. "What do you think?"

Kai shrugged as he voiced out his real thought.

"Yes... It’s impressive. More than I expected. But they’re fragile. We’ll need safety measures before anyone takes it into battle."

Victor smirked. "That’s your part, Guild Leader. I can make it fly... but you’ll decide how we use it."

Around them, survivors were still talking, their voices filled with awe.

The sight of the modified Dragoon was simply too attractive. Kai glanced at Sera and Althea. Their eyes were locked on the machine...

They looked so determined to drive it or be part of the squad that would be built around it.

***

Kai nodded as he had already seen enough...

"It’s impressive. More than I expected. But tell me, Victor... what else do you need to make more of these?"

Victor’s grin softened into something more serious.

"More modified circuit boards. That’s the real key. Right now, the interface works, but there’s still a risk. We can’t let the A.I. connect to it... If that happens, they could override the pilot."

Sera’s eyes widened. "You mean... they could hijack it?"

Victor nodded grimly. "Exactly..."

"How many do you need?" Kai asked.

Victor rubbed his chin. "As much as you could. To secure a squad, we’ll need dozens. I can work on the hardware since they have to be modified with Spirit Energy channels. Otherwise, the A.I. will find a way in."

Kai nodded. "Alright... Consider it done."

Victor clapped his hands together, excitement bubbling again. "Perfect! With enough boards, I can secure the interface completely. No more risk of A.I. interference. And once that’s done..." He gestured toward the Dragoon, his eyes gleaming. "...we’ll have the skies."

Kai smirked faintly. "Then let’s make sure we’re ready. The next battle won’t wait."

***

A couple of hours after the test flight had ended, everyone thought that it would just be another normal day, when the alarm suddenly rang across Haven‑45.

Kai’s head turned toward the walls. There was only one ring coming from the bell.

His expression shifted since that meant the visitors weren’t A.I. soldiers or a threat to them.

Still, he moved quickly while Sera and Althea followed at his side. As they reached the gates, Kai saw the line of people outside.

About twenty of them stood in the dust, weary and cautious, but unmistakably human.

The guards had already formed a barrier, rifles were lowered but ready in case needed.

One of them raised a hand to halt the newcomers. "Stop there. Why are you here?"

The group froze. Their leader, a man in his thirties with a patched jacket and tired eyes, stepped forward.

"We’re survivors. Merchants, some of us. We came from shelters farther east... The Grid Region."

Kai studied them carefully. Their origin wasn’t really important right now.

Their clothes were worn, and they all looked skinny. There was no mistaking the desperation in their eyes. They weren’t raiders... they were people seeking refuge.

The guard pressed further. "Which shelters?"

The man swallowed hard. "We were from three different ones in the Grid Region. We couldn’t stay in that region anymore... We’ve been moving for weeks."

Kai’s gaze swept over the group. Some carried packs filled with supplies, others clutched children close. A few had weapons slung over their shoulders, but none raised them.

Althea leaned closer to Kai. "They look exhausted. But that’s a lot of mouths to feed. What do we do, leader?"

Sera added quietly, "If they have information. It might be worth it to accommodate them for some time. We also need to know what’s happening beyond our walls."

Kai nodded at this, but paying with information was not enough... He needed more.

’They’ll be working for us from now on... and those three behind the group. They’re not simple.’