[Chapter 328. Shifting Landscapes]

The courtyard quieted as Tolly departed to deliver Marvin's warning, leaving the two leaders alone at the wooden table. The scent of roasted meat lingered in the air, mingling with the earthy smell of packed dirt and distant woodsmoke.

Searanox broke the silence, his voice measured against the backdrop of distant clanking from the training area. "How did you come to this guild base?"

Marvin's massive shoulders shifted as he leaned forward, the bench groaning beneath his weight. "We fought the node guardian. It was a rough battle. Lost two people to him." His fingers traced patterns in the condensation on his mug, a gesture uncharacteristically small for such a large man. "The beast had claws that could cut through steel like butter. Took us three days to wear it down."

"That's not what I meant," Searanox countered, his sunglasses reflecting the sky as he watched Marvin's face. "How do forty people get together?"

"As a fellow progenitor, you know we had knowledge of what was coming. We talked to friends and family, brought them out of the city, and waited." Marvin's gaze drifted toward the river, his expression softening. "Our original campsite is a few kilometers up the river—two campers and a handful of tents." He paused, clasping his massive hands on the table. "We thought we had time before the announcement—before the real change."

"Sounds right. You could have stayed in the city, though. You had the advantage." Searanox's fingers drummed against the table, a steady rhythm syncing with his thoughts.

"Too many unknowns. Inside a city of thousands, how would you create order after what happened?" Marvin shook his head, his beard swaying. "We decided to move away to level up and get stronger before returning." He gestured toward the distant plains. "Better to face simple-minded beasts than tackle the chaos of desperate humans."

"Quite an intelligent way of thinking. I didn't expect it from someone of your appearance. What changed?"

Marvin's face darkened, his brow furrowing above eyes that had been analytical moments before. "Just because I look like a half-giant doesn't mean I think like one..." He slammed his hand flat on the table, making the platters jump. "For your information, I have a degree in mechanical science." The words carried the frustration of a man judged by his appearance. A beat later, he lowered his voice. "As for what changed... everything. The entire landscape is wrong. Distances changed. Where the city should have been is now a mountain range surrounded by forest." Marvin looked north, his gaze distant, as if viewing the impossible geography replacing their familiar territory.

"Yeah... I noticed that." Searanox leaned back, his coat rustling against the bench. "I was hiding inside a forest when the System arrived. The forest itself didn't change as far as I'm aware, but there is a giant fucking lake next to it now."

"What is so special about a big lake?" Marvin turned back to him, his curiosity overriding his earlier irritation.

"It's not just big... it's massive. Easily fifty kilometers across." Searanox gestured with both hands, trying to convey the impossible scale.

Marvin's eyes widened as he processed the information. He reached for his mug but stopped mid-motion. "That's not a lake."

"From what you said, I believe the System didn't just change the world by giving us powers and infusing mana into every living being. I think it changed the planet itself—layout and all. As for the why... I don't know." Searanox placed the mug down, spinning it on its base. The ceramic scraped against the worn wood, a sound swallowed by the distant clang of metal from the training area. The late morning light cast long shadows across the table, making the grooves in the wood appear deeper, like scars on the surface of their conversation. "I was willing to trade with you... but I can't think of anything you could offer me."

Silence stretched between them, broken only by Marvin's heavy breathing and the wind whispering through the courtyard. The giant's massive shoulders shifted as he leaned forward, the bench groaning under his weight again. He turned toward Searanox with a speculative gleam in his eyes.

"We have women."

Searanox looked up from his mug, his sunglasses catching the light as he met Marvin's gaze. His pale features remained impassive, but a flicker of something cold—disappointment, perhaps—passed through his expression before practiced neutrality masked it. "I control a city of a hundred thousand. Why would I be interested in women? I have plenty of them. And didn't you just tell me they were friends and family? Why sell them off?"

Marvin lifted his hands, his massive palms open as if to push away the accusation. His movements proved quick for a man of his size. "Whoa, not so fast. I never said I would sell them. But I'm certain a couple of them would be more than happy to be with you if it meant living under your protection. I would never force them into anything they don't want." His sincerity contrasted the pragmatic coldness of the offer itself. His eyes darted toward the nearby buildings where the women had vanished, as if they might overhear the conversation despite the distance.

Searanox nodded, tapping a rhythmic pattern against the wooden table. "Of their own accord... I still have to decline. I don't need more women; the ones I have are more than enough." His tone rang final, dismissing the offer while leaving room for negotiation—always the pragmatist, calculating angles others might miss. His mind flashed to Iris and the other women navigating a dungeon kilometers away; their value to him extended far beyond any physical attributes.

"I'm sure you do... But what if she wasn't human, but elven?" Marvin leaned forward, his voice dropping to a rumble vibrating through the table. The giant's eyes lit with a mix of desperation and cunning, his massive frame conveying a strange combination of intimidation and supplication. The offer hung in the air.

`He is intelligent enough to offer up his own to get on my good side.` Searanox's thoughts raced as he processed the information. An elf—not just someone with pointed ears or slight features, but a genuine, System-recognized member of another race. That would make her a progenitor, altered by the System.

"I would still reject it. I see no benefit in adding another one to my bed. I'm certain that if you had made the same offer to the man in charge of the ruins that became my city, he would have been more than happy to accept. That is, if he had made it here, speaking of both time and space. He didn't really have a long-term plan in mind." Searanox's voice cut through the air with clinical precision, each word chosen to convey his rejection and his assessment of Thomas character.

His gaze remained fixed on Marvin, his sunglasses reflecting the giant's massive form like a specimen under glass. He pushed the wooden platter of meat away, the gesture dismissive without insulting, creating a physical distance to match his verbal rejection.

Marvin's massive shoulders slumped, the movement barely perceptible yet significant for a man of his stature. The initial shock in his expression gave way to calculation, as if filing the unexpected response away for future reference. He ran a hand through his thick beard, his fingers disappearing into the tangled mass.

"Tell you what. I expected you to take it. There aren't many who would say no to a beautiful elven woman," Marvin said, a laugh rumbling from deep in his chest, though his eyes told a different story.

He gestured toward the building where the women had disappeared, as if to remind Searanox of what he was refusing. "When you need help... call for us. That's all we can offer." The offer hung between them, a tentative bridge across the gulf of their differing circumstances and power levels. Marvin rested his massive hands flat on the table, fingers spread wide in a gesture of openness contrasting his formidable appearance.

"Let's hope I don't have to." Searanox stood. His fluid movements carried an undercurrent of impatience, signaling he had already mentally moved on to his next agenda. He adjusted his coat, the dark fabric settling around his frame like a second skin. "I may still bring you some of our produce; you can pay me back when the time comes." The offer rang casual, almost offhand, yet it represented a calculated investment in a potential alliance—or at least a buffer between his city and incoming threats.

Marvin lifted his mug and gave a shallow nod that sent his beard swaying against his chest. The liquid sloshed inside, amber light catching the ripples. "We appreciate it, meat is good but just eating the same thing every day is getting on my nerves." His voice rumbled with the weight of his hunger for variety—a craving more sophisticated than basic survival needs, something that spoke of a mind still clinging to the comforts of the world before the System.

"It is a welcome surprise to see that not everyone has fallen into depravity." Searanox said, his voice cutting through the courtyard's ambient sounds. Marvin's guild, despite their rough exterior and pragmatic offers, maintained something resembling civilization.

Before Marvin could respond, shouts erupted from near the training grounds. The movement caught Searanox's attention. He turned instinctively, his enhanced senses processing the disruption faster than the others. His eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses, scanning the area where several guild members were now running towards. And what he saw he hadn't expected.

Seven large wolves entered the open courtyard between the buildings, their sleek, muscular bodies moving with predatory grace. On top of each sat a person, their forms silhouetted against the stone buildings, their presence transforming the familiar wolves into mounts worthy of fantasy legends.