A few days later, Rex was fine.
Which was the problem.
He healed too fast. Moved too normally. Thought too clearly for someone who had nearly been blown off a mountain, chased by cultists, and witnessed a portal explode.
But then again—normal people didn't have two voices in their head arguing nonstop and occasionally offering what were probably illegal magical suggestions.
Rex walked into the adventurer's guild like nothing had happened.
Lira looked up from her desk.
"…You good?" she asked casually.
Rex blinked. "Yeah?"
He was genuinely confused why she was asking.
Lira nodded slowly. "Noting."
She didn't push it. She had known Rex long enough to know two things:
He recovered way too fast.
Rex wasn't someone you could fully understand in just a few days.
That thought lingered.
Foreshadowing had teeth.
Rex wandered over to the mission board, scanning postings when—
Sage spoke.
Sage: Rex. Someone is watching you.
Rex didn't react outwardly. "What?"
Sage: There are people observing us.
Rex's eyes flicked subtly around the guild hall. "How many?"
Sage: Not conclusive. Hard to tell.
Noir: I can go check—
Sage: Shut up, you rage-filled barbarian.
Rex almost snorted.
"Okay," Rex muttered internally. "So what do we do?"
Sage: Accept that goat recovery mission.
Rex paused. "…The goat one?"
He spotted it.
Simple Recovery – Missing Livestock (Mountain Range).
"…Why?"
Sage: To confirm whether they're following us.
Rex smiled faintly. "Got it."
He grabbed the mission slip and handed it to Lira.
She glanced at it.
"…Really?" she asked. "This?"
Rex nodded. "Trying something new."
Lira stared at him.
Then she noticed them.
Six people.
Spread too evenly. Watching too carefully.
"…One minute," Lira said.
She finished the paperwork, signed the mission—and then suddenly grabbed Rex by the collar and pulled him close.
She kissed his cheek.
To anyone watching, it looked playful.
To Rex—
Lira (quietly): "There are six people following you. Lose them all. Come back here. They'll still be in the mountain range when you return."
She released him.
Rex's ears were red.
"L-Lira what was that for?!" he said loudly, voice pitched just high enough to sound flustered.
Lira smirked. "A goodbye kiss. You keep taking more dangerous missions. Why not, if it's the last time I see you?"
Rex laughed awkwardly, waved, and bolted out of the guild.
Lira sighed, watching the six figures leave shortly after him.
"…That kid is way too reckless."
Too Good at This
Rex sprinted through the streets.
Sage: Okay. What the hell was that.
Rex blinked. "What?"
Sage: Your acting. Lira's warning. You playing embarrassed—why are you that good?
Noir: Yeah. Never seen you practice. That was flawless.
Rex shrugged internally. "Guess I'm talented like that."
Both voices went silent.
Suspicious silence.
They let it go.
For now.
The Long Way Around
The mountain range was jagged and ugly—perfect.
Rex didn't take the direct paths.
He doubled back.
Climbed dead trails.
Crossed unstable ridges.
Used earth spikes once, collapsed a ledge twice, and waited in one freezing ravine until nightfall.
One by one—
The watchers disappeared.
Only when Sage confirmed absolute silence did Rex move again.
He didn't go after the goat.
He went home.
Velkhor Knows
Rex burst into the library.
"People are following me."
Velkhor didn't even look up from the book.
"I know. Lira told me."
Rex blinked.
Velkhor handed him another book.
The Mistica Arcanum.
"…You sure?" Rex asked.
Velkhor finally looked at him. His eyes were serious.
"Kid, you stepped into something far larger than you understand," he said calmly. "That book"—he nodded toward the Crimson Rite nearby—"is cult-level magic. Dangerous. Unfiltered."
Then he tapped the Mistica Arcanum.
"This is the safer version. A guide. If you're going to be involved in this mess, you'll need it."
Rex's face lit up.
He hugged the book like treasure, sprinted into the side room, and slammed the door shut.
Velkhor chuckled.
"…Always wanting to learn. Almost like—"
Knock. Knock.
Velkhor opened the door.
Three men stood outside.
"Adventurer Guild," one said. "We're here to discuss the mountain incident. May we come in?"
Velkhor smiled pleasantly.
"No."
They blinked.
"…Pardon?"
"You may talk here," Velkhor said. "You may not enter."
They adjusted quickly.
Questions followed.
What he knew.
What he saw.
What the circle was.
Velkhor answered calmly.
"Lightning storm ritual. Absorption array. Large containment jars. Hidden corridor. Portal. A figure ignited an explosive and erased the site."
The men exchanged glances.
"That matches our report," one said. "There was a child present. May we interview him?"
Velkhor's smile vanished.
"What about him?"
"Why was he there?"
"He was assisting me."
"May we speak with him?"
Velkhor folded his arms. "Is that mandatory?"
"…No."
"Then no," Velkhor said. "He's studying. I won't interrupt him."
The men hesitated.
"If you insist further," Velkhor added quietly, "it would imply you're interested in something other than the incident."
Cornered.
"…That will be all, sir."
They left.
Velkhor closed the door, sat down heavily, and rubbed his face.
"…Kid," he muttered to the empty library.
"What did you get yourself into?"
Somewhere behind a locked door, Rex was already reading.
And learning.
And becoming very, very dangerous.