Caspian launched his massive body forward, the sheer muscular kinesis of his stride cracking the gravel beneath his heavy boots.

Even while carrying Hana with the absolute gentlest precision, his steadiness and speed entirely outclassed the raw agility of the felines.

With every single step, he covered thrice the distance of a bounding leopard, his tail cutting through the mountain air behind them like a black rudder to maintain a perfectly smooth, vibration-free ride for Hana’s belly.

​"Rats run fast," Caspian rumbled down to her, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that resonated right against Hana’s spine. "But dragons fly. Hold tight, mine."

​Raiden and Kulu didn’t lag behind either. Raiden’s nine pink tails swept back into a sleek, aerodynamic fan, his emerald eyes glinting with a vicious, competitive focus as he kept perfect pace right at Caspian’s side, deliberately cutting off Ren’s line of sight whenever the white-haired leopard tried to peer back at Hana.

Above them, Kulu took to the low air currents, his crimson wings flaring in a powerful down-stroke that sent a localized gale of wind rushing over the vanguard below, effectively kicking the leopards’ own dust right back into their smug faces.

​Within minutes, the flashy, prided speed of the Frost-Claw vanguard began to stutter. Ren’s chest was heaving, his white-furred ears pinning back in pure psychological frustration as he realized that no matter how hard his people strained their joints, they couldn’t even force the dragon king to break a sweat.

Caspian was literally strolling at top speed, entirely unbothered by the steep altitude.

​Hana rested her head against Caspian’s broad shoulder, her eyes fixed flatly on her tablet screen while her hand kept a steady, protective hold over the tight white fabric stretching across her abdomen.

Her system interface quietly chimed as it mapped out the terrain after they breached the border line of the lower ridges.

> ​[CURRENT SUB-SECTOR: FROST-CLAW MOUNTAIN RANGE]

> Atmospheric Pressure: Stable.

> Anomalous Signal Source: 1.2 Kilometers Ahead.

> Target Verified: Aegis Sub-Station 05 (Status: Fractured Shell / Low-Level Structural Compromise).

​"We’re entering your territory, Ren," Hana announced, her voice clinical and completely steady despite the blistering speed of their transit. "Slow down your vanguard before you run them out of energy completely trying to compete with Caspian."

Ren halted his stride with a hard, sliding crunch against the grey stone, his black-striped tail thrashing as he caught his breath. He stared up at Hana with a fresh wave of unbridled awe, his chest heaving.

They had just shaved a two-hour mountain sprint down to less than fifteen minutes, and she hadn’t even looked shaken.

​As Caspian smoothly set Hana down onto her feet in a wide, frost-dusted clearing, she looked up.

​Standing right in the center of the rocky basin was the familiar, rectangular metal structure of Bunker 05. But unlike the sealed, pristine walls of the ones back at the fox palace, this one had a massive, jagged breach torn right through the corner at the back side.

It looked as if a heavy piece snapped off during the collapse centuries ago, leaving a gaping hole that exposed the heavy metal plating and thick wires inside. That would’ve been the conclusion if Ren hadn’t said the hole appeared a month ago.

It was truly mysterious.

​Hana adjusted the strap of her tactical harness over her dress and rubbed her rounded belly, her dark eyes narrowing as she took in the sight once again.

​Right on cue, a sharp, high-pitched ring echoed in her mind, and the blue glowing text of her system floated into her field of vision, hovering invisibly in the air where only she could see it.

> ​[NEW MILESTONE]

> Located Aegis Sub-Station 05 of 07.

> Condition: Damaged Hull / Weapons Cache Exposed.

> Reward: +15,000 Karmic Points.

​Ren hurried over, carefully setting his sister Mina down on a flat rock before turning to Hana. He gestured toward the gaping hole in the metal wall. "This is it. Like I said, we’ve been using the straps and the gear that fell out of that breach, but the inner doors inside are completely locked shut. We can’t get any further."

​Hana didn’t look at his dazed, admiring expression. She tapped her fingers against her thigh, her mind already organizing the layout.

She couldn’t tell what made the hole but if she went inside and took a closer look, she might find a clue. And if she doesn’t, it didn’t matter as long as she got her haul.

​"Alright, cat," Hana said, her voice dropping into her signature flat, commanding tone as she walked toward the broken entrance. "Let’s see what kind of hardware your tribe has been hoarding."

But before Hana could even take three steps toward the metal breach, a sudden, high-pitched shout echoed from the surrounding cliffs.

​"They’re back! The Alpha has returned!"

​Almost instantly, the quiet, frost-dusted basin erupted into a flurry of movement. Dozens of snow leopard tribespeople emerged from the caves and rugged stone huts carved into the mountainside.

They flooded down into the clearing, their anxious expressions melting into pure relief the moment they saw Ren’s vanguard.

​"Mina! You’re alive!"

​A group of females rushed forward, tears streaming down their faces as they hurried to where she was sitting and she also teared up, happy to be reunited with her friends and families.

The vanguard warriors were immediately surrounded by their families, everyone talking at once, touching their arms, and offering prayers of thanks to their ancestors.

Ren was the current strongest warrior of the Frost-Claw tribe—the backbone of their defense. If they had lost him and his top fighters to the illusions of the Crimson Court, the entire tribe would have been left completely vulnerable to the other predatory factions of the ridges.

​Among the crowd, several small children, their white-furred ears twitching with intense curiosity, peeked out from behind their mothers’ leather skirts. Their wide, round eyes completely bypassed Ren, landing instead on the massive, imposing figures standing behind and beside Hana.

​They had never seen beastmen like this before. They stared in absolute awe at Caspian’s towering, dark scaled frame and the faint orange warmth radiating from his skin.

Then they looked up at Kulu, whose massive crimson wings, though currently softened and tucked, still looked incredibly majestic and dangerous.

​"Step back, children," a deep, raspy voice commanded, cutting through the emotional chatter.

​The crowd parted respectfully to let an old snow leopard beastman pass. He walked slowly, his back slightly hunched under a heavy fur cloak, and he leaned heavily on a polished wooden cane with every step.

His white hair was long and weathered, and though his icy blue eyes were dim with cataract shadows, they still held a sharp, lingering intelligence. He was the tribal chief. He had been a legendary warrior in his youth, but while a beastman could fight off rivals and monsters, no one could defeat age.

​The chief stopped a few paces away from the group, his eyes scanning Hana’s tight white dress and her prominent, rounded belly, before finally locking onto the massive dragon king.

​With a slow, deliberate grace, the old chief lowered his cane and bowed his head deeply toward Caspian.

​"Greetings, Fire King," the chief said, his voice cracking slightly but remaining steady. "The reputation of your burning blood echoes even down into our frost valleys. The Frost-Claw tribe welcomes you. We are deeply indebted to your party for bringing our daughters home from the fox’s den."