Samuel's strategic brilliance shone in the aftermath. By dawn, Blue Rose's ranks swelled with sixty-three defectors from White Bear's remnants - seasoned warriors drawn by promises of fair treatment and shared plunder. Their former commander's abandoned armor now clad Blue Rose veterans, transforming Samuel's once-modest force into a formidable contender.
The true prize lay within White Bear's command tent. Kael watched as soldiers heaved open an iron-bound chest, multicolored glows spilling across stunned faces. Hundreds of monster cores lay nested in velvet - fire lynx fangs shimmering crimson, frost spider glands glinting azure. Most were low-tier specimens, but their collective value could fund a small army.
Owen's calloused hand hovered above the hoard. "Gods above... this could buy a noble's title!" The grizzled quartermaster's whisper carried reverence usually reserved for sacred relics.
Samuel's knuckles whitened on the chest's edge. "Third Battalion's entire autumn harvest," he murmured, recalling White Bear's recent "hunting expeditions" that conveniently overlapped with merchant caravans disappearing in Mistwood's depths.
Amelia plucked a venom-dripping scorpion stinger, her clinical gaze assessing toxicity levels. "Eighty percent combat-grade. Five percent alchemical-pure."
The Blue Rose commander turned to Kael with profound gratitude. "This changes everything. My smiths can forge proper armor now. Establish supply lines. Maybe even commission mage-forged weapons..."
Kael's attention lingered on a cluster of aberrant cores - their oily black surfaces swallowing light. Shadow panther essence. Rare even in auction houses. Samuel discreetly slid the dangerous specimens into separate satchel, meeting the mage's gaze with silent understanding. Some treasures demanded discretion.
As dawn painted the plundered camp gold, Blue Rose's reforging began. Veterans drilled newcomers in revised formations. Blacksmiths fed White Bear's inferior steel into reforging fires. And deep within Samuel's tent, quill scratched parchment drafting letters to certain interested parties in the capital.
The balance of power in Blaze Sun City's mercenary circles had irrevocably shifted. All thanks to three masked strangers and a moonlit blade.
"The full haul's valued around eighty thousand gold," Samuel announced, gesturing to the chest of monster cores. "Prefer raw materials or converted coin?"
"Cores will suffice." Kael didn't hesitate. Spatial rings devoured half the glittering hoard - enough to fund a small army, yet barely denting their storage capacity.
By dawn, Blue Rose's relocation commenced under Hannah's animated direction. The girl practically skipped through camp, freed from Damien's predatory attention. Kael and Amelia retreated to a commandeered tent, mentally replaying the night's combat. Every near-miss and tactical pivot underwent cold analysis - warriors dissecting their own performance with surgical precision.
Finn's arrival broke the meditation. "Like chasing smoke!" The warrior collapsed onto a looted fur rug, chainmail flecked with forest debris. "That bastard's trail vanished near the granite cliffs. Not even blood spoor left."
Kael tossed a crimson vial. "Barbarian Draught. Restores stamina."
Finn drained it without hesitation. Heat flooded his veins, knotted muscles unwinding as the alchemical brew worked. "Gods' breath! Got more of these?"
"Limited stock." Kael distributed remaining vials - two to Amelia, two back to Finn. "Five total. Complex brewing process."
Amelia examined her portion. "Post-combat application only. No time mid-battle."
The assessment proved accurate. Though lacking immediate combat use, the draught's value shone in aftermath scenarios - exactly their current predicament. Finn's color improved visibly, night-long pursuit fatigue melting away.
Outside, Blue Rose's expanded forces consolidated power. Samuel's laughter carried through canvas walls as veterans drilled recruits with White Bear's superior arms. The spoils distribution satisfied all parties - mercenaries gained security, commanders acquired leverage, and three academy operatives secured critical resources.
Marcus's escape lingered as sole unresolved thread, yet even that served purpose. A crippled, desperate enemy often proved more useful than a corpse - provided one maintained vigilant watch. For now, the ledger balanced favorably.
Kael's spatial ring pulsed faintly against his finger, its monster core trove whispering promises. Alchemical experiments. Spellcraft breakthroughs. Bribes for informants. The possibilities glittered brighter than any gold.
Amelia's brows lifted fractionally as the Barbarian Draught coursed through her system - tension melting from shoulders typically locked in combat readiness. Even her ice-forged discipline couldn't mask the tonic's efficacy.
By midday, Blue Rose's consolidation neared completion. Samuel found the trio at the camp's edge, Hannah lingering nearby with poorly concealed glances toward Kael.
"Your next move?" The commander gestured northwest where mist coiled around ancient trees.
"Coreward." Kael tapped their updated map. "Golden-Horned Lion King's territory."
Samuel's nod held grim approval. "We'll hold here. But remember - Blue Rose stands with you." The oath carried weight beyond mere gratitude.
Hannah approached as farewells concluded, fingers twisting her tunic's hem. "Will you... that is..." Her words dissolved into flushed silence when Kael met her gaze. The mage offered a courtly bow instead of empty promises.
They departed under watchful eyes, charting course through thickening fog.
"Central zone by nightfall," Kael announced hours later, squinting at light filtering through ever-present haze.
Finn groaned through a ration bar. "Should've requisitioned those White Bear supply mules-"
The earth heaved.
Ancient oaks shuddered as if plucked by titanic hands. A thunderous roar rolled across the forest - not seismic shifting, but living avalanche of sound.
Amelia's blade cleared its sheath in silver flash. "Megafauna. Close."
Above the canopy, shadow eclipsed the sun. Wingspan measurements lost meaning when layered clouds became leathern sails. The trio froze as primordial recognition flooded their hindbrains - something old. Something hungry. Something that considered sixth-level warriors light snacks.
Kael's spatial ring pulsed with stolen cores, suddenly feeling less like treasure and more like bait.