Chapter 343: We’re Going to Nexus

The meeting with the Candidate was over. The group walked through the damaged streets of Mythal together, and for once nobody was in a hurry. The Candidate’s final words still lingered in their minds. Rebuild Mythal. Enjoy your victory. Tomorrow can wait.

Raze stretched his arms above his head. "I actually agree with him."

Mira glanced at him. "With what?"

"Tomorrow can wait." He pointed toward the nearest pile of rubble. "Today, I’m doing absolutely nothing."

A worker carrying a broken piece of stone walked past them. "Then move."

Raze stepped aside. "...I said I’m doing nothing. I didn’t say I was going to stand in the way."

Mira laughed. "You’ve become very good at finding loopholes."

"I’ve been practicing."

Sera smiled. "I can tell."

Lily looked toward the construction crews working throughout the city. "They’re already moving faster than I expected."

Elden nodded. "The Reconstruction Authority is helping."

"How much?"

"Enough." He glanced at a building being reinforced nearby. "The difference is obvious."

Mira smiled. "Good."

Kai looked around. Hunters were carrying materials, builders shouting measurements, engineers checking mana conduits, Church members helping stabilize damaged areas. The city was moving again. Not quickly enough to erase what had happened. But quickly enough to prove it hadn’t broken.

Raze looked around. "Still feels strange."

"What does?" Sera asked.

"Yesterday, we were getting attacked by disasters."

"And today?"

"Today we’re arguing with construction workers about where to put walls."

Mira shrugged. "That’s life."

Raze nodded. "Yeah." He looked at the ruins. "I think I like this better."

Kai smiled.

They continued walking. Eventually Lily glanced at him. "So."

He looked over. "So?"

She crossed her arms. "You heard the Candidate."

"Yes."

"We passed three Disasters."

"Yes."

"The Third Disaster is still unexplained."

"Yes."

"And you’re suspicious."

He nodded. "Very."

She waited. "So..." She raised an eyebrow. "What are we doing about it?"

He didn’t answer immediately, and everyone seemed to notice. Mira looked over. Sera turned toward him. Elden stopped walking. Raze looked interested. Even Gabriel watched him carefully.

He looked across Mythal, at the broken buildings, at the people rebuilding. Then he said, "After Mythal is mostly rebuilt..." He paused. "I want to go to Nexus City."

Everyone stopped.

Raze blinked. "Nexus?"

He nodded. "Yes."

Mira tilted her head. "Why?"

He looked toward Gabriel. "Gabriel."

Silence.

Gabriel herself looked surprised. "Me?"

He nodded. "You."

Raze looked between them. "...I feel like I missed something."

Mira sighed. "You miss a lot."

"I was fighting for my life."

"You miss things even when you’re not."

"That’s unfair."

Sera smiled. "A little."

Kai continued. "The Astral Church has helped us from the beginning."

Gabriel remained quiet.

"They gave us the ancient Disaster records."

Lily nodded. "The simulations wouldn’t have been nearly as effective without those records."

"They gave us relic knowledge."

Elden added, "Some of the defensive improvements we made came directly from Church records."

"Construction knowledge too," Kai said, looking toward the damaged buildings. "They helped us understand how ancient civilizations built structures capable of surviving Disaster-level events."

Mira nodded. "They also sent people here during the actual Disasters."

"More than once," Sera said.

Kai nodded. "They didn’t just watch." He paused. "They stood with us."

Gabriel lowered her eyes.

He continued. "They could have kept that knowledge. They could have protected their own city first. But they didn’t."

Raze scratched his chin. "When you put it like that..."

Kai looked at him. "They helped us."

Raze nodded. "So we help them."

"Exactly."

Lily was quiet for a moment, then smiled. "I like it."

Elden nodded. "It makes sense."

Mira crossed her arms. "Very much."

Sera looked at Kai. "You’ve already decided, haven’t you?"

He smiled. "Pretty much."

Raze sighed dramatically. "Of course you have."

He looked at him. "What?"

"You always do this."

"Do what?"

"Get an idea."

"Ideas are useful."

"Then suddenly everyone else has to follow you across the continent."

Mira laughed. "He’s not wrong."

Raze pointed at her. "Thank you."

"But we’re still going."

Raze lowered his hand. "...Right."

Kai laughed.

Gabriel finally spoke. "You don’t have to do this." Everyone looked at her. She continued quietly. "Nexus has survived without Mythal."

He nodded. "I know."

"The Church has its own Hunters."

"I know."

"Our city has its own defenses."

"I know."

She looked at him. "Then why?"

His answer came immediately. "Because you helped us."

Gabriel froze.

He looked at her. "When Mythal didn’t know what was coming, you gave us information. When we didn’t understand the Disasters, you gave us records. When we needed relic knowledge, you shared it. When we needed help rebuilding..." He gestured toward the city. "You came."

Her expression softened.

He continued. "And when we were facing the Disasters..." He paused. "You stood beside us."

She looked down.

He smiled. "So now we’re going to stand beside you."

For several seconds, nobody spoke. Then Raze broke the silence. "Also, Nexus has better food."

Everyone turned toward him.

Raze shrugged. "What?"

Mira stared. "You ruined the moment."

"I improved the moment."

Lily shook her head. "You really didn’t."

Sera laughed. Kai smiled. Gabriel actually laughed quietly. "Is that your real reason?"

Raze nodded. "Partially."

"Partially?"

"Mostly."

Mira smacked his shoulder. "You’re unbelievable."

"I’m honest."

Kai looked at Gabriel. "We’ll help where we can."

Her smile faded into something more thoughtful. "You really mean that."

"Yes."

She was silent for a moment, then said, "Thank you."

He nodded. "Don’t thank me yet."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"We haven’t even arrived."

Raze grinned. "And knowing Kai, we’ll probably arrive in the middle of another disaster."

Kai looked at him. "Why would you say that?"

"Because that’s our life."

Mira nodded. "He has a point."

Sera sighed. "Unfortunately."

Elden adjusted his glasses. "Statistically, he may actually have a point."

Raze pointed at him. "See?"

Kai stared at all of them. "You people are terrible at encouraging me."

Lily smiled. "You’re going anyway."

"Yes."

"Then you’ll survive."

He nodded. "Exactly."

Mira looked around at the damaged city. "When?"

He thought about it. "Not immediately."

"Why?"

"Mythal first." He looked toward the workers. "We rebuild." He looked toward the Hunter Guild. "We get everyone settled." He looked toward the damaged defensive network. "We make sure the city can protect itself." Then he looked at Gabriel. "Then we go to Nexus."

She nodded slowly. "Understood."

Lily smiled. "That gives us time to prepare."

Elden immediately began thinking. "We’ll need transportation."

"Supplies," Mira added.

"Personnel."

"Relic equipment," Lily said.

Raze raised a hand. "Food."

Everyone looked at him.

"What?"

Kai laughed. "Fine."

"Thank you."

"We’ll bring food."

Raze nodded approvingly. "Now it’s a real expedition."

Sera shook her head. "I can’t believe that’s what convinced you."

Raze looked offended. "Food is important."

Mira smiled. "He’s not entirely wrong."

Kai looked at Sera. "You’re outnumbered."

She sighed. "Apparently."

They continued walking, the conversation slowly shifting toward practical matters. How many Hunters should go? How much equipment should they bring? Would they travel by ship? How long would the journey take? What could Mythal realistically spare while reconstruction was still underway?

Lily and Elden began arguing over defensive equipment. Mira immediately started thinking about which Hunters could be trusted to oversee Mythal while they were gone. Raze suggested bringing twice as much food as necessary. Everyone ignored him.

Mostly.

Kai listened to them, then looked at Gabriel, walking quietly beside him. "You okay?"

She glanced at him. "Yes."

"You look surprised."

"I am."

"Why?"

She smiled faintly. "For years, I’ve been the one telling civilizations that they needed to prepare." She looked toward Mythal. "Usually, I was telling them because they were about to die."

Kai remained quiet.

She continued. "But now..." She looked at him. "A civilization I helped prepare is telling me it wants to help mine."

He smiled. "Seems fair."

She laughed softly. "Perhaps."

Raze suddenly called from ahead. "Gabriel!"

She looked up. "What?"

"Does Nexus really have better food?"

She stared at him. "That’s what you took from that conversation?"

"Yes."

She laughed. "I suppose you’ll have to come and find out."

Raze grinned. "Excellent."

Mira shook her head. "He’s definitely coming now."

Kai laughed. Sera nudged him lightly. "You’ve created a problem."

"I noticed."

They walked farther into the city. Behind them, the ruins remained. Ahead of them, workers were already laying new foundations. Mythal wasn’t finished. Not even close. But it was rebuilding.

And somewhere beyond the continent, another city waited.

Nexus.

Kai didn’t know what waited for them there. He didn’t know what secrets the Astral Church had left to uncover. He didn’t know what Gabriel would need. And he still didn’t know why the Third Disaster had ended the way it did.

Those questions could wait. For now, there was something simpler.

Someone had helped Mythal. So Mythal would help them.

He looked toward Gabriel. "We’ll see you in Nexus."

She smiled. "I’ll hold you to that."

Raze immediately raised his hand. "And the food."

Gabriel laughed. "Yes."

"Excellent."

Mira groaned. "I regret bringing him."

"You didn’t bring me."

"I know."

"Then why are you blaming yourself?"

"Because somehow you’re still my responsibility."

Raze grinned. "That’s friendship."

Sera laughed. Lily shook her head. Elden sighed. Gabriel smiled.

And Kai looked over Mythal one more time. The city was still damaged. But it was alive.

And soon, they would take that same spirit somewhere else. Not because Nexus was helpless. Not because Mythal needed another battle. But because they had been helped when they needed it.

And now, it was Mythal’s turn to help.