The day after Karhux's fall dawned quietly. No rumbling of monstrous claws, no screams echoing across the burned village. For the first time in what felt like forever, the ruins were calm.
Kairo sat cross-legged near the Black Spire, the evolving ghoul standing silently at his side like a watchful statue. Even inside his own territory, it hadn't moved an inch—its lance was planted in the ground, its empty sockets fixed outward, as if daring the world to approach.
The boy lay nearby in a makeshift bed, wrapped in cloth. His breathing had steadied, his expression softened. He almost looked peaceful now.
Kairo's gaze wasn't on him, though. It was on the glowing menu of the system. He flicked through screen after screen, searching. That dream from yesterday—the battlefield of giants and dragons, the chained beast in the sea—it had felt too real to dismiss. He wanted answers.
But the Command Nexus' voice chimed flatly:
[ Notice: Some features are locked. Tier requirement not met. ]
Kairo sighed. "Figures."
"Still brooding over that vision?" Shiri's voice drifted from across the camp. The naga was crouched over a small fire, his scaled arms moving with surprising precision. A savory aroma wafted through the air.
Kairo turned. "What are you doing?"
"Cooking," Shiri said simply.
"…Cooking?"
Shiri gave him a look. "Don't sound so surprised. Yesterday I asked if I could make us a proper meal. Think of it as our first meal as allies."
Kairo narrowed his eyes. "You're just saying my cooking was terrible."
"I'm saying," Shiri replied smoothly, "that your cooking was… lacking." He sprinkled something into the pan, and the smell instantly deepened. "I found spices in the caravan supplies. You should be thankful."
Kairo groaned. "So you're telling me I fought through monsters, got stronger and went against Karhux, and almost died… only to get upstaged by your cooking."
"Yes."
Kairo threw a small rock at him. It bounced harmlessly off Shiri's scaled shoulder.
When Shiri finally served the food, Kairo froze.
Golden-brown roasted meat glistened with fat, steam curling around it, carrying a fragrance so rich his mouth watered before the plate even touched the ground.
Kairo stared. "That… doesn't look like the roasted meat I usually make."
"Eat," Shiri said, smirking.
Kairo hesitated, then tore a piece with his teeth. The moment it hit his tongue, his eyes widened. Tender, juicy, perfectly seasoned—the flavors exploded across his mouth, unlike anything he'd eaten since arriving in this world.
"…This is…" He swallowed quickly and leaned forward. "This is heaven."
Shiri chuckled. "So I'll take over cooking, then?"
Kairo scowled. "No, it's only good because of the salt."
"Mm-hm," Shiri hummed smugly. "So I should keep cooking, then."
Kairo hesitated, then muttered, "Fine. You win."
Shiri laughed, a deep, warm sound. "I'll take that as victory." He glanced at the ghoul, who still stood silently by the fire. "Though… having it stare at us while we eat is unnerving."
Kairo chewed another bite. "You'll get used to it."
"It helped me light the fire earlier," Shiri said. "That's when I realized it isn't just a monster. It follows orders. Loyal, in its own way."
Kairo nodded faintly, then lowered his gaze. "Still… I can't forget I wasn't the one who killed Karhux."
Shiri's hands paused over the fire. "That beam from the sky…" He shook his head. "It was beyond anything I've seen. But Karhux himself was just as strange. Where did a beast like that even come from?"
Kairo didn't answer. He still saw the image burned in his mind—how karhux was eviscerated on the spot.
Shiri's voice softened. "Listen. I said I would stand as your comrade, and I meant it. Whatever mystery lingers around Karhux, around that light—we face it together."
Kairo blinked, then smirked. "Together, huh? Funny. That's the same naga who just told me my cooking was trash."
"Cooking, yes," Shiri grinned. "Commanding, no. That's where you excel."
The words struck harder than Kairo expected. He chuckled to mask it.
Shiri leaned closer. "But you must be cautious, Kairo. These ruins… they're wrong.
Kairo confused, asked"Wrong?"
Shiri replied"Their's something in the air, a heaviness.
Kairo amazed at the proclaim,, questioned,"Somethung wrong with the air? I don't feel anything like that."
"Nagas," Shiri spoke in a heavier tone,"My kind has a sense for mana flows. Although we aren't adapt in proper use of mana, we can still since it around us,, and i feel… something foul."
Kairo shrugged. "Probably because there are piles of corpses less than a kilometer away."
Shiri froze. "Wait. Corpses?"
Kairo casually mentioned, "Yeah, It's where I found my bloodstained banner."
Shiri froze, wide-eyed. "What? Blood stained banner? I don't know about that but you decided to build your base near a pile of corpses? Are you insane!"
Kairo shrugged. "Wasn't my choice—the Nexus decided."
Shiri's jaw dropped. "Nexus? Whats that? And how did it foce You built your base next to a corpse field?"
"I wasn't given the choice to select my starting place."
"That's not an excuse."
"It is when you're forcibly dropped into the middle of nowhere!"
The two stared at each other, then burst out laughing. The tension broke, leaving only the warmth of fire and food between them.
While they laughed, the boy stirred in his bed. His brows furrowed, lips parting as if in protest.
In his vision, fire raged. He saw Karhux's looming shape, the Jade of Ruins glowing faintly, and behind it… a man clad in red, face shadowed, eyes burning. The man reached toward him.
"Brother…" the boy whispered.
His eyes snapped open. He sat upright, gasping, and shouted: "Brother!"
Both Kairo and Shiri spun.
The boy's gaze darted around wildly, looking at the unfimiliar surroundings, he rushed out of the tier 1 house, when he came out, he looked around–locking on Shiri's towering serpentine form. His mouth opened in terror. "M-monster!"
Before either of them could react, the boy fainted backward with a thud.
The camp fell silent.
Kairo blinked. "...Did he just scream, wake up, and then faint?"
"Yes," Shiri deadpanned.
"…So that wasn't a dream?"
"No."
They stared at the unconscious boy. Then Shiri shook his head. "I should've saved him some food. Maybe he wouldn't have passed out if he woke up to roasted meat."
Kairo groaned, holding his face. "…You're unbelievable."
Shiri smirked, tossing him another plate. "Eat, commander. Tomorrow's worries will wait. Tonight, we eat."
And for the first time since arriving in the ruins, Kairo allowed himself to laugh with someone beside him—not as a survivor, but as an ally.