It was a bittersweet process to disassemble everything they'd built over the previous two months. But the days passed in a blur of activity. Hard work often strengthens the bonds and improves relationships. Aira and Lila weren't an exception. Even if they've already spent a couple of months building their base, dismantling it appeared to be an even more intimate experience.

  They laughed over their small victories and comforted each other in moments of frustration. By the moment everything was meticulously sorted and packed, they did the final account of their equipment and energy reserves.

  The batteries were charged well enough to allow Aira and Lila to come back and get in, even without Aira exhausting herself to open the large door. As a final precaution, Aira rigged a radio gadget for Lila that would allow her to open the bunker.

  It was evening when they came with some hot tea to their favorite spot on the edge of the facility's roof. Lila looked up at the stars, her expression thoughtful. "By the Elder's breath, do you think we'll find what we're looking for out there?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Aira followed her gaze, the night sky a vast, infinite canvas above them. Several months have passed since she appeared in this world. Two seasons have changed. But it was still hard to get used to the appearance of not one but two moons in the sky.

  "I don't know," Aira admitted. "But I have to try. The answers won't come to us if we stay here. We need to move forward, to explore, to understand. The System is here, in this world. And it leads me somewhere. I have to believe all of that happened to me for a reason."

  Lila nodded, her resolve firming. "I agreed to go with you before," she said. "I won't pretend it's an easy thing or that I'm not rattled like a loose gear. But let's do it. Let's see what's out there. I've spent my life skirting the shadowline, never going beyond the nearest towns. Aside from that one trip with my grandfather to these ruins, I've been stuck in sap. It's about time I rustle the leaves a bit."

  She took another sip of her hot tea, taking in its rich flavor.

  "But you know," Lila continued, her voice gaining confidence, "for a while now, I've felt like I can't find the trees for the forest in my own world. Even before I met you, it was like I was chasing shadows. And now, with all this talk of humans, undead, your magic, and the System… well, by the roots, it feels like I've got no choice. I have to explore."

  Aira clapped Lila on her back and roared happily. "That's the attitude!" she said with a smile.

  ***

  The next day, they were ready to move on. The facility was secured, and the bunker door closed and locked tightly. Before leaving the corridor with the entrance, Aira gently brushed her fingers on the surface of the ancient hatch. It felt like only yesterday they came here, hiding from the ire of the Mountain View rangers. And they found their safe haven in this miraculous place of tech and gadgets.

  When Aira turned to walk away, she had a sense of closure. Knowing how much they learned during their short stay reminded her that all wasn't in vain. And even the bizarre encounter with the human attackers has taught them something important.

  In the end, they did everything possible to protect their base. There still was a chance to come back here in the future. An opportunity to call it home once again.

  The two women packed provisions for the upcoming days, chose sturdy outfits they found in the facility warehouses, and grabbed some valuable gadgets. None of them helped Aira to connect to the System, but their functionality was useful even without that.

  One of the last presents Aira made to herself was a handy hammer with a long handle. It was a poor replacement for her proper warhammer, even not considering its lack of magical features. But after restarting her meditation practice and physical training, it felt like something was missing. And to fix that, having a weapon she was so used to was only logical. Or at least its best approximation.

  For the rest of the available space, Aira decided to fill it with reserve battery packs. During the past weeks, she made it a part of her training routine to charge and drain them just for practice. And by the moment of their departure, Aira was quite sure that it could help her promptly overcharge her Energy Manipulation skill in case of an emergency.

  All this reliance on external objects wasn't something Aira enjoyed. It wasn't only about the batteries but also about gadgets in general. It constantly reminded her of the lessons about the over-reliance on artifacts that her tutors put her through.

  But then, she still was in an unfamiliar world with a strange System. She had to use every advantage to improve her situation. If it was using batteries to store her energy reserves, she wouldn't complain and would just use every opportunity.

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  As they began their journey, Aira's thoughts turned to the new skill she had acquired. The ability to influence the undead in some yet unknown ways. That was something that filled Aira with anticipation and anxiety.

  What use was it to her that she could turn living beings into undead? That conflicted with all her being, contradicting her story of an arcane enforcer. One of the things she had to do throughout her career was to fight undead, not to create new ones!

  Still, it felt like she had to train with that new skill to get used to it and make it proficient enough for the level she had. Probably, that was something worth discussing with Lila. But how would she even react to that idea?

  "Lila, I want to turn these rabbits into my undead minions," thought Aira, envisioning the scene in her mind. "Just hold them for a moment, I hope I'll be able to target my skill precisely enough not to touch you in the process."

  Yeah, that would be an excellent experience for all of them. And what use would any of these 'medium-sized' undead even be to Aira?

  Aira didn't know what lay ahead, and she was determined to use every tool at her disposal to survive and uncover the secrets of this world. But this… she still had to come to terms with that skill. It was true that this Necrocommunion was just another tool. But…

  "You remember I told you, I had this strange feeling right at the limits of my perception yesterday," said Aira. "I thought it should be an undead because I've got that sensation after acquiring this new skill…"

  "By the roots, of course," Lila said. "Do you feel it creeping around now?"

  "Sort of," said Aira. "Do you remember telling me about that ancient city that is supposedly 'infested'? And that was your term, not mine, with the undead?"

  "Yes, why?" asked Lila.

  "Could you please remind me about it?" asked Aira. "It's location and other things?"

  Lila furrowed her brow, thinking deeply, recovering the facts from her memory. "You know, it's like chasing shadows when it comes to tales about the undead settlements," she said. "But if we're talking rumors, there's supposed to be an old city not too far from here. Mostly rubble now, and, well, folks claim it's crawling with the undead."

  "When the old world crumbled," Lila went on, her voice thoughtful, "humans had no choice but to flee the big cities—undead swarmed them, or so the stories say. That's when we started building settlements like Mountain View, all fortified and tucked away, trying to outlast whatever the shadows threw at us."

  "So, about that ancient city?" prompted Aira.

  "Ah… sure. If there is one, it's north-east from here," Lila said, gesturing toward the ridge. "A week's walk, give or take. Maybe we can shadowfoot it a little faster. It's not too close to human settlements, but far enough to keep the undead out of sight... mostly. Still, they say it's cursed, and anyone who goes there? Well, they're about as likely to return as a leaf in a windstorm."

  Aira nodded, feeling a mixture of excitement and apprehension. She looked somewhere into the distance. "That sounds like our destination. I can't be totally sure, it's always tricky with new skills. But I think that our mysterious spy also moved in that direction."

  "Did he now? By the twisted branches, that's peculiar," Lila said, her tone tinged with suspicion. "Looks like our undead neighbors have got their eyes in the dark on us for some reason, don't they?"

  "So, how do we get there?" asked Aira. "We can just try following that mysterious person. But I'm not entirely confident with my skill winning against his stealth abilities."

  "Well, looks like luck's still on our side," said Lila with a wry smile. "Found some old maps in the archives and—smart as thorns—I made sure they're packed and ready."

  Aira growled in appreciation.

  "The snag with these old maps," Lila said, "is that the world's grown over like old moss. Back in the olden days, humans spread out like wildfire. Now? The forest's claimed most of it. What's worse, a lot of those old structures are gone—crumbled or buried. Only the big cities and places like this base seem to have stood their ground."

  "I'm quite used to navigating with incomplete maps," said Aira, but then remembered something and did a head slap. "But then… it was with my old skills. Now, I don't have all that diverse magic I had before. Well, let's hope your knowledge of the world and our joint wilderness survival skills will help us on our path."

  "Yeah, that's about the size of it," Lila said. "Your magic's sharp as frost, but it might not cut through this mess. The forests have swallowed up everything humans didn't keep watch over, and rivers? Half of them have shifted like rattled gears over the centuries. We might not even find crossings where the map claims they are, and that could mean hours—roots, maybe days—of detours."

  "So, what are you offering?" asked Aira." We are not staying here. We are going, that's decided. Let's choose some waypoints that had less chance to vanish from the face of the world during these past centuries. And we'll check our location regularly to be sure we are on the right track," Aira said, tracing a path on the map. "It won't be easy, but we can do it.

  "I'm heading so far out of season here, Aira. You get that, right?" Lila said, with a nervous laugh. "I've never gone this far from the known trails. Never even stepped foot in one of the Old Cities—heck, most folks would call me moonblind for even thinking about it. And it's not like I know anyone who's been there and come back to tell the tale."

  Aira touched Lila's hand, showing that she understood her concerns. "I know it's hard for you," she said. "But you just told me you wanted to explore. Here's your chance!"

  "Dammit to the underbrush!" Lila exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "I want to, but roots and rivers, it's harder than hauling a boulder uphill to take that first step!"

  "Well, it's too late to be afraid of the first step," said Aira. "You've made it back in Mountain View, during that mess of the execution. Maybe even earlier, when you decided to teach me your language."

  "Ah, bark and roots, you're right," Lila admitted with a sigh, her shoulders slumping before she straightened up. "I've already broken so many rules that adding 'visiting an undead city' to the list won't mean a thing. If we even get out of there alive, that is. Shadow and sap, Aira, I really hope this wild plan is worth it."

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