"Shit—maybe if you distract them while my ship gives cover fire, I can grab another gun," Rox said quickly, turning to Gelhyne, who still wore an unnervingly calm expression despite the horde of undead beasts closing in around them.
"Mhm," Gelhyne murmured without a hint of panic, her gaze fixed on the flickering datapad attached to her wrist.
"You don't need to."
"What?" Rox raised a brow beneath her helmet, confused by her composure.
"Time's up," Gelhyne replied, her tone almost casual.
"Ten minutes have passed."
Before Rox could ask what she meant, a thunderous roar shattered through the air.
*GRAAAAAAAAH!!!
The sound was guttural and primal, echoing across the battlefield as the air itself seemed to shake.
Rox's head snapped upward just in time to see a massive shadow streak through the air, moving with impossible speed.
The figure came crashing down atop one of the hulking Umbral beasts,
*Bang!
its landing created a shockwave that rippled through the ground.
Two enormous blades gleamed for a split second before slashing outward, cleaving through the creature's torso like it was made of paper.
Black ichor splattered in every direction as the beast's body split apart.
"VAKARYANNS, TO ME!" roared a familiar voice—rough, commanding, and filled with battle fury.
Rox's eyes widened slightly. "You've gotta be kidding me…"
From the fading mist, the figure stood tall—a towering warrior—lika a giant, clad in heavy cyborg plating, his insectoid mandibles clicking in rapid rhythm.
It was Gunn.
And just as his command echoed, the ground shook once more—this time from dozens of metallic limbs tearing through the brush.
The Vakaryanns had arrived.
They leapt into the open field, their movements sharp and predatory.
Their gleaming exoskeletons reflected the dim green light of the corrupted battlefield, while mechanical augments hissed and flared with each motion.
With inhuman coordination, they launched themselves at the undead beasts, blades and mandibles slicing through corrupted flesh like shredding fabric.
"KILL THEM ALL!" Gunn's shout bellowed like thunder, his twin swords spinning in a deadly arc as he plunged into the thick of the horde.
Rox stood frozen for a moment, the chaos unfolding before her—Vakaryanns tearing beasts apart, mechanical roars blending with monstrous screams.
Then she chuckled lowly, disbelief mixed with admiration.
"Well… guess our backup finally decided to make an entrance."
Meanwhile, behind the Vakaryanns came the heavy rumble of engines and the deep hum of machines—the rest of Gelhyne's expedition force had arrived.
*Distant rumbling!
Dozens of vehicles burst from the tree line, their metallic hulls reflecting the eerie green glow of the fading mist.
Mounted turrets rotated in preparation while transport rigs screeched to a halt, kicking up dust and debris across the field.
From among the soldiers, a hooded figure sprinted ahead with inhuman speed, landing just beside Gelhyne before dropping to one knee.
"My lady," the figure said respectfully, voice calm even amidst the chaos,
"the reinforcements, along with the tool you requested, have arrived."
Gelhyne's expression didn't change.
She simply nodded, releasing the flow of eidric energy that still pulsed faintly around her palms.
The battle was already in hand—the Vakaryanns were tearing through the last of the corrupted beasts with ruthless precision.
She no longer needed to intervene.
"Very well," she said, brushing dust from her cloak as her eyes swept across the field.
"We make camp here. This location will serve as our staging point… it's highly likely we've found the ruins."
The last word—ruins—hung heavy in the air, its meaning sinking on the ears of the hooded figure.
The hooded figure bowed once more. "Understood, my lady. I'll relay your orders immediately."
Without another word, the messenger turned and dashed back toward the incoming convoy, weaving effortlessly between armored vehicles and troops.
*sigh
Rox huffed, lowering herself onto the patchy grass beneath her as exhaustion finally caught up.
Her helmet visor dimmed slightly, reflecting the grim scene in front of her—Vakaryanns methodically cutting down what remained of the beasts, finishing any that still twitched.
The air was thick with the smell of burnt eidra and decay.
While watching, something caught her attention.
Each time a creature's body fell still, faint wisps of green, necrotic eidric energy began to seep from its wounds.
The smoke-like essence curled upward before drifting back toward the mist in the distance, almost as if being called home.
"This rune of Veristalzes…" Rox muttered, her voice low as her gaze followed the retreating streams of corrupted energy.
"Why is it so important for you to acquire it?" There was no sarcasm in her tone this time—
only genuine curiosity.
Gelhyne stood beside her, arms crossed, the faint breeze tugging at her cloak as she continued to oversee the field.
For a moment, she didn't answer.
Her expression hardened, though her eyes betrayed something heavier—hesitation, or perhaps guilt.
"It's… complicated," Gelhyne finally replied, her voice quiet but firm.
After a brief pause, she turned her head slightly, her tone shifting colder.
"You don't need to concern yourself with my reasons. All you need to do is follow the orders I give you."
She raised her arm, revealing the faint glowing mark etched into her skin—the contract sigil that bound the two of them.
"Ten years," she said flatly, as if to remind Rox of her obligation.
Rox exhaled sharply through her nose, the faint sound of static leaking from her helmet's speaker as she rose to her feet.
Slinging her rifle onto her back, she looked at Gelhyne with half-lidded eyes.
"Whateeever," she muttered, her tone a mix of frustration and resignation.
The truth was, she'd hoped for an answer—just a hint of what made this rune worth all this chaos.
But Gelhyne, as always, kept her secrets locked tight.
And just like that, the light of morning began to fade, giving way to the dim hues of dusk as the last of Gelhyne's expedition forces finally arrived.
The rumble of engines echoed faintly across the clearing, followed by the rhythmic clatter of tools and hurried footsteps as soldiers, engineers, and researchers poured out of their vehicles.
The camp quickly came to life.
Metal pylons were driven into the ground, connecting barriers of faintly glowing eidric energy.
Large tents unfolded from compact capsules, expanding into command posts and field labs.
The air filled with the sounds of voices—orders being shouted, reports being given, and machines whirring to life.
Rox watched from a distance, her visor reflecting the orange tint of the dying sun.
The energy around the place felt tense, charged with both excitement and unease.
Everyone knew what they were preparing for—the veil mist stood ominously nearby, dark and shifting, waiting like a living wall that hid whatever lay beyond.
As the final pylons flickered to life, the camp was finally secured.
Gelhyne stood at its center, arms folded as she observed her people's work with her usual calm precision.
By tomorrow, they would enter the mist.
And if their readings were right, within that suffocating darkness lay the ruins of Veristalzes—home to a rune so powerful it had drawn armies, monsters, and death alike.