They didn't even need Bai Ling to give orders anymore—Dolly, cradled in Eldera's arms, sprang forward on its own and slammed a Riftbreaker to the ground. With sheer, forcibly suppressive strength, it took only moments before several Riftbreakers had completely lost the ability to move.
At the same time, Bai Ling rushed to the overturned vehicle. He wrenched the door open and pulled the occupant out in a way that minimized injury, using the safest leverage and posture he could manage.
The Riftbreakers who had been scrambling to loot supplies noticed the sudden appearance of a dangerous newcomer. Realizing something was wrong, they grabbed what they could and tried to run.
Too late.
The rising blaze of firelight became the last color they ever saw.
"…It's all taken care of, Senpai." Eyjafjalla, staff in hand, walked up to Bai Ling. Her gaze fixed on the wounded person in his arms, full of worry.
But Bai Ling still didn't relax. He lifted his head sharply and looked toward a distant ridgeline.
A red figure had appeared there, giving off an unmistakably feral aura.
Yet once Bai Ling recognized her silhouette, he slowly lowered his guard.
He'd thought it might be another Bone-Crushing clan Riftbreaker, but the scent of "wolf pack" on her was so dense—so defining—that Bai Ling felt as if he were looking at the same person who'd nearly pointed a gun at him back at the valley fortress.
Not just the presence—the Originium-arts energy signature was strikingly similar too.
"Already finished?" she asked, sounding faintly bored as she swaggered right up to Bai Ling.
Those bright golden beast-eyes were almost dazzling. The red hood with ears sticking out made her look absurdly cute.
"…A new face?" she asked. "Who are you?"
"Endfield Industries personnel," Bai Ling replied.
No sooner had he answered than she drifted closer, sniffing along his side as if searching for something.
In that instant, another pop-up flashed before Bai Ling's eyes. Unlike before, it wasn't an unlock message—it looked more like a progress bar.
[Contacted Race: Lupo]
It lasted only a heartbeat, vanishing the moment the little wolf pulled back.
"…Hm. That's not right… this smell… You were with Sister Perlica earlier?" she asked.
"She is—right now—with the Administrator at the Originium Research Institute," Bai Ling said.
"…Originium Research Institute?" The wolf-girl tilted her head, processing where that was. Then her mind caught on a key word in his sentence.
"Administrator?!" she blurted.
"Yes. The Administrator."
"That rumor was true after all!" she said, suddenly bursting with doglike energy—vibrant, animated, practically bouncing.
Bai Ling's instincts pricked.
A wolf-pack kid, thrilled to hear about the Administrator… and she was a little girl.
This valley wasn't wolf-pack territory. The wolf guards were here as reinforcements. From what Perlica had said on the way, there weren't supposed to be other wolf-pack support units.
Which meant…
This little one had snuck out on her own.
Riftbreakers really were a "freedom-loving" bunch.
Some didn't like wearing clothes. Others ignored family responsibilities to chase idols.
Bai Ling couldn't help wondering what the little penguin would think if she saw this little wolf brat.
Small talk over, the wolf-girl snapped straight into command mode.
"Anyone still able to move, get out here! The Riftbreakers are dealt with—why are you still hiding?!"
At her bark, the scattered workers—who'd fled during the looting—began regrouping from corners and cover. They moved quickly, restoring a rough semblance of order.
"So what happened here?" she asked.
Looking at the cargo, most of it was medicine and daily necessities. You wouldn't be transporting that much unless something had gone wrong.
She didn't seem to overthink it. Her golden eyes sparkled as she stared at Bai Ling—who, to her, probably looked soft and harmless.
"…I followed the fallen anchor all the way here. Ran into some guild folks and returned with them to a nearby camp. But the workers transporting supplies didn't come back, so I came out to look," she explained.
Even as she spoke, she seemed to realize something didn't add up… the person in front of her didn't look all that strong… so why was he here?
"I see. By the way, I still don't know your name," Bai Ling said.
"I'm Rosina Wolfcor Lupino—the future pack leader's right-hand and left-hand!" she declared proudly.
"Bai Ling. Endfield Originium testing instructor," Bai Ling said. "These are my companions—Eyjafjalla and Eldera."
"Hello, Rosina," Eldera greeted.
"Your scents are so similar… sisters?" Rosina asked.
She'd heard of Eldera before—an exceptional geologist, originally from Rhodes Island.
People from Rhodes Island always felt "dangerous" in the competent way. And it usually wasn't an illusion—they really were that capable.
Rhodes Island, however, remained deeply mysterious—entangled with every major power, and yet somehow always neutral.
"Since you're Endfield… how about I take you to the camp first?" Rosina offered. "The camp's overwhelmed—short on hands everywhere."
This was the front line of the disaster zone. The crisis hit too suddenly; it was common for people to be swallowed up before they could even react.
"If Endfield personnel show up, it's a strong shot of reassurance."
"…We don't plan to stop here," Bai Ling said. "And honestly, if the Administrator shows up personally, that'll be worth more than us showing up a hundred times over."
As he spoke, he looked up at the sky.
From the mountain road leading from the research institute to here, the hyperdomain rift had always been visible at the edge of the heavens—an unsettling tear in the world.
And now, perhaps because they were getting closer, Bai Ling could feel the symbol on the back of his hand pulling harder and harder.
As if…
The moment he reached that place, something would crack open—and be born.
....
My Patreon : patreon/RuneA
If you want to read the novel in advance, you can subscribe for early access. I also have many more novels in my collection that you might be interested in
I upload ten novels a day, with 3 to 4 chapters per title depending on the length. If you're following a particular series, please wait your turn a little
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it