Alex slipped through the trees before dawn, a satchel on his back, kunai at his hip, saber slung across his shoulders. Chakra hummed beneath his skin—steady, coiled. This wasn’t a hunt for food. Not a trek for solitude.
This time, he was tracking people.
The third group.
Two days. That’s what he’d promised. In and out. No contact. Just eyes and information.
The forest changed the farther he went. Thicker trees. The ground damp, untouched. No goblin trails. No scratches on bark. No warped trees from fog-beast territory. It was unclaimed. Uncharted. And as the first streaks of sun crested the ridge, he saw it—a thin curl of smoke rising into the pale sky.
Alex crouched, slipped chakra to his soles, and ghosted up the ridge without a sound. At the top, peering through the underbrush, he saw them.
Tents. Crude ones, could have been bought from any Path. Not like Marcus’s people with their structured layout and canvas lean-tos. These were poorly maintained and arranged. And there were men—many of them. Shirtless, armed. With a variety of weapons. Some lounged by the fire. Some sparred with little care for restraint. He counted twenty-five at least.
And at the center of it all… a cage.
Wooden. Reinforced. Something inside stirred, weakly. He couldn’t make out what—until one of the men, bald and tattooed, dragged a woman toward it.
She stumbled with every step, her knees buckling. Blood ran from a cut at her temple.
The man barked something, shoved her through the bars. The others laughed.
Alex’s stomach turned. His hands curled into fists.
No Obelisk in sight. Either hidden or elsewhere in the camp. But it didn’t matter.
These weren’t survivors.
They were raiders.
He backed away, inch by inch, chakra coiled and ready to burst. Then he sprinted, low and fast, not daring to look back until the trees swallowed the camp behind him.
<hr>
Back at the Cradle
The morning had been quiet. Rain gone, mist lifting. A fire crackled low beside the central clearing where Becca and Hana practiced chakra control drills. Camila stood nearby, arms folded, her own training half-ignored as she watched the girls. Two spirals of air twisted around her shoulders like restless birds—her control had grown immensely since her magic expansion.
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Becca held her breath, focusing. A leaf stuck to her palm, then fluttered off.
Hana, seated beside her, held a small frozen blade in one hand. It lasted thirty seconds this time before shattering.
“Better,” Ellie said, crouching beside her. “Five seconds longer than yesterday.”
Hana’s grin was sharp. “I’ve got thirty-five points now. Think I’m finally ready.”
“Then get over to the Obelisk,” Ellie said, nudging her. “You’ve earned it.”
Across the clearing, David spun a kunai through his fingers, testing its weight. He’d been sparring with Roger and Raj earlier, and though the fight had ended, his presence still loomed—more confident, more imposing. The upgrade to his Armament Haki gave him a great sense of confidence, though he''s not arrogant, recognising his stamina is finite, and his defences not impenetrable. Even so, It hadn’t been a cheap investment, but now? He was second only to Camila in power.
Travis and Wren ran through Nen cycles in the distance, Yusuf watching with his arms crossed.
“Zetsu’s still leaking,” he muttered.
“I’m trying,” Travis said through gritted teeth.
And off to one side, in the corner by the cracked water barrel, Callum gathered his usual cluster of pathless followers. Quiet murmurs. Words like consolidation and fairness. He hadn’t trained. He hadn’t helped on any hunts. But he was building something. Miriam noticed. Grace noticed.
“Let him dig his own grave,” Grace whispered, watching from beside the ration tent.
<hr>
That Evening
Alex returned at dusk—mud-streaked, sweating, silent.
He didn’t collapse this time. He walked straight to the firepit, where Miriam, Camila, Jake, and David had already gathered. His eyes were cold. Focused.
Miriam didn’t wait. “What did you see?”
“They’re not like Marcus’s group,” Alex said. “They’re worse. Way worse.”
Jake straightened, already pulling out his notebook. “How many?”
“At least twenty-five. All men. All armed. Clubs, blades. Some have powers. I saw one with Armament Haki, using his arm like a bat. Another had a sword that screamed when it moved. I don’t know—maybe Nen, maybe Fairy Tail magic.”
David’s expression darkened. “Were they organized?”
Alex shook his head. “No. Messy. Brutal. There’s a cage at the center of their camp. I saw a woman—she was being dragged back. Blood on her face. They threw her inside like nothing.”
Camila’s jaw tightened.
“Obelisk?” she asked.
“Didn’t see it. Could be hidden. Could be somewhere else. Doesn’t matter.”
Jake scribbled faster.
“They’re raiders,” Alex said. “They’re not surviving. They’re conquering.”
Silence fell.
“What do we do?” David asked.
“We prepare,” Miriam said without hesitation. “We fortify the eastern flank. We keep our heads low. If they find us—if they even suspect we’re near—we’ll have a war.”
“I’m going back out tomorrow, hunting” Alex added.
“Alright, try and nab a deer or something. Gives less reason for others to complain.”
Alex nodded once and walked toward the ration tent.
<hr>
Jake’s Log — Night Entry
<ul>
<li>
Confirmed Survivors: 72
</li>
<li>
Alex scouted third group – Estimated 25+ men, armed and aggressive.
</li>
<li>
Confirmed signs of abuse – cage holding a woman, status unknown.
</li>
<li>
Path users spotted – Armament Haki confirmed, unknown weapon user.
</li>
<li>
No Obelisk sighted – unclear if they possess one.
</li>
<li>
Cradle Status: Holding, under growing threat.
</li>
<li>
Recommendations:
<ul>
<li>
Fortify eastern perimeter.
</li>
<li>
Do not initiate contact.
</li>
<li>
Begin contingency planning.
</li>
<li>
Reassess Marcus’s group as a potential ally.</li></ul></li></ul>