The last rays of sunlight pierced the canopy, casting streaks of amber through the dense forest as Riven trudged onward, exhaustion weighing heavy on his limbs. Never again, he thought bitterly, glancing at the map in his hands. Luna perched on his shoulder, letting out a soft meow that sounded suspiciously like agreement. The map tracked his movements and outlined the city's perimeter, but the area in between was frustratingly blank. Every few steps, he found himself detouring around dense thickets or marshland, forced to backtrack or alter his path. The looming threat of another Fangleon attack clung to the air, thick and oppressive, and with night quickly falling, the danger was only growing. Worse still, the city gates would close within the hour.
Grinding his teeth, Riven picked up his pace, weaving through the forest with all the urgency his weary body could muster. His stomach sank as he skidded to a halt at the edge of yet another expanse of marshland. He swore under his breath. If I go around, I'll never make it. Clenching his fists, he closed his eyes and retreated into his mind space. There, his dual mana cores pulsed faintly, their energy halved from earlier use. Eight blinks. That's all I've got left.
Determined, he focused on a series of points just within the edge of his blink range. The first blink launched him forward, a meter above the ground, his body hanging mid-air for the briefest moment before he blinked again. He repeated the process, losing only small increments of altitude with each jump. By the seventh blink, he spotted a patch of dry, compact ground amidst the swamp. Gritting his teeth, he made one final push, his mana straining under the effort. The moment he landed, he collapsed face-first onto the dirt, panting heavily. Never again, he thought, his breaths coming in ragged bursts.
After a few moments, he glanced inward, noting the faint flicker of energy remaining in his cores. Good enough. At least I won't be immobilized like last time.
Luna, ever watchful, hopped down and perched on his back. She meowed softly, her ears swiveling in all directions as though scanning the darkened forest for signs of trouble. Night had fallen, and Riven cursed his lack of foresight. He hadn't thought to pack a light source. Rising slowly, he gathered two dry sticks from the ground. Holding them in a makeshift T-shape, he began channeling what little mana he had left, rubbing the sticks together at an impossible speed. Sparks flew, faint embers glowing in the surrounding darkness. After a minute of desperate effort, he felt his reserves draining dangerously low. Come on, work! he willed.
A small flame roared to life, and he wasted no time gathering more kindling to build a sustainable torch. The faint warmth bolstered his spirits as he pressed forward, his makeshift torch lighting the way through the treacherous forest.
By the time the torch burned out, Riven had reached the forest's edge. Relief swept through him as the city walls loomed tall and imposing, bathed in moonlight. The ten-foot-high barrier was a testament to human ingenuity, said to have been built in a single day by a Tier 7 Tamer. The story tugged at his memory, though he couldn't quite recall the Tamer's name.
Ahead, the soft glow of lanterns marked the town gate. Riven exhaled a long breath and trudged toward it. As he approached, the shadowy figure of a massive bull caught his eye. The creature drank leisurely from a trough while the guards stood at rigid attention nearby. Their metal armor gleamed in the lamplight, polished to a mirror shine, while their dark blue surcoats fluttered faintly in the night breeze. The guards came alive the moment Riven stepped into the light, their spears lowering to point directly at him.
"Who are you, and state your business!" the guard on the right barked, his voice sharp and commanding.
Riven raised his hands in a gesture of peace, forcing confidence into his tone. "Adventurer Riven Stormbrand, returning from a quest." He held out his token, which glinted faintly in the lamplight.
The guards exchanged wary glances but eventually relaxed, their spears returning to their upright positions. "You may enter," they said in unison.
Relief washed over Riven, though it was short-lived. "There's something you need to know," he began, his tone grave. "I encountered a Fangleon in the woods—dangerously close to the city."
The guards' eyes widened, their composure faltering. "A Fangleon? This close?" the one on the left demanded incredulously.
"It was near Rank 3," Riven replied, suppressing the irritation that crept into his voice.
The left guard hurried into a stone outpost embedded in the wall. Moments later, a man in dark blue armor trimmed with red emerged. His mere presence was enough to make Riven's knees lock. A Rank 4... He must be the captain of this section.
The bull at the trough lifted its head, snorting softly before trotting over to the captain. Riven's breath hitched as the beast came fully into view. It was massive—easily eight feet tall—with coarse brown fur and metallic silver scales forming a diamond pattern across its legs, back, and horns. Each horn was over a meter long, glinting like polished steel. A Greater Beast. Rare, and with metal affinity by the look of it.
The captain placed a gloved hand on the bull's head, scratching it affectionately. The beast let out a low, rumbling moo of contentment. "Boy," the captain said, his gaze locking onto Riven. "Are you certain it was a Fangleon?"
Riven swallowed hard, summoning his courage. "Yes, sir. It was hunting other monsters in the forest."
A frown darkened the captain's face. He stroked his mustache thoughtfully. "Get inside and keep this information to yourself," he ordered sharply.
Riven nodded stiffly and moved past the gate. As he walked away, he overheard the captain mutter, "The Chaotic Lands are expanding faster than expected. Damn it."
Riven froze mid-step, his heart skipping a beat. The Chaotic Lands are expanding? His father had never mentioned such a thing. Shaking off his unease, he tucked the revelation away for later. The empty streets of the city stretched before him, lit by lanterns at regular intervals. He quickened his pace, eager to reach the safety of home.
Walking up to the doors of his house, Riven mulled over possible excuses for his delay. Before he could settle on one, vines erupted from the ground, coiling around him like serpents. He barely had time to register the ambush before they tightened, locking him in place. Attempting to blink out of the situation proved futile; the vines were saturated with mana, their energy cancelling out his own.
Luna, however, was unfazed. She perched lazily on the doorframe, tail swishing as she observed his predicament with a curious tilt of her head.
"Explain yourself," came a voice as cold as the night air. Riven didn't need to turn around to know who it belonged to.
"Mom, I can explain!" he stammered, struggling against the enchanted vines. He tried to blink again, pouring more focus into the effort, but he remained rooted—literally. Is it the mana in these vines? Or something worse? His frantic thoughts froze as the doors swung open, revealing his mother's stern expression.
"This is the fourth time this month you've arrived after curfew," she said, her voice low but sharp enough to cut steel.
"I was attacked!" Riven blurted out.
Her expression softened, and the vines slowly unraveled, retreating into the earth like obedient pets. "You should have led with that," she said, her tone brightening, though her earlier scolding still hung in the air.
Before Riven could respond, Luna blinked from the doorframe to the ground, materializing in front of his mother. The little creature stared up at her with wide, unblinking eyes.
"Oh, hello there, little one," his mother said, bending down to pat Luna's head. The feline purred, leaning into the affection.
"She's my new bond," Riven said, stepping forward as Luna blinked onto his shoulder, surprising his mother.
"A lesser bloodline with spatial abilities?" she mused, studying Luna with newfound interest. "That's quite unusual."
"Yeah, she's also the reason I almost got killed by a Fangleon," Riven muttered, shooting a sidelong glance at the feline. Luna responded by stretching lazily, utterly unbothered.
The memory of the guard captain's warning surfaced in Riven's mind, and he cursed himself inwardly. His mother's expression darkened, her gaze snapping toward the shadows as if expecting trouble to emerge at any moment.
"Riven, inside. Now," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
They stepped through the gate as it closed behind them, the glowing rune mechanism activating with a faint hum—a new addition, courtesy of one of his father's friends.
Riven sat at the dining table, trying to shake off the lingering tension. Herald, their butler, entered with two plates, setting one in front of Riven and the other before his mother. That was strange, only two plates. They usually ate as a family unless his father was on a mission, but no one had mentioned anything.
"Is Dad on a quest?" Riven asked, glancing at his mother, who wore a troubled expression.
She sighed, placing her fork down. "He's on a mission from the Tamer Association. King's orders." Her tone was clipped, and she hesitated before adding, "That's all I'm allowed to say."
That's odd. He always gives us at least a day's notice.
Riven nodded slowly, though concern weighed on his mind. His mother must have noticed, as she offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. He'll be back soon." But the doubt in her voice betrayed her words.
They ate in silence for a while, the room heavy with unspoken thoughts. Eventually, Riven recounted his day in detail, describing his encounter with the Fangleon.