The skies of Genesis burned with engines.
UNE banners rippled across the heavens as billions of Marines filed into their transports, their boots echoing across steel ramps. Dropships rose in endless streams, feeding into the colossal interstellar warships that hovered like mountains above the planet. The interstellar ships is dark grayish in color, that blazes sky blue engine burst.
One by one, the giants lifted — titanic carriers, destroyers, and assault ships — their hulls lined with glowing Scripture and the UNE crest, their shadows blotting out the sun.
Even the smallest frigates carried more firepower than entire nations of old Earth.
And there were millions of them.
⸻
Boarding the Titan
Woo Jin and the Rust Wolves followed the endless tide of Marines into one of the carriers.
The interior swallowed them whole — a city of steel stretching miles in every direction. Rows of bunks, endless hangars of dropships, armories stacked with weapons that gleamed like relics.
Announcements echoed across the decks: "All hands to stations. Quantum Cosmic Drive type 1 initiation in T-minus 10 minutes."
Woo's eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat.
"This... this ship carries one hundred and fifty thousand!"
Jerome let out a low whistle, craning his neck at the endless rows of soldiers. "And this is just standard size."
Raul smirked, elbowing Marco. "Farm boys never even saw a tractor this big, huh?"
Marco grinned, shaking his head. "Hell, this makes a planet look small."
Even Min-seo, normally composed, adjusted his visor nervously. "This is... beyond anything the books ever described."
Asura and John stood silent, but his gaze was steady — as if none of this surprised him.
⸻
The Quantum Cosmic Drive
The ship vibrated as the countdown began.
5... 4... 3... 2... 1...
The stars outside blurred. Then — the Quantum Cosmic Drive ignited.
The void lit with a storm of energy — every warship across the fleet erupting in cosmic fire. Blue-white streams of universal energy lanced outward, wrapping each vessel in a cocoon of brilliance.
The fleet didn't just jump. They vanished.
Reality folded. Galaxies spun like afterimages. Light-years collapsed in seconds. Time itself twisted, the fleet slipping between layers of reality as easily as passing through mist.
Woo Jin clutched the railing, eyes wide, his heart racing.
"It's like... we're flying through infinity."
Hunter's calm voice echoed over the comms from a different ship:
"Infinity's just another route for UNE. Cosmic Quantum Drive could also allows us to travel across infinite size spaces, and traveling through time itself as well"
woo Jin was shocked to see hear and was speechless. As a 18 year old fresh off the boat, he was so stunned.
⸻
The Endless War Fleet
Through the viewing deck windows, Woo and the Wolves saw it:
Countless warships — carriers, destroyers, cruisers, transports — all moving in perfect formation. Like an endless river of steel and light, the UNE fleet stretched across the void further than the eye could see.
Billions of soldiers, millions of ships.
A civilization's entire wrath, on the march.
⸻
Monarch's voice came over the shipwide comms, calm and sharp.
"Attention all units: Quantum Cosmic Drive type 1 successful. Fleet en route to Typonian sector. ETA: 5 minute. Prepare for deployment. Operation Hammerfall is greenlight."
⸻
Woo Jin's chest tightened. The awe of infinity collided with the weight of reality. This wasn't just a mission anymore.
This was war.
And for the first time, the Wolves and other privates realized they weren't just soldiers of Juno.
They were soldiers of humanity.
-
The Rust Wolves stood on the viewing deck, still in awe of the infinite fleet outside when the sound of boots echoed down the hall.
Hudson emerged from the corridor — visor dim, rifle slung across his back. Marines moved aside as he passed, their respect clear.
But the figure walking with him made the air heavy.
He wore the same UNE armor, but different. His helmet wasn't standard issue — it was shaped like a skull mask, the visor split into two glowing blue eyes that burned in the dim light. A black cloak draped over his shoulders, hood pulled just enough to shadow his reaper-like helm.
The whispers spread before his boots even stopped echoing.
"That's him..."
"The Reaper."
Hunter leaned against the railing, grinning under his visor. He raised a hand.
"Yo! Hudson! Reaper!"
Hudson gave a curt nod. The cloaked Marine only tilted his head, silent, his glowing eyes scanning the Wolves before lingering on Woo Jin.
⸻
The Legend
Jerome muttered low to Raul. "What the hell is up with that helmet? Looks like a damn ghost."
Raul smirked nervously. "Not a ghost, hermano... the Reaper. I heard about him in camp whispers. He's an elite soldier, who does Black ops, zero survivors missions, and other crazy shit — even fighting with cosmic horrors alone. The guy who walks away from hell like it's a Sunday stroll."
Marco crossed his arms, frowning. "And he wears that cloak just to freak people out?"
Min-seo adjusted his visor, his tone analytical. "Not just fear. Symbolism. His presence alone is psychological warfare."
John said nothing, but his hand tightened on his rifle.
⸻
The Meeting
Hudson finally stopped near the Wolves. "Rust Wolves, this is Reaper. Don't waste time trying to figure him out. He's with us for Hammerfall."
Hunter chuckled. "Good. If we're going to war with a hive, might as well bring Death himself."
For the first time, Reaper spoke. His voice was deep, calm, distorted slightly by his helmet — like a whisper from the grave.
"Death is for them if they keep resorting to non-peace negotiations. Not for us."
The Wolves fell silent.
Woo Jin swallowed hard, staring at the two glowing eyes under the hood.
This wasn't just another Marine.
This was the Reaper.
And now, he was marching with them.
-
The Wolves circled closer, curiosity gnawing at the silence Reaper carried with him. Woo Jin finally stepped forward, voice hesitant but respectful.
"Reaper... what planet are you from? In Juno?"
The cloaked Marine tilted his head, those glowing blue eyes fixing on Woo through the visor. For a moment, no sound — then his voice rumbled out, distorted and low.
"Dravo. The mining planet, kid."
Woo blinked, surprised. "Dravo? That's where John's from. And Asura, too."
Reaper gave a faint, humorless chuckle. "Figures. Dravo doesn't make much but steel, scars, and soldiers."
Hunter leaned back against the bulkhead, smirking. "You're forgetting something — me and Hudson are Dravo-born, too."
Hudson gave a curt nod. "Born in the pits. Raised in the mines. Made into Marines."
⸻
The Realization
The Wolves fell quiet. Raul muttered under his breath, wide-eyed.
"Wait... hold up. Half this damn squad, plus these two legends, and Reaper — all from the same rock?"
Marco whistled low. "Guess Dravo breeds monsters."
Jerome laughed nervously. "Remind me never to piss off anyone from there."
John, usually silent, finally spoke in his deep, even tone.
"Dravo breaks the weak. Only the strong make it out alive."
Asura remained still, his calm eyes fixed ahead. He didn't need to add anything — his presence was proof enough.
⸻
The Weight
Woo Jin looked around, realizing: five of the deadliest men he'd ever met all shared the same homeworld. A mining planet. Harsh. Unforgiving. A place where survival was the only lesson learned.
He felt small, young — but also strangely proud to stand among them.
Reaper adjusted his hood, voice cutting through the moment.
"Doesn't matter where you're from, kid. What matters is where you're going. And right now, we're all going straight into hell."
The deck shook as the fleet prepared to drop. Engines roared, Quantum Drive settling. The Wolves stood together, the shadow of Dravo heavy among them.
And for Woo Jin, it was the first time he realized:
He wasn't just standing beside soldiers.
He was standing beside legends.
-
The hangar bay roared with activity — loaders hauling crates, Marines locking in armor, and the thunder of engines warming for launch. The Rust Wolves kept close together, eyes wide, watching elites pass them like gods among men.
Then a figure strode past — armor scratched and worn from countless battles, rifle slung casually at her side. Her stride was confident, unshaken, like someone who had walked through fire so many times it no longer burned her.
Hudson's visor glowed faintly as he lifted a hand.
"Yo, Carla! What's up?"
The woman stopped, turning toward them. Her helmet was tucked under one arm, revealing short-cut dark hair, a scar tracing across her cheek. She smirked, sharp and easy, eyes flicking between Hudson and Hunter.
"Same old war, different day. Heard you two clowns blew up a Typonian base without breaking a sweat."
Hunter grinned under his visor. "What can I say? We do it for the highlight reel."
Reaper tilted his head, silent, the blue glow of his eyes burning as he studied her. Carla only raised an eyebrow back. "Still hiding under that hood, huh, Reaper? Creepy as ever."
He gave no reply, just a faint rasp of breath that might have been amusement.
⸻
The Wolves React
Raul leaned toward Woo Jin, whispering. "Damn... she's got that veteran swagger. Like she's seen it all."
Marco smirked. "She probably has."
Jerome gave a low whistle. "About the same age as Hudson and Hunter... maybe even fought beside them?"
Min-seo adjusted his visor, eyes narrowing. "If she's here for Hammerfall, then she's not just another soldier. She's an asset."
John crossed his arms silently, but Woo could feel the respect radiating off him — the same way he treated Asura, Hudson, and Reaper.
⸻
The Introduction
Hudson gestured casually toward the Wolves. "Carla, meet the Rust Wolves. Fresh out of Genesis. They survived Eryndor Prime."
Carla looked them over, her smirk softening just slightly.
"First battle and you lived? Not bad. Most recruits don't make it that far. Guess you pups got some bite after all."
Woo Jin felt his chest tighten with pride at the acknowledgment.
Carla nodded toward Hudson, Hunter, and Reaper, then adjusted her rifle strap.
"Well... looks like we've got ourselves a pack. Let's hope the Typonians are ready for hell, because Hammerfall's about to drop hard."
She walked on, her cloak snapping in the hangar winds.
The Wolves exchanged glances, buzzing with adrenaline. Their pack had grown.
And the legends among them were gathering.
———————————
To be continued...