After we reached our ruined bastion, we began to establish a quick outpost camp there in the middle of the wrecked landscape.
"I still can't believe we survived through a night with a Hollow Star with just the three of us," Verina voiced her disbelief, comfortably slouching back on the wheelchair I crafted for her. "It might be one of the most stressful Ordeal I have ever faced in my entire life. Especially without your help, Narcy."
Although her legs were only 60% of what it originally was, her hands could still function as intended as she could eat the roasted meat I cooked for her.
It would be a little bit inefficient if I needed to feed her everytime we had a meal.
"It is quite the close call, I dare say." I snickered. "If that tendril was to burst a branch higher, then we might have lost Lupina's head for good."
As of now, Lupina's head was already secured in a wooden container I crafted haphazardly.
This meant less mouths to feed, but it would definitely imply that I had become the sole vanguard of the group now that there was nobody except me who could deal with a Calamity Object at close range.
The efficiency talk aside, it felt a little bit less crowded now that we were essentially reduced to two individuals in just a single night.
I somewhat enjoyed the quips and shenanigans that Verina and Lupina did back then, now that I thought about it.
"I started to miss her a little bit, now that I had no one to dominantly tease with," Verina commented. Her face might be as emotionless as ever, but there was a grunt of uneasiness on her breathing.
"Right, you're that kind of person."
They were close friends with one another before they met me, after all.
"With how fast you're eating your food, there will be a time where you choke on it with nobody being near there for you, you know?" Verina scolded.
"I'll be going around back and forth for a good amount of time," I said as I started preparing my makeshift tools. "Just shout or use a spell or two to reach me if you need anything."
"I feel like a wife that is waiting for her husband to finish their work."
"I feel like having a senile grandparent that I might need to take care of daily."
I definitely needed to store more food next time, since the Wraithgrip also acts as an extra addition of metabolism with how much energy it drains when I utilize its strength.
Not to mention, both Verina and I were lacking in blood.
With me having most of my blood bleed by the enemy and drained to be used as Verina's lifeline, and Verina by just simply performing her ohrtending spell.
Though, Verina seemed to be recovering her anemia faster than me thanks to her race as a kilnalan. A mutation that was formed from their tendency to waste their blood because of having ohrtending as their race's specialty.
If I were to need her to perform her ohrtending later, I might try to scout far and hunt an animal as a substitute. Though, their blood weren't as effective to be used as a lifeline for ohrtending than that of a human.
"And now, to the surroundings."
As if the land had gone through a war and a tempest, the landscape was almost indiscernible from the last time I saw it.
It was definitely not beyond anything that I could imagine, considering the intensity of the fight between the two Qliphoth Objects back then.
"... At least the air is still breathable."
Distraught and dismayed this place might be, there was actually an abundance of things to loot for. From dead body of the Burrowing Terror and its useful slimy substances, to the material and hides of common Calamity Objects such as the Bloodhounds and the probably 10 more new things that were slain amidst the clash between the Wild Hunt and the Headless Horseman.
Sadly, it seemed like there wasn't much to loot from the Qliphoth Objects themselves, since the pieces of the Wild Hunt would disintegrate the moment they were defeated, and the Headless Horseman might still be alive before the end of the Ordeal.
"It will be a long day for me."
Together with the knowledge and experience that I gained from my first ever Ordeal, I would use all of these resources to make myself stronger and prepared for the upcoming inevitable.
Then again, there was a Hollow Star last night.
If Verina's information was something that I could trust with, tonight's ordeal might not be as aggressive and dangerous as the last.
Then again, there might be more than one variation of what the Ordeal might bring.
So cautiousness and proactiveness were still my keys to survive this chaotic wonderland.
"... The Fortcracker is still here."
To my surprise, one of my most prideful creations in this world still had 70% of its body intact.
I had been thinking about our encounter with the Wild Brute a lot as I journeyed back to the bastion.
So many instances of time within that encounter, I had always wished that I had a strong weapon that could just deliver enough force to crush and disoriented the organ and flesh beyond that invulnerable armor.
Something that we could use at mid-range to long-range.
Something like a Fortcracker that was much more portable but still having the same output of destruction that it could bring.
"... Huh."
Just as I was trying to recover the Fortcracker from its blanketing debris, I noticed how light it was now compared to the last time I manned it.
"It is still 70% of what it originally was… should be still around 100 kilograms worth of components."
Yet somehow, I could easily pick it up to my side like it was a sack of grains.
"Oh… Oh!"
With this interaction, an enlightenment started to flow into my mind.
Something so simple, yet unfounded in my mind.
"... I'm going to turn the Fortcracker into my main weapon."