Two weeks.
Fourteen days searching Southern regions methodically across forests, mountains, valleys, plains, every wilderness between corruption zones, every stable pocket where Pillars might hide.
Finding nothing.
Draven stood atop rocky outcrop overlooking endless landscape as Southern Theia stretched toward horizon with autumn colors fading as December approached, sky heavy with clouds threatening snow.
Genesis Codex floated beside him with green-gold light pulsing steadily but offering no directional guidance as cosmic artifact's restored power remained insufficient for precise location while Adhivar's Worldroot Dragon presence strengthened daily but still limited.
Pack surrounded bearer as Velnar's massive Mantis Shrimp form showed patience despite frustration, Sylvara's forest druid elegance stayed composed, Feyra's small Lumifawn presence remained determined, Zor's Veilwing circled overhead scanning territory.
Two weeks searching.
Zero Pillars found.
Not even close.
Explored abandoned settlements, ruins of villages consumed by corruption decades ago while searching crumbling structures for hidden Pillars, finding only decay.
Investigated cave systems as underground networks where earth magic once flowed freely required Bloomscript illumination through darkness, finding mineral deposits but no cosmic artifacts.
Surveyed mountain peaks by climbing elevations where air thinned, hoping height revealed hidden locations but seeing only endless landscape and distant corruption zones.
Checked stable zone perimeters where areas showed curse weakening as magical balance maintained, thinking Pillars might anchor stability but discovering natural formations only.
Nothing.
No glowing rods, no bevel patterns, no human-sized artifacts waiting for discovery.
Just Theia's wounded landscape offering no answers.
Draven exhaled slowly as frustration warred with determination while two weeks felt simultaneously instant and eternal.
"Five Pillars. Somewhere across entire planet. Human-sized objects lost for how long? Decades? Centuries? Millennia?"
Cosmic needle in planetary haystack.
Adhivar's presence manifested from Genesis Codex briefly. *"Pillars hidden during merger failure attempt. Location records lost when pocket dimension sealed. Time passage: approximately sixty-five million years. Environmental changes extensive. Original positions potentially shifted by geological activity, corruption spread, planetary evolution."*
Sixty-five million years.
Continental drift, earthquakes, corruption zones expanding, everything changing.
Pillars could be anywhere, buried, submerged, hidden beyond recognition.
"So we're searching blind."
Adhivar's acknowledgment came. *"Essentially yes."*
Wonderful.
***
Velnar clicked softly as four hundred years experience meant recognizing when leader needed different approach, when persistence became inefficiency.
Pack gathered closer as loyal beasts bonded to bearer committed to impossible quest, watching Draven process systematic failure.
Not giving up, never that, just reassessing.
Sylvara's analytical voice broke silence. "Two weeks covering extensive territory. Methodology sound. Execution thorough. Results: insufficient. Current approach limitations evident."
Diplomatic way saying this isn't working.
Feyra's small Lumifawn form stepped forward as optimistic energy remained undimmed despite frustration while life element sensed possibility where others saw dead ends.
"What if Pillars aren't just lying around waiting? What if finding them requires knowing where to look first? Like clues?"
Small voice but sharp thinking.
"The stable zone ruins, Western, Southern, Sunken Archives, Northern, they told us what Pillars are. Five objects. Coordinate points. Merger requirements. But they didn't say where. Maybe they do say where. We just didn't look carefully enough?"
Different approach.
Not searching blindly but finding directions first.
Zor descended from aerial patrol as tactical mind processed suggestion. "Strategic merit. Some stable zones investigated previously. Focus: general information about merger and Pillars. Not specifically searching for location data. Return with different objective: find maps, coordinates, directional clues buried in ruins."
Tactical reassessment.
Sylvara nodded. "Ruins preserved because stable zones protect from corruption. If Pillar location records exist anywhere, highest probability: stable zone archives. Protected. Preserved. Waiting for proper investigation."
Logical reasoning.
Pack consensus: Check ruins again, deeper.
Velnar's ancient clicking came as centuries witnessing patterns meant recognizing when to shift strategy. "Searching wilderness: low efficiency, high effort, minimal success probability. Investigating preserved archives: concentrated information, targeted search, higher success potential. Four stable zones already discovered. Western, Southern, Sunken, Northern. Return. Deeper investigation. Seek location data specifically."
Experienced assessment favored intelligent search over blind persistence.
"Plus Southern stable zone nearby. We're already assigned this region. Logical starting point."
Practical addition.
***
Draven considered as pack's logic was sound, strategy superior to continued blind searching while two weeks proved wilderness approach insufficient.
Genesis Codex pulsed as Adhivar's voice resonated. *"Pack assessment accurate. Stable zone ruins likely contain location records. Original merger architects would have documented Pillar positions. Information preserved where corruption cannot reach. Logical investigation priority."*
Cosmic entity agreeing with Lord-tier beasts' strategic thinking.
Different approach necessary.
Not giving up searching but searching smarter.
"Southern stable zone first. We're here. Assigned this territory. Ruins we investigated weeks ago, we found what Pillars are. Now we search for where they are. Maps. Coordinates. Anything indicating locations."
Decision made.
Looking at pack as loyal companions offered strategic solutions when bearer's approach failed, family supporting impossible quest.
"Then if nothing in Southern ruins, we check Western, Northern, Sunken Archives. Systematic. One ruin at time. Find location data. Then resume Pillar search with actual directions instead of blind hope."
Intelligent strategy.
Finally.
Movement began as pack turned toward Southern stable zone location with days of travel ahead but direction clear and purpose renewed.
Two weeks searching wilderness: failure.
New approach: investigate archives properly.
Draven walked as determination replaced frustration while hope rekindled by strategic thinking.
Five Pillars hidden somewhere across dying planet.
Four stable zones potentially containing location clues.
Starting now.
Genesis Codex's light steady as cosmic guidance remained limited but pack's intelligence compensated.
Searching smarter.
Finding answers.
However long it took.
---