In the northern reaches lay the Gondoa Continent, the home of the demon race.
It was separated from the Lauren Continent, inhabited by humanity, by the sea, and was connected only by a narrow strip of land known as the Pazdext Great Isthmus.
Ferocious Sea Dragons and other magical beasts infested the surrounding waters, making maritime navigation an ordeal of extreme difficulty. Consequently, the Pazdext Great Isthmus served as the inevitable thoroughfare for any travel between the Gondoa and Lauren continents.
Currently, a party of eight was traveling north across this isthmus aboard the Capricorn 1, a four-legged ground vehicle crafted by Jin. The group consisted of Jin (operating his Body Double, known as the Double), Reiko, Anne, and Land 1, as well as the demons All-Creation and Sion, accompanied by their servants and guards, Netros and Lucas.
"It seems nothing else is coming for us besides those Rock Giants," Jin remarked.
They had been ambushed by ten Stone Golems—the Rock Giants—controlled by the Toying Clan. It was only natural to suspect that more traps lay in wait. However, Falcon 2 and Falcon 3, monitoring the area from the sky, reported no further hostile signatures on the Lauren side of the border. It seemed the Toying Clan was no longer present in the immediate vicinity.
"The Great Isthmus is only about five kilometers wide at its narrowest point," Sion noted. "If they were to set a trap, that's likely where it would be."
"Yes, I believe Sion is right," All-Creation agreed.
Jin concurred with their assessment.
"In that case, we should pass through the isthmus during the daylight hours," suggested Anne, the blue-haired automata. "Our presence has surely been discovered. It would be wise to make the crossing when visibility is at its peak."
Accepting her logic, the group decided to spend the night on the Lauren side. For the first time since departing from Nidou Castle, the Capricorn 1 came to a complete halt for an extended period.
"All right, let's perform a maintenance check on every system."
Jin said the words, but the Double did not possess his full range of magi craft abilities. Reiko stood by to provide support.
"Leg units: no abnormalities."
"Power unit: no wear."
In reality, Laojun was the one currently issuing commands to the Double. Jin could not remain anchored to the pilot's seat twenty-four hours a day, especially since the real Jin was currently in the midst of the hectic preparations for the Kaina Village Summer Festival.
『My Lord's engineering is as impeccable as ever. Given that the durability has been enhanced to its absolute limit, I find no signs of what could be called wear and tear.』
While Jin could be absent-minded in his daily life, he was a relentless perfectionist when it came to his crafts. No issues were found with the Capricorn 1.
"We shall make camp here, then."
Despite being a vehicle, the Capricorn 1 boasted high habitability and even included a simple shower room. Sion and All-Creation made use of it, as did Netros and Lucas, while Jin’s Double merely went through the motions of pretending to bathe.
"There really is nothing like a shower to make one feel refreshed," Sion said.
"Yes. Thanks to that, my strength has largely returned," All-Creation added.
As they moved north and the concentration of free ether in the air rose, All-Creation’s condition continued to improve. If the standard concentration at the latitude of Hourai Island (the Tropic of Cancer) was measured as 1, the ether concentration here was approximately 1.7. It was estimated to reach 2 to 2.5 once they reached the demon lands. Of course, Hourai Island itself was a singularity, boasting a concentration of around 3.
The Capricorn 1 continued its journey while gathering this vital data.
The morning of August 14th arrived.
Breakfast once again consisted of travel rations: hardtack, dried fruit, and instant soup.
"It doesn't taste bad, but I think I'm starting to get bored of the menu," Sion lamented.
"Sion, do not be so spoiled," All-Creation rebuked her. "Back home, our food supplies are likely nearing their end by now."
"Right... sorry."
Sion, having spoken her honest thoughts, looked properly chastised by her sister. Jin could have used the onboard Warp Gate to have fresh meals delivered, but he felt that doing so would be going a bit too far.
"Well then, let's get moving. Land 1, if you please."
"Capricorn 1, departing now."
The vehicle began to move slowly. Its four legs gripped the earth firmly as it advanced into territory unknown to Jin and his companions. At first, the land was dotted with sparse grass and shrubs, but it gradually faded into a uniform gray.
"...The composition of the rock has changed," Jin muttered.
"Yes. It appears to be limestone," Land 1 replied.
Limestone was a rock primarily composed of calcium carbonate, formed from the ancient accumulation of coral, crinoids, foraminifera, and shells. It was relatively resistant to weathering and often created unique, striking landforms.
"...Karst topography."
The karst landscape Jin noted was formed as limestone was eroded by rainwater, surface water, and groundwater. Such areas often featured limestone caves beneath the surface. In Jin's original world, the Akiyoshidai region in Japan's Yamaguchi Prefecture was famous for this.
The group continued north for about two hours, taking in the sight of the jagged, peculiar rock formations.
"Master, something is approaching from underground."
When they were ten kilometers away from the narrowest point of the Great Isthmus, Land 1 detected an incoming presence.
"The magi-detector shows approximately thirty individual signatures."
"Capricorn 1, halt. Deploy barrier. Prepare the Paralyzers, magi-cannons, and Laser Cannons."
"Roger."
In that moment, magical beasts burst forth from the cracks in the earth.
"Those are... Ground Worms!?"
Laojun, who was currently remotely operating the Double, sent word to Jin. Jin was in the middle of working in the laboratory workshop on Hourai Island.
"Understood. I'm going now."
Laojun maintained control until Jin could rush to his station. Once Jin arrived and took his place, Laojun handed over the controls and shifted his focus to providing support.
"Those things are..."
『According to Miss Sion, they are known as Ground Worms.』
Laojun relayed the information he had gathered while Jin was away: they were omnivorous subterranean creatures that were generally docile but were often used as living blockades because they were easily subjected to Master-Slave Magic.
"...Is the Puppet Clan behind this?"
『Yes, most likely.』
"If we can find the one controlling them, can we neutralize the threat?"
『It is possible, but we likely won't find them in time at this rate.』
The magi-screen showed the Ground Worms being repeatedly bounced back by the Capricorn 1's barrier.
"I have no choice, then. Let's test the Paralyzer first."
"First, we neutralize the Ground Worms."
"Roger."
Jin's command echoed through the Double’s mouth. Land 1 kept the lower barrier active while deactivating the section covering the upper half of the vehicle. This ability to deploy the barrier in segmented layers was a revolutionary feature of the craft.
"Paralyzer, maximum output."
The Capricorn 1’s large-bore Paralyzer fired, neutralizing three Ground Worms in a single burst.
"Good. It's effective against them too."
Because the Paralyzer functioned by targeting the nervous system, it was ineffective against overly primitive organisms. However, it seemed the Ground Worms were complex enough to be affected.
Continuing to sweep the weapon across the surrounding area, the Paralyzer neutralized all thirty Ground Worms in a matter of seconds.
"Th-That’s incredible..."
"So this is the power of a Magi Craft Meister..."
Sion and All-Creation watched the scene with their mouths agape.
"All right, scan for the caster."
"Roger."
They checked the magi-detector. The stationary points of light were the neutralized Ground Worms. Among them, however, was a single point that was slowly moving away.
"That is likely the caster."
"I will handle this," Reiko said, standing up with her weapon, Touka, in hand.