"Myre, can you tell me more about your world?" William asked as he hurried after her, determined to learn more.
Myre stopped, turning to face him with a soft sigh. With a wave of her hand, she conjured two throne-like chairs out of thin air and gestured for William to sit in one. "Do you really want to spend your time hearing about my world rather than exploring out there?" she teased, a playful smile tugging at her lips.
William met her gaze and sat down in the throne, his expression serious. Myre smiled, nodding as she understood his curiosity.
"My world," she began, leaning back in her chair, "is also part of the Nexus Alliance. It's one of the greater worlds, a place of both beauty and danger. Unlike here, where the power is divided into Sila and other energies, in my world, magic reigns supreme. Its called Babylon, because of our primary energy source of mana. The strongest of us can command the elements with ease, and those who reach the pinnacle are known as Magus Kings And Aura Kings"
She paused for a moment, glancing at William to see if he was following. "We had vast cities built into towering mountains, floating islands, and oceans so deep that even the greatest creatures of the void would think twice before venturing into their depths. Wars between clans and kingdoms were frequent, fought over ancient artifacts, resources, and territory. But even in that chaos, we had order. We were part of a powerful alliance, the Nexus, that governed the greater worlds, keeping balance and preventing total destruction."
She smiled nostalgically. "My clan, the House of Night, was one of the strongest in our world. We ruled the dark arts—necromancy, shadow manipulation, and, of course, blood magic. We thrived in the shadows, feared but also respected."
William leaned in, completely absorbed. "It sounds incredible."
Myre chuckled softly, "It was... and still is, though I don't know what has become of it since I was summoned here. But enough about that. You have your own path to carve out, and this world is no less fascinating than mine."
Myre stood, dismissing the thrones with a flick of her hand. "Now, are you ready to continue exploring?" she asked.
As William followed her, curiosity struck him again. "What are Aura Kings, by the way?"
Myre glanced back at him and explained, "Mages command the elements, while Aura practitioners assimilate with Aura itself. That's the difference." She stopped and pointed ahead. "Look at that one."
In the distance, a boar prowled—a massive creature with metallic steel flames covering its spine and fangs of gleaming steel.
"That's a Steel-Fanged Flaming Boar," William identified immediately.
Myre nodded. "What else can you tell me about it?"
"They're Lord-class talent beasts. Their steel flames are highly sought after because they can purify lower-grade metals with great precision," William replied confidently.
"Good. Now go and kill it," she said nonchalantly, pushing him forward before vanishing from sight.
As Myre dismissed herself into the shadows, leaving William alone with the Steel-Fanged Flaming Boar, he felt the familiar tingle of excitement coursing through him. His heart pounded, but he kept his breathing steady, eyes fixed on the boar as it scraped its hoof against the ground, snorting plumes of steam and fire from its nostrils.
The creature's steel-plated body glinted in the light, its flames flickering menacingly. The boar charged forward, its speed far greater than William had anticipated. Its hooves pounded against the earth, leaving small trails of fire in their wake.
William stood his ground, calculating the right moment. The boar's enormous tusks extended, shimmering with molten steel. Just as the beast was about to crash into him, William leaped into the air, his body twisting nimbly as he unsheathed his dagger, which elongated into a longsword mid-flight. He brought it down with precision and strength, the blade sinking deep into the boar's skull with a sickening crunch.
The Steel-Fanged Flaming Boar continued to charge for a few more moments, seemingly unaware that it had already been defeated. Then, with a final stagger, it collapsed to the ground with a loud thud, flames sputtering out.
William landed softly beside the creature, panting slightly but satisfied. He watched as the boar's body began to disintegrate, shimmering away in small wisps of energy. Within moments, all that remained were its loot—chunks of its tough meat, its sharp steel fangs, and a vial containing its legendary steel flames. William quickly gathered them up.
"Well done," Myre's voice came from the shadows, her form reappearing beside him. "You handled that with more finesse than I expected."
William nodded, feeling the weight of the victory. "I still have a lot to learn," he admitted.
"True," Myre smiled, "but this is a good start. These boars are common in the Nexus Alliance worlds too. Learning to take them down efficiently will serve you well, both here and beyond."
William nodded thoughtfully as he stored the loot, reflecting on the strange phenomenon. In all worlds, it was common for creatures to leave behind valuable loot upon their death. It was known as the "Blessing of the Goddess." When unintelligent beasts were slain, their bodies would often disintegrate into raw materials—meat, bones, elemental cores, and other treasures.
However, this rule didn't apply to intelligent species. If a human killed another human, the body wouldn't turn into loot. The same applied to other intelligent races like elves, vampires, or beastfolk. Their bodies remained intact, not subject to the magical dissolution.
William understood the distinction: the Goddess's blessing only affected unintelligent beasts, leaving the spoils of battle as gifts for the victors. But for intelligent life, death had a far more solemn and natural consequence. This reality made the looting of beasts almost feel like a necessary part of survival—taking what was left behind to grow stronger, without the moral implications tied to killing another sentient being.
"let's go, there are many such creatures we need to hunt to see your limit" She said as she walked ahead.