Now that Rei could control the Chaos Scepter to some extent, he knew this was not the end. Far from it.
Three lines of defense were just the beginning. Not nearly enough.
Rei sat at the corner desk of Midgard's inner room, the violet-wrapped Chaos Scepter resting beside him like a docile beast... for now. His fingers drummed the wooden table as he stared blankly at the ceiling.
"What if the collar breaks? What if the bomb malfunctions? What if the Krystallite crown can't keep my mind tethered?"
His mind was a storm. He needed more layers. Redundant systems. Traps within traps.
But one truth was already becoming evident—this city, once a haven of growth and anonymity, could no longer support the breadth of his needs. It had taught him well, allowed him space to train and experiment, but its resources were finite. The deeper knowledge he sought—the stranger ores, the rarer materials—weren't here.
Rei stood abruptly, his decision clear.
"Tenko," he said, and the small white fox perked up from his pillow, "we're moving."
Tenko hopped onto his shoulder with a chirp, tail curling slightly in surprise.
Together, they headed to the Hunter's Tower. The atmosphere buzzed with chatter and the scent of steel and leather. Rei approached the large bulletin board and requested an information ledger on the nearby cities and towns. The receptionist handed him a stack of hand-copied parchment listings.
Rei sat down and sifted through them carefully, scanning each town for potential.
"Trade hub… no. Mostly textile exports… no."
He flipped through several more, eyebrows furrowed.
Then, his eyes stopped on a particular entry.
Hazel Town—Designated Mining District—Population: ~4,000—Noted for deep-core excavation, abundant mineral veins, and ore transportation routes.
"A mining town…" Rei muttered.
The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. To develop stronger failsafes, he'd need rarer materials, possibly even something undiscovered. Hazel Town's ore-rich terrain might offer just that.
He cross-referenced the route.
The bandit problem that had plagued the roads was recently cleared, according to the latest hunter reports. That alone didn't reassure Rei entirely, but it was enough.
Preparations came swiftly.
Rei appointed a trusted official to manage mayoral duties in his absence, under the condition that Rei's directives were still to be honored, especially concerning public order and trade decisions.
"I'm not relinquishing power," Rei had told him. "Just extending it."
He gathered his belongings—scrolls, weapons, tools—and organized Midgard's contents. His room at the far end of the cart became a vault, each item placed with care and logic.
Finally, he wheeled Midgard out of the town's east gate.
Shane stood there, arms crossed, watching.
"You're really leaving?" he asked, voice unreadable.
"I have to," Rei replied simply. "There are things I can't find here."
"...Don't die."
Rei nodded, the two sharing a final look before Midgard creaked forward once more.
Midgard's wheels rolled smoothly as Rei channeled Qi through the interior core. The steering system clicked into alignment as gears shifted with mechanical grace. Tenko sat by the window, watching the passing trees and fields.
It was a peaceful journey—until it wasn't.
A shadow appeared on the horizon. A man, riding a black horse, was heading straight toward them at speed. Sword in hand, posture rigid, eyes wild. Rei sensed it instantly.
Bloodlust.
"Tenko," Rei murmured, steering Midgard hard to the right.
The attacker shifted course just as fast. He wasn't targeting Midgard by accident—he was locked on.
Midgard had some weapons—crossbows, small bolt shooters—but they were largely untested and weren't built to deal with high-speed mounted threats.
"I can't outrun this," Rei realized.
With a sharp twist of the control rod, he steered Midgard into a near-collision course. Just as the man and horse closed the distance, Rei jerked Midgard's left side down into a slope. The horse lost footing, crashed against the metal plating, and tumbled.
Rei reacted instantly. He drew his crossbow and fired.
Thud.
The bolt struck the rider's side. He staggered—but did not fall. Blood splattered the cart, but the man kept advancing like a corpse that refused to understand death.
"What the hell is happening, Tenko!?"
Tenko, baring his teeth, launched wind blades—slicing gusts sharp enough to flay skin from bone.
Still, the man stood. His body shook from the force but showed no reaction, no pain.
The horse, impossibly, rose again, too.
"This fight is useless!" Rei yelled. "Tenko—inside! Now!"
The fox dashed back into Midgard as Rei twisted the mechanism, turning the cart back onto the path. But the man and his mount followed, relentless, mechanical.
"Why is it following me?" Rei muttered, sweat cold on his brow. "Orders? Instinct? Hunger? Rage?"
He didn't have answers. But he had a test.
Just ahead was a branch in the road—a known bandit route. If the rider was targeting Rei specifically, he'd ignore them. If not…
Midgard swerved left.
Bandits came into view—five of them, lounging and playing dice. They looked up, confused, as Rei barreled through.
Moments later, the rider descended on them like a reaper. The clash was fast and brutal. Flesh tore. Steel clanged. Screams cut the wind.
Rei didn't stop. He only glanced back once.
"They're not surviving that," he said, heart pounding. "That was too close…"
He pressed on toward Hazel Town, now with a far greater caution than before.
Back at the blood-drenched field, silence returned.
The bloodlusted man stood—barely. His body was torn, bones visible in places. And yet he kept moving, twitching.
A boy in a tattered blanket walked forward. He stopped just beyond the dying firelight, before slowly casting off the cloth.
Beneath it were noble garments—elegant fabrics lined with gold. A sharp emblem shone on his chestplate, barely dulled by dust.
He was unmistakably of royalty.
The boy—no, the prince—looked down at the creature that had once been a man.
"So… my sister sent you," he said coldly. "She wants the throne badly enough to send an abomination?"
The creature let out a shriek and charged.
The prince didn't flinch.
His blade flashed once—silver and fast—and the creature split in half.
Steam hissed from the torn halves like it was leaking something unnatural.
"I always knew she wanted the throne," he muttered. "But this? Sending a living corpse after me?"
He looked at his blood-splattered reflection on the sword.
"I can't let her win. Not now. Not with this."
From behind, a man approached. He dragged a woman bound at the wrists and threw her down.
"She helped your sister. One of the ones who brewed the concoction for that thing."
The prince nodded. "You can go."
The man obeyed and left.
Now only the prince and the woman remained.
He looked at her with unsettling calm.
"What is my sister planning?"
The woman chuckled once, then louder.
"To see the cards fall," she said, eyes burning. "She wants everyone's hand revealed before the final round begins."
The prince's gaze darkened. Her laughter echoed, mocking, mad.
He said nothing, but his grip on the sword tightened.