Morning light spilled over the ruined landscape as Kairo, Theo, Lilian, and Flint left the safety of their territory, heading deeper into the wild ruins. Kairo led the group, Flint walking loyally at his side, while Theo and Lilian followed behind, their chatter breaking the quiet air. They had been walking for a while without encountering a single creature.
"I can't wait anymore," Theo grumbled. "How much farther do we have to walk?"
"Calm down," Kairo replied, rubbing his temple. "It's only been twenty minutes. We just need to wait for the prey to appear."
Still, deep inside, Kairo shared Theo's unease. The ruins were too silent. Not even a trace of a monster so far—it felt unnatural.
"It's not a good quality to be this impatient," Lilian mocked, smirking at Theo.
"Says the one who slept through half the day," Theo shot back.
Their bickering filled the air, but Kairo tuned them out, lost in thought. Eighty percent... just twenty more and I'll reach tier three. The memory of the bandit raid flickered in his mind.
Suddenly, Flint's voice broke through. "Boss, something ahead!"
Kairo raised his eyes—and there, in the distance, a group of goblins emerged from the rubble. Finally, prey.
Theo's eyes lit up the moment he saw the goblins. "Finally! Some action!" he shouted, drawing Zeven's old sword. Lilian crossed her arms with a sigh. "Boys and their excitement over violence," she muttered under her breath.
Kairo, however, smirked. "Good place to start the hunt. Easy prey." He motioned forward. "Theo, you take the front."
"Got it!" Theo dashed ahead, his sword gleaming under the dim light. There were around fifteen goblins, all startled by his sudden charge. Theo slashed through the first one effortlessly. "Too easy!" he laughed. Another goblin lunged, but Theo dodged smoothly and countered, cutting it down.
More rushed in. Theo grinned. "Let's end this quick!" His blade shone faintly as he activated Dash and Rattle of the Deep, spinning into a fluid motion that cut down five goblins in a single sweep. "How do you like that?" he yelled, pointing his sword at the survivors. "Alright, who's next?"
Before he could move again, Flint charged in from the side, roaring, "Leave some for me!" With Raghul's twin axes, he tore through the remaining goblins in a single devastating rush.
Theo groaned. "Hey! That's unfair! That was my prey!"
Flint laughed, wiping blood from his blade. "Then be faster next time!"
Theo pouted. "I liked you better when you couldn't talk."
From behind, Lilian gripped her broom, frustrated. "I didn't even get to use my magic…"
Kairo chuckled softly. "Don't worry. You'll get your chance next time."
Lilian blushed, hiding her smile. "O-Okay."
Some time passed as the group continued deeper into the wild ruins. Their next encounter came sooner than expected — a pack of giant rats, tier 2 monsters with coarse gray fur and sharp fangs. Kairo raised his hand. "Stay alert. These ones are stronger than the goblins."
But before he could even finish, Theo and Flint had already charged forward. Theo's sword glimmered as he spun through the first two, while Flint's axes crushed the others with powerful swings. Within moments, the rats were lying motionless on the ground.
Lilian stood behind them, broom in hand, her expression blank. "I… didn't even get a chance again," she muttered sadly. Kairo gave her an awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh… next time, I promise."
But it happened again. Not long after, they stumbled upon a group of Snap Gnashers lurking among broken walls. Before Lilian could even lift her broom, Theo and Flint were already laughing as they fought side by side, easily slaying the creatures.
Lilian's patience finally broke. "Will you idiots leave some for me too!?" she yelled, one eye almost tearing up. Theo flinched, raising his hands in surrender. "O-okay, okay! Next one's yours, promise!"
Flint just chuckled, wiping blood from his axes.
The group continued their walk through the ruins, the dusty air thick with silence. It had been a while since they'd encountered any monsters, and Lilian's patience had reached its limit.
"Where are the monsters when it's finally my turn?" she complained, her voice echoing through the quiet ruins.
Theo groaned. "Relax. We promised you could handle the next one, so stop getting so worked up."
Kairo was about to speak when he noticed something unusual ahead. A patch of green—trees and thick bushes—broke the otherwise barren landscape.
"That's strange," he murmured, narrowing his eyes. "There aren't many trees in the ruins… Where even are we?"
Before anyone could answer, a sudden rustling came from the bushes. Everyone froze.
Lilian's eyes lit up, and she stepped forward dramatically, raising her hand. "Behold! The might of this legendary witch!"
A small magic circle flickered to life on her palm, thin line split it in half, a sharp spike rising from the center, connecting perfectly. "Come forth, vile creature—I'll burn you to—"
Her words were cut off as a swarm of massive beetles burst from the bushes, charging straight toward them. For a moment, Lilian stood frozen. Then—
"B-B-BUGS!" she shrieked, bolting behind Kairo.
Theo sighed, muttering, "Seriously…" before leaping forward, slashing down two beetles in one motion. Flint followed, his axes tearing through the rest. Within moments, silence returned—except for Lilian, who was now on her knees, teary-eyed.
"I can't fight bugs! They're gross and terrifying! This isn't fair!"
Theo rolled his eyes, mumbling, "This girl…"
Kairo approached her with an awkward smile and held out his hand. "Don't worry. We'll find something you can fight next time. I promise."
Lilian sniffled, taking his hand. "O-Okay… if you say so." She blushed when she realized they were holding hands and quickly pulled away.
Kairo was surprised, he glanced at Theo and Flint, who only shrugged, clueless about Lilian's sudden reaction. Sighing, Kairo dismissed it and turned his attention back to the fallen bugs before them, Their shells gleamed with a strange hue. "I haven't seen these before… maybe we've wandered into a new area."
He opened his map—and sure enough, he noticed the familiar the water irrigation system's marker that he had discovered earlier nearby. Realizing it, he concluded that this small patch of trees was indeed part of the ancient ruins.
The group slowly advanced through the newly discovered patch of trees, their footsteps crunching softly against damp soil. Kairo glanced around, puzzled. (How could a place inside the barren ruins harbor such dense vegetation?) As they pushed deeper, Theo's voice broke the silence. "Hey, there's something here…" He knelt beside a clearing littered with bones—picked clean, white as chalk.
Kairo frowned, kneeling beside him. "Not a trace of flesh… whatever did this, it's been feeding for a while."
Flint chuckled, tightening his grip on the axes. "Heh, then it's gonna be fun hunting it down."
Before he could say more, Lilian stomped forward, pointing her staff ahead. "No, this one's mine! You two aren't touching it."
Theo groaned, rolling his eyes. "Fine, fine. Do as you wish."
They pressed on, following the trail of bones that grew fresher the deeper they went. Then—a faint rustle. The group froze.
"There!" Lilian shouted, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She stepped forward, summoning a magic circle before her palm. "Come forth, monster! This time, I'll burn you for real!"
Kairo warned, "Lilian, don't get too close."
Blushing, she smiled faintly, replying, "Y-You don't have to worry about me, I-I can handel it myself."
But her words died as something burst from the bushes. Lilian froze mid-sentence—"What the—" before a vast shadow loomed over her. Her violet eyes widened, capturing something massive, green… and disturbingly liquid?
To be continued.....