>> You realize that about half of Day 3 has already passed <<

>> You decide to get on with your Path as soon as you’re done. <<

---

“You’re not trying out the other food, KC?”

Yeonjung brought me out of my thoughts, having seen me work through most of my Whitebutter rice dish.

“Here, KC, these briskets are good.”

Bona had already held out a piece of meat from her plate, waiting for me to take it off the end of her chopsticks.

“If you’re not taking it…”

“I am, Kal, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Under the Feran’s hungry eyes, I accepted Bona’s offer and layered the brisket over my half-finished rice.

Also,

“Just asking, but any of you want some of mine?”

I turned and asked the people on my left, just in case.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

Focused on her own food, Seola shook her head.

“Sure, why not.”

On the other hand, Exy agreed, motioning with her spoon for me to bring the plate closer to her. I did so, and she scooped up a bite straight into , along with half of the meat Bona gave me.

“Hey—”

She only shrugged, implying that leaving anything for me was already generous on her part.

*munch*

I sighed internally and helped myself to the leftovers. Savoring the contrast between the buttered rice and the lean marinated meat,

“They’re good by themselves, but not much of a good match together.”

Exy reached the same conclusion I did.

“How about some of my baked rinnon, KC?”

“…Might as well.”

Downing a gulp of apple juice, I picked a piece of Luda’s fillet off her pan and ate it with my own food.

That’s better.

At the other end of the table,

“…Delicious.”

Despite its protests against Soobin sharing her dish with the rest of the group, the members have also fed Lord bits and pieces of their own food.

“Sharing is caring, Lord.”

Jina said, passing some of her own bread over to Soobin.

“Don’t you need to eat a lot, Jie?”

Bona asked, already shortening her name like Luda and I did.

“This much is fine… Bona.” She answered. “It’s not good to eat a lot before sleeping.”

“…Oh right, it’s already night, isn’t it?”

“You just realized that, Bona?”

Xuanyi jokingly called out her misplaced sense of time.

“Planet hopping messes with my senses, you know.” She protested.

“We are fortunate that this restaurant stays open into the late hours.”

Memphis nodded, having finished with their stew.

The dinner we all had was a feast and a half. Most of the group were just about done at this point, with the exception of me and some of the others who are slow eaters.

“So,”

The chatter died down as Exy drew our attention to herself.

“Let’s hear everyone’s plans, why don’t we?”

---

Memphis was the first one to speak, representing themselves and the other two NPCs.

“We intend to find a place to stay for the night and rest.”

“I see.” Exy nodded.

“It’s unfortunate that we won’t see the city together, Jie. It would’ve been great to have you around.” I told the Human what I felt.

“What do you mean?”

“Well,”

Today will be our last day in this world for a very long time.

I tried to find the right words to say this, but nothing came up.

“You mean… like last time?”

Recalling what happened in Day 2, Jina grasped what I was trying to say.

“Yeah, last time.” I nodded. “Except I don’t know when we’ll be coming back.”

“Is that true, Luda?”

“It is.” She admitted in response to Jina’s question. “Sorry about this, Jie.”

“Then,”

Without missing a beat,

“Then why don’t we stay up the whole night and hang out with everyone?”

The Human suggested. Turning to the Ilyid,

“Right, Mem?”

“Jina, you realize that…”

“Who knows when something like this is going to happen again?”

Seeing the usually reserved girl raise her voice,

“…Alright, calm down you two.”

Exy quickly intervened in their argument.

“Miss Leader here is right, it’s pointless to fight over a curfew like a parent and their child.”

Kalasia reprimanded.

“Memphis, both of us know that Jina is very much fine on her own, don’t we?”

The mechanical lifeform stayed silent for a few moments before nodding their head.

“Then,”

“As for you, young lady,”

The Feran didn’t allow his words to be interrupted.

“Whatever you end up doing, make sure you say your goodbyes properly. Don’t guilt any of them into staying.”

Jina’s face tensed up the slightest bit at his words.

“…I will.”

“We still have some time together, Jina.”

Xuanyi spoke up and to draw attnetion on herself, then returned to the topic at hand.

“As for me, I’m tagging along with Exy to meet her colleague in Clade Torekil… Unless you want to go instead, Yeonjung?”

“I’m fine, unnie.”

“How about you, Bona?” Exy asked.

“Well,” She thought about it for a while.

After a few moments,

“I can join the two of you, right? Seola unnie, Soobin.”

The two of them looked at each other before indicating their agreement.

“I’m curious about the Temple, so I’ll be going with them.”

Seola, Bona and Soobin, huh.

It was an interesting, rarely-seen trio, and I can’t help wonder how it would turn out for them.

“Luda?” I brought the focus of the conversation to her.

“I’ll accompany Jina and the rest to their stay, KC; I want to see the rooms for myself.”

“Sounds good. Then,”

Exy, Xuanyi, Bona, Seola, Soobin, Luda. That would leave…

“You’re the only one left, Yeonjung.” Exy stated.

“Okay. As for me…”

The eyes of WJSN’s youngest member met mine.

“I’ll help you out on your path, KC.”

“Sure thing, Dyeongie, thanks.” I nodded. “Welcome abroad.”

---

“That settled well.”

As a server came to settle our bills, I let out a relieved sigh after paying my share.

Yeonjung’s offer to help me on my Path didn’t really come as a surprise, with Exy’s plan for today and all.

Still, I was glad that she made the suggestion on her own; I wouldn’t know how to bring it up without sounding entitled otherwise.

“We hope you come again soon!”

The server bowed and left us at the table. It looks like they weren’t really expecting many customers to come in at this hour.

“See you all later, girls.”

“Gotta scoot!”

Exy and Xuanyi didn’t hang around for long, leaving right after paying for their food.

“How about you, Bona unnie?” Luda asked.

“Seola unnie’s looking up the temple’s location right now.” She leaned back on her chair. “Jina and the rest?”

“We’re going to look around in Clade Tirill.”  The Human heard the conversation and responded.

“That’s the nearest to Port Ibera we can stay, other than the port itself.”

Kalasia added, looking out the window. The cone-shaped monument wasn’t in the view, but the occasional converging spaceship trail gave its existence away.

Close to port, huh.

I wonder how long the three of them will stay here. Both Memphis and Jina have their own things to work on, but the comparatively freer Kalasia might not bother hanging around for too long.

“You ready, KC?”

Yeonjung put away her inventory window and reached out to me.

“Ah, yeah.”

There hasn’t really been a need to rummage through my stuff ever since I landed, so I didn’t have to worry about losing whatever I carried around.

Hearing my affirmation, Yeonjung turned to the others.

“We’ll be going on ahead, unnies. Good luck with everything!”

“Proactive, aren’t you?”

The two of us bid everyone goodbye as we left Anne’s Depot, going down the staircase to leave the spire.

---

“You got any leads, KC?”

She asked me as we went down the floors, with her in front and me following closely behind.

“Not really, and I don’t think Memphis and the rest would know anything either?” I responded.

“Have you checked the network yet?”

“No, haven’t really gotten the time to.”

As we went out the main door of the building, Yeonjung took me to the side.

“I’d like to wander around the city aimlessly as much as you do, KC, but we’ve got things to do. Well, you do, to be exact.”

With a sigh, she brought out a window and browsed a wide-range search engine.

“Let’s both look up where we can find someone for your weapon. ‘Assembler’, is that the term?”

“Yep.” I nodded.

Following suit, I also searched the network using a slightly different term, requesting pages that had any information about Arbosienn’s manufacturing industry.

Wooden and crystal products; that was what Uzzu mentioned last time. Considering that the Ovation was made out of metal and enamel components, I had doubts of whether this was the right place for me to pursue my Path.

But traveling to another place might be more trouble than it’s worth.

“Hmm,” Yeonjung mulled over her results.

“From the few travelers’ forum threads I read, it’s not easy to get in contact with one.”

Reading out the posts made by other explorers, she explained that the Magna assemblers rarely personally make anything for strangers, preferring to keep to their own circle instead. If you don’t have the right connections, it’ll be difficult to get a hold of one.

“That’s going to be a pain.” I stated.

To be fair, the Shaen alchemists weren’t much different, either. I only lucked out and had the right connections back then.

“Did you find out about anything yourself?” Yeonjung asked, searching for workshops around the area on the navigation.

“Most of what I got is pointing to some sort of institution called Nefica Ibera, apparently the most well-known crafters’ association in this place.”

Looking at the contact details on their official site,

“Civils 34 to 40, Third Branch, Soundness Knoll… It’s in Clade Orao.”

“Sounds about right; that’s where many of the workshops nearby are, too.”

Marking the waypoint on her navigation,

“It’s on the north side, won’t take up more than half an hour on foot.”

I also pinpointed the location using the maps I downloaded from the network. It wasn’t as detailed as what we could get from full-featured navigation systems, but it was good enough for our use.

“They specialize in wood, though.” I recalled what I read.

“Still better than nothing, right?”

Yeonjung began to walk according to the given directions.

“Let’s just get there and see what we can work out.”

“Alright.”

Orienting my own position in relation to the map, I caught up with her and followed down the road leading through the centre of Clade Melado.

While I was in the middle of taking in the various aesthetic designs of the spires from up close,

“KC.”

Yeonjung grabbed onto my shoulder. Pointing to the elevation in the middle of the street, ahead of us.

“You have those jet things on your shoes, don’t you?”

She was referring to the platforms the pedestrians used to fly around in the city.

“I do, but what about you?” I returned her a question. “I don’t really want to leave you behind.”

Yeonjung smiled in response, like she was expecting my answer. What she pulled out from her inventory was a set of seven familiar sabers, which levitated as soon as she let go of them.

“…You mean,”

“That’s right. It’s not easy to do, but I can fly with these.”

“That’s crazy.”

Not only would she be flying with a full-blown weapon, it was also one of the toughest ones to use among the Sentinels; according to Xuanyi, at least.

“Let’s try it out!”

“…What have I got to lose.”

We were in a wood-stone metropolis built by robot monks, one of which let me use his body parts to make the temperature-controlling shield I’m carrying around.

Holding back at this point, after coming so far?

---

We walked onto the platform as soon as it was our turn, readied our respective flight equipment, then—

*BOOM*

*SWISH*

Feeling the impact of the platform against my soles as it left my feet, I burst off the ground along with Yeonjung on my side.

The rush of air flowing against my body slowed as the view of the city blocks expanded out in front of my elevated view, and the arcs of travel traced out by Arbosienn’s residents in the air appeared in full form above the skyline.

It was more like a network of jump paths, rather than strictly airborne traffic lanes.

“We’re landing there next, Yeonjung. That’s about as far as I can go in one step.”

I pointed to another platform, next to a grey statue in the distance.

“Sure thing, KC.”

To my right, Yeonjung breezily soared along in the middle of some sort of force field, mediated by her sabers in a certain formation. With a wave of her fingers, one saber tilted away from me and steered her in the direction of the platform.

Seconds later,

*THUD*

We landed on the platform,

“There, right?”

“Yep!”

Ascertained where we were going,

“Come on, KC!”

“Give me a sec!”

*BOOM*

Then blasted off again, all in the span of a few seconds.

This is tiring…!

Maybe if the platform didn’t have many people using it, we could take a bit more time.

“We should be good once we leave the busier areas, KC. Are you okay?”

I nodded to Yeonjung’s question.

Just like running, using these jump paths meant having to spend more of our own energy in return for reaching our destination faster. Checking the status of my equipment,

“The power in the jets should last me a while, but I’ll check again once we reach Nefica Ibera.”

Speaking of which,

“How long can you fly like that, Yeonjung? Surely that must take a lot of energy to run.”

Curious about the Sentinel with the weird-sounding name, I asked her:

“Around ten minutes in between charges, if I’m not pushing it.” She answered. “Baria and Herum take up most of the workload, so I have to check them often—make sure they don’t burn themselves up too much.”

“Baria and Herum?”

“These two.”

Yeonjung pointed to the two sabers pointing outwards of either side of herself, like wings. Responding to her will, both of them distinguished themselves with a flickering magenta light.

“The fifth and six blades, KC. All seven Zyksacohn rapiers have names, and each of them controls a different function in the formation.”

“…Sounds really difficult.”

Yeonjung motioned to the next platform, suspended above the street between two neighbouring spires.

Nodding to her, I adjusted the output of my shoes to lean towards its direction.

*THUD*

Repeating the process like before,

*BOOM*

“Remembering the names helps a lot.”

Yeonjung told me after we returned to the air.

“We should have five or so more jumps left to go.”

“Really?”

I pulled out the network map and checked our location, taking care not to distract myself from the ‘road’ in front of me.

“You’re right: We’re making quite good progress with these jumps, huh?”

I should tell the others to get some flight tech to use on these, too.

Heck, I’ll upgrade to one with better range for myself in the future.

Once the full version of HF comes out, I’ll definitely spend time grinding for all these things.

---

Like Yeonjung predicted, we reached the waypoint on our map a few jumps later.

“First things first,”

We moved out of the platform as quickly as possible, making way for the other pedestrians.

Then, opening my equipment status window,

Looks good.

I made sure that the jet modules’ energy levels were doing fine.

“No problems on my side either.”

Yeonjung nodded as she put away her Sentinel.

“Now then,”

The two of us had a look around at the area we landed in, which had quite a different atmosphere from where we came from.

The spires here were shorter and wider, and had less intricate, eye-catching patterns on them. However, what they instead had was a sort of conduct, institutional theme in their architecture.

“Huh.”

The roads also contributed to the quieter atmosphere, more uniformly and carefully constructed compared to the ones outside the area. Most notable was the stark absence of platforms in these roads, encouraging people to walk around instead.

“How about this one?”

Yeonjung showed me the map on her window, indicating a large ‘main’ building near the centre of the area.

“Yeah, that looks like a good place to start.”

We weren’t too far away from it, so walking there did not take us long. Coupled with the calmer ambience of the area, it felt more like a late summer evening stroll in the city.

When we reached the main building, however,

‘Nefica Ibera Compendium’

Those were the words written on the building, above its entrance. From the banners and open doors atop several wide flights of stairs,

“It’s a museum, isn’t it?”

The venue was more of an art gallery or exhibition hall, rather than the workshops or residences I expected.

“It’s accessible to the public, so that should be easier for us.” Yeonjung stated. “Unless you want to sneak around instead?”

“Will there be any difference?” I argued. “I don’t know if they’ll be open this late at night.”

“I checked the map already, KC; it’s open 24 hours a day.” She explained. “Well, 35 hours a day to be more accurate.”

“That’s convenient.”

We went through the central doors of the trapezoid-shaped building, making our way to the exhibition space inside.

Free entry.

I recalled the Magna personnel who just nodded as we passed by them; if there was any form of security measure in place in the Compendium, I didn’t see it.

After walking around the place for a while,

“It’s unfortunate that all the crafter demonstrations and interviews take place during the day.” Yeonjung sighed, reading the brochure about the museum. “The night events won’t be happening for another week, either.”

“No point staying here, then.” I asked. “I mean, I’d love to read all this Magna lore any other day, but…”

“I’m not sure about that, KC.” Yeonjung replied. “Sure, none of the assemblers are around, but we have the next best thing.”

She held out the brochure in front of my eyes, specifically at one of the rules of conduct while inside the Compendium.

[… (5) Please refrain from harassing the exhibits or coercing them for private, classified or otherwise sensitive information…]

“You want me to break the rules and—wait.”

I read the sentence written on the paper one more time.

“The Magna’s specialty,”

Yeonjung grinned.

“Living technology, remember?”

---

Realization only struck me a few seconds after she said those words.

“So the creations can do the explaining themselves, instead of their creators...”

The people who run these museums, and Yeonjung too for that matter; they were all thinking out of the box.

“So,”

Taking the brochure off her hands, I flipped to the page where a map of the Compendium was displayed. Making a note of where the weapons section was,

“All that’s left is to find a suitable one to ask.”

“You catch on quick, KC.”

“I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment.”

Yeonjung had already begun walking towards that section, leaving me behind. Putting the booklet away, I stumbled along while trying to catch up with her.

As we traveled through the other areas of the museum, both of us took extra caution to make as little noise as possible, so as to not wake up the other exhibits from their sleep.

‘Arbosienn’s Expansion Plan’

‘The First Gardeners’

‘The Hereditary Nature of Cognit Memories’

Machines, contraptions, tools I’ve never seen before.

From the sections we passed through, I could roughly see just how important Nefica Ibera was to the city’s growth: Making countless innovations in technology and engineering, contributing to the improvements in both society and economy…

All that with wood?

Their claims were a bit too far out for me to believe: Other than the tree-like stone material making up the spires, I couldn’t recall seeing any type of wood being used around the city at all.

The Compendium did not have many visitors at this hour for obvious reasons, so we reached the place we wanted to go to before long.

‘Armory of the Disciplinary Temples’

“Temples.” I caught on to that one word.

I wonder how Seola’s group is getting along.

Soobin aside, Bona was also with them, so I don’t think they’ll come across much problems.

On the other hand,

“Hmm…”

Yeonjung was deep in thought, resting on a gallery couch in the middle of a room displaying no small amount of close and medium range weapons.

“Did you figure something out?”

I went up to her and asked.

“There are quite a few amazing looking ones, though they do look quite old and worn out.”

Some of them even had historical value, nearing that of heroic legend—participating in great battles, witnessing critical events, and so on. Needless to say, most of them have since broken or become too brittle to remain usable.

“That’s the thing; even if they’re still alive, that doesn’t mean that their maker would be too.” Yeonjung pointed out.

“More than that,”

She gestured around the room, at all the weapons on display.

“They’re all pole weapons, KC: Spears, halberds, lances… I can’t find anything like your shield at all.”

“I don’t think that really matters?” I tilted my head. “We’re just going to ask if they know someone we can talk to, right?”

It doesn’t necessarily have to be their original creator, I mentioned.

“We’d have a better chance speaking with the same type, in my opinion.”

Yeonjung pulled out and sipped on a bottle of soft drink from her inventory, then stood up from the couch.

“Anyways, it’s your call, KC.”

“Oh, right.”

With the decision to me, it took me a while to think of anything, despite making the suggestion just a few moments ago. Heaving a sigh,

Really shouldn’t be depending on others too much.

“Let’s look around a little more.”

Taking the lead, we scoured the entire area under the armory section: Five entire spaces, as well as the corridors connecting them.

“They’re really all spears and sticks, huh.”

If there were firearms or other forms of equipment, they were either non-Magna or served as memorabilia for the more famous assemblers of Nefica Ibera.

Even after rounding the place a second time, I couldn’t narrow down my decision to a specific one.

“I’ll just go with my gut feeling this time.”

“The strongest looking weapon?” Yeonjung raised an eyebrow.

“The coolest looking weapon.” I responded.

----

Following the chronological order of the exhibits (according to the brochure), I went to where the newest additions to the Compendium were displayed; the walkway connecting the fourth room to the fifth.

“The Pilgrims’ Gallery.”

Weapons used by older Magna during their travels, since donated by themselves to support the museum.

“It’s that one, right?” Yeonjung guessed. “I noticed that you’ve been looking at it a lot when we passed through here before.”

“Yep.” I nodded.

A pair of long battleaxes were propped up at the end of the corridor, such that they leaned on each other in a cross-shaped formation.

These ones had much longer hafts, and their blades showed more scars from their use, but—

They’re just like the ones Guinness used back on Thohiri.

The description that appeared in my system matched that which was written in the exhibit’s caption.

‘Dawntreaders’

‘Donated by the Pilgrim Mactus in the season of the 7353^th Proving, in commemoration for the completion of his third celestial cycle’

“Do we just say hi to them?” I whispered to Yeonjung.

She only stared back at me in silence:

How would I know?

“Right.”

Turning back to the axes,

“…Um, hey.” I began talking. “Is anyone there?”

Silence passed between us for a few seconds.

“Uh,”

The moment I tried to continue,

“Give them a moment to come around.”

A voice came from our left. As soon as I turned in its direction,

“No one really bothers to stop by to speak with us, so some of the vassals have fallen deeper into their slumber.”

A hand cannon with decorative patterns on its twin barrels clicked its hammer, indicating that it was the one calling out to us.

‘Tertho’s Eclipse’

‘Donated by the Pilgrim Hoanom in the season of the 7214^th Proving, in commemoration for her arbitration of the 6-NARA Corps’

The description told me that it was an older weapon, or at least donated earlier than the Dawntreaders.

“How long will it take?” Yeonjung asked.

“Not long now.”

The cannon answered. However, the next moment,

“Wake up, Tredders, you’ve got a guest to talk to!”

It raised its voice in a bid to shake the neighbouring exhibit awake.

“Mmm”

“Rgh”

Dissonant murmurs came from the battleaxes, which merged into a single voice as it rose from its deep sleep. At the same time, a dim glow appeared on their sharp edges, and I felt a slight intimidation coming from the light.

“Hmm?”

Yeonjung noticed something and opened her inventory window.

“Wow.”

“What is it?” I turned to her.

“The rapiers are telling me to be wary of those axes, KC.” She explained with a surprised expression. “They’re strong.”

“Really? Wow.”

“…Oh, morning, Tere, or is it evening?”

The Dawntreaders rattled slightly as it responded to the cannon’s call.

“It’s the dead of night, Tredders.” Its neighbour sighed. “Looks like these people here can’t really wait for the morning to come.”

“Sounds like a certain master I know.” It chuckled. Then,

*VOOM*

A wave of energy swept around the corridor as the axes released a burst of its power. Energized, it faded the glow of its blades and finally turned its attention on us.

“So, what questions might you have for this senile relic of a vassal?”

“Vassal?” Yeonjung repeated the last word it spoke.

“Armament Cognits specially made for an individual warrior.” The Eclipse explained. “Traditional Magna designation, you should look it up sometime.”

“Ah, well.”

I communicated my intentions to the Dawntreaders, making sure to include the Eclipse in the conversation just in case.

“That’s a strange question to ask a vassal instead of a Magna, Human.” The axes mused.

“Are the guides not at their posts in this hour?” The hand cannon asked.

“They are, but…”

“Then the weapon you seek to complete is not something you can show them, correct?”

The Dawntreaders nailed the core of the issue spot on before I could say anything.

“How did you know?” I asked.

“I’m acquainted with how the assemblers practice their craft, Human.”

It explained. After a brief pause,

“Your kind is notorious for your irregular and unpredictable approaches to… circumvent, unfavourable situations, so to say.”

“Then.”

With all the formalities out of the way,

“Can you hook us up with someone—”

Before I could finish those words, a notification came up in my system.

‘Insufficient Prestige to Access Information’

A long-forgotten limitation of the game revealed itself at the last moment.

---

Huh?

The warning flashed for a few seconds before disappearing.

However, every time I tried to repeat my question,

‘Insufficient Prestige to Access Information’

‘Insufficient Prestige to Access Information’

It appeared again and again.

“Ouch, that’s not great.” Yeonjung grimaced, seeing the same window on her system too.

Unlike before, it wasn’t followed by another notification waiving the Prestige requirements through some circumstance or other.

I’m really on my own this time.

“…”

The Dawntreaders remained silent at the question itself, and the Eclipse didn’t say anything either.

“That was out of line, wasn’t it? I’m sorry.”

I apologized to them.

“Both of us want to help you, Human, but we cannot go against the will of our creators.”

The hand cannon also expressed her disappointment.

“The Compendium would not tolerate it, either.”

“How about anyone we can talk to for this—”

‘Insufficient Prestige to Access Information’

The same warning appeared in response to Yeonjung’s question.

“It is not our place to tell you.”

The axes answered her with a solemn tone.

“So the topic of ‘assemblers’ itself is out of bounds.” I guessed.

“What else can we do?” Yeonjung crossed her arms.

“Hmm.” I thought about it for a moment.

The goal of the Path was to upgrade the Ovation, rather than make a vassal of my own.

But it still needed the same ‘assembly’ too; at the end of the day, I can’t escape approaching the topic if I am to complete the goal at all.

Then, what about…

“You look like you have an idea, KC.” Yeonjung saw my expression and said.

“It’s worth a shot.” I responded to her.

“The traits of Human behaviour, indeed.”

“This will be an interesting sight to see.”

Ignoring the comments the exhibition weapons made, I turned to the two of them.

“So,”

Drawing attention to myself,

“Can you two keep a secret?”

“…”

Both Yeonjung and the vassals didn’t say anything for a few moments.

“So that’s your game.”

The hand cannon responded, and I can hear the slightest grin in its voice.

“We are obliged to tell our makers and masters all that we know,” The axes answered. “…But only if they ask.”

“That’s fine with me.”

Drawing some distance between them and myself.

“Give me a sec, KC.”

Understanding my intentions, Yeonjung moved away from me and meddled with a few system windows.

“I’m not going to use it, Yeonjung, we’re indoors!”

She only shrugged in return.

After everyone was ready,

“Let’s see it.”

Selecting the Fahrenheit’s Ovation, I pulled the shield out of the inventory and morphed it into the axe form, leaning it against myself to show the two vassals its entire structure.

“Does this look any familiar to you?”

After a second or two,

“A bivalve shield and a greatsword, I see. Your weapon has great potential.”

“I sense heat and cold from those energy channels, Human, and their influence on the plates is formidable.”

From their comments, it didn’t look like they realized what its secret was.

Then,

“Is that it?”

The Eclipse asked as I put the Ovation away, seemingly disappointed.

“Pretty much.” I replied. “Well,”

I faced them again.

“On an unrelated note… what are your thoughts on a weapon made with Magna composites?”

“What—”

“!!!”

Even though the vassals did not breathe, I clearly heard both of them gasp at the information I revealed.

“On an unrelated note, for the record.”

Yeonjung repeated the phrase, driving home the message.

The two of us waited for the armaments to regain their composure and give their answer.

“Certainly, equipment made with Magna parts aren’t unheard of, whether among themselves or with other lifeforms…”

The Dawntreaders recollected. With a sigh,

“One irrefutable truth of the vassal is that the essence of its creators will irrevocably elevate it to a higher state, over the others.”

As if to demonstrate its point, it let out another burst of energy throughout the area, its effects subtly rippling under my skin.

“It’s a well-known tale in the Temple of Heavy Declarations,”

The axes mentioned,

“But the vassals of our master Mactus owes their power in no small part to his blood, infused in ourselves.”

…!!

This time, it was us who lost the grasp on our words, as the truth of the situation sank in.

“…That much power, just from his blood?”

I caught myself breathless from the implications of its words.

“It’s good that you now realize the path you travel on, Human.”

A click sounded inside Tertho’s Eclipse as it deliberated on something.

“All I can say is that you will need to prove to those of our creators that you are worthy of such immense might.”

“I understand, thank you.”

“I sincerely pray that you remain on the right path, Human; I would not like to see one such as yourself cut down to preserve our peace.”

“…I’ll do what I can.”

I grimaced at the Dawntreaders’ words; that I presented that much of a potential threat to the Magna was a bit more than I could bear.

After saying goodbye to the two vassals, Yeonjung and I began to make our way out of the Compendium, still careful not to wake the other pieces up.

“Is that all you want to ask them, KC?”

Yeonjung had a puzzled expression on.

“I had a few more questions, Yeonjung, but after seeing their attitude change like that…”

Prove to them that you are worthy of that might.

The Eclipse’s words echoed in my mind. Then—

“—Maybe the Ovation will be your greatest test, KC.”

Out of the blue, Carthena’s words sprang up from within my memories.

“They really sent me on one hell of a Path, huh?” I muttered to myself.

“So, where next?” Yeonjung asked.

“I’m not sure.”

Heaving a sigh,

“It’s not like we can just ask our way to a random assembler… not unless we want the Ovation confiscated from us at best.”

“It’s a miracle the shield passed through immigration at all, KC.”

“They did say that people did make stuff out of Magna parts before.”

It’s only their ‘assembly’ that becomes the issue here, I mused.

“…Yeah, I really can’t come up with anything.”

I threw my hands up in defeat.

By contrast, Yeonjung only stayed quiet, thinking of something.

Bringing out a window showing the map of the surrounding area, she nodded her head and turned to me.

“If that’s the case,”

She began.

“Let’s take a break, why don’t we?”

---

“What do you have in mind, Yeonjung?”

The direction in which she began walking was further into Nefica’s territory, rather than outside where the platforms were.

A café? But it hasn’t been long since our lunch.

After checking that we were heading in the right direction,

“Look up N.I. Comercia, KC.”

She said without looking back.

“It’s where some of the crafters sell their stuff, no doubt some of them will be assemblers too.”

And they’re open all day and night, just like the Compendium, she explained.

“Ah.”

I understood what her intentions were: If we couldn’t get the information we need there, the stuff we can buy means that the trip wouldn’t become a complete waste of time.

Putting up the waypoint in my own map, I caught up with Yeonjung and we walked over to the destination together.

Along the way, I pulled up a window and checked my status.

==

Name: KC                       Title: [No Title]

Prestige:

Industrion – 10       Communete – 41

Academium – 28            Artistice – 13

Path: Body of Magna, Blood of Shaen (1/2)

==

Academium and Communete stacked up that much?

Certain types of Prestige are easier to gain than others, for sure…

For me, at least.

Putting the window away,

“Hmm?”

It looks like the road has widened somewhat ahead of us. The taller spires have long since disappeared from the skyline, but the blocks that stood in their place carried their pride in small, detailed architectural elements, unique to each individual building like it was part of their identity.

A creators’ street indeed.

The roads were quiet, and only the occasional hum of the lights broke the silence that hung between the stout, layered buildings. I can’t recall if we passed by anyone at all while walking towards our destination.

They must only work during the day, then.

From the map, N.I. Comercia had the appearance of a high-street shopping area. If that really was the case,

“…I hope we can meet someone from Nefica Ibera there.” I muttered to myself.

It doesn’t even have to be Magna or an assembler; just someone who can point us in the right direction.

“I doubt they’d tell us everything so easily, KC, seeing how cautious the vassals were before.”

Yeonjung expressed her own thoughts. As her eyes met mine,

“Don’t expect so much, okay?”

“…Yeah.”

The pressure of the time limit must be getting to me.

Letting out a sigh, I reminded myself of the very real possibility that I won’t complete my own Path by the time our session is over.

Eventually, with the appearance of standing lanterns generously lighting the way for us,

“We’re here.”

The entrance to N.I. Comercia appeared before us, assuming the form of a simple, paneled arch. It was simple and familiar, like that of the old-school markets in real life.

Unlike the nostalgic coziness of Bia Yingtal, however, the shops in this district exuded a more dignified, courteous hospitality, not unlike what I felt in Caper Plateaus.

More than that,

“I guess it’s normal for people to stay up late, huh.”

Unlike the houses before, the streets of this shopping district were filled with people of all kinds and walks of life.

Entering the venue, we walked for a while to get a feel of the place. True to their claim, most of the storefronts here were open and staffed with attendants. However,

“…Those aren’t actual people, are they?”

“They’re cognits, KC.” Yeonjung raised her eyebrow. “There were some like them in the Compendium too, didn’t you notice?”

“Oh, right. Of course.”

I had guessed that they were autonomous robots created by the Magna, but I didn’t know that the term ‘cognit’ would extend to them too.

“This would be difficult, then.”

Most of the shops were run by cognits, with the exception of a few non-Magna lifeforms. If the same restriction applied to them, I won’t be able to get the information I need.

“Yeah, it’s a shame that none of the Magna shopkeepers were around.”

She moved away from the middle of the road and pulled me along with her.

“Anyways, you have a place you want to go?”

“Hm, not really.” I recalled what I have. “Some personal tech would be nice.”

“Me too!” Her face lit up in response. Pointing to the magenta-coloured bracelet on my left wrist,

“Something like this would be great; a pretty accessory that comes with a practical function.”

Oh right, I haven’t put the Amethyst Bridge away since the Trial.

“Nefica Ibera makes wooden stuff, right? Are you into those kinds of decorations?”

Peeping into the window of a nearby store,

“As long as they look nice, KC. I’m not too picky about it.”

After considering the plan for a while,

“It’ll be a nice souvenir from Arbosienn, and I do want to see how good Nefica’s creations are.”

I ended up taking a liking to it.

“Right?” Yeonjung grinned. “Let’s look around!”

The two of us continued to wander around N.I. Comercia with her leading the way. When either of us found something we were interested in, we’d call over each other to have a closer look at it together.

This is nice.

A shopping date with Yeonjung was a good change of pace, and she looked like she was enjoying herself too.

‘Johnark Ring’

‘Iris of Gnothov’

‘Pearl-willow Necklace’

All sorts of mysterious-looking accessories were displayed all over the different stores, with matching names and prices to boot. The cognit attendants were all too happy to take them out for us to see, though some of the tougher-looking ones kept watch over us as we held them in our hands.

“So not all of them talk, I see.”

About half of the wearables are certified cognits, communicating in some form of telepathic, emotive way, rather than words.

“Did you find anything you want to get, KC?”

After around seven or so stores, Yeonjung asked me as we sat on one of the benches surrounding an obelisk statue.

“Not so sure, there’s two I have in mind.”

Either the circular pendant with the obsidian gem in the last store, or the charm woven from the bark of a Summitwood from the second. Both of them had buffs to my reaction speed and reflexes, which I thought could use the improvement.

“What about you?” I returned the same question to her.

“I’m really fond of the drop earring from the second store. The one that’s all white, remember?”

“Oh, the one that increases your resistance to vertigo.” I recalled. “That’s a good choice.”

“I might find something better if we keep looking, but I don’t want to let that one go either.”

“That’s settled, then.”

I nodded, having also made my decision: The Summitwood Ne’rai Charm was also all white, which would match with her earring.

Telling Yeonjung what I chose, we agreed to go buy mine first, before getting hers.

The purchase of the charm finished without a hitch, and I hung the tree-shaped charm from the Amethyst Bridge on my wrist.

As soon as we went over to secure Yeonjung’s drop earring, however,

“Hmm?”

“Oh.”

There was a certain person inside the store, someone both of us were familiar with.

The shadows receded from the lines of her dark, wavy hair as she turned to face us. Adjusting the fit of her black dress top, a far cry from her previous appearance,

“It’s you two.”

The woman who was not quite human greeted us with a smile.

“Dagmar!”

---

“So, you came to Arbosienn too.”

The female Vyrgatel motioned to the cognit she was talking with to hold their conversation.

“What brings you here?”

“Nothing, just looking around for information and shopping.”

I answered. Seeing her by herself,

“Where are the others?”

“Krieg and Lenard’s out to get food, while Egon is trying to get in contact with Nefica Ibera for information.”

Archeology stuff, she explained.

“So you’re in charge of shopping for their equipment?” I guessed.

“Pretty much.” She nodded. “No one else really knows what to get more than I do.”

At that moment,

“Wait,” Yeonjung realized. “Don’t tell me you’re after the Rhomic Diamond too!?”

“Oh, that earring?”

Dagmar pointed to the white, diamond-shaped accessory on the top shelf by the entrance.

“It’s not my style, don’t worry. I’m getting this one instead.”

Showing us the accessory placed in front of her,

‘Balobac Pendant’

It was the circular obsidian pendant I thought of buying before.

That’s a bullet I barely grazed.

I can’t imagine what would happen if we were after the same thing… other than me yielding it to her, that is.

“Really? Phew.”

Yeonjung let out a relieved sigh.

To be honest, I’d feel the same if I lost what I wanted to another customer by just being a few seconds late.

“You were interested in that one, yes?”

At that moment, the other cognit working in the store came up to us and asked.

“Yes, please.”

She turned to the autonomous machine and nodded.

“I’d like to buy it, thank you.”

With that safely settled, I waited for Yeonjung to finish her transaction.

“Oh.”

Perhaps as expected, Dagmar and her finished their payments at the same time. As the three of us left the store, I recalled something and asked if she had some time to spare.

“Sure, let’s talk over there.” She agreed and took us to the corner of a junction.

Drinking from the water bottle in my inventory, I thought about how to phrase my question.

“Are all the other ones doing fine? The Ilyid and Feran?”

Dagmar spoke first to break the silence.

“We’re all well.” Yeonjung responded. “I mean, it hasn’t even been long since we finished the Trial.”

“That’s true.” The Vyrgatel chuckled.

Then, turning to me,

“So, what is it?”

“Um, well,”

I began.

“Egon’s talking to Nefica Ibera, right? We’re also looking for a way to get in touch with them…”

“Yes, and?”

She did not understand what the issue was, so I had to elaborate on what we did so far.

“Magna assembly…”

Hearing my explanation about our troubles finding someone to work with, Dagmar crossed her arms.

“That makes sense. If the Magna need us to take a Trial to even enter their cities in the first place, I would expect them to guard their techniques with an equal or higher severity.”

“Is there anything we can do to persuade them to consider our case?”

“Hmm… This is also the first time we’re dealing with these mechanical beings on their home planet, so I don’t have any real tip to tell you.”

She pondered. After a moment, she faced both of us and said:

“You’re not experienced travelers, are you?”

“…Ah, no, we’re not.” I shook my head and admitted.

“Does that make a difference?” Yeonjung asked.

“Well, it’s not uncommon for some communities to be wary of us ‘outsiders’, and we don’t blame them for it.” She mentioned. “For all they know, any one of us could be criminals or spies, using the guise of a traveler for our own malicious intents.”

“Huh.”

“This is especially true for those like us.”

The woman pointed to herself. Shifting the shadows under her feet,

“You understand why, don’t you?”

Night hunters, ‘apparitions’…

I recalled what people said about the Vyrgatel.

“Are you saying that we should appear friendly and display our peaceful intentions?” Yeonjung guessed.

“Not quite.”

Dagmar corrected her.

“In fact, the best thing to do when interacting with people you meet on your travels is to be honest with yourself.”

Lay your intentions bare, basically.

“If we do that, the Magna will be all over us!” I exclaimed.

“And they’d let four Vyrgatel dig through their historical ruins instead?”

“…!”

I held my mouth shut, not knowing what to say.

“Exactly.” She nodded. “The key to moving forward in this situation is this, you two: Mutual benefit.”

“Mutual benefit?” Yeonjung repeated the phrase.

“Give and take.” Dagmar reiterated. “Find a way to match the weight of your offer up to that of what you seek from them; give them a reason they should give you what you want.”

“…I see.”

With so many types of lifeforms and communities around in the Frontier alone, it would be impossible for us to learn about every single one of them in a feasible way.

“If you can’t find anyone to talk to, like your case here,” She advised. “Do your part first: Reach out to those needing help or extra work, and you can begin to integrate yourself within the community.”

There should be explorer hubs in a place this big, they should be a good place to start, she advised.

Committing her words to memory,

“I understand now, thank you.” I expressed my gratitude.

“What about you?” Yeonjung also added. “How do you plan to have them let you look at their ruins?”

“We’re still figuring that part out… Don’t worry, it’s not our first time doing this.”

The Vyrgatel smiled.

“Good luck with whatever you’re after, you two. Don’t make enemies you can’t handle.”

With those words, Dagmar parted ways with us and left to continue her shopping.

---

“So, the explorers’ hub next?”

Now that it was the two of us on our own, Yeonjung confirmed the plan with me.

“Yep, unless you want to drop by somewhere?”

“Yes, about that.”

Yeonjung leaned closer and whispered something into my ear.

“Ah.”

“I won’t take long, KC.”

“No, it’s fine, I’m going too. Thanks for reminding me.”

Seeing that all sorts of lifeforms frequented N.I. Comercia, it didn’t take long for us to find what we were looking for.

After we were done, Yeonjung searched for the nearest explorers’ hub to us and plotted out the directions to get there.

“Clade Grana… Thirty jumps, that’s not too bad.” She mentioned.

I looked for the same thing on my own window. Seeing the waypoint appear on the map.

“Thirty jumps for the city centre? That is quick.”

Arbosienn was a huge metropolitan city, so I didn’t expect to get there so fast by just using the platforms.

“There’s one near the south entrance, KC. Let’s go.”

“Sounds good.”

Using the signposts placed around the shopping district, we made our way to the entrance and left the area.

As we queued up to use the white elevated platform at the end of the road outside,

“I should top them up, just in case.”

I checked my jet modules and recharged them with the power cell from my inventory.

Hm?

There was a notification in chat that I didn’t see before. I must have ignored it while we were talking to Dagmar.

“Ready?”

Yeonjung said, telling me that it was our turn to use the platform.

“Yeah.”

I’ll look it up after we reach the explorer hub; if the last trip was any indication, distractions are dangerous when you’re in the air.

“On three.”

I fired up my boosters, while Yeonjung prepared her Sentinel sabres in the same formation as before.

“One, two,”

“Three!”

*BOOM*

*SWISH*

We took to the skies once again, steering our jumps in the direction of Clade Grana.

Like before, our route took us through platforms that were placed in the strangest places: On top of a spire, the corner of a stairway, even walls of buildings we had to jump off like in a parkour sequence.

“Woah!”

“Almost slipped off there.”

The more intense parts of the jumps had us dipping under bridges and over the arches of Arbosienn’s larger towers.

This is one heck of a trip… I wonder if they do tours with these too.

As for the scenery, the flatter grounds of Nefica Ibera parted as we went back to the city’s usual skyscrapers, built out of the stone-wood material I saw before.

Along the way,

“We’ll take a turn here, KC.”

Yeonjung pointed to the platform ahead of us.

“Got it.” I nodded.

The detour would cost us a few more jumps to get to our destination, but it was better than to deal with what we were seeing in front of us.

“Air traffic…”

The regulation for how many people used the platforms at once was already done on the ground, but dealing with the sky lanes aerial ships and cargo drones was another matter entirely.

“They really don’t sleep, do they?”

I sighed, seeing how many of them still flew this late at night, obstructing the jump path.

“They still have to rest, I think.”

“Yeah.”

I agreed with Yeonjung’s opinion. Even the bodies of living machines will break if they work too long.

We took the detour and headed deeper into the heart of the city. As expected,

“It’s getting harder to navigate with everything in the way.”

The spires and infrastructure crowded the cityscape in more packed clusters, making it more difficult to see where we were going.

“I’ll look it up on the map, KC. Watch where we’re going for me.”

Yeonjung opened up her window and began scrolling around to find our route.

“I’ll try.”

After a bit of thought, I had us stop at a platform for a bit to craft. Making some rope out of Artema Longweed, I had both of us hold each end and returned back to leaping.

“We’re ducking!”

“Got it, the next one is on the right!”

Thankfully, with her directions and the fewer people using the platforms, I didn’t really struggle with helping her avoid the stray tower or panel during our jumps.

After a while,

“We’ve arrived.”  Yeonjung put the map away.

“Yeah, I can see it.” I answered while keeping my eyes in front.

A structure composed of five domes in an ‘X’ structure appeared in front of us. Brown metal made up most of its walls, with the stone-wood material forming its foundations and dim glass panels for its wide windows.

At the same time, a notification appeared on both our systems.

‘Arbosienn Explorers and Adventurers’ Hub, Grana’

“Let’s land down there.”

I pointed to our next platform. It was the closest one I could find to the hub, unless there were others I couldn’t see.

“Alright.”

Yeonjung voiced her agreement between tired breaths; it seems like both of us had burnt ourselves out from all the leaping in this trip.

As she adjusted her wings, I also reduced the output of my jets, preparing to touch down on the ground.

Seconds later,

*THUD*

Both of us safely landed on the platform.

“Thanks for the rope, KC. It’s a little leafy, though.”

“You’re not wrong.”

I rolled the rope back up and returned it to my inventory. After that, we got off the platform so that we didn’t block the way while we rested for a bit.

The entrance to the Hub was visible from here, so we set out for it soon after catching our breaths.

---

The wood-carved doors which resembled that of medieval castles parted, welcoming us into the Grana Explorers’ Hub with no particular fanfare.

Inside, however, a good number of people were hanging around the place, whether poring through the various notices posted on the boards or busy with their own affairs.

Judging from the little attention most of them paid to our entrance,

“Other adventurers, most likely.” I said to myself.

“The information counter is free, KC.”

Yeonjung pointed to the partition on the inner side of the space, which were staffed with two Human receptionists.

“Do you want to ask them, or should I?”

“Go ahead. I’ve got stuff to do on my end, so please do.”

“Got it.”

I felt a bit of guilt having her carry out the tedious tasks for me, but the chat notification from before has been on the back of my mind, itching to be addressed.

Opening up the window,

“Hmm.”

If they would ping me on this group instead of the main one, something must have come up.

…

[The Icy Four]

You: What’s up?

Yeoreum: We need your help, KC.

What?

Meiqi: You’ve been in a challenge before, haven’t you?

“…Uh oh.”

Recalling where either of them should be at this time of the day, only one thing came into my mind.

You: No way.

You: Was there an invasion!?

Chengxiao: No

Chengxiao: Not yet, at least.

Yeoreum: The CMC sent out a notice of an imminent challenge happening in Arami Ayu.

Yeoreum: It’s a smaller town not part of our tour stops, but the notice has gotten a lot of people tense.

You: Huh.

As far as I know, challenges weren’t rare occurrences on the Shaen planets; the residents wouldn’t usually get too worked up over them.

Meiqi: Dawon unnie’s thinking of going over to help, but I don’t know how long that will take.

Chengxiao: We’re supposed to focus on finishing the Paths today, so…

You: Right, Dawon is there too. She should know what to do.

The issue now would be whether she should stop pursuing her Path to take part in the challenge or not.

After a few seconds of thought,

You: Her current Path is the busking tour, right?

You: I don’t think performing would be appropriate when everyone’s worked up over this.

Dawon’s pursuing the Artistice route, which means that she must ‘move’ the population.

There’s no point doing that if they don’t have the time to listen to her.

Meiqi: Then,

You: I think she made the right choice.

You: Though I’m concerned with what you all are facing right now.

You: If they’re making such a big deal out of this challenge…

Chengxiao: I see what you mean.

Chengxiao: We’ll be careful.

Yeoreum: Thanks, KC.

You: Stay safe out there.

…

Yeonjung was still talking with the receptionists when I put away the chat window, so I went up to join her at the partition.

“You’re finally here.”

One of them motioned to me as I approached.

“What?” I turned to Yeonjung. “What’s going on?”

“I called you just now, but you didn’t hear me.” She sighed. “They need to check your credentials before you can get anywhere in the hub.”

“Ah. Sorry about that.”

I looked around our side of the partition, finding only a terminal device which looked like the ones for processing payments.

“So do I scan them here or what…?”

“Yes, please.” The attendant nodded.

“Okay.”

I held out the back of my palm against the terminal and waited for a response.

‘Scanning Credentials’

A hologram appeared from the device, the polygons wrapping around my hand as the process continued.

Then,

‘1x Permit Detected’

‘Assigning Class E Identity’

With those prompts, the assessment was done.

“Thank you.” The receptionist from before smiled.

“So you’re looking for assignments, right?”

The other one asked us.

“For the most part, yes.” I responded.

“Anything that would let us get to know the Magna more.” Yeonjung added.

“But of course. A lot of travellers come here to get something from them, so the hubs are familiar with what you’re looking for.”

After a few moments, a screen appeared in front of us, projected onto the partition.

“We have a few live ones in these hours.” The attendant said. “Some quieter work, unless you prefer something that pays more?”

The two of us browsed through the listing, skimming the details of each available job.

Collection and gathering errands…

In addition to the typical ‘side quest’ jobs, there were more practical ones that took place within the city itself.

“Hmm.”

“I think these look fine, KC.”

“Yeah.”

I agreed with Yeonjung’s statement. It wasn’t like we were looking for a specific job or reward, and doing these ones would also let us learn how things work in Arbosienn.

“Alright.” I nodded.

“Find something that suits you?” The receptionist asked.

“Yeah.”

I pointed to the second assignment listed on the screen.

“This one, please.”

“Understood.”

“General labour.” Yeonjung raised her eyebrow. “I didn’t expect that from you.”

The listing I selected involved helping a distributor haul their supplies to the warehouse. The business was just starting out, apparently, and input from explorers outside Kamag to how things should run was also appreciated.

Not sure how I’d help in the second part though…

“What about you, Yeonjung?”

“I’m going with this one.”

She pointed to a collection assignment, which involved a variety of herbs and plants traded within Arbosienn’s markets.

“Right, you were on Earth last time.”

The Botanical Institute, if I recall?

“Yes, I learned a few things from their study gardens.”

That’s cool, I showed her a thumbs up.

After waiting for a bit,

“And that should be all: Both of you should now be registered for your assignments.”

“The contact info for your reporting supervisor should be in your systems, too. Don’t forget to introduce yourself.”

The receptionists advised.

“Got it.”

“Thank you.”

The two of us committed the details to memory and thanked them before we left.

---

Standing outside the entrance of the hub entrance, Yeonjung and I examined the new contact that appeared in our friends list. They were located in another tab in the system, differentiating them from the ones for players.

Unfortunate that Jina and the others didn’t have their own comms devices yet.

“There’s a night market to the east I drop by.” Yeonjung told me. “I’m meeting with my supervisor there.”

“You already got in contact with them?”

Seeing her nod like it was natural,

“You’re quick.” I sighed.

“How about you?” She asked.

“It’s far, right at the north edge of the city perimeter.”

I looked up the location on the network map.

“The place is close to the mountains… Seems like many of the warehouses are, too.”

“Mining? Or maybe forestry.”

“Probably.” I mused. “All the work will be done in one place, at least.”

“Okay.”

Yeonjung took out her Sentinel blades and prepared to leave.

“I’ll be asking around about the assemblers, KC. I’ll let you know if I find anything out.”

“Sure thing. Thanks, Yeonjung.” I saw her off. “See you soon.”

“Likewise.”

The platforms to get to the east part of the city were different from those for the north, so both of us left to go on our own ways.

As I looked for the nearest platform on my route, I realized that I was alone for the first time in a long while.

A bit lonely, but I can appreciate the quiet.

Pinpointing my destination on the map, I read the name of the place one more time.

‘Bercai Sorap Community Storeyard, Clade Behelm’

This was practically a shot in the dark, trying to find a way to get closer to our goals by talking to people I’ve never met.

“It’s not like I have much choice, otherwise.”

As lenient as Hyperspace Frontier was with its encounters, anything could happen; all I can do is put my nose to the grindstone and hope it won’t take up too much of our time.