The cold wind in the valley scattered the last dust that symbolized the Petrification Worm's existence.
The joy of victory did not follow. The survivors took deep breaths of the thin air, confirming the fact that they were still alive.
The "ad" invitation extended by the leader of the Root Guardians shifted the tense standoff between the two sides.
This invitation eased the previously tense, sword-drawn atmosphere.
Klaus stood up from the pile of rubble. His hunting attire was stained with blood and dust, its original color unrecognizable, and his injured arm hung limply at his side.
His spine remained straight and tall, representing the identity of the I.A.R.C. Munich Branch.
He had not relaxed even after the battle ended.
"We accept your invitation," Klaus's voice was weary, but the authority within it was undiminished. "But before that, I need to first confirm the condition of my team mbers and complete our primary task—taking away those imprisoned souls."
The leader of the Root Guardians watched him quietly, then nodded silently, granting his request.
The next hour was solemn and sorrowful cleanup work.
Klaus confird that no team mbers were in life-threatening danger. He then directed everyone to search the devastated rubble piles for and collect the petrified remains of the victims.
The spiritual force field that maintained the petrification collapsed after the worm's death.
The once-hard stone sculptures beca fragile, turning into ashen powder at the touch.
They could not bring the victims back in complete form, only using the special collection bags issued by the Association.
They carefully gathered each pile of powder that could be recognized as human-shaped, along with the soil beneath it.
Lin Jie personally collected the remains of "Glacier Eye" team leader Heinrich.
When his fingertips touched the powder, [Reverberation Touch] was passively triggered.
What flooded his mind this ti was a sense of relieved liberation and so of Heinrich's mories from I.A.R.C.
During the silent collection ceremony, the Root Guardians did not stand idly by.
They did not step forward to help, but stood at a distance in an ancient and reverent manner.
They softly chanted an ancient requiem Lin Jie could not understand, their voices blending with the mountain wind.
They were not mourning the death of "outsiders."
They were mourning the shattered peace of the sacred mountain "Wotan's Heart" due to the disturbance.
By the ti the cleanup work ended, dusk was approaching, and all mbers of the joint investigation team were utterly exhausted.
The leader of the Root Guardians kept his promise.
In front of a hidden cave surrounded by coniferous forests at the mountain's base, a camp appeared before everyone.
The camp was simple yet had a lived-in feel;
a burning bonfire dispelled the mountain chill.
Several tents made of animal hides and waterproof tarpaulins were distributed around the cave.
The air was filled with the aroma of roasting at and the fragrance of unknown herbs.
This was the dwelling place of the Druid descendants, isolated from modern civilization.
The Druid Elder gestured for everyone to sit around the bonfire and brought out an old oak barrel from deep within the cave.
He pried open the barrel's plug, and a rich aroma of ad, a mix of roasted malt char and honey sweetness, filled the air.
He poured a cup of warm, amber-colored ad in a rough clay cup for everyone present.
Klaus and the Druid Elder raised their clay cups in silent acknowledgnt.
Both n drained their cups in one go.
This cup of wine represented an informal "ceasefire" built upon mutual recognition of strength.
"My na is Alberich," the elder finally gave his na. His eyes, illuminated by the flickering firelight, appeared deep and wise. "You are strong, stronger than any Association team I've encountered in nearly fifty years. Especially your commander, he possesses the unyielding will of a bear god."
His gaze turned to Klaus's simply bandaged arm, his tone carrying respect.
"Thank you," Klaus replied succinctly;
he was not one for pleasantries.
Alberich then shook his head, a bitter and perplexed expression appearing on his face. "Klaus Weber, your final strike, that artificially triggered avalanche, while it saved my people, the damage it inflicted on the ecological balance of 'Wotan's Heart' may take decades to recover. You used one imbalance to counter another."
This Druidic dialectical statent plunged Klaus into silence.
Lin Jie knew the mont had co to break this silence and redefine the relationship between the two sides.
"Mr. Alberich," Lin Jie spoke calmly, "Perhaps, before we discuss 'balance' and 'imbalance,' we should first reach a consensus on a basic fact."
eting the elder's scrutinizing gaze, he said, "That is, all recent actions of the Petrification Worm have been abnormal. It broke the 'sleeping covenant' you said it had with this mountain range for millennia, and instead began indiscriminately attacking all humans entering its territory."
"This isn't molting;
this is predation. I want to know, as 'guardians' of this mountain, what explanation do you have for this?"
Lin Jie's question struck at the heart of the conflict.
Complex emotions flashed in Alberich's eyes, ultimately turning into a long sigh.
"You are sharp, young man from the East. Much sharper than your predecessors who only knew how to speak with guns and cannons." He glanced at Lin Jie, then turned his gaze to the flickering flas in the bonfire, sinking into distant mories.
"You are right. The 'Petrification Worm,' the ancient being we call the 'Intestines of the Mountain,' has indeed beco abnormal."
"This process began roughly half a year ago." Alberich's voice grew low. "We initially thought it was because this molting cycle required more 'life foundation' than before."
"But soon we discovered it was attacking everything indiscriminately, including so large beasts in the mountains. Its hunger beca irrational and unrestrained."
"Why?" Klaus pressed.
"Because its 'food' has been polluted." Alberich gave an unexpected answer.
"The 'Intestines of the Mountain' does not survive on flesh and blood;
it draws upon the spirituality of this land. And just half a year ago, a turbid, industrialized spirituality seeped into the ley lines of 'Wotan's Heart' like poison."
"It polluted the worm's habitat and twisted its instincts, turning it from a slumbering guardian into a frenzied patient trying to dilute the toxins within by consuming."
Industrialized turbid spirituality?
Klaus and Gretchen exchanged a glance;
they both thought of the sa answer.
"It's that abandoned 'Helios' secret experintal base located on the other side of the mountain range!" Gretchen exclaid. "That's the underground facility secretly built by the German Empire to research 'Aether weapons'!"
"It's said the research there involved fusing UMA spirituality with chemical weapons of the ti! It was later sealed off due to a serious leak accident, and all files were classified as top secret!"
The truth surfaced at this mont.
The worm's abnormality stemd from the "industrial tumor" left behind by humans.
"So, you knew the truth from the very beginning." Klaus's voice turned cold. "But you chose to conceal it, chose to stand by and watch our colleagues be killed by that maddened UMA, trying to stop our investigation."
"Because in our creed, any form of intervention is wrong!" Alberich's voice also regained its firmness. "We believe the mountain will digest this 'toxin' in its own way, even if the process takes centuries!"
"Your arrival, your violent killing of the worm, who was also a 'victim,' seemingly solved the problem. But who knows if your actions will leave an even harder-to-heal wound on the spirituality of this land!"
The conflict of ideologies surfaced again.
The confrontation between the two sides was about to return to square one.
"But now the worm is dead." The realist Klaus ended this philosophical debate with one sentence. "We both got results we didn't want, and we both paid a heavy price in this battle."
"Alberich, on behalf of the I.A.R.C. Munich Branch, I propose a temporary agreent to you and the 'Root Guardians' you represent."
He extended his uninjured right hand.
"Until the pollution issue at the 'Helios' experintal base is resolved, we agree to non-aggression. We share all intelligence regarding anomalies in this mountain area. You will no longer interfere with the Association's normal investigation operations."
"And we promise not to actively intervene in the natural balance of the mountains unless an A-level or higher crisis directly threatening the surface world, similar to today's, occurs."
Alberich silently looked at Klaus's extended hand.
His expression flickered uncertainly in the firelight.
He knew this was the only feasible choice for both sides under the current circumstances.
Finally, his hand slowly grasped Klaus's hand firmly.
A potential organizational war was temporarily put on hold with this cup of ad and a not-so-friendly handshake.
When the joint investigation team dragged their exhausted bodies back to the Munich fortress, it was already late the following night.
They received a hero's welco.
The remains of Klaus's two fallen subordinates were solemnly sent to the Association's morial hall.
The surviving team mbers were imdiately arranged for comprehensive treatnt in the dical Departnt.
After completing the official mission debriefing process and receiving his reward, Lin Jie prepared to return to his room for a good sleep.
A tall, resolute figure appeared at his door.
It was Klaus. He had changed into a clean uniform, his right arm in a sling across his chest, but his spirit appeared vigorous.
"Mr. Lin." He did not enter, just leaned against the doorfra, speaking in a solemn tone. "I owe you thanks. If not for your hypothesis, we might still be searching for non-existent corpses in that damned rubble pile."
"I also owe you thanks," Lin Jie responded calmly. "If not for your final avalanche, we might all be new stone sculptures now."
Hearing this, a genuine smile appeared on Klaus's face.
"We saved each other, and we saved everyone. That's what a team is." He paused, then continued in an inviting tone. "Tonight, at the branch's 'Anvil' bar, the German hunters are having a small internal gathering to celebrate our narrow escape. I hope you and your friends can grace us with your presence. We can be a bit insular, but we respect true strength."
Lin Jie nodded, accepting this invitation representing "recognition."
Just as Klaus was about to turn and leave, he seed to rember sothing, turned back, and added.
"Oh, right, Gretchen will be there too." A sly glint flashed in his eyes. "I heard from her that she's shown great interest in your tactical thinking and that knowledge of yours that sounds a bit... ahead of its ti."
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