8 The cabin and the truth

Micheal – "That was how carrying was supposed to be on the lips and princess carry is on the cheek."

Chloe – "I told you, princess carry has deeper meaning that's why it should have better reward."

Micheal – "No it was just a way to carry, it does not have to do with the meaning, when I carry you I consume energy, if I changed my way of carrying then it's just the same. So generally carrying you should be worth a kiss on the lips and the ways to carry you, being just a way is on the cheeks."

Chloe – "How about just carry me with no rewards?"

Micheal – "Yeah yeah you were right, princess carry maximizes the comfort and intimacy of both people."

Chloe – "Awww, I told you princess carry is special, how about I kiss you for admitting your mistake?"

After she told me that, she leaned her face near mine. I immediately lean against her but the devil has to destroy my hope.

Chloe – "Still, you argued with me for too long so no kisses."

I was stumped.

Why must you? How much have I sinned? Wait I can't give up now that I'm already out of my comfortable sitting posture.

Micheal – "But I defeated myself right?"

Chloe – "Huh?"

Micheal – "Isn't that considered supporting you?"

Chloe – "It's not counted, can't you just focus on driving?"

Micheal – "Why are unfair?"

I faked a small tantrum for failing my attempt but an angry voice suddenly spoke.

Chloe – "It's just a kiss!, why act like that?"

She gave me a sullen look before she returned to fidgeting her phone. I remained silent because I feel that she was really getting pissed off by my behavior. After driving for a while I finally saw a unique structure that is seemingly a building made of glass or a giant version of a miniature glass decoration. Its walls were mostly made of strangely rough looking see through glass with some smooth crystal clear ones as the windows. It was one of the most popular place in the metro that is often visited by travelers or elites, the serenity cafe.

It was called Serenity Cafe because of a certain special glass, which not only improves artistic appearance it also had other benefits. The outer appearance was almost all glass but, once earthquake occurs this place was the safest to go into because of the mystic property of the glass that made up the outside layer. In the Astral worlds, there's a material called serenity sand. It was a sand that instead of directly receiving shock, it somehow pass vibration near other particles producing strange sounds. Glasses made from such sands could withstand intense vibration and create deep soothing sounds but mostly sounds that cannot be perceived by human ears. Such mystical sand is a common commodity but the glass making is an arduous and expensive process and so only elites of the elites are capable of utilizing such material.

This enchanting structure was built ever since the metro city was just a small one and the owner/s may have been a family hailed from a rich tycoon lineage. People speculated that collecting such beautiful glass works and crystal carvings are the way of their family to flaunt their wealth.

We are now currently in front of the cafe and I was feeling anxious because of all the 4 years since I ran away, this is the only unique place in the city that I haven't walked in. When we finally got out of the vehicle I anxiously asked Chloe if this is really the place she wants to have a meal on.

Micheal – "Hey, um, is this really?"

Chloe – "Yes, I um, can you help me?"

Micheal – "Sure, with what?"

Chloe – "With Rachel and the others. Please help me convince them to, cross our gate."

Micheal – "Well, I don't know if I can but I'll try."

Chloe – "You have the key for the cabins right?"

Micheal – "Yes, but I don't think they know the value of those cabins."

Chloe – "It's okay, If, they agreed, can you let us borrow those cabins?"

Micheal – "Yeah, it's not like I can use them."

Chloe – "Thank you."

She hugged me after saying her thanks, I leaned on her and lowered my head. She realized that I was going for a kiss when she suddenly showed an annoyed look but accepted my lips. She pushed me lightly before walking towards the entrance. I followed her and enter the glass door.

Serenity Cafe, to be honest I always ignored this place not because it's not interesting but, it looks too high class from the outside. Now that I was finally seeing the inside, I think describing it too high class isn't making the cut anymore. She was walking casually albeit a little limp, it felt like she already knows every nook and canny and it also looked like she's heading on a destination. Maybe Green ghost is here that's why she asked me for help. I was following her while acting in between a 5 year old admiring things with wide eyes and a 50 year old muttering explanation on how they are created or how intricate the art was.

This building gives off the feeling of being inside a glass museum because of the artistic glass wares and crystal constructs displayed. The tables were so far away from each other it looked like occupying one would let you feel the sense of owning the whole place yourself, the only demerit was not having enough space for a large group. We went up the glass elevator to head on the 3rd floor, the top of the building, It was so spacious but only 3 tables was available and one was currently occupied by familiar faces.

Rachel Praysins aka Green ghost, brown hair average beauty wearing an eyeglasses and her lab coat looking over sized jacket that has various pocket near and above the waist line.

Celia and Ceria Alabara aka the twins, long blonde hair beauties but the other one looks more lively than the other, wearing as sweater with flower pattern from the shoulders down the armpit.

Nihhana Montes aka (gamer slut), short brownish hair with a seductive type beauty fidgeting her phone. She was wearing a jersey of the uni, probably from a man she duped.

Adrian Swordspit aka Guts, good looking guy, short brown hair with a trustworthy looking face. Wearing same jersey like Nihhana only with a different name in the front.

Gabriela Signland aka Big sister, long reddish hair with a mature looking beautiful face, she was wearing a flower patterned sweater similar to the Twins but hers reached down her breasts.

Aliyah Flores aka Thorns, neatly braided dark brown hair, intelligent looking beauty wearing a female version of the sweater worn by Guts and Nihhana. She also had an aura of being neat.(OCD tendencies)

I gave a nod at everyone but Green was not looking at me, I believe the issue about yesterday was still a problem so I should apologize to her. It seemed Chloe and Green were quite close because they started chatting when we sat down. I glanced at everyone and saw someone smiling from ear to ear, it was Guts. He was smiling while constantly moving his eyebrow up and down then pointing his eyes on Chloe.

*Didn't you hear her call me brother yesterday? What's with that face? You really think I'd do my sister? Well, I did do her on the premise that she did not treat me as her brother. But at least we're not blood related. Still, Really gutsy? You really believe I will do her? You know that I at least had some principles, well fuck it!.

I ignored the guilt producing face of Guts and immediately tried to speak with Green in an apologizing manner after she ended her brief chat with Chloe.

Micheal – "So um Green, sorry for causing trouble yesterday. I wasn't able to keep my cool, I would've talked it out. but she was involved, I mean she's family so I wasn't able to think properly."

Green – "Um, no worries, it was my fault too. I invited all Astrahuman I thought decent enough, I was planning to introduce them to you. I thought she was just getting used to the place because it was her first time coming, so I left her alone. But I didn't know some bastards was able to slip and targeted her, sorry I wasn't able to take care of her properly."

Micheal – "It's okay, none of us knew there's still people dumb enough to that in your place, besides it was her fault for accepting drinks from strangers. Well what's done is done so I think we should just move on and, did we interrupt any discussions here?"

Chloe then pinched my side secretly but everyone so what she did because of the transparency of the table. Suddenly a bored feminine voice sounded.

Nihhana – "To be honest not, we're just idling here waiting for you two."

Her phone was already atop the table and she was slouching while fidgeting the food as if she has nothing to do worth her attention anymore. She then suddenly looked at me with an excited eyes and cheerfully asked me while smiling.

Nihhana – "Hey Micheal, when are you sampling your game?"

Micheal – "After she played it."

I pointed at Chloe, Nihhana immediately glared at her as if staring at a murderer. Chloe then stared at me with the same glare.

*Is this the hardship of honest people? I just told her the truth why hate me?

But before any thing happens Gabby being the sensible big sister she is, break the situation and started the meeting.

Gabby – "Well now that everyone's here, maybe you can talk."

Green – "Yeah, about the talk, I was about to propose crossing at my family's territory but it seems Chloe's family territory has much better resources. But combat focused lineages are the main residents of their territory and it was protected by a vitality and offense based guardian; crystal titan."

Thorns – "You mean crystal giant?"

Green – "No, I mean Titan, like 5 times larger than giant."

Nihhana – "Cool! What blessing does it give?"

Green – "At low levels physical improvements, at high levels, I heard from pops that people can turn themselves into crystal human, Chloe is that true?"

Chloe – "My grandpa can, my mother can only turn her hand while father can do full arms."

Celia – "That sounds like a great place."

Ceria – "A little dangerous too."

Green – "That's right, anyone knows the place they call the dark frontier?"

Nihhana – "The cool place that sucks people souls?"

Thorns – "Don't tell me they're in that death zone?"

Chloe – "Near that restricted zone."

Thorns – "And you were able to receive a guardian?"

Chloe – "In the passed down story, the founders helped a crystal giant to evolve and, now there's a "technically guardian" but it has not claimed territory so once a passing guardian arrives then there's a chance that we can receive double blessings once it claimed the territory even if the settlement is still small."

Gabby – "So it has great potential but, the dark frontier? Down from the name, up to the legends and horrors about it, is very dangerous."

Green – "But my parents was depending on them for like, 70% of the rare materials"

While they were seriously thinking about the pros and cons about the territory they will cross unto, I saw Guts making an expression that screams the sentence, "I did not sign up for this" whenever the dark territory was spoken.

Micheal – "Once you cross in our territory, I would give you key card's in the cabin near the forest of crystal spirits"

When I said forest of crystal spirits almost everyone felt some shiver down their spine while frowning, Chloe on the other hand had a look of worry at while Guts almost shrunk on the spot, while shaking his head as if he would reject everything now.

Thorns – "So you're telling us to choose the territory near a death zone and head to the place that's the sole reason it's a death zone?"

Ceria – "Is there going to be a suicide mission involved?"

Gabby – "Isn't too dangerous for them?"

Nihhana – "What's up with that quest line?"

Guts – "Boss, are you joking?"

Green – "WAIT!"

I was about to answer Thorns when Green raised her voice stopping any further voices.

Green – "I know you wouldn't offer something not worth it, but key card on a cabin? What kind of cabin and is the cabin still there?"

Chloe – "To be honest that's where the guardian leaves near. Or should I say that was where the guardian chose to stay near."

Micheal – "As I was about to say, that place was nearest to the resource and also the safest."

Gabby – "Then why do you offer up that key card? Won't your grandfather be angry?"

Gabby then looked at me and Chloe as if questioning both of us.

Micheal – "To be honest not. She and I don't have the same grandfather so it does not matter and it was clear that anything that I own will never be touched by her family so nobody needs to worry if the territory found out that I gave away the key card."

I felt Green's eyes focused on me, but a gentle and cheerful voice snatched my attention.

Celia – "Sounds good."

Ceria – "But ominous."

Guts – "Yeah boss, sounds shady! maybe we should just go to Green's territory."

Ceria - "How are you sure about them not bothering us? And what's with the not the same grandfather?""

Micheal – "I was adopted because my whole family died out."

Thorns – "Died out? I think I know something-,..."

Micheal – "They're the exploring expedition that met the disaster, they're the reason it was named forest of crystal spirits."

The moment they heard what I said everyone was filled with blank expression, but Chloe immediately held my hand to comfort me. I feel sad, though I may have never met them but they died trying to help me fix my body. At least I want to see their faces even just from photos. But I can't even cross there to see for myself what was the place they lived in looks like.

Micheal – "I'm sure everyone in the territory would respect my decision not because of me but because of the respect they have for the remaining kin of the pioneer family."

Nearly 20 years ago, an expedition force consisting 37 members thread the death zone aiming for the heart of the forest where the legendary astral fae folks live but no one ever returned. No one outside the settlement knew that all the members were the founding fathers and the whole Mednaya Lineage. Nobody released the truth because all the members involved clearly knew the dangers the expedition will face and so they made some preparations on how to deal with outside situation as to not let any competitor take advantage of the situation if ever the pillars of power in the settlement did not return.

Chloe's grandfather was my grandfathers' frenemy of some sort. Because of the influence they have within the settlement, they always had arguments but my own grandpa always got the upper hand because of the difference in individual power. When my father lost his life trying to find a way to get in the astral I was taken care by the Suriela family because he borrowed one of their labs for experiment while leaving me in the care of Chloe's mother, my father's former school mate and also my mothers close friend.

My father's family was a renowned as the most advanced machinist family that could mixed both Astra and Metra technology, everyone coveted the machines but the Suriela was able to move first because the patriarch of Suriela used my adoption as a means to get the inheritance. 3 years ago mom told me the truth and she gave me the master key card of the Mednaya cabins that they were able to retrieved from my grandfathers corpse when the titan found him and brought it back to the settlement.

Micheal – "You shouldn't be afraid though, They went inside the forest that even the guardian was having trouble finding their bodies. I mean, If a 40 meter titan was having a hard time trying to find them, you can only imagine how deep they went."

Chloe – "But even if you don't go deeper, grandpa said that there's many astral critters there so manual labor and battle capacity is required and if someone doesn't have any then they will develop it over time. You only need at least a month to adapt and usually you will be able to hunt in groups of 4 or 5 after adapting."

Gabby – "Is it really that safe there?"

Green – "I heard from father that there's something really dangerous there at night."

Micheal – "That's why I'm offering the cabin house, being near the guardian presence prevents that danger and, it's not like really that dangerous to you people."

Gabby – "What kind of danger is it?"

Chloe – "It's, like,..."

Chloe looks like having a hard time to explain, she looks as if she wanted to explain the curse but does not have the right word to describe it so I took over her.

Micheal – "It's like a trade curse, those who received the crystal titan's blessing are the only ones who can be affected, those affected will have their reproductive chances plummet but, Loe."

Chloe raised her hand, her hand then suddenly begun reflecting light and turned slightly mirror like texture. She showed that she was able to partially crystallize her hand, the hand she uses whenever she experience spiking emotions or sudden reactions. It was also the hand she used when she reached her pinnacle of pleasure that's how she was able to scratch and hurt my otherwise very resistant skin.

Micheal – "Babies conceived successfully by people with crystal curse are able to not only has extreme talent with crystallization they even had the power without even getting the blessing. The downside was they are also born with the curse."

Thorns – "So that rare transformation ability was from the curse, but how do people get cursed?"

Micheal – "By letting a crystal spirit touch you, at night crystal spirits at the outskirts of the settlement will start appearing but only on the outskirts. They can easily be destroyed though, and people who don't have the blessing of the crystal titan could destroy one if they punched hard enough. As long as you don't have the titan's blessing your immune."

Green – "There are those things and, are there other people like Chloe?"

Chloe – "As far as I know there are only three of us and, one from either of the 6 resident world and another from a root world, earth."

Thorns – "How come nobody knows about that link with the planet of forefathers?"

Micheal – "On the contrary everybody knows, it's just nobody cares, the link opens every 24 years. Are you willing to do business that takes 24 years per transaction?"

Nihhana – "Still, meeting the people near our origin would be something new."

Thorns – "We're more astral being than human though, it was said there are still pure humans on Earth."

Micheal – "Maybe you're thinking why does giving you the key card sounds like benefits on top of benefits then, I will now say the slight catch, at least only 13 doors could be opened, the crystal titan would often venture in the morning creating tremors and loud noise, there's a considerable distance on the water source. And the heavy catch is the abundance of mimic trees."

Green and Thorns – "Mimic tree?"

Celia – "Sounds interesting."

Ceria – "Is it something that copies voices of the dead then lure people onto danger?"

Nihhana – "Is it like something that's pretending to be a tree then try to eat people?"

Thorn – "Is it a beast that creates illusion of trees?"

While the others were guessing what is a mimic tree, Guts was having goosebumps and shivers by the horror others present. I looked at Chloe then nod to Guts direction, when she saw the fear in Guts face she giggled and smiled then I explained what was the mystery monster.

Micheal – "It's not a man eating creature or anything, it's just crystalline tree that copies sounds and words making someone lost or sometimes it creeps others. But if you get used to living in that forest, you'd be able to use those trees to track prey or avoid danger."

Nihhana – "Bummer, it turned to be a boring tree that can make sounds."

Gabby – "What's that avoid danger?"

Micheal – "You see, there's an insect that uses a mimic tree as their nest. They're called choir beetles but they act like how a bee does minus the queen and soldier bees, they use mimic tree to constantly mimic their sound to invite other choir beetles in the surrounding. They produce a tonic like substance that taste sweet and sour but it requires a special ear plug to be able to gather it.

Green – "Sounds like it's not for eating though, if it was produced by a bee like creature then if must have came from nectar of, oh my god nectar of flowers, is there golden drop?"

Micheal – "Yes, though the quality of golden drop is varied though, some times it's enough to increase your level by only one. But in case of Chloe's grandpa, he increased by 3 levels by one drop. In terms of the tonic it's a substance that's one of the main ingredient in some rare medicine for improving astral blessings and mutations no matter what type it is."

Green – "Then why does not people cultivate those beetle??"

Micheal -"Those beetles could produce ear piercing sound when agitated, they also always travels from tree to tree as survival instinct. And this is the danger part, if there's honey then there's the bear. In the case choir beetle, there's the bristle snout. I can't remember what it's called in other placed but imagine a slim pig that could stand and it's large claws can penetrate the deeper parts of the choir beetle hive that's heavily guarded, and hard to kill due to its fur that's as resilient as hard leather. It cannot hear but has peculiar sense of smell that it could use to detect hostility, don't ask me how.

Thorns – "Sound like the claw beast for me, you only need to say the armored head"

Micheal – "Oh yeah I forgot it's armored head, I remember now that it's called claw beast in other places."

Ceria – "Aren't Claw beasts be normally dealt by guardians?"

Micheal – "You see, normally guardians guards the population of the little creatures. If the choir beetles population is low in a certain territory then they'll exterminate the claw beast. If the choir beetles was so low to the point that people only know about the claw beast not it's main food then naturally the guardians would have a kill on sight reaction on the beast. In the forest of crystal spirit there are more mimic trees so there are more choir beetles but, the claw beast are a bit more too. But not all of them lose their hearing yet so they travel to other places until they become completely immune to sounds then they'll return to the forest."

Chloe – "But as long as we stay near the guardian and we can gather some choir beetle nest peacefully by foraging the nectar of the trees near it. If we're lucky we can get the golden drops too. The claw beast developed a sense of fear from the guardian so it wouldn't bother choir beetles near the guardian's resting place."

Micheal – "Even stronger creatures would fear a 40 meter titan. Further danger's are way lesser than a claw beast unless you enter very deep in the forest."

Guts – "Boss, not to be rude but, anything can be lesser than a claw beast, like a guy with a gun or a land mine."

Micheal – "To be honest it really is quite dangerous there but, you're living near a guardian. Those in the settlement need to face claw beasts at least twice a month, there are even times that there's more than one rummaging the fields, while you would be lucky in meeting one after a year or two."

Guts – "Why didn't the people move the settlement?"

After Guts told his confident question they all stared at him, some with pity others with sullen face. Thorns on the other hand explained why the reacted like that to the dumbfounded Guts.

Thorns – "The reason we create settlements is because we can't move astral hot spots."

Guts then suddenly shrink in shame because of his idiotic remark. But I also wanted to at least help this poor guy.

Micheal – "No, Guts made some sense, people can create a settlement near that place but, remember that the guardian chose his place?, it was because it doesn't want too many people near it so it chose a place with as little amount of residents, it was coincidentally near where my,... Grandfather chose to build our whole family's residence."

Thorns – "A guardian that doesn't want people near it? That's strange."

Chloe – "That's why it's only technically a guardian but, a very good and protective neighbor could be the right term, it's just that it doesn't care about ecosystem that much. It would also patrol the outskirts of the settlement every day to stop or warn bristle snout attacks and the likes but return to its resting place in the border of the forest at night."

Micheal – "It doesn't really looked that strange though, it was a guardian creature evolved from peaceful and shy crystal giants so, It'll be even more strange if it suddenly approach people."

Nihhana – "So astral creatures can evolve?"

Micheal – "Not everyone though, sometimes it'll take hundreds of years, sometimes at the moment of birth."

Green – "Where did you get those information by the way?"

Micheal – "I'm reading the logs of my family's travels."

Green – "Sorry but, I know I'm going overboard now, still can you tell us who was your relatives?"

Micheal – "Well The others might not know but, does Mednaya ring a bell?"

Green – "My mother once scolded me, and said if a Madam Mednaya was to see how much I'm slacking one day I'll wake up with a different skin color and I'll need to turn it back myself. She said she was admiring her master's talent to use astral chemical as if she was just cooking a meal."

Micheal – "I've read about the log about my grandma missing two naughty apprentices so I assume that would be your parents and had proof when I saw your mother not drinking any bottled waters. It was written that she needed to drug them into using their own families astral gate because grandma would be participating in the forest mission."

Green – "They talked to me about that, they said they weren't able to move their own body as if they were put in a cage, but their body still does everything normally and what was creepy was, they were able to concoct medicine in that state of selflessness. Until now they were scared of drinking bottled waters because of that."

Micheal – "Hey! Albeit a bit dark thought but, If grandma didn't do that your parents would follow them inside the forest so it's still better right?"

Chloe – "EH HM."

I glanced at Chloe who's having an annoyed look so I immediately tried to be straight and ask them what they want to know about the settlement.

Micheal – "So guys–"

But before I could finish I heard a gentle and meek voice that was hiding sadness.

Gabby – "Micheal, if your parent, is on the other side."

Micheal – "I'm a broken half, I can't cross."

Gabby – "I see."

I saw through Gabby's eye a sense pity towards me and somehow I feel that it was toward herself too. I felt something ominous coming from beside me so I immediately spoke what I was about to say.

Micheal – "So guys, is there any question regarding the settlement?"

Thorns – "Diet, size of stable area, transportation and population."

Micheal – "Common staple would be rumina shrooms, ricewheat, blubberglows, and astral beans. Common meat would be star print hare, tree boars, medusa peacock, armored tunneler and gliding lizard."

Green – "Those are quite rare, nutritious but,..."

Chloe – "We'll be providing everyone a greenhouse of their own and as for the meat, the forest has a lot of small beasts so hunting those does not affect the cycle, also the titan has a place where he put everything he killed so we can pick the carcasses if,... we somehow cannot hunt."

Thorns – "Based on what I remember those common diet you talk about, the nutritional value of was already a tad higher than normal. But those plants need delicate condition and high quality supplements, those common meat that I assume needed to be hunted are ones that fight back right? I mean even those star print hare are known for being accurately hitting peoples head, then medusa peacock,.... I think waiting for the guardian carcass collection is a must for us beginners."

Micheal – "As for the plants, you people can use the herbs surrounding your base to supplement their growth and, the barks of mimic trees and other rare trees can be used as a great supplement for rumina mushroom and blubberglows."

Chloe – "As for the area, It is not hard to say that the settlement was as big as the campus, while the forest cabins marked area was half as big. We can freely thread the marked area but once we pass that, it's where we'll start seeing rare plants and beast while at least 20 kilometers away would be considered forbidden zone or, should I say, entering the true forest of crystal spirits."

Thorns – "Wait, you're saying that there's a hidden settlement that big? I thought it was still small?"

Chloe – "It sounds big but, I already accounted the outskirts, for the actual settlement, it wouldn't be half the size of the campus, it's just the outskirts is used as a farmland so it consume a vast amount of land."

Thorns – "Oh, and the cabin in the forest isn't really located in the forest of crystal spirits?"

Chloe – "The location isn't considered inside the forest, the guardian and the cabins are situated in a place that is considered the border between the settlement and the forest."

Green – "If we were to live in the border between the two then, aren't we always in danger of facing creatures from the forest that is heading for the settlement?"

Micheal – "Well, if there's a creature that could survive a stab from a 40 meter titan then, your life would be in danger."

Gabby – "You're saying that it is guaranteed that the guardian would defend the cabin side every time?"

Micheal – "Yes but one of the conditions you must follow to use the cabins, it is to follow the forest life, every morning you would go out to either hunt, work in the settlement or accompany the guardian to it's patrol. Based on what I read everyone that lives in the cabins follows the guardian because not only does it help expand the marked territory, the guardian would occasionally shake fruit trees for the ones that's following it, mind you if rare herbs and staples could grow there then the fruit trees wouldn't be that common either."

Nihhana – "So it's a must to come out on day and, come back at night? I expected that once I crossed I'll be working hard but, not this hard. Isn't the distance from the settlement far?"

Chloe �� "Of course everyone will be provided with a hover of their own, it, it was the ones that is owned by the previous owners of the cabin. Every single cabin has one inside, nobody wanted to take those back because they are not that latest anymore but, I could ask my grandfather to do some updates for it."

Chloe's previous annoyed face became one of pleading as if wanting me to agree to her statement.

Micheal – "Of course I'd be more than willing to give away the things I can't own."

Guts – "So um, I just wanted to confirm, Boss- I mean master, you will give us hover for free?"

Micheal – "Not free though, I need people to protect her in case anything would happen."

After saying that I turned my face towards Chloe. I saw her smile and blush for a bit. Then I continued to state my conditions. Green looked at us with strange eyes but I just shove it because I remembered that I can ask them for a favor.

Micheal – "Also I would like anyone who live in the cabins to gather anything that involves information of the previous owner be it photos, gadgets or any recording items."

Green – "So you wanted to collect what's left of them, it's not a big deal so it's an okay condition."

Thorns – "How about the population? Given that your family seemed to have the exclusive control of the gate, I assume it'll be at least a thousand at most considering the numbers of the worlds linked to it."

Chloe – "To be honest no, because some hidden families uses other gates but travels by a route on the astral and the other worlds only had 1-2 year annual link interval so the population increases at least by 1 hundred a year, and last time father estimated that the settlement have at least 3,000 inhabitants when I asked him."

Thorns – "That's more than what I expected."

Chloe – "That's shows how important the resource there, the connected worlds are trying their best to increase their own influence to get a bigger cut, but there is a fatal flaw in the settlement."

Green – "What is it?"

Chloe – "We had a lot of supply but, we lack people that can process, even the minerals that they mined need to be transferred back to home worlds to be refined before transferring back to be used."

Green – "So people like me are a bit needed?"

Micheal – "It seemed the reason why my grandmother thought your parents was to rope them in to my grandfather's side."

But strangely Celia giggled at what I said, I raised my eye brows and looked at her. Gabby nudge her to say what she's giggling about.

Celia – "It's just a bit of irony that your grandmother tried to rope in Green's parents to Mednaya's side in order to what I assume, decrease the Suriela's influence, but in the end you're trying to rope Green to Suriela's side."

Micheal – "It is an irony but, it's not my main reason though, Green is Green no matter what so she is the best person for Chloe to become close friends with. Given she had a decent and kind personality. And the fact that she always protect the safety of people around her and had a quick wit in times of emergency was all the more reason for Chloe to learn a thing or two from her."

Green – "Wow! What a way to phrase baby sitting and safe guarding."

Chloe then smiled while feeling some embarrassment.

*Why are you embarrassed? I'm really caring for you, you know?

Green – "I believe we are able to hear the important information so guys,..."

Ceria – "We need some time to talk it out with our parents but, we're in."

Thorns – "Well, having fun with analyzing those rare materials while feeling a sense of danger is, to be honest kinda exciting. I'm in."

Nihhana – "Whatever, as long as there's people that I know and far from my own families eyes then I'm in."

We then looked at Guts who is making a very difficult expression. It took him a while before asking me.

Guts – "Master chief, if we get the hover, can I have free maintenance from you when we return here?"

Micheal – "Considering you'd be my benefactor by baby sitting this silly girl, of course all the maintenance and repair from me are free."

Guts – "Brother don't worry, your family is my family too"

After making that remark Guts faced Chloe

Guts - "Don't worry sister, this big brother can protect you. Even if it's a claw beast, I'm sure I can run away from it while carrying you."

We all giggled for a bit when we realized the food were already gone. After I put another order driven by Chloe's insistence, Guts begun asking me about survival tips and know hows in the forest and so I decided to tell them that I will create compiled data of everything the log contains about beasts, herbs, trees and events. Guts insisted on asking about dangerous beasts but felt regret after hearing about the stalking hounds and giant pit beetle. Thorns was also asking me to give a possible lay out on the water way while Nihhana was asking me if it is possible to create a version of Origin that could work without my operating system. Celia and Ceria are talking to each other while Gabby was having a deep thought, though I feel something bad is churning inside her mind, maybe she was thinking about the dangers the twins would face. After observing for a moment I realized what Gabby was feeling.

*I know now, I feel it too Big sis,... a Metrahuman participating in an Astrahuman discussion about what to do after crossing the astral border really gives birth to some negative feelings but, we should still just accept the fact and move on, I think. Well I can't just let people sink and drown in front of me can I?