Meanwhile, a much more peaceful scene was taking place in the Perilous Sanctuary.
Once one became accustomed to its dangers, it wasn't too hard to maneuver the area, which was the reason why so many miners were able to set up camp in this area and excavate for ores and minerals.
The Impulse Wave always blew away their progress when the world was reshaped, but in the same event, the resources they mined would reappear in the same place like magic!
No matter how many people the Impulse Wave and the Severed World's ecosystem killed, more would always be willing to enter this kind of paradisiacal landscape.
Especially since the most dangerous beasts and environments lay further than this place!
Rose and Elena rode Zara all the way back to the Perilous Sanctuary, fighting off a few beasts on their way.
Their journey was mostly smooth, and upon arriving, they immediately went to work looking for the best materials to collect.
With Damien's idea, metals would likely be the best investment. There wasn't enough time nor information to make some kind of definitive difference in the Overseer's base strength, but enhancing it through external methods was more than possible.
The mines of the Perilous Sanctuary presented themselves as an orderly tunnel system that had been thoroughly planned out over several repetitions and perfected.
Rose and Elena weren't part of any group that took place in the creation of the mine, so entering was a bit difficult.
In the end, they had to pay a hefty sum to gain access, but it didn't mean anything to them.
After all, with Rose's abilities, they were sure to make a harvest far outstripping the money they spent!
With this mentality, they entered the mines and began exploring.
It was relatively peaceful.
There weren't any beasts in the area since it was maintained by several influences jointly, and the only real trouble was men who didn't know their place.
Teaching them where they belonged, though, was great fun for these women.
Nevertheless, their expedition proceeded smoothly. Using Rose's Eyes of Fate and Zara's shadow abilities, they were able to sift through trash and find treasure at a rate none could match.
The metals they focused their attention on were called Cold Yin Iron and Starfire Iron.
They were directly opposite each other, but both formed within the bounds of the mine system.
The Cold Yin Iron was influenced by Ghost King's Valley and was present mainly in areas near the cliffside.
Not only did it possess extreme yin properties, but it also had a natural flexibility unlike metal that would be perfect for crafting.
As for Starfire Iron, it was a hot metal that naturally absorbed energy from the sun to contain extreme yang.
Starfire Iron wasn't as special as Cold Yin Iron, but when used in tandem, the effects of both materials would be amplified, and if Rose was correct, the effect would be even greater than that.
Their goal was to bribe the Overseer, not to kiss the bird's feet. They weren't trying to make it the absolute best armor possible, so they finished the immediate task in roughly 8 hours.
However, they made the decision not to return to the third layer.
Because deeper in the mine, there were even greater treasures!
They moved secretly and stole as many precious resources as they could find, feeling not a shred of remorse for those they were robbing.
If anything, it was their fault for underestimating the girls.
They finally exited the mines around halfway through the night.
And immediately, their ears picked up the cacophony taking place far, far away:
"Those birds are insane," Elena said, clicking her tongue.
"Mm. It's annoying that we can't just kill them," Rose replied in agreement.
"Can't we?"
Zara's mental transmission entered their heads, making them turn to her with inquisitive gazes.
"The birds can't leave the 3rd layer, right? Why can't we just stay in the 2nd layer and kill them with ranged attacks?"
Rose and Elena's eyes widened.
Was there such a method?
They immediately had to try it.
If they failed, then the others in the Perilous Sanctuary would just have to help them deal with the birds. Since they didn't know the race's habits, they were sure to accidentally get involved!
With no risks to worry about, the girls rushed to the border of the third layer.
There were Messenger Birds there.
They'd followed the scent of Rose's group and waited for their return, but even though the trio was standing right in front of them, they didn't move forward!
SKREEEEEEE!
SKREEEEEEEEEE!!!
Enraged shrieks filled the air. The birds flapped their wings angrily, as if telling the girls to stop being cowards and fight them on their side of the boundary!
But why would they do that?
Since when did Messenger Birds ever do anything fairly?
Annoying creatures like this didn't need to do anything but die!
SHIIING!
Yggdrasil's Branch swept through the air, sending an arc of light flying.
It cut through every Messenger Bird in its path, dropping their corpses to the ground.
SKREEEEEEE!
Their compatriots screeched, but still refused to move!
Rose, Elena, and Zara grinned collectively.
Tonight, they were going to get payback on these damn birds!
***
Surprisingly, night passed quickly on both fronts.
Damien and Ruyue found that the massive number of Messenger Birds got cut down without them having to do anything, leaving them with around ten thousand pursuers, which they could handle using the Aegis Tree method.
Little did they know, the reason for this ease was Rose's group, who killed so many birds that they became a target for a majority of the race!
They were able to survive the night due to this along with their experience from the previous day, and once again, the Overseer's massive body surfaced above the third layer.
At this time, Rose, Elena, and Zara had already reunited with Damien and Ruyue.
They watched the Messenger Birds attack the Overseer again, this time with more fervor, unwilling to put down their grudge.
Yet, once again, they were thrown away and suppressed, unable to act as they pleased.
It was like the clicking of a rooster in the morning, a routine to start the day.
But what mattered now was what happened after.
The Overseer turned around after finishing its task and made its way back to its perch.
And on the ground below, a group of five chased his shadow.
They rushed all the way through the rainforest until they reached a massive jungle tree, its trunk several tens of meters thick and its height piercing the canopy of the forest and making itself known to the world.
At its peak, the Overseer rested, unbothered by the activities of the world.
Its current focus was saving its power and growing stronger in preparation for the ceremony less than a week away.
However…
"Yo!"
The Overseer's eyes opened barely, sending an indifferent glance at the ground, where a group of humans stood smiling at it.
"I know you're probably busy right now, but I have a proposition you're guaranteed to be interested in. How about hearing us out?"
Words one would expect from a scamming door-to-door salesman came out of the man among them's mouth.
The Overseer would've usually ignored such things, but today, it was feeling a bit odd.
Didn't this human…sound strangely convincing?
