Chapter 75: Abyss of the Rift

The forest thinned as we approached its edge. The ground was covered in sprawling patches of rift moss, glowing with an eerie blue light. The faint metallic tang lingered in the air, and every step carried a subtle vibration, as if the earth itself was breathing.

Suella walked ahead, her bow ever ready. Her movements were as sharp and practiced as always, but I could sense the distance she was deliberately putting between us. That quiet aloofness stirred a complicated emotion within me.

"We're almost at the target area," she said suddenly, pointing toward a set of ruins in the distance. "That's where the rift device is, but it's also a gathering point for mechanical beasts."

"What's the plan?" I asked, gripping the ring in my hand.