Days away from the Eternal Village, far to the west, stretched vast grassy plains, their rich expanse punctuated by meandering rivers and shimmering lakes that lent a serene beauty to the landscape. Rolling hills, crowned with dense forests, emerged like islands amidst this sweeping natural paradise.

  No towns, villages, or signs of civilization marred the pristine wilderness. Here, the orchestra of nature played undisturbed—the melodious songs of birds mingled with the steady, rhythmic hum of insects, creating an ambiance untouched by human hands.

  Amid this sanctuary of disappearing wilderness, an eagle soared high above the treetops, its wings slicing through the crisp air. As it glided over a small hill to the east, its piercing cry echoed across the hills and forests.

  The cry was a message, an unmistakable signal for those who understood its meaning.

  Moments after the eagle’s call, dormant eyes blinked open in scattered corners of the forest, awakening to the signal. Soon, the surrounding silence gave way to the sound of massive footsteps pounding against the earth, each one reverberating like a distant rumble of thunder.

  In the heart of a particularly dense patch of forest, a rustling disturbance broke through the stillness. A moment later, an enormous beast emerged from the cover of the trees. It was a creature of immense stature, crowned with giant horns and a grand, natural crest upon its head; an intimidating figure even amidst its untamed surroundings.

  Up above, the white eagle—its yellow beak glinting in the fading light—began its descent from the sky. It plunged toward a grassy clearing free of towering trees, the perfect place for a gathering. As it neared the ground, the clearing suddenly came alive. From their concealed habitats, beasts of various sizes and kinds emerged, their forms moving cautiously into the open. Within mere moments, the clearing became a bustling hub of creatures, numbering over two dozen—a gathering larger than what was typically seen in these territories.

  “Veris!” called an eagle in a sharp yet familiar tone as it landed gracefully on the soft grass. The creatures present turned their attention to the eagle, though many of them carried a visible air of uncertainty.

  Veris stood at the center of the group, recognizing the high turnout of the horde—this was far more than the typical gathering of her people—but she wasted no time on pleasantries. Instead, she cut straight to the heart of the matter, her voice sharp and laden with urgency.

  “Tyrannosaurus Rexes are on the move,” Veris declared, her tone rising above the quiet murmurs as heads turned to face her. “I spotted a group of them traveling between the southern and northern borders of Arcanis!”

  The leader of the horde shifted his gaze, his sharp eyes narrowing with focus as a deep sigh escaped him—a puff heavy with regret and contemplation.

  “How many?” he asked curtly, his voice steady but laced with tension. As he spoke, the flow of mana within his body began to stir instinctively, his energy rising as if preparing for a battle that could begin at any moment.

  “Six,” Veris replied, her tone firm but cautious. “They appeared to be searching for us.” As she spoke, her sharp gaze locked with the leader’s, who stood as the only Mystic among their horde. “I’ve sent Eliot back to alert the Eternal Village. By now, they should know what is coming.”

  Cecys looked at the dinosaur on her right, worried about where this would lead. “Could this be Reji’s first move?” she asked about the level 5 Tyrannosaurus Rex that had caused the horde to flee from Arcanis.

  The leader paused, considering her words, his form still as a granite statue amid the restless group. “It’s possible… but regardless, we must prepare. Eventually, they’ll find us—or worse, they’ll locate the Eternal Village. We cannot, and will not, allow either to happen!” His tone sharpened at the end, a commanding force that carried over the murmurs of the group as he surveyed the surrounding gathering.

  No one in the clearing dared to question the horde leader’s statement. It wasn’t merely out of deference to his authority as their supreme leader; it was because every beast there understood the depth of their relationship with the Eternal Village and the vital role it played in their survival. The alliance forged with Jonn had been transformative in ways they could not have imagined.

  Since the beginning of their pact, the horde had grown significantly, gaining over 30 new beasts and enhancing the capabilities of its original members. What had once been a modest, fragmented group now stood strong. Much of that change could be traced back to Jonn. The Eternal Village’s resources and support had breathed new life into the horde.

  Hence, they couldn’t easily accept someone threatening the Eternal Village!

  “We’ll send a larger group to the village and another to investigate the movements of the Tyrannosaurus Rexes,” the horde leader declared, his tone firm and brooking no argument. “Let’s do what we can to throw those bastards off while we prepare for what’s coming!”

  With no need for further discussion, the group broke apart, each beast going to fulfill their respective roles. Those appointed to aid the Eternal Village or gather intelligence on the Tyrannosaurus Rexes moved quickly, knowing their missions were critical to the survival of both the horde and their human allies.

  Several days passed as Uranius awaited word from Acelin and his men.

  The land and slave lord of Lost Treasures attended to his daily affairs in his city, yet his thoughts constantly returned to the legacy of Hewet Irondoom, the Destroyer. Nearly four months had elapsed since the group’s departure for the Eternal Village, and Uranius felt certain enough time had passed for Acelin to reach his destination.

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  The silence from the group wasn’t unexpected. In this era of dove-carried messages, news often lagged weeks or even months behind events. Particularly, the journey between Uranius’ territory and the suspected location of the Eternal Village could take 2-3 months for a group like Acelin’s. Assuming all went smoothly, any message would arrive only after this period.

  Yet, considering the flight time for birds through the region, Uranius calculated that messages from Acelin could have reached him as early as two weeks ago. The continued silence during these weeks gnawed at him daily, feeding his growing anxiety for news from his mercantile ally.

  Today found him once again in his office, gazing from his balcony, the papers and orders on his desk forgotten as he stared absently at his city’s main street.

  ‘The unoccupied expanse of the Barren Hills of Deepshadow is vast. A group like mine would need one to three weeks to traverse its entire length,’ he reasoned, attempting to justify the ‘delay’ in his expected message.

  The possibility of his group’s failure never crossed his mind. Hewet had been dead for over three years, and any protective mechanisms he had left for the village would have deteriorated by now.

  Magic was remarkable. With enough mana, one could construct intricate mechanisms by hand. Alternatively, those lacking much mana but possessing the knowledge could design artificial systems capable of extraordinary autonomous functions without requiring a great mage’s power.

  Yet even these possibilities had their limitations. Defensive formations, whether created through powerful mages’ abilities or complex artificial mechanisms, inevitably lost their effectiveness over time.

  Three years was ample time for such protections to become virtually harmless, even when created by someone of the Destroyer’s caliber!

  Understanding this, Uranius didn’t expect any of Hewet’s remaining defenses to impede his group. But if the old Destroyer’s legacy posed no obstacle to their plans, what else could? The Barren Hills of Deepshadow were a wasteland devoid of value. The likelihood of encountering bandit groups or even beasts was negligible. Meanwhile, the Eternal Village was weak and couldn’t withstand an assault from over 100 people, especially with mages among them—Uranius speculated.

  The only logical explanation for Acelin’s delayed message must relate to difficulties in locating the village and Hewet’s inheritance.

  ‘The village must be well-concealed… But surely Acelin has found it by now. The real question is how thoroughly the old man has hidden his treasure.’ Uranius’ expression hardened as he considered, for the first time, that Hewet might not have left his inheritance easily accessible.

  “Could that explain the delay?” he muttered, clenching his fists.

  “Master?” a female voice inquired from the office doorway.

  Uranius ignored his secretary, absorbed in his thoughts. 'It’s possible… entirely possible that Acelin and the others won’t easily locate my treasures. Damn it! Why didn’t I consider this earlier? I’ll need to dispatch more men for the search!’

  ‘The damned Destroyer died almost three years ago. Even if others remain unaware, someone from Eldoria might notice something or uncover the truth while searching for the old guy!’

  Uranius knew even more about Hewet’s history than Acelin. He knew that people had been hunting Hewet since the Destroyer's departure from the Royal Army. While alive, Hewet could somehow elude these groups, but with his death, no one protected information about his whereabouts or vital status anymore. All it would take was one persistent searcher for news of his death to spread. And when that happened…

  Uranius’ expression grew grimmer at this possibility, considering Valorian’s remaining mage groups and sovereign powers—forces that could easily overwhelm him.

  He commanded, “Assemble another raiding party of mages and common warriors.” He turned to the woman standing at the office door, awaiting his orders. “Send them to the independent territory of the Barren Hills of Deepshadow to locate the Eternal Village.”

  “The same as Acelin’s group?” the woman asked, surprised by the order for another contingent in that area.

  "Yes," Uranius replied curtly, returning his gaze to the city’s central street. “Execute this quickly. It’s vital that this group joins Acelin as soon as possible.”

  She nodded and departed to handle her leader’s orders.

  Uranius commanded substantial forces, with no shortage of groups available for such missions. She didn’t question her leader’s interest in this area, focusing instead on identifying candidates who could leave immediately as she left her master behind.

  ‘I hope this proves unnecessary.’ Uranius sighed, turning back to the pending work on his desk. ‘Your letter had better arrive within days, Acelin. Otherwise, I’ll face complications!’

  Several weeks passed, bringing another seasonal change and another round of negotiations between the Eternal Village and allied traders.

  The village completed another harvest and field expansion while also collecting Aether Tears for the allied horde. Most significantly, their trade resources, combined with coins earned from recent battles, secured their most substantial purchases in years!

  After weeks of tension and anticipation about battles against increasingly powerful enemies from all directions, the village enjoyed celebratory days during the harvest and post-harvest trading.

  This time, the community avoided acquiring new animals, already managing a large group of creatures that challenged their feeding capacity. Instead, they focused on rare regional materials—wood, minerals, plants, and study materials.

  The village deployed over 50 wagons to transport its purchases, bringing enough resources from the southeast to complete its current construction projects and expand further.

  Fortunately, they had previously communicated their material requirements to their trading partners, enabling them to sell all their surplus food and still spend half their coin reserves.

  Beyond these village development items, the community also secured enough animal meat for a month—their largest acquisition ever. At this rate, Elia projected that within two years at most, the community could enjoy daily meals with animal meat!

  This marked a crucial milestone that the Council aimed to achieve, with the entire community working toward its realization.

  Meanwhile, the village strengthened its magical capabilities, gaining two new individuals with mana sensitivity while also enhancing the powers of existing members. All those Jonn had previously identified now reached level 1, with Alis approaching level 2.

  Elia and Eliot continued to improve, though without a clear timeline for advancing to level 3. As for Jonn, he had recently peaked at his current level and had been working diligently to approach level 4.

  Perhaps the most significant recent development came from Annabelle and Mimosa, who became the village’s first beasts to attain level 3!

  Despite these advancements and temporary peace, Jonn and his fellow mages remained tense and unsatisfied. Nearly two months of searching for Hewet’s inheritance had yielded nothing but ordinary caves containing remnants of mages who had fallen in the last war.

  Amidst this, the anticipated arrival of the Dayflare Family’s reinforcements drew near—the first expected event before chaos potentially engulfed their community.

  And that moment was imminent!

  On a tranquil afternoon with stable weather, village patrolmen hurried back to the central area after spotting a large convoy of carriages approaching from the south!