Chapter 131
Nille remained quiet for a while after Nyx's explanation, his fingers absentmindedly resting over his chest where his heart core resided. The room had fallen into a comfortable silence. Lin Yue continued peeling apples beside him while Nhulla finished arranging the temporary living space.
Eventually, Nille broke the silence.
"Lin Yue."
She looked up immediately.
"Hm?"
Nille hesitated briefly before continuing.
"Once I recover... I want to explore the Draconian Mountain Range. roughly 20 miles away from the swamp castle"
The apple knife in Lin Yue's hand paused.
Nhulla turned from where she was organizing the shelves.
Even Rume Ironbark, who had remained unusually quiet near the doorway after Lin Yue's earlier warning, raised an eyebrow.
"The Draconian Mountain Range?" Rume repeated. "The unexplored sector?"
Nille nodded.
"I'll need help."
His gaze shifted between them.
"I want the three of you to come with me. and a few trusted rune forge personnel for logistic and other matters "
For several seconds, the room became completely silent.
Then...
Lin Yue's eyes widened.
"Wait..." she said, leaning forward. "You mean actually explore it?"
"Nille responded he wanted to reach the mountain but it plans to explore the area and avoid getting inti unnecessary encounters with malignant until they reach the mountain summit were supposedly the home and domain of dragon if there are still exist"
"The untouched sectors?" she asked. "The areas beyond the established Draconian borders?"
Rume adjusted his smoke pipe.
"The region no expedition team has successfully surveyed?"
Nille nodded again.
"Yes."
Then something unexpected happened.
Lin Yue immediately stood up.
"Yes."
Nille blinked.
"You didn't even let me finish."
Her expression brightened with excitement.
"Of course I'm going!" she said. "Do you know how many people have dreamed of entering those regions, and the fact i always wanted to accompany you?"
Nhulla, usually composed and reserved, appeared genuinely interested.
"The opportunity to document unknown flora, spiritual phenomena, and Draconian ecosystems..." she murmured thoughtfully.
Then, surprisingly...
"I would also like to participate."
Rume Ironbark stared at both women.
Then his professional demeanor cracked slightly.
"You realize..." he began, adjusting his coat, "the economic implications of discovering new trade resources, mineral deposits, and ancient ruins within the Draconian territories could redefine Rune Forge operations for decades."
His eyes gleamed.
"I am absolutely joining."
Nille stared at them.
"...You're all very enthusiastic."
Lin Yue crossed her arms.
"Because this is huge."
Nhulla nodded.
"The Draconian Mountain Range remains one of the least understood regions known to all the awaked sciaty
"And for good reason."
Everyone grew quieter.
The Draconian Mountain Range was not unexplored due to lack of interest.
It was unexplored because few survived long enough to study it.
Malignants within the outer mountain sectors regularly exceeded Level 400.
Even veteran Awakened struggled against such threats.
Further inward, recorded sightings suggested significantly higher threat levels.
Expeditions rarely lasted beyond a few days before retreating—or disappearing entirely.
Lin Yue's excitement dimmed slightly.
"Actually..."
She glanced toward Nille.
"Didn't Left Dean Asakura Setsuko verify this herself?"
Nhulla nodded.
"Yes."
The room became noticeably quieter.
"Several years ago, Left Dean Asakura Setsuko had challenged the Draconian sectors with an army of powerful awaked shamans and warrior with level reaching 60 totaling about 200 personel and including her who wasalready level 70,"
"only 4 came back alive, and 3 of them retired afterwards"
"facing off with malignant who were non sentient at level 200 can be hard but duable because those creatures are wild and mostly has no strategic planning"
"but at the place facing a level 600 with enough knowledge to counter your attack and also cast attack spells would be suicide"
One of the academy's strongest Awakened.
An individual whose capabilities bordered on legendary.
She entered the mountain range and came home barely alive
According to her official report, the mountain sectors housed numerous Level 400 malignants as part of the natural ecosystem.
The further inward she traveled, the more dangerous the region became.
Her recommendation had been immediate.
"No student expeditions."
"No unauthorized exploration."
"Do not underestimate the mountain range."
Those warnings remained in place to this day.
Which made Nille's proposal even more unbelievable.
Lin Yue slowly smiled.
"Which means..."
Nhulla finished the sentence.
"We might become the first organized group to properly document the region."
Rume looked positively thrilled.
"History-making exploration."
His merchant instincts immediately activated.
"Potential undiscovered resources."
"Ancient Draconian artifacts."
"Previously unknown species."
Lin Yue grinned.
"And adventure."
Nhulla nodded.
"And knowledge."
Rume smiled.
"And opportunity."
All three looked toward Nille.
Their expressions carried unmistakable excitement.
Nille blinked.
"...Shouldn't you all be more worried?"
Lin Yue shrugged.
"If Setsuko-sensei could survive , imagine what we can accomplish together with proper planning."
Nhulla adjusted her glasses.
"We would naturally proceed with caution."
Rume nodded enthusiastically.
"Extensive preparation, supplies, contingencies, emergency protocols."
Then he smiled.
"But yes."
"This is exciting."
Nille stared at them.
Despite the dangers.
Despite knowing the mountain housed creatures capable of overwhelming most Awakened.
Despite understanding that even Left Dean Asakura Setsuko had warned against casual exploration.
None of them appeared discouraged.
Instead...
They looked eager.
For discovery.
For knowledge.
For the chance to witness something no one else had seen.
Nille slowly smiled.
"...Then once I'm recovered."
Lin Yue immediately interrupted.
"No."
Nille blinked.
"What?"
"You recover fully," she corrected firmly.
Nhulla nodded in agreement.
"Complete rehabilitation first."
Rume adjusted his glasses.
"The expedition can only proceed when all participants are in optimal condition."
Lin Yue crossed her arms.
"And if you try leaving early, I'm stopping you myself."
Nille sighed.
"...Understood."
Even so...
As the four of them discussed possibilities, routes, and preparations, excitement slowly spread throughout the room.
Beyond the walls of Rune Forge.
Beyond civilization itself.
The ancient Draconian Mountains waited.
Untouched.
Mysterious.
Dangerous.
And perhaps soon...
For the very first time.
They would step into its depths together.
Nille listened as the others continued discussing the dangers and possibilities of the Draconian Mountain Range. Eventually, he raised his hand slightly, drawing everyone's attention back to him.
"Actually," Nille said, "I think there's a misunderstanding."
Lin Yue tilted her head. "What do you mean?"
Nille shifted carefully against the bed before continuing.
"We're not planning a large expedition."
The room grew quiet.
"I'm not interested in leading a major exploration force into the mountains."
Rume Ironbark frowned slightly.
"Then what exactly is the objective?"
Nille looked at each of them before explaining.
"We enter with a small team."
"Just us."
The Head Merchant blinked.
"No support personnel?"
Nille shook his head.
"No large groups attract attention, consume more resources, and are harder to protect."
Nhulla considered this for a moment.
"A reconnaissance mission?"
Nille nodded.
"Exactly."
"Our primary goal isn't conquest, resource extraction, or deep exploration."
He paused.
"We establish a foothold."
Lin Yue leaned forward.
"A foothold?"
Nille nodded again.
"We identify a location considered relatively safe and determine whether a temporary outpost can be maintained."
Rume crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"A forward operating base."
"More like a campsite," Nille corrected. "Something sustainable enough to support future visits."
Nhulla's expression became more thoughtful.
"To gather information first."
"Yes."
Nille continued.
"The Draconian Mountain Range remains largely unknown because everyone either treats it as a battlefield or a place to survive."
"But no one has seriously attempted to understand the sentient beings living there."
Rume adjusted his glasses.
"sentient beings?"
Nille nodded.
"The Draconians. based of theory and books that the left dean wrote, there are unconfirmed sentient beings in that location , but because the left deans way of entering was thru confrontation and hunting expedition "
"it failed , and they were nearly wipe out!"
He looked toward the group.
"We don't know much about them."
"Are they social?"
"Do they have established settlements?"
"Do they engage in trade?"
"Are there clans or tribes?"
"Do they coexist with the creatures living in the mountains?"
Lin Yue slowly blinked.
"...You want diplomacy?"
Nille thought about it.
"Maybe."
"At the very least, understanding."
"If the Draconians possess an established society, approaching them peacefully could open opportunities that everyone else overlooked."
Rume's merchant instincts immediately activated.
"Trade agreements."
Nhulla followed his line of thinking.
"Cultural exchanges."
"Shared knowledge," she added.
Lin Yue smiled slightly.
"And hopefully avoiding unnecessary fights."
Nille nodded.
"If they have settlements, we could potentially purchase supplies locally rather than relying entirely on external logistics."
"Food."
"Temporary lodging."
"Guides familiar with the mountains."
Rume's eyes widened slightly.
"You mean establishing actual relations with the Draconians."
"Only if they are willing," Nille replied.
"We don't know how they view outsiders."
Nhulla folded her arms.
"It would explain why previous expeditions failed."
Everyone looked toward her.
"If explorers entered assuming the mountains were simply hostile territory, they may have never attempted communication."
Lin Yue nodded slowly.
"Everyone expected monsters."
"Not neighbors."
Nille exhaled.
"Exactly."
"The mountains are dangerous."
"We already know malignants around Level 400 exist there."
"But danger alone doesn't mean civilization can't exist."
He remembered the Draconian Behemoths near the mountain entrance.
Powerful.
Ancient.
Yet peaceful unless provoked.
Perhaps the mountains operated under different rules entirely.
"So," Nille concluded, "we go in with a small team."
"We establish a safe foothold."
"We observe."
"We gather information."
"And if the Draconians have an organized society..."
He looked at Rume.
"We ask permission."
The merchant leader blinked.
"Permission?"
Nille nodded.
"We're entering their homeland."
"If they have laws, customs, or territorial boundaries, we respect them."
Lin Yue smiled.
"That's very much like you."
Nhulla nodded approvingly.
"A reasonable approach."
Rume adjusted his smokinfg pipe again
After a few moments, he slowly smiled.
"You know..."
"Most people would prepare for war."
"But opening negotiations with one of the least understood societies on the continent..."
He chuckled.
"That's considerably more interesting."
Nille simply nodded.
"We'll prepare for danger."
"But we'll also prepare for peace."
The room fell silent as everyone considered the implications.
For decades, the Draconian Mountain Range had represented mystery and fear.
A place where expeditions vanished.
Where powerful malignants roamed freely.
Where even elite Awakened exercised caution.
Yet perhaps no one had ever truly asked a simple question.
What if someone lived there, and establish a community ?
And what if they simply wanted to be treated as residents rather than obstacles to overcome?
Lin Yue smiled.
"Then our first mission isn't exploration."
Nhulla finished the thought.
"It's first contact."
Rume Ironbark's expression brightened immediately.
"And if diplomacy succeeds..."
Nille interrupted gently.
"One step at a time."
The Head Merchant laughed.
"Fair enough."
Nille ended his explanation " we can only hope, and defend for our own lives "
Beyond the safety of Rune Forge, the ancient mountains still waited.
Not merely as a land of monsters and danger.
But perhaps...
As the home of people no one had ever truly tried to understand.
Nille remained quiet for a moment, carefully thinking through the practical problems that would come with entering the Draconian Mountain Range.
The excitement in the room was understandable, but excitement alone would not keep an expedition alive.
Supplies would.
Food would.
Logistics would.
Nille looked toward Lin Yue.
"Can I borrow a pen and some paper?"
Lin Yue blinked in surprise but quickly nodded.
"Of course."
She stood up and retrieved a notebook and pen from a nearby desk before returning to his bedside.
"Here."
Nille accepted them with a quiet thank you.
The others watched curiously as he rested the notebook against his lap.
Rather than drawing maps or battle plans, Nille began listing concerns.
Expedition Requirements
Below it, he started writing.
Food Supply Stability
Water Purification Solutions
Medical Emergency Equipment
Portable Shelter Systems
Communication Methods
Nhulla nodded thoughtfully.
"Reasonable concerns."
Nille continued writing.
"If we're using a small team, we can't rely on large support personnel."
Rume folded his arms.
"So we're compensating through equipment."
Nille nodded.
"We need to reduce logistical strain."
He wrote another line.
Enchanted Storage Containers
Lin Yue leaned closer, reading over his shoulder.
"Storage containers?" she asked.
Nille explained.
"Items with spatial enchantments."
"They allow us to carry more food, medicine, tools, and emergency supplies without increasing manpower."
Nhulla's eyes widened slightly.
"That would solve many supply issues."
Rume immediately entered merchant mode.
"Rune Forge already produces several dimensional storage prototypes."
He adjusted his glasses.
"Limited capacity, but sufficient for small expeditions."
Nille nodded and continued writing.
Then he paused.
The pen remained still for several seconds before he wrote something else.
4-Legged Squad Support System (LS3)
Lin Yue tilted her head.
"LS3?"
Nille nodded.
"A four-legged autonomous support platform."
He continued explaining.
"It would carry supplies, emergency medical equipment, shelter components, and assist with transportation."
"Essentially..."
He thought for a moment.
"its like a automated golem combined with a mobile support station."
Nhulla immediately understood.
"A logistical companion."
"Exactly," Nille replied.
Nille gestured toward the notes as Rume continued reading through them.
"It reduces the physical burden on the team," Nille explained. "And each LS3 unit should be capable of carrying up to 500 pounds of equipment and supplies."
Rume looked up from the notebook.
"Five hundred pounds?" he repeated.
Nille nodded.
"Normally, that amount of weight would significantly slow down movement across mountain terrain. But that's where enchantments come in."
He pointed toward the section labeled Enchanted Storage Containers.
"The containers themselves would use two types of enchantments."
"First, a Weight Reduction Enchantment."
"This reduces the effective weight placed on the LS3 unit, allowing it to carry heavy loads without compromising mobility or damaging its frame."
Nhulla nodded thoughtfully.
"Like distributing the burden through magical reinforcement rather than physical strength alone."
"Exactly," Nille replied.
"Second, a Spatial Expansion Enchantment."
Lin Yue blinked.
"So the containers can hold more than they physically should?"
Nille nodded again.
"The outside dimensions remain manageable, but the internal storage capacity increases significantly."
"It won't be limitless storage," he clarified. "That would require resources beyond what we currently possess."
"But enough to extend operational time without frequent resupply missions."
Rume's expression became increasingly interested.
"Combining both enchantments would drastically improve expedition sustainability."
Nille continued.
"One LS3 logistical companion should carry enough supplies to support four people."
"Food."
"Emergency medical supplies."
"Shelter equipment."
"Water purification systems."
"Basic replacement tools."
Nhulla quickly calculated the implications.
"That would reduce dependency on external supply chains considerably."
Nille nodded.
"But we can improve the system further."
Everyone looked toward him.
"If each expedition member is assigned their own LS3 unit..."
Lin Yue's eyes widened slightly.
"Four logistical companions."
"Correct," Nille replied.
"Each carrying approximately five hundred pounds of supplies."
Rume immediately understood.
"The expedition's operational endurance increases dramatically."
"But," Nille continued, "I don't want all four units traveling directly alongside us."
He added another note to the paper.
Rear Support Formation Protocol
"Two LS3 units remain with the main group."
"The remaining two travel behind us at a predetermined safe distance."
Nhulla tilted her head.
"As reserve supply units?"
Nille nodded.
"If the main group encounters an ambush, hazardous terrain, or a sudden retreat situation, not all supplies are lost simultaneously."
Lin Yue smiled.
"So even if something happens to the front units..."
"The reserve units remain intact," Nille finished.
"Exactly."
Rume looked increasingly impressed.
"Redundant logistical support."
"Distributed resource management."
"Emergency fallback provisions."
He adjusted his glasses.
"This is military-level expedition planning."
Nille shook his head.
"It's survival planning."
He looked toward the others.
"The Draconian Mountain Range isn't a place where mistakes can be corrected easily."
"If something goes wrong..."
He glanced toward the LS3 proposal.
"I want us to have options."
Lin Yue smiled softly.
"You've really thought about this."
Nille nodded.
"The fewer risks we take unnecessarily, the better."
Nhulla looked toward Rume.
"From an engineering perspective, is this possible?"
The Head Merchant reviewed the proposal again.
"The LS3 platforms themselves are achievable."
"The Weight Reduction Enchantments already exist in commercial applications."
"The Spatial Expansion Enchantments will require refinement for stability and cost efficiency."
He paused.
"The rear support behavioral protocols may require collaboration with Rune Forge's automation specialists."
Then Rume smiled.
"But yes."
"I believe all of this is possible."
Lin Yue looked toward Nille with obvious excitement.
"So we could realistically maintain a small expedition team without needing dozens of personnel."
Nille nodded.
"That's the goal."
He glanced at the notebook.
"Technology and enchantment should reduce human risk whenever possible."
Silence settled briefly throughout the room.
Then Rume carefully closed the notebook.
"I'll bring this proposal before Rune Forge's engineering and enchantment departments."
He looked directly at Nille.
"This isn't just useful for mountain exploration."
His expression grew thoughtful.
"It could change how future expeditions operate entirely."
Lin Yue smiled proudly.
"And all because someone wanted to make sure everyone comes home safely."
Nille leaned back against the bed.
The Draconian Mountains remained dangerous.
Nothing about this plan changed that.
But perhaps survival wasn't simply determined by strength alone.
Sometimes...
It depended on preparation.
And making sure no one carried the burden by themselves.
Nille remained thoughtful as Rume carefully reviewed the expedition proposal.
Most of the major concerns had been addressed, food, medical supplies, logistical support, emergency redundancy.
But there was still one problem.
Retreat.
He glanced down at the notebook again while the others continued discussing the LS3 support systems.
Quietly, almost as an afterthought, Nille added another section near the bottom of the page.
Strategic Anchor Points
Lin Yue leaned over curiously.
"What are those?"
Nille hesitated briefly before explaining.
"Temporary safe locations established along our route."
Nhulla nodded.
"Like campsites?"
"Not exactly," Nille replied.
"They would function as fallback points."
The room fell quiet.
"If something happens," Nille continued, "we don't continue pushing forward."
"We retreat."
Lin Yue tilted her head.
"That sounds normal."
Nille shook his head slightly.
"I mean immediate retreat."
He tapped the notebook.
"If strategic anchor points are established beforehand, we can safely return to previously secured locations instead of retreating blindly."
Nhulla frowned slightly.
"You mean... having multiple safe zones prepared in advance?"
Nille nodded.
"Exactly."
"We establish them gradually as we move deeper into the mountains."
"If an emergency occurs, we fall back to the nearest anchor point."
"Recover."
"Resupply."
"Assess the situation."
"Then continue the expedition if conditions permit."
Lin Yue blinked.
"So instead of abandoning the entire expedition because something went wrong..."
"We reset to the nearest safe area," Nille finished.
Nhulla slowly nodded.
"That significantly reduces overall risk."
Lin Yue looked impressed.
"That's actually really smart."
However...
There was something Nille wasn't fully explaining.
His fingers lightly touched the notebook.
The others interpreted anchor points as reinforced camps or supply stations.
But that wasn't entirely what he meant.
Because Nille possessed something very few people knew about.
Gate.
If conditions allowed it, these strategic anchor points could eventually become fixed spatial reference locations.
Safe destinations.
Stable coordinates.
Emergency exits.
A method to instantly return to previously secured areas without exposing the entire group to unnecessary danger.
He wasn't sure if it would work yet.
There were still too many unknown variables.
So he kept that part to himself.
Nyx quietly acknowledged the thought.
"The concept is viable pending sufficient spatial stabilization."
Hyde added.
"It would greatly improve survival probability."
Rume Ironbark had remained silent throughout the explanation.
Then suddenly, he smiled.
It wasn't the smile of a merchant seeing profit.
It was the smile of someone recognizing good planning.
"That's a smart thing to do, lad," Rume said.
He folded his arms.
"I like the way you think."
Nille looked up.
Rume adjusted his glasses.
"Most people plan how to advance."
"But experienced people plan how to survive long enough to keep advancing."
His expression became thoughtful.
"Having fallback positions already prepared..."
He nodded approvingly.
"That's how you keep expeditions from becoming tragedies."
Lin Yue smiled.
"I still don't completely understand how you're planning to establish these anchor points."
Nhulla nodded in agreement.
"But the concept itself makes sense."
Nille simply smiled faintly.
"It's just another layer of preparation."
The three accepted the explanation.
Only Rume appeared to suspect there was more behind it.
His eyes briefly narrowed before he chuckled softly.
"Whatever method you're considering..."
He looked directly at Nille.
"I think it's worth pursuing."
Nille leaned back against the bed.
The mountains remained dangerous.
Nothing they planned would eliminate that fact.
Level 400 malignants.
Unknown Draconian settlements.
Ancient creatures that had existed long before humanity arrived.
But with proper logistics.
Reliable support systems.
Fallback plans.
And strategic anchor points.
Perhaps the impossible could become manageable.
Because surviving the Draconian Mountains wasn't about recklessness.
It was about ensuring that when things inevitably went wrong...
Everyone still had a way home.
The existence of the gate within Rune Forge's underground sub-basement had become a topic of discussion among a select group of researchers and staff.
Most people had reached the same conclusion.
It had been an accident.
After all, Nille had a reputation for involving himself with unusual discoveries. He frequently returned from dangerous sectors carrying newly recovered artifacts, rare materials, and occasionally high-level malignant cores that researchers had never encountered before.
Combined with his tendency to experiment with unconventional applications of spiritual phenomena, it was not difficult for others to assume that the gate connecting Rune Forge to the Swamp Sanctuary had been an unintended consequence of his work.
Even Rume Ironbark's research staff had investigated the phenomenon.
Their findings only deepened the mystery.
The gate did not behave like conventional spatial abilities.
According to their observations, it continuously absorbed and balanced spatial energy from both connected locations, allowing it to remain stable with minimal external support.
"This should not be possible," one researcher had reportedly stated.
"It functions more like a naturally occurring anomaly than an artificially maintained gateway."
As a result, the official explanation within Rune Forge became relatively simple.
The gate was an anomaly.
A fortunate accident born from Nille's unusual circumstances and exposure to unknown artifacts.
No one questioned it too deeply.
After all, spatial abilities themselves were not unheard of.
Among highly skilled Awakened and powerful Shamans, there existed techniques known as Temporal Gates or Spatial Passages.
These abilities allowed individuals to fold space temporarily, drastically reducing travel time across vast distances.
However, such techniques came with severe limitations.
The spiritual energy required to maintain them was enormous.
Even elite practitioners could typically use these abilities only a handful of times each day before suffering exhaustion.
For most Awakened, creating long-distance gateways large enough for groups was impractical.
For Shamans, the process often required rituals, spiritual contracts, or assistance from powerful spirit entities.
As a result, spatial transportation remained a specialized skill possessed by very few.
This understanding reinforced everyone's assumptions regarding Nille's gate.
It was simply an extraordinary anomaly.
Nothing more.
No one considered another possibility.
Because in Nille's case...
The limitation was not energy.
It never had been.
He simply never saw a reason to rely on gates constantly.
Nille preferred traveling normally.
Walking unfamiliar roads.
Observing environments firsthand.
Meeting people naturally rather than arriving instantly.
For him, journeys themselves often held value.
Gate travel bypassed experience.
It sacrificed understanding for convenience.
Because of this, Nille reserved his abilities for situations where they truly mattered.
Emergencies.
Medical evacuations.
Strategic retreats.
Critical operations where every second counted.
Otherwise...
He walked.
Traveled.
Explored.
The truth was both simple and astonishing.
While other Awakened measured their spatial abilities by how many times they could use them each day...
Nille had never needed to count.
The connection between his heart core, Enclave, and Celestial Cloth provided a level of stability that fundamentally changed how Gate functioned for him.
To Nille, opening a gate felt no more difficult than opening a door.
The real challenge was deciding whether it should be used at all.
And because he rarely displayed this capability openly, few people realized the extent of what he could do.
Even Rume Ironbark only suspected part of the truth.
The Head Merchant understood enough to recognize that Nille's strategic anchor point proposal involved something beyond ordinary planning.
But he wisely chose not to ask questions.
Some things would reveal themselves in time.
For now, Rune Forge continued treating the sub-basement gate as an unusual anomaly.
Researchers studied it.
Staff adapted to its existence.
Merchants appreciated the logistical advantages it provided.
And Nille allowed them to believe exactly that.
Because despite possessing the ability to cross vast distances repeatedly without exhausting himself...
He still preferred taking one step at a time.
After all, not every destination needed to be reached immediately.
But when lives were at stake...
When time became precious...
When there was no room for delay...
Nille could simply reach out.
Open a door, And be exactly where he needed to be.