The decision to enter the Shagan Wastes had not been made lightly.
For a region that lay so openly beneath the sun, Shagan was infamous for how little it revealed. Trade routes vanished there. Scouts returned with fragmented memories. And organizations far older than kingdoms—like the UNM—had chosen it as their seat of power for a reason.
Which was precisely why Minami refused to arrive as herself.
Before the first grain of desert sand ever touched their boots, the six of them stood gathered within a quiet hollow of stone, far from wandering eyes. The air shimmered faintly with layered magic as Minami raised her hand, divine authority coiling around her fingers like invisible silk.
"Alright," she said calmly, amber eyes glinting with quiet amusement. "Let's blend in."
Light spilled outward.
When it faded, the group no longer resembled a gathering of gods, champions, and chosen beings—but something far more mundane.
Minami now stood as a fox lady, russet ears flicking atop her head, a long, plush tail swaying lazily behind her. Her features had softened slightly, eyes slitted just enough to pass for a demi-human traveler from the borderlands.
Beside her, Yun cracked his neck, now unmistakably a dogman—broad-shouldered, dark-furred, with sharp eyes that never stopped scanning his surroundings. Valx towered nearby in the form of a werewolf, grey fur rippling faintly with restrained power.
Nei and Fei had taken on their lamia forms, elegant coils replacing legs, scales gleaming faintly beneath layered desert cloaks. And Kai—arms crossed, expression unreadable—now bore the unmistakable traits of a snakeman, golden eyes gleaming beneath the hood he wore.
Minami looked them over, nodding once.
"Perfect. Nobody panics when demi-humans travel together. Gods, on the other hand…" She shrugged lightly. "People ask questions."
Valx huffed. "I hate questions."
With that settled, they crossed the final ridge.
The Shagan Wastes stretched before them like an endless ocean of pale gold.
Wind roared across the dunes in steady currents, carrying fine dust that danced through the air like drifting smoke. Cloaks fluttered, sand whispered against skin and scale, yet despite the intensity of the sun overhead—burning white and merciless—the heat never reached the unbearable extremes one would expect.
It was… warm.
Not oppressive. Not scorching.
Just enough to remind you where you were.
Fei blinked, adjusting her hood. "Whoa. I was expecting to melt."
Nei flicked her tongue thoughtfully. "Same. This place feels… regulated."
Minami's gaze sharpened. "It is. The desert's climate is artificially stabilized. Old magic. Probably tied to UNM's perimeter wards."
Yun whistled low. "Figures."
They had barely taken a dozen steps deeper when Valx glanced sideways at Yun. "So. Any idea where the UNM is actually located?"
Yun didn't even stop walking. "Do I have to do everything for you people?"
Valx growled softly.
Yun raised one hand, sigils blooming around his fingers. "Locator spell. Simple enough."
Minami cut in immediately. "They're cloaked."
Yun shot her a look. "Got any better ideas?"
She smiled.
"Actually? Yes."
With a flick of her wrist, Minami manifested a translucent screen in the air before them—runes stabilizing its surface as divine authority bled into the construct.
Inside her mind, she chuckled.
Wow… this really is just like Google Maps.
Her fingers danced across the surface.
Locate: UNM.
The screen shimmered… then stilled.
"I don't see anything," Nei muttered.
Kai tilted his head. "You guys are super blind."
Everyone turned to him.
"I can see it clearly," he continued, stepping closer to Minami. "Can I hold your hand?"
She blinked, then nodded. "Sure."
The moment their hands touched, Kai's eyes glowed faintly.
"Envision," he whispered.
The screen reacted instantly.
The illusion peeled back, revealing a massive brown-stone wall half-buried within the dunes, its surface weathered yet reinforced with metallic veins. At its center stood a colossal gate of dark alloy—and flanking it, two beastmen guards, standing utterly still.
Fei's eyes widened. "Wow. Bro. I didn't know you could be that useful."
She shoved him playfully and laughed.
Kai scowled. "I hate all of you."
Yun scratched his chin. "Alright. Now how do we actually get there?"
Minami raised her hand again. "I've got this. Locator spell: Trace."
Nei groaned. "Why didn't you do that from the start?"
"I needed to see it first," Minami replied smoothly. "Spells still need context."
She snapped her fingers.
A portal yawned open—vast, shimmering, divine.
From within, something enormous rolled forward.
Metal gleamed. Tires crushed sand. And what emerged was nothing short of absurd.
A traveling truck.
Minami grinned. "Alright. We're traveling in style. Who's up for a road trip?"
Valx stared. "…What the hell is that?"
"Well," Minami said cheerfully, "in my previous world, this was called a travel truck. Long-distance convenience. Mobile living space."
Silence.
Then—
"You were reborn as a goddess?!" Fei, Nei, Valx, and Kai shouted in perfect unison.
Yun burst out laughing. "Why are you all so shocked? I thought you knew."
They turned on him.
"Oh. Right. I forgot," Yun added, grinning wider. "I was the only one aware."
Minami waved her hand dismissively. "I'll explain everything during the trip."
Inside, the truck was nothing short of luxurious.
Soft lighting. Polished wood. Beds neatly arranged. A compact kitchen, a bathroom, storage compartments—it was a moving house.
Nei flopped into a chair immediately. "Not gonna lie. This is amazing."
"I call shotgun on the top bunk!" Yun shouted.
As the doors sealed shut, a calm, synthetic voice filled the cabin.
"Welcome aboard the Traveling Express."
Valx stiffened. "What was that?"
"Relax," Minami said. "That's our artificial assistant. AI, in my old world. Mesai-chan."
Fei tapped the speaker. "Interesting."
"Miss Fei," the voice replied politely, "please tap gently. Though I do possess advanced self-repair capabilities."
"I hear you," Fei muttered, startled.
Minami smiled. "Mesai-chan, take us to the UNM."
"Location confirmed. Spell Trace active. Estimated travel time: two days. Please buckle up."
The truck lurched forward.
Two hours in—
"Wait," Kai said suddenly, eyes lighting up. "Is that a desert death worm?!"
The sand ahead erupted.
A colossal creature burst forth—light brown hide, circular maw lined with countless serrated teeth, its roar vibrating the air.
Kai cracked his knuckles. "I've always wanted to fight one of these!"
"Please refrain from unnecessary exertion, Mr. Kai," Mesai-chan said calmly. "Engaging countermeasures."
The truck hummed.
"Heat lasers: activate."
A beam of condensed light lanced out—obliterating the worm in a single shot.
"Additional threats detected. Engaging."
Three more beams followed.
Silence returned to the desert.
Kai slumped. "…Rude."
Two days later, the UNM loomed ahead.
"Stop here," Minami said.
The truck halted.
"Understood."
"Mesai," she added, "take a demi-human form."
The machine compressed, reshaping—until a tiger man stood where the truck had been. Green hair, dark purple eyes, aura restrained but unmistakable.
Minami gestured. "Allow me to introduce Mesai—the ever-changing cyborg."
Yun smiled. "Nice to have another guy."
"Welcome," the gorgon triplets said in unison.
Valx chuckled. "Love the name."
Mesai bowed slightly. "I am honored to join such a family."
Minami blushed faintly. "You're… kind of cute."
She cleared her throat. "Alright. Let's go."
They approached the gate—
When something slammed down before them, kicking up a storm of sand.
A figure rose slowly.
"What business," it demanded, voice echoing, "do you have with the UNM?"