​Lord Kaelen looked down at the bleeding, disgraced Matriarch, then turned his gaze back to Hana.

The old fox’s expression held a deep, unyielding respect now—not just for the raw, violent power of her protectors, but for the absolute, terrifying clarity of her intellect.

She had cleared his tribe’s name of a heinous crime, exposed the cancer within his spires, and solidified her presence in his court without breaking a single sweat.

​The system window in Hana’s peripheral vision gave another sharp, steady blink.

> ​[QUEST PROGRESS: 100%]

> Objective Met: Investigate the Crimson Court and validate the Ancestral Claim. Determine Raiden’s position and expand your influence.

> Result: High Sovereign Kaelen’s slate is cleared. The Crimson Court is now highly favorable to your layout. Influence expanded.

But still no reward. Hana thought. She would have to fulfill the currently paused objective in order to get the reward.

​"Take her away," Lord Kaelen commanded his remaining elders, his voice heavy with ancient authority. "The spires will handle her judgment. As for the contract..." He looked directly at Hana, his red-tipped tails lowering into a respectful bow. "The courtyard belongs to you, human. The ancestral steel is yours to open."

​Ten minutes later, the procession returned to the bright morning sun of the main courtyard.

The fourteen liberated females were being safely tended to by Ren’s snow leopard vanguard, while Ren himself stood near the edge of the stairs, his icy blue eyes still tracking Hana’s every move with intense, captivated admiration.

Hana walked toward the first bunker, Bunker 03, her steps steady as she approached the heavy scanning grid that had sat dark and inactive for ages.

She lifted her hand and pressed it flat against the cold glass interface, allowing the central mainframe to scan her biometrics and confirm her genetic data.

​"Executing biometric scanning sequence override," Hana murmured flatly, her eyes reflecting the dim glow of her tablet. "Name, Hana. Race, human."

​She waited for a second, the courtyard falling completely silent around her. Suddenly, the dead screen underneath her palm flickered to life, sending a bright blue grid of light passing up and down her hand.

​BEEP. HUMMMMMM—

​A mechanical voice, cold and automated from the old world, echoed out of the hidden audio grill above the frame.

> ​[OVERRIDE DETECTED]

> Name: Hana.

> Race: Human.

> Biometric Confirmation: Authorized.

> Welcome back, human.

​The six elders gasped synchronously, their eyes bulging as they watched the glowing red defense lights of the structure switch to a peaceful, steady green.

Lord Kaelen’s pristine white fur bristled in genuine shock, his eleven red-tipped tails lowering slightly as centuries of his family’s mythic claims were shattered by a single computerized voice.

Ren’s jaw dropped entirely, his ears pinning back against his head as he stared at the glowing text.

​Hana didn’t look back at them. As the mechanical locking pins began to slide back on the second structure right next to it, her lips curved into a sharp, superior smirk.

​"Now that’s how you do it," she said, her voice dropping into a cold, satisfied hum. "These bunkers are mine."

​A deep, low-frequency vibration rattled the gravel beneath their feet, so violent that it shook the ancient foundations of the nearby spires.

The thick green vines and centuries of baked-on dirt covering the massive metal doors began to crack, snap, and peel away like dry paper as the old-world pneumatic seals hissed to life after hundreds of years of stagnation.

​PFFFFFFFFFSHHHHH!

​The heavy, indestructible alloy doors of both Bunker 03 and Bunker 04 split perfectly down the center, slowly sliding back into the concrete-reinforced frame to expose the dark, sprawling cavern of warehouses inside.

Thick clouds of chilled dust rolled out onto the gravel, carrying the sharp, metallic scent of sealed machinery and untouched old-world technology.

​Chime! Chime! Chime!

​The neon blue system interface exploded across Hana’s vision in a brilliant, cascading shower of golden light and celebratory sound effects.

​> [MAIN QUEST: REGIONAL EXPANSION AND SIDE QUEST THE TWIN PILLARS BET – BOTH COMPLETED!]

> [Reward: +500,000 Karmic Points/ High-Tier Blueprint: Advanced Laboratory Sector.]

> System Ledger Recalculating...

-497,880 + 500,000 = +2,120 Karmic Points.

> ​[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST! YOUR DEBT HAS BEEN FULLY CLEARED!]

> Current Balance: 2,120 Karmic Points (POSITIVE STATUS).

​Hana let out a slow, quiet breath, a cold, intensely satisfied smirk stretching across her lips as she looked at the positive balance.

For sixteen days, she had been buried under an astronomical deficit, carrying out the system’s administrative quests at every turn. Now, the slate was clean. She was officially in the green.

​Before she could even swipe the window away, the system gave a sharp, high-pitched ring, dropping a special promotion tab directly into her center screen.

> ​[SYSTEM MILESTONE REWARD UNLOCKED: THE GREEN ZONE STORE]

> Special Provision: To celebrate clearing your debt, temporary discounts have been applied to high-tier terminal upgrades.

> ​Option A: [UNLIMITED SYSTEM INVENTORY EXTRACTION]

—​Standard Price: 200,000 Karmic Points.

—Current Discount: 70% OFF.

—​Special Balance Cost: 60,000 Karmic Points.

—​Description: Upgrades your layout to allow instantaneous, weightless storage of all physical materials within a 50-meter radius into the system mainframe.

​> Option B: [HAWK-EYE MK-7 TACTICAL VANGUARD RIFLE]

—​Standard Price: 300,000 Karmic Points.

—​Current Discount: FLASH SALE.

—Special Balance Cost: 90,000 Karmic Points.

—​Description: High-tier energy firearm utilizing concentrated plasma core ammunition. Massive, localized firepower capable of vaporizing high-level beastman defensive shielding.

> ​System Warning: Current Positive Balance is 2,120. Purchase will require a temporary return to minor deficit parameters (-57,880 for Option A OR -87,880 for Option B). Host cannot purchase both items simultaneously due to current liquidity limits.

​Hana narrowed her dark eyes, her mind instantly running a strict cost-benefit analysis. She was going to go back into the red if she bought either of them, but... they were just so tempting.

​The Hawk-Eye rifle was an incredible asset—massive, unhinged firepower held in one hand. It would give her a ridiculous advantage against any apex beasts on the ridges.

But looking at the massive, sprawling warehouses of supplies currently sitting wide open inside Bunkers 03 and 04, she knew the rifle wasn’t what her layout required right now.

​They were deep in another territory, surrounded by the Crimson Court and a suspicious band of snow leopards.

To manually carry thousands of crates of old-world supplies, medical rations, and technology back to their home den across multiple mountain ranges would take the Boars having to come all the way here and strain her mates once again.

Even if they were very good at it, she was starting to... consider them.

​The Unlimited Inventory was the only logical choice. With a 70% discount, it was a massive steal that would allow her to instantly strip both bunkers bare and walk away with the entire sector’s resources in her pocket.

And besides, there was another bunker she had to open in the leopard’s territory. The reward for finding a bunker is 15k karmic points so she would start heading back to the green gradually.

She would strip their warehouse dry, and if she mated with her mates the next day and got 45k karmic points, she would be in the clear once again.

It was a great strategy.

​"I can save up for the gun later," Hana muttered flatly to herself, her finger tapping the blue icon for Option A without a single shred of hesitation. "Right now, I need to clear the warehouse."

​Chime.

> ​[UPGRADE PURCHASED: UNLIMITED SYSTEM INVENTORY INTEGRATED]

> Current Balance: -57,880 Karmic Points.

​Hana closed the screen, her lips curving into a sharp, superior smirk as she looked up from her tablet.

The dark, cavernous vaults of the opened bunkers lay right in front of her, ready to be swept into her digital ledger.

"Hana, do we need to call the boars?" Raiden asked.