The farther the group climbed into the mountains, the quieter the world behind them became.
Not truly silent.
Even hours later, faint vibrations still traveled occasionally through the earth beneath their feet, distant enough now to feel almost unreal, yet still strong enough to remind everyone that somewhere behind them, countless monsters were still moving.
Nobody mentioned King's Territory again. Not Tobias, not the walls, not the people they left behind and especially not Nina.
Even Caleb, who usually found something to say no matter the situation, had gone noticeably quieter during the climb.
The mountain terrain gradually became rougher as they ascended higher. Loose stones shifted beneath their boots while cold wind swept intermittently across the narrow paths winding between cliffs and sparse woodland. Several times they needed to slow down entirely so Veronica could catch her breath properly while Marcus and Victor helped support some of the heavier supplies.
Fortunately, unlike before, the forest no longer felt suffocating.
The oppressive darkness covering most wilderness regions had gradually started thinning the higher they climbed. Sunlight filtered more freely between the trees now, reaching the ground in soft golden patches instead of being swallowed beneath dense canopies overhead.
Even the air itself felt different, cleaner and lighter than the suffocating wilderness they had crossed before, making each breath feel easier to take.
At some point during the climb, Snow suddenly sprinted ahead again while Dog lazily followed several steps behind with considerably less enthusiasm.
"That dog really acts exactly like his owner," Caleb muttered tiredly.
Elias looked mildly offended.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Caleb pointed toward the black canine currently walking without urgency whatsoever.
"He looks permanently unemployed."
Several exhausted snorts escaped the group despite themselves.
Elias glanced proudly toward the dog.
"Dog is conserving energy."
The silence that followed lasted barely two seconds.
Then Caleb nearly stumbled while laughing.
"You seriously named him Dog?"
Elias frowned immediately.
"What's wrong with that?"
"You couldn't think of literally anything else?"
"That IS his name."
Caleb looked genuinely devastated by the answer.
"No, I mean before that. Before you contracted him."
"That was already his name."
For several seconds, Caleb simply stared at him.
Then he laughed even harder.
Dog barked once as if personally offended.
Even Benjamin ended up shaking his head while trying unsuccessfully to suppress amusement. He nudged Caleb once "Don't be disrespectful."
The brief laughter eased some of the tension hanging over the group, if only slightly.
It was still funny enough though this was not the first time they were hearing about Dog's name.
Hours later, after another difficult stretch of climbing through uneven slopes and rocky terrain, the environment around them finally began opening up.
The dense wilderness gradually retreated behind them while the mountain path widened near the edge of a higher ridge.
Then Snow stopped.
The white dog stood near the front quietly staring ahead.
Iris slowed instinctively.
And the moment she stepped past the final cluster of trees near the ridge, her footsteps halted completely.
The valley stretched outward beneath them in breathtaking silence.
Wide rolling grasslands spread naturally between the surrounding mountain slopes while patches of forest rested across sections of the terrain below, dense enough to provide resources but sparse enough that movement between the trees remained visible from a distance. Sunlight washed across the open landscape freely here, uninterrupted by the suffocating canopy that dominated most regions they had crossed so far.
Farther in the distance, a narrow river curved across the valley floor like a silver ribbon reflecting afternoon light. Smaller springs branched from nearby hillsides and eventually fed into the larger water source below, creating a steady supply of fresh water flowing throughout the area.
Wild grasses shifted gently beneath the wind.
Sparse clusters of flowers added faint color across sections of the open terrain.
Most importantly—
visibility here was excellent.
No endless blind corners.
No suffocating tree cover.
No feeling like monsters could emerge inches away without warning.
For the first time since arriving in Eldilon, the place actually felt livable.
Yesterday, Iris had only managed to glimpse the valley briefly while rushing against the approaching darkness with Snow beside her. At the time, survival had mattered more than scenery.
But now, standing here properly beneath open skies while cold mountain wind swept across the ridge, she realized she had made the right choice.
Nobody spoke for several moments.
Then Caleb finally breathed out slowly.
"Whoa…"
Veronica's expression softened almost immediately as she looked across the valley below.
"It's beautiful."
Henry remained silent while studying the surrounding terrain carefully.
"The mountains naturally protect three sides," Benjamin observed quietly after a moment. "And the river solves water problems."
Marcus nodded slowly beside him.
"Visibility's good too. Monsters would have a harder time sneaking close."
"We could survive here," Claire said softly.
The words settled heavily over the group.
Because nobody laughed at them.
Nobody dismissed them.
After everything they had experienced so far—
the possibility suddenly felt real.
Iris continued staring toward the valley silently while the wind moved softly through her hair.
Then her fingers unconsciously brushed against the lord token stored inside her space.
The movement made her expression tighten slightly.
Her thoughts grew heavier almost immediately afterward.
She couldn't keep hiding it forever.
Not anymore.
If she activated the territory alone without warning them first, there would be no way to explain it afterward.
And despite everything—
these people had stayed together this entire time.
They had protected each other from the very beginning and, somewhere along the way, trust had naturally followed.
Henry and Veronica had known most of the guards for years already. Even Elias, despite joining later, had never caused problems for the group once.
Still…
Revealing something this important felt dangerous.
Caleb suddenly stretched his arms before glancing sideways toward Iris.
"You've been weirdly decisive lately."
Iris immediately stiffened internally.
Caleb either didn't notice or didn't care.
"Seriously," he continued casually, "before all this happened you used to panic ordering food."
Benjamin snorted beside him.
"That's actually true."
Even Veronica laughed softly.
"But he's right. You've changed a lot recently."
Something uncomfortable tightened briefly in Iris's chest.
She forced herself to stay calm.
The conversation sounded harmless… Normal.
But hearing it out loud still made her pulse rise slightly.
"You're acting more like your father these days," Veronica added gently. "Bossing everyone around."
Henry glanced toward Iris briefly after hearing that. The look he gave her was brief and unreadable, thoughtful more than suspicious.
Then he looked away again.
Caleb grinned immediately. "She really is though. At this rate even the guards are going to start calling her boss."
Daniel looked toward Iris with exaggerated seriousness. "Young boss, maybe."
Several people laughed.
Even Iris managed a small smile despite the tension building quietly inside her.
Then she exhaled slowly.
Enough hiding.
"There's… actually something I need to tell everyone."
The laughter gradually faded.
The group looked toward her almost immediately.
Iris hesitated briefly before opening her space and removing the object hidden inside.
The moment it appeared, sunlight reflected faintly across a rectangular gold plate resting in her palm. Strange symbols were engraved across its surface, written in a language none of them recognized.
"What is that?" Benjamin asked immediately.
Iris lowered her gaze slightly toward the object.
"A lord token," she admitted carefully. "The system gave it to me after we arrived in Eldilon."
Silence followed almost instantly.
Even Caleb stopped smiling. "A what?"
Nobody spoke for several seconds afterward, they had all clearly heard her the first time.
Then Daniel blinked once.
"Umm… Miss Iris?… You're telling us you've been carrying something capable of creating territories this entire time?"
"I wasn't exactly sure how it worked," Iris defended immediately.
"That somehow makes this crazier," Marcus muttered.
Veronica still looked stunned.
"You mean… places like King's Territory started because somebody activated one of these?"
"I think so."
Henry folded his arms slowly while staring at the token in Iris's hand.
His expression remained unreadable for a moment. Then eventually he spoke. "You were planning to use it here."
It was not a question.
Iris nodded slowly.
Another silence followed afterward. Not hostile.
Just shocked.
Then Caleb suddenly pointed toward the token dramatically. "So my sister was secretly carrying around a kingdom starter pack this entire time?"
Benjamin covered his face briefly. "You somehow made that sound even more ridiculous."
"It is ridiculous."
Despite the tension, several people laughed again.
The atmosphere eased slightly afterward.
Only slightly.
Iris looked back toward the valley below while opening her auxiliary system uncertainly.
Unlike the others, her interface contained additional icons near the corner of her vision.
She still barely understood half the additional functions attached to her interface.
After several moments of awkward searching, her eyes paused on a faint castle-shaped symbol.
"…Probably this one."
She tapped it cautiously.
Immediately, a translucent map projection expanded across her vision.
A circular territory border appeared over the valley alongside a scale measurement indicating its range.
The group moved closer instinctively while Iris adjusted the projected boundary uncertainly across the terrain below.
She enlarged the radius carefully until it enclosed most of the valley along with the nearby river branching through the lower sections.
Then the system displayed another prompt.
[Would you like to establish a territory in the selected region?. YES | NO.]
Iris stared at the confirmation window for several seconds.
Her pulse quickened slightly.
This was it.
Everything after this would change.
Slowly, she pressed YES.
The world reacted instantly.
A heavy pressure slammed downward across the surrounding area without warning.
Veronica nearly lost her footing immediately before Henry caught her by the waist and pulled her steady against him. Several others staggered instinctively while loose stones trembled across the mountain ridge beneath their feet.
The air itself suddenly felt heavier.
Denser.
Even breathing became slightly harder for several moments.
Trees throughout the valley shook violently as faint white light erupted beneath Iris's feet before rapidly expanding outward across the landscape below.
The glowing circle spread farther and farther beyond visible range, crossing grasslands, streams, forests, and hills alike.
Wind exploded outward across the valley.
Then— silence.
The pressure vanished almost immediately afterward.
Everyone exhaled heavily.
A system notification appeared directly before Iris's eyes.
[Congratulations. You have successfully established a territory.
Rewarded: +3,000 Stone and +5,000 Wood.]
The next line appeared slowly afterward.
[ What would you like to name your territory?]