Morning came, and outside the camp were the three girls, Camilla, and Kal with the other adventurers and citizens of Ravine.

The three were carrying bags full of supplies, ready to leave the area and continue their journey. Akin

Camilla: We thank you for all the efforts you’ve given. Saving my people, healing them, and giving them another chance to live.

Akino: It’s our job as guild adventurers after all.

Kal: You better report the things transpired in here.

Akino: Yeah, yeah, we will.

Camilla: Thank you.

Lyka: Take care!

Alexa: Bye-bye!

The three girls rode horses they borrowed from the guild, as they leave the citizens and adventurers cheered them on, until they were already gone from their sight.

They looked back again to look at the camp, which is already too far away to look at.

Alexa: Where to, capt?

Akino: Back to Dasman, duh.

Lyka: And after Dasman?

Akino: I guess we start roaming this planet. I’m done mapping the whole planet, but for some reason the mana field doesn’t allow me to see through the ground.

Lyka: It will be difficult to find caves with the Institutional facilities, correct?

Akino: Yeah. Catching up quickly, huh?

Lyka: I’ve been reading some files that to hide from other, this Institution only built their facilities under the ground, or…

Alexa: Underwater? I mean, no one touches the sea or ocean with the current tech of this world.

Lyka: Yes. They’ve got some files about water nymphs and mermaids, so they must have built underwater facilities.

Akino: I haven’t checked the oceans. Gimme a sec.

Akino pauses for a bit then her face expresses disappointment.

Akino: Nothing as well…

Lyka: That’s unfortunate.

Alexa: Welp, we’re gonna have a loooong road trip. And we chose having horses instead of CREATING A GODDAMN CAR OR VAN!

Akino: Carbon footprints, never heard of it???

Lyka: Make it electric? Or mana-fueled?

Akino: Mana-fueled?

Alexa: Make a car! Make a car! Make a car! Make a car! Make a car!

Lyka: Yeah! I want to see how to drive a car!

Lyka & Alexa: Make a car! Make a car! Make a car! Make a car!

Lyka and Alexa kept on pestering Akino until she grits her teeth and angrily jumps out of her horse.

Akino: Alright, alright! I’ll fabricate a goddamn Humvee! For Christ’s sake!

Alexa: Don’t complain making cars if you can launch fricking satellites in space with your grey-goops!

Akino: Yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it.

Lyka: Make it electric so you won’t worry on this carbon thingy.

Akino: I know, I know.

Lyka: How are you going to make it?

Akino: First, I’ll have the metal framework of super alloys produced by my nanomachines, then the engine and control parts, then wheels and inner parts, and lastly the aerodynamic and other stuff.

Alexa: Can you put a refrigerator inside?

Akino pauses as she started producing her grey goo from her skin.

Akino: We’re supposed to be taking a low profile, correct?

Lyka: Y-yes?

Alexa: COME ON! At least we should come with a ‘grand’ entrance! A Humvee in a fantasy world!

Akino: No.

Lyka: A motorcycle would be nice, at least…

Akino: I’m sorry, but still no.

Alexa: You can put a cloaking feature on it if you want a low profile!

Akino: Still no.

Lyka: Please?

Alexa: Pretty please?

The two tried to persuade Akino by making cute faces.

Akino: Ugh, alright. Alright!

Lyka & Alexa: YES!

Akino: But no show-offs, got it?

Lyka & Alexa: Aww…

Akino: What? My car, my rules, understand?

Alexa: Aye, captain killjoy

Lyka: Okay…

Akino sighs and proceeds to continue creating their vehicle. While she’s at it, the two proceeds to wander around.

Akino focused herself too much on designing her first nanomachine made Humvee that has ‘batmobile-like’ features.

Akino: Finally. What should we do with the horses? Hey guys, I’m –

Akino looks back and found no one but the horses and their stuff.

Akino: - done? Where’d they go???

Akino tried to contact the two through telepathy, and they answered.

Lyka: (Aki!)

Alexa: (Aki, you done with the Humvee?)

Akino: (Yes, and where the hell you two have been? Come back here.)

Alexa: (You better start the engines and that invisibility cloak I’ve asked to you.)

Akino: (Wait, what’s going on?)

Lyka: (We’ll be on our way!)

Akino did what they told her, starting the Humvee. The two went back running, taking their stuff hurriedly and hurled it inside the Humvee.

Akino: Oi, what’s going on?

Alexa: Get in!

Akino: I’ll get in if you tell me what’s going!

Lyka: Just get inside and – drive, is it?

Alexa: Yeah! Just drive!

Akino: How about the horses?!

Alexa: They’ll run off! Haven’t you look on your satellite?!

Akino: I am not omniscient!

Lyka just drags in Akino and Alexa inside the Humvee while they are arguing. Akino takes the driving wheel and Lyka sits next to her while Alexa stays at the backseat, looking out at the rear windscreen.

Alexa: Gas it!

Akino: Alright, alright! Geez!

Akino presses something on the front dashboard and the Humvee was cloaked. They drove back on the road heading to Dasman. While she’s driving, Akino checked her satellite imaging and saw thousands of horses heading towards the same direction they are in.

Akino: A stampede?!

Lyka: Look closer!

Akino magnifies her sights, and saw the horses being ridden by elves. Pale-white skin, long ears, long blonde hair, slim to athletic bodies, and wearing glittering silver with green armors, just like in fantasy games and novels.

Due to their speed, distance, and the invisibility cloak, the elves don’t notice that in front of them was a 2-ton Humvee.

Akino: Good thing the road wasn’t dusty.

Lyka: Why are they here…?

Alexa: Basing on their direction, they didn’t come from Ravine… oh, wait!

Akino: What?

Alexa: Do elves hate humans???

Lyka: Maybe…? I know both their gods were living in the Abode, but I’m not sure if they are in good terms.

Akino: The explosion that wiped out Ravine must be the reason they started moving.

Lyka: Why?

Akino: Assuming that those group of elves hated the humans, they must have scouts observing Ravine and Dasman, two nearest human cities to them basing on their direction… the news on the explosion destroying the whole Ravine must have made their move and now on their way to Dasman. It’s just a speculation, though.

Alexa: And we can’t rule it as an expedition team only. I mean, look at them! They’re like going on a crusade!

Akino: Invading countries 101: if one leg topples down, hit the other hard and fast.

Lyka: Are you sure?

Akino: We’ve been trained in military tactics – just in the worst case – we have to invade a country to stop an anomaly.

Alexa: That’s nuts…

They kept on moving in front of the elven army until their horses slowed and suddenly stopped.

Alexa: Umm, guys? They stopped… Dasman’s how far away right now?

Akino stepped on the breaks, stopping the Humvee for about half a kilometer from the army of elves.

Akino: About 4 to 7 kilometers. The hills were blocking our view, but we should be able to see the walls already.

Lyka: They’re probably making a camp here… oh, I think they’re starting to make camp.

Alexa: Should we head back and report to the guild?

Lyka: Or should we stay, infiltrate, and get info?

Akino: You sound like a spy now, huh?

Lyka: I mean – it’s much better if we knew what we’re dealing with.

Alexa: I think ma’s right. After we get the right info, we can report it back to the guild and we can prepare counter measures.

Akino: Alright. Have you two been playing strategical games in your minds?

The three sets themselves. Akino gave Lyka a cloaking device, while Alexa preps herself by constantly changing her skin color.

Alexa: I’ll go in first.

Akino: We’ll follow through. Lyka, ready to conceal your magic?

Lyka: I am.

Alexa: Should we head in at night?

Lyka: It might be too late then.

They stepped out of the Humvee, and quickly and quietly went to the elves who were still setting their camp. They tried to locate someone that is in-charged of these army of elves.

They saw a small of group, seemingly the elites of the army with their glorious designs on their armors. The group we’re talking on a round table filled with cups of wine, bowls of cooked fowl, and a map. Lyka and Alexa tried to take a closer look, finding out that they have the map of the whole Dasman territory.

Alexa: (Why are they quiet?)

Lyka: (Like us, elves can talk telepathically with magic)

Akino: (So no one can eavesdrop, huh?)

Lyka: (How are we going to get info?)

Alexa: (Aki! Jack in your wire thingy!)

Akino: (Are you serious? They might notice somethings off!)

Lyka: (I can cast an illusion spell to make it unnoticed?)

Akino: (And they won’t detect us?)

Lyka: (If it’s on a single person, it might be.)

Akino: (Let’s give it a shot… and Alexa?)

Alexa: (Yeah?)

Akino: (Prep your paralyzing stingers in case this goes bad.)

Akino positions herself on one of the elven officers. Lyka casts her spell on that officer, then Akno quickly jabs him with her hair turned into a needle-wire on his nape. The others briefly noticed that officer tumbling a bit, but he regains his posture.

Elf officer 1: (You alright?)

Elf officer 2: (Yes, it’s just something stinged my neck.)

Elf officer 3: (Probably an insect or something.)

Elf officer 2: (I guess.)

Akino: (I can hear them already.)

Lyka: (Good!)

Elf officer 1: (Good?)

Akino forgot that the elves were talking telepathically and having her hijacked one of them made the three living-alien-computers ‘connected’ to the telepathic network of the elves.

Elf officer 1: (What do you mean good?)

Elf officer 2: (I didn’t say anything!)

Elf officer 4: (This is impossible! Our soul link should be only exclusive to us!)

One of the elf officers called a footman and ordered her to scour the area for any non-elf mages.

The three girls kept quiet but still, they couldn’t stop their thoughts.

Alexa: (Just say the word Aki! Say the word!)

Akino: (Hold it!)

Lyka: (I’ll cast a sleeping spell if they noticed us!)

Akino: (Hold your thoughts!)

The elf officer who Akino attached to her wire-hair tried to scratch his nape. This prompts Akino to pull the needle, making that officer fall unconscious. The sudden events made the elf officers use their mouths instead of their minds to call for help. The poor elf officer was down, bleeding on his nape, but the one of the officers was a healer and was able to treat him immediately.

Alexa: (What the fuck, Aki!)

Akino: (He was about to touch the plug! What am I supposed to do?!)

Alexa: (Stop shouting!)

Akino: (You’re the one shouting!)

Lyka: CAN BOTH OF YOU STOP?!

Lyka used her voice instead of her mind, alerting the elves that someone has infiltrated their camp. The officers went in battle positions immediately, and so is their soldiers that began searching the place for invisible enemies with their magic.

Lyka: (S – Sorry!)

Akino: (It’s alright… let’s get out of here!)

Alexa: (Uh, guys?)

Alexa points at the sky, being covered by glass like field. The elves have built a barrier, preventing the infiltrators from getting out.

Akino: (Shit.)

Lyka: (What should we do?)

Alexa: (W-we need a gameplan, right? RIGHT???)

Akino: (We will get out of here, just stay hidden and avoid these elves. 2 meters away from them, that’s it.)