The gigantic eagle glided through the sky for several more hours before gradually descending toward a rocky mountain range.
Its wings slowed.
Then it landed heavily upon a wide stone platform.
Rose jumped down first.
The eagle immediately folded its wings and began pecking at the ground.
Rose stretched lazily.
"I think we'll stop here."
Nora frowned.
"...Stop?"
Rose nodded.
"The eagle needs to rest."
Nora glanced toward the perfectly energetic bird that had already started chasing some small creature across the rocks.
She slowly looked back at Rose.
"...Really?"
Rose coughed awkwardly.
"Fine."
"It doesn't."
"I just wanted an excuse."
Nora folded her arms.
"I knew it."
Rose smiled sheepishly.
"A few kilometers from here is a place I wanted to show you."
"What place?"
"A cave."
"It contains a large number of Initiate Mystic creatures."
"You still need Fragments."
"I figured it would be a waste to fly past free resources."
Nora couldn't argue with that.
She glanced at her profile.
Spirit: 0 / 64,000
"...You're right."
Rose smiled proudly.
"I usually am."
The two began walking.
The mountain path gradually became narrower until they reached the entrance of an enormous cave.
Cold air drifted outward.
The darkness inside seemed almost alive.
Nora instinctively reached for her sword.
Rose casually summoned a small lantern.
Golden light immediately illuminated the passage ahead.
Nora looked at it curiously.
"I've always wanted to ask."
"What creature gave you that Data?"
Rose smiled.
"An underwater creature."
She infused a small amount of essence into the lantern.
Instantly...
The light intensified.
The cave became almost as bright as daylight.
Nora couldn't help laughing.
"So much for atmosphere."
Rose shrugged.
"I dislike walking blindly."
The deeper they walked...
The stranger the cave became.
Ancient carvings covered the walls.
Some had already crumbled with age.
Others remained perfectly preserved.
None of the symbols resembled any language Nora recognized.
Eventually...
They reached a gigantic stone statue.
It stood nearly ten meters tall.
The figure's arms were spread wide.
Its head tilted upward.
Its mouth remained open as though laughing toward the heavens.
Time had damaged most of its body.
Large cracks covered its surface.
Moss grew between them.
Nora slowly walked around it.
"...What exactly is this?"
Rose placed one hand upon the statue.
"No idea."
"I believe it's an ancient transportation relic."
"We're about to find out."
The moment her palm touched the stone—
The runes beneath the statue suddenly lit up.
A brilliant blue light erupted.
Before Nora could say anything—
Rose disappeared.
"..."
Nora stared at the empty space.
"...She could've warned me."
After a brief sigh...
She reached forward.
The instant her fingers touched the statue—
The world twisted.
Everything blurred.
Her vision spun violently.
When she finally opened her eyes again...
She was standing inside an enormous underground ruin.
Hundreds of crystal lamps burned along the distant walls.
Ancient pillars stretched toward a ceiling so high it disappeared into darkness.
The floor beneath her feet was covered with faded runes.
Many had already been worn away by countless years.
Others still emitted faint blue light.
Nora crouched.
She brushed away centuries of dust.
"...Ancient runic formations..."
Before she could study them further—
CLANG!
Steel crashed against stone somewhere ahead.
Nora immediately raised her head.
Far in the distance—
Rose was already fighting.
Dozens of massive humanoid creatures surrounded her.
Each stood nearly three meters tall.
Their bodies appeared to have been carved entirely from dark jade.
Ancient stone armor completely covered them.
Only two glowing blue lights could be seen where their eyes should have been.
Some carried enormous swords.
Others wielded shields almost as large as doors.
Several held massive war hammers.
Not one of them made a sound.
They advanced with terrifying discipline.
Like soldiers.
Not monsters.
Rose casually weaved between them.
Every swing of her sword shattered another Stone Knight into countless fragments.
To her...
The battle looked effortless.
Nora smiled.
"...Show off."
She summoned Thread Breaker.
The familiar sword appeared within her grasp.
Moments later...
Blind owl Armor wrapped itself around her body.
The black armor locked into place piece by piece.
Nora looked down.
"...Still looks good."
She quickly tied her hair into a ponytail.
Then dashed forward.
A lone Stone Knight immediately noticed her.
It slowly raised its massive sword.
The weapon alone was taller than Nora.
She lowered her stance.
Then...
Something unexpected happened.
Without activating her Third Eye—
She saw it.
A crimson thread.
No...
Hundreds of tiny threads.
Each connected to different parts of the Stone Knight's body.
"...Destiny?"
Nora's pupils narrowed.
She could actually see destiny with her normal vision.
There wasn't time to think.
The Stone Knight swung.
The gigantic blade descended like a collapsing building.
Nora stepped sideways.
BOOM!!
The sword struck the ground.
Instead of simply smashing it—
A violent explosion erupted.
Stone fragments shot outward in every direction.
The blast wave slammed directly into Nora.
She barely crossed her arms before being launched backward.
She rolled across the floor before stopping herself.
"...An explosion?"
The Stone Knight slowly lifted its sword again.
No expression.
No roar.
No emotion.
Only silent execution.
Rose glanced over while cutting another monster apart.
"They're Mystic-ranked."
"But don't underestimate them."
"They're much stronger than ordinary Mystics."
Before Nora could answer—
Three more Stone Knights surrounded her.
One raised a hammer.
One lowered a spear.
One drew back its sword.
They attacked together.
Perfect synchronization.
Nora immediately activated Mind Deceiver.
The world around her seemed to shift.
Each knight perceived a slightly different version of her movement.
The hammer struck empty ground.
The spear stabbed its ally.
The sword narrowly missed her shoulder.
An opening.
Nora immediately swung Thread Breaker.
The blade passed through one knight's chest.
Nothing happened.
No cracks.
No damage.
The Stone Knight continued walking as though it hadn't been touched.
Nora frowned.
"...So changing destiny alone isn't enough."
Before she could retreat—
More footsteps echoed throughout the ruin.
One.
Five.
Ten.
Twenty.
Dozens of Stone Knights slowly emerged from the surrounding corridors.
Their glowing blue eyes locked onto her simultaneously.
Only then...
Nora realized something.
She hadn't walked into a battlefield.
She had walked into an army.
And she had severely underestimated her enemy.