Chapter 56: The Expense
The Expanse—the planet’s largest cradle zone—was a world unto itself. A vast, ever-shifting ecosystem that stretched across ten regions, home to countless biomes and millions of feral biocores. It housed some of the most powerful lifeforms ever recorded, creatures born from nature’s relentless evolution.
It earned its name for a reason. The Expanse was unpredictable, a place where danger lurked in every shadow. A single leaf, a tree’s twisting roots, even an unassuming insect could spell death for the unprepared. Only the most experienced Conquerors dared to tread its lands. For anyone else, venturing into such a place was a death sentence.
The environment surrounding them was a damp, suffocating forest. The air hung thick with humidity, clinging to their skin like a second layer. Towering trees stretched endlessly toward the sky, their dense canopies swallowing most of the sunlight. Shafts of golden light barely managed to pierce through, casting eerie, shifting patterns on the forest floor.
Nioh’s gaze swept across the surroundings, his instincts uneasy. He muttered under his breath, "The crash must’ve scared off the surrounding biocores. This is... too calm." His eyes flickered as he analyzed the subtle variations in harmonic waves. Something felt off.
A voice cut through his thoughts.
"Do you even know where we’re heading?"
The surviving passengers had finally caught up. The man Nioh had mentally nicknamed Trigger-Happy was still with them, looking none too pleased. More surprisingly, the two girls had also made it out alive.
The first girl was a busty blonde, dressed in cargo pants and a snug white tank top, her arms crossed with wary defiance. The second, a redhead, wore sturdy military boots and a strapped-on combat vest, her stance disciplined and alert.
Kyle took a breath before answering. "I think this is the Tundra Trove—a narrow stretch between Daewyth and Xerath." His words brought visible relief to the group. "If we hike fast enough, we might clear it in a few days."
The redhead nodded. "Then we move as fast as we can while we still have daylight. Nightfall might make travel impossible."
But Nioh wasn’t listening. His mind had tuned out the conversation entirely.