Morning beyond the city limits unveiled a breathtaking, soul-soothing natural expanse. The sleek asphalt linking the commercial district gradually gave way to a climbing gravel track, cutting through emerald hills swathed in the wispy mist of dawn.

Inside the armored tactical vehicle of the Boundary Monitoring Department, the atmosphere felt vastly more relaxed than the crushing tension of the harbor's underground lab the night before. The hybrid diesel engine rumbled softly, spinning the heavy tires to conquer hairpin mountain turns with effortless stability.

Zulfa sat in the driver's seat clad in a tactical field jacket, his left hand gripping the steering wheel while his bandaged right hand rested casually on the center console. Beside him, Naya held a small thermos of hot coffee, blowing away the rising steam before taking a slow sip. In the rear seat, Captain Danu crossed his arms, admiring the wilderness scenery through the side window as he hummed a quiet tune.

"Ah... it feels incredible to breathe fresh mountain air without choking on lab chemicals or rusted harbor fumes," Naya chirped cheerfully, turning toward Zulfa to proffer the thermos. "Want a sip, Engineer? You need the caffeine after a sleepless night hacking a secret terminal."

Zulfa glanced briefly at the offered thermos, offering a warm smile. "Thank you, Madam Assistant. You know precisely what a department head needs on a long morning."

Naya poured a splash of coffee into the small cup lid and handed it over with care. "So, judging by the secret map file we salvaged from Project Genesis last night, we're heading for the ruins of the Arkian Mountains at the northern edge of the map, right?"

"Spot on," Zulfa answered after a quiet sip. "Those data coordinates lead straight to the ancient mountain range where the Arkian civilization first took root thousands of years before humans built modern cities in the valley below."

Captain Danu chuckled softly in the back, shaking his head. "The Arkian Mountains—where ancient ancestors built temples and cosmic relics. If we keep visiting alien historical sites like this, I'm going to start suspecting we aren't boundary monitoring agents anymore, but an interstellar treasure hunter syndicate."

Naya joined in with a crisp laugh. "Brilliant point, Captain! If we dig up any ancient gold artifacts there, I'll make sure you get the biggest royalty share."

"Now that is a tempting offer! I'm holding you to that, Naya," Captain Danu grinned broadly.

The overland journey unfolded in warm, easy banter. Outside the vehicle windows, the lush mountain wilderness blended uniquely with the remnants of ancient civilization. Natural stone cliffs were adorned with ancient pillars carved with geometric light patterns that threw off faint blue glazes whenever struck by morning sunlight. Dense pine forests marched in tight rows along the roadside, forging an astonishing modern-fantasy landscape—a testament to how nature, technology, and primeval magic coexisted in peaceful harmony.

"Truly remarkable," Naya whispered sincerely, gazing in wonder at the rows of ancient stone pillars outside. "Though millennia have passed and human civilization has risen and fallen, the traces of the Arkian ancestors in these mountains still stand tall, untouched by the decay of time."

"Because they engineered everything with the principle of perfect structural balance," Zulfa chimed in with the proud tone of a true engineer. "Modern human buildings or bridges might collapse within decades if left unmaintained, but Arkian architecture was designed to merge directly with the universe's natural cycle."

The tactical vehicle pressed onward up the slope, tracking the digital navigation path guiding them deeper into the mountain range. The pine trees crowding the road began to thicken, and the thin white mist once clinging solely to ridge summits began creeping down to blanket the asphalt.

"We're entering the coordinate border zone," Zulfa said, glancing at the navigation display on the center console. "According to the Project Genesis file residue, the second signal source facility should be tucked just behind the mountain valley ahead."

Naya nodded, sitting up straight to study the scanner tablet in her lap. "Note the thickness of this fog... spectral sensors are picking up unusual magnetic field fluctuations all around us, Zul."

At Naya's words, the relaxed cabin mood instantly evaporated, replaced by professional vigilance. Captain Danu in the rear squared his posture, resting his rifle within easy reach.

"Watch the path, Engineer. The fog's getting heavy," Danu warned.

Zulfa nodded, easing off the accelerator to keep the armored vehicle under tight control along the slippery, fog-draped ascent.

Yet barely had the vehicle rolled a few dozen meters past a natural gateway formed by two giant stone cliffs, a bizarre glitch struck every electronic system within the cabin.

Bzzzt—Zzzzt!

The digital navigation screen on the center console flickered wildly, flashing green static lines before dying completely. Dashboard indicator lights blinked erratically, and the compass needle spun frantically without a fixed heading.

Zulfa furrowed his brow, trying to crank the steering wheel right, but the steering felt leaden, stubbornly rejecting both mechanical and digital inputs.

"What is this?! Steering and navigation are totally unresponsive!" Zulfa shouted, slamming his foot on the brake.

Naya widened her eyes in horror as her handheld tablet flatlined in an instant. "All our electronics are dead! The magnetic field here just spiked a thousandfold!"

Before they could analyze the source of the interference further, the armored tactical vehicle ground to a dead stop against an unseen, immovable barrier blocking the road.

Zulfa, Naya, and Captain Danu lurched forward, caught short by their locked safety harnesses.

Zulfa stared straight through the vehicle windshield. Before them, the thick white fog parted slowly under a strange gust of wind, exposing a sight that instantly caught in their throats: a vast mountain fog valley encircled by a dozen giant ancient stone pillars suspended in mid-air, forging a colossal protective forcefield dome concealing the greatest secret behind the Arkian Mountains.