"Arin, what is the situation here?" asked Teun as he climbed into the large oak tree where his son had established his observation post. The tree offered an excellent view of the battlefield and the portal below. From this position, nearly the entire clearing could be monitored without exposing oneself to unnecessary danger. It was the sort of position any experienced archer would immediately appreciate.
"We have it under control," Arin replied while keeping his eyes fixed on the battlefield. "Roughly every fifteen minutes, around two hundred and thirty stage 0.0 to 0.9 creatures come out of the portal together with a single stage one creature. I have already asked the people who landed the killing blows on the two stage one beasts to report their exact levels. So far, both of them appear to have been stage 1.0 exactly, so there is nothing particularly special about them."
Arin then raised a hand and pointed toward the sky. High above the clearing, the corrupted eagle continued circling patiently. It had maintained its distance for hours and showed no signs of leaving the area. The creature seemed content to simply observe the battlefield below while waiting for an opportunity. That behavior worried Arin far more than an outright attack would have.
"Yes, that is a problem," said Teun as he followed his son's gaze upward. He spent several minutes studying the eagle's flight pattern. Unfortunately, the more he watched, the less confident he became in finding an immediate solution. Flying creatures introduced challenges that their family had very little practical experience dealing with. The fact that the eagle appeared intelligent only made matters worse.
For nearly half an hour, Teun observed the situation while discussing possibilities with the others. Every plan they considered ultimately suffered from the same problem. The eagle controlled the engagement and could simply refuse to descend whenever danger approached. As long as it remained high above the battlefield, there was little they could realistically do to force a confrontation. The realization left Teun irritated.
"Well, I guess we have no choice but to wait," Teun finally concluded. There was no point in exhausting himself searching for a solution that did not exist. The younger generation already had the situation under control. With that in mind, he returned to the resting area, intending to recover some of the sleep that had been interrupted earlier. The eagle would remain a problem, but it was not one he could solve immediately.
News of the flying threat reached Herman surprisingly quickly. Once again, the information arrived with no conditions attached. Every report and warning further strengthened the connection between the Sonnenbergs and the authorities. At this point, cooperation had become routine. Neither side saw much reason to hide information from the other when doing so could result in unnecessary casualties.
For the Sonnenbergs, however, containing the eagle proved easier than it was for many other organizations. Their numbers around the portal were relatively limited and highly coordinated. As a result, they could concentrate fire whenever the creature attempted to descend. The eagle quickly learned that landing anywhere near the clearing was effectively impossible. Even during the night, it could not safely approach the ground.
Ironically, darkness worked against the creature rather than helping it. Humanity had discovered something remarkable after the planet finally stopped expanding. The spatial distortions that once plagued the atmosphere had disappeared. Combined with the reduction of greenhouse effects and atmospheric interference, the night sky had become clearer than anything humanity had ever witnessed.
Countless people spent their evenings staring upward in amazement. Stars that had once been hidden by light pollution now shone brightly above every settlement. Entire constellations appeared sharper and more beautiful than historical records described. The sky had become one of the world's greatest sources of entertainment. Many people considered it proof that Gaia had not brought only disaster.
That same crystal-clear sky made the eagle stand out perfectly. Its dark feathers absorbed light in a way that seemed unnatural. Against the brilliant backdrop of stars, the creature appeared almost like a moving hole in reality. Even when it attempted to use darkness as cover, observers could track it without much difficulty. The eagle's efforts at stealth therefore achieved very little.
Other military organizations were not nearly as fortunate. Unlike the Sonnenbergs, they often had hundreds or even thousands of personnel stationed around their portals. Firing arrows freely into the sky created enormous risks. A missed shot could travel considerable distances before falling back to earth. The possibility of friendly casualties forced commanders to exercise caution.
As a result, many flying creatures enjoyed far greater freedom of movement. Eagles and other aerial monsters frequently escaped immediate retaliation. Once airborne, they would circle above military camps while searching for vulnerable targets. The creatures quickly learned to exploit gaps in defensive formations. Their behavior became a persistent source of frustration for military commanders.
Occasionally, those flying predators achieved devastating results. Mages, officers, and other valuable personnel sometimes found themselves singled out by the creatures. A surprise attack from above could kill even experienced fighters. Several of the flying monsters reportedly accumulated numerous kills before finally being brought down. This reputation made them some of the most feared creatures emerging from the secret realms.
Meanwhile, the European military continued expanding its infrastructure at a remarkable pace. Within a two-hundred-kilometer radius of every major city, defensive zones had been established around portals. Anything beyond those boundaries was generally sold off or leased to various factions. The military simply lacked the manpower to secure everything themselves. Even so, their territorial control remained impressive.
The civilian factions quickly copied this approach. Nobody wanted to miss the opportunities hidden within the wilderness. The profits generated by secret realms were simply too great to ignore. As a result, supply depots, logistics centers, and temporary settlements appeared across the countryside. Entire road networks were constructed to support the growing traffic.
Whenever possible, everything was built by hand. Research had revealed important differences between handmade and assembled objects. Both could function outside city limits, but assembled items degraded much faster. This discovery dramatically influenced construction methods throughout the world. Suddenly, craftsmanship became valuable again.
An assembled arrow generally lasted around six weeks before completely disintegrating. In practice, however, most became unreliable after roughly three weeks of regular use. Their penetration power declined steadily as the cultural energy holding them together weakened. Even so, they remained extremely attractive because of their low cost. Most organizations considered them perfectly acceptable for training and routine operations.
The price difference between assembled and handmade equipment was enormous. An assembled sword might cost a single copper coin. A handmade sword, by comparison, could easily cost an entire silver coin. For many organizations, that difference meant the ability to equip ten soldiers instead of one. Economics therefore favored quantity over quality in many situations.
However, experienced fighters quickly noticed the drawbacks. Handmade weapons channeled mana far more effectively. They felt smoother in the hand and responded better during combat. Even a poorly crafted handmade blade often outperformed the finest assembled sword. The gap became especially noticeable when combat skills entered the equation.
Most warriors possessed access to a skill commonly known as Heavy Slash. The technique allowed them to channel mana through their weapon and unleash a powerful attack. Handmade weapons transmitted that energy far more efficiently. They required less mana while producing greater results. As a consequence, experienced fighters strongly preferred them whenever possible.
The difference became even more obvious in direct combat. A handmade sword could often cut straight through an assembled weapon. Superior mana flow and stronger cultural energy gave it overwhelming advantages. This reality caused many frontline soldiers to seek handmade replacements after earning enough money. Once they experienced the difference, few were willing to go back.
Naturally, blacksmiths benefited tremendously from this situation. Ordinary metal remained relatively cheap, while demand for weapons continued rising every day. Countless craftsmen focused exclusively on producing swords and other military equipment. The profession became one of the most profitable trades in the world almost overnight. For many blacksmiths, business had never been better.
The Roth family viewed this trend with open amusement. In their opinion, most blacksmiths were sacrificing long-term growth for immediate profits. Rather than producing ordinary weapons, the Roths specialized in mana-dense metals purchased directly from the system shop. Their craftsmen forged exceptional equipment capable of selling for at least a gold coin per piece. Wealthy buyers eagerly paid those prices.
A new class of customers emerged almost immediately. Governments had noticed that not enough people were exploring the wilderness. While infrastructure projects employed large portions of the population, there remained many individuals seeking rapid wealth and adventure. Officials recognized that these people could become either valuable assets or troublesome liabilities.
To address the issue, the EU governments created a new institution. The organization offered opportunities for exploration, monster hunting, and resource gathering. It provided structure while encouraging citizens to venture beyond the safety of established settlements. Most importantly, it gave ambitious individuals a legal avenue to pursue fortune.