Upper River

The morning light quickly broke over the horizon, and the sharp sound of a horn shattered the brief peace within the camp.

Borne and the remaining seven comrades immediately sprang from their beds, their movements swift and practiced.

Despite their exhaustion, war permitted no time for rest.

As they looked around, a sudden realization hit them — two members of their team were missing.

Harley opened his mouth, seemingly about to ask, "Where are Bush and Gommern?"

But before the words left his lips, the grim truth settled over them like a cold shadow.

Silence fell upon the tent, as if speaking their names would only deepen the sorrow.

Their fallen comrades, who had fought by their side countless times, had become little more than memories, now part of the ashes scattered in last night's fire, left behind on the battlefield forever.

The weight of loss hung in the air, pressing down on everyone, robbing them of words.

Borne stood still for a moment, lost in thought, before gathering his gear and leading the way outside the tent.

One by one, the others followed his lead, silently stepping out into the daylight.

Breakfast passed quickly, and no routine drills were scheduled for the day, as all the soldiers were tasked with continuing to fortify the defenses.

The somber mood lingered in the camp, everyone acutely aware of the importance of the tasks that lay ahead.

Soon after, Khazik approached Borne, Dilon, and Victor, his face grim.

"You three have a different mission today," he said in a low voice, his expression serious.

"Go check the upper reaches of the river.

Look for any signs of magic beasts.

But remember, if you encounter one, don't engage.

Just run.

This is a reconnaissance mission, not a fight."

Borne, Dilon, and Victor exchanged glances, then snapped off a salute to Khazik, signaling their understanding.

Without further words, the three of them quickly gathered their equipment and weapons before heading toward the river's upper course.

They walked along the riverbank at a steady pace, the water shimmering in the sunlight, creating a rare sense of tranquility.

Fortunately, the path wasn't too difficult to navigate, and the three men managed to handle it with ease.

As the hours passed, they still found no trace of any magic beasts.

At first, they were all on high alert, scanning the surroundings for any sign of movement, but gradually, as time went on, they began to relax.

Victor was the first to speak, his voice lowered.

"Looks like this mission is easier than I thought. I was expecting more trouble."

Borne nodded, feeling a little more at ease as well.

"Seems like there aren't any magic beasts in this area."

Victor glanced at Borne, asking casually, "How's your head today? We all heard you throwing up outside the tent last night."

Borne chuckled awkwardly and scratched his head.

"It hurt like hell when I woke up, but it's better now."

Dilon, however, remained on high alert, his eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.

He didn't join in the conversation, keeping his focus on the environment.

As they continued, the terrain gradually began to rise, and the path ahead grew steeper.

The three of them ascended a slope, the ground beneath their feet becoming more uneven, with rocks and tree roots crisscrossing the path, occasionally making the footing slippery.

The bushes along the sides of the path rustled softly in the breeze.

Victor finally couldn't hold back any longer and broke the silence.

"Didn't expect it to be this far.

I thought the upper reaches would be closer."

They continued climbing the steep path, the surroundings growing more desolate and quiet.

Victor, clearly uncomfortable with the silence, soon spoke again.

"How long has it been since the three of us went on a mission together?"

Borne paused for a moment, thinking.

"Yeah, it's been a while. I think the last time was in Stormhaven, right?"

The three of them kept moving, their steps accompanied by occasional conversation.

Though they had grown up together as childhood friends, their time in the army had meant they rarely saw each other.

Each of them had their own duties and responsibilities, and if Borne wasn't away on a mission, Dilon or Victor usually was.

These reunions only happened during major operations like this one.

Dilon remained vigilant, his eyes scanning their surroundings as he hummed in agreement.

"Yeah, it feels like we've all been scattered across different places these past few years.

It's rare for an operation like this to bring us together again."

"But honestly, I'd rather not have a reunion like this.

This mission is more dangerous than any we've been on before," Victor said with a sigh and a laugh.

Their conversation continued as they pressed on, their pace steady.

As they talked, the scenery around them gradually changed.

The river's current became a little faster, and an uneasy stillness hung in the air.

Eventually, they reached the middle stretch of the river.

It was here that they began to notice the first signs of trouble — faint, scattered footprints on the ground.

Victor was the first to stop, his gaze sharp as he crouched down to inspect the tracks more closely.

"Look at this — there are beast tracks here," he said, his voice now serious, his eyes filled with caution.

Borne and Dilon immediately stopped and moved closer to examine the tracks.

The prints were irregular, clearly belonging to a variety of magic beasts.

Some of the tracks were large and deep, while others were smaller but sharp, indicating that several different types of magic beasts had passed through this area.

"Looks like we're heading in the right direction.

But judging by the number of tracks, there's more than just a few magic beasts here.

This could be more complicated than we thought," Victor muttered, his gaze shifting to the surrounding forest.

Borne stood up slowly, his eyes on the chaotic tracks. He spoke in a low voice.

"These tracks are a bit old.

They don't seem fresh. Let's keep moving."

As they pressed on, the landscape grew more challenging.

The trees on either side of the path became denser, obstructing their view, and the atmosphere grew darker and more oppressive.

Borne, Dilon, and Victor moved cautiously, the increasing number of beast tracks on the ground making them more tense.

"There are too many tracks.

Could we already be entering the Celestoria Mountain Range?"

Borne asked, frowning, a sense of unease creeping into his thoughts.

The sheer number of footprints made him wonder if they had unknowingly ventured into a dangerous area.

Dilon shook his head, scanning their surroundings, still calm and composed.

"No, this doesn't look like the boundary of the Celestoria Mountains.

The range is much larger than we imagine.

This is just the outskirts. These magic beasts likely came out from the mountains to roam."

By this point, the three of them had reached the middle stretch of the river.

They pressed on, aiming to reach the upper course by the afternoon.