My departure from Hanoi was silent, just the way I like it. So as planned, I will follow the sea to my right, in hopes of effectively mapping our new continent. It was also dark when I left, but by the time the sun is up, the day turned out to be a beautiful blue sky with the occasional white clouds, the few scattered trees and bushes rustling to a lazy breeze, while a vicious roar or two is sometimes audible from a distance.

Three hours into my journey, I spot three people—rather a distant away—advancing very quickly through open fields. They would run for a few minutes to cover hundreds of meters, before making a jump that made it look like they're gliding across the air for a few seconds. This gliding movement is so much faster that they would traverse a little further during the few moments they're in the air than what they do running on the ground. Intrigue, I try to catch up.

When I got closer, it was kinda-probably glaringly obvious that they are running for their lives. Three guys; one small and thin, one big and buff, the last of a medium build. Behind them are what I observe to be a dozen or so scaled and vigorously-rolling spheres about as big as the back half of a family car. The trio soon spotted me and began yelling in a language I can identify as… Mandarin—ah, this is China—which, unfortunately, I do not understand.

At my lack of answer, they begin yelling at me using various different languages, even as they—I still assume—run for their lives;

"dobda, dobda… dallida!!" "chạy trốn" "Hashiru! Herupu?" "Help? Run, run!" "Ch̀wy reā d̂wy"

Uhh… there was an english word somewhere in there. Help was it? I pat Gon to let him know that I will be dismounting and whisper for him to stay out of range. Micro Flight. Landing a few meters ahead, I slowly pick up their pace and begin running alongside them.

"Did I hear you guys yell for help?" I ask slowly in english. Previously, I had briefly Inspected a few of those rolling things and found that they are; Pangolin something-smiths.

"Shi—yes yes. They are very dangerous! Very tough armor and have powerful blows" the medium built one said very quickly, pointing back at the creatures with his thumb. Then to both left and right, "you run away to there, we run to here. They are chasing us, not you."

"If they chasing you, you come back here to us. They is very strong but we also very strong! We will fight together!" the buffest one added, they're quite decent people. Though if you are as you said, why run away, huh?

"Ready?" The first one said. "Three! Two!! One–go!!"

The trio turns right as planned, while I come to an explosive halt and look back at the incoming enemies, ready to engage… Strong defense huh?

Decisively, I double cast Latent Coating! first some slippery ice on a 2 x 8 meters wide area between the pangolins and I, then, followed by a 4 x 8 meter wide area of rat glue. They'll lose their footings and slide right into a sticky situation.

"You are awesome brother!" One of the trio compliments me. I had Sensed how they returned back to support me the moment they noticed me making a stand. My respects to them.

"This is great! How long this lasts?" The thin one who has never spoken to me asks, I should get their names.

"Should be good for a few hours, unless those guys have some hidden move up their sleeves." I tell him, "by the way, what are your names?"

"Hah! Sitting ducks, you Pangolins shall die to my blade!" The smallest of the three claims, "I, Feng Yu, will be your desk!"

"..." we all stood there in silence to digest his words. "Pretty sure you meant death." I whisper to him.

"Yes! That's what I said, deskh!!" He said affirming his words and, apparently, his determination as he made an exaggerated pointing gesture with his hands. Where, from the wide sleeves of his chinese-cultivator-like clothing a silvery shine swiftly flies for one of the closest Pangolin—only for the palm sized shortsword to uselessly ping off its scales.

"This…" Feng muttered.

"Allow me, Guo Yu!" The buffest among the trio steps forth and draws out the large greatsword on his back. With a yell he charges forth and slashes at the same immobile target, this attack is much slower than his brother's but also much stronger. The blade cut deep and drew blood. Causing the creature to wail in pain while the others react in several different ways; most growls in anger, while a few whine in agony or sorrow.

"It is I, Chen yu—eldest and strongest among us three sword cultivators and good brothers, turn!" The last guy said. So these three are related and are sword cultivators. Chen draws out the longsword from its sheath on his back and is preparing to charge.

"Reee," one of the smaller Pangolins glued further back starts whining feebly and is soon joined in by a few of the others. Making all three brothers stare at them in confusion. 'Inspect!'

** DING **

Pangolin Ironsmith

Pangolin Weaponsmith

Pangolin Metalsmith

Pangolin Armorsmith

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Their levels vary, even among similarly named Pangolins. Though the different… occupations? Are visibly identifiable even through the naked eye now that I know what to look for, besides physical size; Paler metal, shinier metal, thicker armor or larger weapons. All besides the Ironsmiths seem to have a few scales that contain mana, according to my Mana Sense. The scale is brightest on their inner wrist.

"Never hear them sound like that." Chen says for my benefit, lowering his sword. Their whines slowly die down. So he once again prepares to strike, but is again interrupted when their whining resounds. And this annoyingly happened a few times… I mean, I would've just struck had I wanted to, whine or not. To each their own, I guess.

"Stop begging looking pitiful!" Feng yells… oh, they are begging, "you chasing us previously, will you have give us mercy? Of course not!"

Hmm~. "Have many people died in the hands of these creatures?" I ask them, curious. No answer was given for a while, so I look away from the Pangolins and find the three staring at each other blankly.

"Actually, no deskhs by Pangolins this far," Feng answers. Now, he seems to be the chattiest among them. "Sometimes very dangerous injuries, but everyone come home alive."

They, again, look at each other before Chen the longsword guy says, "fine, you are defeated today. We win! Now run home peacefully."

Gao elbowed me and whispered, "sorry to troubling you, but please release them." He then puffs up his chest to look intimidating, the same went for the other two. They are hilariously comical, I can't help but want to play along. I feel like the Pangolins are not much of a threat for me anyways, so I send a thread of mana each to connect with the two layers of coating and dispel them. But, just in case, I still have one mind prepare another Latent Coating, and a second mind prepare VLoS.

The bunch of Pangolins glued to the ground in an awkward position slumps down weakly while the rest stood and stare warily at us. I open my face armor to display a carnivore's grin—fangs and friendly eyes, intimidation and mollification in one gesture, probably.

The largest, the only Pangolin Metalsmith in the group steps forth then calmly growl and made sounds at us, as if saying something. It then bows—grunts, making the others bow too—then turn to leave, promptly followed by the others.

"Hahahaha! We are unscathe!!" Guo Yu exclaimed and started punishing my shoulder with his large hand. "All thanks to you brother …?"

"I'm Zane, nice to meet you all." I reply and turn to face him, to assuage Guo's awkward pause and nonstop shoulder smashing, still half-keeping Mana Sense on the retreating Pangolins. From how those unordinary smiths acted, I'm thinking they are sentient? "So, what are you guys doing out here?"

There were murmurs of nice to meet yous before Feng answers, "we grinding, looking for level ups."

"But we going home now." Chen added, "enough exciting for today. You joining us?"

"I would lo—," a chime interupts my answer, "—ove to!" At the the same time, another part of my though mentally nudge The System to brings up my VICOS.

Henry: Come back now!

"I am sorry, it seems something came up and I will have to return home early," I re-respond to the three brothers. "Mind telling me where you guys live, so I can visit later?"

Henry: Kirana received a text from her brother

Henry: She's packing up and planning to go find them, alone

"Yes, yes! You have map unlocked?" I nod at Fengs answer, "good! You go straight west from here. We gather in beijing. Everyone chinese, we go there."

Henry: We need you to go with her, or if she's gone, to find her.

Henry: She's not willing to wait for people to finish thing up

"Alrighty, I gotta go." I mark this spot on the map and say goodbye. "Take care and see you later!"

Zen: OTW

Micro Flight! I don't wait, jumping and ascending in haste.

Henry: She left

Ah, damn! A nearby cave caught my attention. Better than out in the open. Slightly altering my direction, I land right by the entrance. The cave opening is one meter wide at its base, going up in a rounded triangular shape. The path continues down for maybe five meters in a gradual slope before opening up into a small cavern; roughly three meters in diameter.

Zen: Warp usable?

Henry: Yes

Zen: Incoming, 5 minutes.

Passable. I rush in. Narrowing the entrance, and deepening the cavern by an estimate of 22 meters with one cast of Shape Stone. Then on one side at about 10 meters below the entrance, one more cast of Shape Stone opens a 1x2 meters cave that very slightly slopes up for five meters and leads into another cavern, this one I made to be 6 meters long and wide, with a height of 7 meters. A rank 1 Mana Tower and LeyLink Gate for 10,500 and 4,500 Creds each and I find myself exiting my other gate at Rumah. All in all, maybe three minutes of spell work.

"Sir Zen! Sir Henry is awaiting you at the inner north walls, someone said.

"Thank," Micro Flight, "you!"

"You're here faster than I expected." Henry compliments, or so I think, even before my feet touch the ground. "She went north, we didn't let her use your gate to get to Manila so she would wait for you, instead. She ran off past the walls. Blinded by her emotions."

"Anyone tailing her?" I ask, "and why Manila?"

"We're trying to get a few scouts to intercept," he does not look at me, rather at something invisible before him. "And, it is because someone heard and reported that she mentions something about; they're being assaulted by waves of Merfolks."

"There is no one good course of action." I tell him after a few seconds of silence, my nose is starting to bother me. "I'll just get going, search from the skies."

Since assimilating a wild dog's sense of smell, I started finding the presence of too many human a bother. They kinda smell bad. My dogish nose can easily pick up on days old odor, let alone someone who had just farted. Nature smells much nicer… "Hen. Did Kirana leave through the gate? Or rather, lets go visit her room. Not that I'm trying to be creepy."

He demanded that I give an explanation, what a waste of time. But not ten minutes later, I've caught her scent and am following it out the north gate. Did you know that Henry is a slow walker, I have been lately.

I follow the trail of her scent at a light jog, because unfortunately, any faster and my nose cannot keep up. On the bright side, I can easily keep going all day and any creatures found around here are small fries. Anything stronger is by nature smarter and thus avoids being near our Rumah.

Soon, three or so hours after we set off, I find a familiar figure sitting pitifully all alone by a small campfire. "What's a cute delicate lady like you doing out here all alone." I ask her with a bit of a compliment, hopefully to lighten up the mood. "Care for some company?"