The overwhelming silence between us was suffocating. Tears fell from us both, like brothers being separated; it was as if we both knew it was time to say goodbye. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, leaving behind a late evening glow. Most of the men outside were busy rebuilding houses and repairing local shops. But here, inside the castle hall, the only company we had were the fallen rocks and the debris that blocked parts of the path.
"So—um, I guess this is it."
He wiped his tears like a child. It looked strange on him—this massive body of a giant paired with the mannerisms of a boy—but I couldn't blame him. We had been journeying for days. That might not sound long, but for us it was everything.
I still remember when I found him. Tiny. Scrawny. Just a 4-foot orc child I could have killed in an instant. But something about him was different. There was no distant, cruel glare in his eyes, no natural menace like most orcs carried that made humans instinctively fear them and kill them. Instead, there was something pure—something that felt right.
"Sniffle… sniff… I guess you will be leaving?"
His voice, deep and muffled, echoed like someone speaking through broken speakers. The ridiculous sound almost dulled the weight of the moment, but only almost.
"Well… yeah. I miss my family. My mom, my grandpa. And besides, I have a new mission waiting for me."
I turned toward the massive hole in the castle wall, staring at the silver moon as countless stars glittered around it. With a smile tugging at my lips, I turned back to him.
"You better grow stronger. We will meet again—and when that day comes, I'll be victorious."
I outstretched my arm, offering him our final fist bump—for now, at least. He wiped away a tear, then smiled. A cocky, defiant smile I had never seen from him before. I couldn't help but match it. When our fists met, the moment demanded more. So we embraced, one last hug before parting.
I picked up my bag and turned slowly, trying to savor my last view of my friends. Josen and Ephilia stood atop a fallen pillar, waving at me. Their hands moved slowly, almost reluctantly, until I forced myself to look away and make my way out of the kingdom.
Normally, I would have used teleportation right about then. But the warnings had proven true—I couldn't. Not after how many times I'd pushed it inside the city. My energy was depleted, my head felt like it was been for fully expanded from pressure it hurt so much. So I walked. For miles, stopping only when I had to. Eating. Sleeping. Walking again.
After a full day, I finally noticed the walls around me shift back into the pale gray stone from when I first entered. The air was colder again—freezing, but not unbearable. After all, I had changed.
I stared into a shallow puddle of dirty water. My reflection wavered, but it was clear enough. My white hair had grown longer, falling into a wavy mullet. It suited me. Then my eyes caught the faint, familiar glow beneath my feet. A bright blue pattern was forming, pulsing like it was calling me home.
With the last of my strength, I staggered forward and pressed my foot down into the light. The glow surged, the dungeon's embrace enveloping me one last time. I smiled, staring deeply into its depths. This place had given me much, but now it was time to leave.
My body disintegrated into motes of light—and in the next instant, I collapsed onto the cold stone floor of Grandpa's basement.
Groaning, I pushed myself upright. My joints ached, my body heavy. I dragged myself toward the staircase, already imagining Grandpa's reaction: the annoying but caring old man asking endless questions.
But the voice that cut through the silence froze me in place.
"Boi."
The word was familiar, but the tone was colder than ice. The weight of it nearly crushed me, as though the air itself was grinding my bones.
Then, just as suddenly, the pressure lifted. I turned, meeting his gaze. For the briefest moment, his eyes weren't calm or stern—they were scared. Hurt. Worried. But the flicker vanished as quickly as it appeared, replaced with the old seriousness I knew too well.
"Go upstairs. Take a shower." His words were sharp, cutting off any thought of reunion.
No welcome back. No, are you hurt? No, I'm proud of you.Nothing.
It hurt, but I swallowed the bitterness. I could hear him out later.
I nodded, making my way through the hallways lined with murals. Paintings of a man I couldn't quite recognize stared down at me. Finally, I entered the bathroom. My armor came off piece by piece—burnt, rusted, scarred with battle.
My body bore its own changes. My right arm had shifted into a faint purple hue, and when I flexed, poison coiled out, shaping into a tiny teddy bear. I didn't know why I made it, but it made me smile. My right eye twitched, a reminder.
Oh yeah. I had forgotten about that ability. My precognition eye.
I leaned closer to the mirror, focusing. The reflection of my left eye shimmered, purple with endless white lines stretching into infinity.
After washing, I put on the black fitted tracksuit that had been laid out on my bed. I grabbed my bag, emptied the orbs onto the table, then slung the rest of the weapons over my back. When I descended the stairs, Grandpa was waiting—with food?
A plate sat in front of him: boiled rice, raw meat lightly seared and glazed with egg and soy sauce. The scent alone made my stomach ache with hunger. He gestured for me to sit.
I obeyed instantly. He handed me the plate, and for a moment the tension eased.
"Okay, boi. Let's talk. You're going to return to Liones soon."
The words made me freeze mid-bite. I had expected them, dreaded them, but still… hearing it out loud was different. I didn't want to go back. But I knew I had to. For myself. For Mom. For Grandpa.
"What then?" I asked, setting the plate aside.
"We have a lot to discuss. Many things you've been told are lies. If you're truly going to bring down the great powers, you need to understand what's real."
My brows furrowed. "We've been told since childhood—at sixteen, some awaken with systems, gifts from the gods. Constellations who bless us with magic to fight the enemies that invade us from dungeons."
"That's all?" he asked sharply.
"At a basic level… yes."
"Well, that's nonsense. Power is determined by your Arthenis—your type." His voice caught slightly, as if it pained him to say it.
"The Arthenis you're born with decides how strong you are… and how far you can go."
I straightened, setting my plate aside completely.
"Different people, different species—they all carry different Arthenis
He paused, like he was waiting for the meaning of his words to set in
Those with the System have a light blue Arthenis. Its size depends on their bloodline, their blessings, or sheer luck. But once they awaken, they are bound by it. They can never grow beyond its limits."
He clenched his jaw hard.
"This is the first type of Arthenis."