They arrived faster than expected.

The dragonfly aircraft cut through the sky and slowed as the landscape below shifted into something far more ancient and imposing.

Gigantic trees rose from the ground like pillars of a forgotten world. Their trunks were massive, some reaching up to fifty meters across, their bark layered with natural grooves that formed tunnels and hollows large enough to house entire groups. The canopy stretched wide, creating a second sky that filtered light into soft green and gold streams drifting downward.

Floating patches of mist coiled between the branches.

The air felt heavier. Denser with mana.

"This is the place," Lyra said as she guided the aircraft lower toward a massive hollow carved naturally into one of the trees. "There are multiple internal cavities. Stable structure. Good for hiding."

But the moment they dipped below the canopy, the air twisted.

A sudden pressure wave rolled across the branches.

Lyra’s eyes sharpened. "...We’re not alone."

Rudrean turned slightly. His instincts reacted before his thoughts did.

"Above."

A screech tore through the air.

Thirty figures burst through the mist.

Cloud Vortex Vultures.

Their massive wings carved spirals into the air itself, each flap generating visible vortex rings that overlapped and compounded. Their bodies were wrapped in rotating wind currents, their claws trailing compressed air that sliced through branches as they descended.

"They locked onto us instantly?!" Ryzen’s voice tensed.

"They’re controlling airflow," Rudrean said, eyes narrowing. "They’re forcing us out."

A violent gust slammed into the aircraft from the side.

The structure tilted sharply.

Lyra stabilized it immediately, but her expression hardened. "If this continues, the aircraft will destabilize."

Another gust followed.

Stronger.

Closer.

They were closing in.

"Alright, leave this to me. I’ll attract them away and kill them. You go hide." Aelira stepped toward the door. "I need more Path Exp anyway."

Rudrean nodded. He only lacked 13 exp to level up his path, while Aelira needed a lot more.

Aelira stepped into the open air and did not fall. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Heavenfall Wind caught her instantly, stabilizing her body in a suspended glide as tight currents wrapped around her limbs. Her posture loosened, but her eyes sharpened.

Thirty Cloud Vortex Vultures turned toward her.

Their formation split with precision.

Half climbed higher into the mist. The rest dove.

They were hunting.

"Good," Aelira murmured softly.

She moved first.

Heavenfall Wind compressed beneath her feet and released in a sharp burst, shifting her sideways just as the first vulture tore through where she had been. Its vortex claws carved the air with enough force to shred bark off distant trees.

Her right hand lifted.

Bloodbound Armory activated.

Crimson patterns spread across her forearm, forming a large-barreled revolver in her grip. Heavy. Refined. Built for decisive shots.

She did not rush.

The first vulture came around again.

Aelira angled her wrist and pulled the trigger.

One shot.

A compressed wind bullet tore forward, pierced through its vortex field, and entered its skull. The pressure detonated inside an instant later.

The body dropped.

Twenty-nine.

The rest adjusted immediately.

They spread out, vortex fields overlapping as they began to control the surrounding airflow, subtly interfering with her movement.

Phoenix Flame ignited along her left arm.

Held.

Condensed.

Aelira accelerated.

She cut diagonally upward through a gap in their formation. Two vultures intercepted from opposite angles.

Two shots.

Clean.

Both fell before completing their dive.

Twenty-seven.

A third came from above, faster than the rest.

Aelira didn’t raise her gun.

Her left hand shifted.

Phoenix Flame and Heavenfall Wind fused into a thin plasma edge along her palm.

She stepped in and cut once.

The vulture split cleanly.

Twenty-six.

The flock grew aggressive.

Their circling stopped.

All of them dove together.

A coordinated kill strike.

Aelira exhaled slowly.

"Finally."

She holstered the revolver into her armory space and kept her left hand active, flame restrained and ready.

She dropped.

Then surged upward into them.

A shot.

A cut.

A shift in position.

Another shot.

Another kill.

Her movements flowed seamlessly, each action chained into the next with perfect timing.

The formation broke apart under pressure.

But in that chaos, one smart vulture vanished from her perception for a fraction of a second.

Too clean.

Too silent.

It appeared behind her.

A sneak attack.

Its vortex claws fully compressed, aimed straight at the back of her neck.

No time to turn.

No time to react.

But a silvery-gold shield manifested instantly behind her.

Circular.

Elegant.

This was the weapon that she manifested from the cube gift that Lyra gave. It was a shield that could protect her automatically and even store kinetic energy to channel it into something else for a boost.

Its surface was etched with flowing vermillion patterns that pulsed faintly with energy.

The attack struck.

The impact rang out sharply as the vortex claws collided with the shield’s surface.

The force dispersed.

Redirected.

The shield held.

Aelira’s eyes flickered slightly.

"...right."

Her weapon.

The one she had manifested from Lyra’s cube.

The shield dissolved as quickly as it had appeared.

Aelira twisted mid-air.

Her revolver reformed in her right hand.

She fired point-blank.

The vulture’s head collapsed instantly.

Twenty-five.

Her expression sharpened further.

"No blind spots."

The remaining vultures hesitated.

Too late.

Aelira accelerated again, this time faster and sharper.

She closed the distance instantly.

A shot pierced through one.

Her blade carved through another.

She weaved through the remaining flock, each movement lethal, each strike final.

The sky filled with fragments as bodies dropped one after another.

Aelira raised her revolver one last time.

Heavenfall Wind condensed deeply into the chamber.

Three shots.

Three kills.

The last few tried to flee.

She didn’t allow it.

A final burst of speed.

Two precise cuts.

Silence returned.

Thirty Cloud Vortex Vultures.

Gone.

Aelira hovered in place as the wind currents calmed around her.

The faint afterimage of the silvery-gold shield flickered once in her mind.

"...nice," she murmured.

[ Aelira — +30 Path Exp — 3 x Blank Runes (B-rank) ]

She made her way back to the secret spot and regrouped with the others.

The hollow space inside the tree was quite spacious, and the airflow was also great since there were many holes in the tree’s trunk.

Inside, they could see a complex structure of wood that provided energy and nutrition to the whole tree.

"Now then, I’ll be in your care." Ryzen took a deep breath and finished the small fruit in two bites.