Chapter 81 - 79: We Need a Mountain

Chapter 81: Chapter 79: We Need a Mountain

The first indication that Arin’s peaceful week was over came when EVE walked into breakfast and said, "We need a mountain."

Arin stopped halfway through drinking his tea.

Lyra looked up from her toast.

Luna stopped spreading jam.

Lucan, who had returned to Elysium two nights earlier and had somehow already developed the habit of appearing whenever free food existed, continued eating.

Arin slowly lowered his cup.

"A mountain."

"Correct."

"An entire mountain?"

"Preferably."

Lucan swallowed.

"I leave for a few weeks and this is what breakfast conversations become?"

Arin looked at him.

"You came back voluntarily."

"I clearly underestimated the danger."

EVE ignored both of them and projected a geological map above the table.

A mountain range appeared roughly two hundred and seventy kilometers northwest of Elysium.

Several peaks glowed.

One turned red.

CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION

PROJECT: DEEP RESERVE

STATUS: BLOCKED

PRIMARY REQUIREMENT:

HIGH-DENSITY MANA-STABLE BASALT

ESTIMATED REQUIREMENT:

184,000 TONNES

Lucan stopped eating.

"How much?"

"One hundred eighty-four thousand tonnes."

"You aren’t mining a mountain."

EVE looked at him.

"Correct."

Lucan relaxed.

"We require approximately eleven percent of one."

Lucan stared at her.

"That didn’t help."

Arin leaned forward.

"What is Deep Reserve?"

The projection changed.

Elysium’s current underground infrastructure appeared.

Power storage.

Water reserves.

Emergency shelters.

Food warehouses.

Fabrication stockpiles.

Then EVE highlighted several unpleasant numbers.

Elysium’s population had grown.

Haven trade had expanded.

Public infrastructure had transferred partially into civic control.

And Elysium’s emergency reserves had not expanded at the same rate.

"Current reserves support the civilian population for approximately thirty-eight days under total external isolation," EVE explained.

Arin frowned.

"That’s low."

"Yes."

Lucan stared at him.

"Thirty-eight days of complete isolation is low?"

"For Elysium?"

Arin nodded.

"Very."

EVE continued.

"Deep Reserve would establish independent underground water, food, medical, energy, fabrication, and evacuation reserves sufficient for approximately six months."

Now Arin understood.

This wasn’t another weapon.

It wasn’t a mysterious vault.

It was boring.

Extremely useful boring.

Exactly the kind of project he wanted.

"Why this basalt?"

"Mana stability."

A sample appeared.

Ordinary stone exposed to Elysium’s high-density power systems gradually accumulated microfractures.

The selected basalt did not.

"Known deposit?"

"Yes."

"Then buy it."

EVE’s expression changed slightly.

Arin knew that expression.

"Problem."

"Yes."

"How bad?"

"The deposit is inside the Ashenback Highlands."

Lucan finally stopped joking.

Arin noticed.

"What?"

Lucan looked at the map.

"You seriously haven’t heard?"

"I’ve been busy."

"That’s becoming your excuse for everything."

"Lucan."

His brother sighed.

"The Ashenback Highlands were closed six months ago."

"By whom?"

"Royal Guild."

"Why?"

Lucan tapped the glowing mountain.

"Because something moved in."

Lyra’s eyes brightened.

"Monster?"

Arin immediately said, "You’re not coming."

"I didn’t ask!"

"You were about to."

"I was thinking."

"Same thing."

Luna quietly ate another spoonful of jam.

Arin pointed at her.

"You too."

"I said nothing."

"Exactly. More suspicious."

Lucan laughed.

It had been a while since Arin had heard that sound around the Family Citadel.

Long enough that he noticed.

He didn’t comment.

Instead he looked at the map.

"What monster?"

Lucan answered.

"An Ironback Behemoth."

EVE opened the Guild classification.

IRONBACK BEHEMOTH

THREAT CLASSIFICATION:

CATASTROPHE-TIER MONSTER

TERRITORIAL RANGE:

40–70 KM

ESTIMATED MASS:

2,800–4,500 TONNES

PRIMARY TRAITS:

EXTREME PHYSICAL RESISTANCE

MANA-REACTIVE CARAPACE

SUBTERRANEAN MOVEMENT

TERRITORIAL AGGRESSION

Arin stared at the projection.

Lucan smiled.

"Still want your mountain?"

"Yes."

Lucan’s smile disappeared.

"Of course you do."

The Civic Council meeting lasted nine minutes.

Arin considered that a major improvement.

"We need basalt," he explained.

Hara looked at the geological report.

"Can we substitute?"

"Yes."

Everyone looked toward EVE.

She added, "At approximately four times the construction cost and with twenty-seven percent lower projected structural lifespan."

Hara grimaced.

"No."

Tavian asked, "Can we purchase from another kingdom?"

"Nearest comparable deposit is eleven hundred kilometers away."

"Transport?"

"Expensive."

"How expensive?"

EVE displayed the number.

Tavian visibly suffered.

Arin almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

Hara looked toward Arin.

"So what are you proposing?"

"I go there."

"To the closed Catastrophe-tier region."

"Yes."

"Mine a hundred eighty-four thousand tonnes of basalt."

"Yes."

"And presumably deal with the enormous monster occupying it."

"If necessary."

Tavian rubbed his forehead.

"This is why we cut your motorcycle budget."

Arin frowned.

"Unrelated."

"Entirely related."

Hara tapped the table.

"This isn’t an ordinary civic construction decision."

"No."

"Defense and resource expedition?"

"Correct."

She nodded.

"Then you don’t need council permission."

Arin paused.

That was nice.

Hara continued.

"But if Elysium is paying for the material, we need procurement approval."

There it was.

"Fine."

The council approved the expedition expenditure twelve to two.

Arin looked toward the two dissenting members.

"Why no?"

One answered:

"I think we should use the more expensive substitute instead of sending our Founder toward a Catastrophe-tier monster."

Arin considered that.

Fair.

The second said:

"I don’t like mountains."

Arin stared.

Nobody asked for clarification.

A-01 joined immediately.

His replacement arm had finished calibration.

The tiny blue star Lyra painted near his wrist remained.

Lucan volunteered before Arin could ask.

"You don’t have to come."

"I know."

"Then why?"

Lucan checked the edge of his sword.

"Because apparently my younger brother is going mountain shopping."

"Resource acquisition."

"Mountain shopping sounds better."

Arin looked at him.

Lucan had been absent too long.

Moving between Valerius matters, Elara’s situation, Cael’s records, and his own unresolved place inside the increasingly strange Elysium family had kept him away from ordinary expeditions.

Arin had not asked him to return.

Lucan had returned anyway.

Arin didn’t ask why.

Not yet.

EVE appeared in expedition armor.

Not heavy combat armor.

Just reinforced clothing and a compact environmental shell.

Arin frowned.

"You’re coming?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I am overseeing geological extraction."

"You can do that remotely."

"I know."

There it was again.

Choice.

Arin nodded.

"Fine."

Victor requested permission to join.

Arin rejected it.

Victor submitted another request.

Rejected.

A third arrived.

Arin blocked him.

Then Lyra appeared carrying a backpack.

"No."

"But—"

"No."

"Brother!"

"Catastrophe-tier monster."

"I’ll stay in the vehicle!"

"No."

"With Zero!"

"No."

"With A-01!"

"A-01 is coming."

Lyra looked toward Luna.

Luna nodded gravely.

"Poor planning."

Arin pointed toward both girls.

"School."

They groaned simultaneously.

Lucan leaned toward Arin.

"You’ve become very domestic."

Arin looked at him.

"I can leave you behind too."

"I’ve missed you."

They departed through Elysium’s western gate just after sunrise.

Arin chose motorcycles.

Partly because the terrain favored them.

Mostly because the Civic Council had spent an entire afternoon questioning why he needed twenty.

He intended to use one out of principle.

Lucan stared at his machine.

"I haven’t ridden one of these."

Arin mounted his.

"Simple."

"That’s what you said about Elysium elevators."

"They are simple."

"I was trapped between floors."

"You pressed emergency stop."

"It was red."

"Exactly."

EVE mounted another motorcycle with considerably more grace.

Lucan looked between them.

"I hate this family."

A-01 started his engine.

"You returned voluntarily."

Lucan stared at him.

"Has everyone memorized that?"

"Yes."

They left.

The first hundred kilometers were easy.

Open road became forest track.

Forest became old mountain road.

The motorcycles adjusted automatically.

Suspension rose.

Tires changed pressure.

Mana-assisted stabilization engaged.

Lucan’s initial suspicion disappeared around kilometer thirty.

By kilometer sixty, he was enjoying himself.

Arin could tell because Lucan overtook him twice.

The third time, Arin accelerated.

EVE’s voice entered their communication channel.

"This expedition is not a race."

Lucan replied:

"Agreed."

Arin passed him.

Lucan accelerated.

A-01 remained exactly at designated speed.

EVE sighed.

Thirty minutes later, she passed both of them.

Arin stared.

"You said it wasn’t a race."

"It wasn’t."

Lucan laughed.

"I like her more now."

They reached the Royal Guild checkpoint shortly after noon.

The road ended behind a fortified barrier.

Twenty Hunters occupied the post.

Ballistae faced the mountain.

Large warning boards covered the gate.

ASHENBACK HIGHLANDS

ENTRY PROHIBITED

CATASTROPHE-TIER TERRITORY

ROYAL GUILD AUTHORIZATION REQUIRED

The checkpoint commander stepped forward.

He recognized Lucan first.

"Lord Lucan Valerius?"

Lucan grimaced.

"Just Lucan."

Then the commander’s gaze shifted toward Arin.

Recognition took longer.

When it came, his expression changed completely.

"Arin... Valerius?"

Arin answered:

"Elysium."

The commander froze.

Apparently news traveled.

Not all of it.

But enough.

"I wasn’t informed House Elysium was sending an expedition."

"You weren’t."

"Then why are you here?"

Arin pointed toward the mountain.

"Stone."

The commander stared.

Lucan turned away, shoulders shaking.

"Stone?"

"Basalt."

The commander’s expression suggested that somehow made it worse.

"Founder Elysium, that region contains an Ironback Behemoth."

"I know."

"Three Royal Guild suppression teams attempted to drive it away."

"Result?"

"Seventeen injured. Four dead."

Arin’s humor disappeared.

"Why is it still there?"

"We don’t know."

That caught his attention.

The commander continued.

"It doesn’t behave normally."

EVE stepped forward.

"Explain."

"It isn’t hunting."

"Territorial?"

"Not exactly."

The commander pointed toward the mountain.

"It arrived six months ago and dug into Mount Ashenback."

"Since then, it attacks anything approaching the northern slope."

Arin looked toward the geological projection.

Their basalt deposit.

Northern slope.

Of course.

Lucan sighed.

"The monster owns your rock."

Arin ignored him.

"Any settlements nearby?"

"Evacuated."

"Other monsters?"

"Fewer than before."

Interesting.

Not mysterious.

Probably ecological.

Maybe the Behemoth had displaced them.

"Guild authorization?" Arin asked.

The commander hesitated.

"I cannot authorize civilian entry."

"I’m not asking as a civilian."

"You aren’t registered Royal Guild."

"No."

"Then legally—"

Lucan stepped forward.

"I am."

The commander looked at him.

Lucan produced his identification.

"Senior Hunter authority. Valerius expedition sponsorship."

Arin raised an eyebrow.

Lucan smiled.

"Older brothers occasionally have uses."

"Rarely."

"You’re welcome."

The commander sighed.

"I strongly recommend you turn back."

Arin nodded.

"Recommendation received."

Then walked toward the gate.

The commander stared.

"You’re still going?"

Arin looked back.

"We need the stone."

They found the first footprint seventeen kilometers inside.

It was wider than Arin’s motorcycle.

A-01 crouched.

"Recent."

EVE scanned it.

"Approximately six hours."

Lucan looked toward the mountain.

"Still think this is a mining trip?"

"Yes."

"You’re impossible."

They continued.

The forest changed.

Trees leaned away from enormous trenches carved through the ground.

Boulders had been shattered.

Entire patches of earth had collapsed where the Behemoth moved beneath them.

Then EVE raised a hand.

Everyone stopped.

"Movement."

The ground trembled.

Once.

Twice.

Lucan drew his sword.

A-01’s replacement arm unfolded into defensive configuration.

Arin remained still.

The mountain ahead moved.

Except it wasn’t the mountain.

A massive black shape rose from behind the ridge.

Stone and metal-like plates covered its back.

Six enormous limbs dug into the earth.

Its head was blunt, armored, almost reptilian.

Two orange eyes opened.

The Ironback Behemoth looked directly at them.

Lucan exhaled.

"That’s considerably larger than the Guild illustration."

EVE scanned it.

"Estimated mass: five thousand eight hundred tonnes."

"Wonderful."

The creature roared.

The sound hit like a physical wall.

Trees bent.

Loose stone flew.

Arin’s coat snapped behind him.

A-01 anchored.

Lucan lowered his stance.

Then the Behemoth charged.

The ground broke beneath it.

Lucan shouted:

"Arin!"

Arin stepped forward.

No panic.

No hesitation.

Just calculation.

The Behemoth crossed two hundred meters frighteningly fast.

One hundred.

Fifty.

Arin raised one hand.

Elysium storage opened.

A massive construction anchor dropped from inventory and slammed into the earth.

Then another.

Then four more.

Lucan stared.

"What are you doing?"

"Testing something."

"NOW?"

Mana lines connected.

The Behemoth reached twenty meters.

Arin activated the anchors.

Gravity multiplied.

The creature’s front limbs slammed downward.

The entire mountainside shook.

It stopped.

Not completely.

But enough.

Arin’s eyes narrowed.

"Interesting."

Lucan stared at him.

"What is interesting?!"

Arin looked at the Behemoth’s claws.

They weren’t striking toward him.

They were digging.

Trying to turn.

Trying to get back.

Away from them.

Toward the northern slope.

EVE noticed too.

"It wasn’t charging us."

Lucan lowered his sword slightly.

"What?"

The Behemoth roared again.

Not rage.

Panic.

Arin released the gravity anchors.

The creature immediately turned away.

It rushed back toward the mountain.

Then positioned its enormous body across a narrow ravine.

Protecting something.

Arin stared.

Lucan came beside him.

"Please don’t say mystery."

"No."

Arin activated a long-range geological scan.

The result appeared.

Then he understood.

Behind the Behemoth lay a collapsed section of mountain.

Inside were three smaller heat signatures.

Lucan went silent.

EVE’s expression softened.

"Juveniles."

The Ironback Behemoth wasn’t occupying the basalt deposit because of some ancient secret.

It had made a nest there.

And according to the scan, one side of that nest was collapsing.

Arin stared at the mountain they had come to mine.

Then at the enormous creature guarding its young.

Lucan sighed.

"We aren’t killing it, are we?"

"No."

"I knew you were going to say that."

Arin opened Elysium’s construction interface.

A geological model unfolded.

The basalt they needed sat directly beneath the unstable nesting chamber.

Mining it carelessly would collapse the entire slope.

Arin smiled.

Lucan saw it.

"Why are you smiling?"

"Because we don’t need to kill it."

"Wonderful."

"We need to move the mountain."

Lucan stared.

EVE stared.

Even A-01 turned toward him.

Arin expanded the construction projection.

Stabilization pylons.

Excavation channels.

A reinforced artificial nesting cavern.

Safe basalt extraction beneath it.

Lucan slowly rubbed his face.

"Two days ago I came back because I thought spending time with my brother might be nice."

Arin started walking toward the terrified Catastrophe-tier monster.

"And?"

"I should have stayed away."

Arin smiled.

"No."

Lucan sighed and followed.

"Yeah."

His hand rested on his sword.

"I probably shouldn’t have."

Ahead of them, the Behemoth roared.

Behind it, the mountain continued collapsing.

Arin accelerated.

For the first time in a while, there was no ancient prophecy waiting for him.

No forgotten Candidate.

No impossible System demanding an answer.

Just a monster protecting its family.

A mountain falling apart.

And a civilization that needed stone.

Arin could work with that.

Chapter End