The morning air in Eldwyn Village carried a strange stillness, as if the wind itself held its breath.
Reynar sat on the edge of the training field, muscles sore, heartbeat steady from a week of relentless drills. The pain had dulled into a familiar companion. But even as the sun crept higher, something inside him stirred—something restless.
His hand drifted to the hilt of his training blade. It felt… too clean. Too untested.
He glanced toward the nearby woods, where mist lingered between ancient trees and shadows whispered.
[System Prompt]
Main Quest: Veins of Darkness
DUNGEON ACCESS IN: 2 DAYS
Current Power Rating: F+
Suggestion: "Live combat experience can rapidly accelerate stat growth and skill mastery."
Reynar clenched his jaw. Two days wasn't enough to level up through sparring alone.
And Liora… she was strong, but cautious. Maybe too cautious.
He stood, checked that she was still out gathering herbs near the village edge, and slipped into the forest with quiet, deliberate steps.
The Mistwood Edge
The forest greeted him with an eerie hush. Thin beams of light broke through the canopy in flickering shafts. His grip on the blade tightened.
It didn't take long to find the first monster: a feral Fangboar, tusks cracked and eyes wild with territorial rage.
Its roar shattered the silence—and charged.
Reynar didn't hesitate.
He pivoted to the left, blade angled downward just like Liora had drilled into him. The boar clipped his side but didn't knock him down.
Breathe. Flow. Don't fight it—guide it.
His sword sliced across its shoulder. Not deep, but enough to draw blood. The beast squealed, twisted—and came again.
This time, he didn't dodge. He leapt over it and drove his sword into the spine below the neck.
The creature dropped with a final snort.
Reynar's chest heaved. Blood—his and the boar's—dripped into the moss. He fell to one knee, panting, adrenaline surging.
[System Update]
Monster Slain: Wild Fangboar (Level 9)→ Exp Gained: 134→ Stat Growth Boost Applied (Combat Kill Bonus)
Skill Progression: Sword Mastery I – 68% → 74%
He grinned despite the pain. Real combat is the only way forward.
But that thought was cut short by a low rustle to his left.
He turned—sword ready.
And saw a girl.
She was his age, maybe younger. Slender, with wild snow-white hair tied into uneven braids. Ears—long, feline, and twitching—peeked from her hood. Her eyes were an unnatural amber, glowing slightly in the dim light.
She didn't flinch at the sight of the dead boar.
She merely regarded Reynar like he was a curiosity.
"You're going to die," she said flatly.
Reynar blinked. "...Good morning to you too."
She looked past him. "That thing was a baby. Its mother's nearby. She's not happy."
Reynar opened his mouth—then the ground trembled.
The bushes behind him exploded as a massive Fangboar barreled into the clearing, tusks the size of scythes, hide scarred and bristling.
Reynar cursed.
The girl didn't move.
Reynar stepped in front of her, blade ready. "Stay behind me!"
A moment passed.
Then—she vanished.
Reynar felt the wind shift—and the next instant, the massive Fangboar screeched, staggering as a deep slash tore across its hind leg.
He turned.
The girl was already behind the beast, blades in both hands, slicing with feral precision.
She moved like shadow and storm, flipping mid-air and slamming both daggers into the creature's neck. It gurgled and collapsed before Reynar could blink.
She landed in a crouch, then stood, silent.
He stared. "What the hell are you?"
The girl tilted her head. "Someone who didn't nearly die to a pig."
[System Ping]
Unknown Combatant Detected→ Name: Sylvie (Last Name Unknown)→ Race: Beastkin – Classification: Hidden→ Combat Rating: C-Tier (Suppressed)
Warning: Information Access Restricted
"Beastkin?" Reynar muttered. "I've never met—"
But she was already walking away.
He stumbled after her. "Wait! Who are you? Why are you—"
She turned, eyes unreadable.
"You don't belong in this forest, boy. Go home."
"But I—"
"You don't," she said again. Then softened, almost imperceptibly.
"If you want to survive… stop being so stupid."
Then, just like that—she was gone.
[System Notification]
New Character Encountered: Sylvie [Affinity: Unknown]Future interaction possible.
You've gained insight into stealth-based combat and mid-air maneuvering.
Skill Pathway Unlocked: Agility Tree – Shadow Dancer (Locked)
The Return
Reynar limped back to the village two hours later—torn shirt, shallow gash on his side, but a strange excitement still burning in his chest.
He had done it. He had fought. He had survived.
And that girl…
"Where the hell have you been?"
Liora's voice cracked like a whip.
Reynar stopped cold.
She stormed across the dirt path toward him, eyes wide with fury—and something worse.
Worry.
"I—" he started.
"Do you have any idea what could have happened?! I came back and you were gone. You left without a word!"
"I just—"
"You thought you were strong enough?" she snapped. "You thought what, a few days of drills made you invincible?!"
"I needed real experience," Reynar said, voice firmer now. "I had to push myself. I—"
She slapped him.
Not hard. Not really.
But enough.
Silence fell between them.
She looked away, hand shaking slightly. "You could've died. Like… so many others."
He blinked, unsure of what to say. The anger was real—but so was the fear beneath it.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly.
Liora's shoulders slumped.
"I get it," she muttered. "You want to be strong. You have to be. But if you throw yourself into a pit before you're ready, all you're doing is making someone else clean up your corpse."
Reynar swallowed.
"I'm not going to let that happen to you," she said.
The words hung heavy in the air.
"I didn't think you cared that much," he said.
She looked up, something unreadable in her gaze. "I didn't think I did either."
[System Update]
Companion Affinity – Liora: 57%→ New Trait Unlocked: "Hidden Concern"→ "Liora hides her care beneath harshness. But fear reveals what she won't admit aloud."
Emotional Threshold Passed: Bond Memory Unlocked (Fragment II)
That night, Reynar sat on the small porch of Liora's house, the sky dark and scattered with stars. Crickets chirped. The village had settled into sleep.
Liora joined him, carrying two mugs of pineleaf tea.
No words passed between them for a while.
Then, softly:
"You're changing," she said.
Reynar glanced at her. "Is that a compliment?"
"Don't push your luck."
They both laughed—softly, tiredly.
A breeze stirred Liora's hair. Her smile faded.
"I think it's time I told you my past."
Reynar straightened.
She stared at the stars. "The real reason I live alone… why I fight."
Silence.
"I haven't told anyone in years. But you deserve to know."