"…"
Bai Ling couldn't help feeling it might just be his imagination.
Somehow, the relationship between Eyjafjalla and Eldera had become… subtle.
Sure, the memories made them familiar with each other—but no matter how you cut it, seeing another you in the world was bound to cause friction.
People weren't built to fully accept that there was someone else who was "themselves."
Yet after that short rest just now, that "problem" seemed to have vanished completely.
There was no awkwardness between them at all. Even their walking rhythm had synced up noticeably…
And once Bai Ling realized their steps were matching, he was basically certain it wasn't his imagination anymore.
After dealing with the Angels here, the three quickly notified the two foxes-who-couldn't-stand-each-other that the surrounding area was temporarily safe.
They could handle the follow-up.
Compared to doing geological surveying here, reinforcement work was obviously more urgent.
Right now, the three were crossing a large bridge that had already become warped and uncanny under the effects of Corrosion. According to the two workers, this was the fastest route from the Power Highlands to the Hub District.
"…Catastrophes have left deep scars on this land."
Eyjafjalla looked down at the bridge's underside—dark red solidified masses everywhere… like rock, like liquid. Even without getting close, just looking at it made your skin crawl.
"…Precisely because catastrophes are so terrifying, the existence of life becomes more precious…"
All along the way were signs of destruction, and scattered traces of people fleeing.
An overturned van. Belongings strewn along the roadside.
"I didn't expect the corrosion here to be this severe."
Eldera scanned the everyday traces on the ground, worry written all over her face.
Every mark here proved that people had lived here—had encountered danger here—or were still in danger right now.
"Senior Bai Ling, we cleared quite a few Angels on the way, but we still haven't seen any sign of an 'anchor point.'"
"An 'anchor point'?"
"When Angels appear on a large scale, it's usually because an anchor point forms from extradomain corrosion. Creating an anchor point triggers an energy tide, and that causes Angels to spawn in bulk… But we've only run into Angels—no anchor point."
After a brief explanation, Eldera felt something was off.
Bai Ling instinctively lifted his head, trying to trace a source within the ambient energy—something he could follow.
But no matter how he searched, he couldn't find anything that matched Eldera's description: no terrifying fluctuation that could cause an "energy tide."
Then a possibility clicked into place.
"…Eyjafjalla. Eldera."
"Hm? Senior."
"Use a little of your Originium Arts."
They didn't understand, but both could tell Bai Ling was testing something.
A faint firelight and a gentle green glow rose.
Bai Ling stared hard at those two streams of Originium energy. They were clearly coming from the two of them—and yet…
They seemed to be compressing something. Only when he focused did he realize their energy was in a state of being wrapped, as if enclosed.
In other words…
The three of them had been inside the energy tide's influence radius the entire time!
That terrifying energy had already blanketed Bai Ling's entire field of perception—when everything is fully covered, how could he possibly track "energy traces"?
"…The anchor point's influence range might be far larger than we imagined."
And reality was worse than that.
As the three continued step by step toward the valley passage, a cold voice sounded.
"…Didn't expect anyone would still take this route."
A purple-haired woman—cocky, cool, and utterly alone—stood quietly on the bridge, head turned as she looked at the three from the corner of her eye.
Her outfit was striking.
Knee-high boots with black thigh-high stockings; shorts; something tied behind her like a skirt. She looked like a rock singer from who-knew-where, with a white marking centered on her forehead for decoration.
Even so, her aura was razor-sharp.
And behind her was a bridge already completely sealed off—broken beyond passage.
"Senior, get behind me!"
Eyjafjalla gripped her staff instantly, expression severe. The feeling this person gave her wasn't merely "danger."
It was the unpredictability of the unknown.
"…A Groundbreaker."
As for Eldera, she hugged Mr. Dori tight, Originium Arts already coiled and ready.
After sizing the woman up, Bai Ling stepped forward slowly, lightly rubbing the back of his left hand as he stared at her and asked directly:
"You sealed this road?"
"…And what's it to you?" Niephis turned her body. A vertical slit pupil showed within those dark violet eyes, pressure rolling off her.
"I need to take this route to the Hub District with those two. And now you've blown it up."
Hearing that, Niephis found it ridiculous.
She couldn't see anything in this man that warranted speaking to her like that.
Perhaps out of a predator's indulgence toward an ant, she listened without interrupting as Bai Ling continued.
"It's not easy to build something like this. But destroying it is simple."
The moment those words left Bai Ling's mouth, Niephis felt that something was wrong—only to see an eerie surge of energy spread outward from the "ant" right in front of her.
"…What do you want?"
As the fluctuation surfaced, Niephis tried to retreat—then realized her entire body had stiffened. She couldn't move, and could only respond.
"Hmph. What do we want? You took everything from us—and you're asking what we want?"
"Everything taken away? Then it seems a lot has happened on this planet."
The instant Bai Ling spoke, all restraints on Niephis vanished. In the same heartbeat, she disappeared from where she stood—fleeing like someone who'd narrowly escaped a trap.
At the same time, Bai Ling swayed, his body going a little limp before he forced himself to steady.
And on the back of his hand, the emblem—a hawk skull crowned by massive stag antlers—had fully dimmed. After a blurred shift, it transformed into the mark of curled ram horns.
-------
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