Chapter 140
Professor Caelum Verdanis Eruien, Nhulla Loresong, Head Merchant Rume Ironbark, Lin Yue Meiying, and Nille Fajardo all understood the same hard truth as they remained inside the faint glow of the enchanted tent.
This part of the isolated territory in sector 12 was not forgiving. and they haven't even reach the upper part of the mountain Range and still haven't Seen any draconian race if there are any that remains .
Even rest itself had become a risk.
In a normal expedition, setting camp meant recovery, recalibration, and planning. But in the Outer Eastern Forest, rest carried weight. It meant stillness, and stillness meant exposure. The longer they stayed in one place, the more attention they attracted from the surrounding ecosystem of Malignants.
And now that attention had clearly been gathered.
The Dire Wolves had already marked their presence earlier. The Stymphalian Birds had followed after. Both species were not mindless predators. They did not rely on instinct alone. They observed patterns, tested boundaries, and coordinated movement. Some even demonstrated structured pack logic that resembled tactical hunting formations rather than simple feeding behavior.
That was what made this place dangerous.
It was not brute savagery.
It was intelligence shaped by survival.
Inside the tent, the atmosphere tightened as the faint pressure in the air shifted.
Nille felt it first.
A change above.
Not sound.
Not movement.
But intent.
A concentrated killing pressure descended from the canopy, as if the forest itself had focused its attention directly onto their location.
"They've locked on," Lin Yue said quietly.
Rume's hand moved immediately to the golem interface. "They're narrowing the perimeter again."
Nhulla's voice followed, steady but tense. "Aerial signatures are converging. They're preparing an engagement pattern."
Professor Caelum remained still for a moment, reading the unstable fluctuations beyond the tent's barrier.
"They're coordinating," he said calmly. "Not random hunting. Formation-based pressure."
Nille's expression did not change, but his thoughts were moving quickly.
Engaging them directly was not an option.
Any large-scale spell would break concealment and trigger escalation. The Dire Wolves below would react. The aerial predators above would descend fully. And deeper within the forest, stronger entities would be drawn in by the disturbance.
This was not a battlefield where strength decided survival.
It was a system of attention.
Whoever drew too much of it would die first.
Nille exhaled slowly.
"No combat," he said.
The others understood immediately.
He continued, voice low but firm. "If we fight the birds, we alert everything within range. If we move aggressively, the wolves respond. We're surrounded by layered predators. We don't win by force here."
Lin Yue glanced upward. "So we just wait?"
"Not wait," Nille corrected. "Disappear from their priority list."
Nhulla tightened her grip on her device. "Concealment?"
Rume looked toward Nille. "Your enclave."
For a brief moment, silence filled the tent.
Professor Caelum studied Nille carefully, not with doubt, but with understanding. He had already suspected that the young Awakened's spatial manifestation was not ordinary. It was not simply a summoned pocket space or illusionary domain.
It behaved like a structured reality boundary.
But even he knew its risks.
"Using it here will leave traces," Professor Caelum said. "If their perception adapts, they may track spatial distortion."
Nille nodded once. "Then we don't stay long."
Another wave of pressure passed overhead.
The tent fabric shifted slightly, responding to the unseen presence above. The Stymphalian Birds were no longer circling loosely. Their movement had tightened. Their formation was compressing.
They were preparing to strike.
Lin Yue stepped closer to Nille's side. "If we go inside your space, can they follow?"
"No," Nille said. "Not unless I open it too wide or stay too long."
Rume gave a short breath. "Then we move fast. In and out."
Nhulla checked her readings again. "Ground signatures are also shifting. The wolves are repositioning. They're waiting for the aerial attack to flush us."
Professor Caelum looked at the others. "They're coordinating indirectly. One species pressures, the other responds. It's a layered hunt."
That realization settled heavily among them.
The forest was not empty.
It was structured.
And they were inside its logic.
Another moment passed.
Then Nille spoke again.
"We don't give them the opening."
The others nodded.
No hesitation.
No disagreement.
Because all of them understood the same reality now.
Survival here was not about fighting harder.
It was about refusing to be seen as prey at all.
Above them, the wingbeats tightened further, the sound growing sharper as dozens of Stymphalian Birds aligned into their final approach paths.
Below, unseen, the Dire Wolves waited in silence.
And inside the tent, the five prepared to vanish from both.
Nille's mind was still working through Nyx's explanation when Professor Caelum suddenly interrupted the flow of thought.
He raised a hand slightly, eyes still scanning the unstable readings outside the tent.
"I can cast a barrier," he said quietly, "but I cannot guarantee it will hold against those flying Malignants. Not for long."
A short pause followed.
Then he added with a heavier tone, "And if we break concealment, the Lightning Dire Wolves below will react immediately. We will be caught between two hunting layers."
That single statement made the situation clear for everyone.
Above them: aerial predators waiting to strike.
Below them: ground predators ready to respond.
And in the middle… a small camp that could not afford to be seen.
Rume Ironbark exhaled slowly, already analyzing options. "The golems can't move safely while we're under observation. Any large shift will trigger tracking."
Nhulla didn't even look up from her device. "Spiritual interference is rising. The longer we stay, the tighter their formation becomes."
Lin Yue adjusted her grip on her weapon. "So we're stuck."
A brief silence followed.
It wasn't panic.
It was calculation.
Everyone was running the same problem in their minds.
Then Nille spoke.
His voice was calm, but firm.
"We don't fight our way out."
All eyes turned to him.
He continued, "We fall back temporarily. We abandon the exposed position and reset somewhere safer. We don't try to force an escape while we're being surrounded."
Rume nodded slowly. "And the supplies?"
"Set them to stationary mode," Nille replied. "We can retrieve them later if the area clears."
Nhulla finally looked up. "You're suggesting full disengagement."
Nille gave a simple nod. "Yes."
Professor Caelum studied him for a moment, then gave a small sigh.
"It's the most logical option."
Rume didn't hesitate after that. "Agreed."
One by one, they accepted it.
Even Lin Yue, though tense, gave a short nod.
The plan became simple.
No battle.
No resistance.
Just exit.
Nille turned slightly toward the group.
"On my mark, I open the portal. We go together. No delays."
Everyone shifted into position.
The golem carriers were set to hold their place in standby mode.
Artifacts were secured.
Breathing slowed.
Outside, the forest remained unnaturally quiet.
Too quiet.
As if something was waiting for the exact moment they would move.
Nille raised his hand slightly.
"Three…"
A faint pressure built in the air.
The barrier spells around them tightened.
"Two…"
Lin Yue crouched slightly.
Rume braced.
Nhulla locked her interface.
Professor Caelum focused his energy.
"One."
A sudden distortion ripped through the ground beneath them, forming a circular gateway of unstable light and space.
The portal opened under their feet.
Without hesitation, all five felt it in at the same time.
For a split second, everything felt weightless.
Then. They dropped, including the artifact that was producing heat inside the tent
The world flipped, and the enchanted tent, the forest, and the pressure above them all vanished in an instant.
But they didn't get a chance to feel relief.
Because the moment they landed—
A sharp tearing sound exploded overhead.
CRRRAAACK—!
The remains of the small enchanted tent were ripped apart from above.
Something massive had struck it a fraction of a second too late.
A shadow passed through where their heads had just been.
A long, curved talon sliced downward, missing them by barely a heartbeat.
The force of the impact shattered what was left of the campsite structure, scattering debris into the air.
Nille landed on one knee, immediately looking up.
Above the broken opening of space, a winged shape lingered for just a moment.
Then it was gone.
Vanished back into the dark sky like it had never been there at all. because the gateway was now close
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Real.
Lin Yue slowly exhaled. "That… was close."
Rume stared upward. "Too close."
Nhulla checked her readings with a tense expression. "They predicted the exit point."
Professor Caelum narrowed his eyes. "No… they reacted to the disturbance of the portal."
Nille stood slowly, brushing his hand against the ground.
His expression remained calm, but serious.
"They were waiting," he said quietly.
No one argued.
Because the timing had been too precise to be luck.
Above them, somewhere in the unseen sky, the hunting cycle had not ended.
Rume Ironbark was the first to deliberately shift the tone away from the uneasy silence.
He turned toward Erma as if nothing unusual had just happened at all, casually brushing dust from his sleeve.
"Before we get too deep into that," he said, voice light but controlled, "give me an update on the Castle Swamp setup. How long have we actually been gone on your side?"
Erma blinked, still visibly shaken from their sudden return, but quickly reached for her record slate. The rune arrays beside her flickered as she pulled up the timeline logs.
"Since your departure?" she repeated, checking the figures. "It's only been a few hours."
That answer made a few of the nearby Rune Forge staff pause.
A few exchanged quick glances.
"Only a few hours?" one of them muttered under their breath.
Erma nodded again, more confidently this time as the system confirmed it.
"Roughly… twenty hours since you first entered the Castle Swamp deployment phase. But most of that time was logistical preparation and base stabilization. From active expedition entry onward, it's been less than a half-cycle."
Rume let out a slow breath, almost like he was satisfied with the explanation.
"Well," he said casually, "that actually makes more sense."
Nhulla raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt. Lin Yue stayed silent, still processing the difference in perception.
Professor Caelum, however, folded his arms slightly.
"So from your perspective," he said, "we were gone less than a day."
Erma nodded. "Yes, Professor."
A brief pause followed.
Then Rume continued, as if filling the silence with normal conversation was the most important thing in the room.
"And the Castle Swamp sector itself? Any issues with deployment flow?"
Erma immediately shifted into report mode, grateful for the grounding question.
"No major disruptions," she replied. "The swamp perimeter stabilization is complete. Rune anchors are active, and the golem carriers have begun establishing supply routes. Minor interference from local spiritual residue, but nothing beyond expected thresholds."
Rume nodded as if this was exactly what he wanted to hear.
"Good. Keep it steady. No need to rush anything there."
But behind his relaxed tone, his mind was clearly working through the contradiction.
Twenty hours outside.
Yet for them, it had felt like days.
Professor Caelum glanced briefly at Nille, then back toward the reporting staff.
"It aligns with previous documentation," he said calmly. "The Twelve Sectors were never truly synchronized after separation. Each sector operates under its own temporal elasticity."
Nhulla added quietly, "But the variance has never been this extreme before."
That statement hung in the air a little heavier than the rest.
Rume exhaled lightly, as if brushing off the concern.
"So we're dealing with a drift increase," he said. "Time inside Sector 12 and adjacent mountain regions is slowing relative to the outside system."
Professor Caelum nodded once.
"Precisely."
He looked toward the ceiling for a moment, as if imagining the forest they had just left.
"In simple terms… the deeper we went into the Draconian Mountain Range, the more time decoupled from external flow."
Lin Yue finally spoke, her voice low.
"So when it felt like two days…"
Nhulla finished the thought.
"…it was likely only hours outside."
A brief silence followed again, but this time it wasn't confusion.
It was understanding.
Rume crossed his arms and gave a short, almost amused breath.
"So while we were fighting for our lives in a place where everything wanted to eat us," he said, "the outside world barely even noticed we were gone."
No one corrected him.
Because that part, at least, was true.
Professor Caelum adjusted his stance, returning fully to professional tone.
"Prepare a sector discrepancy report," he instructed Erma. "Mark this as confirmed temporal instability within Draconian Mountain Range boundaries."
Erma nodded quickly. "Yes, Professor."
Rume glanced once more toward Nille, his earlier tension now hidden behind a calm expression.
"Well," he said lightly, "at least we didn't miss much here."
But the implication lingered quietly in the background.
Because somewhere deep in the mountain range they had just left behind, time itself was not behaving like it should.
And that meant the expedition had only seen the surface of a much larger problem.
Nille raised a hand slightly, signaling for everyone to slow down.
"We take a break," he said calmly. "A few hours of rest. Then we reconvene."
The room went quiet for a moment, as if everyone was re-evaluating the idea after everything that had just happened.
He continued, voice steady.
"Before that, Rume, Nhulla—secure everything in your dimensional storage belts. Double-check seals, classifications, and retrieval tags. We'll continue the expedition from the same sector entry point."
Rume Ironbark tilted his head slightly. "You're planning to go back in?"
"Yes," Nille replied without hesitation. "We don't abandon the area just because it's unstable. We adapt to it."
Nhulla studied him carefully, then nodded once. "Understood."
Nille added a final explanation, keeping his tone measured.
"My gate ability relies on spatial memory anchors. If I don't maintain consistent reference points, I can't guarantee precision."
It was not the full truth.
It was close enough to be accepted.
He did not mention the celestial cloth.
He did not mention Nyx or Hyde.
He did not mention the layered consciousness quietly stabilizing his existence every time he opened a portal.
Those were things better left unspoken—for now.
Rume gave a short hum, as if accepting the explanation, though his eyes carried something more observant.
"Memory-based anchoring," he repeated. "That explains the precision shifts we saw earlier."
Nhulla didn't question further. She simply began recalibrating her storage seals.
Lin Yue exhaled slowly, finally letting some tension leave her shoulders. "Rest actually sounds good…"
Professor Caelum gave a slight nod of approval. "A controlled pause is wise. Mental fatigue affects spatial judgment more than most realize."
The group began dispersing into small, organized movements, securing gear, stabilizing equipment, and setting up minimal resting arrangements within the Rune Forge safe zone.
But even as they prepared to rest, there was an unspoken awareness lingering between them.
Nille was not simply "resting."
He was resetting the situation.
And everyone in the group seemed to understand that without needing to say it aloud.
Rume adjusted his storage belt, glancing sideways at Nille as he worked.
"That look," he muttered under his breath, almost amused.
Nhulla paused. "What look?"
Rume gave a faint smile. "The 'I already know I'm going back to fix whatever's waiting there' look."
Lin Yue, hearing it, glanced toward Nille as well.
She didn't argue.
She didn't deny it.
She just sighed quietly.
Professor Caelum, standing a short distance away, folded his arms.
"He always returns to unresolved variables," he said calmly. "That's not hesitation. It's structure forming under pressure."
Nille didn't respond to any of it.
He simply turned slightly toward the exit corridor, as if already mapping the next return path in his mind.
Rest was necessary.
But so was preparation.
And somewhere far beyond the safety of the Rune Forge, the Draconian Mountain Range was still there, unchanged, waiting, and unaware that the expedition was already planning its return.
The five logistic golem carriers remained behind in the Draconian Mountain Range.
The decision had not been made lightly.
They had been placed into stationary mode, their concealment enchantments and defensive protocols still active. The backup carriers hidden farther away were also instructed to maintain passive observation and avoid drawing attention.
Even so, there were no guarantees.
The Stymphalian Birds had already discovered the campsite.
The Lightning Dire Wolves had marked their scent.
And the mountain ecosystem itself seemed intelligent enough to investigate anything unusual left behind.
Nille could only hope that the Malignants would lose interest.
The golems had traveled far with them.
He silently wished the best for the expensive creations Rume and the Rune Forge staff had worked so hard to build.
Eventually, the group separated to take the rest Professor Caelum had agreed they desperately needed.
Nhulla Loresong headed toward her personal office quarters within the Rune Forge complex. As a senior researcher participating in the expedition, she had her own accommodations.
Professor Caelum Verdanis Eruien and Head Merchant Rume Ironbark would remain in the main administrative office area, where they intended to organize reports and review the expedition data before resting.
That left only Nille and Lin Yue.
Nille had barely started walking back toward the temporary room he had been assigned when he felt someone gently grab his arm.
He stopped and looked back.
Lin Yue stood beside him.
"Going back to my place would take too long," she said matter-of-factly. "And unlike Nhulla, I don't have an office room here."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Your room can accommodate two people."
Nille blinked.
Lin Yue, however, looked completely unconcerned.
"I've already seen it before," she added. "When you were recovering from your injuries."
That much was true.
During his recuperation after the incident in the swamp, Lin Yue had visited several times to check on him. The room itself had been designed more like a small apartment than a simple guest chamber.
The bed was large enough for two people.
There was a sofa.
A small desk.
Basic living accommodations.
Practical.
Comfortable.
Nille considered objecting.
Then he thought about it for a moment.
Lin Yue had a point.
The Rune Forge was large. Traveling across different sections of the facility just to sleep elsewhere seemed unnecessary, especially considering they planned to reconvene in only a few hours.
Nille smiled slightly.
"I can't really argue with that logic."
Lin Yue nodded as if the matter had already been settled.
"Good."
The two quietly made their way toward Nille's temporary quarters.
Despite the situation, there was no awkwardness between them.
No hidden intentions.
Only mutual understanding built through shared experiences.
Once inside, Nille quickly assessed the room.
The large bed remained untouched.
The sofa was still positioned near the window.
He had no intention of sharing the same bed.
The sofa was more than sufficient.
Besides, he doubted he would sleep much anyway.
After everything that had happened, his mind was already working through the next problem.
The Stymphalian Birds.
The Lightning Dire Wolves.
The temporal anomaly.
The abandoned logistic carriers.
Too many unanswered questions remained.
Lin Yue noticed his expression.
"You're thinking about the expedition again."
Nille gave a helpless smile.
"A little."
"A little?" Lin Yue repeated with a raised eyebrow.
Nille didn't answer.
Because both of them already knew the truth.
He intended to return.
Not recklessly.
Not immediately.
But eventually.
The unresolved problems of the mountain range would continue occupying his thoughts until he understood them.
Lin Yue sat down near the edge of the bed and sighed softly.
"At least rest first."
Nille nodded.
"I will."
It wasn't entirely a lie.
He genuinely intended to recover.
But while his body rested, there were still things he wanted to understand.
He sat down on the sofa and closed his eyes.
Meditation came naturally now.
The familiar quietness settled around him.
Within that silence, he reached inward.
Toward Nyx.
Toward Hyde.
The two sentient minds inhabiting the celestial cloth.
Perhaps together they could think of a better solution.
A way to address situations like the one they had just escaped.
Because hiding forever wasn't practical.
Running from every threat wasn't sustainable.
Eventually, they would need answers.
For now, however, Nille allowed himself to relax.
The Rune Forge offered safety.
Lin Yue was nearby.
The expedition team was resting.
And for the first time in what felt like days, even if only a few hours had passed outside the mountains, he permitted himself a brief moment of peace before facing whatever challenges awaited them next.
Nille settled deeper into the sofa, allowing his breathing to slow as he entered a light meditative state.
Lin Yue had already begun preparing to rest, giving him the quiet space he needed.
Within the familiar mental landscape, Nyx and Hyde remained present.
For a while, there was only silence.
Then Hyde suddenly spoke.
"If I still had a body," she muttered with obvious annoyance, "those birds wouldn't have been a problem. A few properly placed poison attacks, and they would have learned very quickly not to hunt us."
Nille couldn't help but smile slightly.
"You make it sound easy."
"It would have been easy," Hyde replied confidently. "Flying creatures are troublesome because everyone insists on fighting them directly. Poison doesn't care whether something walks, crawls, or flies."
Nille considered her words before another thought surfaced.
Something that had been bothering him for some time.
"Nyx," he asked mentally, "why can the celestial cloth only function properly when connected to me?"
A brief silence followed.
"Is it like a parasite?" Nille continued. "Does it need a host to feed on? Or is there another reason?"
He paused.
"What if I temporarily let someone else become its host?"
The moment the thought formed completely, Nyx responded.
"No."
Her answer was immediate.
Calm.
Certain.
"The celestial cloth is not parasitic," Nyx explained. "It does not consume its host to sustain itself."
Nille listened carefully.
"The relationship is symbiotic by design," Nyx continued. "The celestial cloth requires a compatible anchor to manifest its functions within reality. Spiritual energy serves as a medium for activation, but it is not the reason for host exclusivity."
"Then why?" Nille asked.
There was another moment of silence before Nyx answered.
"Because the celestial fabric chose you."
Unlike her usual analytical tone, this response carried a strange finality.
"The cloth does not merely attach itself to an individual," Nyx explained. "It establishes identity recognition through compatibility criteria beyond my current understanding. The host is not selected randomly."
Hyde added thoughtfully, "Think of it less like wearing clothes and more like a contract."
"A contract?" Nille repeated.
Nyx continued.
"The celestial cloth has integrated with your spiritual signature, metaphysical structure, and existence framework. Attempting to designate another primary host would likely result in rejection."
"Rejection?"
"The outcomes are unknown," Nyx admitted. "Potential results include complete incompatibility, loss of functionality, spiritual instability, or damage to the recipient."
Hyde snorted.
"In simpler terms, don't try it."
Nille frowned slightly.
"So I can't just hand it over to someone temporarily?"
"Not in the manner you are suggesting," Nyx replied.
Nille thought back to the earlier discussion regarding extending the concealment effect to others through connected threads.
"Then what about creating temporary links?" he asked. "Like extending the celestial cloth to others without transferring ownership."
Nyx processed the question.
"That is different."
"The main host remains unchanged," she explained. "Temporary extensions function as auxiliary systems originating from the primary framework. They do not establish a new host relationship."
"Like branches connected to the same tree," Hyde added.
Nille absorbed the explanation quietly.
"So the issue isn't energy."
"No," Nyx confirmed.
"It is identity."
The room remained silent after that.
Nille slowly opened his eyes.
Lin Yue had already settled into the bed, seemingly asleep.
The soft lighting of the temporary room created a peaceful atmosphere.
Yet Nille's thoughts remained occupied.
The celestial cloth had chosen him.
Not because he had found it.
Not because he possessed it.
But because, for reasons he still didn't understand, it had accepted him.
"Nyx," Nille asked after a while, "what happens if I die?"
The question lingered heavily.
Nyx answered without hesitation.
"I do not know."
It was one of the few times she admitted uncertainty so directly.
"Historical data regarding celestial cloth succession is unavailable."
Hyde remained unusually quiet.
Then she finally spoke.
"You're thinking too far ahead."
Nille smiled faintly.
"Maybe."
Nyx added calmly.
"Current priority remains unchanged."
"Survive."
"Understand."
"Adapt."
Nille closed his eyes again.
For now, that was enough.
The questions about the celestial cloth, its origins, and why it had chosen him could wait.
The Draconian Mountain Range still awaited them.
The expedition would continue.
And whatever the celestial cloth truly was, it had already become part of his journey.
Nille leaned back against the sofa, mentally reviewing the encounter with the Stymphalian Birds.
The more he thought about it, the clearer the problem became.
The birds had complete control of the skies.
They attacked in groups.
They could launch volleys of metallic feathers infused with fire.
Most importantly, they were intelligent enough to coordinate their hunts.
After a brief silence, Hyde spoke.
"If you plan on going back there," she said, "you'll need something specifically meant to deal with aerial threats."
Nille considered the six retractable arms hidden beneath the celestial cloth.
"What about the retractable arms?" he asked.
Hyde immediately dismissed the idea.
"They're useful for close combat, utility tasks, and defense," she explained. "But against fast-moving targets attacking from above?"
She paused.
"You'll be trying to swat birds out of the sky."
Nille had to admit she had a point.
The Stymphalian Birds would never willingly enter close range unless they had already gained an advantage.
"So what do you suggest?" he asked.
Hyde answered without hesitation.
"Crossbows."
Nille blinked.
"Crossbows?"
"Yes," Hyde replied. "Modernized enchanted crossbows."
Nille frowned slightly. "Wouldn't firearms be more effective?"
For once, Hyde's response came immediately.
"No."
Nille waited for her explanation.
"Guns are loud," Hyde said simply.
"The moment you fire one shot in a place like the Draconian Mountain Range, every predator within hearing distance will know exactly where you are."
Her tone grew more serious.
"The mountains and forests are already filled with Malignants that use sound, smell, and spiritual awareness to hunt. Firing a weapon that announces your position is a terrible idea during an expedition focused on survival and observation."
Nille thought back to the Dire Wolves.
The Stymphalian Birds.
The trolls.
The unknown creatures deeper within the forest.
They had avoided combat precisely because they didn't want to attract stronger Malignants.
Hyde continued.
"Crossbows have several advantages."
"They're significantly quieter."
"They can use specialized ammunition."
"And most importantly, they don't reveal your position to everything around you."
Nyx added her own analysis.
"Enchanted bolts can incorporate various functions, including tracking enchantments, explosive runes, binding effects, poison delivery systems, and elemental attributes."
Nille considered the idea.
"So we'd be trading rate of fire for stealth."
"Exactly," Hyde replied. "You're not fighting a war."
"You're trying to survive while exploring one of the most dangerous environments on the island."
She paused before adding.
"Besides, the Rune Forge can probably build repeating crossbows if needed. Dwarven engineering combined with elven enchantments should compensate for the slower reload speed."
Nyx agreed.
"Crossbows align more closely with the expedition's current operational requirements."
"Low acoustic signature."
"High ammunition versatility."
"Reduced environmental disturbance."
Nille slowly nodded.
The more he thought about it, the more logical it became.
Guns were designed for direct conflict.
The expedition's objective was information gathering and survival.
Drawing unnecessary attention in an ecosystem filled with powerful Malignants was the last thing they wanted.
Hyde spoke again.
"The Stymphalian Birds rely on mobility and surprise."
"If you can eliminate one or two without alerting every creature within several kilometers, you've already gained an advantage."
Nille closed his eyes briefly.
It was another lesson the mountain range had taught them.
Strength alone wasn't enough.
The right tool for the right situation mattered.
And in a land where making too much noise could turn an entire ecosystem against you,
a quiet weapon might be far deadlier than the loudest one.
Nille remained silent for a moment before another idea surfaced.
"What about using a railgun?" he asked.
A brief pause followed.
Hyde was the first to react.
"...You want to bring a railgun into an expedition?" she asked flatly.
Nille considered it logically.
"It uses electromagnetic acceleration instead of explosives," he explained. "No gunpowder. No explosion from firing. The projectile velocity would be extremely high. It should be effective against aerial targets."
This time, Nyx responded first.
"The concept has merit," she admitted. "A railgun would eliminate several limitations associated with conventional firearms."
Nille nodded slightly.
"High penetration power," Nyx continued. "Potentially lower acoustic signature compared to explosive-propelled weapons. Adaptable projectile configurations."
Hyde immediately interrupted.
"And enormous energy requirements."
Nille paused.
Hyde continued.
"Master, you are thinking about the projectile hitting the target. You are not considering everything else."
She began listing the problems.
"First, where is the energy coming from?"
"Second, can the Rune Forge create materials durable enough to survive repeated electromagnetic stress?"
"Third, what happens when you miss?"
Nille frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Hyde sighed.
"A crossbow bolt loses energy over distance."
"A railgun projectile doesn't care."
She continued.
"Against Stymphalian Birds flying above a forest?"
"If you miss, that projectile keeps traveling."
"It could strike another Malignant."
"Destroy part of the environment."
"Or alert everything nearby that something dangerous just happened."
Nyx added her analysis.
"Electromagnetic acceleration also generates significant heat and mechanical stress."
"Miniaturization into a portable form factor may reduce overall efficiency."
Nille thought about it.
"So the problem isn't effectiveness."
"No," Hyde agreed.
"The problem is practicality."
Nyx elaborated further.
"A railgun would function exceptionally well as a specialized anti-large target weapon."
"Against creatures such as the Level 600 Behemoth or stationary defensive engagements."
"However, for routine expedition use, a crossbow remains superior."
"Lower maintenance requirements."
"Greater ammunition flexibility."
"Reduced collateral damage potential."
Hyde added one final thought.
"Besides, Stymphalian Birds hunt in flocks."
She paused.
"Do you really want to use an anti-fortress weapon against flying predators?"
Nille couldn't deny the logic.
Crossbows were practical.
Stealthy.
Adaptable.
Railguns were powerful.
But perhaps too powerful.
Then Hyde unexpectedly added,
"That being said..."
Nille immediately sensed trouble.
"...having one as an emergency option would be really useful."
Nyx remained silent for several seconds.
"Conditional approval," she finally stated.
"Development should prioritize expedition utility first."
"Secondary development of an electromagnetic projectile system may proceed if sufficient resources become available."
Nille smiled slightly.
"So the answer is not no."
Hyde sounded pleased.
"The answer is that you need both."
"A crossbow for survival."
"A railgun for when something absolutely needs to stop existing."
Nille leaned back against the sofa.
He could already imagine Rume Ironbark's reaction.
The Head Merchant would either be horrified by the resource cost.
Or become completely fascinated by the engineering challenge.
Possibly both.
Still...
The idea remained in his thoughts.
Because the Draconian Mountain Range had taught him one important lesson.
Preparation mattered.
And sometimes, having a solution for the worst-case scenario was worth considering.